“You mean she’s going to sit there and let them yammer on til doomsday?” the pythia asked irritably.
“A general discussion fulfills a very important psychological purpose. Wait and see. She’ll choose her time, and when they’ve played themselves out, she’ll nudge them in the direction she wants them to go.”
At that moment, a young Arab man in the top tier of the box seats asked, “How do you know the Nephilim haven’t gotten to the relics already? While we’re sitting here debating, who’s to say they haven’t swept them up?”
Other voices joined his in asking the same question. The grumbling and objecting sounded like the buzz of angry hornets.
“I say they haven’t,” Faye observed quietly. Immediately the buzzing ceased as all eyes turned questioningly toward the memory guardian.
She gave a slight smile. “I would respectfully remind you that the Nephilim are a pseudo-Christian cult. They shun pagan lore because they consider it an abomination. It stands to reason that in order to decrypt the code on the key and find the exact location of the artifacts they would need experts in matristic culture to help them.” She paused for effect and surveyed the faces looking back at her quizzically. “I don’t wish to belabor the obvious, but I believe that all the experts who might be able to help them are sitting in this very room. Is there anyone here who would like to volunteer to assist the Nephilim? Please do raise your hands.”
It took a second for her words to register, and then everyone started to laugh. The tension in the room immediately eased.
Faye continued. “While I think through trial and error they will eventually stumble across the information they need, we already have all the necessary resources at our fingertips. We have the skills, the training, and the knowledge to get there first. After all, we’ve been doing this for centuries.”
Cassie listened to the comments being made within earshot. The voices of dissent were fewer now. Faye had timed her remarks to occur right at the point when everyone was getting tired of the topic and wanted to conclude the debate.
“You see!” Griffin exclaimed triumphantly. “I told you. I’ve seen her do this before. She’s quite effective at turning the tide.”
A tall dark-haired woman stood up. She had been seated in the bottom tier of box seats. “I am Xenia Katsouros, the keeper of the Minoan trove on the island of Crete. If anyone had been searching the area for the relics of which we are speaking, I would have heard about it. I am sure the memory guardian is right. The Nephilim have not come to Crete yet. I, for one, favor this expedition and will be happy to assist in the search should a team be assembled for this task.”
When she sat down, several people applauded her words.
As Cassie’s eyes travelled around the room, she could see from the expressions on various faces that the majority were now convinced it was a good idea.
“Is there any further discussion before we put the proposal to a vote?” Faye asked quietly. She paused for a full minute, waiting for the last sound of discord to die away.
When everyone was still, the Circle cast its vote. The decision was made by a simple show of hands. Four delegates were against the motion and twenty-seven, including Faye, were in favor of it. The motion was carried.
Cassie smiled to herself at Faye’s ability to sway this fractious crowd. She had grossly underestimated the little old lady’s tactical skills.
The meeting ended shortly afterward. Everyone was invited to a reception in the upstairs conference rooms. As Cassie and Griffin walked toward the back stairs to join the others, the pythia said, “I don’t know exactly how she did it, but Faye got her way in the end. Who do you suppose she’ll send?”
The scrivener shrugged. “Haven’t a clue, but I expect it will be someone who knows what they’re about. We don’t need amateurs mucking this up. It’s too important.” He gave a sigh of relief. “It’s times like these when I’m glad I work in a library.”
“Vault,” Cassie corrected with a laugh. “You work in a vault, remember?”
Chapter 29 – Team Quirks
Cassie arrived at Faye’s house at eleven o’clock the following morning. She’d been surprised when the memory guardian drew her aside at the reception the night before and asked her to stop by. Faye neglected to say what she wanted to see Cassie about.
“Sure, no problem,” the pythia agreed, secretly wondering what hoops the old woman was going to make her jump through this time.
When she pulled into the driveway of the farmhouse, two other cars were already parked there. Cassie didn’t recognize them and wondered what other company Faye might have.
The old woman greeted her at the door and ushered her into the kitchen at the back. Two people were seated at the table. Cassie smiled to see Griffin. And then to her horror, she noticed Erik sitting across from him.
“What’s… sh…. he... doing… here!” Their voices clashed in mid-sentence.
Griffin looked in dismay from one to the other.
Faye chuckled. “Calm yourselves, my dears. Cassie, please sit down and help yourself to some banana nut bread. I just made a few loaves fresh this morning. There’s tea if you like.”
The thought of food was the last thing on Cassie’s mind. She sat down at the end of the table, moving her chair slightly away from Erik’s side and closer to Griffin’s.
They continued to scowl at one another though neither spoke.
Faye drew up a chair for herself at the opposite end. “I believe you two got off on the wrong foot,” she began. “That’s unfortunate since you’ll need to work closely together on your new recovery mission.”
“What recovery mission?” Erik asked suspiciously, never taking his eyes
