CHAPTER SEVEN

The windows of the chamber in which Lord Hayden and Elizabeth were imprisoned had no bars or glass. A balcony opened on one side of the room, but except for the steps leading up to the well-guarded Temple, the sides were smooth and precariously steep, the stones fitted precisely together, with the drop to the ground below, several hundred feet. Lord Hayden saw no escape for the present. Elizabeth sat quietly and stalwartly on the wide bed, lovelier than she knew against the copious satin pillows of every color imaginable.

Quiet moments, until a thick rasp filled the room as the guards outside the chamber slid open the iron bolt and entered the room. Elizabeth rose from the bed and hurried to Lord Hayden’s side. But as he placed his arm about her protectively, two of the guards yanked him aside while the other two seized Elizabeth. She screamed and struggled. Hayden snarled as he aimed a fueled right at the man directly in front of him. The unfortunate warrior fell, stunned, to the floor. Lord Hayden then sent the guard at his right sprawling against a wall. He pulled his arm back to deliver a knockout punch. A heavy blow landed against the side of his head. Pain shot through his head. His vision blurred and his reflexes numbed and he fell limply to his knees. The guard, who had come up from the rear, hit him again with the blunt side of his spear. Lord Hayden fell to the ground unconscious, blood trickling down his face. Elizabeth ceased struggling with the remaining guard and watched horror-stricken and grieving, as Lord Hayden was dragged unconscious from the room. The guard flung her on the bed and ran after the others, bolting the doors from without before she could react.

Lord Hayden was half-dragged, half-carried toward the front of the temple to another room where Talbot waited in full regalia. The guards dropped Hayden at Talbot’s feet and were promptly dismissed. Talbot bent and examined the bleeding wound on his prisoner’s head. He grimaced squeamishly, straightened and clapped twice. Servants entered and at his instructions, they carried Lord Hayden to a stone settee in a corner of the chamber and proceeded to tend to his wound.

 

The sun had reached its apex when Lord Hayden awoke. The wound to his temple throbbed mercilessly. He groaned and called out, "Grace... "

Talbot rose from his seat by the window and approached him. "Here, let me assist you," he said, lending his arm to Lord Hayden who was attempting to sit up. Lord Hayden accepted the support only until he sat upright, then he lifted a clenched fist to punch Talbot, but the Inca stepped back. "Hold! I want to help you," he offered quickly. "You’ll have to restrain your anger and let me explain."

Lord Hayden eyed him darkly, but he realized he had nothing to lose by listening to what Talbot had to say." All right," he agreed.

Talbot made a placatory gesture. "Relax. Let me see how your head is doing."

"My head is fine," Hayden lied. "Now, start explaining."

"Very well. I have a proposition for you. You may not like what I am about to ask you to do, but I think the rewards might interest you." Anticipating Lord Hayden’s contemptuous reply, Talbot added, "I’m speaking of archaeological rewards. Discoveries for which you would give your right arm to unearth." The ensuing silence assured him he had Lord Hayden’s attention. Talbot smiled cunningly. "I’m speaking for instance about the Chalice the Christian Messiah is said to have used at the Last Supper before His Crucifixion—and—Noah’s Ark; not to mention relics of the Egyptians, the Mayans and the Incas that will take your breath away. And answers, Lord Hayden, to certain mysteries that have confounded historians and archaeologists for centuries." Lord Hayden regarded him with blunt disbelief. Talbot continued nonetheless. "Easter Island, Stonehenge, Zimbabwe, and The Ark of the Covenant," he finished smugly.

Hayden recalled what he had told Grace, ...but I believe that what has been happening may be Agnes’ way of leading us, in an offbeat fashion, to a precious relic. More and more his hunch was proving correct.

 

The Ark glowed in the candlelight. The Dark Lord above it stared back at the two men who had entered the locked chamber. Lord Hayden’s face lit with fiery enthusiasm. He approached the holy relic but did not touch it, well versed in the ancient texts that warned of the immediate mysterious death of anyone, not commissioned by God Himself, laying hands upon the Holy Ark. Talbot noted with satisfaction the temptation and indecision plainly visible on Lord Hayden’s face. The Ark was a strong incentive, especially when combined with the artifacts and mysteries the Inca had mentioned earlier. A lifetime of exploration would never yield such finds.

"The other artifacts you mentioned, are they in your possession as well?" Lord Hayden asked.

"No," Talbot answered truthfully. "But I know their locations."

"How could you know?"

"A fair question. I can only answer that I am not what you perceive. My knowledge goes beyond your comprehension of what I was, what I am, and what I will be." Talbot’s figure seemed to lift from the scene as if superimposed on a canvas. Lord Hayden rubbed his eyes. The haze created by the flickering flames and the wax melting must be playing tricks on him. What he considered an illusion lasted only an instant.

"Well, my friend, you have seen the Ark, and you know, or at least suspect, that I speak the truth. Will you hear my proposition?"

"I am not your friend, but I will hear you out."

"It’s really a quite logical and simple proposition. I want you to work for me and with me. I have long admired your fierce dedication to the past and its mementos; also your courage and your determination when others would turn away in defeat and resignation. Your journals are among my favorite reading." He paused to let the flattery sink in. Then he added, "If you agree, you will remain here with my people until I feel I can trust you. At that time I will allow you to leave the city with me for further pursuits."

Lord Hayden appeared to be considering his proposal. "Where are the other artifacts," he asked.

Talbot shook his head. "You wish to know too much, too soon. I’ll reveal their locations to you when I know I can trust you. For now your word that you’ll join me will suffice."

Lord Hayden laughed quietly.

Talbot persisted, "I’m asking much, I know. But I’ll give you time to think over my offer."

Lord Hayden did not answer. He had no intention of joining Talbot who he now considered an archenemy, but allowing Talbot to think he might be tempted, gave him additional time to plan an escape. He turned to look at the Ark once more. A cask of shittim-wood, it had been built according to the Hebrew God’s specifications: two and one-half cubits in length, one and one-half in breadth and height; overlaid outside and in with gold; a gold molding around it; a ring of gold on each of the four corners, and inserted through these rings, staves of shittim-wood plated with gold for carrying the Ark. The ancient texts told that within the Ark were contained the sacred tablets on which the Hebrew God had written with his own digit, the Ten Commandments. The stories of Samuel in the Old Testament, credited the Ark as being an extension of, or an infusion of God’s personality, rather than a container. Some even claimed that it stood for varying forms of the Presence. Whatever its source, Lord Hayden sensed its strength, both destructive and salving.