Steve Berry - The Templar legacy

And he intended to follow them.

"Now, good brothers, it's time that we say goodbye to brother Geoffrey, whose sacrifice made this day possible."

MALONE WAS IMPRESSED WITH THE ABBEY. HE, STEPHANIE, HENRIK, and Cassiopeia had been welcomed earlier and given a complete tour, the first non-Templars ever afforded that honor. Their guide, the chaplain, had showed them every recess and patiently explained its history. Then he'd left, saying that the conclave was about to begin. He'd returned a few minutes ago and escorted them into the chapel. They'd come to attend Geoffrey's funeral, allowed there thanks to the integral role they'd played in finding the Great Devise.

They sat in the first row of pews, directly before the altar. The chapel itself was magnificent, a cathedral in its own right, a place that had harbored the Knights Templar for centuries. And Malone could feel their presence.

Stephanie sat beside him, Henrik and Cassiopeia beside her. He heard the breath leave her as the chanting stopped and Mark entered from behind the altar. While the other brothers wore russet cassocks with their heads sheathed, he was dressed in the white mantle of the master. Malone reached over and grasped her trembling hand. She threw him a smile and gripped hard.

Mark stepped to Geoffrey's simple coffin.

"This brother gave his life for us. He kept his oath. For that he will have the honor of being buried in the Hall of Fathers. Before this, only masters were there. Now they will be joined by this hero."

No one said a word.

"Also, the challenge made to our former master by brother de Roquefort is hereby rescinded. His place of honor is restored in the Chronicles. Let us now say goodbye to brother Geoffrey. Through him we have been reborn."

The service lasted an hour and Malone and the others followed the brothers underground into the Hall of Fathers. There the coffin was placed in the locolus beside the former master's.

Then they headed outside to their cars.

Malone noticed a calm in Mark and a thaw in his relationship with his mother.

"And what now for you, Malone?" Cassiopeia asked.

"Back to bookselling. And my son is coming to spend a month with me."

"A son? How old?"

"Fourteen, going on thirty. He's a handful."

Cassiopeia grinned. "A lot like his father, then."

"More like his mother."

He'd been thinking about Gary a lot the past few days. Seeing Stephanie and Mark struggle with each other brought back some of his own failings as a father. But you'd never know it from Gary. Where Mark became resentful, Gary was brilliant in school, athletic, and had never once objected to Malone moving to Copenhagen. Instead, he'd encouraged him to go, realizing that his father needed to be happy, too. Malone felt a lot of guilt about that decision. But he looked forward to his time with his son. Last year had been their first summer in Europe. This year they planned on traveling to Sweden, Norway, and England. Gary loved to travel-another thing they had in common.

"Going to be a good time," he said.

Malone, Stephanie, and Henrik would drive to Toulouse and catch a flight to Paris. From there, Stephanie would fly home to Atlanta. Malone and Henrik would travel back to Copenhagen. Cassiopeia was headed to the chateau in her Land Rover.

She was standing by her car when Malone walked over.

Mountains ringed them on all sides. In a couple of months winter would blanket everything with snow. Part of a cycle. As clear in nature as in life. Good, then bad, then good, then more bad, then more good. He remembered telling Stephanie when he retired that he was fed up with the nonsense. She'd smiled at his naivete and said that so long as the earth was inhabited, there'd be no calm place. The game was the same everywhere. Only the players changed.

That was okay. The experience of the past week had taught him that he was a player and always would be. But if anyone asked, he'd tell them he was a bookseller.

"Take care of yourself, Malone," she said. "I won't be watching your back anymore."

"I have a feeling you and I'll see each other again."

She threw him a smile. "You never know. It's possible."

He walked back to his car.

"What about Claridon?" Malone asked Mark.

"He begged forgiveness."

"And you graciously granted it."

Mark smiled. "He said de Roquefort was going to roast the skin off his feet and a couple of brothers confirmed that. He wants to join us."

Malone chuckled. "Are you guys ready for that?"

"Our ranks were once filled with far worse men. We'll survive. I look at him as my personal penance."

Stephanie and Mark spoke a moment in a quiet tone. They'd already said their goodbyes in private. She appeared calm and relaxed. Apparently their salutation had been amenable. Malone was glad. Peace needed to be made there.

"What will happen with the ossuary and testimony?" Malone asked Mark. No brothers were nearby, so he felt safe discussing the point.

"That will stay sealed away. The world is content with what it believes. I'm not going to mess with that."

Malone agreed. "Good idea."

"But this Order will reemerge."

"That's right," Cassiopeia said. "I've already talked to Mark about becoming involved in the charitable organization I head. The worldwide AIDS effort and famine prevention could use an influx of capital, and this Order now has a lot to spend."

"Henrik has lobbied hard, too, for us to get involved with his favorite causes," Mark said. "And I've agreed to help there. So the Knights Templar will be busy. Our skills can be put to great use."

He extended his hand, which Mark shook. "I believe the Templars are in good hands. The best of luck to you."

"You, too, Cotton. And I still want to know about that name."

"You call me one day and I'll tell you all about it."

They climbed into the rental with Malone driving. As they settled in and buckled their seat belts, Stephanie said, "I owe you one."

He stared over at her. "That's a first."

"Don't get accustomed to it."

He smiled.

"Use it wisely."

"Yes, ma'am."

And he cranked the car.

While sitting at a cafe in Hojbro Plads, I decided that my protagonist had to live in Copenhagen. It is truly one of the world's great cities. So Cotton Malone, bookseller, became a new addition to that busy square. I also spent time in southern France discovering much of the history and many of the locales that ended up in this story. Most of the plot came to me while traveling, which is understandable, given the inspiring qualities of Denmark, Rennes-le-Chateau, and the Languedoc. But it's time to know where the line was drawn between fact and fiction.

The crucifixion of Jacques de Molay, as depicted in the prologue, and the possibility of his image being that on the Shroud of Turin (chapter 46) are the conclusions of Christopher Knight and Robert Lomas. I was intrigued when I discovered the idea in their work, The Second Messiah, so I wove their innovative concept into the story. Much of what Knight and Lomas say-as related by Mark Nelle in chapter 46-makes sense and is likewise consistent with all of the scientific dating evidence amassed from the shroud over the past twenty years.

The Abbey des Fontaines is fictional, but is largely based on bits and pieces from many Pyrenean retreats. The locales in Denmark all exist. The cathedral at Roskilde and Christian IV's crypt (chapter 5), are truly magnificent, and the view from the Round Tower in Copenhagen (chapter 1) does in fact harken back to another century.

Lars Nelle is a composite of many men and women who have devoted their lives to writing about Rennes-le-Chateau. I read many sources, some bordered on the bizarre, others on the ridiculous. But in their own way each offered a unique insight into this truly mysterious place. Along that line, several points to be made: