The leader smiled, about to issue a command—
‘The treasure!’ Nina cried. ‘Wait, wait! The treasure in the palace, I know what it is!’
Mukobo turned back towards her. The chants of ‘Le Fauchet!’ petered out in confusion at the stay of execution. ‘You told me,’ said the warlord, unnervingly calm, ‘that you did not know what is in there.’
‘I–I said I wasn’t sure,’ she replied. It was her only chance to save Eddie, but she was all too aware that Mukobo might still carry out his threat… and if she said the wrong thing she would be next to face the blade. ‘But — but the ancient texts in Solomon’s temple, they talked about a thing called the Shamir — something of great power, sent to him by God. It came from here! Solomon built the palace to protect it!’
The mention of power visibly caught his interest. ‘What is this… Shamir?’
‘I don’t know — really, I don’t!’ she begged as he frowned. ‘It’s mentioned in ancient Hebrew texts. According to Solomon, the people who lived in Zhakana used it to build their empire.’
‘The Shamir is how they built this place — how they conquered their enemies,’ Ziff added. The older archaeologist was pale with horror at the atrocities he had just witnessed, voice tremulous. ‘Inside the palace is what Solomon called the “Mother of the Shamir”. We don’t know what it is — but it’s here.’
‘We can take you to it,’ Nina pressed on. ‘But please, please, don’t hurt him. I’ll do whatever you say, I’ll take you to the Shamir — if you let him go.’
‘Sounds like nonsense to me,’ said Brice. ‘She’s just trying to save Chase’s life — and limb. It’s only a legend, Philippe.’
‘So was Atlantis until I found it,’ Nina told him, defiance cutting through her fear. ‘So was the tomb of King Arthur. You think I’d come all the way out here if I didn’t believe it?’
‘I think these ruins are reason enough. Anything else is just icing on the cake—’
‘No,’ said Mukobo firmly, to the Englishman’s surprise. ‘The stories of this place — they do tell of a great power hidden here. I believe that she believes. And you told me on the journey here that she has been right about such legends, many times before.’ He addressed Nina again. ‘Convince me that I need you to find this treasure. If you do, Chase will keep his hands and feet — for now. If you do not…’ He cast his malevolent gaze over the other prisoners. Lydia was weeping uncontrollably, Kimba shivering as he whispered a prayer over and over. The two mutilated men had both gone into shock, barely moving. ‘I will kill them all in front of you, one by one. Then your husband will watch as I take you, before you both die.’
‘You touch her,’ Eddie growled, ‘and I will tear off your fucking balls.’
Mukobo’s face darkened, but a distraction came from an unexpected source: Brice. ‘I always thought there was a fine line between bravery and stupidity, Chase,’ he scoffed. ‘But you’re so far towards the latter that you almost go all the way around to the other side. Your wife is desperately trying to save your life, and you insult the man with whom she’s bargaining? How were you not beaten to death by bullies as a child?’
‘Maybe I was the bully,’ said Eddie. That brought a small twitch of humour to the former spy’s face.
‘Mr Mukobo,’ Nina said, trying to take advantage of the interruption, ‘you need us because King Solomon didn’t want anyone to get into the palace unless they could prove they were worthy. He set tests that have to be passed; tests of wisdom. The first one was to find the hidden entrance.’ She gestured towards the palace’s roof. ‘Which we did. But once we got inside, we only got as far as the first room — where our cameraman got hurt.’
Mukobo’s eyes narrowed. ‘You think I am not wise enough to pass these tests, Dr Wilde?’
‘I’m saying that maybe none of us are — not individually. But the more of us there are, the better our chances. And wisdom isn’t about whether or not you have a doctorate. Eddie found the secret entrance, not me.’
Both the warlord and Brice gave Eddie dubious looks. ‘I did,’ said the Yorkshireman. ‘I actually out-thought King Solomon. Didn’t expect that, did you?’
‘I genuinely did not,’ said Brice, though with sarcasm rather than praise.
‘We can get through the tests,’ Nina went on. ‘It’ll take all of us, working together, but we can do it. But if you hurt my husband,’ she added forcefully, ‘then you might as well kill me right now, because… I’d sooner go to hell than help you.’
Mukobo stared at her, expression unreadable… then finally nodded. ‘You are brave, Dr Wilde. As my friend Mr Brice said, that can be very close to stupid. But for now, I will not hurt you, or Chase.’ He stepped back. ‘Or the rest of your people. I have decided they will be useful.’ He snapped his fingers, then pointed at the camera. One of his men picked up the Sony. ‘They will film me.’
Lydia looked up at him. ‘What?’
He gave the documentary crew a crocodile smile. ‘You will film my discovery of the treasures of King Solomon. Such wonders will increase my reputation, and win me more followers.’
‘After all you’ve done to keep Le Fauchet’s true identity secret,’ said Brice, far from approvingly, ‘now you want to be filmed?’
‘I will not put it on YouTube,’ Mukobo replied with a mocking snort. ‘It will be kept for when the time is right. But such a film will serve my legend. It will prove that I am the true ruler of the Congo. And if there really is a source of great power hidden here, then the world will see me take control of it.’
He gestured at the injured team members. ‘See to their wounds. Bring the others — and their camera. Dr Wilde, take us inside.’
16
With Rivero’s injuries making it impossible for him to scale the ladders, Howie took over camera duties. The three wounded men remained under guard at ground level as the others climbed to the palace roof.
‘Now, Dr Wilde,’ said Mukobo. ‘What do we do next?’
‘There’s a shaft at the top of that tower,’ said Nina, pointing. ‘The first chamber is at the bottom — that’s as far as we got.’
‘For your sake, we had better go farther.’ He turned to Howie. ‘Are you ready to start?’
Howie checked the camera. ‘Yeah, yeah. It’ll need a new battery in a while, but there are spares with the rest of our gear inside.’
‘Good. Then begin.’ The young man gave him a confused look. ‘Film me, idiot! Or do you want to lose your arm too?’
‘Okay, rolling,’ Howie hurriedly responded. Mukobo composed himself, then began a self-congratulatory speech in French.
‘So what are we gonna do?’ Nina muttered to Eddie as the militia listened.
‘What do you mean?’ he replied.
‘I mean, how are we going to get out of this?’
‘Fucked if I know, love.’
‘I’d… kinda hoped you had something more than that.’
‘I’d happily chuck that bastard off the roof and take my chances if it was just me, but I’ve got everyone else to think about. Maybe once we’re inside—’
Luaba stabbed his Kalashnikov’s muzzle against the Yorkshireman’s back. ‘Hey! Shut up. No talk.’
Eddie glared at him. ‘I remember you. You were with Mukobo in Rwanda.’
The huge man nodded. ‘I been with Philippe a long time.’