them of heresy so he could get out of paying."
"I hate to say this, but that sounds pretty modern, too. Like the banks making a deal with the government and blaming the little guy for going in debt."
"Anyway. The Order was disbanded. The leaders were tortured and burned at the stake. They had a large treasure but the King never found it. The Ark may have been part of that."
"Who was the king?"
"Phillip. He was called Phillip the Fair."
They both thought of it at the same time.
"The Fair King in the quatrain," Nick said. "Remember?"
"Yes." She pulled up the quatrain on her laptop.
That which was sought was not found
Fire and death no tongue would loosen
In the land of the fair king
The Pale Rider reigns supreme
"It makes sense," Nick said. "Nostradamus is talking about what happened to the leaders and the Templar treasure. Nobody told the king where it was, even when they were tortured."
''The pope and the king died not long after the heresy trials," she said. "Jacques de Molay predicted their deaths as they lit the flames under him."
"The Pale Rider reigns Supreme," Nick said.
"That manuscript is like a sentence of death for anyone who has it. There are a lot of people who want that treasure. Not to mention the Ark."
"We're the ones who have it now."
"You had to say that." She pushed hair away with the back of her hand.
"People will keep after us until we find the Ark or prove it doesn't exist. You said you found something. What is it?"
"The Templars had branches all over Europe, especially in England and France. I came across a medieval reference to a place called the House of Five Trees. It's a chapel in Normandy."
"Another tourist attraction?"
"No. I had some trouble locating it. It's off the beaten track and it was never an important site, not like some of the Templar buildings. It's just a small chapel in ruins, not much to see."
"Another stamp for the passport. I'll call Harker."
On the second ring she picked up.
"Yes, Nick."
"We need to go to France." He told her what Selena had discovered. "The chapel is in the countryside near Cherbourg."
"All right. Do it as soon as you can."
"There's an Air France flight to Paris tomorrow."
"Try to stay out of trouble."
"Roger that." He hung up.
"How about a glass of wine?" Selena said. She held up a bottle. "Chardonnay."
"I'll get some ice. There's a machine in the hall. It'll just take a minute."
Nick picked up the ice bucket and went into the hall. The machine was at the end of the corridor, set back in an alcove. The hall was carpeted in a floral pattern. It was a big hotel. Rows of doors marched down both sides of the corridor.
He got to the machine and slid the lid open and reached for the scoop. As he scraped the ice into the scoop, he heard a soft sound.
Something hit him.
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
Nick opened his eyes. He was dizzy. The room moved, his vision blurred. He was lying on his side on carpet. His hands were bound with duct tape. Something sticky had trickled down over his ear. Pain pounded behind his eyes. He was in one of the hotel rooms. It was dimly lit. He could see four legs in long pants and two pairs of feet, two sets of brown shoes with thick, quiet rubber soles.
Suckered . His hands felt numb. The tape was cutting off circulation. Why didn't I sense them?
"He's awake."
"Get him in the chair."
American accents. How long has it been? The others will be looking for me.
The chances they would find him weren't good.
Someone grabbed him under his armpits and lifted him onto a straight back wooden chair. Duct tape went around his body, pinning him to the chair. His vision cleared. The headache got worse, like nails being pounded into his skull.
The man who had taped him to the chair was short, stocky, with a face that looked like it had been in more than a few bar fights. Nick could smell his breath, loaded with garlic and something unpleasant. He spoke with the sound of the street.
"He don't look
"I hate to say this, but that sounds pretty modern, too. Like the banks making a deal with the government and blaming the little guy for going in debt."
"Anyway. The Order was disbanded. The leaders were tortured and burned at the stake. They had a large treasure but the King never found it. The Ark may have been part of that."
"Who was the king?"
"Phillip. He was called Phillip the Fair."
They both thought of it at the same time.
"The Fair King in the quatrain," Nick said. "Remember?"
"Yes." She pulled up the quatrain on her laptop.
That which was sought was not found
Fire and death no tongue would loosen
In the land of the fair king
The Pale Rider reigns supreme
"It makes sense," Nick said. "Nostradamus is talking about what happened to the leaders and the Templar treasure. Nobody told the king where it was, even when they were tortured."
''The pope and the king died not long after the heresy trials," she said. "Jacques de Molay predicted their deaths as they lit the flames under him."
"The Pale Rider reigns Supreme," Nick said.
"That manuscript is like a sentence of death for anyone who has it. There are a lot of people who want that treasure. Not to mention the Ark."
"We're the ones who have it now."
"You had to say that." She pushed hair away with the back of her hand.
"People will keep after us until we find the Ark or prove it doesn't exist. You said you found something. What is it?"
"The Templars had branches all over Europe, especially in England and France. I came across a medieval reference to a place called the House of Five Trees. It's a chapel in Normandy."
"Another tourist attraction?"
"No. I had some trouble locating it. It's off the beaten track and it was never an important site, not like some of the Templar buildings. It's just a small chapel in ruins, not much to see."
"Another stamp for the passport. I'll call Harker."
On the second ring she picked up.
"Yes, Nick."
"We need to go to France." He told her what Selena had discovered. "The chapel is in the countryside near Cherbourg."
"All right. Do it as soon as you can."
"There's an Air France flight to Paris tomorrow."
"Try to stay out of trouble."
"Roger that." He hung up.
"How about a glass of wine?" Selena said. She held up a bottle. "Chardonnay."
"I'll get some ice. There's a machine in the hall. It'll just take a minute."
Nick picked up the ice bucket and went into the hall. The machine was at the end of the corridor, set back in an alcove. The hall was carpeted in a floral pattern. It was a big hotel. Rows of doors marched down both sides of the corridor.
He got to the machine and slid the lid open and reached for the scoop. As he scraped the ice into the scoop, he heard a soft sound.
Something hit him.
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
Nick opened his eyes. He was dizzy. The room moved, his vision blurred. He was lying on his side on carpet. His hands were bound with duct tape. Something sticky had trickled down over his ear. Pain pounded behind his eyes. He was in one of the hotel rooms. It was dimly lit. He could see four legs in long pants and two pairs of feet, two sets of brown shoes with thick, quiet rubber soles.
Suckered . His hands felt numb. The tape was cutting off circulation. Why didn't I sense them?
"He's awake."
"Get him in the chair."
American accents. How long has it been? The others will be looking for me.
The chances they would find him weren't good.
Someone grabbed him under his armpits and lifted him onto a straight back wooden chair. Duct tape went around his body, pinning him to the chair. His vision cleared. The headache got worse, like nails being pounded into his skull.
The man who had taped him to the chair was short, stocky, with a face that looked like it had been in more than a few bar fights. Nick could smell his breath, loaded with garlic and something unpleasant. He spoke with the sound of the street.
"He don't look
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