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Chapter 10: The Math
Abner ran through the house. How could he have been so blind? Why didn't he see this before? Henry and Marion had been getting on rather well. A little too well, actually. He'd just thought Henry respected him enough not to do…that.
Turned out respect meant nothing when Henry wanted to get his leg over.
'Henry Jones Junior!' Abner yelled as he marched into the hallway. And he was the idiot who put the bum in a room that close to Marion's.
Speaking of which, Marion stepped out of Henry's room. From the looks of it, she was wearing nothing but one of Henry's shirts. Her hair was a mess, like a certain bastard had spent the night with his hands in it. Her lips were swollen as if that same someone had been kissing her thoroughly. And there were tear tracks on her cheeks. He was too late. Marion had given her virginity to that lecherous bum. She was supposed to be saved for the hero of the century.
Marion's face remained blank. 'He's gone.'
Abner stopped short. 'Gone?'
'He left early this morning,' Marion said.
'How early?' Abner asked.
'I don't know.' Marion shrugged. 'I was asleep.'
Abner scowled. 'In his bed?'
Marion raised an eyebrow. Yes. Yes, she had. She'd gone and given Henry Jones Junior her body, the stupid girl. Now, he had to deal with that. First thing he'd do was make sure that she understood how stupid she was.
'And now,' he said, 'you've given him what he wanted. He's gone. He's left you. He's probably onto the next one by now.'
'No.' Marion smiled sadly. 'You don't understand my Indy as well as you think you do, dad. He left, yes. But now, I expect, he's finding out the one thing you don't want him to know.'
'And what's that?' Abner demanded, irritated at the possessive way she'd referred to Henry.
Marion just brushed past him and walked into her room. Abner heard the click of the lock and waited. Sure enough, he soon heard his daughter break down into sobs and slide down the door.
Serves you right, you stupid girl.
Bedford, Connecticut
Indy ran a hand through his hair and glanced up as something passed outside the window. Once he saw what it was, he refocused on what he was doing. He had the pictures on either side of him and he needed to get it done. There was a knock on the door.
'It's open, Marcus,' he called.
The door opened and closed and Marcus Brody walked in. 'How did you know it was me?'
'Saw your car out the window.' Indy continued rifling through the papers. 'I thought I wasn't starting until next week. What d'you need?'
'I'm a little concerned about you, Indy,' Marcus said. 'Take how you look now.'
'What's wrong with it?' Indy stopped rifling and looked up.
'Indy, I've seen eggs that look better than your eyes,' Marcus said. 'You're a mess. Now, something's bothering you. What is it?'
'Nothing important.' Indy shook his head and tried to go back to his work.
'If it wasn't important, you wouldn't be so bothered,' Marcus said.
Indy winced and stood up. He knew Marcus. The guy wouldn't leave him alone until he told him what had happened. 'You know Abner's daughter?'
'Abner daughter?' Marcus asked. 'I've never met her, but I have heard of her. Her name's Marion, isn't it? A lot of people seem to think she shouldn't be allowed out in public.'
'They're idiots,' Indy said. 'That or they just don't like the fact that she's a strong-willed female. I'm betting they feel intimidated by her.'
There must've been something in his face or voice. Or both. Marcus picked it up right away. 'You fell in love with her.' He frowned. 'You didn't act on it, did you, Indy? I mean…'
Indy cut him off. 'Define "act".'
'You did.' Marcus shook his head. 'Why? You usually have better control than that.'
Indy started pacing the room. 'I don't know. I liked her from the word "go". She stood up to me and she wasn't falling at my feet. She wasn't as easy as girls usually are for me. That was probably the first thing.'
Marcus sat down. 'I suppose what I should ask is: how did it happen?'
'I had a one-nighter with this girl, Kate…something like that. But she didn't understand the meaning of the phrase.' Indy walked over to his desk and sat down. 'I had this bright idea. If I made her think I was a two-timer, she'd leave me alone. Marion was the only girl around so I took her down to the mall. I hoped whatever-her-name-was would see us and jump to conclusions.'
'She didn't?' Marcus asked.
'No. And Marion…she knew the whole time. She was just humouring me. Then…she came up with an idea to get rid of the other girl. When I agreed to it…I swear to God, I didn't know what it was.'
'She kissed you?' Marcus asked.
Indy nodded. 'It was harder after that. I had to tell myself she was just a kid more. Then, one night, in Africa, there was…let's just say a light show. We could see it from camp. I'm still not sure what caused it. And she was standing there…to me, she looked like an angel. I couldn't stop myself. I kissed her and…and next thing I know, I've entered an affair with a kid.' Indy averted his eyes. 'I figured it'd happen, it'd burn out fast and that'd be that. Only that didn't happen.' Indy rested his head in his hands. 'Marcus, I started feeling possessive, like she was mine. Like no one else could have her.'
Marcus frowned. 'Why did you feel like that, I wonder? Describe an incident.'
'Abner probably knows by now.' Indy rubbed the bridge of his nose. 'At about that time, this kid came to the house with flowers for Marion. I wanted to rip the kid's head off, despite the fact I never even saw him. I didn't have to worry. Abner went nuts. But he called Marion a whore. I told him off and took Marion upstairs.' Indy closed his eyes and remembered that night.
Marcus cleared his throat. 'You didn't.'
'I did.' Indy exhaled. 'She asked. Said she wanted it to be me. Maybe I shouldn't have, but…I don't think I ever had a choice in the matter. It was like it was going to happen from the minute she saw me.'
'She saw you first?' Marcus asked.
Indy chuckled bitterly. 'I was…preoccupied at the time.'
Marcus winced, understanding. 'And she still wanted you to be the one to, uh…you know?'
'Yes.'
'How do you know?' Marcus asked.
'After Abner called her a whore, we started talking about the subject.' Indy ignored Marcus's cringe. 'I asked her if she ever had. She said she didn't want to give it to just anyone. I asked who she wanted to give it to and she kissed me.' He shrugged. 'What do you need? A neon sign?'
Marcus nodded and politely changed the subject. 'What were you doing when I came in?'
'Hm?' Indy looked back at his desk. 'Oh, right. Did you hear about Kamau Kawar?'
'That fellow that said he had the headpiece but he wouldn't give it to Abner?' Marcus asked. 'Abner then decided he didn't have it. He was just trying to swindle you.'
'That's him.' Indy nodded. 'He's told me he does have it, he's just not giving it to Abner. Apparently there's an ulterior motive. Kamau wouldn't tell me what it was, but he gave me these pictures. If I could find the connection between them, I find Abner's motive.'
Marcus walked over and looked at the pictures. 'My goodness! That looks like the same child dressed for different social classes.'
Indy blinked. Now that Marcus mentioned it… 'Marcus, you're a genius!'
'I am?' Marcus asked.
Marcus's modesty was something he could never accomplish. Indy grinned. 'I was so busy looking through the records that I didn't see it's the same boy!'
'Louis XVII?' Marcus asked. 'So he did survive.'
'Apparently.' Indy scratched his head. 'But what does he have to do with the Raven…Marcus, do you think you can find me a picture of Abner's earliest known ancestor?'
'Probably,' Marcus said. 'Why?'
'I've got a feeling.'
~NQM~
Marcus rummaged around in the archives until he found it. Charles Ravenwood. Ten years old and he appeared from nowhere. As did his guardians. It was a mystery to Marcus why Indy wanted this but, he suspected, he'd find out soon enough. Indy had to have a reason.
He always did.
~NQM~
'Here.' Marcus handed it over. 'Charles Ravenwood. He showed up in Kendall when he was ten years old.'
Indy took the picture and looked at it. He'd been afraid of that. 'Come here.' He led Marcus over to the board where he'd pinned the pictures of Louis XVII. Indy held the picture of Charles Ravenwood between them. 'What do you notice?'
Marcus gasped. 'It's the same boy again!'
'Exactly.' Indy scowled. 'When he arrived on English soil, Louis XVII either changed his name or had it changed to Charles Ravenwood. That means Abner and Marion are direct descendants of the Royal Family of France.'
'So, Abner's ulterior motive for the Ark would be to get back on that throne.' Marcus continued Indy's thought path. 'But France is a republic!'
'And they like it that way.' Indy rubbed his jaw. 'Which means the only way for him to do it would be to scare the country into submission.' He looked at Marcus and they both said, 'The Ark.'
Marcus shook his head, appalled. 'I can't believe Abner would do such a horrible thing.'
Indy sat down, leaned his elbows on his knees, folded his hands and leaned his chin on them. 'To be fair, he was probably raised to do it. No way can Abner be the first generation looking to get back on the throne.'
'So Marion would just be a pawn to carry on the royal bloodline,' Marcus murmured.
Indy's teeth snapped together. 'With how oblivious he thinks she is, I'd say that's all she is to him.' He paused. 'And I think she knows it.' That son of a bitch! His Marion had so much strength and so much potential and Abner wanted to tie her down with outdated responsibilities.
Marcus shook his head. 'You can see why Kamau wanted you to work it out yourself, though. Nobody would believe it!'
Indy nodded. 'You can also see why the Kawars felt the need to keep the medallion away from Abner. Their service in El Jawf isn't to any political figures – it's to the common people.'
'Well, good on them,' Marcus said. 'What if Abner got the headpiece off them?'
'Low chance.' Indy opened his drawer. 'But if he did…' He held up a small book. 'I've got Abe's diary on the Ark of the Covenant. He sent it to me when he invited me to help him look for it.'
Marcus nodded in understanding. 'So you'd be the one who would need to lead the assault against him.'
Indy leaned his head back. 'I'd be like Leo.'
Sinkiang, China, 1927
Indy heard someone approaching him from behind. He turned casually and, to be frank, he was surprised. Abner Ravenwood. Oh, Indy had been waiting for this. He stood there, patiently waiting.
'You want something?' he asked when Abner came within earshot.
'Yes, Henry.' Abner's gaze was furious. 'It's about my seventeen year old daughter.'
Just a little closer. 'She's eighteen.'
Abner stormed forward and got in Indy's face. 'She was seventeen when you started that affair with her, you bastard. She had a brainless infatuation and you took advantage of it!'
'Did I?' Indy turned slightly and rubbed his forefinger under his nose. 'While we're talking about taking advantage of something…'
Indy moved fast and swung, punching Abner square in the nose. His old mentor yelled out and twisted. He hit the ground with a thud. Indy stood there, hands on his hips and waited for him to push himself up on his hands and knees. Abner looked at him in absolute shock.
'…Maybe we better talk about how the King is trying to manipulate the Princess. What do you say, Your Majesty?' The title was said in mocking.
Abner gawked. Indy chuckled and crouched down. 'What, did you think I wouldn't find out about that? I have some pretty damn good sources. You're a direct descendant of King Louis XVII, who was ultimately saved from the Revolution by Eugene le Boiur-Chevalier. That's what you want the Ark for. You want to be back on the French Throne.' He tutted and shook his head. 'Newsflash, Abe: France is a republic. The time for the monarchy is long gone. You'll never rule the country.'
Abner scowled at him and said, 'My family will return to their throne, Henry. It's been foretold in the Psalms.'
'The Psalms?' Indy asked. 'What are you talking about?' Abner staggered to his feet. He composed himself, turned on his heel and walked away. Indy scowled and called after him, 'I'll find out eventually, Abe!'
