Indiana Jones and the Black Book, Chapter 7

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Posted by Michaelson from leo2space140.utsi.edu on December 28, 2000 at 18:37:19:

And we continue...

Indy's glasses were steamed over from his cup of coffee as he scanned the drawings in front of him. Paludan sat quietly in his overstuffed chair, nursing his cup of tea.

"Any idea what these drawings are supposed to be?" asked Indy.

"Yes, as a matter of fact, I do. They're the floor plans of Westminister Abby. If you look closely at the cross section on page 5, you'll see the sectional locations of the burial moseleums on all levels." replied Paludan.

"Any idea who may have left them here?"

"None at all. I found them in the door early this morning. No explaination." said Paludan.

Indy removed his glasses and rubbed his eyes. His long flight and the attack in the fog had worn him out. He just wasn't rebounding as quickly as he used to, and his joints ached.

"I can only imagine those drawing have to have something to do with your visit. The abby doesn't have anything to do with my current work with the museum", observed Paludan. "But still, I have many excellent contacts there should you have a need. I see you're tired. Let me show you to your bed so you can get some sleep. I'll call you if your contact arrives."

Indy nodded, picked up his suit case and followed Paludan. Climbing a narrow staircase, Paludan showed him a small, cozy room, sparcely furnished with a bed, small writing table and chest of drawers. Paludan had been a bachlor his entire life, and so the entire house lacked any feminine touches that could have cheered up the surroundings, but function after all was the main point, and Indy found the bed comfortable and inviting. He was asleep before Paludan had closed the door.


It was 2 A.M. when Indy was gently shaken awake.

"Indy, you have a visitor."

"Give me a few minutes. I'll be right down."

Fifteen minutes later Indy appeared in the parlor, shaven and dressed in tie and clean work clothes, but wearing his leather jacket instead of a suit coat.

Seated in a wingback chair sat an elderly gentleman, well groomed and appointed. As he rose to offer Indy his hand, Indy glimpsed a gold watch chain on his vest with a watch fob in the shape of a pentagram hanging just out of sight.

"Good morning, Dr. Jones. I apologise for the early hour, but time is of the essence, and darkness can be our friend for this work."

"I see, Mr....?" Indy asked.

"Williams, Sir Henry Marlow Williams of Westminister Abby", he replied.

"This is one of the contacts I mentioned to you last night," said Paludan.

"Did you know he was a "watcher"?, asked Indy.

Paludan shook his head "no".

"Our group is as closed here as in the States, I assure you, but we have as many threats, if not more, than the coven experiences over there," Williams replied.

"Let's cut to the chase," Indy interrupted."Where is your copy of the Black Book hidden? What is your part of the story?"

"It begins and ends at a crypt in the Abby. You must go there tonight and see for yourself," said Sir Williams.

"Crypt?" said Indy. "Whose crypt?"

"Lord Issac Lloyd Curtain was a scholar in King James the first court in the 1600's," Sir Williams began."He was one of the many scholars who had been assigned to create the Authorized version of the Bible in 1611, under order of the King. During the performance of his duty to the Crown, one of the 5 volumes was discovered in the piles of texts that he was given to translate. No one knows if he discovered the key to it's translation, but apparently he knew enough that he felt the book should never be seen by Christian eyes, and yet did not have the fortitude or faith to destroy it either, and so actually had it interred with him at his death in his crypt, as a defense from it ever being found again and translated."

"Do you know for a fact the volume is indeed there?"

"Only from oral tradition from watcher to watcher over the generations, and tradition starts from one of the original bearers of Lord Curtain's body to the crypt that saw the book with his own eyes. The crypt has been watched since the mid 1600's, and under our watch no one has entered the crypt to prove or disprove this story. That is up to you to discover."
Sir Williams rose from his chair. "Now, I must leave you. The responsibility is now yours."

"Just hold up there," said Indy. "You're not about to drop that load on me and just walk out. How do I get into the cathedral? Where is the crypt? Details, man, details!"

Sir Williams looked at Indy and Paludan, then said, "You're right, Come with me. I'll show you the way."


The darkness seemed to smother every recognisable shape along the street as Indy, Sir Williams and Paludan walked toward the huge cathedral. Long used by English royality to bury their honored dead, as well as those famous individuals who had made their mark in Britain's long history, the church stood large and silent in the cold hours of morning. Indy's fedora was pulled tight over his head, keeping out the damp, winter chill. He watched as Sir Williams pulled the end of his watch chain from his pocket, and a large key caught a quick reflection of light from the match that Sir Williams held in the other hand to aid in his finding the keyhole to the huge door.

"This is a side door that is not open to public use. Once inside, step to the right and wait."

Indy and Paludan stood in the dark, watching Sir Williams light a small stub of a candle he had picked up from a small shelf by the door.

"I use candles to keep as little light from being seen as possible at night. We've had electric lighting for many years now, but like my breathern in the colonies, I know I'm also being watched by someone. Because of the size of this building, I have yet to see them or catch them in the process but yet I know they're there just the same. I can feel their presence."

Indy nodded, but had to smile at the reference to the US as "the colonies". Some traditions never die.

They followed Sir Williams along a long wall. The size of the church could not be seen in any given detail, but a sense of it's immense size could actually be felt by each individual. Their foot steps seemed to echo forever, and though alone, they felt the need to speak in hushed tones, as if raising their voices could possibly wake the eternal slumber of the earthly remains of the royals that surrounded them, or were under their feet in the lower burial vaults.

"Go through there", Sir Williams said, pointing at a large door. "The book is with Lord Curtain in his grave below. I can do no more. Here is another candle, and a drawing to show you the way to the correct crypt. We'll meet you outside when you're done. Good luck."

"Ted, go with him", said Indy. Before Paludan could protest, Indy continued. "I don't know what or who may be down there. If I have to move fast, I don't want to be bumping into you in the dark. Now GO!"

Indy gave Paludan a gentle shove, and mumbling under his breath about stubborn Yanks and how children can be as hard nosed as their parents, Paludan followed Sir Williams back down the wall.

Indy lit his candle, and watched Sir Williams and Paludan's light disappear back the way they had come. Turning back toward the large oak door, Indy studied it under the faint candle light. It's iron hardware had the appearance of age, and had not been touched in many years, or so it appeared. Indy inserted the key that Williams had pressed in his hand as he left, turned it in the lock, and shoved hard against the door. It gave grudgingly, the hinges groans reverberating through the vastness of the church.

"If no one knew I was here before, they do now!" thought Indy.

In front of him was a set of stone steps leading down into the inky blackness of the mosoleum below the cathedral's floor, the dank, dusty smelling air welling up from the depths. Indy's candle flickered and crackled in the draft as he reached down and adjusted his Smith And Wesson revolver he had secreted in his pants waist band to an angle for an easier grab if needed. Holding the candle high, and taking a deep breath, he began to decend the stairs into the darkness of the buildings lower storehouse of the dead.

End chapter 7


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