Apocalypsis 1.10 The Seven Bowls Of Wrath Read online

  EPISODE 10

  THE SEVEN BOWLS OF WRATH

  Lübbe Webnovel is an imprint of Bastei Lübbe GmbH & Co. KG

  Copyright © 2011 by Bastei Lübbe GmbH & Co. KG, Cologne, Germany

  Written by Mario Giordano, Cologne

  Translated by Diana Beate Hellmann, Los Angeles

  English version edited by Charlotte Ryland, London

  Editors: Friederike Achilles/Jan F. Wielpütz

  Artwork: © Dino Franke, Hajo Müller

  E-Book-Production: Dörlemann Satz, Lemförde

  ISBN 978-3-8387-1466-0

  All rights reserved

  No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole, or in part, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

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  LXIX

  * * *

  From: [email protected]

  To: [email protected]

  May 16, 2011 18:17:54 GMT+04:45

  Re: Package

  Master!

  As scheduled, the package has just left our headquarters.

  With you in the light.

  Creutzfeldt

  * * *

  * * *

  From: [email protected]

  To: [email protected]

  May 16, 2011 21:11:04 GMT+04:45

  Re: Package

  Master!

  The package has just been handed over to the courier. Delivery will be right on schedule.

  With you in the light.

  Creutzfeldt

  * * *

  May 17, 2011, Cologne

  He locked himself into the bathroom and examined his legs. He discovered a small irritated patch on his left foot. Just a little redness of the skin, like a small bruise. But Peter knew better. He knew that he was running out of time.

  The scent of coffee and fresh rolls was wafting through the house. From the kitchen, Peter could hear his father’s voice and Maria’s laughter. She laughed as if she had just heard a good joke. His mother greeted him with a kiss.

  »She is very nice,« she whispered into his ear. »Please don’t get her into any more trouble.«

  Peter did not react to this comment. As he entered the kitchen, Maria was taking a hearty bite of a roll, smeared in pâté. She was wearing her habit again and smiling at him. Peter could detect neither guilt nor shame in her face. On the contrary, Maria was glowing and she seemed composed and determined like…

  … a saint.

  Endlessly beautiful, endlessly distant. Peter did not even dare to touch her. Maria responded to his look with a tender and affectionate expression that Peter interpreted as patience. As if he were a child who had not yet understood a simple fact.

  The fact that they had no future together.

  The fact that they would not even have a second night together. The fact that it was over.

  »Good morning,« his father said. »Don’t make such a face! Come on, have something to eat.«

  His mother served him coffee and fried eggs like she used to when he was a kid. Even though he wasn’t really hungry, Peter started eating without taking his eyes off Maria. After a while she looked away, embarrassed.

  »I will leave the two of you alone,« his father announced and left the kitchen. Shortly afterwards, Peter saw his parents in the garden. They were just standing there, hand in hand. They were saying goodbye. A sight that almost broke his heart.

  »I made a phone call to one of Nakashima’s people,« Maria told him in a soft voice. »They have made all the necessary arrangements. They will send a car this afternoon to pick your parents up.«

  Peter nodded apprehensively. The spot on his foot was itching.

  »What’s the matter?« Maria wanted to know.

  Peter forced himself to ignore the itch.

  »Seth knows where I am,« he said. »He just called me.«

  Maria was so shocked that the color drained from her face. »What?«

  »He wants to talk to me. He wants me to meet a Doctor Creutzfeldt. Later today. In a hotel in Cologne.«

  »Don’t go there! Under no circumstances!«

  »Why shouldn’t I?« he replied spitefully. »It would be the easiest way to get some answers.«

  »It would be the easiest way to get yourself killed, you moron!«

  »Oh, how lovely, you’ve got your usual attitude back,« Peter mumbled sarcastically.

  »What is that supposed to mean?«

  »Uh, forget it. I’m sorry.« Peter pushed his plate aside. He had made a decision. »I will not go. I know it is a trap.«

  Before he came into the kitchen he had used his father’s computer to make printouts of the image files and the list of names. Now he placed the documents on the table.

  »That’s what I found on the SIM card.«

  »These are alchemical symbols,« Maria explained to him. »The alchemists denoted each element, each apparatus, and each process by a symbol.«

  »How do you know these things?«

  »My father had some interest in the history of alchemy. When I was little, he used to explain many of the symbols to me. Like an extinct language.«

  Peter became curious. »Your father, ho-hum. You’ve never told me anything about your parents. Why did your father study alchemy?«

  »For professional reasons. He was a … kind of therapist.«

  »A kind of therapist? Was? Can you try to be a little bit clearer?«

  Maria ignored him and began to point at different symbols on the square. »This one here, in the upper left corner, is the alchemical symbol for mercury. And this one, in the upper right corner, stands for sulfur. This one here in the bottom left field is the symbol for aqua regia, a compound that can dissolve certain metals. This one here, in the bottom right field, means cinnabar, and this one in the center is the symbol that we already know, the one for copper. It seems to me as if the other symbols denote the apparatus that need to be used and the processes that need to be performed.«

  »In other words: it’s a recipe? Cooking instructions?«

  »Maybe. But without measurements. The quantities are not indicated. That’s how the alchemists protected their ›patents‹ during the Middle Ages.«

  Peter took another look at the square with the 25 fields. »So it’s a formula. What does it explain, do you think? The secret of making gold?«

  Maria shrugged her shoulders. »The symbol for gold is not even included. In alchemy, it is all about transformation. The alchemists believed that the basis of the material world was the materia prima, a formless or void state of primeval chaos, from which the four elements evolved: fire, earth, water and air. As these elements share certain properties, and transmutation is possible. And the alchemists postulated that there was a powerful substance which was capable of accomplishing this transformation; the lapis philosophorum, the Philosopher's Stone. Since the alchemists also believed that metals and minerals were made of the same four elements, they thought that they, too, could be transformed. According to this theory, the combination of sulfur and mercury would create the different metals and minerals, depending on measurements and purity. When combined in the purest form and with perfect balance, the result would be the most perfect of all metals – gold. Later on, the transformation of other metals into gold was interpreted as a metaphor for the soul. When the soul is liberated from its leaden state, it will know its own light, the light of pure spirit. There were only a handful of alchemists who honestly believed that they could transmute lead into gold. The other ones, the frustrated w
ould-be gold makers, became entangled in a labyrinth of fantasies, hallucinations, visions and dreams, but through their active imaginations they came to discover something else: the unconscious.«

  Peter poured some more coffee into Maria’s cup.

  »And what if Nicolas Flamel ultimately succeeded in making gold, and the Light-Bearers found his formula?«

  »Do you believe that, Peter?«

  »No. And it would not make any sense either. If they had synthetic gold of 100% purity they could start an assault on the world economy. The gold price would fall rapidly. The United States and the biggest national economies would go bankrupt in a blink of an eye. The world would fall into chaos. If they were able to do that, why would they go through all the trouble of attacking the Vatican?«

  »On the other hand,« Maria said, »this could be the apocalypse Kelly was talking about.«

  Peter shook his head. »I believe that the Bearers of the Light are searching for something which is far more valuable than gold.«

  »The amulet,« Maria said.

  Peter nodded. »Or what the amulet is keeping sealed. Kelly talked about nine seals that have to be broken to induce the apocalypse. Our amulet is just one of those seals. The master key. The question is: who is holding the other eight keys?«

  Maria tapped on the list of names.

  »But why 21 names?« Peter asked. He thought for a while, trying to remember. »If there is even a grain of truth in Kelly’s delirious blabbering, the Light Bearers believe in the existence of the treasure of the Templars. It is unlikely that this treasure has a material value. It is probably some ancient knowledge that the Templars discovered in the Holy Land and that they later divided after their dissolution, before keeping it successfully hidden for centuries. In other words, only when the Light Bearers possess all nine seals will they have the power they are seeking. And the destruction of the Vatican is the crucial step to get there.«

  Maria tapped on the alchemical formula. »And what about this?«

  Suddenly, it dawned on Peter. »I am such a moron!«

  »What do you mean?«

  »Don’t you see it? The square has 25 fields. Like the SATOR square. Perhaps it’s the same story and the true formula is encoded. Look at the copper symbol in the center. It’s almost too obvious!«

  Once again, he drew the copper symbol over the square. The fields that touched the tips of the symbol formed a sequence of alchemical signs, some of which looked like letters, some like incomplete hieroglyphs:

  »And what is this?« Maria asked.

  »Perhaps an alchemical formula? You tell me!«

  Maria took a closer look at the formula. »This is strange… the cinnabar is at the end.«

  »Why is that strange?«

  »Cinnabar, or mercury sulfide as we call it today, was regarded as a reasonably precious compound of mercury and sulfur. Maybe we can find a clue in here.« Maria picked up the printouts of the alchemical texts.

  »You see, this text makes frequent reference to red mercury!« Maria called out. »But mercury is never red, only in its sulfide form as cinnabar!« She thought for a moment. »Perhaps it refers to a stage of the transmutation process. In alchemy, the ›reddening‹ was the third stage when it came to the transformation of metals, after the ›whitening‹ and the ›yellowing.‹ Also, if I understand what is written here, the red mercury can cause devastating chemical reactions. Fire, smoke, toxic fumes…«

  »Of course!« Peter shouted. »Red Mercury! Damn it, how could I forget about this!«

  Maria stared at him, irritated. »I don’t understand.«

  »Kelly talked about that, in Misrian! He claimed it was some kind of alchemical super-explosive based on a mysterious powder, the ›White Bread‹ of the Egyptians. In the late 1940s, at the beginning of the Cold War, the Russians had allegedly developed a super-explosive to detonate very small nuclear bombs. Code name ›Red Mercury.‹ It was alleged that even the smallest amounts had ten thousand times the power of TNT. Although the entire ordeal was nothing but Soviet propaganda, it became the breeding ground for the wildest conspiracy theories, which have been circulating ever since.« Energized, Peter tapped on the formula. »What if this mysterious highly explosive substance really exists?«

  »You believe that the Russians were into alchemy? This is absurd.«

  »Didn’t you hear what I said? It was pure propaganda. But what if Kelly was right and the alchemists did invent some devastating super-explosive?«

  »Do you think this is the legendary treasure of the Templars? A superbomb?«

  »I’ve just been thinking about my vision. The entire Vatican blows up. If you want that to happen, you need an explosive with the power of a small nuclear bomb.«

  »Why would the Light Bearers want to blow up the Vatican?«

  »Because this is the only way for them to uncover the secret behind the nine seals. Whatever the secret may be, I believe that this is the formula for Red Mercury. And if this is true, the Light-Bearers have a terrible weapon in their hands.«

  Maria remained skeptical. »How can you be so sure about this?«

  »I know it sounds absurd, but anything else would make even less sense. The conclave begins tomorrow. If anyone wants to attack the Catholic Church, this opportunity is as good as it gets.«

  »But these are all things that you already knew from your vision.«

  »Yes, but now we also know who is behind all this and we know how they will probably execute the attack. The question that remains is whether or not the bomb is already in the Vatican.«

  And suddenly Maria said, »It is not one but seven bombs.« She was as pale as death. »I saw them.«

  »What are you talking about?«

  »Seven,« Maria repeated tonelessly, »I saw them in my vision. At first I thought they were The Seven Bowls of the Apocalypse, but the fact is that they were seven small capsules, barely larger than fountain pen cartridges.«

  »Then we have to return to Rome immediately and talk to Don Luigi.« Peter wanted to get up from his chair but Maria stopped him.

  »There is more.« Maria looked forlorn. The memory of her vision seemed to rattle her to the core. »I saw a cardinal. In an airport. He is washing his hands. His hands are dripping with blood. He is carrying the bombs with him.«

  »Could you tell which airport it was?«

  Maria shook her head.

  »Try to remember, Maria! Please!«

  Maria shook her head even more vehemently. »It all happened so fast.«

  Peter thought for a moment and then he took the cell phone that he had been given in Montpellier and dialed Don Luigi’s number.

  »Peter!« The Padre’s voice on the other end of the line sounded delighted. »Finally!« he said. »Are you still in Cologne?«

  »Yes, Padre, I am. But I need your help. The cardinals who are eligible to vote in the conclave… have they all arrived?«

  »Why do you ask, Peter?«

  »Please, Don Luigi! Is it possible for you to find out?«

  »Just give me a moment! Stay on the line.«

  Peter heard a clicking sound and then the hold music started playing. After about two minutes, Don Luigi was back on the line.

  »The cardinal electors are all in Rome.«

  Damn it!

  »With one exception,« Don Luigi added. »Cardinal Madhav Bahadur from Nepal, who left Katmandu this morning, will land in Rome at 8:55 pm.«

  »In Rome. Shit.«

  »Yes, but as Cardinal Bahadur loves to fly First Class with Lufthansa, he has to switch planes in Frankfurt. His flight arrives at the International Airport at 4:32 pm.«

  His parents were already packing, though only the bare necessities. They appeared calm and focused, as if they were preparing for a vacation that they were no longer looking forward to. Peter was surprised about the humility with which they accepted that they could no longer call their friends. That they had to cut all ties. That from now on they would be on the run. They seemed to trust Maria completely.
>
  Peter felt helpless. »Is there anything that I can do for you?« he asked.

  His mother shook her head. »We’ll manage all right.«

  »You have always been and will always be the worst liar in the world, Mom. Where the hell do you get this courage from? Why aren’t you bombarding me with accusations?«

  »Would it make you feel better?«

  Peter did not answer. Elke Adam smiled and stroked her son’s cheek. »Facts have to be faced. Especially when they are inescapable facts. After all, we are in good hands. All that matters is that you watch out and take care of yourself. And of Maria. We are only doing this because we hope that we can help you.«

  »What did Maria tell you last night?« Peter wanted to know.

  »She told us about her vision. She said that the Virgin Mary has assured her that we will all see each other again.«

  »But, Mom, you’ve never believed in those kinds of things,« Peter said.

  His mother caressed his cheek, as if he were a child. »Many things have changed in recent days. It was not so much the vision that convinced me. It was Maria. We realized that our lives really are in danger. But more than anything else we realized that we would put you in even greater danger if we stayed. We are doing this for you, Peter.«

  At one thirty in the afternoon, Franz Laurenz gave Peter another call on his cell phone to tell him that the car for Peter’s parents was on its way.

  »The name of the driver is Saneaki. He will provide your parents with the essentials, passports and some cash, and then he will get them out of the country. You know how this works, Peter.«

  »Yes, I know,« Peter said. »When will I see my parents again?«

  »As soon as possible. Your parents’ house and property will be taken care of. Don’t worry, there is no reason to be concerned. Nakashima San is an excellent host. I had the pleasure of experiencing it for myself over the last weeks.«

  »Do you want me to believe that this is actually more of a vacation?«

  »No, Peter. But please, listen to me now. There are some important instructions that your parents have to follow under all circumstances.«