Andy McDermott - The Midas Legacy

‘Thank you,’ she replied, shaking his hand. Eddie followed suit.

‘My wife,’ Lonmore went on, introducing the brunette. ‘Petra.’

‘Great to see you, hi,’ said Petra, her voice more valley girl than Pioneer Valley. Nina couldn’t help but sense an air of disdain towards her from both Mikkelsson’s family and Olivia.

‘So,’ said her grandmother, ‘now you’ve met the Midas Legacy. I told you it sounds far more mysterious and conspiratorial than it actually is. It’s just three families with a shared history.’

‘There is more to it than that,’ said Mikkelsson. ‘But now that you are here, Nina, it is time that we told you about it.’ He went to the table, Sarah and Anastasia following. The Lonmores quickly took their seats, Olivia finding hers in a more leisurely manner.

Nina regarded the chairs. ‘Are we missing someone?’ The Icelanders, the Lonmores and Olivia made six; there was an extra place.

‘Not at all,’ said her grandmother, gesturing at the empty chair beside her. ‘This one? It’s yours.’

Nina regarded the six seated people in bewilderment. ‘What do you mean, it’s mine?’

‘I mean,’ said Olivia, ‘I want to give you a seat in the Legacy.’

Lonmore broke off from sipping a glass of whisky to raise a finger. ‘Ah, now strictly speaking you want to offer her a seat in the Legacy, Olivia,’ he said. ‘Her acceptance is still subject to approval by at least one of the other families. As you well know.’

The elderly lady fixed him with an unblinking stare. ‘Well, of course I know, Spencer. After all, you needed my approval when you wanted to give your new wife a seat after your son… departed.’ A disapproving look from Anastasia suggested that said approval had not been unanimous. ‘And far be it from me to take any unilateral actions without consulting the other members.’

‘Such as giving Laura’s notes to her daughter so that she might find the Midas Cave for you?’ said Mikkelsson, his own gaze on Olivia equally steely.

‘Okay, Laura’s daughter is standing right here,’ Nina said loudly. ‘I haven’t accepted any offers, and I sure as hell didn’t go looking for the Midas Cave for anyone except my mother. The only reason I’m here is because I want to find out what’s going on!’

Eddie quickly passed the Crucible to Nina, then took Macy’s hand and ushered her towards the pool. ‘Hey, love, shall we go and play with the water volcano? Mummy’s getting a bit red-haired again.’

‘I heard that,’ Nina snapped after him, before turning back to the table. ‘What is this thing?’ she demanded, holding up the box. ‘People have died because of it, and I was nearly one of them. So was my husband. I’m here because I want answers. If I don’t get them, I’m leaving — and I’m taking this with me and giving it to the IHA.’

Lonmore’s face flashed with alarm, but Mikkelsson’s response was more measured. ‘We will tell you everything you want to know. But first, may I beg your indulgence?’

‘For what?’

‘May we see the Crucible?’

Nina surveyed the faces at the table, her gaze sweeping clockwise from the empty chair: Anastasia, Mikkelsson, Sarah, Lonmore, Petra and finally Olivia. Having already seen the crystal, her grandmother was the only one not filled with visible anticipation, instead watching her intently.

Beneath their expectancy, the others betrayed other feelings. Lonmore was still nervous, as if afraid that she might walk out, taking the Crucible with her. Petra was also concerned, but on a less personal level, more that she was taking a cue from her husband. Both Sarah and Anastasia appeared impatient to see the artefact, the daughter far more overtly. Only Mikkelsson was unreadable, calmly awaiting her answer.

‘Okay,’ Nina finally said, deciding she had let them hang for long enough. ‘Here’s your damn Crucible.’ She opened the box.

All eyes fixed upon the crystal as she held it up. ‘Exactly as they described it,’ said Mikkelsson. ‘It really exists. And you found it, Nina.’

‘Yeah, I found it,’ she replied testily. ‘So you got your answer. Now I’d like mine.’

‘Then please, take a seat.’ He gestured at the chair beside Olivia.

‘That’s a seat,’ Lonmore hastily clarified. ‘Not your seat. Just wanted to make that clear.’

‘Whatever,’ said Nina dismissively. She returned the Crucible to the box, then sat. ‘Okay. Start at the beginning. My ancestor was in Nepal in the nineteenth century, I’m guessing with your ancestors. What happened?’

Olivia started the tale. ‘Tobias and the others, Valmar Patreksson and Aldus Lonmore,’ she nodded towards Mikkelsson, then Lonmore, ‘were explorers, but they were also traders. The aftermath of the war with Britain had opened up Nepal, and they wanted to take advantage of it.’

‘They were in the north-west of the country when they realised there was a lot of gold doing the rounds,’ Lonmore continued. ‘They went looking for the source, and ended up at a monastery. In return for goods and supplies they needed, the monks agreed to pay them in gold — and to show them the Midas Cave.’

‘Which they tried to keep secret by hiding the route from them,’ said Nina. ‘I read that in my mother’s notes.’

Olivia nodded. ‘What wasn’t in Laura’s notes was that the amount of gold they were paid was substantial. Enough to set them all up for life.’

Mikkelsson took up the tale. ‘It made all three of our families very wealthy, and influential. They could have simply divided it equally, but they realised the returns would be higher if it were pooled. So they established the Midas Legacy.’ He spread his hands to encompass those at the circular table. ‘Which still exists today.’

‘Decisions about the Legacy were made democratically,’ explained Lonmore. ‘Each family had two seats, and a chairman was chosen on a rotating basis, with a proxy taking their place while they held the position.’

‘I am the present chairperson,’ said Mikkelsson. ‘Sarah is currently acting as my replacement. She slots in very efficiently.’ He gave his wife a small smile, receiving a still fainter one in return. ‘Decisions are reached by simple majority rules, with the chair voting only as a tiebreaker.’

Nina looked around the table. ‘I’m seeing kind of a numerical disparity here.’

‘Indeed,’ Olivia said tartly. ‘Our family used to be represented by myself and Laura, when she was old enough.’

‘Mom was a part of this?’ Nina tried to hide her shock.

‘She was. However, she didn’t keep her seat for very long, because once she met your father, she not only wanted nothing more to do with me, she also left the Legacy.’

‘What happened to Laura was a terrible tragedy,’ Mikkelsson said to Nina. ‘She is greatly missed. Not only as a member of the Legacy, but personally. She was a very good friend.’

‘Thank you,’ Nina replied, recognising his sincerity. The others around the table offered more muted regrets. She turned back to Olivia. ‘Is that why you wanted me here? So you wouldn’t be outvoted?’

‘You really are extraordinarily cynical, Nina,’ said her grandmother.

‘Shoot at me once, shame on you. Shoot at me, I dunno, the three hundred and seventy-six times in my life someone’s tried to kill me…’

‘Nobody’s trying to kill you here. I’m offering you something that by right should already be yours: a seat in and a share of the Legacy. And before you tell me you’re not interested in money,’ Olivia added, ‘remember that it isn’t only about you. It’s also about your family.’ She smiled at Macy, who was playing at the fountain with her father. ‘Yes, you’ve made some money from your book, and I’m sure this new movie will earn you some more, Hollywood accounting notwithstanding, but will that be enough to last you for the rest of your life? To provide Macy with everything she needs — including a good education?’