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  The word ‘commanded’ always irritated Maria. As was her nature and desire to soften her leadership role, removing the imposing omniscient stigma of leader of the House, she never used words such as ‘command or demand’. It was always ‘please’. Letting the irritation go for now, anxious to use this craft to get up to the Black Knight, she turned to the Doctor and said,

  “Right now just make sure the pilot and co-pilot are comfortable. I’m not worried about the comfort of the scientists that might be coming up with me, only their safety. I’ll have them sitting on beach chairs if I can please have it in a few hours.”

  As it was not already a difficult task, this greatly added to his imposing time restriction. He paused and went into deep thought. Finally he pointed a finger and said,

  “Yes, as you command, it shall be done.”

  Although good news, she silently groaned. Apparently, in this lab a polite ‘please’ is the same as a rude ‘command’. Ignoring a slaughter of her personal propensity for politeness, she faked a smile and asked,

  “What do I need to know about the additions?”

  “As far as going into deep space, nothing. It is already capable of that. However, knowing that you need sensitive maneuverability for whatever you are doing up there, you need a more reliable computer program and it was installed by that cantankerous Doctor Marls in the Swiss laboratory.”

  He then looked inquisitively deep into her eyes. It was clear that he didn’t know what she intended to do with the craft but wanted to know. Ignoring the inappropriate probe, she coldly added,

  “Yes, he can be a handful at times. Anything else?”

  Accepting the defeat, he weakly added,

  “Any way, so now you will have pinpoint and instant maneuverability. The other conversions and attachments you asked for only need an hour or so to be tested. Aside from that, your pilot will find no complications to the foreign controls and will be able to manoeuver it just like a D-wing.”

  Pleased, she then turned to look for Helga who was on the other side of the hangar talking to two female scientists. Maria turned back to Doctor Cavetto and said,

  “You have done well Doctor. I thank you for your expediency and professionalism. Because of important House of the Nazarene business in Milan, I will not be able to wait here for the finishing touches.”

  She then pressed a link on her wristwatch band and said,

  “I have just sent you some Nazarene GPS coordinates. As soon as possible please remotely transfer the ship to me.”

  Proud of her praises, he politely nodded and said,

  “As you command.”

  As she walked away, he did not hear her annoying utterance, “Yeah, yeah, whatever.”

  When they left the laboratory, it was clear to Maria that Helga was very impressed with what she had seen in there. As if proud of the fact, Helga announced,

  “Did you know that sixty percent of the scientists working here are female?”

  Yes, of course she knew that. Adding to Helga’s seemingly proud announcement, Maria said,

  “Are you not aware that Waldorf set this lab up and hired only the best qualified people regardless of race and gender?”

  No she didn’t and suddenly she was even prouder of her man.

  Helga knew that they were going downtown Milan for lunch and a shopping spree. It was for this reason she was surprised that they were not returning to the landing pad and the D-wing but rather walking outside to the front of the building. There are only two people in the House of the Nazarene who have the right to question Maria and she was not one of them. Rather than ask what was going on, Helga did the smart thing and simply followed.

  Parked outside was a black and long luxurious limousine with the driver standing attentive next to it. As if he was cloned from a clichéd Italian multi-national corporation, he stood tall and proud in a tailored black suit. On seeing them approach, he clandestinely flicked his cigarette away and politely smiled at them. Helga tried to act nonchalant, as if this was how she was taken to lunch every day but the only thing she managed was a giggle. One had to wonder if it was because of the VIP treatment or being smiled at by a handsome young man. Like a well-trained soldier, he opened the back door and both women gracefully slid in. Helga asked,

  “We are still going shopping right?”

  Maria smiled and whispered back,

  “Yes. Did you think we were going to take the D-wing downtown?”

  By her sheepish expression it was clear that she did but was smart enough to supress it as much as possible. It was too late. Maria saw it and teasingly added,

  “They don’t have parking places for D-wings downtown.”

  By the time the ladies got back to the Nazarene headquarters it was just past two o’clock in the afternoon. As Helga diligently piloted the D-wing into the hangar, Maria was pleased to see that the Milan laboratory had already sent the Anunnaki space craft to her. It was in the middle of the hangar and Henrik Anderson was inspecting it. With no obligation to stay and fill out D-wing reports, Helga gleefully fled the hangar with her Milan purchases. She was filled with giddiness and eager to show Waldorf some daring lingerie that Maria had dared her to purchase.

  Maria approached Henrik and asked,

  “So, how does it look? Have you had time to inspect it yet? Does it meet your strict safety standards?”

  Judging from his stern expression, she knew something was terribly wrong. Maria had always driven into him that if something was wrong, ‘speak up’. He therefore did not hesitate declaring,

  “No it certainly does not meet House of the Nazarene standards.”

  Indicating for her to follow him to the ship he said,

  “Come and look at this.”

  Because the Anunnaki were tall aliens, the lesser in stature humans needed a small stepladder to climb into the passenger area. She followed him into the craft and with the canopy open, it was possible to stand. With a wave of his hand he bellowed,

  “What the heck is the meaning of this?”

  She looked at the objectionable issue and instead of copying Henrik’s stern expression, smiled and said,

  “Don’t mind that. It just proves that Doctor Cavetto has a warped sense of humour.”

  In the area behind the pilot seat, placed in neat order were six beach chairs. He snapped,

  “That’s not very funny.”

  She as she climbed out of the ship, she said,

  “Just toss them out and install more permanent seats. I want it ready to go in a couple of hours.”

  Chapter 14

  As the ladies flew to Milan, the helicopter with its two young passengers was again landing on the King Rhymen palace estate. Also, like before, a stern and silent guard marched them to the library. The Head Librarian, having learned that her name was Jordanka, looked just as formidable as yesterday. She reluctantly again approved their security clearances and pressed the button opening the grand door to the library.

  With the mystery of the ‘witch of the manor’ cleared up, knowing that her notes would be searched on the way out, the plan was to counter that security check by photographing the pages concerning the reason the Vatican looted this specific kingdom. There was a smug look about Belle as she walked past the arrogant Jordanka.

  Although it was a large research table, Robert made sure he sat right next to Belle. It was much easier to copy her notes that way. However, it did not take him long to realize that she was not turning pages concerning history but rather reading something about a Vatican invasion. It also confused him why she was casually sweeping her ring hand over some of the pages.

  Whatever she was doing did not concern or interest him. Knowing that he would eventually have notes to copy, he quickly became bored and started looking around the great hall of books for something of interest. While Belle continued to scan pictures and pages, Robert got up and strolled away. With attention to the floor covered with tiles of dancing lions, like a child playing hopscotch he tried to hop from
lion to lion that were only wearing crowns, avoiding all the others.

  When that game had run its course, he ambled between the tall book shelves looking at none and interested in nothing. Simply to pass more boring time, he put a discerning eye on the long row of book spines making sure that there was meticulous placement in the rows, none sticking out farther than the shelf and none pushed too far in. On occasion he put a finger on one and from the top, wedged it forward. It was clear that his fertile imagination was looking for a ‘trigger’ book, one that might open a secret passage somewhere in this boring hall of books.

  It was also clear that Jordanka was very methodical in her duties. Every book was aligned as straight as an army battalion lined up for inspection, not a highly polished boot or nose out of line. There was not a speck of dust on them either. Clearly the air filtration system here prevented dust from settling on her prized babies. Disappointed in not finding any secrets, he composed himself and walked out of that aisle.

  In the section he now aimlessly wandered into, all the books were displayed flat on the shelves, the covers facing up. Nothing caught his attention or interest until he looked down at his feet and saw on the bottom shelf a book with no title, simply a faded illustration of lions reared up on their hind feet and front paws seemingly clawing high at the air. It was about the thickness and size of an ancient collection of encyclopedia books before the onslaught of the internet. Aside from the age and cover, there was nothing special about it. Because he thought it might be filled with drawings, he picked it up and intended to return to the research table with it. As he walked back across the picturesque tiled floor, he noticed that the lions on the floor had a similar appearance as the ones on the cover of the book but thought nothing of it.

  With anticipation of passing the time looking at pictures, he sat beside Belle and flipped open the ancient cover. While he was right about the book being filled with drawings, it did not take him long to realize that it was page after page of the same theme. Although the lions were in different poses, it was always with the same topic, standing on hind feet and doing something with their paws. It was only while flipping another page that something caught his attention.

  It was not with malicious intent, for he knew that he was carefully handling an ancient and fragile book. Suddenly he was holding a loose page in his hand. It was erratically notched, edges cutting through some of the dancing lions and two of the corners were rounded. Before Belle could see the damage he had done, he quickly replaced it and pretended nothing had happened. He was not fast enough. Belle snapped,

  “What have you done now?”

  With a strong plead of innocence he quickly replied,

  “Nothing. It’s supposed to be like that.”

  Thinking that she might be able to repair the damage, she reached over and slid the book in front of her. Holding the unfastened page in one hand and looking where it came from, she discovered something strange. The pages in the book were numbered but the left and right page in the book were sequential as if the loose page did not belong there. She looked at the concerned Robert and asked,

  “Did you turn other pages? Is this really where it came from?”

  He nodded his assurance that this was the very spot. Another inspection indicated that although the pages were numbered, the page in her hand was not.

  Thinking that it might be best to simply put the wayward page back and close the book, she prepared to do just that when she noticed the page was not paper but what seemed to be a thin flexible plastic. Knowing that the book was from the early 1500’s and the drawing on it fit the theme of the book, she naturally grew suspicious. Even Robert understood that plastic was not an invention of that era. It was clear to both that this mystery deserved a closer inspection.

  The page was covered with dancing lions just like on the floor tiles but the way it cut through the design held her captive. More to herself she muttered,

  “It looks like a large single piece of a jig-saw puzzle.”

  It was then that Robert connected the dots.

  “It is probably supposed to match the design on the floor.”

  She pondered the two clues and although it was a possibility, there was no blank spot on the floor tiles that needed this missing piece. Robert missed that observation, took the page from her and got up.

  Seeing that he was pacing the floor and at the same time glancing at the page, she understood that he was not looking for a blank spot on the floor but rather for a matching drawing. She too got up and joined in the search. Twice he stopped and laid the page on the floor only to discover that it did not belong there. While almost in the middle of the floor, Belle eventually pointed and said,

  “I think this might be the spot.”

  Coming over to her, he laid the page down and perfectly matched it to what was on the page and the floor. Then, as if by some strange magic, the page melted into the tile to become part of it. Belle stood back and pondered the discovery but eventually had to admit that she had no idea what had just happened.

  Because she was deep in thought, lost to the mystery of a piece of plastic melting into the tiled floor, she did not notice that Robert, although standing still was slowly drifting away from her. She was preoccupied looking at a gap in the floor that had mysteriously opened up. Silently and somehow, the floor had magically slid apart to reveal what looked like a bottomless chasm between them. Her toes precariously dangled over the edge. One more inch and she would have plummeted deep into the darkness.

  At the lip of the hole were stone steps leading into the unknown. Belle looked across the gap at Robert who was looking back at her. There was no need to utter a mutual thought clearly advertised on both faces. A deep desire for adventure and taking a chance to dare the unknown was evident in their eyes. Robert was the first to take a brave step onto the top stair but safety and practical sense, something that Robert lacked, sprung forward in her. She shot out her hand and said,

  “No. It’s dark down there. We can’t just recklessly jump into it.”

  He stopped and looked up at her with quizzical eyes. It was clear that he thought they could. She added,

  “We need flashlights.”

  Robert stood defeated. He understood that nobody would ever bring a flashlight to a library. He didn’t want to hear what Belle said next.

  “Let’s put everything back the way it was and come back tomorrow with flashlights.”

  Knowing that she was right, he regrettably stepped back onto the floor and pulled the matching page out of the slot. As expected, slowly the floor closed. When it was complete, there was no evidence of a crack or that there was a mystery under the floor. He put what was obviously a key back in the book and returned it to the proper place on the shelf. It was agreed not to cast suspicion on their discovery by eagerly leaving their research time early. For the next two hours, both sat at the research table unable to concentrate on anything except for what treasure and adventure lay under their feet. They should have left well enough alone.

  Chapter 15

  While Belle and Robert were gawking into a deep dark chasm, Maria was in her office talking to her laboratory in Spain. She was saying,

  “So I want you to get ready for another mission.”

  Pia, the only name she went by, in fact insisted on, was on the other end of the communication. She was a bacteria and microorganism expert specializing in alien contagions. Maria knew that when approaching the ancient satellite she could not simply enter the craft without knowing the toxicity of the air. She needed to know what bacteria, if any were in there.

  Pia first joined the Nazarene science team a few years ago as a sixteen year old prodigy. She was now nineteen but still looked like a slender sixteen year old. Her first job for the House of the Nazarene was to analyze the toxicity of the newly discovered Anunnaki cave in Turkey before Maria could bring in a crew to investigate what was inside. It was Pia’s quick thinking and bravery under extreme circumstances that prompted Maria to enlist her
as a trusted member of the House of the Nazarene.

  Unfortunately, Pia was also known for being short tempered and disrespectful to authority. Only an inch or two over five feet tall and having suffered as a child prodigy all her life, she had developed a thick protective outer shell. Regrettably such detrimental treatment imprinted and eventually turned her into what she was today, a brilliant but short tempered young lady. The only other member of the House of the Nazarene who managed to get along with her, in fact eventually became good friends with, was another female genius. As a child prodigy, Jessika too suffered the pain of brilliance among pedestrians. In fact, Maria wanted Jessika to be the one talking to Pia on the phone telling her to come over to the Nazarene headquarters but unfortunately she was still on maternity leave with Kirk.

  Although Pia’s snippiness had somewhat melted a bit over the years, when telling her that she was needed on a mission there was still harshness in her tone. Pia sharply said,

  “I can’t join your team right now. I am developing an alien antibiotic culture that needs my constant monitoring.”

  Maria was equally sharp.

  “No Pia. Let that go for now. I need you on this mission.”

  Pia defiantly asked,