The Sacred Vault_ A Novel - Andy McDermott [127]
The prisoners were taken to one of the chambers cut into the mountainside. It was much deeper than the others Nina had seen, a passage leading from the archway into a large room with a sheet of animal skin hanging across the entrance to keep out the elements. Fires burned in alcoves carved in the walls, the smoke carried away through cracks above.
She counted at least twenty of the guardians. All were men, ranging from middle age to their teens. They wore the same dark blue robes and their heads were shaved, monk-like. But they were clearly not passive seekers after spiritual perfection. They were warriors, defending the valley to the death.
Another two men brought in Girilal, their attitudes a mix of contempt and deference. The yogi smiled at Nina, then began talking to the leader, his animation in stark contrast to the younger man’s stoic disapproval.
‘He knew about this lot all along,’ Eddie muttered. ‘And he didn’t bloody warn us.’
‘He did, though,’ said Nina. ‘He tried everything he could to put us off. But he couldn’t tell us about these people without confirming that the Vault of Shiva actually existed . . . which was exactly what he was trying to avoid.’
‘But who are they?’ Kit asked. ‘And what’s his connection to them?’
Girilal glanced across. ‘I will answer your questions soon. But first I have to persuade them not to kill you, so please be patient!’
‘I think we can give him a little more time,’ said Nina, nervously regarding the hostile faces surrounding them.
The two men conversed for several minutes before the leader, still clearly displeased by Girilal’s interference, stood before the trio. He was around thirty, tall, with a wiry muscularity. ‘I am Shankarpa,’ he said. ‘You say you are here to protect the Vault of Shiva?’ His English was halting, rusty.
‘Yes,’ Nina replied. ‘I’m Nina Wilde, the director of the United Nations’ International Heritage Agency.’ Shankarpa’s expression was one of incomprehension until Girilal provided an explanation in Hindi. ‘My job is to find important historical sites so they can be shown to the world - and protected from thieves.’
‘We protect the Vault from thieves,’ he told her firmly.
‘Yeah, we noticed,’ said Eddie. ‘You’re a bit more active than your average rentacops, though.’
Nina shushed him. ‘We’re not the only people looking for the Vault. Another group wants to steal the Shiva-Vedas. They’ve already killed to find out where they are, and they’ll kill you too if you try to stop them.’
The mention of the Vedas raised a commotion. ‘How do you know of the Shiva-Vedas?’ Shankarpa demanded.
‘From a man called Talonor. He visited Kedarnath thousands of years ago - the priests told him about the Vault, and showed him the key.’ She indicated the replica amongst their confiscated possessions.
He picked it up, holding the faces of the gods to the firelight. ‘Where did you find this?’ The question was accusing, as if it had been taken from him personally.
Nina decided to simplify the explanation. ‘Talonor pressed the key into a sheet of gold - this is a copy made from it.’
‘A copy?’ He tapped the dense plastic. ‘It is not the real key?’
‘No, it - wait, you don’t have the real key?’
‘It was lost long ago,’ he said, glowering.
‘Hold on,’ said Eddie. ‘You mean you’re guarding the Vault of Shiva . . . but you can’t get into it yourselves?’ He laughed sarcastically. ‘How do you even know there’s anything in it?’
‘Nobody can enter the Vault without the key,’ Shankarpa said angrily. ‘The doors have been closed for over a thousand years - and no outsiders have ever lived to reach them. Until today.’
‘But now you have the replica, can you open it?’ asked Nina.
Now his dark expression had a hint of shame. ‘That secret . . . is lost too.’
‘Well, that’s one way to keep the place safe,’ Eddie said mockingly. ‘But if the bad guys find it, they’ll just blow the doors open.’
‘We will protect the Vault,’ Shankarpa insisted. ‘We have watched over it since Lord Shiva placed his sacred possessions here.’
‘How can