All conversation in the room ceased the moment the memory guardian reached the table. Faye stood in front of her throne-like chair. She looked around the room and gave a pleasant smile. “Good evening everyone. Shall we get started?”
Those who hadn’t yet found a seat scurried to get settled. Maddie rushed to capture a spot on the opposite side. She must have been outdoors finishing one last smoke.
The throne dwarfed Faye when she sat down in it but, despite her diminutive size, her voice carried through the hall. “To those of you who have come a great distance on very short notice, I give my thanks. This is an urgent matter that must be decided quickly. About a month ago, our pythia Sybil was able to acquire an artifact which we have since begun to call the granite key. We were unsure of its purpose because, as most of you know, Sybil died before she was able to tell anyone what the find represented.”
Cassie could hear sad murmurings coming from various points around the room. It never occurred to her that so many other people besides herself had mourned her sister’s death.
Faye continued. “Fortunately, due to the efforts of our scrivener, we were able to decipher the code inscribed on the stone key. I will let him explain the details to you.”
Faye looked toward the tier seats. “Griffin, if you would.”
Cassie stared in surprise at the young man sitting next to her. “You did it!” she exclaimed. “You figured it out!”
“I did indeed.” Griffin gave her a quick smile. “Sorry I didn’t get a chance to fill you in earlier.” He stood to address the Concordance.
The pythia listened intently as Griffin talked about hieroglyphics, ancient written scripts, Linear A, and Linear B. He explained how the code worked and where the encrypted message was likely to be found. Once he finished his explanation, Griffin sat down and allowed Faye to take over.
“We are of the opinion that one of the artifacts collectively known as the Bones of the Mother is the Sage Stone,” she said.
The last two words produced an excited buzz from all corners of the room. Cassie had never heard the term “Sage Stone” before, but she guessed it was important to the Arkana.
Faye raised her hand for silence. “I realize that the Sage Stone is generally regarded as a mythical object, but we have good reason to believe it exists and that we can acquire it by recovering the Bones of the Mother.” She paused for a few moments to allow her audience to digest these new facts. A roar of incredulity shot around the hall.
Cassie noted the stunned reaction among the members of the Concordance. It meant that the secret Sybil had tried to protect was huge. “She didn’t die for nothing,” Cassie thought to herself.
She leaned over and whispered to Griffin, “Give me the details. What’s this Sage Stone?”
“I’ll explain later,” he answered hastily as Faye raised her hand once more for silence.
The old woman continued. “My friends, we are being offered a singular opportunity to recover some of the most important artifacts of our buried past. The Bones of the Mother need to be retrieved and housed in our troves, so we can preserve them for future generations. I propose that the Arkana should send an expedition to Crete to recover them.”
A rumble of approval rippled across the room as people eagerly discussed the implications of the find with their companions.
An Indian man wearing a sash and seated at the round table across from Faye spoke. “Such an expedition seems an obvious step to take. Why would you need the support of the Concordance to make this decision?”
Faye smiled grimly. “Because there is another factor to be considered. This expedition cannot be undertaken without grave risk to the Arkana. The Nephilim are involved.”
A chorus of dismay broke from several quarters at once. Cassie was startled by the extreme reaction that the cult evoked.
Faye held up her hand again, and the babble instantly ceased. “You need to know all the facts before an informed decision can be made. We believe that Sybil was killed, either deliberately or accidentally, by an operative of the Nephilim. We also have reason to believe that the current diviner of the cult is actively seeking the Bones of the Mother, most probably to get to the Sage Stone. Once in his possession, that artifact could trigger untold disaster. Based on our previous experience with the Nephilim, we know they are prepared to kill anyone who gets in the way of what they want.”
An African woman wearing large hoop earrings and a turban spoke next. “I don’t think our biggest problem is that they’re willing to kill for these relics.” She looked around the room. “Going after this find means we risk letting the Nephilim know that the Arkana exists.”
Several shouts of “Hear, hear!” affirmed her comment.
“But they must know about the Arkana already. Otherwise, why would they go after our pythia?” The question came from an elderly Hispanic man wearing a multi-colored woolen shawl over a business suit.
“We don’t believe they know about the organization,” Erik chimed in from the other side of the room. “They thought Sybil was an antique dealer who had something they wanted, that’s all. The Nephilim aren’t famous for religious tolerance. If they suspected the Arkana existed, they would have launched some kind of holy war to stamp us out.” His eyes flicked briefly in Cassie’s direction. “Starting with our new pythia. We’d know they were on to us because she’d be dead already.”
All eyes traveled to Cassie. She glared at Erik, making no attempt to hide her dislike. “He wishes,” she thought to herself.
“If our anonymity is still intact that’s all the more reason to keep
