about Gadreel, and also that there might be others. The
only other information I picked up was that we have to find the key
to the Chambers of Light. Does that mean anything to you?’
Shem shrugged. ‘Anything
else?’
‘Apparently, it was in a place
called the Cave of Treasures, but the information I received was a
bit fragmented. Something about it being in the sky now. Doesn’t
make much sense. I picked up that you should know about the key.
You were born for it.’
Shem leaned back in his chair
to think, then spoke slowly. ‘I think we should make contact with
Gadreel and then concentrate on locating this cave. You can work on
it psychically while we’re in Turkey.’
‘What is the key for, though?
What are these Chambers of Light that you have to open?’
Shem stood up and began to pace
around the table. ‘It could be a reference the Hall of Records,
where the Anannage allegedly hid the store of their knowledge
before withdrawing from the world.’ He stopped pacing. ‘I’m not
sure. You work it out. All I want to do is get to Gadreel and find
Eden.’
Daniel was unnerved by the
feverish gleam in Shem’s eyes. ‘It will be dangerous, though. We
might be killed before we find him.’
Shem shook his head in
amusement. ‘Daniel, what has happened to you? Where’s your sense of
wonder? What we began in Cornwall was only the small, first step. A
trial run, if you like.’
‘There’s one thing you haven’t
considered,’ Daniel said. ‘What about this self-styled King of
Babylon. Doesn’t he believe he’s a descendent of the Anannage too?
How will that affect us? Remember we will have to cross his lands
to find Gadreel.’
Shem nodded thoughtfully. ‘I
have a feeling I will meet this man.’
‘Shem, he’s a dangerous
mad-man! Is that wise?’
Shem grinned. ‘Daniel, many
people think I’m a dangerous mad-man too. I’m intrigued by King
Nimnezzar. I want to find out if he’s authentic or not.’
Daniel shook his head in
disbelief. ‘Are you mad? Authentic? He’s a murdering dictator! Do
you really think he has Grigori blood?’
‘Daniel, I’m surprised to hear
you say that. The fact that he’s a murdering dictator makes it more
likely he’s the genuine article! Remember Peverel Othman.’
Daniel groaned. ‘This trip will
be hell. I know it.’
Chapter Five
The Assassin
London
Melandra Maynard watched television as
she carefully cleaned her selected weapon. She had many, and had
been tutored in the use of sniper rifles, revolvers and automatics,
but as she planned to get in close to Shemyaza, the equipment she
had chosen for this task was a semiautomatic fitted with a
suppressor. It was designed to be fired at close range, ideally
with its muzzle actually touching the skin of her victim, so that
any detonation not muffled by the suppressor would be absorbed by
the soft tissue of the target.
The windows of the hotel room
were shut, but the air conditioning effectively cooled the air. She
laid out the pieces of her weapon on the bed. Plastic: designed to
be hidden in luggage and escape airport detection. It did not need
cleaning, but this was a ritual she performed before every
task.
The news reports on TV were
full of the troubles in the Middle East. Fundamentalists were
running riot in Egypt. Only a fool or a potential suicide would
want to visit the place as a tourist nowadays. Western
holiday-makers were fair game, and subsequently non-existent, so
the terrorists had turned their attention to the ancient monuments
that attracted people from all over the world to their country.
Several sites had been bombed, and there had been international
outrage over the severe damage perpetrated on the Osirion at
Abydos. Stones that had stood for millennia now lay in rubble. Even
Melandra was disgusted by it. In thousands of years’ time, the
creeds that approved of such vandalism might be forgotten, but the
brooding monuments of the past would have continued on, perhaps
until the day
only other information I picked up was that we have to find the key
to the Chambers of Light. Does that mean anything to you?’
Shem shrugged. ‘Anything
else?’
‘Apparently, it was in a place
called the Cave of Treasures, but the information I received was a
bit fragmented. Something about it being in the sky now. Doesn’t
make much sense. I picked up that you should know about the key.
You were born for it.’
Shem leaned back in his chair
to think, then spoke slowly. ‘I think we should make contact with
Gadreel and then concentrate on locating this cave. You can work on
it psychically while we’re in Turkey.’
‘What is the key for, though?
What are these Chambers of Light that you have to open?’
Shem stood up and began to pace
around the table. ‘It could be a reference the Hall of Records,
where the Anannage allegedly hid the store of their knowledge
before withdrawing from the world.’ He stopped pacing. ‘I’m not
sure. You work it out. All I want to do is get to Gadreel and find
Eden.’
Daniel was unnerved by the
feverish gleam in Shem’s eyes. ‘It will be dangerous, though. We
might be killed before we find him.’
Shem shook his head in
amusement. ‘Daniel, what has happened to you? Where’s your sense of
wonder? What we began in Cornwall was only the small, first step. A
trial run, if you like.’
‘There’s one thing you haven’t
considered,’ Daniel said. ‘What about this self-styled King of
Babylon. Doesn’t he believe he’s a descendent of the Anannage too?
How will that affect us? Remember we will have to cross his lands
to find Gadreel.’
Shem nodded thoughtfully. ‘I
have a feeling I will meet this man.’
‘Shem, he’s a dangerous
mad-man! Is that wise?’
Shem grinned. ‘Daniel, many
people think I’m a dangerous mad-man too. I’m intrigued by King
Nimnezzar. I want to find out if he’s authentic or not.’
Daniel shook his head in
disbelief. ‘Are you mad? Authentic? He’s a murdering dictator! Do
you really think he has Grigori blood?’
‘Daniel, I’m surprised to hear
you say that. The fact that he’s a murdering dictator makes it more
likely he’s the genuine article! Remember Peverel Othman.’
Daniel groaned. ‘This trip will
be hell. I know it.’
Chapter Five
The Assassin
London
Melandra Maynard watched television as
she carefully cleaned her selected weapon. She had many, and had
been tutored in the use of sniper rifles, revolvers and automatics,
but as she planned to get in close to Shemyaza, the equipment she
had chosen for this task was a semiautomatic fitted with a
suppressor. It was designed to be fired at close range, ideally
with its muzzle actually touching the skin of her victim, so that
any detonation not muffled by the suppressor would be absorbed by
the soft tissue of the target.
The windows of the hotel room
were shut, but the air conditioning effectively cooled the air. She
laid out the pieces of her weapon on the bed. Plastic: designed to
be hidden in luggage and escape airport detection. It did not need
cleaning, but this was a ritual she performed before every
task.
The news reports on TV were
full of the troubles in the Middle East. Fundamentalists were
running riot in Egypt. Only a fool or a potential suicide would
want to visit the place as a tourist nowadays. Western
holiday-makers were fair game, and subsequently non-existent, so
the terrorists had turned their attention to the ancient monuments
that attracted people from all over the world to their country.
Several sites had been bombed, and there had been international
outrage over the severe damage perpetrated on the Osirion at
Abydos. Stones that had stood for millennia now lay in rubble. Even
Melandra was disgusted by it. In thousands of years’ time, the
creeds that approved of such vandalism might be forgotten, but the
brooding monuments of the past would have continued on, perhaps
until the day
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