The Secret of Excalibur (9 page)

‘I hear what you’re saying, and to a certain extent I agree. But this situation is different.’

‘Yeah? How come?’

Amoros was not pleased to be challenged. ‘Because, Nina, the chickens have come home to roost. The IHA might have been set up under the flag of the UN, but it was the NATO nations, and especially the United States, that funded it. The US has put a lot of money and resources into the IHA - and over seventy lives, I’m sure I don’t need to remind you. So now Uncle Sam is asking the IHA to do something in return.’ On seeing Nina’s disapproving expression, he went on: ‘Jesus, Nina! This is exactly why the IHA was created in the first place, you know that! If this Vaskovich gets Excalibur, we could have another Atlantis on our hands - and not that sanitised fairytale version we put out to the public, but the
real
story, the one that almost ended with millions of people dead!’

‘But we’ve got almost nothing to go on!’ Nina objected. ‘Bernd told me that the priest at that church in Sicily was murdered by the Russians, but the local police said they suspected the Mafia. And maybe they were right, maybe the death was just a coincidence.’

‘And if this thing
was
there,’ Chase added, ‘wouldn’t that mean Vaskovich has got what he needs already?’

‘The murder was three weeks ago. If he’d been able to use it to get his system working, we’d know about it by now,’ said Mitchell. ‘It’s possible the piece was too small to be useful - or that Caliburn isn’t an effective enough superconductor.’

‘Or,’ Nina countered, ‘Bernd could have been wrong about the whole thing.’

‘But he might not,’ said Mitchell. ‘Which is why we have to make sure - and why we’re asking you to help us, Dr Wilde. After everything you’ve accomplished in the past few years, you’re clearly the best person for the job.’ He nodded at the picture of President Dalton on the office wall. ‘We need you. Your
country
needs you.’

‘This has all come from higher up,’ Amoros said, glancing at Mitchell. ‘The IHA is committed to helping DARPA find these artefacts before this Russian can.’

‘I’m convinced your friend was right about Excalibur - that it exists, and that he was on the right path to finding it,’ Mitchell said to Nina. ‘If Vaskovich uses his research to find Excalibur before we can, then he’ll have died for nothing . . . and a lot of other people might die as well.’

For the second time in two days, Nina knew she was being emotionally blackmailed - but she also knew there was no way she could say no. Not when the security of the country - of the
world
- was at stake.

And if Excalibur
did
exist, if the Arthurian legends were actually true, then she would be the one to prove it. Another great accomplishment, turning thirty be damned . . .

She turned to Chase. ‘What do you think, Eddie?’

‘Me?’ he said, shrugging. ‘Sounds like fun. Get some action and save the world at the same time - I’m up for that.’

Nina was silent, weighing her options. ‘All right,’ she said finally, ‘I’ll do it. But it’s going to be an IHA operation. Not some kind of split jurisdiction affair where somebody’s second-guessing everything I do, and
definitely
not a military mission. If I’m doing it, then I’m in charge.’

‘That was actually going to be the plan anyway,’ Mitchell told her, ‘so we took care of that without any problems! There are just two provisos - only little ones,’ he said with a perfect white grin as Nina opened her mouth to protest. ‘The first is that when we find Excalibur, DARPA gets to analyse it so we can figure out exactly how Merlin made a high-temperature superconductor about fifteen hundred years early. It’ll go back to the IHA as soon as we’re done.’

Nina nodded. ‘And the second?’

‘The second . . . is that I’ll be going with you.’

‘Oh, you will, eh?’ Chase said, raising an eyebrow.

‘I’ll be DARPA’s representative - but it’ll still be an IHA operation,’ Mitchell assured Nina, before snapping her a sharp salute. ‘At your service, ma’am.’

‘That was a proper salute,’ Chase realised. ‘You didn’t mention you were in the forces.’

‘Commander, United States Navy,’ Mitchell said proudly. ‘Before I transferred to DARPA.’

Nina was impressed; Chase rather less so. ‘A matelot, huh?’ he said.

‘Nuclear submarines - USS
Jimmy Carter
.’ Chase made a face. ‘You wouldn’t get me on a nuclear sub. Not without a lead codpiece.’

‘They’re not that bad. Well, ours aren’t - I don’t know about the Russians’. But what we need to do now is figure out where to go next. Dr Wilde, I need you to tell me absolutely everything you can remember about what Rust told you.’

‘Nina.’

‘Excuse me?’

‘If we’re working together, I think it should be on a first-name basis. So call me Nina.’

Mitchell smiled again. ‘That suits me fine, Nina.’

‘Okay . . . Jack.’ They smiled at each other.

Chase rolled his eyes. ‘So where are we going?’

‘I don’t know,’ said Nina, shaking her head. ‘The only place Bernd actually gave me a name for was Koroneou, in the Greek islands . . . but he said the sword pieces
weren’t
there.’ She thought for a moment. ‘But there must have been something there that led him to where he thought they were. And he said one of them was “close to home” - I think he lived in southern Germany, near Munich.’

‘That doesn’t exactly narrow it down,’ Chase said wryly.

‘It’s better than nothing,’ said Mitchell. ‘I’ll arrange us priority transport to Koroneou, then - it’s the only lead we’ve got.’

Chase grinned. ‘So, I guess Greece is the word.’

7

Greece

‘
P
riority transport’ turned out to be a brand-new US State Department Gulfstream G550 jet. Although the aircraft was fitted out to accommodate sixteen people in luxury that put even first class on most airliners to shame, Nina, Chase and Mitchell were the only passengers - which made Nina feel slightly guilty that the three of them were waited on by an equal number of cabin staff during the flight as she used the plane’s satellite link to research Arthurian legend. From the way the crew hovered obsequiously, it was clear they were used to attending to considerably more demanding and self-important fliers, like politicians and bureaucrats.

But she soon forgot about the extravagant use of her taxes once they arrived at their destination. Surrounded by the glittering blue of the Aegean Sea, the small rocky island of Koroneou possessed a rugged beauty, greenery clinging to every surface able to support it.

The natural attractions of the island weren’t what concerned her, however. She was far more interested in Koroneou’s man-made delights - in particular, the one that greeted her when Mitchell drove their black SUV round a corner of the road along the island’s southern coast to reveal a headland beyond. A village was strung out along the narrow tongue of land, white-painted buildings shining like beads under the sun, but it was the much larger building at its tip that commanded her attention.

Though its crenellated outer walls and some of the outlying structures had fallen into ruin, the castle of Peter of Koroneou was still intact, a block of pale stone flanked by a pair of taller cylindrical towers. Given the idyllic surroundings, Nina couldn’t help thinking the place had a certain fairytale quality to it.

Mitchell had the same thought. ‘Funny, we’re trying to find the sword of King Arthur, and the first place we visit looks like Camelot.’

‘Camelot?’ said Nina with a smile. ‘You know, I’ve heard . . .’ She put on an English accent, ‘that it’s a very silly place.’

Mitchell grinned back at her. ‘The kind of place you might find . . . a
shrubbery
!’

Chase buried his head in his hands. ‘Oh, for fuck’s sake. Bloody Monty Python quotes? It’s like I’m trapped in a car with a bunch of students!’

‘Jack, help me, I’m being oppressed!’ Nina trilled. ‘What’s wrong with Monty Python? It’s classic British comedy, I thought you’d love it!’

‘It’s all right, but not when everyone thinks they’re being so bloody clever by reciting bits over and over again. And how come you’re both so big on Monty Python anyway? You’re Yanks!’

‘Come on, Eddie,’ she said. ‘Python 101 is practically compulsory at American colleges. Well, among certain types of students, anyway.’

‘You mean nerds?’

‘I was
not
a nerd!’ Nina protested. ‘I was just . . . very focused on my studies.’

‘Well,
I
sure as hell wasn’t a nerd, and I watched it too,’ said Mitchell. ‘Matter of fact,
Monty Python and the Holy Grail
was the first movie I saw with the girl I ended up marrying.’

‘Thank you, Jack.’ Nina stuck out her tongue at Chase, prompting him to roll his eyes again.

Mitchell gave her an amused look before regarding the view ahead once more. ‘You think this castle might be the one Rust mentioned?’

‘I don’t think so. It’s owned by the Greek government, but Bernd implied that the one he was talking about was privately owned. Besides, this isn’t exactly close to his home.’

‘Good point.’

Mitchell had made arrangements in advance; after passing through the village, the SUV was met at the castle gates by a representative of the Greek Ministry of Culture, a tall, hook-nosed man in his fifties with skin that practically matched the island in its weather-beaten ruggedness. When his visitors emerged from their vehicle, he briefly greeted Mitchell before turning his attention with rather more enthusiasm to Nina. ‘Dr Wilde! A great honour to meet you, a great honour!’ He clasped her right hand in both of his and squeezed it forcefully.

‘Thanks,’ she replied, wondering if she would get her hand back before he cut off her circulation. ‘Nice to meet you - and I’m glad you agreed to help us.’

‘I would hardly turn down a chance to meet the discoverer of Atlantis! You have already done wonders for our tourist industry - anything to do with Plato or Hercules is now very popular!’ He finally released her, then shook hands with Chase. ‘Petros Georgiades. Good to meet you all.’ He gestured in the direction of the castle. ‘So, what would you like to know about Peter of Koroneou?’

Surprisingly little of the castle’s interior was accessible to tourists, several sections being blocked off by scaffolding. ‘Restoration work,’ Georgiades explained as he led his visitors past a cordon and deeper into the building. ‘Until about ten years ago, parts of the castle were in the same condition as the fortifications outside. The walls have mostly been repaired, but there are still unsafe areas. It is a slow process.’

Chase glanced up at the ceiling. ‘It’s not going to collapse on us, is it?’

‘I hope not! But try not to bang your head on anything, eh?’ He chuckled, then stopped at a low arched doorway. ‘This is Peter’s tomb. Please, go inside.’

Nina ducked through the entrance, finding herself inside a cool, musty chamber. A pair of lamps on metal stands provided illumination, the only natural light coming from three small stained-glass windows high on the south wall. At the centre of the room was what was unmistakably a stone coffin. ‘Is his body still here?’ she asked as the others entered.

Georgiades shook his head. ‘The castle has been occupied and robbed many times.’ He indicated the lid of the coffin; a jagged diagonal split showed where it had been smashed open in the past.

‘Even though the people of the village sometimes managed to hide the most valuable relics, eventually almost everything was taken.’

Nina was about to ask another question, but Mitchell got in first. ‘Was he buried with a sword?’

‘Oh, yes - the sword presented to him by the Holy Roman Emperor.’ Nina, Chase and Mitchell traded looks; at least part of Rust’s research had apparently been accurate. Georgiades noticed the exchange. ‘The sword is why you are here?’

‘It’s one of the reasons,’ Mitchell said smoothly. ‘Do you know what happened to it?’

‘It is part of local legend. Look.’ The Greek indicated the central window. Nina craned to get a better look at the mottled glass, making out the figure of a man in armour bearing a red Crusader cross on his chest, a sword raised in his right hand.

‘Is that Peter?’ she asked. Georgiades answered in the affirmative. She looked more closely. ‘Is this an original window?’

‘Yes - the one on the left was broken and has been restored, but the others are both thirteenth or fourteenth century, as far as we know.’ Georgiades had a slight smile, as if waiting for her to spot something.

‘The sword . . .’ she said, frowning at the image, before glancing at the coffin. ‘Is it okay if I climb up for a better look?’

‘Peter is long gone. He will not mind.’ Nina nodded, then carefully climbed on to the end of the coffin.

Closer up, the window revealed more, though the poor condition of the glass made resolving the finer details difficult. There seemed to be small symbols on the sword’s blade, ornate circular patterns, but it was the weapon as a whole that had caused

Nina’s puzzlement - and attracted her interest. ‘Why’s his sword on fire?’ she asked.

That was clearly why Georgiades had been smiling. ‘
That
is the legend!’ he crowed as Nina used her digital camera to photograph the window. ‘It was said that on dark nights here at the castle, when Peter held the sword a fire could be seen running through its blade. Supposedly, this was the source of his strength in battle - his sword was said never to go blunt.’

‘Until it broke, anyway,’ said Nina. Chase was about to help her down, but Mitchell moved in first. ‘Thanks.’

Chase gave Mitchell a look of mild annoyance before turning his attention back to the window. ‘So what happened to the sword after it broke? Was he buried with it here?’

‘Only part of it,’ explained Georgiades, moving to the coffin. ‘Peter was buried here with the hilt. The tip was returned to Sicily in honour of Frederick.’

‘What about the rest of it?’ Chase asked, raising an eyebrow. ‘You’ve got the hilt, you’ve got the tip . . . what about the blade?’

Mitchell looked back at the stained glass. ‘Wait, so it broke into
three
pieces? Rust never told you that.’

‘He
was
kind of interrupted,’ Nina reminded him.

‘The blade stayed in the Holy Land,’ said Georgiades. ‘In fact, Peter was killed with it. He had returned to the Holy Land to defend the territory under the control of his order from the Mamelukes.’

‘In 1260,’ said Nina, remembering what Rust had told her.

‘Yes. After the Mamelukes drove back the Mongols invading Syria, they turned their attention to the lands occupied by the Christians. The region under Peter’s control was small and quite isolated, along what is now the border of Syria and Jordan, so it was an easy target. Peter had no choice but to travel to the Holy Land to defend it. The story goes that he fought bravely against great odds until he faced the Muslim leader, a man called Muhammad Yawar. When they fought, Peter had the upper hand - until Yawar struck a lucky blow that broke
both
their swords. Yawar took Peter’s broken blade and used it to kill him, then kept it as a trophy.’

Nina couldn’t help but feel a twinge of excitement; despite her misgivings, the long shot of their visit to Koroneou was already producing results, as well as vindicating Rust’s research. ‘Do you know where the blade is?’

‘No,’ said Georgiades, shaking his head. ‘Somewhere in Jordan or Syria, perhaps. A historian there might know more about Yawar, but our knowledge here all comes from Peter’s surviving men. Nobody is even sure exactly where the battle took place - as you know, the maps of the time are not very accurate.’

‘I see.’ Her excitement was quickly deflated . . . but they had still learned something, not least that there were
two
pieces of Caliburn they needed to find before the Russians. And if the picture within the stained-glass window were an accurate representation of Peter’s sword, she would recognise the blade when she saw it.

If
she saw it.

‘So, what do you think?’ Mitchell asked. They had thanked Georgiades for his help and left the castle, and were now sitting outside a small café in the village square to reflect upon what they’d learned. ‘Convinced that Rust just might have been right yet?’

Nina grinned at the joking challenge. ‘Okay, I admit that what he told me about the trail the sword took seems to be panning out. So far. But it’ll take a lot more to convince me that it had some sort of magical power.’

‘It’s only magic in the sense of Clarke’s Law.’

She smiled again. ‘So you’re saying DARPA’s developed technology that’s indistinguishable from magic?’

‘I’m not at liberty to discuss that,’ said Mitchell, a hint of humour behind his poker face.

‘What’s Clarke’s Law?’ Chase asked distractedly, looking away from a monument across the square.

‘“Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic,”’ Nina quoted. Chase gave her a blank look. ‘Arthur C. Clarke? Famous author and scientist? Wrote
2001: A Space Odyssey
? Invented the communications satellite?’

‘Oh, hang on, I know who you mean,’ Chase said. ‘He used to present this TV show when I was a kid, about crystal skulls and the paranormal and all that. He was always walking along a beach under a golf umbrella saying it was actually a load of bollocks.’

Nina sighed exaggeratedly and turned to Mitchell. ‘I guess it’s true what they say about Britain and America. Two nations separated by a common language. And weird TV shows.’

‘But the Brits came up with Monty Python, so they can’t be all bad,’ Mitchell replied. This time it was Chase’s turn to make a sarcastic noise. ‘But getting back to why we’re here, you saw the picture in the window. I’d say a flaming sword counts as something out of the ordinary. And it matches what you said Rust told you about Excalibur lighting on fire when Arthur held it.’

‘But why would Peter be able to make it light up and not anyone else?’ said Nina. ‘You’d think Richard the Lionheart or the Holy Roman Emperor would be attributed with that kind of power, not some obscure knight.’

‘Something to do with the lines of earth energy, maybe?’ Mitchell wondered, almost to himself. ‘Maybe there was one near here . . . But,’ he continued, ‘none of that matters if we can’t find the thing. So, what have we got?’

‘Well, the blade’s somewhere in the Middle East, and . . . that’s about it,’ said Nina. ‘I think we’ll have to go there and speak to someone with local historical knowledge, like Petros suggested.’

‘We shouldn’t have any trouble getting what we need in Jordan,’ said Mitchell. ‘Syria might be more of a problem, though. They’re not exactly our biggest fans.’

‘But we’d be going as an IHA mission, not American,’ Chase reminded him.

‘I don’t think it’ll make much difference,’ Nina replied ruefully. ‘Syria and the UN have had disagreements recently - an archaeological team had its permission to enter the country revoked just a couple of weeks ago.’

‘Let’s hope the sword’s in Jordan, then,’ Chase said. ‘But if it isn’t, and knowing our luck it won’t be, I can get us into Syria some other way.’

‘You know people there, I suppose,’ said Nina.

Chase looked smugly secretive. ‘Might do.’

‘Attractive women, I bet.’

Now he was just smug. ‘Could be.’

‘What, one beautiful woman isn’t enough for you?’ Mitchell asked, indicating Nina. ‘Man, that’s just greedy!’ Before Chase could respond, he continued, ‘So, if we can find the life story of this Muhammad Yawar there’s a chance we can find one piece of the sword. But what about the other piece, the hilt? Once the Russians make sense of Rust’s notes they’ll have a clear run at it, while we’ve got nothing.’