The Emperor Awakes (15 page)
Read The Emperor Awakes Online
Authors: Alexis Konnaris
‘What was taken on that occasion?’
‘Oh, it was a Byzantine icon depicting the Emperor Justinian and his Empress Theodora. It was a valuable icon, but it seemed insignificant at the time, as it was such a minor item in the museum’s collection and not on display. We have so little display space and so many works that we have to be very selective. I don’t know, not just when, but, if, any of the works we have in storage, apart from a selected few, will ever see the light of day whether exhibited permanently here at the museum or as part of a touring exhibition.
‘Anyway, the theft was never reported, and as we had no leads, the case was closed. The icon was taken from the museum’s storage vaults deep underground. Security down there is not as tight as it is in the exhibition halls and the displays above ground, apart from the basement restoration rooms which are also well protected and monitored. And I’m afraid we do not have any security footage of the thief.’
‘Why do you think the thefts may be connected?’ Giorgos asked.
‘Well, when I checked about the other icon that contained the ring, I thought I would do a background check on the other one that was stolen as well. And guess what. Both icons were donated at the same time by the same anonymous person.’
‘We urgently need to put a name and face to that person. And assuming that they are still alive, warn them that their life may be in danger. We need to get whatever information they may be able to provide us with soon, in case whoever is after these icons gets to them.’
‘I agree. I’ll get that hacker guy onto it right away. Now, Giorgos, when are you going back to Athens?’
‘Well, I would need to be back at work in three days.’
‘Would …?’
‘You know what? Now things have changed. I need to study that icon and the ring, so I’ll stick around for a while. I’ll call the University and get a few more days off. They owe me plenty already, anyway, and I’m not missing this opportunity. It’s what I’ve been waiting for for some time now, since …’
Giorgos paused, almost becoming too emotional, and there was only the slightest hint of the great struggle taking place inside him to hide his emotions. He fell deep in thought.
None of the other two men dared break the silence and invade Giorgos’ thoughts that seemed before their eyes to transform from emotional strife to inspired flow.
When Giorgos looked up at James and continued his eyes were shining brighter than the Northern Star. ‘I will need to get funding.’
‘Funding? You mean …?’
‘Yes, I’m going back to the dig in Cappadocia. I want to restart the excavation. This discovery changes everything.’
‘I’ll make a few phone calls and see if I can help you with that, but it may take some time which I gather you cannot afford. I can see you are in a rush to get back and I agree with you that it should be sooner rather than later.’
The thefts were a sign. Giorgos was now more determined than ever. He knew he was onto something. He knew continuing with this project could be dangerous, but when had that stopped him before? James beat him to it and put Giorgos’ thoughts into words.
‘It’s going to be dangerous.’
‘I know. If somebody goes to all that trouble to steal something so specific and not the most valuable item in your treasure trove of a place here, then what this person is after is worth risking jail or death for. We are going ahead with the project. Now I’m more sure of it than ever.’
James got out three small glasses and a bottle of rum. He poured them all a drink and raising his glass, proposed a toast.
‘To the bitter end.’
‘To the bitter end.’ Echoed the others.
* * *
James’ first call was to Iraklios Symitzis. They had known each other for a few years now and James was aware of Iraklios’ interest in all matters pertaining to Byzantine history. James was also aware of the Symitzis’ family’s prominent private art collection and their huge financial support of archaeological expeditions and of museums and galleries housing Byzantine and Greek related collections.
He only wished he had thought of contacting them before now and bringing to their attention Giorgos’ Cappadocian expedition back when his funding had dried up. Unfortunately at the time James was caught up in too many projects that came all at once, almost drowning him, and clouding his mind.
* * *
Iraklios knocked on the door of Elli’s office. She called him inside and gestured to him to sit and wait until she ended her phone call. Five minutes later she gave him her full attention.
‘What’s on your mind?’
‘I received a call from the deputy director of the Metropolitan. It is a request for funding for an archaeological expedition in Cappadocia led by a young archaeologist from Athens. One of my reasons for wanting to fund this is that I would like to control the information flowing out of the expedition, away from the world’s critical eye. I thought this expedition may interest you.’
‘Why’s that? What’s so special about this expedition to make it stand out from so many others?’
‘Apparently they already found something there last year, a chapel dating from 1453 and a sarcophagus which appears to be Byzantine with Imperial insignia.’
‘Has it been dated? And what was inside?’
‘Their funding dried up and they had to stop any further examination. The sarcophagus remained unopened and the tomb sealed. I only wish we knew about it then. I would have stepped in and paid for them to continue.’
‘Iraklios, what do you think they will find? Do you know more about this than you’ve told me so far?
‘I need to tell you a story that I’ve guarded for many years, a story entrusted to me by our mother.’
‘Whatever it is, why was I not told?’
‘I don’t know, but it’s time for you to know. It goes back to the fall of Constantinople on 29
th
May 1453.’
When Giorgos got back to Athens, a letter was waiting for him. It was from James Calvell. He had found a sponsor for the expedition who wished to remain anonymous.
Giorgos was elated. His apartment could not contain his excitement. He immediately went out to breathe some fresh air and think.
He could not believe he had got another chance. He had a lot to do. He swiftly spurred into action. He had a major expedition to organise, permits to obtain from the Turkish authorities and make arrangements to get a sabbatical and, possibly eventually, leave his job at the University.
He thought he had forgotten what organising an expedition felt like, but it was a great feeling.
He felt like a kid again, dreaming about great excavations and great discoveries and treasures to be found. It was as if a memory, something deep inside him, had been awakened.
He became a pre-programmed machine that was switched on. He didn’t even have to really think of what to do, because it came to him naturally, like riding a bike. He liked this Giorgos who had been hibernating for so long, but no more.
The old team was back in business again. Everyone was stunned when he called them and they all accepted his offer on the spot. How could they resist this chance of a lifetime? He half-expected that would be their reaction, but still he was prepared with an arsenal of weapons - guile, charm and brains – but, eventually, none was required to be deployed. That was a very pleasant surprise.
They landed in Istanbul and took a train to Cappadocia. They set up the sterile laboratory and got down to work. They were back home at last. However, this time they had the money to pay for tight security on the site as well. It was a good start.
* * *
When they opened the sarcophagus they came face to face with an embalmed woman’s naked mutilated body. They were horrified. Their faces became white masks and they felt guilty that they were desecrating this body, disturbing its sleep. In silence they mourned the dead person released from its home.
Eventually they carefully lifted the body and below it uncovered a plaque with indecipherable writing on it.
* * *
The new discovery changed everything. This excavation indeed seemed bigger than he had imagined. Giorgos took indefinite leave from his job at the University in Athens. He would need to spend a lot more time on their dig in Cappadocia. Who knew what else they would discover, where this discovery would lead them?
It was an exciting prospect and Giorgos relished the challenge. He could feel there was more, a lot more, to this story and prepared himself to be surprised further.
Katerina was standing on the balcony overlooking the old harbour. She was lost in thought. She felt the tremor alright. If she had wanted a ride like that, she would have gone to the theme park down the road or into the washing machine for a few minutes.
The shake lasted for only a couple of minutes, but it was strong and it felt longer than that. Looking out at the city it was not a pretty sight. Her gaze kept turning to the great church of Ayia Napa that for those couple of minutes stirred as if some mysterious mischievous force had breathed life into it, as if it was put inside a giant blender by some cook eager to show his culinary skills.
She was suddenly frightened for her family and for anyone that may have fallen victim to the earthquake’s angry force. She tried to call her loved ones, but the lines were down.
She could not stay there. She had to find out that they were alright. And she wanted to go out and see what she could do to help others.
* * *
The hit was devastating. It spread across the island like a set up of dominoes had been triggered, like a ‘Mexican wave’. It was as if a dark blanket had in a couple of minutes being thrown over the island and being pressed down until everything under it was crushed.
Whole sections of towns flattened in the quake’s wake, whole villages wiped out, countless lives shattered. A toothless army of empty shells and empty eyes. A nameless army of ghosts, an army of the living dead, inhabiting temporary camps with no personal belongings or mementoes, no soul, a sea of memories being the only barrier between them and insanity.
Katerina was the daughter of Andros Markantaskis, a businessman and amateur archaeologist. Her brother, Giorgos, had got the archaeology bug and, when not based in Athens, was off on one dig or other.
The Markantaskis family immediately put their considerable financial resources in the service of their fellow citizens. They became part of a huge effort to mobilise the country in the relief effort. Katerina and her mother hit the ground running to contribute in this effort, organising medical care and food preparation and caring for the orphan children and the widowed and all those who had lost loved ones.
All around them were acts of extreme bravery and extraordinary humanity. At least it was a relief to see that in times of crisis, amidst all the chaos and the upheaval, people knew where their heart lay, what really mattered and tried to keep some perspective and help others to do so too. It was not easy.
Elli lost no time in mobilising her own family and the resources of the Valchern Corporation to help her people and her country recover from the disaster that befell them.
It was during one of Katerina’s visits to one of the camps that she met Aristo. She did not notice any feelings stirring in her then. She was just too exhausted from all the backbreaking work to bother with joy and any thoughts of personal fulfilment had been pushed from her mind.
There was simply too much to do. She caught up on sleep at all times, whether leaning on a wall, sitting in a chair or lying under a tree. The unbearable heat made the work of the volunteers harder. The camps were a miserable place, with ashen, empty faces wherever you looked, the cries of babies, the weeping and screaming of men and women often breaking through an ominous silence, and the dust, that seemingly harmless dust that had become a curse and that had enveloped everything and everyone, draining the life out of them, eating them alive and once finished spitting them out.
Yet there were happy cries of children playing with whatever was at hand, oblivious to the unfolding tragedy around them. Katerina and her mother cried often in their private moments. They could hardly speak to each other when this tear-filled face-melting glory took over.
* * *
It was a few months later that Katerina and Aristo started to pay attention to their feelings for each other. Aristo knew he was hooked the moment he first saw her in her dirty overalls sweeping the floor in the camp.
He knew she was special before he had even spoken to her. When a semblance of normality returned to their lives, he asked her out to dinner and surprisingly she accepted straight away.
* * *
Katerina had good teachers, a mother and father that set a great example for her and her brother to follow. Katerina’s mother, Anna, was an industrious and indomitable woman. Her cool, inscrutable exterior belied her passion for life, for creativity, for business and for caring and helping others. She gave a lot of herself and was devoted to any one of the many projects she had going at any one time.