The Mask of Destiny (28 page)

‘So it was a status thing,' Ruby said. ‘I'm richer and more powerful than you and here's my mountain of diamonds to prove it.'

‘But what stopped people from stealing it all?' Gerald said.

Nico's face grew dark. ‘No one would risk the wrath of Apollo,' he said. ‘No matter how great the temptation.'

‘How does a Greek god respond to a question?' Sam asked.

‘He does it with a helper,' Nico said. ‘And he does it here.'

They had reached a broad terrace halfway up the slope. High above them stood the remains of a vast amphitheatre. Rows of seating stepped up the hillside and looked back over the valley and the waters of the gulf. In front of them was a rectangular expanse of stonework, the foundations of a once-large building.

‘This was the Temple of Apollo,' Nico said. ‘At one time, it was the most important place in the known world. This is where Apollo spoke to the mortals.'

Sam stared at the broken columns and paving stones that marked out the boundary of the temple. ‘So was there a flash of lightning and a voice booming down from the clouds?'

Nico frowned at Sam. ‘Have you not heard of the Pythia? Of the Oracle of Delphi?'

Sam blinked back at him. ‘Should I have?'

Nico's frown deepened. ‘Apollo was the god of prophecy. He knew everything that would ever happen.' He pointed to the far end of the temple. ‘The Oracle would bathe in the waters of the Castalian spring before going into a chamber beneath the temple. There, she would burn laurel leaves and breathe in the smoke. Pilgrims would ask her questions and she would commune with Apollo, then pass on the answers.'

‘She?' Ruby said. ‘The Oracle was a woman?'

‘Only women could be the Oracle,' Nico said. ‘An unbroken chain of women for over a thousand years.'

‘So was she any good?' Gerald asked.

Nico shrugged. ‘The pilgrims heard what they wanted to hear.' He jerked his thumb towards the boulevard of treasuries they had climbed past. ‘All of those were filled with gold and jewels. You don't get that for disappointing people.'

Gerald's eyes traced the trail of buildings up to the temple steps. ‘She obviously knew how to play to the audience.'

‘It was one of the richest places on earth,' Nico said.

‘But what happened to it all?' Gerald asked. ‘What happened to Delphi?'

‘No one knows for sure, but they say the emperor in Rome was jealous of the Oracle's influence. So around 400AD he sent out a squad of assassins to kill her and destroy the temple. The gold probably ended up back in Rome.'

Gerald's voice caught in is throat. ‘The emperor sent killers here?'

Ruby put a hand on Gerald's arm. ‘Quintus and his sons?'

‘My ancestors were a Roman hit squad?' Gerald dropped down onto a boulder in the grass. ‘Nothing surprises me anymore.'

Nico surveyed their faces and his brow furrowed. ‘Do you want to visit the museum now?'

Gerald could barely muster the strength to stand. If the day's heat wasn't draining enough, the news that he was descended from killers wasn't exactly putting a spring in his step. And not just ordinary killers—the Antonius boys had managed to end a thousand-year-old culture and tradition. The weight Gerald had felt wrapped around his shoulders since he'd inherited his great aunt's fortune seemed to double as he plodded down the rocky path.

He and Ruby walked in silence, following Sam and Nico towards the museum. Gerald scuffed his shoes through the leaves that littered the way.

‘Know what I think?' Ruby said at last. Gerald didn't respond, stuck in his fog of despair. ‘I think it doesn't matter. Whatever happened here was a long time ago. You can't be blamed for stuff that your ancestors did.'

‘But you're the chaos theory queen,' Gerald said. ‘If they hadn't come here and killed the Oracle I would never have been born.'

‘Gerald, you'll do your head in thinking like that. Let's concentrate on finding Charlotte and getting you off your own murder charge.'

Gerald knew Ruby was right—she had a knack for keeping him on course.

The crush of tourists at the museum entrance had thinned, but inside the building was crowded. Nico elbowed through a clutch of older Americans who were all wearing identical sneakers, bum bags and trucker caps. Gerald, Sam and Ruby followed him.

‘So what are we going to find in here?' Sam asked. They were in a large gallery filled with statues.

‘Nico?' Ruby said. ‘Has any of that treasury gold been found around here? Some random coins, or something?'

The boy shook his head. ‘Not a coin, not a gem. It was all stolen by the Roman assassins.'

Gerald stared down at his feet. He didn't want to catch anyone's eye.

The tour group poured into the gallery and surrounded two large marble statues in the centre of the room. Their guide, a short woman with a severe haircut, plopped down a three-legged stool and stepped onto it.

‘Here are two of the greatest finds from the ancient city,' the woman began. ‘The twin brothers, Castor and Pollux…'

‘We're not going to find anything here,' Gerald said. ‘We might as well go.'

‘…archaeologists had almost given up hope of finding any examples of the art of the region—the site had been quite picked over…'

‘Are you sure?' Ruby said to Gerald. ‘Shouldn't we find out more about the treasure? Ask an attendant or something?'

‘…but these two beautiful specimens remind us just how popular the cult of the twins was at the time…'

Gerald shook his head. ‘Maybe, on the way out,' he said. He didn't wait for the others; he turned and squeezed through the crush of bodies between him and the exit. Before he could make it to the door, his path was blocked by a tall figure in dark clothes.

‘Excuse me,' Gerald said, not looking up, ‘could I get past please?'

The sound of the reply froze his blood.

‘Aren't you going to say hello, Gerald?'

Gerald looked up and found himself staring into the venomous face of Charlotte Green.

Chapter 21

T
he gallery was packed. Bodies pressed against bodies. The air conditioning strained to fend off the heat. But the buzz of conversation, the flash of holiday snaps being taken and the ebb and flow of the crowd were all invisible to Gerald. The only other person in the room was the woman who had twice tried to kill him.

The smile painted on her face was a pancake of malice and lies. Charlotte raised her hand and casually removed an ivory hairpin from a scroll at the back of her head. She tossed her chin and shook her tresses loose to cascade over her shoulders. Gerald watched as she eased a silver stopper from the end of the hairpin, revealing a grey-blue point.

‘I have dipped this in poison,' Charlotte said, as calmly as if she was inviting Gerald for a pot of tea. ‘It is a concoction of my own making. There is no antidote. No cure. A simple scratch on your skin and you will die the most excruciating death.'

Gerald focused on the tip of the hairpin just centimetres from his cheek.

‘A thing of beauty, isn't it?' Charlotte said. ‘It's carved from the tusk of an African bull elephant.' She paused for a second. ‘I killed it.' The statement had the desired effect on Gerald. His face turned white. ‘I was on safari in Kenya,' Charlotte said. ‘I brought it down with a single dart to the neck.' She spoke as if it was her proudest moment.

Before Gerald could respond, a jolt of surprise flickered in Charlotte's eyes. Nico was standing beside her, the top of his head barely up to her waist. He held a switchblade in his right hand and was pressing the point hard into Charlotte's ribs. His grim stare showed he wasn't fooling around.

Charlotte shot a venomous glance at Gerald. ‘You couldn't afford a full-size bodyguard?'

Gerald took a pace back, getting some distance between him and the hairpin. Sam appeared behind Nico and pulled him out of range.

‘And the gang's all here,' Charlotte said, as Ruby emerged from the crowd. ‘So nice to see you again, Miss Valentine. And don't you look beautiful, even in this heat. Isn't it frightful?'

Ruby scowled. ‘What are you doing here?'

‘The same as you I expect, my dear.'

Gerald found his voice. ‘You think the Oracle's treasure is still here?'

Charlotte cocked an eyebrow, ‘You have come up to speed,' she said. ‘And there was my uncle thinking you didn't know anything about your family secret. Naturally the treasure, as you so quaintly put it, is still here. But, unlike you, I have the means to unlock it.'

‘The three golden rods,' Gerald said.

‘Isn't this a lovely irony then,' Charlotte said, looking at Gerald, Sam and Ruby. ‘Three against one.'

‘Four!' Nico piped up.

Charlotte peered at the boy. ‘Three and a half,' she said. ‘Now, before you get any wild ideas of calling for help, you should know there is enough poison on this pin to kill a dozen people.' She narrowed her eyes and stared at Gerald. ‘You wouldn't want that on your conscience, would you?'

‘You are a vile human being,' Ruby said.

Charlotte swung her gaze onto Ruby and Sam, then to the tip of the hairpin, as deadly as a scorpion's tail.

‘I should have killed you in France when I had the chance,' she said. She whipped the hairpin in front of her. Ruby recoiled, her eyes wide. A mirthless laugh fell from Charlotte's lips, then she slipped the silver stopper back into place.

‘I don't know what you're hoping to achieve here,' she said. ‘You can't possibly go to the police—there's an international warrant for your arrest. You have no clue where to find your so-called treasure, and I hold the only key.' She slid the hairpin back into place. ‘I suggest you leave Delphi. The next time we meet, it may not be so crowded.'

Charlotte turned towards the exit, but before she could take a step Nico jumped high and lashed out with his hand. Charlotte swayed her head back, but not fast enough. Nico's fist closed around a gold ring suspended on a leather strap around her neck. With a sharp tug, he broke the leather and was halfway to the exit before Charlotte realised what had happened. Gerald, Sam and Ruby stood rooted to the spot.

Charlotte glared at them. ‘It appears your bodyguard is also a thief,' she said, struggling to contain her fury. And she stalked out of the museum.

Gerald let out a long breath. ‘We better go find Nico,' he said. ‘Just in case she's going after him.'

‘I don't think she'll bother,' Ruby said. ‘She's after bigger things than one of your family signet rings.'

Gerald stared back into the gallery. The tour group was taking it in turns to be photographed next to the ill-fated twins, Castor and Pollux.

Gerald had the uneasy feeling that his own quest was heading for an ill-fated conclusion as well.

Chapter 22

B
y the time Gerald, Sam and Ruby made it back to Nico's house, Ruby was worried.

‘What if Charlotte caught him?' she said. ‘What if she's done something to him?'

Gerald did his best to reassure her, but every minute that went past with no sign of Nico only added to her fears. Nico's aunt didn't understand their attempts at mime and she didn't seem worried that Nico wasn't about.

Ruby had almost convinced Gerald and Sam that they'd have to go to the police when Nico popped his head around their bedroom door.

‘Nico!' Ruby said, dragging him into the room. ‘Are you all right?'

He gave Ruby one of his earnest looks, unsure what the fuss was about.

‘Why would I not be all right?' he asked. ‘I'm not a child.'

Nico pulled his hand from his pocket. Resting in the palm was the ring that he had snatched from Charlotte's neck. He gave it to Gerald.

‘What made you grab this from Charlotte?' Gerald asked. Nico shrugged and pointed to the pair of identical rings that Gerald was wearing.