‘Who is this?’ Andre motioned to Albray, who was still wearing nothing but his thirteenth-century trousers.
‘This is the new man in my life that I’ve been telling you about,’ I informed him and introduced them.
‘Did Molier bring you down here?’ Andre was suspicious of the stranger being let into the site before Andre himself had been in.
‘Molier entered the chamber beyond those doors and did not come back out,’ I told him truthfully. ‘I fear he has ventured to go where no man ought, and has paid the ultimate price for his defiance.’
‘He is dead!’ Andre was disturbed by the news, but seemed more worried about the complications this might cause him than about the probable death of Molier. ‘That’s the trouble with these archaeologists. They are always getting themselves killed before they finalise their bloody accounts…when am I going to learn.’ He threw his hands up, then noticed the vials I held. ‘What are they?’
‘These belong to Akbar.’ I moved to hand the keys to him, and when Andre protested, he again felt the tip of the Arab’s sword in his back.
‘All right, they’re yours.’ The Frenchman held his arms up in submission. ‘I think I’m beginning to understand the situation a little better.’
‘My deepest gratitude, Dr Montrose.’ Akbar sheathed his sword and accepted the vials from me. ‘There are sites more secret than this one where the keys can be stored until their ultimate purpose is revealed to mankind. As long as the keys reside here, the security of the porthole will remain at risk.’
‘I agree.’ It was a relief to hand the keys over to the Order of Melchi, for they were the true custodians, who would not abuse their position as guardians of the vials. ‘Still, this is not the thirteenth century.’ I voiced my only concern. ‘With modern surveillance and tracking systems, how can you be sure that the keys can be delivered to a safe location without some ancient brotherhood creeping out of the woodwork to abscond with them again?’
Both Akbar and Albray were amused, but Albray played ignorant and allowed Akbar to explain. ‘There are places on this Earth that even the most sophisticated machines cannot find and the most ingenious men cannot go, without an invitation.’
‘How do you mean?’ Andre didn’t understand. Neither did I.I wondered if Akbar was being a little naive—Albray most certainly was.
My expression must have reflected my doubt, for Akbar said, ‘If it will reassure you, doctor, why don’t you attempt to track my party when we leave this place? Molier has left the most modern technology at your disposal…use any and all means that you have,’ the Arab challenged us with a winning smile. ‘But first we shall bury this gateway once and for all.’
Albray and myself nodded to second the motion.
‘But it has taken me months to get it open!’ Andre protested. ‘I haven’t even had the chance to look around yet!’
‘Believe me, you don’t want to,’ I advised, accompanying my guardians up the red-gold pathway to the exit.
‘But what about the fame and fortune?’ Andre was reluctant to leave the grand chamber and its walls of glittering gold.
‘The sun is setting,’ Akbar commented to his one-time employer. ‘You could stay here
Andre, not finding this a very attractive scenario, hotfooted it up the exit path behind us.
Outside, as the sun set, Andre, Conally and Tusca watched in bemusment while a multitude of Arab warriors buried the gateway in dirt and sand with the aid of Andre’s dormant excavation machinery. When the job was done the site was pretty much as they had probably found it. A few sirocco storms and no one would ever know that this side of the mountain had been excavated. The Melchi, having completed their chore, abandoned the equipment and took to their horses.
‘Just fantastic,’ Andre grumbled. ‘The most promising dig ever, ruined by some backward cult of thieves!’
‘It is you who are the thieves.’ Akbar overheard the comment and took offence. The murder of his two young companions was fuelling his resentment. Still, as the offenders had not been in possession of their sensibilities at the time, Akbar had decided not to seek retribution—he knew well enough the power of the creature that had been controlling them. ‘If you treasure your lives,’ he advised Andre and the others, ‘you will be gone by tomorrow noon and you will never return to the Sinai.’ Akbar looked at me and all his anger melted away as he approached to say farewell. ‘You, on the other hand, doctor…I feel sure we shall meet again.’
I was going to bow politely, or offer him a handshake, but at the risk of offending the man, I embraced him, albeit briefly. ‘No offence, Akbar, but I hope you are wrong about that.’ I pulled back to find him looking stunned but honoured. ‘Thanks for being there to catch my fall.’
‘Your death at this time would have been a great loss for humanity.’ He accepted my gratitude graciously before turning to Albray. ‘Fare thee well, my mysterious friend. I suspect I am more indebted to you than I know.’
‘Likewise.’ Albray returned the Arab warrior’s grin, as they shook hands.
‘Take very good care of this woman,’ Akbar requested, as I slid under Albray’s arm. ‘She has a thing for flinging herself off cliffs in the middle of the night.’
Albray looked at me in confusion—the stone had not been in my possession at that time, so of course my knight knew nothing of my near-death experience whilst trying to save the amulet.
‘Tell you later.’
‘Mia’s wellbeing is my reason for being,’ Albray assured Akbar, who nodded to wish us both well. If the man had questions he wanted to ask Albray, he refrained and mounted his horse instead.
We watched the hordes depart on horse and camel. ‘You do realise that my fee for this job just tripled,’ I said to Andre.
‘You speak as if the job is over, but we are just getting started.’ Andre winked at me ahead of striding off toward camp.
