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“You were right,” says Nefesh. “He is a sentimentalist. Okay. I’ll tell you. Up in the lobby. Is there still a Christmas tree?”
“Yes,” I say.
“That’s where the Qomrama is. The ornament at the top of the tree.”
“Merde,” is the first thing I hear, then more curses echo around the room.
“I told you you’d hate me,” says Nefish.
I really want a drink.
“So, we could have been in and out of here in twenty minutes?”
“I’m afraid so.”
“This really is a nightmare,” says Traven.
“Keep it together, Father.”
I go to Candy and wipe off the last smears of blood on her face.
“Okay. The fucking thing is on the tree. How does it work?”
Nefesh comes across the surface of the water to the steps and walks out of the pool.
“Oh. I don’t think I’m going to tell you that.”
“It’s not going to do us much good against the Angra.”
“We’ll see if they make it this far. I’m not convinced. If they do, maybe then I’ll tell you.”
“All of this is very interesting,” says Vidocq, “but we’re lost. We’ve come a long way and have no idea how to get back to the lobby.”
Nefesh points out to the spa area.
“Just go up the broken escalator, then up a set of stairs. You’ll be right there.”
“That’s impossible,” say Traven. “We must have come down at least eight floors to get here.”
“You went through the old tunnels? Down those funny spiral stairs? Did you happen to notice that there’s some strange magic lingering around this place?”
Candy says, “Maybe that’s why Aelita left the Qomrama in here. It’s easy to get in but hard to get out.”
“That’s part of it. But I think the chapel might have been calling to her,” says Nefesh.
“What chapel is that?” I say.
“On the other side of that wall is an adorable little chapel that was supposed to be used for weddings.”
“Wed in a shopping mall. How wonderfully American,” says Vidocq.
“It’s why I like the baths. They’re right next to the chapel. And part of the wall is missing, so I can ease out into the ocean and drift among the seaweed and fish from time to time.”
I say, “I don’t get it. There’s a fast-food wedding factory so Aelita decides to leave the most valuable object in the world?”
“No. I think what called her is the chapel inside the chapel. Some clever boots brought in stones from an ancient Angra temple and built a small shrine to one of their gods right into the chapel wall.”
“The shrine called to Aelita and the Qomrama without her knowing it,” says Vidocq. “I wonder if whoever built it also built the spiral stairs?”
