The Cup

CHAPTER 35

From Incirlik they got onto a highway marked E90 and headed east. The road was in good condition. Selena looks at the map and checked her GPS while Nick drove.

"From Incirlik to Mor Gabriel is about four hundred miles. The roads look good. It shouldn't take more than seven or eight hours, but the monastery will be closed by the time we get there. We can stop in Midyat overnight. That's nearby."

"Wake me when it's time for lunch," Lamont said.

He settled back against the seat and pulled a cap down over his eyes. In a minute he was asleep. It was something you learned in the service, how to sleep anywhere, anytime you could.

Ronnie sat watching the Turkish countryside slide by. They pass through villages but mostly it was farmland dominated by fields of wheat, now in winter mode. Groves of fruit or nut trees broke up the flat monotony of the fields. Turkey wasn't quite a Third World country but it wasn't Kansas either. This was an ancient land, farmed for thousands of years. Every town they passed featured the tall, needle shaped tower of at least one mosque.

"Those towers look like missiles," Ronnie said. "Where that guy does his thing five times a day."

"The muezzein," Selena said.

"Yeah, him. Hey, Nick, I've been thinking about that dream."

"What about it?"

"When you hear a voice like that? It's a good idea to pay attention to it."

"Very funny, Ronnie."

"No, I'm serious. The question is, what are you supposed to pay attention to?"

"I haven't a clue."

Selena said, "That's what Count Mercurio said to Elizabeth: 'pay attention.' He was talking about why the Grail is important."

"It's important because ISIS can make trouble if they get their hands on it," Nick said.

"Do you really think that's the only reason? What about the legends? The Grail is a sacred object. It symbolizes healing through Spirit and the mystery of Christianity."

"Mmm."

"What about that manuscript we found, the Book of Simon?"

"It could be fake, something made up to attract pilgrims. I know you think it's real but it hasn't been tested to verify the age."

"Don't you feel any excitement about it at all?"

"Some. I never thought I'd be looking for the Grail for real. I read all the King Arthur stories when I was a kid."

"You were a kid?" Ronnie asked. "I thought you hatched out of an egg at Quantico."

Nick ignored him. "I used to imagine wearing shining armor and carrying a magic sword like Excalibur. I wanted to be Galahad, fighting monsters and seeking the cup that would heal the King."

"And the land," Selena said. "Remember? The land was blighted and dying. Arthur was wounded in the groin and the only thing that could heal him and the land was the Grail."

"Lots of symbolism there," Lamont said. "Sounds almost X-rated."

"Sex always makes for a good hook in a story," Ronnie said. "Don't forget Guinevere and Lancelot."

"Sex, betrayal, revenge and heroic deeds," Nick said, "not to mention Excalibur and the Lady of the Lake. It's a soap opera."

"Everything revolves around the Grail," Selena said. "Without the Grail, there's nothing to hold the story together. I think that's what you're supposed to pay attention to."

"The Grail? I thought that's what I was doing. Why we're here."

"I don't mean the physical cup. It's what it symbolizes that's important."

"Redemption?"

"And healing. Just like in the myth."

Halfway through the drive, Nick handed the wheel over to Ronnie. He moved to the back and closed his eyes, listening to the sound of the tires on the road and the drone of the engine. He fell asleep and hoped he wouldn't dream.