Through the arch of the external wall the car entered until it came to a standstill in front of the main entrance. Professor Kulich welcomed Nina and Sam at the door.
“Dr. Gould,” she smiled, “I have been waiting eagerly for your arrival.”
“Hello, Professor Kulich…”
“Petra.”
“Petra,” Nina chuckled and nodded. “This is my assistant, Sam Cleave.”
Petra could not take her eyes off the attractive man before her, although he looked quite banged up. His cheek was scraped, his top lip split slightly on the left side and his arm in a sling. But his perfect features only improved the allure of his wild long hair and his dark eyes. The way in which he looked at her bewitched her as she shook his hand. Sam smiled, his dimples falling into his stubble as he did.
Petra found herself momentarily disarmed for words, apart from the formality of introductions. Now she stared shamelessly at Sam and he tried his best to ignore it. Nina was too excited about the project commencing to notice the obvious attraction to her friend.
“Let me get you guys sorted out,” Petra said in her low husky accent. “Igor! Please see to it that Sam and Nina get to their rooms and then arrange for lunch. Thank you, dear.” The young man gave Nina a long look which made her flush ever so slightly at his subliminal advance.
“Please, follow me,” he said politely in perfect English, and Sam nudged Nina in the ribs at the young man’s interest in her. He mocked her with an air kiss and a wink…and suffered the consequence. A hefty elbow in the stomach put him in his place and Nina walked on ahead to join Igor while she could not help but smile at Sam’s boyish teasing.
Nina and Sam were equally astonished by the immaculate interior of the castle. To know that these walls were from the 12th century, what they have seen and endured within them, was amazing in itself.
“Oh come on, you hail from Scotland. How can you be so taken by a 900 year old building?” Igor jested.
“Hey, beauty is beauty, no matter the amount of it you see,” Nina said as she stared at the arched ceilings of the hallways and the champagne drapes that fell in perfect symmetry from the tall windows to the pristine floors.
“You can say that again,” Igor mumbled, making it deliberately obvious that the remark was directed at Nina. Sam raised an eyebrow and scoffed so that Igor would hear it, but the young man ignored the jealous stranger and paid attention to the stunning historian with the cool tattoo he could see partly revealed from under her pulled up sleeve.
“What is that?” he asked. “I mean, I know it’s a tattoo, but what is it of?”
Nina smiled, “Oh, it is a rune. It represents the Norse god of Justice, War, you know, victory in battle and all that. I got it last year.”
“It is very simple. That suggests to me that it is personal, not ornate. Am I right?” he asked with a bit too much zeal, provoking a grin from silent Sam in their trail.
“Yes,” Nina replied, her voice soft and careful. She recalled how and why she got it and a nostalgic sadness gripped her. “I lost a dear friend and she had one like this, so you can consider this…” she paused, her eyes fixed to the Tiwaz rune that represented the Norse god, Týr, “…an ode.”
Sam cleared his throat to snap her out of it and she quickly looked back at him. He just shook his head for her to know he did not want her to venture into sorrow again. Nina gave him a quick smile and asked Igor to tell her more about the project.
Their rooms exceeded every expectation. Even in the lavish company of people like Dave Purdue, who had dragged Nina and Sam into his posh lifestyle many a time, they had not seen this measure of excellence before. Antiquity blended perfectly with stately grace and modern amenities, along with exquisite art and armory here and there to remind visitors that they were basking in genuine Bohemian culture from an era of kings and queens.
After lunch in one of the castle’s dining halls where they were joined by tourists and travelers from all over the world staying at the chateau, the group consisting of Petra, Nina, Sam and Igor made their way to the archival room where the documents were locked in.
“I want you to have a look at something I find positively enthralling,” Petra told Nina in her Czech accent.
“Sounds riveting. Lead the way,” Nina replied with a wide-eyed enthusiasm Petra had not seen in any professional in years.
The two women chatted heartily about the structure and its known history while the two men followed. It was no secret that Sam and Igor’s new relationship was a bit tense, but both knew that they were going to work together indefinitely so it would be best not openly joust over Nina’s affections. Sam did not like it. He did not know what the boy’s deal was. Nina was clearly far too mature and experienced for a ponce like Igor. How did he ever see himself with a woman like her? It was absurd. He was certain Nina was just entertaining the young idiot’s intentions for her own amusement, but then again, she did shock him by dating the un-fuckable Dave Purdue after declaring her constant vexation with his arrogance every chance she got. Perhaps she was fickle with partners, he did not know, but he hoped Purdue was the only slip she had and that it only happened because of his obscene amounts of money.
“So, if I may ask, what happened to you? Your face and your arm,” Igor asked Sam suddenly as they ascended the ancient spiral staircase up the narrow tower-like section of the second floor. Sam wanted to be defensive. Then he considered making up an Indiana Jones tale to scare the pup off, but he knew Nina would not tolerate him embellishing his exploits. She would no doubt blatantly discount it in front of everyone with her innate sense of honor and truth.
“I was jumped by four guys in the street,” Sam replied nonchalantly, as if he was used to fighting, using the street reference to sound more gritty. Then it occurred to him that he was trying to macho off on someone whose opinion he apparently did not care for. Igor nodded at the unfortunate experience. They walked on for a few steps before he asked again, “What did you do to piss them off?” Sam stared at Igor with an expression of surprise and bewilderment.
“Here we are!” Petra chimed as they reached the old wooden doors. Two large iron rings hung from the rough thick wood and it reminded Nina of an old subterranean wine cellar in Tuscany she once visited. When Petra opened the doors they creaked, as expected, under the strain of age old hinges still expertly wrought by citizens of Bohemia.
“Wow! It looks like…like…” Nina searched for a word that could encompass the crude stone walls. Small, high positioned windows let some light into the room, but mostly the place was illuminated by a fluorescent light fixed to the ceiling.
“…a dungeon,” Sam remarked without thinking as his eyes combed the chamber from top to bottom, cringing at the claustrophobic properties of the place. The other three looked at him with blank expressions which made him feel deeply awkward for opening his mouth in the first place.
“Igor,” Petra said cheerfully, “would you pour us some of that?” She pointed her long finger at a ceramic jug on the shelf with a cork stiffed in the mouth. “The best Czech Cabernet Sauvignon in my opinion,” she smiled at Sam. Again he felt her undress him with her eyes, but after Nina’s display with Igor he did not mind a little flirtation with the rich and beautiful older woman.
“I suppose I should refrain from mentioning my preference for double malt right now, right?” he asked Petra in charming humility. She did not seem to mind his remark, but Igor’s face screamed ridicule at the dark haired Scotsman.