Book of JUDAS

Chapter Twenty-Two-1

Chapter Twenty-Two

Greenwich Village, New York

“Right, time to go,” announced Philip. “Is Anna nearly ready?”

“I’ll go and check,” said Heather, hopping up the steps from the lounge and heading for Anna’s bedroom.

It was approaching seven-thirty on Saturday evening and they would be expected to arrive at Theodore Grainger’s annual ball between eight and eight-thirty. The shopping trip the day before had been successful and both Simon and Anna, thanks to Heather’s help, had found appropriate attire for the occasion. She had enthusiastically accompanied them, dragging them from store to store, in search of the perfect, stylish outfits. Anna had enjoyed trying on so many pretty ball dresses but Simon, in typical male fashion, managed to find ninety-nine per cent of his requirements in one store, Bloomingdales, and then promptly left to leave the girls happily shopping in earnest without him.

Back in Heather’s apartment, Simon stood in front of the elaborate hall mirror and put the finishing touches to the knot on his black tie. He had nearly purchased a white tuxedo jacket but in the end decided to stick with tradition, and bought a black tie suit with a silver paisley-patterned waistcoat.

Philip looked anxiously at his watch again. There was no need for him to get dressed up; his role in the evening’s events was decidedly more functional and he stood casually waiting for them in chinos and open-neck checked shirt.

“Time we were going,” he repeated loudly enough that Anna could hear while holding Simon’s jacket open for him.

“I’m ready!” announced Simon. “We’re just missing the belle of the ball!”

The door behind them opened and out stepped Anna looking simply stunning in her white strapless dress, her black hair bunched, revealing her slim, pretty neck. The dress caught all her curves perfectly and was set off by an intricate gold and diamond necklace that had been lent to her by Heather with dangly earrings to match. Following just behind her, Heather stepped out, beaming with delight at the results of her handiwork. Both brothers stood there, speechless, genuinely in awe at the beauty of her transformation.

“You look amazing… Fantastic,” mumbled Simon, shaking his head. Anna glanced up, her eyes sparkling. She smiled warmly as she saw the spellbound look on Simon’s face.

“And you − ” said Heather loudly, approaching Simon and reaching up to adjust his bow tie one last time, “ – look very dashing, the perfect Prince for the perfect Princess!”

Simon leaned down and gave Heather a kiss on the cheek.

“Ok, have you got everything?” asked Philip.

Simon opened up his jacket and showed his brother where all the items were safely stored. Earlier that day they had decided what tools and implements might come in useful if they had to break through locked doors.

“Arkheynia?” asked Philip.

Simon patted the inside pocket where he was keeping the replica of the arkheynia.

“Good luck both of you and call me as soon as you have some news,” demanded Heather, opening the front door for them.

The previous night, Philip had told Heather everything, from the events surrounding the funeral of his grandfather in Oxfordshire to picking up the scrolls and their exploits in Thailand. In the past twenty-four hours she had run through the whole gamut of emotions. From “astonishment and disbelief” at Sir Lawrence Trenchard’s legacy as Philip told her the story of how his grandfather had found the Book of Judas to “fear and sheer unadulterated horror” as she learnt about Simon’s experience in Professor Palanski’s house. Philip left her in no doubt as to the danger they were all in. The revelations about the Vatican and the Satanica were equally as shocking and she began to truly understand the reason for Philip’s reticence and uncharacteristic behaviour in some of their brief and peculiar telephone calls.

Despite the threat to their lives, once she had heard the whole story she knew immediately that she wanted to join Philip and the others. They had argued in private about the way forward. Philip was keen that she took the sabbatical from work but he wanted her to get away from New York and join her parents in California until the matter was closed. Heather was not amused with his pleas and stubbornly insisted that she could not sit thousands of miles away knowing that his life was in danger.

“Philip do you realise that I love you and that I would give up any part of my life to be with you,” she had said. In the end after a great deal of soul-searching, he had succumbed and agreed that if they were successful in obtaining the second arkheynia from Theodore Grainger that night then she could join them on their forthcoming journey to Cairo. Her mood had picked up instantly once Philip agreed to her wish; she now felt part of the team even if she wasn’t accompanying them on this evening’s assignment.

They descended to the basement garage and Philip took the wheel of the BMW as they pulled out into the busy evening traffic and headed north in the direction of Westchester.

“It still seems an incredible coincidence,” said Simon, referring to the constant media coverage they had endured throughout the day when the news broke about the death of Pope Paul XII.

“I know,” replied Philip.

“What do you think this means? Do you think the Vatican’s going to be too preoccupied with its own affairs?” quizzed Simon.

“Definitely not,” replied Anna sharply from the back seat. To compliment his black tie, she was wearing a white shawl around her shoulders.

The speed and ferocity of her response surprised them.

“You seem very sure,” replied Philip as they crossed from the west side of Manhattan on to the famous Henry Hudson Bridge with its two levels allowing for seven lanes of traffic.

“It just doesn’t make sense otherwise,” she replied, backtracking. She had not intended to sound so vehement and sure of herself. “Listen, think about it! If this book’s discovered and it contains all the revelations that it’s supposed to then doesn’t it have the power to question, even topple the foundations of Christianity itself? Do you think the powerbrokers in the Vatican would sit by and do nothing?” Anna changed her tack, becoming rather more suggestive than so outwardly sure of herself.

Leaving the high-level, steel-arched bridge constructed just before the Second World War they joined the Saw Mill River Parkway, which proceeded north to the affluent suburb of Westchester.

“But who in the Vatican is driving this; who’s controlling their day-to-day decisions?” asked Simon curiously.

“I don’t know but they must have a central committee or something similar that’s steering their progress,” answered Philip stoically.

“We have to keep ahead of the Satanica, and that means we have to keep moving as fast as we can,” said Anna. “Remember we’re still travelling on our own passports − who knows what information they might have access to?”

The comment struck a chord.

“Anna’s right,” said Philip. “The sooner we’re successful tonight the sooner we can leave and frankly I’ll feel much happier when we’re on the plane out of here.”

After a further forty minutes on the road they arrived in Westchester and after following some instructions they saw the tall metal gates to Theodore Grainger’s mansion looming before them. After showing their invitation to the security guard they were directed to a car park at the end of the tree-lined drive. The mansion was as enormous as it was spectacular. Built in the late 1880s, the house was an old Gothic masterpiece with several round towers soaring up to various heights above the parapet. The masonry around the roof was eerily striking with gargoyles at every corner and stone statues of griffins, dragons and other mythical medieval monsters. Driving past the front of the house they could see the dozen or so steps leading up to the high stone porch that covered the main entrance. It looked busy. The steps teemed with party guests in their evening frocks eager to be met by their esteemed host prior to making their grand entrance.

“Right this is it,” said Philip, pulling the car to a stop on one of the lawns that was functioning as an overflow car park for the guests.

Simon stepped out and walked around to open Anna’s door.

“Wish us luck − we’ll be back just as soon as we can,” he said, and hand-in-hand they walked off purposefully to join the other party revellers heading for the main entrance.

“Nervous,” asked Simon, squeezing her hand.

“I’m Ok,” she muttered unconvincingly.

“You look fantastic,” said Simon, “like a dream!”

“I feel a lot better with you alongside me,” she replied, squeezing his hand and smiling up at him.

The queue to meet their host Theodore Grainger was gradually shrinking. They could see him down the line shaking hands firmly with the men and bowing before the ladies as the guests proceeded into the house and its nineteenth century ballroom.

When the ebullient millionaire saw Anna patiently waiting in line, he stopped what he was doing and, ignoring guests ahead of them, came striding forward to greet her.

“Anna, it’s been such a long time − you look lovelier than ever,” he said, holding her fingertips and leaning back as if admiring a famous work of art.

“It’s nice to see you too, Theodore,” she replied, conscious of all the gazing eyes of the surrounding guests wondering who she was.

“And this is my husband, Simon,” she said politely, indicating his arrival.

Grainger turned his attention to Simon just long enough to dispense with the greeting formalities before turning with ill-disguised haste back to Anna.

“You must sit next to me on the top table,” he pronounced at the top of his voice and, taking her arm on his, he led them off through the main door towards the red-carpeted corridors that led to the grand ballroom.

Although slightly miffed at the insincerity of his slightly patronising welcome, Simon did not notice anything to suggest anything sinister underlying Grainger’s behaviour and excitement at Anna’s arrival.

Most of the guests had already taken their places at the round tables seating ten as they entered the room. The Grand Ballroom was rectangular with high chandeliers and ornate coving around the perimeter of the ceiling. Guests marvelled at the table settings and flower arrangements in a room that was used on just one occasion every year to entertain just over five hundred privileged guests.

“And you, Anna, can sit here,” said Grainger enthusiastically, pulling out her chair from under the top table. They were positioned on an elevated stage at the head of the ballroom with a lectern alongside them from where Theodore Grainger would make his regular annual address later that evening.

The smart waiters in waistcoats and bow ties politely ushered standing groups of eminent historians and noted archaeological authors to their table. Moments later, Simon watched as the master of ceremonies approached the lectern to introduce their host. Echoing with the sound of chatter and laughter, the hall suddenly fell quiet as the microphone projected his voice.

“Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to introduce you to your host this evening − Mr. Theodore Grainger.”

The rapturous applause reverberated around the room.

“Please excuse me for two minutes, my dear,” said Grainger, patting Anna’s arm as he stood up to make his welcome speech.

As he began, Simon leaned over to Anna to whisper in her ear.

“It’s not going to be to easy to search through his private collection with all this attention he’s giving us!”

She nodded.

“I know, we’ll have to wait until after the meal’s been served − the band starts after the speeches. Maybe we can escape for twenty minutes then.”

“Where’s the collection? Can you tell me how to get there from here?” he whispered.

She quickly explained before the applause went up again and Theodore Grainger, smiling and waving to the floor, walked back to his seat.

The meal was sumptuous and the service impeccable, although Anna only played with her food. She felt far too nervous with the impending task ahead to relax and enjoy the occasion. Throughout, Theodore Grainger was almost oppressively attentive to Anna, asking her about what had happened in her life since they had last met. He expressed delight at the fact she had become an accomplished archaeologist and listened avidly to her stories of excavations in Greece and the Holy lands of the Levant. Simon looked out across the hall, the laughter and chatter of the guests continuing to ring out. They were obviously enjoying the occasion and continued to do so for a further one and half hours until the time for speeches arrived.

During a brief interlude when Grainger wasn’t deep in conversation with Anna he leant forward and told her that they would both slip away as soon as the speeches were over. Once the band struck up and guests left their seats to commence dancing it would be a lot easier to slip out unnoticed he whispered in her ear.