Free CS 01 The Grail Conspiracy by Lynn Sholes Page B

the rim of the bowl. The surface was a dull gray metal. A simple line
of tiny pewter-colored beads ran around the base, while a necklace of
miniature grapevines curled around the throat.

    "It's in remarkable shape," he said, "if it's really two thousand
years old." His gloved finger rubbed a small imperfection on the back
side of the Cup. "Other than this little nick, I'd guess it has been well
cared for." John turned the chalice around. "IHS," he said as he
touched the engraving on the side.
    "Is it the Grail?" she asked.
    "I don't know." He gently pressed into a thick, dark substance
coating the inside. "Probably beeswax."
    "It's so ... plain," she said. "I guess I expected something a little
flashier."
    "You've seen too many Indiana Jones movies."
    "You're awfully calm to be holding what could be the Holy Grail."
    "I've been burned in the past by a few clever fakes of other artifacts."
    "Well, this is my first, so bear with me while I get excited." She
grinned, and he returned a smile. Cotten pointed at the engraving.
"What's IHS?"
    "It's the emblem-like a monogram-for Jesus' name. The early
Christians used the three letters during Roman times to identify each
other. It's also the first three letters of His name in Greek. And in
Latin, some say it stands for In Hoc Signo Vinces, or In This Sign You
Shall Conquer. My guess is the engraving was added much later, perhaps while it was in Antioch."
    "So you believe Archer was right?"
    John held the relic up so the light shone on it from different
angles. "I wish I could say for sure. I'll admit that Archer's theory
seems to ring true." He ran his fingers over the needlework on the
cloth.
    "Are the words significant? And the cross, the rose-the knights?
What do they mean?"
    The red cross had four equal arms that flared at the ends. "Croix
Patee," he said. Then he touched the golden threads forming the words Sigillvm Militvm Xpisti. "Seal of the Army of Christ. The dog
rose was their symbol-rosa carina. It stood for the virgin and the
virgin birth, chosen because the dog rose doesn't need to be crosspollinated to produce its fruit, the rose hip."

    "Talk to me," Cotten said. "What does it mean?"
    "Near the end of the Seventh Crusade a group of religious zealots,
known as the Knights Templar, was formed. They wore the Cross
Pattie-the Templar's Cross-emblazoned on their white habits, and
their seal was two knights riding the same horse, a symbol of their
vow of poverty. Their mission was to protect the treasures of the great
temple of Jerusalem. It is suspected that in reality, they plundered the
wealth of the temple and hid it away. Instead of being impoverished,
they became exceedingly wealthy as well as powerful, answering only
to the Church. Some of the Templars claimed to be of divine lineage,
descendants of a proposed union between Jesus and Mary Magdalene. They also proclaimed themselves as Guardians of the Grail."
    John held up the chalice. "If this is truly the Cup from the Last
Supper, it would be the most prized relic in the Church-in all of
Christendom."
    "Why the wax?" Cotten asked.
    "I would assume to protect the inside from being touched or contaminated. If it held the blood of Christ, it would be considered quite
sacred."
    As Cotten stared at the Cup, Archer's dying words still spooked
her. "What about the message that I'm the only one who can stop the
sun, the dawn? How would that tie in?"
    He shook his head. "No idea."
    She shifted. "It really bothers me, John. If I'm the only one to do
whatever Archer was talking about, then I'm the only one they're
looking for."
    «WhO?"

    "Whoever broke into my apartment. I've got a bad feeling about
the whole thing. You weren't there when the Arab pulled the gun and
tried to kill Archer. He wasn't just stealing some old trinket box. He
was driven-I saw it in his eyes. It was creepy. Archer believed he had
the Grail, and whoever tried to kill him was convinced of it, too. Even
you