GEOVANNA TOOK A DEEP BREATH when she finished reading. The text seemed very interesting, although she didn't quite understand where they would find the supposed writing, which must be hidden in the hells that plunged beneath the great current. That phrase seemed to be related to the Nostradamus stanza, and that was what she told her companion.
— Doesn't it seem strange that chains are mentioned again? — She looked up and was met with a nod of approval from her partner. — Apparently, they are the focus of the search.
— And they are, believe me. That's why Viana sent me the email. Iacobus of Carthage, as confirmed to me this morning, was the stonemason who carved the chain for the Vélez chapel. Wait, there's more...
Greg grabbed the mouse to scroll up to the paragraph where the work was mentioned.
— It also refers to jackals and bearded columns. — And as I told you, in the Murcia Cathedral there's a niche located outside the Vélez chapel that houses the Chacón y Fajardo coat of arms. The coat of arms features a fleur-de-lis and a dog, both held by the hands of two supporters, represented by bearded figures, one facing the front and the other sideways. They look the same, but they're not... — Apparently, the sculptor gave them names: Jaquin and Boaz.
— Wait a minute! — Geovanna recalled a detail of great importance. — Aren't those the names given to the columns at the entrance to Solomon's Temple?
— I don't know — Greg quietly acknowledged his own ignorance. — By professional tradition, the only Bible I'm interested in is the American Constitution.
— Now, don't be silly! — she scolded him, patting him affectionately on the back.
Geovanna returned to reading the text. According to the manuscript, Iacobus had decided to reveal to everyone a secret related to speaking with God. He said he was proud to be one of the heirs of the Widow's Sons institution, which is why she assumed he was connected to the guilds where the first Freemasons met.
Geovanna thought she would have to speak seriously with Greg, trying to convince him that it would be impossible for them to unravel this mystery without the help of an expert. She had to tell him about Umbert Monroe, but she didn't know how to begin.
— Here it is... — Greg returned with a copy of the Jerusalem Bible from the year 75 that was part of the apartment's decor. — Where do you think we should look?
— If I'm not mistaken, in Book I of Kings — she replied, snatching the work from his hands.
She paced back and forth in the office, searching through the pages for the verse that mentioned the names of the columns. Finally, she stopped. Without taking her eyes off the book, she gestured to Gregory Evans, asking him to come closer. He stood beside her, leaning forward, intent on getting a better look at the text she was pointing to with her index finger.
— Read!
— He erected the columns before the Ulam of Hekal — she began to read aloud. — He raised the right column, which he called Yakin, and the left column, naming it Boaz. And he finished the work on the columns.
He looked back at his companion.
— Do you think there's some connection between Solomon's Temple and the pillars of Murcia?
Geovanna shrugged, trying to fit the pieces of the damned puzzle together, although, in reality, the Iacobus manuscript and Jorge's bloody death weren't exactly a match.
— Perhaps the sculptures have symbolic value," she dared to conjecture, as if speaking to herself. — De Cartago himself tells us that his hands carved words in stone, which the people read and understand.
— The language of birds — Gregory mused aloud.
— Right! That's what the enigmatic Fulcanelli was referring to in his work "The Mystery of the Cathedrals". And, in a way, he was right, since the only way artists of the past had to reach the people was through images.
— And what do you think of the two columns?
Geovanna took a while to answer.
— I'm not sure," she finally said. — The stonemason places them in a place I've never heard of in my entire life... — She arched her eyebrows, dismayed. — And that's quite significant, especially when, to find them, he's leading us to travel to a region that witnessed the Flood.
— He also admits to being descended from the organization "The Widow's Sons"
— That means we're on the right track, but I think we'll need help. — Gregory Evans found the idea amusing. If the principal even imagined that Geovanna was involved in all this, she would tear him apart.
All that was missing was to bring someone else into the conversation. He figured that if the conversation continued, many more would lose their tongues, and something else...
— You know my job is at stake," he argued taciturnly. — I can't go around telling everyone a story that doesn't concern us.
— You're as involved as I am, whether the principal likes it or not.
Geovanna played along
Her apprehension was gone.
— We must move forward if we want to know who is putting our lives in danger. This is personally important to me.
Gregory Evans, full of doubts, shook his head before asking bluntly:
— What is your proposal?
— Tell her everything we've discovered — she suggested with a special glint in her eyes. — That way, you'll secure the necessary resources to facilitate your travel to Murcia. Try to convince her that it's necessary to find the scriptum mentioned in the manuscript. Without a doubt, it will lead us to Viana's assassins.
— I've already thought about that. Do you think I'd stay in Madrid, idly by, knowing there's a hidden treasure in the vicinity of Murcia Cathedral?
— I'll go with you... — Geovanna didn't intend to leave him alone. — I know someone who lives there and who could be of great help. He's a scholar on the subject. He's very familiar with the esoteric world of the Freemasons and their rituals.
— I don't know what to say to you...
Thoughtfully, he ran his hand over his chin and considered the proposal.
— I already told you we can't involve anyone else. Something like that could endanger not only our lives, but this person's as well.
— I'll vouch for him," she insisted stubbornly. — He's Umbert Monroe, my mother's brother. He's been retired for years. He lives in a town in Murcia called Santomera. According to him, he's the only one who knows the story that gave rise to the town's name. You'll enjoy meeting him, I'm sure!
He made it clear he wouldn't rule out the possibility of visiting him..." Gregory Evans thought to himself that it would be best not to object, otherwise it would only serve to start an argument he didn't want to face.
— Okay, let's consult him, but first, I'm worried about what you'll tell Candice. The auction is next Monday — he reminded her — and she'll need everyone at the event.
— I wasn't thinking of traveling now. — I'll find a convincing excuse to be away for a few days after the auction. It's best if you go first and wait for me there, staying in a hotel. In the meantime, I could gather information about the chains in the Velez chapel. Perhaps your contacts will help us with some other important detail!
— That's what I hope — he replied, absorbed, as he sat back down at the computer. — I think we might have some news on Iacobus's manifesto...
Geovanna moved closer to take a look at the monitor screen, exactly where Gregory Evans was pointing with the index finger of his right hand.
— Does the name Tubal-cain sound familiar? — he asked.
— Does it remind you of any biblical characters?
— Perhaps a descendant of Cain, given the similarity of the suffix — Geovanna suggested, opening the Bible again. For a moment, he searched through Genesis. He was surprised to find his mind blank, as there were some verses dedicated precisely to the descendants of the first fratricide. He read aloud:
"Cain knew his wife, and she conceived and bore Enoch. He was building a city and named it Enoch, after his son. Enoch gave birth to Irad, and Irad fathered Mehujael, who fathered Methusael, and Methusael fathered Lamech. Lamech had two wives: the first named Adah, the second Zillah. And Adah bore Jabal, who became the father of those who dwell in tents and raise livestock. His brother's name was Tubal, the father of all who play the zither and flute. And Zillah, in turn, bore Tubal-cain, the father of all who forge copper and iron. Tubal-cain's sister was Naamah…"
— That's amazing! — Greg exclaimed. — If we follow the Iacobus manuscript, we'll have to look for Solomon's columns in the region of Tubal-cain, that is, in Enoch, an antediluvian city...
He blinked, concentrating.
— Can you understand anything?
Geovanna shrugged. She, too, was confused.
— Now, more than ever, I think we should pay my uncle a visit. I'm sure there must be some connection between the Freemasons and the characters in the Bible.
— Listen to what I thought... — Gregory Evans told her. — Tomorrow will be Friday. I'll talk to Candice and tell her I plan to go to Murcia. You'll spend the weekend with me so you can introduce me to my father-in-law's brother you mentioned. On Sunday afternoon, you'll fly to Madrid, go to the auction on Monday, find a good excuse to be absent, and then return to Murcia on Tuesday morning." From then on, we'll have a week to search for Iacobus's diary.
— Which, according to the bricklayer, is in hell... — Geovanna remarked ironically. — I just hope it's not under the care of Lucifer himself.
She laughed at her own expression, but Gregory Evans didn't find it amusing, as his attention was completely focused on the monitor screen. The detective remained lost in his own thoughts, muttering,
— The Widow's Sons... The Widow's Sons.