Chapter 50 already...I want to use the chance to thank you all for reading, liking and reviewing this story. It's still fun to translate the chapters, as well as writing them. Only two days ago(02/11/17) , I published Chap 104 in the German fanfiction archive. So...there is still much ahead of us and I don't see an end of this story yet. :D So I hope that it keeps entertaining you and you will keep following Lillian's and Connor's story.


The more abundant the plans are thriving…

Once again, the dining table was centre of a conversation which was rather held by Connor and Xaman Ek. They were sitting in front of each other while Olivia had pulled her chair a bit away from the table, as if she wanted to stay outsight right from the beginning. Indifferently she sat there and regarded her nails while I had sat down a bit aside, too. The two men should hold this conversation alone, especially because I had the feeling that Xaman Ek didn't appreciate my presence. When I had offered him a tea or something else to drink, he had looked at me as if I had insulted him. Either my polite gesture had really violated some Mayan customs or he just didn't like me. For whatever reasons. Maybe because Olivia had told him about my relationship with Ray and he hadn't had a high opinion about him, or because I was British. Because that the disliked the British, probably because of his time in slavery, had been noticeable in the few words he had spoken until now. So there was nothing left for me but to leave the field to the men.
Connor had put the stone, or the artefact how Xaman Ek called it, between them onto the table top and looked at the Maya attentively, who had put his folded hands to his lips and looked at the blue object.
"I have to admit that these artefacts, this one and the other half, are the first I have ever seen", he started. "I just heard about the numerous legends about objects like these. But they are enough for me to become cautious. Did you already notice anything about it?"
The older man raised his eyes and looked at Connor, who shortly pressed his lips together. I knew that he was thinking of this light and Ray's strange words in the mine. He had thought he was insane at first and so he probably hesitated to tell a stranger about this experience. But he decided to do it. Connor explained what had happened in the mine and Xaman Ek listened closely and frowning. Finally he nodded.
"This is what I have thought. There is an ancient power in these objects which we as mortals rarely understand. This is only allowed for the gods. But I think I can tell you what we are dealing with, at least. But at first, you have to understand where this object is coming from."
Xaman Ek leaned back in his chair and his thoughtful gaze moved to the ceiling as he started to explain in a calm, almost monotonous voice.
"In the beginning, even before us men, only existed the sky and the sea. Eventually he Gods began to long for someone who worshiped them for their creation. So they decided to create living beings. They created the ground we are living on between the sky and the sea and populated it with the animals. But soon they noticed that they did not worship them. So they created men out of wood. They talked and bred but never thanked the Gods. They sent a flood to clean the earth but the wooden people rescued themselves on the trees where they are still living today as apes. The Gods dared a last try with creating men made of maize. They were like the Gods wanted them to be. But to make sure that the men did not forget their Gods again, they constructed these objects and gave them their power. Objects to control the men and to ensure their loyalty. They say the Gods spread them on the earth itself to be certain about their power, always and everywhere. Allegedly, one of these objects is deep inside a temple which was supposed to be guarded by people of my kin. But when the conquerors came, they killed the guardians and the location of the temple became forgotten. The survivors, who knew about it, took the secret into their graves to prevent the divine objects from getting into the conquerors' hands. But they say that the key, which locks the temple, has disappeared. You can find and open the temple only with it."
"And you think that this stone…is this artefact, this key."
Xaman Ek nodded. "I heard stories about its appearance and about its power. What you told me is very similar to them. But they say that there are only a few people the key's secret or the divine objects reveal themselves to. It seems like you are one of them."
"And what about Ray's trance?", Connor asked sceptically.
"Maybe the key needs some kind of medium to reveal itself."
Silence. Connor sank back in his chair and I saw how he started to knead his hands under the table top. It didn't look like he wanted to believe Xaman Ek's words so easily. It was hard for me, too. But shouldn't we know already that there were things on this earth which were beyond our imagination? If there weren't, I wouldn't sit here today.
"Where do you think could this temple be?", Connor asked at last and raised his eyes from the stone…artefact…key. But Xaman Ek shrugged his shoulders.
"My people are living very scattered, mainly in the south of the continent. In the Caribbean alone, there are many old places which are partly inhabited, partly left to their deterioration. The temple could be everywhere and nowhere and I doubt that there is only one Maya who knows where and who would help you above all. They are very reserved to protect our culture and our existence."
"I understand. It is the duty of us all to protect our people. But I am grateful that you still told me about what you know."
"I simply do not want the wrong people to get the power of the Gods. But let me tell you: Find both halves and destroy them. It would be better if the temple and its secret stayed unexplored."
"I promise, I will not allow the wrong people to get to the secrets."

Connor hadn't entirely corresponded to Xaman Ek's concerns like this. It seemed like he wanted to decide on his own how to deal with his new knowledge. But I had to agree to Xaman Ek inwardly. I wanted to see this blue thing destroyed instead of knowing that Connor kept attending to it and everything related to it. But it seemed like he had made a decision and I could already see it working inside of him as we eventually bid farewell to Xaman Ek and Olivia, who wanted to accompany him back. We had barely closed the door behind them, when Connor silently disappeared in the basement and I didn't saw him for the rest of the day. Only when the night had fallen, Connor seemed to have ended his lonely phase of thinking. At this point in time, I had already gone to bed and had slept until the rustling of the blanket, which was lifted and carefully spread over me again, tore me out of my dreams. Sleepy and grumbling, I opened my eyes, only to stare into perfect darkness. Only the light movement of the mattress when he searched for a comfortable position to sleep in, proved Connor's presence, as well as the quiet sigh when he obviously found it. I turned to him and could only see his vague silhouette in front of me. He was also lying on his side, but I couldn't see if he was turned to me or not. I decided to let him sleep, but Connor must have noticed that I wasn't sleeping anymore.
"Did I wake you up?", he asked quietly into the darkness and now I knew that he was turned to me.
"Not directly", I murmured and adjusted my pillow. "Have you been downstairs the whole time and thought about Xaman Ek's words?"
"More or less, yes. I thought about how to go on."
"And did you decide something?"
"Not directly."
The mattress moved again as Connor sat up and fluffed up his pillow, before lying down again and clamping the pillow between head and arms.
"What do you think about all this?", he asked me. "Do you think the legends are true?"
"Something about it must be true." I had already thought about what we had learned from Xaman Ek and I had formed an opinion. But until now I had wanted to leave the decision to Connor. Basically the only important thing for me was to get rid of this blue thing somehow. As soon as possible. Despite the Mayan history of creation, Xaman Ek's explanations about powerful objects were conclusive and above all, nothing new.
"The Maya must mean the Pieces of Eden, when they mention objects with a special power", I said. "I see no other explanation."
"I already thought this", Connor said slowly. "Then Those Who Came Before must be meant by the Gods."
"They were certainly no Gods. But everything else sounds like Those Who Came Before, or however you call them. Also that the key seems to react to you. You said you already had to deal with these…people, after all."
"Mhm." Connor became silent. For quite a while, he didn't say a word so that I thought that this nocturnal conversation was over already and that he had fallen asleep. But he had used this time to think.
"Maybe I should really prevent the templars from finding this temple. When there is an object which can break a man's will, they should not get it."
"As long as you mean that you want to take the other half of the key from them and will destroy both of them, it's fine with me."
"So you also think that I have to get the other half?"
"There must be a reason why Callaghan is after ours and a Piece of Eden seemed to be a good reason."
"Good. It is decided then." Connor sounded very determined all of the sudden. I guessed that he was already planning something but until this plan should get its final form, it was going to take a while.


In the following week, Connor spent most of his time in Boston, where he kept an eye on Callaghan and his closest companions, together with the assassins and Olivia, who had offered her unconditional help. The wanted to collect as many information about the templar as possible. His habits, his weaknesses, his strengths, his plans and above all they hoped to learn where Callaghan was keeping his half of the key. It turned out that the house, where I had had my unpleasant conversation with the templar, belonged to Callaghan himself and he was only providing it for his order. Primary it was his residence and if you wanted to call it like this: His headquarters. Over time, it emerged that Callaghan rarely left his house and was very bounded to this place. Connor was sure that the artefact had to be there. But he had to get it somehow. This problem was the main topic, as Duncan, Clipper and Stephane visited us one day. In this mild summer evening, they sat together on the terrace, around the table which they had carried outside before. After the past, almost unbearably hot day, it was just more pleasant to sit outside where the air was noticeably cooling down. Olivia, who had lived in the inn during the last days, was there, too and had already come to terms with the men amazingly well. Connor had told me that the young woman had been a great help in Boston. She seemed to have a talent for fighting with the blade of her short sword which had brought her the respect of the others. But she didn't know much about the brotherhood until now and Connor didn't intend to tell her more for now. But still Olivia seemed to feel comfortable in this new company and had understood its structure where Connor was on the top. Olivia held back of which I hadn't thought that she was able to do so. Even now she sat on her chair entirely silent, her legs crossed and was also waiting for Connor to say something. He leaned against the supporting pillar of the balcony over the terrace and was lost in his thoughts, after the five of them had spent the last hours with talking about possible plans without interruption. I had been in the kitchen to prepare dinner, which I had served to our guests by now. Now I had Emily on my lap and held a small plate, filled with ragout, which the little one ate with a spoon bit by bit. Duncan, Stephane, Olivia, Clipper and Caleb, who had joined us by now, were eating silently.

"What did you decide until now?", I finally asked into this silence, not talking to someone in particular. It was Clipper, who answered, while running a slice of bread over his empty plate.
"It's certain that we can't confront Callaghan or the other templars directly. They are still looking for Jarvis and don't know that he's dead and the other half of the key in Connor's possession and we should leave it like this for now."
"Furthermore they think that we still don't know about it. If we are able to get the other half unnoticed, they wouldn't think that we have it and know about its secret", Duncan added, who was also scraping the rest of his meal together.
"And now you don't know how to do it", I concluded and the two men nodded, while they kept attending to the food. A quiet clattering sounded as Olivia put her empty plate back on the table.
"Well, I've already proposed something", she said slowly and grabbed a napkin to dab her mouth clean. "We have to replace the artefact somehow. Callaghan won't notice that it's gone."
"But in your glorious idea you didn't consider how we are supposed to do it", Stephane mentioned, a mocking expression about his mouth.
"You didn't propose anything until now, franchute."
"Enough. Fights will not bring us further." Connor pulled away from the wooden pillar and stepped to the table, just when Stephane wanted to dash a reply back to Olivia. The two brawlers only shared grim gazes, before turning their attention back to Connor.
"Olivia's idea is a good approach. But as Stephane said, it is difficult to realize. We neither know how to replace the artefact, nor how to do it unnoticed."
"But Lillian has also such a blue thing. Why don't you replace it with it?"
All eyes turned to Caleb now, who kept shovelling his food into his mouth. It seemed like he had uttered this remark thoughtlessly, without being aware that his words were not entirely false. Strictly speaking, many people had thought the artefact was a simple stone made of glass. Ray, his men, I… That the artefact was made of another material than glass had only been noticed by Connor after he had examined it. When I uttered this thought, Stephane shook his head.
"Callaghan will certainly notice it. When Connor noticed a difference, he will do it, too."
"Not if he doesn't become suspicious", I replied. "I'm sure he will not look at it over and over again. The difference isn't noticeable on the first sight."
Olivia nodded. "We need a clever counterfeit. We need someone who can work with glass and is able to make a counterpart out of the half you got."
"And I think, I know someone. An old friend of mine." Clipper had sat up and actually appeared to be excited by Caleb's idea, which Olivia and I had kept making up. "He's very skilled in working with glass. He even creates little sculptures and is very trustworthy. I'm sure he would help us. I could contact him. I mean…if you agree."
Connor had stood silently beside my chair, one hand propped up on the back rest. During our whole conversation he had shown no reaction to our words. Also now his expression was inscrutable, but I could read in his eyes that he was thinking. It was entirely silent on the terrace, only interrupted by Emily's quiet whining which only ended, as I put her to the ground and she could return to the small play corner I had created for her on a soft blanket aside the table.
"Do it", Connor said while watching over Emily's toddling steps. Only when she had reached her destination, he looked at Clipper. "Ask him to come here. He will get everything he needs and we will pay him for his efforts." Connor's gaze moved to Olivia. "You are very skilled in…burglary. We will make a plan to replace the artefact. The others will try to gather more information. Our plan should not have any weaknesses."
And so it was decided. The artefact would change its owner and if everything ended up well, it would be destroyed soon before the templars even noticed that their plans were failing.