Summer of the Moon Flower (The de Vargas Family) (5 page)

“To King Solomon, our Ancient Grand
Master.”

“King Solomon,” the men held their goblets
high and repeated the words after him, before sipping the wine.

Again, Dougal wondered if this was all part
of an elaborate trap as the acrid liquid hit his throat and his breath caught.

Or was it simply, poor quality wine from
the Inn?

By the time they finished the fourth
libation his eyes were streaming. The old man continued to look to the heavens
as he started the final toast.

“Young Lords, the fifth libation is taken
in a very solemn manner. It is emblematic of the bitter cup of death, of which
some of us may sooner or later taste. “He paused and looked down at each of
them. “However, if you succeed in this quest, each knight in this room tonight
will gain immortal life. Repeat the Templar vow after me.”

He reached out and took each of their right
hands in his and linked them together as he led them through the vow. They
repeated his words solemnly in front of the assembled men.

“If ever I willfully violate this, my
solemn vow, as a brother of the Knights Templar, may my skull be sawn asunder
with a rough sword, my brains be consumed by the scorching sun. If ever I
willfully deviate from this my solemn obligation, may my light be put out from
among men, as that of Judas Iscariot was for betraying our Lord and Master.”

As the Leader moved onto the vows of
poverty, chastity, obedience, and piety, Dougal fought a smile. He was
acquainted with each knight in this room, either through business or society.
He could confirm with little trouble not one of them was pious, chaste, poor or
obedient. The most decent man in the room was young Edward standing beside him,
taking this ridiculous vow. Dougal closed his eyes.

I am following the good. I will not have
to keep these vows.

Warmth stole over him as he thought of his
father and the final words he’d spoken on his deathbed. He had promised his
father he would end the reign of these men and their political and spiritual
power, even if it took him his lifetime.

Now that he had been inducted into the
inner circle he would have no trouble embarking upon his own personal quest. He
looked up and smiled as he stared deep into the eyes of the Leader

The old man smiled down at the two young
men, although his expression remained cold. “So be it. After our ceremony has
concluded, I will meet with you both in the Solar.”

The Leader raised his hands and looked over
the men sitting in the room. “Go in peace, my Lords.”

* * * *

An hour later, the candles dimmed and the
knights left to make their way back to their respective homes. They shuffled
out of the Great Hall of Castle Dean, their quiet footsteps muffled by the
clicking of the mechanical men on the stairs above them. The Five resided in
the castle as per their rank in the Council. Dougal and Edward stood quietly in
the shadows, not speaking as they waited for permission to enter the Solar.

“Come,” said the Leader. “Follow me.”

They climbed a twisting staircase and
stepped out into a large open room. The full moon was rising and a shaft of
silver moonlight illuminated the small room. A manservant scurried around and
lit the brass sconces on the wall with a taper from the fireplace. The cheery
fire crackled in the hearth and the atmosphere was much warmer and welcoming
than the cavernous Great Hall below.

The candle light reflected on the large
Gothic rose windows at the end of the Solar. Dougal glanced across and noted
the two automatons flanking the window. Even though they had been under his
control on the expedition to Vienna, he was still unnerved by their grotesque
appearance, now enhanced by the flickering candlelight on their brass
extremities. Edward’s eyes were wide, his gaze fixed on the mechanical men.

Dougal smiled grimly to himself. Obviously
Edward was unfamiliar with the technology outside Scotland…it seemed he had not
seen anything of this nature before. It was essential Dougal turn Edward to his
way of thinking before he accompanied him on his quest. They had spoken briefly
on a number of occasions about their allegiance to the Knights and Dougal had
sensed Edward was a doubter as well. Hence his surprise when he had volunteered
to join the quest earlier in the night.

They sat around a less formal table in the
Solar and the leader called his manservant to bring refreshments. While they
waited, the silence became uncomfortable but Dougal was reluctant to break the
quiet. Young Edward seemed nervous and drummed his boots on the wooden floor
until the Leader looked across the table and stared him down.

It was not difficult for Dougal to guess
the tenor of the Leader’s thoughts for he made no effort to be amenable.
Everything about him, from his posture to the set of his mouth, spoke of
mistrust. Poor Edward appeared increasingly nervous as the minutes passed. The
flames crackling in the fireplace was the only sound to be heard. The first
words spoken by the Leader after they had partaken of refreshments in absolute
silence confirmed Dougal’s suspicion.

The Leader of the Five fixed Dougal with a
steely glare.

“Your father was not devoted to our quest.”

The safest response was to plead ignorance.

“My Lord, I had no knowledge of the quest
until this evening. I have been inducted into the petitions of the lodge and am
learning more about the charters each day,” replied Dougal with his head bowed
in an attempt to appear compliant. When he finished speaking he lifted his gaze
to meet the hawk-like stare of the older man.

The old man nodded, before turning to the
younger man.

“Edward of Kilmarnock, I will allow you to
accompany the earl as I know you to be loyal to our quest.” Dougal almost
choked on his ale; by implication the Leader was telling him that he was not
fully trusted.

The old man stared into space and spoke in
a deep sonorous tone. “Four hundred and two score years ago…”

For thirty minutes, he regaled them with
the history of the Knights and their quest for immortality through deeds. He
explained each of the forty-five charters in great detail and by the time he
reached the description of the Unutterable Degree, Dougal’s eyes were heavy and
he stifled a yawn.

Suddenly, the Leader brought his goblet to
the table with a loud crash as his voice rose. “I will not let that woman in
Vienna destroy the work of four centuries.”

He turned to Dougal and his voice was hard
and cold as he questioned him about the events in Vienna.

“Are you certain, you were not able to see
who was awaiting the delivery at the station?”

Dougal held the dark gaze as he lied.

“No, my Lord. It was dark and the observer took
flight as soon as they escaped the clutches of the automatons.”

“Could it have been a woman?” the old man
asked tersely.

“I do not think so, my Lord. “The strength
required to pull away from the mechanicals would surpass that of a woman.”

“So be it.” The old man stood and pushed
his chair behind him and his manservant ran across the room to assist him but
took a step back when the Leader shook his head. “Now, it has come to my
attention that the research in Vienna is close to completion and that will threaten
our entire existence.

The lieutenant sitting across the table
from Dougal raised his hand. “My Lord, may I speak?”

The Leader nodded.

“What about the sister in Cornwall, is she
also a part of this research in Vienna? It is of concern as her husband is now
in the employ of Queen Victoria.”

A peculiar smile spread across the face of
the Leader and Dougal shivered. Evil emanated from the old man as he smiled at
the three men at the table

“He is no longer in the employ of Queen
Victoria.”

The lieutenant looked confused. “I beg to
differ, my Lord. It is only three days ago since we fed the information about
the cargo to Lord Lorca and ensured Captain Thoreau would receive it as Sheriff
of Cornwall?”

“Oh…” replied their Leader. “ Captain
Thoreau is still the Sheriff, however he is no longer in the employ of the
Queen.”

He looked across at them as a satisfied
smile lifted his pallid lips and his dark eyes gleamed.

“You may not have heard the sad news from
England. Queen Victoria died earlier to-day. I believe she was poisoned.”

Once the shock of his announcement passed,
Dougal’s mind worked furiously.

You evil bastard…you are obviously
behind it. You are a much greater player than I gave you credit for. Edward and
I will have to be on our guard. I need to know more.

He bowed to the Leader.

“My Lord, may I seek further information?
If I am to achieve our quest—” he turned to Edward and inclined his head, “—the
Earl of Kilmarnock and I shall need to know more detail of the two sisters and
how their work is threatening the Knights?”

For a moment, Dougal thought his question
was to be ignored.

After a lengthy silence the old man spoke.
“Very well.”

He looked to his manservant and the man
assisted him back to his chair.

“Many years ago, one of Queen Victoria’s leading
botanical scientists was financed by the realm to undertake research around the
globe to discover the healing properties of plants which would enhance the
health of her majesty’s subjects.”

He paused and took a sip of his ale.

“Unfortunately, Professor de Vargas was a
little too successful and discovered a plant high above the snows in the
Austrian Alps with properties that—shall we say—conflicted with our spiritual
goals.”

He smiled coldly, his bloodless lips set in
a thin line. “Professor de Vargas unfortunately met with an untimely end in the
Amazon jungle about twenty years ago.” He raised his brows and his smile grew.
“I believe he was killed by bandits.”

I’m sure there is more to it than that,
Dougal thought.

“The professor had two daughters. Indigo de
Vargas y Irausquínno, the elder daughter is married to the Sherriff of
Cornwall, Captain Thoreau She traveled with her father to the Amazon and after
his death she continued his research into the passionflower. It is of no
consequence and is used merely for its medicinal properties.”

He frowned and looked from Dougal to
Edward. “The second daughter by a later marriage, Sofia de Vargas, is a
couturier of note in Vienna.”

“Captain Thoreau and his wife have a holiday
complex in Cornwall where research is also carried out, and they have four
children. The cosmecuticals she plays around with are merely a product for
vanity and pose no threat to us. We have a loyal, if foolish, member, Duke
Lorca of Cornwall, who keeps us informed of the doings of Madam Thoreau.” He
paused and took a long draught from his goblet, before turning to the men
listening to him. “She is of little concern to us. However, we have received
intelligence that the de Vargas sister in Vienna is close to succeeding in the
research she leads. Ten years ago, we were advised she had retrieved her
father’s notes and we have observed her activities closely since that time.”

Dougal watched with fascination as two
bright red spots flared on the papery cheeks of the Grand Master contrasting
with the his pale face and white robes. The older man placed his goblet on the
table with a resounding thud.

“And you know what that will mean for us.”

He turned to the automatons. “That fool,
Lorca played right into our hands by sharing the information we fed him. The
imbecile almost broke his skinny little legs in his enthusiasm to help our
cause. He has a vendetta against Madam Thoreau and the Sheriff.”

Dougal interrupted. “But with all respect,
my Lord, there is no evidence it was Madam de Vargas at the station?”

The Leader glared back at Dougal and his
voice shook as he replied.

“It
was
her at the station…it had to
be. Now we just need you to destroy their laboratory and all research notes and
kill Sofia de Vargas. It is but a simple task for you and the Earl of
Kilmarnock which will prove your allegiance to the order and assist you to
begin your spiritual growth.”

The Earl of Kilmarnock raised his hand
tentatively. In a trembling voice, he asked naively.

“My Lord… if…if we take the life of
another…will that not condemn us to hell and end our spiritual growth?”

The Leader looked across at the red-faced
young man and smiled. “Our spiritual growth culminates in immortality and if it
is necessary to kill to preserve our order, it will move you through the
petitions even more quickly, my son.”

He stood and gestured to his manservant
before turning back to the two young men.

“We will not allow non-believers access to
our quest for immortality. Dabbling in the physical sciences is sinful. It will
end our quest and it will end our lives.” He moved across and stood between
Dougal and Edward. “Can I trust you, gentlemen, to undertake this task?”