“No, thank God. Let’s hope he doesn’t realize we got on.”
They found three empty seats just as the train began to pull out of the station, and Angelique heaved an enormous sigh of relief. “I think we’re safe for the time being,” she said tentatively.
“But what the hell do we do now?” Natalie whispered anxiously. “How are we going to find Calvin and the others?”
“Angelique,” Julien said briskly, “please lend me your phone one last time.” He punched in a number, frowning in concentration as it rang.
“Finley,” he said after a moment, “listen carefully, because I’m going to get rid of this phone after we talk. Meet us at the Île de la Cité, at the Metro Station. Can you get there?”
“Yes,” Finley replied in a tense voice, “we’ll be there as soon as possible.”
“Good. If you don’t see us at the station, it means we had to hide, and we’ll be inside Notre Dame,” he added. “And Finley, throw away your phone immediately. We’re being tracked with them, I’m sure of it now.” With that final comment, Julien hung up and set Angelique’s phone on the train floor. He ground his foot into it as hard as possible until it cracked into pieces.
Angelique grimaced, then shrugged. “Well, now you can’t call with all of your impossible requests,” she chuckled.
Julien smiled ruefully. “I’m afraid you’re obliged to remain with us for the time being, cherie, and I’m sorry I’ve gotten you tangled up in this mess.”
“I insisted on coming with you to the library,” she reminded him. “I got myself involved, so don’t you be worrying about me. I’m a big girl.”
Natalie had been gazing out the window miserably. “Why do these people want this poem so badly? If anything happened to my brother, I’ll find who did it, and … and kill them!” she finished harshly.
Julien laid his hand on her arm gently. “Finn said, ‘We’ll be there as soon as possible.’ He didn’t say I. I’m sure that means he’s with Calvin and Kieran.”
Natalie looked at her uncle with renewed hope. Her brother was the most important person in her life. If anything happened to him, she would be utterly lost.
There were several stops on the way to Île de la Cité, the historic island in the middle of the Seine. Each time the train slowed, the three crouched low in their seats and peered furtively out the window. Finally it pulled into Cité station, and they emerged onto the platform and into the ancient heart of Paris.
They exited through the station’s whimsical Art Nouveau gates, searching the crowd for Calvin and their friends. After a few minutes, Julien began to get nervous about being out in the open, and decided it was better to head straight for the cathedral. They walked quickly down Rue de Lutèce, entered the Portal of Saint Anne and stopped, gazing about them in silent wonder.
“I am struck with awe every time I enter this church,” Angelique whispered reverently.
“I always feel a certain peace,” Natalie added, looking around. “This church is truly magical.”
“It certainly is our refuge today,” Julien declared. “We will wait by the statue of Joan of Arc.”
“That must be your favorite thing in the cathedral Uncle,” Natalie remarked. “It seems we always head straight there when we visit Notre Dame.”
Julien eyed her keenly for a moment, and seemed to come to a decision.
“Your brother is also enamored of the Maid of Orleans, but there is another reason I bring you to her so often,” he said enigmatically. “And if no one is milling about her, I will show you.”
They walked down the central nave and turned to the right near the transept. There, in a darkened corner, was the statue. A beam of light shone from seemingly nowhere on her lovely upturned face. She stood with her palms held together in prayer, her eyes to heaven, cradling a flag in the crook of her arm.
“How beautiful she is!” Angelique breathed. “I had forgotten.”
“Our Lady of Paris seems rather ostentatious compared to her,” Julien agreed, referring to the nearby medieval statue of the Virgin and Child that shared the name of the cathedral.
Natalie knelt at the statue and lit a candle, praying for her brother’s safe return. At that instant, she heard his voice directly behind her.
“Since when are you so devout, Nat?”
She jumped up with a cry of joy and threw her arms around her brother. “Thank God you’re all right!” she cried, noticing Finn standing behind him.
“Where’s Kieran?” Julien asked worriedly.
“We lost him,” Finn said in a tight voice. “We better find somewhere safe to figure out what to do.”
Julien knelt at the statue and lit a candle for their missing friend. “It is well that we are alone, as the perfect refuge is right in front of us.”
“Joan of Arc,” Calvin asked, confused.
Julien glanced around furtively before replying. “Finn, will you be kind enough to stand watch? If anyone approaches us, cough or something, and when I call you, return at once.”
“Certainly,” Finn agreed, stepping just out of sight, and leaning casually against a pillar.
“Now,” Julien continued, “take a peek just to the right of Saint Joan and tell me what you see.”
Calvin did as instructed, and examined the area his uncle indicated. “I see nothing particularly interesting Uncle,” he admitted at length.
“Look closely at the wall,” Julien prodded.
Natalie joined her brother and inspected the area carefully. “There’s a little round stamp here,” she said. “It looks like a symbol of some sort.”
“Just so.” Julien pulled a ring of keys from his pocket, and called out tentatively, ”Finn, is anyone coming?”
“No one is about,” came the whispered reply.
“Very good. Come on back,” Julien told him, pointing his keys towards the statue. He pressed the button of what Natalie and Calvin had always thought was his car alarm, just as Finn reappeared.
Suddenly, the seal that Natalie had found receded into the wall for a moment, as if it was a button that had just been pushed. At once, the stone followed it, and in seconds, a small opening, just big enough for a man to come through, appeared behind the base of the statue.
Julien glanced back quickly to be sure they were not observed. “Get in quickly!” he said, nudging Calvin, who was standing next to him, towards the aperture.
He immediately obeyed, and crawled in, followed closely by Angelique, Natalie, Finn, and last of all, his uncle.
“I’m shutting the door,” Julien called from behind him. “It’s going to get very dark, but don’t worry. Just keep going.”
As Calvin crawled deeper into the darkness, he began to sweat. He disliked enclosed spaces intensely, especially cramped, dark, cold ones. He tried desperately to calm himself, knowing a full-blown panic attack was out of the question, especially with Angelique so close behind him. He thought with growing anxiety how mortified he would be if she would see him in such a state, and crawled miserably along. How he wished Natalie, who had no such fears, had gone first!
A moment later however, his fears subsided when he reached the end of the crawlspace and found he was able to stand up in a larger chamber. He sighed with relief