‘I suppose I should be flattered that you consider me trustworthy enough to admit that you brought this object back to the United States, even if you will not tell me what it is.’
Eddie gave him a mirthless grin. ‘Well, if anyone comes looking for it, at least now I’ll know who to have words with.’
The diplomat responded to the implied threat with an equally humourless smile. ‘Then let us hope it will not come to that.’ He turned back to Nina. ‘I could simply make a telephone call and have the package diverted to the United Nations. But I am going to place my trust in you, Nina. I will allow you to maintain secrecy about this artefact until you have done what you need to do. The condition I place on my assistance is that you inform me of everything you learn in due course — and that you turn it over to the IHA if I request.’
‘Agreed,’ Nina said grudgingly. ‘Does anyone else know about this?’
‘The diplomatic package? Other than Lola, no. I decided not to inform Dr Blumberg until I had discussed it with you. For now, I will maintain my discretion.’
‘Thanks.’
‘That is not to say that I shall continue to do so should the circumstances change. But we do trust each other to keep our respective words, yes?’
She nodded. ‘Yes, we do.’
Seretse glanced at Eddie. ‘All of us?’
The Yorkshireman folded his arms and glowered, but also managed a small nod. ‘Yeah.’
‘Good. Then for now, our discussion is over.’ He pushed an intercom button and ordered the driver to divert from the United Nations to East 78th Street. ‘I believe your daughter is waiting for you.’
Macy was delighted to see her parents, and vice versa. To Nina’s surprise, she found herself becoming tearful as it hit home that she had been away from her daughter for three days. ‘Oh, I’m so happy to see you again!’ she told the little girl, hugging her tightly. ‘I thought I wasn’t—’ She stopped herself from finishing the sentence, not wanting to worry either Macy or Holly.
Her niece was no fool, though. It was obvious from their bruises and cuts that the trip had been eventful. ‘Sooo,’ Holly said, lips pursed, ‘are you going to tell me what happened? Or do I just need to go on to Google and look for anything that exploded in Nepal recently?’
‘Yeah, things weren’t as simple as I’d hoped,’ Nina admitted as Eddie picked up Macy and kissed her. ‘But we’re back home now, so everything’s good. Really!’ she added, seeing the younger woman’s sceptical expression.
‘Was everything all right here?’ Eddie asked.
Holly nodded. ‘Macy was brilliant. I took her out to do things every day, and we had a great time.’
‘You managed okay with only having a three-year-old for company?’ said Nina.
She smiled. ‘I didn’t throw any wild parties after I put her to bed, if that’s what you were wondering.’
The doorbell rang. Nina went to the intercom to be told that there was a courier downstairs. ‘They’re certainly efficient,’ she said after buzzing him in. ‘Holly, I don’t want to seem as if I’m throwing you out, but Eddie and I would like some time with Macy, if that’s okay?’
‘I can take a hint,’ the younger woman said with a grin. ‘No problem.’
The courier arrived, bearing a box inside a sealed plastic anti-tamper envelope emblazoned with United Nations diplomatic logos. Nina signed for it, then she, Eddie and Macy said their goodbyes to Holly. She departed, leaving the family alone. ‘What’s that?’ Macy asked as Nina put the package on her desk. ‘Is it a present?’
‘It’s just something for Mommy’s work,’ Nina told her, to the child’s disappointment. ‘Listen, shall we have some food, then you and Daddy can go somewhere cool together?’
Macy looked stricken. ‘What about you? You only just got home…’
‘I’ve got to talk to someone about Nepal.’
‘Can’t it wait?’ said Eddie.
Nina detected his undertone of aggravation, but did not let it change her mind. ‘The sooner I get some answers about that,’ she indicated the package, ‘the sooner we can get back to normal. There’s only one person who can give me those answers.’ Her face hardened. ‘And she’d better have them.’
‘Nina, hello,’ said Olivia. ‘I’m so glad to see you again.’ Nina showed her into the living room, the old woman’s eyes immediately going to the now-unwrapped box on the coffee table. ‘Where are Eddie and Macy?’
‘Out,’ Nina replied. ‘I wanted to have a private conversation.’
Olivia picked up on her frosty air. ‘Am I to assume that it might get rather… intense?’
‘That’s one way of putting it. Take a seat.’
The old woman made a show of carefully lowering herself into the armchair. ‘You know, you really are so much like Laura. She used to have exactly the same tone when she was angry with me.’
‘I’m not angry,’ said Nina. ‘Not yet.’ She sat facing Olivia across the table. ‘We’ll just see how things develop, shall we?’
Olivia gazed at the box. ‘That’s something you brought back from Nepal, I assume.’ Nina nodded. ‘Then… you went to Detsen monastery? You found the Midas Cave?’
‘We found it, yeah.’
‘And you went inside?’ Even though Nina was sure she was well practised at displaying only the emotions she wished to present to the world, Olivia couldn’t contain her rising excitement.
‘We did. And we found this.’ She lifted the lid and took out the heavy crystalline sphere, placing it on the table between them.
Her guest stared at it, rapt. ‘The Crucible…’
‘So it’s more than just a name to you,’ said Nina accusingly. ‘You know what it is.’
‘Of course. Tobias Garde described it.’
Her eyes narrowed. ‘And you know what it does.’
There was no attempt to prevaricate. ‘Yes, I do,’ Olivia replied. ‘It turns mercury into gold.’
‘You knew that the whole time — and you didn’t tell me?’
‘Would it have affected your decision to search for the cave?’
‘It might!’
‘Then you know why I kept it from you.’
Nina stared at her, aghast. ‘So you used me? This whole thing was all about gold?’
‘It was about much more than that,’ Olivia insisted. ‘You might think that I used you, but I did it for the best of intentions. I did it for my family. For you. And for Macy.’
‘What are you talking about?’
‘The Midas Cave gave us our family’s legacy. Tobias discovered it; his fortune was the gold he was given from it. That fortune has been passed down through the generations, but nothing lasts for ever. Now that you’ve found the cave and the Crucible, though, it can be restored.’
Nina fixed her with a sardonic look. ‘That might be harder than you think.’
‘Why?’
‘The cave’s been destroyed.’
Olivia sat bolt upright, shocked. ‘What?’
‘Someone knew I was going to Nepal to look for it — they knew I was going to Dragon Mountain. We were attacked.’
‘By whom?’
‘A team of mercenaries. They killed some of the monks, and nearly me and Eddie too. They also took the other Crucible, the big one.’ Nina watched her grandmother’s response closely; there was no surprise at the revelation of a second artefact. ‘One of their helicopters crashed and collapsed the cave entrance.’
‘My God.’ Olivia regarded the crystal, then looked up at Nina. ‘I’m glad you’re both all right.’
‘We nearly weren’t. And I’m glad you remembered to be sympathetic, however belatedly.’