Chapter Thirteen– Seal of the Testaments
“The seal of the testaments,” Talia ran her fingers along the screen, as if it were a window and the seal was there, just out of reach on the other side. “But Amu, that means the proof, the only clues to where the testaments are, were in that bag. Now how will we know where to look? That seal was the last thing we knew to look for.”
“I … I might be able to help you with that, sweet, gentle Talia,” Jiggly said. He stood up and faced Talia. “You have to promise not to hurt me, no matter what I say next, okay?”
“I can’t promise that.”
Jiggly scowled. “Those two divers – they offered me money to give them whatever we found on the dive. I said screw you and whatever else you would hope I would say but don’t want to hear, but then they showed me – they showed me my girlfriend Maria’s finger, with the ring I gave her still on it. They said I could have the rest of her in pieces if I didn’t make sure they had a chance to steal the stuff. So … so … I swear, I swear that I didn’t know anybody would stab Naddy. And I might have saved his life. You have to give me credit for that. Sophie was out cold, and Cindee would not stop screaming, and he would have died if I hadn’t jumped in and bandaged him up. It was all I could do to get Cindee to pick up the phone and call for help.”
“All right,” Talia said after many long, slow, calming breaths. “What is it that you want me to believe you can do to help?”
“I know where the divers were taking the bag. I followed them, when they first came to me, to try to see if I could get Maria away from them. I never saw her, but I saw those two talk to a tall guy in a blue outfit at a little cafe. I heard him say to meet him back there when they had whatever we found.”
“And how many hours’ lead do they have on us?” Talia snapped. “Your help is no help at all.”
“Yes it is. Yes it is. That guy is the cafe owner. He’ll still be there, and you can kick him ’til he cooperates, and maybe get my Maria back too.”
“Do you seriously think you sold my Uncle’s blood to people who will let your girlfriend live? I didn’t think you were that big of a fool.”
Jiggly burst into horrid, ragged sobs. “Pray for her, please! She prayed for me all the time, to the Blessed Virgin, and God help me, I laughed at her and slapped her around for doing it. What was that boring book you kept reading out loud to us when we were sailing around the Horn? Tale of Two Cities? The one where that grave robber thumped on his wife because she kept floppin’? I keep hearing those words in my head ‘If she was anywise inclined to flop …’ Please, please pray for my Maria, and help her, even if she is Catholic. She loves some God or the other that’s more like yours than mine, which I think is Asmodeus.”
“Talia, you cannot just go and confront that cafe owner,” pleaded Aunt Sophie. “You are running on adrenaline, but think how long you were on the planes getting here. Think how long since you have even eaten. The rush will wear off, and you will feel it when it does.”
“Well, I’d better hurry before it does wear off,” Talia replied, grabbing Jiggly by the collar before he could squirm away. “Come on. Let’s get your girlfriend and those artifacts.”
“Take some of the diggers with you, Talia,” Aunt Sophie begged, tears running rivulets in the lines worn into her cheeks. “Maybe they can protect you from this monster. How could you betray us, Guglielmo? How could you? If you hurt our precious Talia – ”
Talia forced him out of the tent, unable to listen to her aunt’s sobs. She called out and the diggers appeared. With some difficulty, she executed a pantomime and some pidgin that produced glares and mutters directed at Jiggly. Three men climbed into the back seat of the Rover, all of them armed with knives. Talia felt very safe, but a little worried that Jiggly might not make it as far as the cafe to point it out to her.
“I never even told my girlfriend I cared anything about her!” Jiggly wailed, beating his fists against the dashboard as Talia took off for the town where the hospital had been located. “I never, ever told her. Just yelled at her and banged on her and laughed at her faith. I laughed all of yours too. I would never die for a belief. But look at all of you. God will curse me for putting Maria in danger, and for the betrayal of righteous people, won’t he?”
“Jiggly,” Talia sighed, very reluctant to speak the words, “as far as I know, the only thing that will curse you is rejecting Jesus until you die. No matter what you’ve done, God forgives. Yeah, he forgives pigs who beat their girlfriends and betray people who put bread in their mouths and – well, whatever else you’ve done that I don’t want to know about. I wish He would hang you by your toenails over the bottomless pit and singe you bald, but I guess that’s why it’s a good thing He’s God and I’m not.”
“God cannot forgive me,” Jiggly blubbered, half in Italian, half in English. “Maria’s blood is on my hands. Naddy’s blood is on my hands if he dies. If I get you killed too, it will be like I killed an angel. That’s how they talk about you. You’re their warrior angel. You’re gonna fight those people who wanna make the Word go away, and kick the – out of them.”
“Stop it, Jiggly, and tell me where the cafe is. Here’s the town.” Talia had to force her hands to relax and flex her fingers. She hadn’t realized how tightly she had been gripping the wheel to keep from punching Jiggly.
“There it is. The Greek’s Ransom,” Jiggly almost fell out of the Rover when he swung his arm out and pointed.
Talia stared at the sign. What a weird combination of Greek words. Why would a Greek have a ransom? Who’s he ransoming? Or is he getting ransomed?
She got out of the Rover, feeling a sudden tremor in her legs. Oh, no! God, I need Your strength. She forced her legs to cross the street but they simply stopped holding her up. The three diggers got her and Jiggly into chairs at one of the bistro tables. Jiggly put his head on the table and kept on wailing and blubbering. Talia couldn’t move – couldn’t speak. One of the diggers walked up and knocked on the cafe door.
A tall man dressed in ultramarine blue stepped out and took in the sight of the three dirty diggers, penitent Jiggly and paralyzed Talia and quickly brought a hand up to his mouth. Talia realized he was trying to stop himself from laughing.
“Come over here!” Talia ordered, though it sounded more like Cahhm aahhvrrr hrrr. The man approached, positively shaking with mirth. She forced herself upright, both hands clamped to the edge of the table. This time she didn’t expect as much of her tongue and her words came out clearer. “Who are you, and why did you steal my uncle’s artifacts?”
“I have not stolen anything. I have taken them into safekeeping. Your uncle was foolish to trust this creature who beats his woman and leaves her alone to be kidnapped and mutilated. A man who does not value his woman should be rolled in dung and left for the dogs to worry.”
“Wow, we have a lot in common,” Talia’s grin felt like something a stroke victim might execute, and she felt secure enough to sink back down into her chair.
“More than you know.” The man thrust out a fist and she saw a ring that bore the same symbols as the lock on the bag. The same symbol as the ring that Doctor Ewing had worn.
“Wha – wha – ?”
“Have your men help you inside, and bring that whining thing as well. I will make some tea, and we will talk.”