“Grass.”
They moved on.
“Ask that guy,” Lexi said, pointing to an old man with wispy white hair and a baggy jacket. “He looks promising.”
“He looks like he’s a hundred and forty years old,” Scarlet said. “Maybe he knew Khan personally.”
“Keep your voice down you tool,” Lea said. “He’ll hear us.”
“We’re looking for Professor Bayar,” said Hawke.
“Then you’re in luck,” said the old man. He shuffled forward and held out his hand. “I am Bayar. May I help you?”
“We hope so,” Hawke said, smiling warmly. “We’re here to talk about the Secret History of the Mongols.”
The professor smiled. “I’m afraid we’re closing shortly. If you can come back tomorrow I’ll be happy to show you around and…”
“We want to talk about the Thirteenth Chapter, professor, and a man named Sheng Fang.”
Bayar narrowed his eyes and evaluated the group of foreigners for a few moments.
“The Thirteenth Chapter, you say? Perhaps I might have five minutes to spare. Please follow me.”
Moments later, the professor was gently closing the door of his office and shuffling slowly back to his desk.
“You will know, I am sure,” he began, “that Genghis Khan was obsessed with immortality.”
“As a matter of fact,” Hawke said, “we’re just learning that today.”
“He had who was essentially a Taoist monk by the name of Changchun summoned to his court in order to help him locate the secret elixir of eternal life. However, when Changchun arrived he patiently explained to his leader that there was no such thing, and that talk of immortality had always been metaphorical, referring not to actual physical longevity but the immortality of the soul.”
“And is that what you believe?” Hawke asked.
Professor Bayar ignored the question. “Changchun told Khan that he could achieve immortality by purifying his soul, and in return Khan gave the monk the official title Spirit Immortal, but…”
“But what?”
“It’s possible that the monk was lying. Giving a man like Genghis Khan the power of immortality would have proved to be one of the most dangerous and reckless acts in human history — any man would be bad enough, but Khan was one of the biggest killers in the world — he even killed his brother when he was just a child.”
“Nice,” Lea said.
“You must remember that Genghis Khan believed he was the son of the sun — that he was divine and that his destiny was pre-ordained by the heavens themselves. He was a very determined man, and as I say, he killed his own brother when he was a child to secure his own future.”
“Sounds like a great guy,” Lea said.
“Then I will tell you an old Mongolian proverb favored by Khan himself — return what people give to you.”
“At least the monk never told him the truth.”
“Exactly. The monk would obviously have been very wise and well-read. I think it’s pretty unlikely he would offer the secret of eternal life to a man like Genghis Khan, and that if he knew of a way to achieve immortality he would probably have lied to Khan about it to stop him from getting that power.”
“I can see the logic in that,” Scarlet said. “It would be like giving a man like Hitler immortality.”
“Precisely,” Bayar said. “A deeply religious man like Changchun was hardly likely to give up such a power to Khan.”
“But where does this leave us?” Lexi asked.
Hawke said: “Was there a thirteenth chapter to the Secret History, Professor Bayar? I saw your eyes when I mentioned it to you — I know that you know something.”
Bayar shifted uneasily in his seat. His fingers drummed against the edge of the desk and time seemed to slow down. “For a long time I thought I would take this information to the grave with me, but now I can see it is more important to speak the truth. You mentioned the name Sheng Fang — I know what kind of a man Sheng is and if he were to succeed…”
He got up and looked out of his little window.
“Professor, we’re kind of pressed for time,” Scarlet said as patiently as she could.
“I can confirm that the Secret History of the Mongols has thirteen chapters, not twelve as history has recorded for the last eight hundred years. The last chapter contains the truth about the Great Khan’s quest for the Philosopher’s Stone — the secret of eternal life!”
Hawke wondered if he could really be hearing these words. “And where do you keep this document?”
Bayar spun around, faster than any of them would have thought he was capable of. “Where do I keep it?” He laughed until he had to sit back down at his desk again.
“Why do I have a bad feeling about this?” Lexi said.
Hawke’s heart began to sink. “It’s not in your possession, professor?”
“Of course not! You’re talking about a manuscript which the entire world considers has been missing since the thirteenth century! It’s not something I could keep here in a drawer or even behind a glass case. The Secret History of the Mongols is not here, no… it is with the two Keepers of the Truth…”
“Who are they?”
“Two people who pass the secret along to the next generation. One guards the manuscript, and the other can read it.”
“But it’s not here?”
“Of course not, and I’m not certain I should tell you where it is.”
“But you’ve already admitted that it exists and wasn't lost all those centuries ago like the history books tell us,” Lea said. “So where the f…”
“Lea…”
“Sorry — where on earth is it?”
Bayar thought for a long time before replying. “You will find the truth where it has been since the Great Khan died eight hundred years ago, at Genghis Khan’s tomb.”
Hawke narrowed his eyes. “Hold on, I might not know very much about Genghis Khan, but I do know that people have been trying to find his tomb since the day he died.”
“That is correct!” Bayar exclaimed.
“Even I know this one,” Lea said. “This is the legend about how everyone who saw Khan’s body as they took him to his grave was killed, right?”
Bayar nodded. “All of them! And those who buried him were also killed, and those who killed the men who buried him were then killed themselves.”
“Must have been a hell of wake,” Scarlet muttered.
“But the tomb of Genghis Khan has been missing for eight hundred years,” Hawke said. “Not even brand new satellite technology has been able to find it. No one knows where it is!”
“That,” Bayar said confidentially, “is where you are most certainly wrong.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me…” Scarlet said. “First Poseidon’s tomb now Genghis Khan’s lost grave. We should go into the tomb recovery business, Joe.”
“Do you know where it is, professor?” Hawke asked, lowering his voice.
“I do not know precisely. But I do know it is in a temple high in the mountains of northern Mongolia.”
“Ryan’s going to wet his pants when he hears about this,” Scarlet said. “I do hope he has a fresh nappy on when you tell him.”
“What I tell you now,” Bayar continued, “is of the most confidential nature. The tomb of Genghis Khan has been a secret for eight hundred years, maintained and guarded by a tiny number of people, mostly Taoist and Shaolin monks. There is an ancient, sacred order known as the Temple of the Golden Light. They are few in number, today mostly Shaolin.”
“Aren’t those the best martial arts fighters in the world?” Lea asked.
“Yes,” Lexi said coolly.
“They are sworn to keep the unmarked grave a complete secret from the world, and I know they have killed in the past to meet their vows. You must tread very carefully from now on.”