'Really?' It was the best news Indy had heard since they'd left Delphi. 'I'm sure my friends and I will accept that. But—'
The king raised a hand, cutting him off. 'The reason I've decided to talk to you is that I feel I owe you at least that. You saved my life.'
'I feel very fortunate to be here with you.'
The king laughed. 'You are fortunate to be alive, much less in the palace. If the reports I received were accurate, luck must be on your side.'
Indy tried to answer, but his throat was dry and his voice cracked.
The king snapped his fingers and murmured something to a man who had been hidden by the bookshelves. Indy looked around, wondering how many other people were in the room. A moment later, the aide handed Indy a glass of water.
'Now, tell me why you stole an artifact from Delphi and an automobile from Colonel Mandraki.'
Indy gulped the water down, and cleared his throat. 'Mandraki was going to kill you. I mean, he wanted me to kill you.'
'Wait.' The king interrupted. 'Start from the begin ning. Why did you go to Delphi with Dorian Belecamus?'
Indy told his story, starting with his first encounter with Dorian. He told the king everything, from her ploy to become Pythia to the story of Richard Farnsworth. He hoped all the details would make his story about the assassination plot more believable.
The king listened closely, expressing astonishment at Belecamus's double dealings. 'No wonder the miracle vapors didn't work. The cure didn't last any longer than the new Pythia.'
He asked about Stephanos Doumas, and Indy told him that the dead archaeologist had been involved in the Order of Pythia, but not in the assassination attempt. 'So you say that this supposed attempt to kill me had nothing to do with this mystical order, but was a military plot led by Colonel Mandraki?'
Indy nodded.
The king looked distracted. 'I'm well aware that my political enemies are growing in numbers, and that every thing has not worked as I had hoped. But until now none of them has attempted to kill me.' He turned to Indy and smiled. 'If what you say about Mandraki is true, I don't feel so bad now about his car being destroyed.'
He got up and hobbled over to the fireplace. He rubbed his hands together over the low-burning fire, then turned to Indy. 'I'd like to offer you and your friends a choice of staying in the palace as my guests of honor, or leaving and doing as you please.'
'I think I can speak for my friends and say that the three of us are ready to go back to Paris.' Then he asked about Nikos.
The king glanced to the side and the aide who had brought the water appeared again. The man watched Indy as the king spoke under his breath. He said something back to the king, then after another exchange the aide moved away. 'I'm sorry, Mr. Jones,' the king said, 'but we know nothing about the boy. I hope he was able to get out of the car.'
'Are you saying he never got out?' Indy raised his voice, and the guard by the door took a couple of steps toward him until the king motioned that it was okay.
'I'm saying I don't know. If I knew he was dead, I would tell you.'
The aide returned carrying the knapsack and handed it to the king, who offered it to Indy. 'I believe this is yours.'
He shook his head. 'No, it's not mine. It's the Omphalos. It belongs to everyone.'
'It seems that there has been more attention given to this stone than it deserves,' the king said.
'I'm not so sure about that, Your Highness.'
The king reached into the knapsack and scooped out the cone with one hand. 'Dr. Belecamus, for all her faults, is an authority on Delphi, and she told me that the Omphalos is really nothing more than a curiosity, a meteorite actual ly. I'm sure if it was of great value she wouldn't have left the palace without it. I'd like you to take it as a memento of your trip.'
'Your Highness, I think you should put it back in the knapsack. If it's held too long, it may. . . you may. .
.' Indy didn't know how to explain it. He really didn't believe it, but something had happened to him, and to Dorian.
'I don't see anything unusual about it.' The king turned it over in his hands. 'It feels warm.'
He folded down into his chair. 'I feel a little drowsy.'
The knapsack dropped to the floor as he wrapped his arms around the Omphalos. For several seconds he was motionless. Then his eyes grew wide, his mouth twisted in an expression of shock, and Indy knew that the artifact was working its spell. He rushed forward, but the burly guard caught him before he reached the king.
'Do something,' Indy barked. 'Can't you see he needs help? Get the stone.'
The aide moved to the king's side, asked if he was okay. Carefully, he lifted the Omphalos and set it on the floor. 'The doctor. Quickly,' he yelled.
The king raised his hand. 'No. I'm okay.'
He ran his hands over his face. 'Release him,' he told the guard who still held Indy.
'I'm sorry, Your Highness. I tried to warn you.'
The king stared down at the Omphalos. 'I had the strangest experience. It was like a dream, but I was awake. I was surrounded by horrendous army ants, and they were picking at me. They were trying to carry me away.'
Indy nodded, uncertain what to say.
'What happened to me?'
'I don't know,' Indy said. 'I think the artifact needs to be carefully studied by scientists.'
'It needs to be locked away,' the king retorted. 'Or maybe lost again.' A beat passed. 'Well, if you're going to make the ferry on time, you better be on your way.'
As the king accompanied him to the door of the library, Indy thought there was something different about him now. But he wasn't sure what it was.
He thanked the king for his help.
'Thank you for yours. Now, I have some army ants to
deal with this morning.' With that, he turned and walked away.
As the door closed behind Indy, he realized what it was about the king. He no longer limped.
The city was just coming awake as they walked out a side door of the palace, and headed toward the street. A church bell pealed, a rooster crowed. The clatter of a horse and buggy contrasted with the rumble of a car engine. 'I can't believe we're getting out of this nightmare alive,' Shannon said.
As they reached the street, a soldier with a rifle approached them. 'Now what?' Indy said wearily.
The soldier pointed to a new Cadillac waiting at the curb. 'Your ride to the port.'
As he closed the door after them, Indy couldn't help commenting on the irony. 'That guy was probably ready to kill us yesterday.'
'He's only doing his job,' Conrad said.
'Yeah, just following the score,' Shannon said.
'And what are we doing?' Indy asked.
'Playing it by ear.'
'It's more interesting that way,' Indy said.
'To some people, ' Conrad responded. He stared out the window toward the palace with a look of longing. 'It would have been nice to stay at the palace for a few days. I might have gotten inspired for my novel.'
Indy looked over at him as the car pulled away. 'What about everything that's happened to you in the last few days?'
'Experiences are deceptive, Indy. A writer is much better off working from the material of his inner self rather than from confusing experiences.'
Indy mulled over that a moment. 'If you ask me, people are confusing, not experiences.'
Conrad didn't answer and they were each left with his
