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Lady Catherine sat in a chair near the fire. A chair that had blue painted legs shaped like lion’s paws.
“It’s the chair from the Louvre,” Indy whispered urgently. “And is that... it can’t be. It is! It’s the Rosetta Stone!”
Chapter 24
Indy stared in astonishment. Lady Catherine had stolen the Rosetta Stone?
It made no sense.
“What on earth?” Raven muttered.
“There’s a whole collection of stolen antiquities in that room—I can’t understand it. Why would Lady Catherine be involved in such nefarious goings on? She’s wealthy in her own right.”
They watched, hidden behind the railing, as Dr. Lowe lowered his arms and approached Lady Catherine. He placed his hands upon her midsection and began chanting again.
Lady Catherine moaned, her eyes fluttering back in her head.
Raven’s eyes widened. “Lowe must behind all of this, not Lady Catherine. He’s controlling her somehow, using her fortune and connections to steal antiquities.”
“He’s manipulating her mind. We must rescue her from further harm.”
Raven nodded. “And recover the stone. On my count,” he said. “You take the right stairs and I’ll take the left. We’ll surprise them. I don’t see any guards. Should be a simple matter to overpower—”
He stopped talking because someone had grabbed him by the nape of the neck. Someone even larger than the giant of a man she’d shot last night.
Raven dangled from the giant’s hands, kicking his heels at the air ineffectually.
“Look what I found, Dr. Lowe,” shouted the enormous man. “Intruders.”
Dr. Lowe glanced up. “Bring them to me, Baptiste,” he said, without lifting his hand from Lady Catherine’s abdomen.
Indy attempted to escape but Baptiste set Raven down and clamped one hand around Raven’s neck, and one huge hand around the back of her neck, effectively immobilizing both of them.
Raven’s twisting and kicking hadn’t hurt the hulking beast at all.
Raven glanced down at his pocket watch and gave her a significant look. She remembered what he’d told her about the sleeping powder. It might be their only hope. The man appeared to be impervious to pain.
“Well, Lady India, I see you’ve recovered,” said Lowe. “And Your Grace, how humiliating that my guard can lift you so easily, as if you were a featherweight.”
“Lady Catherine,” Indy cried, reaching for her friend, but Baptiste tightened his grip on her neck and she couldn’t escape.
“She’s in a trance, she won’t be cognizant for hours,” said Lowe.
“What have you done to her?” Indy asked.
“Mesmerism, my dear lady. I control her mind now. I tell her what to do.”
“You’ve been using her wealth and influence to steal antiquities, I see,” said Raven.
“One might see it that way,” said Lowe. “Or one could call it by its rightful name. I am the reincarnation of the god Osiris. And therefore, all of these possessions belong to me.”
The man was obviously a lunatic.
“And now you belong to me, as well,” Lowe said coldly. “What should I do with them, Baptiste?”
Indy caught Raven’s eye to let him know she would provide the distraction he required the giant.
She made her body go limp.
