Templar's Code

CHAPTER 47

Edie was the first to break the silence.

“It’s the title page for an old book, right?”

“What do they teach in American schools? That is the frontispiece for Francis Bacon’s opus magnum, the New Atlantis,” Rubin huffed.

The instant he glanced away, Edie, exasperated, stuck out her tongue. A juvenile response. No doubt the result of being cooped up in what amounted to a claustrophobic windowless vault.

Caedmon put a staying hand on her shoulder, lessening the sting. “In a printed book, the frontispiece is the illustration opposite the title page. Taken from the Latin word frontispicium, meaning façade, it’s a word seldom used in the modern lexicon. Highly ornate engravings, these prints are artistic masterpieces in their own right.”

“A fact that incites avaricious art collectors to take sharp razor blades to priceless antiquarian books.” Rubin’s unkind tone made it clear what he thought of the practice.

Still confused, Edie said to Caedmon, “Why did you say that this particular frontispiece shouldn’t exist? I mean, we’re looking at it so obviously it, um, you know, exists.” Too late, she realized how garbled that sounded. She immediately braced for a Rubin on wry.

Their host tapped a manicured finger against the Mylar-encased print. “ ‘Thy end is truth’s and beauty’s doom and date.’ ”

Still clueless, Edie apologetically shrugged.

“The date, woman! Look at the publishing date!”

She did, but the date 1614 meant absolutely nothing to her. “Sorry, not ringing a single bell.”

“Francis Bacon died in the year 1626,” Rubin informed her. “Among his papers was discovered an unfinished, unpublished manuscript titled New Atlantis. Bacon’s longtime secretary, a man by the name of William Rawley, had the unfinished manuscript posthumously published in 1627. With a completely different frontispiece than the one that’s on the table. Publication of the New Atlantis, a parable outlining Bacon’s plan for a utopian society, sparked a heated public debate. One that continues to this very day.”

Caedmon picked up the print. His gaze narrowed as he intently examined it. “This 1614 frontispiece implies two things: First, Bacon actually completed the New Atlantis manuscript, and second, he intended to publish it in 1614. For whatever reason, Sir Francis had a change of heart. Since there are no known copies of the 1614 frontispiece other than the one before us, we must presume that Bacon had the engraved prints destroyed. Save for the one.” As he spoke, Caedmon pulled a stool out from under the sturdy worktable where they stood. He offered the vacant seat to Edie. “What I want to know, Rubin, is how in God’s name did you come by this?”

“Since you’re a member of the Antiquarian Booksellers Association, I probably shouldn’t say.”

“I take that to mean he got it off the back of the truck,” Edie snickered.

“Of all the cheek!” Rubin turned to Caedmon, an unctuous smile on his lips. “Credit me with a bit of honor; I paid a fair price.”

“Although I warrant it was an undocumented sale,” Caedmon said with a knowing glance.

“Yes, well . . . needs must.” Their host pulled a second stool out from the table.

“Have you shown this frontispiece to anyone else?”

Rubin’s eyes opened wide. “Surely you jest? Aside from Marnie, you and your American sidekick are the only ones privy to the secret. And I wouldn’t have been so hospitable except we have a mutual interest.”

“Speaking of which, what connection does your rare frontispiece have with the Templar relic discovered by Walter Ralegh?” Caedmon took the last vacant stool, brushing shoulders with Edie as he sat down.

“Before I answer: How familiar are you with the New Atlantis?” Rubin glanced, first at Caedmon, then at Edie.

“It’s been more than twenty-five years since I read it last.”

“Still on my ‘Things to Read Before I Die’ list,” Edie fibbed.

“Then we must bring you up to speed. The New Atlantis begins with a ship lost at sea ‘in the greatest wilderness of the waters of the world,’ ” Rubin began in one of those strident voices that people reserve for public recitation. “A new day dawns and land is sighted, the crew’s fervent prayers having been answered. But the hapless Europeans soon discover that the uncharted island of Bensalem is a country unlike any other. While it is a Christian realm, Bensalem practices a form of pure Christianity based entirely on the precept of brotherly love. Additionally, Bensalem is eerily reminiscent of the legendary Atlantis.”

“Plato’s dialogues Timaeus and Critias are the only ancient source that specifically mention Atlantis,” Caedmon said, elaborating on Rubin’s narration. “Technologically advanced, as well as being a great naval power, the continent of Atlantis mysteriously sank into the ocean after a failed attempt to conquer Athens. Or so claimed Plato. However Bacon’s new, improved Atlantis, renamed Bensalem, is a place of peace not war.”

“From the onset the Europeans are impressed with the Bensalemites’ advanced society,” their host continued, picking up the plotline. “Bringing us to the focal point of the tale: And that is the island’s premier institute, a college of higher learning called Solomon’s House.”

“The name Solomon’s House is an obvious nod to the biblical King Solomon who was famous for his wisdom,” Caedmon elaborated.

“But with a Baconian twist. In the New Atlantis, the scholars of Solomon’s House have at their disposal sacred relics as well as the ancient texts that inspired King Solomon’s much vaunted wisdom. These ancient texts are unknown to European Christians and supposedly contain the very secret of creation.”

“Let me guess. . . . This secret has something to do with the hidden stream of knowledge aka alchemy, Kabbalah, and magic.”

Rubin acknowledged her remark with a nod. “Revered by the citizenry, the scholars tirelessly conduct their research, always with an eye to improving and bettering society. Bacon alludes to the fact that their research is magically inspired by heavenly angels.”

Still trying to make sense of Bacon’s utopia, Edie said, “If I’m hearing this right, the entire population of Bensalem was communicating with angels and practicing alchemy and Kabbalah.”

“Good God, no!” Rubin exclaimed, quite emphatically. “Francis Bacon was wise enough to know that the common man, or woman”—he peered at her from over the top of his tortoiseshell glasses—“could not grasp the esoteric nature of the scholar’s research. The common man, or woman, is far too consumed with the material world to fully comprehend the spiritual realm. It is for that reason that Bensalem maintained an enlightened division of labor based on one’s abilities.”

Smelling an elitist rat, Edie pointed an accusing finger at the Mylar-covered frontispiece. “Peace and justice in Bensalem came at a steep price, that being the loss of individual liberty.”

Rubin placed his right hand over his heart, assuming a theatrical pose. “ ‘Give me liberty or give me death!’ ” Mocking oration delivered, he dropped his hand to his side. “I, for one, would gladly concede a few liberties in order to live in a virtuous, peaceful, just society.”

Well, what do you know? Even an aged punk rocker will cheerfully dip his cup in the Kool-Aid vat, Edie irreverently thought.

“All of which explains why Walter Ralegh was searching for the seventy-seventh meridian.” She figured that was as good a segue as any. “The Knights of the Helmet wanted to place their utopian colony on top of the world’s most powerful ley line.”

Rubin turned on a magnifying lamp mounted on the edge of the table. He placed the print directly underneath it. “I earlier mentioned that King James had a dread fear of the occult. I suspect that was a contributing factor in Sir Francis’s decision not to publish his masterpiece.” He wordlessly motioned for Edie to take a gander.

“Ohmygosh!” she exclaimed a moment later, recognizing a very familiar occult symbol. “Caedmon, look.”

Caedmon peered at the frontispiece through the magnifying glass. “The All-Seeing Eye,” he murmured. “Signifying divine enlightenment, the symbol can trace its lineage all the way back to ancient Egypt.”

“The symbol is also on the Great Seal of the United States. Which is printed on the American dollar bill,” Edie informed them. She turned to their host, “Does the All-Seeing Eye have anything to do with the Templar treasure?”

“The answer to that may well be hidden within the imagery that adorns this magnificent rendering.”

“Do you mean to say that the print has an encrypted message?”

“I believe so,” Rubin said in reply to Caedmon’s query. “Sir Francis was an amateur cryptologist who frequently hid secret communiqués within his published works. The iconography on the print is highly symbolic of the hidden stream of knowledge and the seventy-seventh meridian. Given what you’ve told me today, one may reasonably conjecture that the Templars’ sacred relic is part of that esoteric mix.”

Caedmon slowly tapped a finger against his chin, his gaze fixed on the print. “Have you had any luck deciphering the encrypted message?”

“I’m an antiquarian, not a blasted code breaker.”

“I’ll take that as a no. May I have a go at it?”

“Why in God’s name do you think I had you examine the print?” Rubin irritably retorted. “Since the frontispiece cannot leave the premises, I’ll ring the St. Martin’s Lane Hotel and have your things sent around. You and your lady love may stay upstairs in the guest bedroom.”

“So much for a fabulous night on the town,” Edie groused.

Reaching under the table, Rubin opened a drawer. From it he extracted a handheld magnifying glass, which he passed to Caedmon. “You may have need of this. The devil’s in the details, as they say.”