A Promise and a Curse - 13. Chapter 13

The Knight of the Order of Malta pounded his fist against his chest near his heart and above his coat of mail. The wide black cloak ws billowing around him as though blown by an invisible wind. His head was covered by a tight fitting cap, leaving the contours of his stern, angular face free to the examination of every viewer. His other iron glove covered hand held the hilt of a sword, stuck into the ground next to his boots. The flickering of a torch light mirrored in his lifeless eyes. Dark, bronze eyes; green copper tarnish gathering in the wrinkles. Nobody would pass him by unnoticed. He stood there motionless, strong and grim, taciturn for hundreds of years, observing secretly.

Kay ducked involuntarily under this glare before the first shock had subsided. He clutched Sebastian's fingers painfully but his lover squeezed back instantly. He nodded his head to the left side.

It was shortly after 6 a.m. and the palace of the Grand Master was without any noise except for an old woman leaving the house just some minutes before, giving Kay and Sebastian the opportunity to slip through the gate before it closed.

Now, being here in the entrance hall of the house they couldn't quite see anything except for an artificial burning torch or something. Sebastian took Kay by the elbow and tiptoed with him to the door on the left hand side.

The wooden floor boards creaked and both stopped. They breathed dusty air, like a too long close library full of old, rotten, books. "Take off your shoes," Sebastian whispered. He stood for a while and tried to memorize the way to the Grand Master's office. Everything looked so different in the dark. The torch cast huge shadows on naked walls. Here and there the light broke against metal and was reflected.

Finally Sebastian decided to keep left. Both sneaked forward, shoes in hand, opened the door with as little noise as possible and peered into the room beyond.

It was the room Sebastian had waited in yesterday for the Grand Master, he recognized it and felt relieved. After a while he could see the large mahogany desk and the carved chairs in front of them. Books were laying all over it, also stacked in shelves, some of them open and carelessly thrown around.

Sebastian turned on the flashlight he had brought. The slender beam illuminated hand writings and other parchments. They all were in Latin but Sebastian could make out some sentences. They dealt with the crusades in the 11th and 12th centuries, explicitly with the history of the Templars.

He wondered briefly what this had to do with the Maltese Order but shrugged. Kay hurt his toe on one of the chairs and cursed suppressed.

"Ssshh! Come over here, it's the room of the Grand Master," Sebastian whispered once more.

A small squeaking sound announced that Sebastian tried to open the door. To his surprise it wasn't locked and he wondered why. He surely would have locked the door when he had a secret in it. His hairs stood on end because an inner feeling was telling him that there was something wrong. It shouldn't be that easy to enter this room.

He motioned Kay to hurry up and closed the door from inside. His look darted around until it found a large, covered object in the corner right beside the round window.

With two catlike steps Sebastian was there, carefully removing the linen cloth.

"That's it!" Kay said low. "Now, what did Danny say? In the plinth?"

"We have no time to check it out," Sebastian said, "come, try to lift it."

"Please, one try, or what do you do when it doesn't work or it's empty?"

Sebastian's curiosity won. "Ok, one try." He fumbled along the base of the altar to check out its length. Then he fingered Mary's indulgently smiling face, until he found her carved eyes. He pushed firmly with his thumb. Nothing happened. He pushed once more and now a raspy sound came from below the figure group. Wood rubbed on wood and Mary swung aside, revealing a large space at the inner side of the group, right down to the plinth.

Kay and Sebastian gasped in unison. "Quick," Kay said while Sebastian was already searching with his hand. After a second he found two things, wrapped in old dusty cloths which seemed to be so fragile that they could evaporate in a minute. Carefully he put it into Kay's waiting palms, then his hand found another thing. A scroll of parchment, small and tightly wrapped.

"I thought I would find you here."

"Gosh!" Kay swirled around and almost dropped the little packages he carried. Quick as a flash Sebastian let the scroll vanish into one of his sleeves. Then he turned too.

The Grand Master of the Order of Malta stood in the door frame. Dressed in his impressive black cloak, the eight radiant white cross shimmering in the dim light from outside. The sun was slowly rising to another pre summer's day. Sebastian's heart sank instantly but he said nothing.

A trap, you dork, he thought.

Tomasz Kotomy came closer, on his face triumph. "I was convinced that I just had to wait and you would open the altar for me. I wasn't able to open it, though I tried for so long."

He grinned a skull's grin. Kay's mind was racing. He thought about attempting to flee but they couldn't leave the altar. So he stayed with Sebastian and waited for the next step.

Tomasz had folded his arms behind his back. "Let's see what we have here."

He stretched out his skinny hand, demanding. Kay looked at Sebastian, saw him nodding and dropped the cloths into the Grand Master's hand.

He carried them cautiously, like a new born bird, to the desk where he tried to open it. The linen crumbled a bit between his fingers but he was able to unveil it.

"The knife," he said solemnly.

Kay peered over his shoulder and saw an apparently pretty old crooked knife, whose hilt had odd engravings. It was small and bent, the blade rusted.

"The knife," Tomasz repeated. Sebastian rolled his eyes. The old chap was really thinking it was Jesus' circumcision knife although everybody could see it was an old Saracen's knife. But Tomasz had already unrolled the other cloth to find a little wooden box. It gave a funny smell when he opened it with difficulty. A smell like lemon grass and olive seeds, mixed with the rancid oil of butter. Tomasz' slender fingers trembled when he took a little of the substance that was in it.

"Hair?" Kay asked. "Or what is it?"

"Hair." Sebastian answered. "Baby hair to be explicit. The first cut of Jesus' baby hair."

Kay found it difficult not to snort out loud. Who believed such crap? But Tomasz' eyes were glinting when he turned. "Was there something else?" he asked.

"No. That's all." Sebastian sensed the rustling scroll of parchment in his sleeve. He tried not to move his arm. "And what now?" he asked.

Tomasz' hand searched in the open box. Apparently there was nothing else.

"You can go. Thank you for your help," Tomasz said firmly.

"We can go?" Sebastian repeated. "That was all you wanted? What's with this?" he pointed to the open altar. "I'm not going without this. It's mine."

Tomasz squeezed his eyes shut. When he opened them again his gaze was cool as a morning breeze in winter.

"I'm not going without it," Sebastian repeated. "You have what you wanted, now give me what I want."

Tomasz Kotomy blinked a few times then he nodded shortly. "Go."

Kay and Sebastian didn't think twice, slipped into their shoes and lifted the heavy altar from it's board and groaned. It was difficult but they thought they could manage it. Slowly and carefully they crossed the room. Sebastian threw a last look over his shoulder. The Grand Master was bent above the desk, admiration in his face, his hands hovering over his treasure. He made the sign of the cross and kissed the knife.

Sebastian closed the door with his foot.

* * *

Little white clouds sailed over the blue sky when Simon and Ben sauntered through the area surrounding their hotel. It was a Sunday mid-morning and the small, wounded streets wee deserted. They held hands, shoulder by shoulder and chortled about something they didn't know exactly what it was.

"Wonder where Bastian and Kay have been, they'll miss breakfast." Simon said.

"Too much sex," Ben answered grinning.

"Yeah, and why are we both up already then, eh?" Simon tugged at Ben's ponytail. "You didn't even finish the drawing."

"Well, you gave me no chance. Look there." Ben pointed to a wooden watermill in the distance, carrying water round and round from a small canal, separated from the Moldau.

"They call it Little Venice, you know. Kay told me that the Golem had been created here." Simon said.

"The Golem?" Ben pondered awhile. "Jewish legend, right?"

"Right. He worked for the people because he had a tag in his mouth saying the real name of God."

"What's the real name of God?"

Simon shrugged. "Nobody knows." He turned because he heard a squeaking of brakes. A car came to a halt at the curb behind them. The door opened and a young man with balding hair stepped out. His gaze was fixed on the pair.

Ben stood dumbstruck for a moment. "Walt?" he asked in disbelief. "What are you doing here?"

But Walter-Udo ignored him. He glared straight at Simon at his side and came quickly nearer.

"Simon Langenburg?" he asked, his hand tucked into the pocket of his jacket.

"Yeah?" Simon looked at Ben, "Do you know him?"

"Ok, where are the photos?"

"Photos?" Simon croaked. Walt stepped closer, grabbing Simon's pullover over his chest. He turned it in his hand and Simon gasped. Walt punched him in the stomach. "The photos, whore."

Ben yelled without thinking and tried to separate them but Walter pushed him aside. In Ben's mind was a gap, he couldn't think clearly. What photo's Walt demanded to have from Simon? And what was his student colleague doing here in Prague? Did he follow him yesterday?

The car's door was still open and he could see a second man, sitting there without looking. He couldn't see him clearly because the sun was mirroring into the windows.

Simon struggled to get free, milling his arms and hands until Ben gripped Walt from behind and pulled him from Simon. He got a hit in his chest from Walt's elbow and coughed convulsively.

"I want the photos, you know what I'm talking about. You won't blackmail my uncle." His lips pulled back to a nasty grin. It had strange similarity to Frank's grin. Ben's view was blurred and he had difficulty breathing. Walt was hitting Simon with his palm. Blood spattered out of Simon's nose.

"No!" Ben yelled. He flung himself once more at Walt, grabbing his neck, squeezing strongly and was able to pull him aside with him. Simon dropped down to the ground, wiping his nose, smearing blood all over his face. Walt lay now at Ben's feet, his earlobe tore and bloody. Ben squatted above him. "What do you want? Which photos?"

The houses and streets vanished for a moment before his eyes. The photos! God damn it, he hadn't told Simon about Eduard Ehlers and Frank's appearing at his exhibition. He shot a short glance to the car. In it could only be Eduard, waiting, too yellow to come out.

He sat upon Walt's chest and pinned him down. "What photos, you arsehole," he hissed. "And tell your whimpy uncle to come out."

Walt didn't answer, his face was very flushed now and he kicked his legs to get free but Ben's grip was strong. He could hear Simon breathing behind him but didn't dare to turn. Ben's hand wandered to Walt's neck as if to strangle him. "The photos, I wait for an answer."

"Photo's ... of that ... faggot." Walt made gagging sounds and Ben released the grip a bit. Of course, it shot through is mind. The photos of Simon with Eduard, his special customer Ben remembered very clearly suddenly.

"Simon?" he asked over his shoulder. "Everything ok?"

"Yeah," Simon said weakly.

"Do you know what he's talking about?"

Simon didn't answer. Instead Walt pressed on. "You're really a ... bunch of scum ... but he's my uncle and ... I won't let him ... blackmailed ... by a ... hustler... "

Ben jumped up like he was bitten. "Who's blackmailing your stupid uncle? You?" He turned to Simon who crawled to his feet, still bleeding. He searched for a handkerchief and wiped his face. "Don't know what he's talking about," Simon said finally. "I don't blackmail anybody." He took deep breaths and glared hatefully at Walter, still laying on the ground.

"What's this shit for!" Ben turned to the waiting car. "Come on out Eduard. And pick up this crap of a nephew of yours."

"You know him?" Simon asked, pointing at Walt.

"Yeah, former student colleague of mine. Dismissed for his great talent." Ben spat sarcastically. "Why does it bother you what so-called faggots are doing, Walt?" Go back home to your straight friends, if you have one and prance around that you just hit a queer queen." Brutally, he pulled Walt to his feet and pushed him aside. "Go and search for your blackmailer somewhere else."

"Jo," Simon mumbled suddenly. "Eduard was gone out of town before he could offer him the pics and videos." He lifted his head. "Right, Eduard, my little special one?" He sniffed and wiped blood from his nose. He went quickly over to the car and yelled into the open door.

"You coward. Why don't you take your bodyguard and piss off as quick as you can. And a nice greeting from me to Jo. Look for him in Hamburg. You know the address still I suppose." With a loud bang the shut the door. The man inside cringed.

"Go!" Ben yelled and pushed Walt with little jabs into his stomach. Walt stumbled backwards to the car until he hopped in and the car rushed off.

"Holy shit!" Ben exclaimed, took Simon's handkerchief from his hand, spat on it and tried to rub the red stains from his face. "Come here," he dragged him along to the little canal, squatted down, dipped the cloth into the water and wiped away the blood. Simon struggled but Ben held him firmly.

"Be careful with that blood," he protested.

"Be quiet, I'm careful, don't worry." Indeed he tried to avoid any real contact with his blood. Then he dropped the handkerchief simply and stomped it into the wet clay and sand of the embankment with his shoe.

"Everything ok?" He touched Simon's nose. "Doesn't seem broken. Can you breathe?"

Simon nodded and avoided Ben's look. "I'm sorry," he said quietly. "Thanks."

Ben embraced Simon's body and held him tight. "I forgot to tell you about the exhibition," he mumbled in his ear. "Frank showed up with the secretary of the senator for culture. Learning his name I had the feeling that there was a connection between Frank and him ... and you."

He looked into Simon's pale face again. "It's true, yes? It is THE Eduard from Hamburg."

Simon nodded. "Come." He dragged Ben to a bench where they plopped down, moaning.

"He must have overheard something while Marcus was asking me about my trip here. Yes!" He remembered suddenly that Eduard was standing behind him and he had bumped into him. "They must have followed me yesterday. Damn idiots." He took Simon's hand. "You don't have anything to do with this?"

"What are you thinking of me? Of course not. Why should I do this? I didn't even know Eduard was here. I thought he's still in Hamburg."

Ben shushed him. "It's all right, Simon. I believe you. So, you think it's Jo, yes? After this long time?"

"Isn't that long, and after all it took him awhile to figure out where Eduard had vanished to I guess. He's like a hunter never losing the track of a deer." Simon suddenly had to grin. "I wonder why he didn't follow ME."

"You?" Ben asked startled.

"Well, surely he doesn't know that I too have pics from several customers. I don't know why I took them but perhaps thinking of the same thing when I would be short for money." Cautiously he looked into Ben's eyes. "Do you think I'm a pervert too?"

"Well..." Ben didn't know exactly what to think. And he didn't want to right now. "Come home." He pulled Simon's limp body from the bench, rubbing his own chest. He still had difficulty breathing. "Let's see where your brother is and Sebastian. You ok?"

Simon nodded but his legs were shaking and the shock didn't want to subside.

Back in the hotel Ben asked the man behind the reception desk about Kay and Sebastian but heard that both hadn't shown up so far. They still had to be in their room.

"How odd." Ben looked at his watch. "Let's have a look."

But nobody answered their knocking. "What are we going to do now. They can't have vanished."

Simon leaned on the wall next to the door and closed his eyes. His mind was swirling.

"Do you think they believed you?" Ben asked.

Simon shrugged his shoulders. "I don't care." He took Ben's elbow and walked to their own room. There he let himself fall onto the fresh made bed. After a while he jumped up, rushed to the toilet and Ben heard the familiar gagging sound. He moaned, "Please, Simon," he followed him and stroked his back which was bent over the toilet bowl. He flushed for him and helped him to stand upright again. "Better?" he asked. "Here," he took a towel, held it under the tap and wiped over Simon's greenish face. He could hardly breathe himself, the pain in his chest was getting worse. If he just knew where Sebastian could be.

"Shall I call for a doc?"

Simon shook his head. Ben guided him out to the bed and covered him. Then he brought him a glass of water and looked down. He would call for a doc. Perhaps his ribs were broken and Simon's nose too. As Simon closed his eyes, he vanished silently, downstairs and spoke with the man at the reception desk. The man was friendly and helpful and promised him to call for his own doc.

While Ben was still waiting in the hall, Sebastian and Kay rushed through the door. Seeing them, Ben jumped up excited. "Where have you been the whole morning?"

"Whoa! What a welcome!" Sebastian said good humoured. Both looked very tired though and somehow dishevelled, but Kay was beaming over his whole face. "Look what we have." He tugged at Sebastian's jacket.

"Not here." Sebastian hissed. "Come on up."

Ben followed dumbstruck and struggled to get his mind going. "Wait for a moment," he said finally, just before the door to their room. There's something bad happened."

"What is it?" Sebastian asked instantly. "Something with Simon?" Kay asked frightened.

Ben quickly filled them in on the event while Sebastian dragged him into the room. As soon as he heard the news, Kay was running to look for his brother.

"I'll have to wait down in the hall for the doc," Ben continued.

"Ok, I'll come with you. Jesus Christ, what a damn shit," Sebastian cursed. His pleasure about the altar vanished with every second.

Kay came back after a while and joined them. "He's sleeping but ok, I guess," he said. "Do you really think this guy gave up and is gone?"

Ben wasn't sure but he hoped so. After all, Simon wouldn't carry the photos with him wherever he went. He didn't believe it though. Simon had no reason to blackmail an old customer. Did he?

"We'll meet in Berlin again, I'm sure. And I'm going to make a visit at Frank's," Ben said gloomily.

"Not without us, Ben. It's too dangerous."

Ben tried a smile. "Thanks for all. Now, what happened to you both?"

Sebastian and Kay exchanged glances. "You still have the scroll in your jacket?" Kay asked.

"No, stupid, it's safe in the room. I'm so thrilled to have a look at it, but I can't open it, it's too dangerous that it could crumble into pieces. Have to take it to a laboratory to make it wet and elastic."

"Hmm, it will work out?"

Sebastian nodded. He wondered what would be written in it and in which language after all. He presumed it could be Latin or Old French and his knowledge wasn't enough to make a good translation. He would have to ask Marcus who was an ace in Latin.

"Kay?" he said low and beckoned his lover to come closer. "Do you think we can return to Meran, calling Marcus and Nick to join us? It'll be a big surprise for Danny." He darted a glance at Ben. "I mean when everything is ok again.

Kay smiled. "Brilliant."

"Good." Sebastian thought about his article concerning his Roman detection which was almost finished and ready for posting. Just a bit of improvement here and there and it was fine for sending back to Rome. He sighed. He should have been there but family business was more important right now.

The man from the reception desk arrived at the group, announcing the doctor's coming. All three vanished with him upstairs to Simon's room.

When Simon awoke it was dark again, the curtain pulled closed and Ben was smiling into his face. "Hello, sleeping beauty."

Simon smiled too. His nose felt a bit numb and thick when he touched it. The doc had said that nothing was broken and he would be all right in a few days. But Ben had chipped two ribs. To his surprise he didn't receive a treatment except to stay in bed and have a rest. But he had just taken some painkillers and felt about ok. Ben bent over and kissed Simon gently. "Feel good enough to get up and celebrate a bit?"

"Celebrate?"

"Yes! We have it! We have the altar."

"Huh?"

Laughing, Ben told him everything about it. "It's just the old parchment which has to be translated. Perhaps there's something exciting new in it. Like Jesus had a child or never ascended to heaven or didn't exist at all!"

"Funny." Simon sat upright. "Then let's celebrate."

It was a quiet celebration. Simon and Ben sitting close together, listening to the story of finding and bringing the altar. Ben wished he could see it immediately but it was safely packed in Sebastian's car in an underground car park.

"Can't wait to see Danny's face," Ben said.

"So you're coming with us instantly?" Kay asked excited.

Simon shook his head. "I can't. I must figure out what this was all about, the whole shit with Eduard and Jo. I can't understand."

"No way I leave you both alone," Sebastian said sharply. "You're coming with us. Ben?"

Ben nodded relieved. He came with his car and wasn't keen to meet those crazy guys again on a highway. He nudged Simon's leg. "Come on, it's too dangerous, I'm not sure how far they will go."

"One thing I don't understand," Sebastian continued, "when this Jo was so keen to find Eduard Ehlers, he needed a long time to find out where he is now. I mean, it's been some months, right?"

Simon nodded and looked at his brother. "Surely he's assume that I was going straight back to Berlin again, but I've never told him about Marcus. Surely Marcus is well known in certain circles, it would have been easy for Jo to figure him out. But ..."

"But?" Kay asked.

"You know, the photos," he looked at his shoes. "I didn't just take the photos and negatives but deleted almost all of the video tapes. I was fed up with it and didn't want to be recognized by foreign men or the police. Apparently Jo noticed much too late. Perhaps a guy he wanted to blackmail sent back the empty tape." He grinned. "First class embarrassing for Jo."

"So he tried to find you in this way: hoping you'd still have photos and videos right?" Kay threw in.

Simon nodded. "Probably he blackmailed Eduard, making him think it was me - and in this way he found me." He looked over to Ben. "We should make a visit to Hamburg ... and perhaps Eduard has a right to have back the photos," he added.

"Bad idea, Simon." Sebastian responded. "You can give Eduard the photos but not going to Hamburg." Sebastian sat at the edge of his chair. "How's this Jo actually? Is he dangerous? I have the feeling he must be in Berlin or even here in Prague to watch over Eduard's next steps. Otherwise it makes no sense."

Ben jerked. "Here? Oh gosh, what are we into?" He grabbed for Simon's hand and held it tightly but Simon smiled. "Don't worry. Jo won't do any harm to me. He just wants the photos. He was always great to me, gave me everything I wanted."

"Yeah, as long as you followed his desires," Sebastian said grimly.

Simon glared at him. "That's the reason I must speak to him."

"And what will he do when you tell him that you gave back the photos? Never trust a criminal." Ben said.

"There are other photos he can have."

Sebastian sighed. "Anyhow, we can't wait. The altar must be taken away as soon as possible - before the Grand Master thinks twice." He looked at Kay. "We both thought we can keep it secret from Daniel until we all are reunited in Meran again. I hope we can persuade Marcus and Nicki to join us. I must call him anyway, can't figure out the parchment myself."

"What do you think will be written on it?" Kay asked.

Sebastian shrugged. "Perhaps a report about the knife."

"Nothing more exciting?"

"Like what? Jesus having a boyfriend?" Sebastian smirked.

"Blasphemous!"