Chapter 4 – Getting close
Certainly, Olympia wouldn't be the place Lara would choose. Despite the deal she made with Von Croy, she was beginning to be apprehensive. He did what she did: researched anything he could about the Iris during the meantime back in England. What frightened Lara the most was the possibility to be one or two steps behind Werner. If he had the epiphany about the Iris first, it could be a little dangerous, depending on the situation. In Lara's logic, they would go to Athens.
Von Croy, Lara and Jefferson took a private jet to go to Olympia faster. She kept her backpack as close as possible, which caused her to worry if she was acting suspicious. Fortunately, from England to Olympia, nobody gave a damn about what Lara was carrying inside her backpack.
At the airport, a friend of Von Croy was waiting. It was a man called Otto Caligari, in his 70's years old, chubby, with white hair… He was an art dealer with great interest in archeology. Or, at least, always found a way to make business with archaeologists.
Von Croy was quick to talk to Otto first. They shook their hands and complimented their suits. When Lara was approaching, their talk was fading.
- You must be Lady Lara Croft, right? – Otto said and shook Lara's hand.
- Yes, precisely – she said.
- Mister Hastings - Otto shook Jefferson's hand – what a beautiful airplane you have.
- Thank you – Jeffrey smiled – Let's go to business, right? Because, unfortunately, I'm not like these two archaeologists who can deal well in different time zones. If in London, I was feeling the difference, missing the New York time zone, imagine in Cambodia and now in here, mister Caligari – and he finished his sentence in a sour way.
- Yes, I can imagine. Let's go to my house. There's a brunch waiting for you in cause you guys are hungry.
Different from Athens, Olympia didn't have building higher than 5 floors. The commercial part of the city resembled a scenic city; it was pretty calm, but it was common to see people in groups of tourisms there because of the city's attractions, such as the former site of the Olympics.
Otto's house was white on the outside and it was quite large. It had a beautiful garden with many small statues on high pedestals and a trail made of large stones on the dirt flood, leading to the entrance of the house. Most of the statues reminded greek goddesses with water jugs and angels with bows and arrows.
They three entered Otto's pleasant house. Although Greece was has a two hours difference of time comparing to London, Lara was feeling tired by the travel and time zone. When she went to Cambodia, she felt the 7 hours difference, of course, but she didn't felt tired as she was now. She decided to think it was just stress that was sucking her energy.
- You have a quite charming home, Mr. Caligari – Lara said while Otto was guiding them to a dining table with a lot of food. Everybody sat down and started to serve themselves.
- Thank you very much, miss Croft. This is my second house. I live in Athens. I like to come here when I want to take a vacation or do business.
- Are you a good friend with Werner?
There was a silence briefly. Von Croy didn't like to hear a question about him as if he wasn't in the room. But Lara just wanted to know more about Otto's character.
- Well… Technically, Werner only talks to me when he needs something – he laughed, thinking his joke was funny – I don't know him very well, and we talk more about business than other things – Otto paused – Oh, sometimes, I sell things for him. Like this cane he is using now.
Lara and Jeffrey looked at Von Croy's direction, and he was already in a bad mood.
- Lara, I don't see why to be so shy to ask these things to me – Von Croy smiled forcibly, trying to look like a friend of Lara – And, Otto, don't listen this Fräulein too much. She tends to be a little too curious.
- Yes, it's true, dear – she smiled forcibly to him – at least, I know how far curiosity can kill.
There was an awkward silence. Jeffrey then began to ask questions about Olympia, and Otto felt glad to answer what he knew, since the first Olympics to Baron Pierre of Coubertin.
After some time, they four gathered in the living room. They sat on a royal blue sofa; there was a glass table in front of them. Otto began by saying that he never heard of any artifact called Iris.
- How much costs a greek piece of centuries ago? – Jeffrey asked out of the blue. Otto was almost lost, but he answered.
- Well, it depends on what it is – Otto passed his hands on his nape – Von Croy is an archaeologist and he knows that depending the importance of the object, it might be priceless and impossible to sell it to anyone.
Then his phone rang and he went answered it in another room. Jeffrey was starting to get anxious.
- Jeffrey, may I…
- Have you thought about where all this can take? In case anyone finds out about the whole history of the Iris, the Von Croy Industries can no longer uses the Iris! We already use it sneakily, for crying out loud! Few people know this story about of Angkor-something, but imagine someone knowing everything about it?! It would be hell! – Jefferson was sweating – It's like to find Venus de Milo's arms. The world will want to own it, you understand me?
- The difference is that the arms of Venus de Milo has no power – Lara conclude Jefferson logic. He was right
- Think of the damage on Von Croy's industries if the world knows it. You are involving too many people on this, Werner!
- Hey! Listen to me well: I know exactly what I'm doing. Sarit and Otto never will suspect about anything. If something leaks out, it will be your fault, or Lara's fault! – Von Croy replied harshly in a way Otto would not hear him. Lara tried to speak, but Otto was back to talk to them.
- Sorry the late. Oh, hmm… Do you want to drink anything?
- No, thanks – Lara said with a smile.
- I don't want anything either. I think we can…
- I want a whiskey. I accept anything you have. – Jeffrey interrupted Von Croy and stood up to approach the window in the living room. He was very nervous to be there sitted. He wanted to breathe some air and look the landscape.
After Jeffrey was served by Otto, he started to talk again.
- Unfortunately, there's no artifact called Iris. There is, in fact, a goddess called Iris.
- We know about that – Von Croy said.
- However, I separated some photos to you based on the things you are searching.
The old man stood up and went to his large cupboard (with no doors) where he kept his glasses. At the bottom right, at his thighs, there was a drawer. He opened it and retrieve a bunch of photos.
When he sat on the sofa again, he gave the photos to Lara. Von Croy was a little annoyed because Otto didn't gave the photos to him. And now the only thing left to do was to stretch his body and neck to look at the photos in Lara's hands.
- Two of these photos were taken at an archeological site here in Olympia, a little far from the "Olympic city". The others were taken in a museum, where there's a vase with an object drawn according to Von Croy's descriptions. The other photos are painting related to Iris and everything else.
Lara was surprised and her mouth was half-open. The photos of the archaeological site showed a kind of temple and one of the details in the wall was a symbol very similar to the Iris. The others photos taken in the museum showed a winged woman holding a caduceus or a ewer, flying and forming a rainbow wherever she went. Other painting represented her as a rainbow itself. Some of the painting Lara already saw them in a book in her home.
One of the photos was a Greek vase with a drawing of a girl holding the Iris (it was visible to Lara that it was the artifact that she was hiding in her backpack). When Lara asked about that photo, Otto said that the vase was homage to Demetria.
- Who is Demetria? – Von Croy asked, at the same time he was pulling the photo from Lara's hand.
- Demetria is known as the peacemaker of Heraklion. Well, at least the people from that island like to remember her. She tried to stop a war there in the name of the gods, but she died, if I'm not mistaken. Then she is known as the peacemaker of Heraklion – Otto said.
- And what's that in her hand? – Lara asked after pulling the photo from Von Croy's hands.
- If I'm not mistaken, it's the "transport". Perhaps it was written in the museum.
Von Croy decided to give attention to the photos of the temple. Lara looked to him, and when he found her look, she said:
- We need to go to this place.
Notes: Hello!
So, I need to know what are you guys thinking about this story.
Pobrably, I will only post chapter 5 after I recieve 5 reviews.
I need your motivation to continue the story, which is now close to the end.