Chapter 20 #3
“It is described as a cup made out of petrified wood. The wood has taken on opal properties, featuring a dark brown base laced with rainbow opal. It’s quite flashy on the exterior with a rich brown on the interior.
The opal will glow when water is placed within, and it will turn into a golden date wine.
I recommend against drinking from the cup.
The sale papers indicate that those who drink of the wine have mixed reactions. ”
I narrowed my eyes. “What do you mean by mixed reactions?”
“Nothing lethal, but let’s just say few people can handle the wine. Nobody knows why, as the scientific labs done on the wine indicate it’s just a potent date wine. It’s likely a matter of magic. If you do try it, be close to somewhere you can vomit, as that seems to be the most common reaction.”
“Good to know. We’ll keep an eye out for it, and I’ll give you a call if we find it. I need that money to help Madam Merorie’s victims, the Vatican needs their holy object, and I have land to buy in Iraq.”
One way or another, I would make certain that little girl made her way home, where she could resume giving life to the desert she had loved enough to die for.
* * *
Saturday, May 30, 2167
The Fringe
Dragon Heights
Shortly after midnight, just as I was about to give up hope of finding anything else of use in the manor, a golden glow led us to the purported Holy Grail.
A rainbow of color scattered over the floor of the first display room, revealing its hiding place behind a collection of fossils from the Cambrian period.
The rack of small marine lifeforms had done a good job of obscuring our view of the cup.
As described, it was a rich dark brown with a rainbow of opal laced throughout, and the interior of the cup was smooth and solid brown.
As I refused to use the girl’s water for the experiment, I took the cup into the nearest working bathroom, filled it with cold water, and waited.
Sure enough, after a few moments, the cup glowed with a brighter light before the water transmuted into a golden fluid.
That the fluid offered a gentle illumination promised it was more than mere wine.
I eyed the cup before I sighed. “Well, I’m in a bathroom, and Pascal warned me that most people vomit after trying the date wine, but as I refuse to sell a cup that might not be the real deal, I’m going to disregard his warning and see if this is wine. ”
Erik sighed. “I guess I’m going to be trying it, too, for the same reasons.”
“You couldn’t pay me any amount of money on this sweet Earth to try it,” Lan informed us in a solemn tone while digging his phone out. “But I will call for an ambulance should this not go well. Good luck.”
Before I chickened out, I gave the cup a swirl, took a sniff, and after wincing at its overbearing sweetness, I took a proper mouthful to take a taste.
The wine’s smell ill prepared me for the sweet and tart flavors backed by potent alcohol.
I could understand why people gagged on it, as it reminded me of a strong liquor rather than a modern wine.
I narrowed my eyes, refusing to allow the brew to defeat me.
Aware it would likely burn all the way down, I braced and swallowed.
Sure enough, the drink lit a fire all the way down to my belly. I huffed, I puffed, and I kept control over my stomach. After a few moments, the discomfort eased to a soothing warmth.
I offered the cup to Erik. “It’s wine if you take port, concentrate all the alcohol, and infuse it with even more alcohol while it attempts to retain some of its wine properties.”
Erik took the Holy Grail, nodded at my warning, and handled it the same way I had, although he took a smaller swig to avoid making my mistake.
Like me, he kept his sample down, and he wrinkled his nose and shuddered. “Honestly, if I were participating in my final meal, and I could infuse a cup with magic, I’d make it strong enough to burn the sin right out of me.”
Curious over the Holy Grail’s properties, I rinsed out the toothbrush cup of dust and tested pouring the wine out of the Holy Grail.
Upon touching the glass, it reverted back to water.
Interesting. I dumped out the rest of the wine, grabbed a towel, and cleaned out the interior before handing it over to Erik and digging out my phone.
With millions on the line, the last thing I wanted was to leave the matter of the cup unhandled until morning.
As such, I dialed Pascal, tapping my foot while I waited for him to answer.
“Did you find it?” he asked.
“I did, and I can confirm it does make wine, and I’m guessing people were throwing up because they took a swallow expecting wine rather than a shot of potent date liquor that might have started its life as wine. Erik tried it, too. Neither one of us has thrown up yet.”
The black dragon laughed. “I will get out the information for you to call the Vatican tomorrow. I’m going to contact your parents and suggest they stay the night at your place, as nobody is going to get to you or that cup with them on guard.
Go home, drive safely, and I’ll have everything you need to get rid of that thing in the morning. ”
I narrowed my eyes. “Why do you want me to get rid of it so badly?”
“I don’t trust it.”
“It’s a cup that turns water to liquor. What could possibly be wrong with it?
” I asked in an exasperated voice. “If the Vatican wants it, they can have it—and I am happy to accept their money for it so I can turn around and do good with it. But if it scares you that much, give me the information, and I’ll deal with it now. Isn’t it morning over there?”
“It is, and they have a number for serious sellers—and you will have the one thing that will get their attention: the Holy Grail’s official certificate number, which is not public information. The Vatican has it to confirm the person has the cup. Do you have something to write this down with?”
I snapped my finger and pointed at Erik’s phone, which he unlocked and handed over. “I do.”
Pascal gave me instructions on how to dial the number so the call would connect along with the certificate number. “Text me when you have a confirmation of if they’ll buy.”
“Will do.” I hung up, and before I chickened out, I dialed the Vatican.
To my disgust, I encountered an automated system in Italian.
Fortunately, after listening for a few minutes, the system gave me an option for other languages, including English.
I pressed five, and the automated system sent me through a maze until I located a number that would take me to someone in acquisitions.
I hoped it was of ancient artifacts important to their religion.
“Vatican acquisitions, Elana speaking,” a woman answered, her English brisk and with minimal accent.
“Hello, Elana. My name is Kinsley Ramons, and I need to speak with someone regarding an item the Vatican wishes to purchase.”
“Certificate number, please.”
I breathed a relieved sigh, referenced Erik’s phone, and regurgitated the twenty digit number sprinkled with letters.
For a dragging moment, Elana remained silent. “I’m sorry, but can you repeat that confirmation number?”
In her shoes, I’d be asking for a quadruple confirmation of the number, so I took my time repeating the number and its collection of letters.
Then, to keep myself honest, I gave Erik his phone back and took the cup.
“I have the item in question in my hand, and I can confirm its properties involving water and wine—more of a golden date liquor than a wine. I’ll be blunt with you, Elana, I inherited this, and it’s quite possibly one of the last things I want in my home.
And as I’m uncomfortable with obtaining personal wealth from the sale of this item, I will be using the funds received for charitable causes. ”
Rebuilding the girl’s oasis and freeing Madam Merorie’s victims counted, and if I somehow still had funds after that, I would be spending every cent on anyone other than myself and my small family.
Sure, if all went well, I would own a bunch of land in Iraq, but the oasis would be safeguarded, and I would invest in protecting the girl and her legacy.
I would also fund as much future excavations of her beloved home as possible. While the city would never rise and flourish, not without the river that had once sustained it, her oasis might one day become a home for someone.
“When can you come to the Vatican with the item? We will adjust our schedule to meet you, and we have agreements with most banking institutions in the world, so we can transfer the funds the same day. We only do legal sales, of course, and will require proof of your ownership of the item.”
“Do you have a direct number I can contact you at? I will need to see about how I will be traveling to Europe.”
And Iraq—and I would be taking the girl’s body with me when I went, assuming I could find a way to legally return her to her home.
Once I finished that business, I would see about making my way to Europe to investigate the missing children and their fate.
“Of course.”
“Okay, give me one moment, please.” After handing Erik the cup, I took his phone and opened a new note to record the phone number. “I’m ready.”
Elana gave me several phone numbers with a hefty set of directions on how to reach the Vatican, how to gain access into the place without fanfare and struggles with security, and a few recommendations on how to best transport the cup to protect it from damage.
Once she finished, we danced around hanging up, and I crossed my eyes over the mess. “Erik, how do people like us go overseas?”
“Carefully.” Erik snickered at me, likely finding my beleaguered expression to be amusing. “That is a tomorrow problem. Give Pascal the information he needs. We’re going home, and after we get some sleep, we’ll figure out the rest from there.”
I expected tomorrow would be a day of chaos, stress, and regrets, but if all worked out as I wanted, selling the cup would be worth the hassle. In any case, I would find out soon enough.