The Nostradamus File

CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

Elizabeth came into her office. Burps was asleep on her chair, drooling. She'd never been a cat person. Even so, she found the presence of the cat comforting. There was something about this ragged lump of orange that she liked. She lifted him off the chair and walked over to the garden door and set him down. She opened the door.

"Go," she said. She pointed.

Burps looked at her, yawned and moved leisurely into the garden. She closed the door. She used a tissue to wipe off her chair and sat down. The others came into the room and took seats.

"I think I know who Nostradamus meant," Stephanie said, "in the lines about giving a hostage and all that." She looked pleased with herself.

"Who is it?" Selena asked.

"If I'm right, the first Earl of Pembroke, William Marshal. He's buried in the nave of Temple Church, in London." She pulled up a picture on the big monitor. It showed a damaged stone figure of a knight in mail lying on his back. His right hand grasped his sword. The stone blade was broken.

"He was a Templar?"

"Yes."

"Why do you think it's him?" Harker asked.

"Marshal was one of the most powerful men in England. His son was held hostage by King John to make sure he stayed loyal. That fits with the quatrain. And he's holding a broken sword. If that isn't enough, his effigy is one of nine. There are eight others in the Temple Church, all close by, all Templar knights."

"Temple Church is famous, a big tourist attraction," Selena said. "It was the London Templar headquarters when they were at the height of their power."

"When did this guy die?" Ronnie asked.

"1219," Stephanie answered. "He was the real thing. His life could be the model for the heroic knight."

"Doesn't do him much good now," Ronnie said. "All he's got is a fancy tomb to show for it."

"One day they could make one for you, Ronnie," Nick said. "Carve out a grenade launcher instead of a sword."

"That's enough," Elizabeth said. "How are we going to find out what's in that tomb?"

"Pretty clear. Nostradamus says there's something there. We have to get into the church and open it."

Elizabeth coughed into a tissue. "Let me get this straight," she said. "You want to break into a major English historical attraction, vandalize a famous tomb with a slab on it that probably weighs hundreds of pounds and root through the bones or whatever, all in hope of finding a clue that might not even be there."

Nick nodded. "That's about right."

Elizabeth sighed. "There will be guards. You can't hurt them."

"We'll think of something," Nick said.