Page 16 of Knight of the Sword

“Every once in a while there’s a whistleblower brave enough to come forward,” Michael said. Better not to mention just how long ago some of them came—Julius Caesar, King Arthur, MacBeth—more recently, Ghandi and Martin Luther King…

“What happened to them?” Sophie asked.

“They all ended up being assassinated,” Michael answered.

Sophie’s eyes grew round. “This Baylor person was responsible?”

Michael nodded. “He even had the poor old professor who translated this manuscript murdered, although there is no blood on his hands.”

She looked again at the manuscript. “Has he seen this?”

“Undoubtedly,” Mr. Smith cut in. “The clue to finding the spear was in here. It was how he knew to track Sara and Mr. Ramsey.”

“So he’s searching for the relics too?” she asked.

“Yes.” Michael leaned forward in his chair. “I know you may not believe me, but each of the relics holds power—energy, if you’d rather call it that—from the four elements of wind, fire, water and earth. The power is neutral. Whoever owns the relic can use that power for good or evil. Can you imagine what someone like Baylor would do with that? He could, literally, annihilate the world.”

“So you have to find this Sword—this Sword of Fire—before he does?”

“Excalibur,” Mr. Smith said emphatically. “That is its name.”

Sophie rolled her eyes. “Please. Let’s not bring in the whole Arthurian myth again. I can—sort of—accept the theory that these relics might have a certain electron or proton predilection that produces a form of energy. But magic? That doesn’t exist in the real world.” When no one answered her, she looked from Mr. Smith to Michael. “What? You two really believe this is all magic?”

“Can you deny that the Pendragon is real?” Michael finally asked. “He’s visited you twice.” She looked crestfallen at that, and Michael wished he could be kinder, but she had to understand. “With you, seeing is believing, I think. A thirty-foot dragon is hardly something you can miss, and he certainly is not mythical anymore, is he?”

Mr. Smith clapped his hands in delight. “Of course! That makes sense! Our Sophie needs proof and poof!” He giggled at his play on words and then sobered. “My dear, you must take some things on faith.”

She sighed. “Okay. I can’t say I’m convinced about this magical power thing, but if these relics are as old as you think they are, they’re valuable in their own right. So where are you going to start looking?”

Michael grinned. “The question is where are we going to start looking?”

She gaped at him. “We?”

His grin broadened. “Remember I told you I thought the dragon was going to help us find the Sword? He wouldn’t have led me to you if you weren’t meant to be a part of this.” He reached inside his jeans pocket and pulled out a paper. “To answer your question, this is the second riddle that provides the clues.”

“Excuse me.” The butler stood in the doorway.

“Yes?” Mr. Smith said.

“That Mr. Caldwell who wrote the weapons article is here to see you, sir.”

Mr. Smith frowned. “Have him make an appointment. I’m busy right now.”

The butler hesitated. “He said it was rather important. Something about his publisher wanting to do a book on your entire collection.”

Mr. Smith’s eyes sparkled at the thought. “Oooh. A book…” He turned to Michael. “Would you and Sophie mind if I talk to him for a minute?”

“Of course not,” Sophie said and stood.

Michael stood too. “No problem. I can explain the clue to Sophie over lunch.”

“Sorry. I’m booked solid into the late afternoon,” Sophie replied.

“Tomorrow then,” Michael said as Caldwell entered the study.

It was at that precise moment that one of the puppies nipped Princess a little too hard and she sent him sprawling. The pup rolled into Caldwell’s pathway as his foot came down. Princess yelped and leapt, but she was not close enough to save her little one.

Before Michael could toss a bolt of light to aid her, Caldwell spun to his left, pushed by some unseen force. He slammed into the doorjamb, cracking his head in the process. Dazed, he clung to wall as the puppy limped away.