The Cup

CHAPTER 23

The monastery of Panagia Soumela was five kilometers out of Kastania, a pleasant drive from the hotel. The area around the church had been turned into a park with a large parking area for tourists and pilgrims.

The building was cruciform in the Greek Orthodox fashion, the walls of brown and white stone, the curved roofs of red tile. Three soaring archways fronted the church. Smaller archways led to secondary entrances on each side. A massive round tower with long, narrow windows rose over the building and dominated the setting.

Only a few cars were parked in the extensive lot outside. The church was a popular pilgrimage point but it was a weekday and late in the season. The chill of coming winter hung in the mountain air.

Nick dropped money in a donation box as they entered.

Lamont said, "Man, look at this place."

His voice echoed in the cavernous building. A dozen people, tourists or worshipers, wandered about the church.

"Someone spent a lot of money and went to a lot of trouble to build this," Selena said. "You'd expect to see a church like this in a major city with a big congregation, not a little mountain town. It's more like a cathedral than a church."

Ronnie looked up. "How high do you think that ceiling is?"

"I don't know," Nick said. "A hundred feet?"

The ceiling was groined in medieval style, painted with religious figures and crosses. Rows of slatted wooden chairs faced the main altar. A wooden railing separated the public area from the altar. Behind the altar was an elaborate carved backdrop of dark wood, framing rows of painted icons. An enormous chandelier hung over the chairs. The air smelled of incense.

"Where's the icon that causes miracles?" Lamont asked.

Selena pointed at a separate alcove off to the side of the main room. "I think that's it."

They walked over and stood in front of it.

The icon was recessed inside an elaborate housing and lit on both sides. A curtain was pulled back to the sides of the painting. A chain stretched between brass posts to keep people from getting too close. A short pillar with a vase holding fresh flowers stood on each side of the painting. Beyond them, two enormous brass stands reached toward the ceiling, each with three tall columns mounted to hold candles. Four icons of saints hung on the wall behind. A crystal chandelier blazed with light overhead.

Ronnie peered at the ancient painting. "Pretty hard to see what it's supposed to be."

"You can just make out the shape of the Virgin Mary and the infant Jesus," Selena said. "Don't forget, this is supposed to be two thousand years old. It's had time to fade."

"Okay," Lamont said. "We've seen the icon. Now what?"

Nick pointed at a priest walking across the room.

"That priest looks old enough to be in charge. Selena, go talk to him. Get him talking about how the icon was hidden and recovered. We have to start somewhere."

She left them standing near the alcove with the miraculous icon, went over to the priest and greeted him. Soon they were in an animated conversation.

Three men entered the church. Nick's ear began itching. He reached up and tugged on the mutilated lobe, where a Chinese bullet had clipped him on the day he'd met Selena.

"You're doing that thing again," Ronnie said.

"What thing?"

"Pulling on your ear."

"Just a habit," Nick said. "It doesn't always mean trouble."

"Yeah, sure," Ronnie said.

Sometimes when something bad was going to happen, his ear began itching. The worse it itched, the more trouble was coming his way. It was a gift or a curse, depending on how you looked at it. The gift had made his Irish grandmother an outcast in the old country, but it had saved Nick's life more than once.

"It's probably nothing," he said.

"Looks like Selena is getting along fine with the priest," Lamont said.

"I'm more interested in those three that just came in."

"They don't feel right to me," Lamont said. "One of them just looked at us, pretending he wasn't."

"Maybe he's checking you out," Ronnie said.

"Nah. You're more his type."

Nick sighed. "You guys want to cut it out?"

"Here comes Selena." Ronnie nodded in her direction.

"Any luck?" Nick asked.

"Nothing useful. When they went back for the icon they recovered a few other things they'd hidden when they were forced to leave. He didn't say anything about a cup."

"He wouldn't, would he? I wonder if there's an archive, a record of what they hid away when they abandoned the monastery."

"There's no way they'll let us see any records."

"Not if we ask. We'll come back tonight."