Black Harvest

CHAPTER NINETEEN

Ronnie came in on British Airways via London/Heathrow. He had the look people get when they've just spent too many hours in airports and planes. He hugged Selena. He nodded at Nick. Ronnie didn't shake hands. It wasn't the Navajo custom.

"Never been to Bulgaria before. Anybody start shooting at us yet?"

Nick smiled in spite of himself. "Taxis are over there. We're at the Hilton."

"Kind of high profile."

"We're in the open. Everything's official. The Greeks and the Bulgarians know we're here. For all I know, the Chinese, the Indians and the Pakis. For sure, the Russians. Maybe it will bring someone out of the woodwork. So we might as well enjoy it."

"Works for me."

They got in the cab. "You got a weapon?"

"Yup." he patted his bag.

None of them had been to Bulgaria. Sofia had open air cafes along the boulevard, like every city in Europe. There were ornate apartment buildings, offices and parks. Electric trolley wires ran in ordered webs overhead, like many cities in Europe. Nick couldn't quite put his finger on it, but Sofia was different. Maybe it was the colors on the buildings. Maybe it was the architecture.

They drove past an enormous building.

"Nevsky," the driver pointed. "Very holy."

The cathedral was huge. It had five or six enormous domes that Nick could see. Most of the domes were green with age. Rows of arched windows lined the ground level. It reminded him of a gigantic wedding cake. If he'd had any doubts he wasn't in Western Europe, Nevsky Cathedral removed them.

They met in Ronnie's room. It was a nice room, high up. The hotel was like big city Hiltons everywhere. Except for the room service menu and the hot water on the right, it could have been in St. Louis.

Sofia was set in a broad valley under the shadow of a mountain identified by the tourist guide as Mount Vitosha. From the window of the room they could look out over the city and valley below. The Balkans rose above the valley and formed an ominous wall across the horizon. Snow covered the peaks. Clouds passing in front of the sun threw changing shadows across the slopes. Nick turned away from the hypnotic view.

"Okay. We're here, where the spring and two rivers cross. What now?"

"There used to be a public bath where the springs are. It's a museum now. The only other clue we've got is the reference to Erinys."

"Erinys?" Ronnie went to the mini-fridge, took out a bottle of water, sat on the bed.

"The destructive side of Demeter. Not someone you wanted to meet."

"How do we track it down? You have an idea?"

"It's research, like always. That inscription is from around 146 BCE or so. A lot of Greeks lived in Bulgaria then."

"Not now?"

"Not anymore. The culture is Slavic. Records from that time are lost but there must have been a shrine or temple for Demeter or Erinys. Maybe we can find out where it was. Whoever wrote that inscription would have known about it, assuming it really is a message about the urn."

Nick sat down. "What do you want to do first?"

"Try the libraries and museums, starting with the springs. You and Ronnie can take in the sights."

"Better if we stay together. The bad guys found you in Greece. They could find you here."

"They're not going to go after me in a library or a museum."

"No? Why not?"

"Well, too public?"

"Public doesn't matter. These kind of people don't worry about public."

She knew he was right.

"So we all go to the museum. I hope you're ready to get bored."

"Hey," Ronnie said. "I like museums. Maybe they'll have a Bulgarian dinosaur."