Trifariam, The Lost Codex (2012) (18 page)

“What are you doing with all this equipment?” asked Mary, unnerved.

“It all started when I found the canvas in the basilica. The painting left me speechless. It was a beauty like no other, and I wasted no time in finding out who had created it: Michelangelo. On the back of the canvas I found a sentence written in Latin which read:”

Herein is the woman who guards the most important secret in all of history.

The old man made his way to a group of tables which were arranged a perfect circle, with a pile of computers sitting on top of them. In the middle of the circle was a gigantic metal box, on top of which was a huge square display cabinet. Albert switched on one of the computers and after he had spent a few minutes of typing a long string of letters and numbers, a mechanical sound could be heard in the laboratory.

The reinforced steel box opened and a tiny elevator brought up a kind of painting from inside the box to the armored display cabinet, making it visible to everyone there.

It was stunning. It depicted a pregnant woman resting in a beautiful garden full of flowers, while two angels flew around her. It was only then that they understood the reason for so much security. Clearly the painting was priceless.

“Does it represent the Virgin Mary?” asked James.

“That was what we thought at first, but after hundreds of days studying the painting, we found out we were mistaken. Have you read ‘The Da Vinci Code’?”

“Yes, the famous book by Dan Brown.”

“The premise of the book is the idea that Mary Magdalene and Jesus of Nazareth had descendants, and that is exactly what this painting represents; the womb of the woman impregnated by Jesus of Nazareth.”

Mary stepped closer to the painting in order to get a better look. “So, you’re saying that the secret hidden in the painting is that Jesus of Nazareth had descendants?”

“Yes and no!” laughed the old man. “That expression has been deceiving us for years. What Michelangelo really wanted to tell us is that below the painting lies an even greater secret. I was reading the newspaper some time ago and I found out that a team of researchers in the Netherlands and Belgium had reconstructed a painting hidden beneath a work of Van Gogh, eventually discovering the image of a woman’s head. It was achieved with unprecedented precision; their method involved using X-rays applied with a particle accelerator, which allowed them to obtain a color photograph of the painting hidden below the canvas. I wondered if something similar could be done here.”

James frowned. “That’s why you have all this machinery?”

“Exactly. X-rays have their limitations and they only allow us to see certain layers. By applying an X-ray beam, we were able to measure the fluorescence of the layers of the painting, which are of course different depending on the chemical element they contain. This meant that we could obtain individual readings for the lead and mercury atoms, as well as other pigment components, and the upper layers therefore had less of a distorting effect on the underlying painting. Later, we used both the small X-ray beam and the particle accelerator together. After scanning the surface for a long time, it allowed us to transfer the pictorial data from the composition to a computer, and display the image which was originally on the canvas.”

“And what did you find under the painting?” asked James again.

Albert walked over to one of the side cupboards and took out a large plastic sheet, which was exactly the same size as the painting. “This sheet contains the underlying picture in its original size. In other words, it has the same proportions as the canvas and the text within is in exactly the same position as it would be on the painting.”

The trio approached the table where Albert had set down the sheet, their hearts beating faster than ever. At last they saw what it contained.

It was incredible. The entire sheet was absolutely full of letters, joined together and with no blank spaces. There must have been over ten thousand!

“How many letters are there?”

“Surprisingly, there are exactly forty thousand letters. I’ve tried as many ways I could to translate the text: I hired computer technicians which have, to no avail, used endless coded algorithms looking for some hidden text; mathematicians and cryptographers who have tried to find words by substituting some letters for others; experts in extinct languages… all of them working simultaneously and sharing their knowledge, but it has been useless,” declared Albert as he sat down again in the chair, thinking about how much energy had been spent up until now. “It has even been impossible for us to deduce the meaning of the three tiny circles which appear in three corners of the canvas and, just as importantly, why doesn’t the other corner have a circle?”

Richard looked excitedly at the sheet. The author was clearly Simone Di Benedetto. The size of the letters and the morphology were undoubtedly identical to those in the book. Given that after studying the work, Albert had reached the conclusion that the style was undoubtedly that of Michelangelo, the only possibility was that Simone Di Benedetto had asked him to carry out his work on this canvas which had already been written on. Besides, the letters used were again those of the Latin alphabet using Visigothic script, just like in the book.

Albert started to speak again. “If you look closely, you’ll realize that it is virtually impossible to form any words, as the consonants are grouped together.” When he saw the confusion on the faces of his guests, he tried to explain. “When we read the letters horizontally, we find forty consonants next to each other and then one vowel. A similar thing happens vertically, as there we see thirty consecutive consonants and then a vowel. I mean, it’s practically impossible to decipher the text because if you substitute some letters with others, they never even form a single word, and if we made combinations using all the letters, we would have millions of words. It is a real shame. All our scientists believe that it actually hides a word search - they are the names of the first descendants of Jesus of Nazareth up until the time of Michelangelo.”

James had been absorbed in his own thoughts while Albert was explaining his findings. He couldn’t stop looking at the three circles on the sheet. Obviously they held the key to solving the riddle.

I’ve seen something like this before. I’ve seen those three circles somewhere… think, James.

The fervent discussion about possible meanings which had begun among his friends did nothing but distract him from his train of thought, so he slipped away and began to slowly pace around in a circle. He put his hands in the side pockets of his jacket to try and relax, but his hands fell upon the old book he had found and a thought flashed through his mind.

What if the book tells us how to understand all this gobbledygook? After all, it is like a map.

He took it out and laid it on one of the tables. He slowly thumbed the pages, looking carefully at the details written on them and at the objects that were inside. He was looking for some kind of clue that would enable them to continue. Finally, his eyes settled on the big white sheet at the end of the first chapter. He quickly unfolded it, checking that it was a similar size to the canvas, and after looking at the corners he couldn’t help but let out a cry of delight when he found the three circular holes, each in a corner of the sheet. The fourth corner was intact.

His friends looked on openmouthed as he placed the large folio on top of the plastic sheet, lining up the three holes and checking that they were exactly the same size. Clearly the three circles indicated the exact position where the paper fitted over the canvas.

“You are a genius!” Albert couldn’t contain his excitement. He had spent the last two years trying to figure out its meaning and now that moment was closer than ever.

The sheet covered almost all the letters on the canvas except those which were visible through the seven square holes which were in the center of the paper. It was an ancient method of encrypting messages known as the
Cardan grille
. He set about writing down the seven letters, one by one, on a piece of paper according to how they read from left to right. The result was incredible. They formed a word which left them as stumped as they had been at the beginning.

MAXIMUM

Maximum,
thought Albert and shouted out loud. “It must be one of His descendants! Maximus!”

James shook his head. “I’m sorry Albert, but this canvas doesn’t hide what you think. Really, it should spell out the route we have to take next, but I don’t have any idea what it is referring to. Richard, what do you think?”

Unlike his friends, Richard wasn’t looking at the sheet with the letters, but the paper instead. There was something he hadn’t fully understood. “Why did you decide to put the paper in that position?”

James didn’t understand the question, the answer was glaringly obvious. “Can’t you see that the three holes determine the precise position out of four possibilities?”

“Four? I’d say eight.”

James took a couple of steps back and, finally, he understood what he meant. However, he explained it so that his companions could understand. “The paper, being square, could also be placed the other way round; with the face which is against the canvas facing up. That way, we would have another four possible positions, of which only one is valid.

Two Cardan grilles in one. Amazing.

James rushed to turn over the sheet and followed Richard’s instructions. When the folio was in place, it revealed the new word which would follow the other seven letters.

PYRAMIS

“Pyramis maximum,” said James. “The biggest pyramid.”

A
fter so many years spent searching for a meaning to the jumble of letters written underneath the painting, Albert at last knew what it was. However, he had no idea what the author meant by it. Clearly the other letters were not placed in random order, but with the intention of disguising the initial text.

Pyramis Maximum,
pondered Richard over and over.
Its literal translation would be “the biggest pyramid”.
He kept mulling it over for a few seconds under the expectant gaze of his friends. The text undoubtedly referred to one of the largest pyramids in Egypt or, to be more precise, the Pyramid of Cheops.

Mary interrupted him. “I agree. The most important pyramids in Egypt are the so-called Pyramids of Giza, built in honor of the kings Cheops, Khafra and Mykerinos. The Pyramid of Cheops is considered to be one of the Seven Wonders of the World and curiously enough, it is the biggest of the three.

“So, clearly, we have to travel to Egypt.”

“Perhaps the book will give us some hint about what we have to look for there,” said James.

Albert didn’t understand a word of what they were talking about among themselves. “But what the hell are you looking for?”

“For your own safety, it’s best you don’t know. Two assassins are chasing us, they’ve even tried to kill us a few times.”

A huge vein throbbed on Albert’s forehead. He was by no means used to being spoken to in such a way. He was aware of the importance that book had for his guests, and this was probably one of the last chances he would ever have to embark on such an adventure. His legs weren’t as strong as they used to be, but he still had the same thirst for adventure as he did when he was young.

“We’ll have none of that, lad,” declared Albert in an authoritative voice. “I don’t know what you’ve got yourselves into, but obviously it is something very important. I want in.”

Richard was getting angry. “Sorry, but no way. You would slow us down, our lives are at stake here and I don’t want to risk a hair on my head. Don’t you realize they’re after us?!”

“Son, I’m seventy-two years old. I’ve spent my whole life visiting works of art and archaeological remains in the most prestigious cities in the world and, that being so, I have a funny feeling you three are involved in something much more important. You’re younger, that much is true, but my love for art and my thirst for knowledge are just as great, or even greater, than yours.” His eyes shone like never before, he was overcome with emotion. Even his hands were trembling. “For the love of god, it could be the last adventure I ever have!”

The three friends glanced at other upon hearing Albert’s heartfelt plea; it had been enough for them to fully understand how the old man felt. However, they weren’t prepared to put their lives at risk so that an old man could live out his last dream and allow him to put the cherry on his extremely impressive career.

“Look,” said James after a few seconds. “I understand you completely. Art is my life, as well as yours. When I found the book, I was overcome with nerves and happiness. I felt like I was on the brink of unearthing a piece of the history of mankind. They were on the verge of killing us yesterday and, without a doubt, if you came with us it would prove a blessing for those two killers. However, we totally understand your love for art, your home is proof enough. You deserve to be kept up to date with our investigations, but that is the most we can do for you.”

The elderly man couldn’t hide his emotions, a mixture of rage and resignation, and a small tear even rolled down his cheek. At least that was something. He would know all about the young trio’s discoveries and, in some small way, he would be a part of this marvelous adventure.

“Okay,” he said all of a sudden. “I understand. Maybe I would have done the same. At least tell me what is hidden inside that book you haven’t been able to tear yourself away from since you set foot in my house.”

James still wasn’t sure if they had shaken off the assassins, so he couldn’t tell him anything. He just smiled so as not to worry him. “You’ll know when the time is right. It isn’t safe to tell you anything right now.”

“Well, we have to go,” insisted Richard. “We have to catch a flight to Egypt right away.”

Albert smirked. He didn’t believe the promise James had just made to him. “Perhaps I can help you. I have a private plane in a nearby hangar. I’ll give you free use of it, as long as you keep your word and keep me informed. That way you’ll avoid the terrible airport queues and delays and you’ll get to Egypt in the blink of an eye.”