Alex Lukeman - The Cup

"I've never heard of them."

"I'm convinced the two tiles together form a message about the Grail. Anastasius had it and gave it to the monk on the second tile."

"The Syriac monk."

"Yes. So looking for the Grail means looking for a Syriac Orthodox monastery."

"How did you identify the monk?"

"From the staff on the tile, with the two snakes and the diamond cross on the top. That's the symbol of the Syriac Orthodox Patriarchate. The Patriarch holds one as his staff of office, like the Pope's shepherd's crook."

"At least it narrows things down a little bit."

"More than a little," Stephanie said. "The Grail changed hands at the end of the fourth century. There was only one Syriac Orthodox monastery in the right timeframe, Mor Gabriel. It was founded not long after Anastasius left Italy for the monastery at Sumela. It's also in Turkey."

"It still exists?"

"It does."

"And you think the Grail was taken there."

"It's a logical assumption, if I'm right about the tiles."

"That's a big if."

"Yes. There's a problem, though."

"There's always a problem. What is it this time?"

"People have been murdering monks and nuns at Mor Gabriel for centuries. The Turks, the Assyrians, Tamerlane, the Kurds, it's one long history of persecution. Now the current government is after them."

"Why?"

"The Kurds and Turks killed thousands of Syriac Christians during World War I and the monastery has been lobbying for international condemnation of the murders as genocide. There's also a dispute over land the monks have owned since it was founded. Ankara is getting ready to take it over and kick the monks out."

"If the Grail is there, they'd find it."

"I'm not sure they would," Stephanie said. "The monks have hidden it this long. I can't see them leaving it where the Turks could get it."

"That makes sense if they know what's coming," Elizabeth said. "But if Ankara pulls a surprise raid, they might not have time to get it out of there. Assuming it's there in the first place."

"There's only one way to find out. You have to send the team to Turkey."

Nick's phone signaled a call.

"It’s Harker," he said to the others. "Yes, Director."

"Stephanie turned up something. The figure on the second tile is a Syriac Orthodox monk."

"Syriac Orthodox? I've never heard of them."

Mercurio looked up when he heard the words.

Elizabeth continued. "Put me on speaker. I want all of you to hear it."

"Count Mercurio is in the room with us."

"It's all right if he hears what I say."

Nick activated the speaker. Elizabeth's voice sounded clear and far away.

"Steph and I think the Grail was handed off to the monk on the second tile. He's from a branch of Christianity called Syriac Orthodox. The only place you could find a Syriac monk back then was in Turkey, at a monastery called Mor Gabriel. There isn't any other place where he could have come from. It has to be Mor Gabriel. The monastery still exists. It's not far from the Syrian border and the city of Midyat."

"Does this mean we're going to Turkey?"

"As soon as everything is cleaned up where you are."

"How are we going in?"

"By way of Incirlik. You'll fly from Milan to the Air Force Base there. But I don't want the Turks to know what you're doing."

"They'll spot us as soon as we leave the base."

"You have to make sure that doesn't happen. I can get you off the base without going through control but after that it's up to you."

"And if we're recognized and stopped?"

"That's when you pull out your diplomatic passports and give them your story."

"Which is?"

"That the US government is concerned about the Kurdish independence movement."

"I thought we were supporting the Kurds because they're fighting ISIS."

"We are, but if you're questioned you have to sell the Turks on a different story. Tell them you’re on a covert fact-finding mission. Tell them the president is deeply concerned about the problems the Kurds are creating for our valued NATO ally."

"Some ally," Ronnie said.

Elizabeth said, "I happen to agree with you, but don't advertise that opinion once you're in country."

"Why are we supposed to be covert?" Nick asked.

"Because an official mission could be compromised by leaks. That's something any Turkish official can understand."

"We need some kind of documentation, something to back up the story."

"I already thought of that. It will be waiting for you at Incirlik."

"Do we have an excuse to go to the monastery?"

"Yes. Thousands of Syriac monks were massacred in Turkey during World War I. If you're questioned, say you been told to find evidence laying all blame on the Kurds and absolving the Turks of any part of the atrocities."

"Is that true? The Turks didn't do it?"

"They did it, all right, with help from the Kurds."

"That story is a little thin, Director."

"It's up to you to fatten it up. Better if you don't get stopped."

"I need intel about the monastery. Pictures, layout, internal plans, anything you can give me. If the Grail's there, the monks aren't going to hand it over because we asked. We're going to have to look for it."

"Steph will put what you need together. It will be in the packet you get at the base."

"You are all forgetting something," Mercurio said.

"Who's that?" Elizabeth asked.

"Count Mercurio," Nick said.

"What am I forgetting?" Elizabeth sounded annoyed.

"That you are looking for a sacred object unlike anything else in the world. You will not find it unless you are meant to."

"Are you suggesting that we give up looking?" Elizabeth said.

"Not at all. I have been searching for many years with no success. Perhaps I'm not meant to find it. Perhaps you are, I don't know. I'm only saying that if you do not pay attention to what the Grail means, it will never come into your possession."

"I'm not in the habit of considering myths when I'm planning a mission, Count."

Mercurio shook his head. "Are you so sure that it's a myth, Director? The recovery of the Grail could signal the beginning of a spiritual renaissance."

"Unfortunately, that would depend on one's personal religious belief."

"Perhaps."

"It's precisely because it is such a controversial object that it must not be recovered by ISIS. It's propaganda value is enormous, as valuable as an army."

"All the more reason to consider why it is so important," Mercurio said.

"I appreciate your opinion, Count, but I'm not King Arthur and this isn't the quest."

"I feel sorry for you, Director. Whether you like it or not, you are now part of a two thousand year old narrative."

"What narrative?"

"The search for redemption and the healing connection to God. But I suppose it doesn't really matter. If you are meant to find the Grail, your beliefs about it are irrelevant."

Nick looked at Selena and raised his eyebrows. People didn't talk to Elizabeth Harker like that. He interrupted before she said something she might regret later.

"Director, is there anything else?"

"Not at the moment. Make sure the Count signs a secrecy agreement. Make sure he understands the consequences if he decides to break it."

"Copy that, Director."

Elizabeth ended the call.

Selena said, "That was interesting."

Lamont and Ronnie carried the bodies of the three dead terrorists out of Mercurio's study and dropped them in the hall next to the other two. Nick and Selena moved the bodies of Maria and the cook to a storage room and covered them with blankets taken from a spare bedroom.

By early evening, the cleaners hadn't arrived.

"Man, I need something to eat," Lamont said. "I'm going to rustle up something in the kitchen."