The Cult of Osiris (24 page)

All the disparate pieces fell into place. 'It tops them up,' Nina said, 'stops them from getting shorter when the cells replicate.' Her eyes widened as she realised the full implications. The cells would live for ever. They'd never die.'

And so would those who ate it.' Osir smiled triumphantly. The yeast provided the enzyme that replenished Osiris's cells, and slowed or even stopped his ageing. To his people, he became immortal.

And if the rulers knew that eating this bread helped you live longer, they'd keep it to themselves, of course.' A small frown crossed her brow. But wouldn't the yeast die during the baking process?

My brother and
I
t/oknow a little about baking,' said Shaban with sarcastic disdain.

The temperatures in the mud brick ovens used in ancient Egypt were unpredictable/ Osir explained. Sometimes the yeast would survive in some form. And if the bakers knew the yeast was the key to long life, they would make sure as much survived as possible.' A crooked grin. 'It would not be the best*
tasting
bread, but that's a small price to pay for eternal life.'

Hardly eternal,' Nina pointed out. You could still die from disease, or being run over by a camel. Ancient Egypt was a dangerous place/

But a wise king keeps himself away from danger,' said Osir. And Osiris was the wisest king of all. He would not have been elevated to godhood otherwise.'

So you find his tomb, then cultivate a new strain of the yeast?'

Yes. Yeast spores can survive indefinitely. Even if the priests left no bread in the tomb to sustain Osiris in the afterlife, there should still be remnants in the canopic jars containing his organs. One way or another,
I
'm certain we will find samples.' He looked into the lab. The original strain has been lost in time like so much else, but here we can make it live again. And with a little genetic modification, it will make me as revered as Osiris.'

Nina regarded him suspiciously. Genetic modification?

Shaban's mouth was a hard line.
I
think you have told her
enough,
brother.

Osir gave him an irritated glance, but this time acquiesced. Sebak has a point,' he said to Nina, his smug affability returning. Our little trade secrets aren't really relevant. It's enough to say that there will be great rewards for bringing immortality to the world.

Yeah, I'm sure you'll be very rich, and very powerful. Only . . She gave him a sly smile, hiding her contempt. 'You can't do anything until you find the Pyramid of Osiris. Which brings us back to business. Like
I
said,
I
want my cut. Considering what you stand to make, I'm thinking an amount in the millions would be fair. Dollars, that is. Not Egyptian pounds.'

Shaban let out an outraged snort, but Osir nodded.
If
you help me get what I want, you too will be very well rewarded.'

Glad to hear it,' said Nina. She held out her hand. 'What do you say?'

Khalid, you can
not
be serious]' protested Shaban. She is trying to trick you! Why won't you believe me?

Osir stared hard at his brother. 'Because I'm willing to take a chance that she is telling the truth. That's your problem, Sebak - you've never been a gambler. You only dare act when you are certain of success. But
I
take risks - sometimes
I
lose, but when they pay off . . .'He gestured at the pyramid around them. '
This,
this is the reward! You never accomplish anything without taking chances.'

It is a big chance to take,' Shaban hissed.

But
I
will take it.' Osir faced Nina. 'I'm willing to take you at your word, Nina. Find me the Pyramid of Osiris, and you will get everything you desire.' He extended his hand; Nina was about to take it when he suddenly brought it up, index finger pointing at her heart. But try to deceive me . . .' He looked meaningfully towards Shaban.

I'll find it,' she said, still holding out her hand.

After a moment, he smiled and shook it. Then we have a deal. Excellent.' Shaban turned away in disgust.

Nina pulled free. 'Okay, then. If you'll just show me the zodiac . . .' Osir chuckled. It's not here. A chill ran through her. 'What?'

I have business in Monaco, so my people are reassembling the zodiac on my yacht - I want to be right there while its secrets are deciphered. You'll come with me.' Seeing her uncertain expression, he added, 'It's a very nice yacht.'

There is nobody else you were planning to meet, is there?' asked Shaban with predatory suspicion. 'Like your husband?

Nina waved a dismissive hand. 'Oh, God, no. The jerk.' She turned back to Osir. So. You have a yacht, huh?'

Macy paced back and forth beside the rental car, looking anxiously along the lake at the castle for any signs of activity - or Nina. She saw neither. More pacing - then finally she couldn't take any more and opened the door. 'How can you just
sit
there?
¹

' 'Cause it's more comfortable than standing?' Eddie offered.

You know what
I
mean! It's your
wife
in there! Why aren't you worried about her?' I
am
worried about her.'

You don't look it! What is this, some British stiff upper lip thing?'

Just get in and sit down/ Sulkily, Macy climbed in and slammed the door.

In truth, though, he
was
worried about Nina. As he'd told her in Paris, meeting Osir in person was like not only walking into the lion's den, but doing so wearing a jacket made of meat and a T-shirt reading
Lions are pussies.

But she had her own arguments: that letting Osir raid the Pyramid of Osiris would be an archaeological tragedy; that a dangerous cult getting its hands on a vast fortune could only be a bad thing; that after everything Osir and Shaban had put them through, didn't he want the chance for some payback? He couldn't deny that the last had a certain appeal.

Which still didn't mean he liked her plan. But now that it was in progress, all they could do was wait.

How do you stand it?' Macy said, breaking the silence. Stand what?' Just. . .
waiting '

There isn't much else I can do, is there? And you backed her up about going in there in the first bloody place. Did you think she was just going to knock on the door, say "Hi,
I
've come to see your zodiac", then walk right back out?'

But she's been in there over two hours! Oh, my God, what if something's happened to her? She might be—'

She's not,' Eddie said firmly, hoping he was being truthful. 'Okay, you want to know how I stand waiting around like this? Because
I
'm used to it.'

What do vou mean?'

Being a soldier isn't all running about and shooting at people. Ninety-nine per cent of the time, it's boring as fuck. You go to a place, then you wait for something to happen. Mostly, you eventually get orders to go to some other place, and wait again/

'So what do you do to keep occupied?'

Nothing. Know why?' She shook her head, curious. Because when you do something to take your mind off the boredom, you also take your mind off what you're supposed to be waiting for/

Which is?'

A thin smile. 'Trouble. If you're chatting with your mates, or listening to your iPod or whatever . . . that's when some arsehole with an AK'll pop up and blow your head off - and you won't even see it coming.

She looked unhappy at the prospect. Oh.

So yeah, waiting around doing nothing in a combat zone's a pain in the arse. But that's how
I
stand it, cause it means that when something
does
happen, I'm ready for it/

I get you. Although I really don't think I'm cut out to be a soldier.' She cocked her head. Wait, so why are you chatting to me now?'

He grinned. ' 'Cause this isn't a combat zone/ A glance towards the castle. Yet.'

She wasn't sure how to respond to that, but the trilling of Eddie's phone immediately took both their minds off the subject. He switched it to speaker mode. 'Nina! Are you okay?'

The reply was a hurried whisper. Yeah.
I
think Osir believed me.

You
think?'

Well, he didn't have me killed on the spot! Look, I can't talk long -
I
'm in the bathroom and they'll get suspicious/

Did you see the zodiac?' Macy asked.

'No - it's not here.'

Eddie looked at Macy in dismay. Bugg—'

Don't even start,' said Nina, cutting him off. It's on his yacht in Monaco. That's where we're going. He's got a private jet at Geneva airport.'

How am I going to find you if you're on a bloody boat?

I don't know! Maybe I can - dammit, gotta go!
I
'll see you soon, I love you, bye!

Love you too,' said Eddie, just after the line closed. He looked at Macy, who had put a worried hand to her mouth. 'Well, that's fucking marvellous.'

You . . . you know how you didn't want her to go in there, and I was all, "No, we have to find the pyramid before he does"?' she said. Now thinking: kay, might have been wrong.'

Bit late,' Eddie growled. He banged a fist on the steering wheel. Shit. Monaco's over three hundred miles away. It'll take us at least five hours to drive there through the bloody Alps. Probably more with all the grand prix traffic' A clattering rumble reached him: a helicopter flying up the valley, heading for the castle. 'And they'll be there in less than an hour.'

What are we going to do?'

Get there as fast as possible and wait for her to call us,' he said grimly, starting the car. Nowt else we
can
do.' He pulled out, and with a crunch of gravel spun the car round to head south.

14

159

Monaco

Though hardly the only micro-state to dot the map of Europe, the Principality of Monaco is by far the wealthiest, at least in terms of income per head - and also the most glamorous. The tiny country's location on the French Riviera near the Italian border gives it a warm subtropical climate, and its royal family and casinos add an air of expensive mystique ... to say nothing of its tax haven status, which makes it a magnet for the super-rich.

It is, however, arguably most famous for its annual motor race, mi Hi on-dollar vehicles screaming through the twisting streets at over 180 miles per hour. From the foredeck of Osir 's huge yacht, the
Solar Barque,
moored offshore beyond Monaco's outer breakwater, Nina couldn't see the Saturday qualifying session as the drivers steeled themselves for the Sunday race - but she could hear it, the roaring wail of ultra-high-performance engines echoing off buildings as cars speared along the harbour front before looping back into the city and making the steep ascent to Casino Square.

'Wow,' she said to Osir. 'Must be distracting if you live there and you're trying to watch TV.'

The cult leader was, in fact, trying to watch TV. 'J think anyone who lives in Monaco and doesn't like the noise of racing cars can afford to take a vacation for one week each year,' he said, eyes fixed on a live broadcast of the qualifying session. But then, anyone -
no I'
He muttered an Arabic curse.

'Someone else has beaten Virtanen's lap time?' asked Shaban from a nearby lounger with mocking indifference.

Osir glared at him. 'By over a tenth of a second! We'll be lucky to have a car in the front half of the grid at this rate.'

'We shouldn't have any cars at all. It is a huge waste of money.'

'It helps spread the Osirian Temple's name around the world/ said Osir.
'I
consider it worth it -and ] am not having this discussion again, Sebak.' His brother scowled and stood, retreating inside the yacht.

Nina turned away from the sunlit vista of the city to Osir. 'You know,
I
wouldn't have thought they'd let religions sponsor cars/

Technically, the Osirian Temple is not sponsoring anything/ he said, keeping a close watch on the screen. All the money comes from the Osiris Investment Group/ A new set of numbers appeared. Ah, that's more like it! That should put us on the third row.'

Sponsoring racing teams, running this enormous yacht . . . the Osirian Temple's not really like other religions, is it?'

Osir eyed her over his sunglasses. You sound disapproving, Nina/

She shrugged. Not my concern.
I
'm just savin'.'

My clever accountants worked out a way for the
Solar Barque
to cost me absolutely nothing, thanks to some loss-making subsidiaries and carefully crafted leaseback agreements with OIG. Since I can have it, I may as well enjoy it. And you may as well too.' He pushed an intercom button on his lounger's arm. Nadia? Two martinis, please.

I'm okay,' said Nina, holding up a hand.

I insist. On a beautiful day like this, you should take the maximum pleasure from every one of your senses.'

I'd rather be working on the zodiac.'

When it's ready,' he said, to her disappointment. My experts are making sure it is as perfectly reassembled as possible. It will still take them hours, but I don't want the slightest clue to be missed.

She couldn't stop herself from saying, Then maybe you should have left it on the ceiling of the Hall of Records.'

He smirked. Now you really
do
disapprove.

Moving it wouldn't have been my first choice - especially since your brother and that asshole Diamondback tried to kill me while they were doing it.' She shot a venomous look at the deck above. Diamondback was leaning against the rail, surreptitiously keeping an eye on her. 'But it's done. So
I
might as well profit from it.

And you will, Nina. We both will.' He smiled, then turned as a lithe young Jamaican woman in a bikini arrived with a tray. 'Nadia, thank you.'