Adventures in Nemesisland Ch. 13

Kim was led through into another smaller room. The first thing that caught her eye in one corner of the room was an arrangement of two cages a small one underneath with a larger one on top of it. Kim saw a black shadow in the lower cage and the outline of the black cat squeezed into a tight space its ankles and wrists chained to the bars of the cage. Her heart jumped; perhaps now she will finally get to hear the final part of the black cat's tale and what happened to her after she was taken away from the temple in Constantinople.

The black figure knelt down to address her slave. One black laced glove threaded itself through the bars of the cage, gripped the black cat's nipple and tweaked it fiercely.

"Yes, I've brought you some company Nano. But, listen to me, I don't expect you to get excited just because you can look up and see the girl's crotch right over your head."

"No, of course not mistress."

She turned to Kim, "I'm going to lock you away for a bit now and give you a break girl. If you notice any lascivious behaviour in that creature," she said pointing to the cat, "then I want you to report it to me."

The black butterfly opened the door of the second cage and beckoned Kim in before closing it behind her and padlocking the door. She settled down into a corner of the cage and rested her back-side on the cool iron bars. Unlike the cat, she had not been tethered and was in the larger of the two cages and so had some room to move around.

"I shall leave you both here for a bit as I've other business in Nemesisland and need to prepare myself."

She turned her back on them and strode out of the room, a bustle of black lace being the last sight of her before she closed the door behind her. Kim was alone with the black cat again.

"What is this place?" she asked, straining her eyes to peer into each dark corner.

"This is the mistress's grey room, her isolation room. This is where she puts her servants when she wants them out of the way, sometimes as a punishment to keep them away from her presence and sometimes for them to wait so they can prepare themselves for some other ordeal. Look, over there is her isolation box. I've been in there. It's a very dark and forbidding place."

"Oh, I see," said Kim, "and do you think she's preparing me for some ordeal."

"I expect so Kim. But tell me, how are things for you in Nemesisland?"

"Oh, I've had several more encounters. I helped the nurse and got a certificate, you know. I've also entered into a kind of pact with the mistress I think. I accepted the challenge to come up here and submit to her."

"It's the only way Kim. I did that many years ago. If that's where your heart is there is no choice but to let yourself become a character in Nemesisland. Once you do that you'll begin to find your true place."

"Yes I think I'm beginning to understand that," replied Kim. "But tell me, you must continue your tale. I need to know what happened after I got taken away from the temple in Constantinople?"

"Well, when I returned to Nemesisland, the mistress was most displeased with me. It was true, I had rescued eleven of the acolytes, but the thirteenth girl had been killed by the Knights Templar guards and the one that took you away was actually an illusion created by them to tempt and trick me. Not only that, each of the initiates had been chosen by a goddess. The thirteenth novice was Goddess Hecate's and the twelfth, you Kim, had been selected by Goddess Nemesis herself. So, you can imagine how angry she was with me for letting you get taken away. She had provided me with tools to heal my wound and, of course, I should have continued my pursuit through the shrine to rescue you."

Kim was startled at this new revelation, "So, this Mistress Nemesis, the Red Queen, whatever you call her, had chosen me?"

"Yes Kim, I think that's right. You were her novice."

Kim pondered this new revelation.

"Is that why she's so interested in me? Is that why she's brought me here, to Nemesisland?"

"I don't know her mind Kim, but yes, I would imagine so. She must still feel some affinity with you; it seems that her fate and yours are intertwined. I'm sorry Kim. Can you forgive me for failing you?"

"I don't know what I think," replied Kim. "I don't think I blame you. It's all so strange that I can't find it in me to hold a grudge against you black cat. But tell me, there's more, what happened next."

"Truly Kim I was inconsolable with how I had been tricked, the bitter knowledge of my defeat and what that meant for Goddess Nemesis; to lose her chosen acolyte. I was, as you can imagine, severely punished for my failure. But she offered me a chance to redeem myself by sending me on a second mission to free you. The stakes were higher now because, remember, you had been impregnated with the seed of the Knights Templar priest. I don't fully understand, but it was considered that this union of a Knight's Templar priest and the chosen novice of a goddess would produce a male child that would be a potent threat to the goddesses. It was imperative to prevent this child being born and that was my mission."

"Goddess Nemesis provided me with guidance on how to carry out the mission. She told me that, first of all, I would have to seek out a special jewel, the diamond of Sekhmet, which is very precious to the goddesses and vital to the success of the quest. She handed me a bunch of yellow flowers, "This is St John's Wort," she said, "a herb that stimulates and revives and helps to counter madness and dark thoughts. It will be of use to you Nano." Also, I still possessed the magical talismans from my previous mission; the amethyst, the lapis lazuli stone and the two crystals."

"Tell me what happened, Nano. Continue the story."

The black cat continued his tale.

"Goddess Nemesis told me to go to the Temple of La Villedieu-Le-Maurepas, a Knight's Templar Chapel at Elancourt in the suburbs west of Paris. She told me that this was where you were being held in secret. When I got there it was hard to believe my eyes; the scene in front of me was so idyllic. I was looking onto a 14th century honey coloured stone chapel and outbuildings, a delightful tree lined duck pond and a black stone statue of a knight of the Knights Templar, all this bathed in the warmth of the August sun. It was hard to believe that somewhere, hidden deep underground in the bowels of the crypt, there were secret passage ways and a chamber where you were being held captive.

I was dressed as inconspicuously as possible - a t-shirt, jeans and trainers, clutching a copy of the Michelin guide to France, just another cultural tourist come to immerse himself in the history and mythology of the Knights Templar like thousands before me. On my back I had a rucksack containing the tools I needed to assist me and a change of clothes for you.

Inside the chapel there was a plaque explaining the history and mythology of the Knights Templar. A part of this account caught my eye and I read it carefully. "It is believed that the knights of the Knights Templar brought back to France many relics found in the churches of Jerusalem during their occupation of that city during the crusades. They allegedly returned with relics such as fragments of the true cross, sacred swords and icons. Most famously it is said that they returned with the holy grail, the chalice that caught christ's blood as he died on the cross and this has long been a subject for speculation in history and literature. It is also claimed that the Knights Templar brought back to France a magnificent diamond, taken from the temple to Sekhmet on the banks of the Nile and then hidden in the church of Jerusalem. There is no evidence that this is the case and neither grail nor diamond have ever been found". So this must be the precious item that Goddess Nemesis ordered me to find and recover for the goddesses.

I sat down on one of the pews and scoured the walls of the chapel for any evidence of doors or secret entrances. Then I heard a voice I recognised. It was the seductive voice of the Knight's Templar priest I had encountered in Constantinople. So, I had not killed him after all, only knocked him unconscious. He was with a younger man, presumably a lesser member of their order. My heart jumped a beat. I slid down into the seat of the pew and pretended to be intently reading the guide to the chapel that I had picked up at the entrance. I risked one fleeting glance at the man's face to confirm my suspicions.

I followed them cautiously down the aisles of the chapel. They went into the chancel and then through a small wooden door at the far end of the temple. I waited a short time and surreptitiously eased open the door, peering through the narrow gap I had opened. I saw them, perhaps twenty yards ahead, as they passed through a stone door fashioned out of the walls, which closed behind them. I had found the entrance into the hidden chambers of the temple but now faced the same dilemna posed by the shrine in Constantinople. I saw a pentagon shaped blemish in the smoth stone wall. I pulled out the lapis lazuli key stone I had brought with me from my previous mission and placed it gently in the hole. The traces of the lines of a door appeared in the stone and I gently pushed open the door and cautiously peered out. In front of me was a winding staircase that led deep into the bowels of the chapel. I could hear voices ahead of me and followed them until I got close enough to overhear the conversation.

The old man explained, "The girl must be kept safe and protected. The birth of the child in her womb must proceed without any risk. This male child, the product of a powerful priest of our order and the novice of a goddess will be a special one with great powers that will be of use to us. She must remain hidden in the depths of this temple where she is safe and none of the spies of the goddesses will find her."

I followed the two men to a small chapel or sanctuary at the heart of the crypt. The shrine was open and I entered through a gap between two stone pillars. From a distance I caught a glimpse of the glass tomb where you were imprisoned. I had seen enough to be sure this was the place I must return to. But, my first task was to find the diamond that Goddess Nemesis had told me of, which was crucial to the successful completion of my mission.

The crypt was not large and I hoped it would not be too difficult to orientate myself. It was a dark and hidden place for keeping the secrets of the Knights Templar. The chapel was in the centre and around it a network of corridors and chambers. I quickly searched the labrynth of passages in the crypt for what I hoped to find, some kind of secret chamber where the relics of the order were stored. Then I suddenly noticed the familiar pentagon shaped flaw in the stone work. Once again the lapis lazuli key stone fitted and fine traces of lines forming the outline of a door appeared. The stone door pushed open, I pased through and gently closed it behind me.

The sight that befell me there was astounding. It was a windowless stone chamber, impossible to enter without the key stone, crammed full of ancient relics from the new religion, presumably plundered from the sepulchre of Jerusalem during the crusades and taken by the Knights Templar and hidden in this dark and secret place only accessible to the highest members of their order. It did not look in particularly good order and I feared how much time I would have to spend rummaging through these treasures before I found the object that I had been summoned to find. There were numerous crosses, some simple crude wooden ones, others elaborately crafted and decorated with jewels. There were various shields and swords, some depicting the cross of the Knights Templar, others curved scimitars with arabic writing on their blades captured from Saladin the magnificent during the sieges of Jerusalem. There were scores of Byzantine icons depicting the crucifixion or the madonna and child, all illuminated in glittering gold leaf.

Then my eyes alighted on what I was seeking. It was set in a wooden case with a glass lid and nestled in aged and faded red velvet. But the lustre and magnificence of the object it contained was immediately apparent to me. A huge diamond, the jewel of Amon Ra, taken from the shrine to the Goddess Sekhmet to Jerusalem and then by the Knights Templar to France. I carefully lifted the glazed lid and took the diamond from its resting place. I felt the enormity of the moment. This stone, a relic from the goddesses of the ancient world was nestling in my hands. I was overawed at the power enshrined in this gem. It seemed like sacrilege to handle it with such lack of respect, but I had little choice but to put it in my jeans pocket.

I left the chamber of the relics and traced my steps back to the chapel. This was an underground shrine with an open pillared entrance and at its centre was a silver lined glass box mounted on a wrought iron frame. I immediately recognized the young acolyte, you Kim, the 12th girl who had been taken from me in the marble palace in Constantinople. You were laid out naked and entombed in the glass case. You looked different. Before you were confused and damaged but now, the bruises and scars from the abuse you had suffered had healed. You radiated a serene calm and beauty. Your locks of fair hair were spread over your naked breasts and your hands were resting on the bump containing the unborn child of a Knights Templar master. You were full with child. It could have been a vision from a fairy tale of a golden princess waiting to be awakened by a prince who had completed a dangerous quest to find her. But, I knew differently. I knew what dark dreams must be running through your head; nightmares of the abuse you had suffered, of your enforced impregnation and the object in her womb that would unleash terror and fear in the world of the goddeses if it was allowed to be born.

I knew that time was of the essence. Once again I was faced with a dilemna. Should I smash open the glass tomb and risk attracting guards with the noise or even risk shards of glass injuring you? I knew Goddess Nemesis had specifically directed me to collect the diamond first, not just for its beauty and splendour and so it could be returned to its rightful place, but also because it had a practical use. I knew the diamond was capable of cutting through the glass; and this was no ordinary diamond. I put the diamond to the glass and, true to its reputation, the hard stone sliced through the glazed panel. I worked quickly and carefully until I was able to lift a whole side panel out of its silver frame. Then I had another tool, the gift given to me by my mistress, the herb St John's Wort, which revives and brings to life. I took some, crushed the leaves between the fingers of my hand, and held it under your nose. The pungent scent filled the air. Your breathing became deeper and then, suddenly, your eyes flickered open.

You stirred and turning towards me, spoke, "My dreams have been dark. I have visions of a powerful force wielding great power against me. Are you one of my tormentors?" I replied, "No, young acolyte of the Goddess Nemesis. I am Nano. I have been sent by your mistress and mentor to rescue you from the captivity of the Knights Templar." I knelt down beside you. "You may remember me from the marble temple in Constantinople. I must offer my abject apologies to you for deserting you and leaving you in that place. I have been given this chance to atone for my mistakes, but I must offer my deepest regret for anything you have suffered as a consequence of my failings."

You replied, "Nano, if you can help me escape from here I may find it in my heart to forgive you. But, there's no time now for regret, you must work quickly. I know it's a terrible deed you must do but it's necessary to prevent the even greater evil that I have foreseen in my dreams and visions. You have been given the tools to carry this out?" I replied, "Yes, young novice, I have." I got one of the pieces of crystal and held it tight against your pregnant stomach.

It glowed red and started to burn your skin as its power spread and penetrated into your womb. I could see you struggling against the pain, your face creased up in agony trying desperately not to scream out. I held some more of the St John's Wort herb for you to breathe in and that seemed to ease both the pain and your mental anguish. The magical crystal did its work and the potency of its invisible rays suffocated the unborn foetus and expelled it from your womb. Your body strained and stretched as if indeed you were really giving birth as the foetus of the male child mess was pushed out of you. I could do nothing more than look on in sympathy at your suffering and adminster drafts of the healing herb to help you.

I emptied the bloodied mess into the glass cage where you had lately been lying to demonstrate to our enemies that the powerful heir to their order had been destroyed. I had no qualms about my actions, I had to do what was necessary in the interests of the goddesses. My instructions were perfectly clear and the dangers had been confirmed by your dreams and visions Kim; this child could not be allowed to survive.

Kim was transfixed by the unravelling of the black cat's tale.

"Is this all true, Nano? Or is it a nightmare within a dream?"

"Oh, yes, it's true. Have you never seen the mark on your stomach Kim and wondered where it came from? It's the burn from the crystal."

Kim was aghast as she ran her fingers across her stomach. There was a rough hexagon shaped red blemish on her skin with a darker red point in it's centre. Of course she had seen it before, had thought that it might be a birth mark though, it was true, she never remembered having it as a child. Surely not? Surely this bizarre tale about her couldn't be true; it had to be an illusion. Dream or not, she had to hear the end of the tale.

"Don't stop Nano. Carry on, finish your story," she ordered.

"After the child had been aborted by the magical powers of the crystal you were left pale and shaken but also aware of the urgency of our position. You were soon up and dressed in the t-shirt and skirt that I had brought for you to escape in. "We cannot delay any longer, Nano, we must escape before the guardians of the temple find out that their defences have been penetrated. There is a door in the rear of this shrine, which I remember being the shortest route back to the surface".

I nodded and followed you. We entered into a passage and then turned into another, wending our way through the secret labrynth of corridors. Then we entered a long chamber lined with mirrored glass. As we ran down the mirrored corridor I saw fleeting images of the pair of us fleeing. As we neared the end of the chamber I heard a peal of laughter. It was the old man, the priest now changed into the ceremonial dress of the Knights Templar. He called out, mocking me, "Don't think that flight from here will be so easy slave of the goddesses."

I turned around to see how close the pursuit was and saw the old man and a group of guards framed in the entrance to the mirrored chamber. "You have already been tricked by illusions once. What choices will you make now?" At first I didn't understand what he meant. Then a shock of realisation struck me like a thunderbolt. You had disappeared from my side, miraculously sucked into the mirrored chamber. Before me, lining the long corridor, were an infinity of Kims, images all wearing the same t-shirt and skirt I had dressed you in. I had been tricked again. Some foul power had sucked you away and turned you into an illusion locked into the mirrored chamber. The myriad images of you stretched out before me their arms outreached. They started to call out to me. "Take me Nano", "I am the true novice, take me", "Don't believe her, she's an illusion, I'm the true one." The murmering of imploring demands, as the voices called out from behind the mirrored walls, deafened me.