‘Before you start making calls to the UN,’ said Eddie firmly, ‘we need to get back to the monastery and help them. People are hurt. And,’ he added, seeing her unwillingness to wait, ‘you promised Amaanat you’d keep all this a secret. If you’re going to go back on that, you should at least talk to him first. You got him involved too, and all the rest of the monks.’
It was her turn to prickle at the criticism, but she knew he was right. ‘Okay,’ she said with a sigh.
She started to trudge up the slope, Eddie ruefully regarding the smoking buildings before joining her.
Most of the fires had burned themselves out by the time they reached the monastery, the wood and flammable materials consumed to leave only cold, hard stone. Only shells of structures remained, walls still standing while the timber-framed roofs were gone.
There were survivors, though. Nina and Eddie arrived in the courtyard to find some two dozen robed figures bustling about. Some were tending to the injured, other men exploring the ruins to see what could be salvaged.
The Yorkshireman recognised one wounded figure. ‘Jayesh!’ he said, hurrying to his friend. The Gurkha lay under a blanket, his broken ankle being splinted by a young monk. ‘You okay?’
‘Chase?’ Jayesh replied, sounding surprised and relieved before adopting his usual stoic air. ‘You made it. And Nina too. Good.’
Eddie squatted to examine his injury. ‘How’s the ankle?’
‘Hurts,’ was the reply. ‘What did you expect? It’s broken.’
‘Just checking,’ said the Englishman. ‘You grumpy old bastard.’ Jayesh’s mouth twitched into an infinitesimal smile.
Nina retrieved the Crucible from beneath the straw, then spotted Amaanat and hastened to him. ‘Thank God you’re all right,’ she said. ‘What about the rest of your people?’
The abbot’s downcast expression added about a decade to his age. ‘Eight of us are dead. Many more are hurt.’ He cast his gaze over the smouldering ruins. ‘And we have lost almost everything. Food, clothing, medicines…’
‘I’ve still got the satellite phone, so you can call for help. But I have to ask you something.’ She held up the Crucible. ‘About this.’
His face fell further at the sight of the crystal. ‘They did not take it, then.’
‘No.’
‘It would perhaps have been best if it had been lost…’ A glum sigh. ‘What do you wish to ask?’
‘I want — with your permission — to take the Crucible back with me to America, to keep it safe. Your secret’s out,’ she added, indicating the fire-blackened buildings. ‘But the IHA can help arrange security for the Midas Cave.’
‘No, I do not know…’ But his response was more uncertainty than outright refusal.
Eddie joined them. ‘Some of the mercs got away,’ he said. ‘They saw the gold. Sooner or later, you’ll have visitors.’
‘We shall get them anyway,’ the monk replied. ‘Officials, politicians, soldiers — none can resist gold.’
‘The IHA will do everything it can to protect the site,’ Nina insisted. ‘And other agencies will probably get involved as well. It’s a natural nuclear reactor, after all — which means it’s a matter of global security. Your monastery’s protected it for long enough.’
‘It would have remained protected if I had not agreed to let you come here.’ For the first time, Amaanat’s words had anger behind them, but it was aimed at himself rather than the archaeologist. ‘All this has happened because of my weakness.’
‘That’s not true,’ said Nina. ‘Those guys may have followed me here, but they knew more about the Midas Cave and the Crucible than I did. A lot more. They would have found it themselves sooner or later.’
‘There is no way to know that,’ the old monk said quietly. A moment of thought, then he placed his hands together and bowed to her. ‘But I still believe you are a woman of your word, Dr Wilde. If you say the IHA will protect the cave, then I shall accept that. Take the Crucible. But… be very careful,’ he added, giving her an intense look. ‘Perhaps not even the IHA should be told of it just yet.’
Nina was about to tell him that she would have to brief her former organisation, but something in his urging gaze changed her mind. For all she knew, the leak that had allowed the mercenaries to find her had been at the IHA itself. It didn’t seem likely, but after the carnage that had just taken place, she couldn’t risk anything similar happening again. ‘You’re right,’ she told him, nodding. ‘I won’t tell them about it until I’m absolutely sure it’s safe.’
‘Thank you.’ The abbot bowed again.
‘Okay. Now I think you need to call for help.’ She handed him the phone.
Eddie was already sceptical. ‘So you’re going to bring that thing back to New York? I think someone might notice at customs if it’s just stuffed in your carry-on bag.’
‘Yeah, I was kinda wondering how to do that myself.’ She thought for a moment. ‘As soon as Amaanat’s finished, I’ll make another call.’
‘To the IHA?’
‘Yeah, but not Seretse or Blumberg.’ She gave him a sly smile. ‘I was thinking more of somebody who can actually get things done.’
‘You want me to do what?’ said Lola Adams in a strained whisper.
Nina’s call had been to her friend and former assistant. ‘Arrange a United Nations diplomatic courier for a package that I need bringing from Nepal to New York,’ she repeated. ‘I don’t want anybody, not even customs officials, seeing it.’
‘I heard what you said,’ Lola protested. ‘I just can’t believe you said it! I could lose my job, or worse.’
‘You’ve done it for me and Eddie before.’
‘Yeah, but you were my boss then! I can’t—’ She fell silent at the sound of conversation nearby, resuming even more quietly when whoever was talking had gone past. ‘If Dr Blumberg finds out—’
‘Why would he?’ Nina cut in. ‘I never demanded to sign off on every single diplomatic packet when I was director, and I can’t imagine Lester does either.’ A moment of doubt: Blumberg was, after all, as much by-the-book bureaucrat as archaeologist. ‘Does he?’
‘No,’ Lola admitted after a moment. ‘But it’s still too big a—’
‘Lola, please — it’s really important. I’ve found something out here, something major. I will tell the IHA about it, but not yet. I don’t want to risk any more lives.’
‘More lives?’ she echoed. ‘Wait, has someone been hurt? Are you and Eddie okay?’
‘We’re okay, yes, but there are people here who aren’t,’ Nina told her grimly. ‘Which is why I need to keep this thing a secret.’ When there was no immediate reply, she went on: ‘I know I’m asking a lot. But trust me, I wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t necessary. You’re the only person who can help me.’
‘I’ll… see what I can do,’ the blonde said reluctantly. ‘But if I lose my job, you can pay for Gino to go through school, okay?’
‘It’s a deal,’ said Nina. ‘I’ll give you all the info you’ll need as soon as I get to Kathmandu, okay?’
‘Okay. Ugh. You know, Nina? You can be a real pain in the ass sometimes.’
The redhead smiled faintly. ‘It’s been said.’ She ended the call.
Eddie, holding the Crucible, had been listening. ‘Let’s hope Gino goes to community college and not Harvard.’
Another small smile. ‘Yeah. But at least we can get that thing out of danger.’ She regarded the crystal.