Recipe for Adventure Pt. 04

"I see that Terry gave you one of our Pathfinder models," Nick Shaw said as I reached one of the tables laden with food. "How is that working out for you?"

"I can't complain. It handles the sand and heat very well." I told him.

"Great, if you need anything to help you settle in just ask."

"Actually I have some cut and uncut gems that have come into my possession. Do you have any suggestions?" I asked.

"How unique are these stones?" He asked before popping a piece of shrimp into his mouth.

"Well, the cut stones are known as the Seven Princes... what?" I asked seeing his eyes widen in surprise.

"You are one lucky man," he said. "I have been trying to get my hands on them for a while now. If you want my personal opinion keep them and display them when you get back home."

"I'm not sure the Pickman House is safe enough for that." I said and he laughed.

"Not there," he replied. "The Von Dekker estate is quite secure and protected by a small elite security force. After your dig is over call me and I'll be happy to take you there and help you settle in. I understand this is all quite overwhelming. It was for me too."

I shook his hand and worked the room. I collected names and numbers as I went. Neko, my avatar, helped quite a bit as she captured faces and names for me. When I had time I would look them over and research my fellow members and see who I was dealing with. It was the man in the wheelchair that intrigued me as I moved through the banquet hall. No one approached him and he didn't seem too eager to mingle either. I grabbed two flutes of champagne and walked over to him. I handed him a drink and he grinned.

"So you are the Heir," he said in his heavily accented English.

"You have me at a disadvantage," I said and took a sip from my glass.

"My name is Darius and you are losing points with the others by speaking with me. While I am a member in good standing my brothers don't find my company very appealing except Nikolas that is. He is young like you and can afford to be kind to an old man."

"What have you done to annoy the others?" I asked and he actually smiled.

"I play the game far too well for them. They will not mourn my passing as they did Squiggles. I was a student of his and he taught me the art of the game. No, that's not right, he instructed me in game theory and how it applies to real life. He was a matchless teacher and I was his best student. He taught me that people were pieces on the game board and if you need or want anything you move the pieces you need to reach your objective."

"It sounds kind of cold blooded," I said. "I see why they avoid you. If that is true why was Squiggles looked up to so much?"

"He was a legend. He was able to manipulate people with such finesse they thanked him after the fact. I will never be as patient or skilled as he was. I suppose that is a good thing. As his heir you have huge shoes to fill." He said with a grin and a handshake.

I waited to pocket the thumb drive he had passed me when he shook my hand. We talked for a little bit longer but he appeared tired so I let him be. I watched the others and Darius was right they would look at me differently after I had talked to him. I didn't care I had other things on my mind. I had a dig to finish and two gorgeous women to return to. I walked around the ship and enjoyed the view of the Mediterranean. I cleared my thoughts and let my mind drift. There was something bugging me and I couldn't place my finger on it. Thoughts drifted passed my consciousness and I gave them a moment of attention and let them continue on their way. The wrongness I had felt since speaking with Darius found its root. Squiggles was a master at manipulation. Monstrous was the word that Carol had used to describe the calculations it had taken to build the tumblers in the Burrower's prison. The wrongness grew as I thought about the sudden disappearance of the Widow.

"She was scared to death of leaving her house. What could possibly make her, no let her leave it all behind? Only one answer fit that particular peg, Squiggles. But he was dead or was he? It was possible he found a body double for his funeral. That meant he was still alive and if he was alive he could have set all of this in motion."

My thoughts began to race now. What sort of adhesive did he use to adhere the second dynasty scroll to the other one? Could he calculate how long it would take for the glue to fail? Those sorts of scrolls would only be of interest to young students like myself. The rest began to fall into place. I find the scroll. I make the two recipes. If he was still alive he nudged the Chancellor and made it look like it was his own idea. Did he leave clues to the scroll? My head hurt the more I thought about it. Did Squiggles know about the Burrower? Of course he did. He had managed to infiltrate the cult and learn it from them. That would have been child's play for him. The flash of memory hit me hard. The cult leader in red, could that have been Squiggles? If it was then he had not just manipulated me but the Burrower as well. That must have been the pinnacle of his career. I wonder if he and his wife had taken the elixir by now.

I wanted at least some proof that Squiggles and the Widow might be alive and together. I approached the First Minister and asked him about Plato's Pyramid and Kadath. He smiled and looked around. He pointed to two chairs in the corner. We grabbed a bottle of wine and some snacks on the way. Once we got settled I asked him where the pyramid had come from. The minister told me that Squiggles had returned with it from some place called Kadath. It wasn't on any map that the older man could find but its value was said to be without equal. I asked him if there was anything else that the late Squire had given him. He thought about it for a long moment and shook his head. He told me there were plenty of artifacts he had collected but they were all safely stored away. So the pyramid was the only thing he actually gave him. But to open the pyramid you needed the Key. I needed to speak with the Chancellor and find out when and where the Key came into her possession. I had a feeling that Squiggles was involved in that one as well.

Why was he doing all of this? Was it simply to lock the Burrower away or was there even more on his agenda? I wanted to believe that this was all over but in the back of my mind I had serious doubts. But until something else reared its ugly head I was going to have to live my life as if I was in control. It maybe just an illusion but it was the best I had. I would be happy once I was back on the dig site. I looked around and retrieved the thumb drive that Darius had given me. I slid it into the slot on the side of my watch. Neko copied the files and examined them. It took her a little over two minutes to ascertain their meaning. She displayed her analysis and my jaw dropped. The files were vintage video files of Squiggles narrating lessons on the fine of art of manipulating people. There was nearly sixty hours worth of material. I had Neko scan them for viruses and any other nasty surprises, there were none. I pulled the thumb drive out and tossed it overboard. The value of information was how limited the access to it. I ordered Neko to keep those files sealed until I requested them. They could prove useful in the near future.

Smiling I turned and returned to the party in my honor. I told those that were interested about the dig and what we had found beneath the earth. They in exchange told me chilling stories about their own encounters with nonhuman races. My world just got a whole lot bigger.