“Who was this Simon?” Burr asked, a plan forming in his mind as he spoke.
“Evidently, he was an unknown disciple of Jesus of Nazareth. According to the scroll, he was charged by Joseph of Arimathea to protect and safeguard not only the Holy Grail, but also the crown of thorns used to mock him at his crucifixion, and, most importantly, a document written by Jesus himself,” Maria replied.
“Mr. Burr, I know from your history that you, of all people, have no interest in such a find. You and your group are out to remove all aspects of religion from our society; why now the sudden concern?” Eli asked, troubled by the man’s abrupt interest and change of heart.
“We all seek the truth, Dr. Turner,” Burr replied, belying his real motives. “Our efforts in the Secular America Movement have been, simply stated, modeled to protect the separation of church and state as provisioned in the U.S. Constitution. We want to assure that religion of any sort is kept in a non-public forum, as it should be,” he said, his voice rising in crescendo, knowing that his true plans were far more reaching in scope.
“Well, for your information, Mr. Burr, you and your cronies have been touting that ridiculous ideology for years. Most Americans do not know the truth: that those words, ‘separation of church and state’ appear nowhere in the Constitution. In the first amendment, it clearly states that Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibit the free exercise thereof. Any first year high school student with a decent history teacher should see that it meant there would be no established national church for the colonies of the United States at the time. In layman’s terms, Mr. Burr,” he stated, pointing his finger at him, “no church of the United States period.”
“I don’t agree with that premise, Turner,” Burr said, his anger now clearly visible.
“The federal government,” Eli continued, enjoying his taunting of Burr, “was prohibited from setting up a state religion, such as Britain had at the time, but there was no restriction against the practice of religion. That is where people like you have twisted the truth. Thomas Jefferson’s comment concerning the separation between church and state was made in a letter to a group of Baptist clergymen in Danbury, Connecticut around 1802, a group that feared a state-sponsored religion. Jefferson assured the Baptist Association that the first amendment guaranteed there would be no establishment of any one denomination over another. It was never intended, as you and your group continues to suggest, that our governing bodies be divorced from Christianity and its founding principles. Rather, its purpose was to protect the church from the state. Your group, and, the likes of it, has perverted the true meaning to a public that doesn’t know the real truth, so don’t give me that song and dance that you’re serving the public interest.”
Burr forcibly held back his rage, deciding to let it go for the sake of his plan. For now, he seethed in his tormented mind; I'll be silent for now.
“Alright, guys, calm down. Your personal feelings aside, Mr. Burr, you must admit that a discovery such as this is intriguing. It’s an important part of learning the early history of Middle Eastern culture,” Maria said, trying to diffuse the elevated emotions of the two men. “A document written by the historical Jesus would be an incredible find no matter what your views.”
“She’s right, Burr. Besides, we’ll never know if those artifacts are lost forever,” Eli said glumly. “If those mad men manage to trigger that landslide on La Palma, Simon’s treasures will be lost forever.”
“Why not go and find them now?” Burr asked, playing his hand. Eli looked at him incredulously.
“You can’t be serious,” Eli responded. “With all of Osama’s men and the island’s police looking for us, we’d be picked up in a heartbeat.”
“They won’t be looking for us on La Palma. Remember, I have a helicopter at my disposal still sitting at the airport. I can contact my pilot and have him land at a secure location close by,” he said, baiting the hook, knowing that Turner would never pass up the chance to make his discovery.
“Eli, Josh told us we should stay out of sight, remember?” Maria said.
Eli stood silently for a minute, intently thinking of the options that lay before him.
The find of a lifetime, he thought, and it could all be lost by tomorrow. I can’t let that happen. After a long pause, Eli said, “Call your man, Mr. Burr, and tell him that we'll meet behind the square at the Palacio de Nava. The market will be empty today due to the upcoming festival in Santa Cruz. We can be there in fifteen minutes,” he said, picking up his hat.
“Right away, Dr. Turner,” Burr said as he headed for the phone located in the study, happy that his plans were now coming together.
“Eli, I can’t believe you are going to risk this,” Maria said in protest. “If you’re dead set on going through with this madness, then I’m going with you.”
“No, Maria, I—”
“No arguments, mister,” she retorted in a tone that told Eli not to dispute the subject anymore.
“Okay, I’m glad to have your help, but I also want you to keep an eye on him,” he said, motioning to Burr on the phone in the other room. “I don’t trust the man.”
“Yes, Mr. Burr,” the pilot said over the phone. “I can leave right away. The item you asked for will be in the backpack, along with the rope and gear you requested.”
“Very good,” Burr responded with a self-gratifying smile on his face. “Do you know where the old market place behind the Palacio de Nava in La Laguna is located?”
“Yes, sir. I’ll look for you.” The pilot responded. “My ETA will be about thirty minutes.” Burr hung up the phone and returned to Eli and Maria.
“We’re all set,” he said smiling. “My pilot is bringing rope and some light equipment in the event that we need them. He’ll be at the pick-up point in thirty minutes.”
“Good. We should be going then,” Eli said as Maria jotted down a note on her father’s stationary.
“I’m leaving my father a note, so he’ll know our location. I don’t want him to worry if he returns and finds us gone. I’ll also leave the number for Josh’s satellite phone if he needs to reach him.”
Finishing the note, she folded it and placed it atop the antique coffee table in the library, then grabbed her windbreaker.
“I’m ready if you are,” she announced with a gleam in her eye.
“Let’s go,” Eli said as the three walked out the door and into the streets of La Laguna, never suspecting that their ill-conceived trip to La Palma would place them in the heart of the maelstrom.
21
The luncheon at the university dining hall had been quite elegantly prepared and stood to be an exceedingly profitable event for the university’s antiquities department.
The hearty applause finally diminished following Robert Pencor’s generous contribution of a check for a quarter of a million dollars. The donation was graciously accepted by the university president and the head of the antiquities department, Professor Carlos Santiago. In acceptance speeches on behalf of the university, the two administrators praised the benevolence of Pencor and lavished their new benefactor with adulation.
After concluding the luncheon with a rich dessert of sweet rum banana pie topped with a glazed walnut sauce, the faculty and guests indulged in conversation among themselves. Students, dressed as waiters for the event, hurried about clearing tables and serving coffee as the function now wound down to its final moments. Many of the guests began slowly making their way to the lavish garden outside of the main hall. They exited through its huge pinewood doors, cut from the trees that covered the slopes of the island.