Megan Cole - Riches - Snog, Steal and Burn

‘You slept in your clothes last night?’ Jhumpa wrinkled her pretty nose at Celine. The Indian girl was wearing a cream silk dressing gown and nightdress, like she was lady of the manor or something.

‘No, dear, I just put them back on,’ Celine said. ‘OMG, my head! Does anyone have any painkillers?’ She needed to go back to bed.

‘OK,’ Luci said. ‘Let’s get dressed and meet back here.’

They reassembled fifteen minutes later, Celine still feeling like utter death. Jhumpa, meanwhile, looked like she’d just stepped off a photo shoot; hair a shiny mane and pristine white pumps and pedal pushers. A cashmere jumper knotted over her shoulders completed the look. ‘What is she, a Fembot?’ Celine grumbled to no one in particular. She was in a bad mood; she couldn’t believe she’d forgotten to pack her leather trilby! It was totally what she needed to hide under right now.

Stephenson was in the entrance hall waiting for them. ‘Your ladyship.’

‘Morning,’ Luci said, blushing slightly. She’d had a bleary flashback of stumbling into the suit of armour in the entrance hall on the way to bed last night. The crash had been enough to wake the dead . The last thing Luci wanted was Stephenson thinking she was getting pissed and didn’t care about her dad. I shouldn’t have let Celine talk me into that last shot.

The butler’s face was as impassive as ever. ‘There’s a gentleman waiting to see you in your father’s study.’

‘News about Daddy?’ Luci said, in a fleeting moment of hope.

‘I’m afraid not, your Ladyship.’ The butler paused. ‘Please, follow me.’

Each girl’s mind was whirring with possibilities as they followed him down the corridor. Who could it be? If the authorities didn’t know what had happened to their parents, who else would? All three could sense the sudden change. Danger was in the air.

Despite it being a sunny day the curtains were drawn and it took several moments to adjust. Jhumpa saw him first; a distinguished old man was sitting in the armchair by the window. Taking the pipe out of his mouth, he looked over his walrus moustache at them.

‘Good morning, ladies.’

Celine and Jhumpa were completely confused, but Luci gave a loud gasp. ‘Professor Adams! What are you doing here?’

‘I apologise for all the skulduggery,’ Professor Adams said to them later.

‘I’m sure you have your reasons,’ Luci said. She’d just been explaining how they knew each other to the other two. A brilliant archaeologist, Professor Adams had been her father’s mentor at York University. Retired for years, Professor’s Adams reputation still preceded him. He’d been a frequent visitor to Cadwallader Hall over the years.

‘All very cosy,’ Jhumpa said impatiently, ‘but I don’t understand what it’s got to do with us .’

Professor Adams surveyed her keenly. Even with the white hair and wrinkled skin, his eyes were sharp and clear. ‘What I am about to tell you must stay between these four walls. It is a matter of utmost importance; a matter that will have dreadful repercussions if certain people aren’t stopped.’

The girls all looked at each other. This sounded really serious. ‘We’re listening,’ Jhumpa said. She didn’t sound so snappy now.

The old professor sat back and steepled his fingers. ‘Your parents all belong to an ancient secret society called The Reclaimers. It was started over a thousand years ago by Christian pilgrims, wanting to return religious artefacts lost through war to their rightful place in the Church. It was a hard, often bloody task. Only the brave survived and many lives were lost over the years.’ He looked at each girl significantly. ‘Only the brave and dedicated can ever hope to become a Reclaimer. It is a lifelong responsibility, full of peril and danger, that no one in the outside world will ever know about.’

‘Over the centuries the remit has widened to other priceless things,’ Professor Adams continued. ‘Objects that tell the story of civilisation: a painting, the scribbled words of prophets, even a little wooden goblet that is widely thought to be the Cup of Christ. There are a lot of people out there in the world who want to use these things for their own ill gains. The Reclaimers try to stop them. To return these objects to where they belong.’

Celine was spellbound. ‘So our parents are these Reclaimers?’ She couldn’t believe it; her mum and dad were the ones who moaned at her about doing her schoolwork and not eating enough fresh fruit. The people Professor Adams were talking about sounded like heroes.

The professor nodded. ‘Your parents were involved in a search for something called The Eye of the Tiger. It is a legendary diamond which was brought to the country of Bhutan by a man called Guru Rinpoche, an eighth century guru hailed as the ‘Second Buddha’. He was a very important man, instrumental in spreading Buddhism throughout the Eastern world.

‘Legend has it Guru Rinpoche left several holy treasures in Bhutan and Tibet, called termas, including the famous Tibetan Book of The Dead. When he came to Bhutan, legend has it he rode on a flying tiger.’

‘Airports on strike, were they?’ Celine quipped. Professor Adams didn’t laugh.

‘When Guru Rinpoche climbed down from the flying tiger, the beast reportedly vanished, leaving behind only one diamond eye. Hence the name, the Eye of the Tiger. He left the diamond there - the place now known as Tiger’s Nest Monastery; a tiny, windswept ledge clinging to a mountainside in the Himalayas. The story goes that if the Eye were ever to leave Bhutan, the country would collapse.’

Jhumpa’s analytical brain was struggling to take it all in. ‘Professor Adams, I don’t mean to be rude but isn’t this a just a fairytale?’

‘That’s what many people think,’ Professor Adams said gravely. ‘But I’m certain the Eye does exist; I have seen the evidence.’

Celine shot a look at Jhumpa - why was she so down on everything? ‘Anyway, Professor…Do go on.’

‘Where was I? Ah, yes. The Eye became the centrepiece of the monastery, a shrine at which people would come and worship. As the years passed, however, instability and fighting started to rock the peaceful Himalayas and the Abbot of the monastery became fearful. Too many people had come to know about the Eye’s existence. If any harm came to it, or it fell into the wrong hands, the very future of Bhutan was in danger.’ He paused. ‘The future of Buddhism, actually. I cannot stress enough the religious significance.

‘The Abbot took the Eye away and hid it, so no one could steal it. Somewhere only the right person would find it. Many years passed and eventually peace was restored to Bhutan. Now it is a free and independent country and the monks of Tiger’s Nest are desperate for the Eye to be restored to the monastery. It’s the very cornerstone of their country and faith.’

‘Where is the Eye now?’ Luci asked.

‘Nobody knows. Most people outside Bhutan think, like you, Jhumpa, that it is just a fairytale.’ Professor Adams’ eyes gleamed. ‘Like myself, however, your parents believed the Eye was real. They spent years trying to locate its whereabouts and were convinced they were close to discovering it. This last trip was going to lead them to it, until they were double-crossed and sent on a wild goose-chase to Kashmir. It was very convenient that there happened to be a band of rebels waiting for them. I am convinced someone paid them off.’

‘To hold our parents hostage?’ Luci was shocked.

‘I’m afraid so, my dear. Your father and the others were becoming far too much of a nuisance to those who want the Eye for their own purposes.’