The Excalibur Codex (43 page)

‘These were the Sword Brethren,’ Fiona said reverently. ‘Enemies, but men who also worshipped the bull slayer. Warriors who fought well and died well and have been given their place in his halls for all eternity.’

Jamie stopped as he reached the gaping hole in the ground.

‘No, do not hesitate.’ Her voice was urgent. ‘You are welcome here. You have not suffered the trials, but you have bathed in the blood of your enemies.’ He remembered the awful crunch as the jagged fragment of sword had cut into Adam Steele’s throat and the warm blood that had spurted slick and viscous onto his face and clothing. ‘It is your right.’ As she repeated the words she’d uttered at the cave entrance she pointed towards the end of the chamber. ‘It has many names, but in our time it has always been Excalibur.’

He followed her gaze. There, on the far side of the pit, glowing in the combined spotlight of the final pair of discs as if at the bottom of a sea pool, was a sword. Excalibur, the sword of Arthur, lay encased in a bubble of almost clear aquamarine calcite. Only the hilt and
pommel, a wonderful twin dragon head of pure gold, remained clear of the beautiful flowstone formed from the stalagmite hanging above. A
spatha
, Jamie realized in wonder. Of course it would be a
spatha
. The heavy sword carried by Roman auxiliary cavalry during their centuries in Britain. The sword of a great lord, but a warrior’s sword, for all the fancy decoration. Awe filled him, as the eerie light from the centre of the bubble filled the chamber and made it feel like being at the centre of a sunburst or the gates of some strange blue Heaven.

Fiona waved him forward and he felt a liquid tremor as he realized the implications of what she’d said. It was his
right
to lay his hands on the sword of kings. It was his
right
to draw it from the embrace of the marvellous blue stone if he were able. But Jamie Saintclair knew it was not
right
. Nature had kept Excalibur safe for close on a hundred generations. Nature would keep her safe for another hundred. He shook his head wearily and slumped onto the stone bench carved into the tunnel wall by the pit, listening as Fiona Maxwell’s footsteps faded down the passageway.

He closed his eyes and for the first time since he’d heard the news of Abbie’s death he felt at peace. Here, he was surrounded by the spirits of departed warriors. Men who asked nothing of their friends but friendship in return. Men who had fought. Men who had gone to their deaths willingly and without complaint, their only concern that they should take their last breath with a sword in their hand. He stood up and said a silent
prayer to their shades. Their God was long gone, he was sure, but the
syndexioi,
the faithful who had created this temple remained, loyal beyond death to the greatest hero of them all. For beyond the unnatural black veil that silhouetted the aquamarine rock that gripped Excalibur in its stony embrace lay a second chamber, and, he was certain, a secret more significant still. But that secret would stay with him till the end of his days.

As he made his way back through the honour guard of Sword Brethren he thought he heard a sound – not a whisper, more a shimmer in the still air …

Arthur.

As always I have to thank my wife Alison and children Kara, Nikki and Gregor for their unfailing support and encouragement. To Shirley and Kenny Allan for keeping my German right, and Siobhan Lennon for checking my codes. Special thanks to Alistair Moffat for allowing me to take his name in vain and for the enormous pleasure his books have given me. For a fresh and unique take on the Arthur legend,
Arthur and the Lost Kingdoms
is hard to beat. Finally, to my agent Stan, and, Simon, my editor at Transworld, and the fantastic team who do such great work on my books.

James Douglas
is the pseudonym of a writer of popular historical adventure novels. This is the third novel to feature art recovery expert, Jamie Saintclair – the first two being
The Doomsday Testament
and
The Isis Covenant
. James Douglas lives in Scotland.

and published by Corgi Books

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THE EXCALIBUR CODEX

A CORGI BOOK: 9780552167925

Version 1.0 Epub ISBN: 9781448127627

First publication in Great Britain

Corgi edition published 2013

Copyright © James Douglas 2013

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