Chapter 3 - Flying Can
The interrogation in the military base of the international coalition had still dragged on for many hours. They had had fun cooking them up in every possible verbal sauce, but had gotten nothing conclusive from him or Archer, who pretended to be a simple little boy who had been recruited as a local translator by the expedition.
"You know, my father is a great researcher in archaeology, it's as if he had lived at that time. So I learned these languages at a very young age. Of course Arabic, but especially Sumerian, Phoenician, a lot of cuneiform languages. I can write it and even speak it to you, if you want. Besides, I'm fitter and a lot cheaper than an old man who could hardly walk a hundred yards. "
It had been very hard for Adelaide to keep her composure not to burst out laughing as she listened to Archer's interrogation from a distance. With a finesse allied to a percussive sense of rhetoric, the boy had made a joy of making them spin in a totally irreproachable way. Sitting in a waiting room chair with the young servant sitting on her lap, resting his head against her shoulder, she recalled his response to the strange death of the terrorists.
"I think it must not have worked well with their equipment, because when we came out, they were already like this. It's like they signed their death warrant right away. After that, I don't know more. I mostly helped to get the sexy teacher out, that's what the students call her you know because she's very pretty. She had trouble walking with her knee, it was a long way up. "
They had both agreed before the army arrived to tune their violins during their "testimonies". Her husband, often confronted with politicians and members of the Council of Mages, had once told her that the best of lies had a great deal of truth in it. As often - as the person concerned would say - he seemed to be right.
Once convinced that they were not involved in the strange deaths of the terrorists, the military had led them blindfolded to the British embassy. When they had tried to separate Archer from her, claiming he had no papers, the boy had excused himself for a few minutes before returning with a valid passport and ID card. Professor Fleury had long wondered how he had done it. She got her answer when she saw him discreetly slipping her own passport and ID card into her backpack, which must have served as a template. Ah, he was not lacking in nerve, nor in resourcefulness, he did not lose the north! He had even managed to facilitate to his advantage the very complex and long procedures of the adoption, by not hesitating to use his natural charms to reach his goal.
Officially then, his name was Godric Gilderoy Kingsley. He still hadn't told her his real name, but she was having fun tracing back the few clues he was having fun leaving in his wake. Her tired mind was beginning to allow itself a little nap when a loud voice rang out:
- Professor Fleury! Your director wants to talk to you, we have him on the reception phone.
- I'll be right there. Godric, I have to get up, I have a call to take.
- mm, go ahead...
With recalcitrant, the servant mumbled in a sleepy voice before sitting down on a book chair and closing his eyes without asking for help. Once released, Adélaïde placed her jacket on the shoulders of her partner to warm him a little in these too air-conditioned places before gaining the room of reception of the diplomatic refugees of the British nationals. Thanking the secretary for waiting, the young woman took the handset and accepted the call with gratitude.
- Good morning, Mr. Director. Professor Adelaide Fleury speaking.
- You are alive! How are you? I was told you were injured, how are you feeling?
Ah, he was obviously not in the mood to play their usual little comedy about their work environment. Note, considering the time he was probably in their mansion, maybe between two games of video games. She herself exhausted by these last hours, she took very willingly this familiarity.
- A little shaken up by the events, but that's okay. It's never pleasant to see the bodies of your colleagues. I was lucky though, I'm safe and sound. Sorry I worried you, my phone didn't survive the trip. A few scratches, three stitches to my skull for a scrape and a slight sprain to my right knee. I got off pretty easy.
- You actually did not do as bad as Peru, although I heard you almost got killed there between the rockslide and the terrorists.
- Honestly, I'm already glad to be in one piece and alive. I owe a lot to the young translator who accompanied us. Without his help, I probably wouldn't have made it.
- I don't remember you having a young translator on your team. Is he new?
- Yes, a young recruit who joined us on site. The kid of a friend of Karim's, you know, from his circle of specialists in Mesopotamian civilizations. A real genius of ancient languages.
- Oh, I didn't know they were breeding in that circle.
- Yes I know, I didn't believe it either when Karim introduced him to me at the camp. A real miracle that came at the right time. Eddie needed a lot of help during the last few outings.
- You'll have to introduce him to me, this little "miracle". He's coming with you, I suppose? Knowing you, you are incapable of leaving a little orphan to his fate.
Adelaide was going to answer him when a sound noise in the background briefly interrupted their discussion. Intrigued, she asked him with a certain curiosity.
- Is everything all right? I thought I heard voices in the background, do you have guests?
- Oh, it's just a video game. You know, the one that keeps talking in pause mode. Nothing unusual. You know, you have to keep busy.
- Oh yeah, that Wii fighting game you're so fond of... "Super Smash Bros Brawl", right?
- Oh, come on dear, I'm on the Wii U now, but it's nice that you're interested.
- Tomato, tomato... it's the same thing, right? These things change so quickly... Anyway. Yes, Godric is coming with me, the psychologists think it's the best thing to do after what he's been through. If you don't mind, of course. I understand if you don't think it's a good idea.
- Come on, I'm not one to turn away kids in distress. Look at the number of social cases we have at the school. If you bring in a genius, it'll be an added bonus.
- Oh, you mean the Mafiosi twins, the Russian hacker or the counselor's little protégés?
- Take whichever one you want. As you can see, there's no shortage of choice.
A burst of laughter escaped her, talking with her dearest loved one did her a lot of good and relaxed her singularly. Adelaide could forget about the ruins and the bodies of her colleagues.
- And you, how do you feel? Does Dorian know I'm still alive? I wouldn't want him to worry about his old PhD supervisor on his family vacation in Ireland.
- Alas, your case has been broadcast on every channel in the world so he's flying to England right now. As for me, I am reassured to hear from you. I just can't wait for you to come home.
- I will pick up our return tickets as soon as the embassy will let me.
- Your tickets are already taken, you just have to pick them up at the embassy desk. It leaves in three hours. Your bags have been collected and a cab will be here soon.
- I think it just arrived. I'll have to hang up. I'll call you when I get to the airport and then when I get to London. I'll keep you posted on the flow of the buses and the Underground.
- A car will be waiting for you at Heathrow airport, with me inside. Try to be careful at least until you get back here, okay?
- You have my word, dear. And you don't worry about it until then, okay? Relax with the video games if you want, but avoid the all-nighter. You promise me?
- I promise, revolutionary of my heart. Take care, and see you in a few hours.
She couldn't help but have a smile on her face as she walked out of the reception area. Ah, he would never change on this point: he didn't have France in his heart, especially the French. It was quite ironic when one thought that he had proposed to her when she was French of Bordeaux descent. To their friends, he said that she was the exception that confirmed the rule.
Adelaide was startled when a clear voice interrupted her reverie.
- It looks like you won't be on the couch when you get home. That's good news, isn't it?
- To... Godric, I didn't hear you approaching. Let me know next time, okay? I won't be on the couch, yes, and you're officially coming with me to England. Satisfied?
- It wouldn't be fun if I warned you, and I didn't want to interrupt you on the phone. Yes, the idle orphan that I am thanks you for your mercy.
He followed in her footsteps, staying at her height and giving a slight amused wink to punctuate his words. The lull would not last long, and the professor intended to take advantage of this small respite to prepare herself for the trials that would await her on home soil as well as to learn to better understand her companion in arms in this deadly battle royale.
- The cab is waiting for us at the airport, our flight will go to London. Have you ever flown?
- I've flown before, does that count?
- That depends. Stolen on what?
- It depends, a lot of things. You can fly a lot of things when you have enough strength!
- Let me rephrase that. Have you ever been on any kind of transportation that moves you through the air, designed for that purpose? For example, a plane, a glider, a hot air balloon or a helicopter.
- No, I don't know that. At least, I don't think so.
- Have you ever taken a boat or a chariot?
- A chariot, yes, with horses.
- Well, this is like a tank, but you're a passenger, it doesn't have horses, it flies through the air with a motor and sophisticated wings.
- It sucks if they are not real horses!
- It would be complicated for real horses to travel so many kilometers, they couldn't cross the English Channel. It would be difficult for us to reach England without them.
- Hmm, I admit it.
He didn't look very convinced, nor very enthusiastic about the idea of flying. Adelaide was so used to planes and trains for her archaeological expeditions or conferences that she had forgotten that this was not the case for everyone.
Were the servants airsick or seasick? She would know soon enough.
Indeed, she got her answer a few hours later. If Archer had pretended to be airsick, it had turned out to be a prank and he had laughed at having tricked her. No, he wasn't airsick... on the other hand, he was suffering from an ailment that was much more difficult to deal with.
Boredom. He couldn't stand still and couldn't stand not being in control of the situation.
Adelaide had first tried reading, and he had devoured it all in a few minutes before complaining of boredom. The teacher had then explained to him how the entertainment interface in the first class seats worked, and showed him the selection of movies and animations. This kept him busy for a couple of hours, but he soon turned away. The in-flight games were too easy for him. The music, on the other hand, had been quite successful. He had been sensitive to the different types of music bands, from classical to rock, and some metal bands.
Too distracted to advance her research paper, she put it away halfway through the flight and resorted to a last resort: a portable console, a Nintendo DS. If she didn't have her taste for video games, she could try to distract herself with more reflective games. Adelaide was still not very good at fighting or racing games, but she tried to train herself not to be too humiliated the few times she tried to please her spouse by playing with him.
She owed him that much after several months of absence due to two successive expeditions.
Adelaide noticed quite quickly that she had attracted the attention of Archer, who was observing with curiosity and concentration the motorcycle race that she was laboriously trying. He was full of questions about the purpose of the game, the controls, the bonuses and maluses, before asking if he could try. The thirty-year-old was a little stung to see him much more talented than her in much less time, but resigned herself to the fact that video games and her, it was indeed two.
- How does it feel to be in the presence of someone who knew history when it was first written rather than painted on walls?
The question had surprised her, and came out of the trade magazine article she was browsing. Godric was still playing the console, but she could almost feel the attention he was giving her. She took the time to think about his question and answer before speaking up.
- Hm? Oh, it makes me more curious than anything else. The Middle East is one of my specialties, you see, and I had done a thesis on the civilization of the mages of Mesopotamia. So you knew Uruk and the palace where we were doing the excavations?
- I actually lived in Uruk at that time, in all its magnificence rather than in ruins. What a decay!
- It had been fairly well preserved for six millennia. Unfortunately, the civil war in Iraq and the rise of terrorist movements have done a lot of damage to the heritage of humanity. Important sites are threatened today, such as the pyramids of Khufu or Palmyra. This is the reason why I was sent there with colleagues, you know. These radical groups are indeed fond of destroying everything they consider as idols and infidels.
- Maybe someone should destroy them, before they do more damage.
- It is not that simple. Many governments have tried to cut off the heads of the groups, but it is like a hydra. One head cut off, three heads growing. It's... a bit like a virus, you know. It contaminates its environment, its surroundings. Ideologies have always been very dangerous and very lethal because of that. These... people have different cells, different headquarters all over the world, and they don't hesitate to use human shields or to make massacres in the different countries to spread terror. Nothing new under the sun, in my opinion. We forget the crusades, the conquistadors, the conquest of the West, the treatment of the Canadian Amerindians or the American supremacists. Human stupidity, in short.
- When we go back, I'll do some cleaning. You dust the ruins and I'll bury the bodies of the true infidels, especially the uneducated. If there is a cardinal sin, it is this one.
So much interesting information in the eyes of Adelaide. Listening to her, if their dating of the building and the surrounding buildings were correct, he must have lived around the third millennium BC. This already narrowed down the possibilities a bit. His way of speaking, of behaving, denoted a certain charisma and a habit of exercising authority... quite close to a king. Afterwards, there was no lack of potential candidates, especially if you include the legends.
- Are you going to tell your director about us? I mean, I'm not just a charming, competent orphan?
- It's not going to be a cakewalk, but yes. We don't really like secrets in our relationship, they weigh heavily and get in the way. Besides, he is well placed to know the wars of this kind. Finally... our participation risks putting him in danger, I would prefer that he could prepare himself.
What she didn't say was that he should also be prepared to the idea that she would be exposed to danger and that she might lose her skin or not come back unscathed. And that, she knew pertinently that he would not appreciate at all the prospect and would intend to pose his conditions. The man was cunning and very difficult in business around his safety since the episode "Peru".
- All the more reason to talk to him about it, indeed. But you said he knew these wars well, did he study them or did he participate in them?
- Both, my young friend. He lived through one, studied them and then witnessed another. So he knows his stuff, yes.
- It's a bit of an obsession at this point, but at least it's going to help you.
- Is this your first war or have you been in others?
- I've been in other wars, in different forms.
- Then I'll get up to speed quickly so I don't get left behind, unlike video games.
Her attempt to amuse him and dodge a potential moment of embarrassment seemed to pay off. He left his silence and resumed his usual cheeky smile to retort with good humor.
- Oh, because he's ahead of you on that too?
- By far. It was never my cup of tea. I could write you a treatise on the properties of gems and crystals, but to finish first in one of these games? No way.
Adelaide shrugged dramatically and rolled her eyes to emphasize her inescapable mediocrity in video games, like a tragedy she could not escape.
- At least you have your beauty, that's something!
With laughing eyes, the young servant joined his hands in prayer. They would arrive soon, in about an hour and a half. Adelaide silently sipped the cup of vintage Bordeaux red wine that had been handed out by the staff, remembering with amusement Archer's pout when he discovered he wouldn't be entitled to it, being a minor. Seeing him looking down at his apple juice, the mage had taken pity on him and ordered a second glass, which she discreetly passed to him with a slight wink. He had not delayed to take it and had contemplated it a long time, admiring its scarlet dress with the eye of a connoisseur before moistening its aroma. Satisfied with his examination and commenting that it was one of the few things in the world that could still be tasted, the child savored the wine and gladly asked for another glass.
His behavior never ceased to amaze the teacher, between the insouciance of youth and the detonating spray of maturity. The Franco-British woman, rejuvenated by the drinks and the decent meal, then took out the text she had promised to reread before the Warka incident. She was not quite ready for it, but it would force her not to think too much about the ruins and her dead colleagues. Her hand was shaking a little, the shaking of the plane not helping during the rare turbulence. Dorian's article was interesting, and announced many of the points he would develop in the oral presentation.
There were always a few typos, awkwardnesses caused by a lack of popularization and small inaccuracies, but nothing he couldn't rectify with a little work.
She was not surprised to see him dealing with Ireland, its archaeology and its myths. In particular, he had taken an interest in the case of Camelot, bringing a new perspective beyond the simple question, so debated, of its true location. Adelaide would not have been surprised to see him pursue research or even a professorship. He had a future, and the wind in his sails. He still had a few things to pass on, but soon he would be ready as a mage. A wistful smile played on her lips for a few moments, distracting her from her final rereading.
Her carefree student years in Paris and London seemed so far away!
The thirty-year-old was able to work there without interruption. Her companion had found something to occupy himself after having asked her for blank sheets and something to write on, and had been working on she-knows-what-occupation ever since, totally concentrated on what he was scribbling or drawing.
The archaeologist put away her documents and resignedly grabbed the portable console to occupy the last hours of the trip. The professor was about to switch on the infernal object when Archer, on the lookout, turned away from the music proposed by the entertainment interface to turn to her.
- Are you taking the console back? What a pity, I had a little series of riddles to submit to you, perhaps able to challenge your intellect...
The imp! Only a few hours after they met, he had already figured out which strings he could use against her. Or maybe she really was as much of an "open book" as Rin and her husband claimed. Observing her for a few moments, Adelaide was quick to give a half-amused, half-convinced smile and put the portable console back in its travel pouch, which contained the other games, and held it out to her young companion.
- I never refuse a challenge, especially not this kind of challenge! Come on, show me these famous puzzles and enjoy yourself on the DS. You still have some records to break.
- I'll do my best, don't worry," he replied with amusement and a hint of challenge.
Actually, it wasn't really a concession, since she had only considered the console as a default solution to her distraction. Riddles would be more her preference! Not unhappy with himself, the young servant handed her a series of sheets. At a glance, there were a good ten of them, with all sorts of riddles. Curious and playful by nature, the Franco-British woman leaned over the little challenge he was presenting her. Each sheet was devoted to one or two exercises, with crosswords, arrow words, logical sequences of ancient characters, graphemes to be put back in the right order, to be eliminated and placed in the right sequence to find not only the right term, but under its right spelling or its right definition. Phoenician, cuneiform writing, Hebrew, Aramaic... a number of ancient languages and scripts were called upon.
Beyond the mere entertainment, this little test of intelligence was not to his displeasure.
The additional difficulty, besides the different types of riddles and exercises, was that each exercise was linked to the following ones by an intrinsic logic, that only a deep reasoning could glimpse, borrowing as much from linguistics, culture, phonetics as from symbolism. It was necessary not to miss any stage, it was necessary to see the not always linear way to detect the true answer, which wove a delicate spider web between each enigma and each answer. She soon realized that all the answers hid within them a piece of the solution to the ultimate riddle. Each difficulty she encountered kept encouraging her to keep digging, one level of deduction and induction at a time. She liked that the challenges were not too easy, she liked that they resisted her, that they were courted, approached and then, by dint of effort and reflection, they were gradually tamed and finally deciphered.
Each enigma was, more or less closely, linked to Mesopotamia and led to Uruk.
The quest for knowledge in her expertise, the questioning of her technical and theoretical knowledge, the intellectual challenge were so many things that Adelaide could hardly do without, like a drug.
And to resist it, the riddles had confronted her with a most honourable resistance! The teacher had had to scramble her neurons to find the intermediate answers, but also, and above all, to recompose the syllables and characters of the keystone of the game, the final riddle.
With her heart racing, her mind sharp, her eyes alert, Adelaide finally held the last piece of the puzzle. She thought she had the syllables, after having read it twice to check her answers. After several combinations, only one finally came to her mind twenty minutes before landing.
G [u] i - L [e] g - A [nu] - Me [na] - Sh [ag]
Her pencil slipped as she wrote the last letter, breaking her lead. Frowning, she flipped through the ten sheets three times, checking her answers before seeing that there really were no other possible combinations, at least not that she knew of.
"A god with authority and power, from the ancestral land of the royal domain..."
A human being who remained in the legend, close to the divinity, an exceptional figure considered the oldest hero of humanity. The doubt was not allowed anymore, with these syllables, only one word could fit, associated with the most known mythical figure of the history of Uruk.
Gilgamesh.
Adelaide remained dumbfounded for several long minutes, before the sound announcement demanded to bring up the shelves for the near landing in London. She threw to the young servant:
- Gugalanna... the "Bull of Heaven"! He's on my list of most fascinating creatures.
Archer reluctantly turned off the handheld and slipped it into his travel bag, before seeing where she left off. Reading her final conclusion, he approved her answer and took the last blank sheet to write a few words in Arabic, before handing it to her with a wink.
Don't worry, you don't have to bow down. I know you only bend your knee to one man, he would be jealous if you did it for two.
Adelaide couldn't help but laugh out loud at his joke. Of course she did. If she wanted proof that her deductions were right, she had just had it.
This changed her plans somewhat. The revelation had not failed to disarm her behind its debonair insurance. This name was not unfamiliar to her, as much because of her studies as because of the stories of the Holy Grail Wars known by several of her relatives.
His behavior, however, did not quite match what he had been portrayed as. There were similarities of course... but differences that were felt. He had not shown any coldness, arrogance, indifference or cruelty to date. Dignity, yes, but also humility, humor, friendliness and an innocence mixed with mischief and wisdom.
There was another conundrum to the previous ones.
The teacher was new to the Holy Grail Wars, though she would remedy her ignorance to increase their chances of success. There were a few reference books in their private library, in one of the nicest rooms of their mansion as well as in her husband's small study, dating from the time he was researching the subject. Obviously, other manuscripts had to tell the Academy about it, but that would not have been prudent in terms of discretion.
She would have to make do with what they already had "at home".
Godric Gilderoy Kingsley... her choice of names seemed, in retrospect, rather appropriate.
Godric would go down very well in public given the cover he had chosen for himself, as would Archer for fighting, in order to preserve his anonymity longer. His legend was far too well known for them to risk revealing it too soon, and he had been well known in the last few Wars. Adelaide made a mental note to herself to discreetly ask him what name to call him by in private.
"God will be fine, or 'Gil' if you consider the other first name and my 'True Name'"
Deep in thought as the plane let out the ailerons and wheels as it approached the London airport runway, this strange thought startled her just before the plane began to brake hard to conclude its landing maneuver. Moments later, as the plane resumed a more sedate speed, taxiing slowly toward its designated dock, the professor turned her gaze to the servant to see if he had addressed her.
It didn't seem to be the case. Archer was turned toward the window, his eyebrows furrowed and his gaze fixed on the runway as his fingers tapped impatiently on his armrest.
The archaeologist must have been very tired for hermind to start playing tricks on her.
Fortunately, the first class, located at the head of the plane, gave them the priority of exit and collection of luggage compared to the passengers of the second class, the servant did not seem to hold any more in place. Adelaide couldn't blame him, it had been a long trip from Baghdad to London. She already missed the clear weather and warmth of Iraq, compared to the rain and smog of London.
A riddle had been added to the mystery of this War that should not have been.
Ten days earlier, command spells had appeared on her hand and no doubt on those of other mages. Ten years earlier, Fuyuki's Grail had been destroyed by two of her relatives.
Oh, Adelaide knew one who would love this!