By Monkey

Chapter 20

Roman Clues

     Indiana Jones continued to study the framed picture of Lord Richard Malboury standing before the Temple of Karnak; as if trying to decipher some two dimensional secret that lay there on the black and white photograph.  Allenby continued to watch him, fascinated by what mystery it was that Jones was about to solve.

     Then Jones simply reached his hands up and grasped hold of the picture frame.  A moment later he lifted the picture up and withdrew it from the wall.  There, behind it, was the recessed combination spinner of a small wall safe.

      “Well I’ll be damned!” Allenby said as he watched him lift the picture off the wall, “and to think that Scotland Yard didn’t even find it.”

      “Maybe Scotland Yard needs to hire some archaeologists to work for them,” Indiana Jones said with a wink

     Jones set the picture aside and examined the safe for a moment, “But there are still two questions.  …One, is there anything inside?”

     After a long pause Allenby asked, “And the second question?”

     Indiana Jones looked at him, “What’s the combination?”

     “Well …I wouldn’t know.  Why I didn’t even know that Richard had this safe in his office.”

     “What’s Malboury’s birthday?” Jones asked.

     Allenby thought for a moment, “I’m sorry Indy, I don’t know that either.”

     “Can you remember what month, if not the day or the year?”

     Allenby shook his head, “I’m sorry.”

     Indiana Jones began searching through Malboury’s desk rifling through the drawers, “Eureka!” he said after a few moments of searching.

      “What is it?”  Allenby asked.

      “It’s his British Museum staff identification card.  According to it Lord Richard Malboury was born on 23^rd of February 1885.”

      “You think he used his birthday for the combination?”

      “Sure,” Jones answered, “it’s a common practice. It’s easy to remember.  No one forgets their own birthday.”

       “No, but after a certain number of years you do try to ignore them,” Allenby said with a chuckle.

     Jones went to the safe, “Why don’t we try 2, 23, 85,” he said, then stopped and stared at the spinner, “no, that’s not it, the numbers only go up to 50.”

     He looked away for a moment in thought, then turned back to the safe, “No problem,” he said confidently, “we’ll try 2, 23, 35, and if that doesn’t work, we’ll try 2, 23, 15.”

     Allenby thought for a moment, and then saw the logic in Jones’ numbers.

     The first combination failed, but the second one was on the money, and Indiana Jones smiled with satisfaction as he pulled down on the small latch handle and felt it click.  The safe door then swung open.

     There were three items inside the safe, two small, ancient papyrus scrolls, and a blank envelope stuffed full of money.  Jones couldn’t see exactly how much, but it appeared to be a substantial amount.  He carefully pulled out the two delicate scrolls and set them on Malboury’s desk. And then, without knowing entirely why, Jones made a conscious decision to block Allenby’s view of the safe, and then he quickly shut it and spun the lock.

     The money in the envelope was provocative.  It could have a bearing on things, Jones thought.  Then again maybe it was just a stash of cash that Malboury kept handy.  But he wanted to count it first, and then try to figure out what to do.  His thoughts were still focused on helping Vadoma if he could, and in this instance he wanted to figure out things for himself before running to the police.  Maybe he was wrong, maybe he was right, but Indiana Jones was going to go with his hunch.

     He turned back around to where Allenby eyed the scrolls curiously.

      “Anything else of any interest in there?” the museum curator asked him.

     Jones did a quick battle with his conscience, quickly slapping it down, and then said simply, “No, there was nothing else in there.”

     Allenby cautiously unrolled the first of the scrolls while Jones unrolled the second.  They were remarkably well preserved, and covered with crisp clear Latin script.  Indiana Jones pulled his glasses out of his breast pocket and slipped them on.  His eyes rapidly scanned the writing and he smiled when he saw the signature at the bottom…Grachius Calvertus.

      “Calvertus!” Jones said, “It looks like we’ve found it John; I’ll need to translate both of them, but this could be the directions to the Sun Tablets that Dorsius talks about.”

      “You’re saying that this could be the scroll that Calvertus buried in the temple?” Allenby said as he scanned his eyes over the Latin script, “this is indeed good news, I shall call Scotland Yard and speak with Inspector Davies immediately…”

      “No!” Indiana Jones nearly shouted, then realized it, and lowered his voice a bit, “no …I mean …well, I’d like to have some time to translate them first before we call anyone.  It shouldn’t take too long; the script is very clear and well preserved. I…I just don’t want to be premature.  There could very well be nothing of interest here.”

      “Why would Malboury lock them up like that then?”

      “I don’t know, but I’d like to have an hour or so to go over them,” Jones paused and looked around the office for a moment, “why don’t I just examine them here?”

     Allenby nodded, “Certainly.  That way you don’t have to go walking about the museum with them,” he handed Jones the key to the office, “Alright then Indy, please lock the door when you leave. I’ll be either in my office or somewhere in the vicinity of the 4^TH Dynasty display.”

      “Thank you John, I’ll let you know as soon as I find anything.”

     Allenby walked out of the office and back up to the ground floor of the museum.  Indiana Jones walked to door of the office, closed it, and set the latch.  Then he went back to the safe and spun the combination again.  A moment later he spread the cash out on the desk and counted it.  There was more than three thousand Pounds, the equivalent of about five thousand US Dollars.  It was a lot of money, but then for a wealthy man like Lord Malboury it might not be too extraordinary for him to keep this much cash around.  Maybe he just didn’t like to go to the bank.  Now Indiana Jones suddenly felt guilty for having not told Allenby about the money.

     He examined the envelope.  There was nothing interesting about it; no tell tale German writing or swastikas emblazoned on it.  It was just a wealthy man’s ‘pocket money’ Jones now thought.  Oh well, he thought, and put the money back into the safe, spinning the lock.  Then he turned his attention to the scrolls which still lay on the desk in front of him.

     Jones’ Latin was peerless, and he quickly deciphered the well written script.  After about ten minutes he’d finished the first scroll, but had found nothing of significance.  The second took slightly longer, about fifteen minutes.  About half way through reading it Jones stopped and located a pen and some paper in Malboury’s desk.  He began jotting down something on to the paper, referring back to the scroll every few seconds as he wrote. When he was finished, he had copied one particular passage from the scroll.  Then he set down the pen and continued reading through the rest of the Latin writing.  After finishing he looked up and took off his glasses.

      “This isn’t it,” he said to himself out loud, shaking his head, “but it’s close.”

     He read over again the passage that he had translated to English and copied on to the paper.  Satisfied, he carefully rolled the two scrolls back up.  He folded the paper with the transcribed passage on it and put it into his breast pocket.  Then he left the office, locking the door on the way out, and slipping the key into the band of his fedora.

     A few minutes later he stood beside the 4^TH Dynasty displays speaking with Allenby.  Jones explained that these scrolls were not the directions to the location of the Sun Tablets that they had hoped, but rather just some writings of Calvertus.

      “However there is one particular passage on this one,” Jones held up the second, longer scroll, “where Calvertus mentions the Sun Tablets scroll, and even hints at where the temple is that he buried it in.”

     Allenby shook his head a little, “So you’re telling me that within these scrolls here, there is a passage that tells the location of the temple where Calvertus buried the Sun Tablets scroll?”

      “Yes,” Jones answered him.

      “And the Sun Tablets scroll tells where the Tablets themselves are located.”

      “Yes,” once again Indiana Jones answered in the affirmative.

      “My, it is a rather tangled web here is it not?”

      “You know it’s never easy John.  It’s a three thousand year old, five thousand mile long trail that we’re trying to follow.”

      “What do you suggest we do from here then Indy?”

      “Why don’t we discuss it with Marcus at dinner tonight?  He’ll need to know the content of the passage.  There’s no doubt this Temple that Calvertus talks about must be in Egypt since he buried it before he returned to Rome.”

     Indiana Jones gazed at the 4^TH Dynasty sculptures for a moment and then spoke again, “I just hope Marcus and Elliot can find it before Malboury does.”

      “You’re not insinuating anything are you Indy?”

      “No, but right now one thing is certain.  Malboury read these scrolls, and for all we know right now he’s in Egypt searching for the Temple.  Maybe at the end of a gun barrel, but nonetheless he’s looking for it.  We’ve got to hope that Marcus and MI5 can find it first.  Otherwise we may never see Lord Richard Malboury alive again.  The Nazis have a bad habit of getting rid of people that they don’t need anymore.”

TO BE CONTINUED…

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