peaceful in death. At the huge hands folded so strongly across the reddish black robe.
Then back at the face... the eyes... the eyes...
Oh, my God! Oh, Christ!
The shadows were playing tricks... terrible, horrible tricks.
The body of Acquaba moved.
The eyes opened; the fingers of the immense hands spread, the wrists turned, the arms raised... inches above the ancient cloth.
In supplication.
And then there was nothing.
Only a shrivelled corpse behind a latticework of gold.
McAuliff pressed himself back against the wall of stone, trying desperately to find his sanity. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply, gripping the rock beneath him.
He did not know how long it was - a minute, an hour, a decade of terror - until he heard Daniel's words.
'You saw it.' A statement made gently. 'Do not be afraid. We shall never speak of it again. There is no harm. Only good.'
Alexander could not talk. The perspiration rolled down his face. And the carved-out council ground was cool.
Daniel stood up and walked to the centre of the platform of rock. Instead of addressing the Tribe of Acquaba, he turned to McAuliff. His words were whispered, but, as before, they were clear and precise, echoing off the walls.
'The lessons of Acquaba touch all men, as the lessons of all prophets touch all men. But few listen. Still, the work must go on. For those who can do it. It is really as simple as that. Acquaba was granted the gift of great riches... beyond the imaginations of those who will never listen; who will only steal and corrupt... So we go out into the world without the world's knowledge. And we do what we can... It must ever be so, for if the world knew, the world would impose itself and the Halidon, the Tribe of Acquaba, and the lessons of Acquaba would be destroyed... We are not fools, Dr McAuliff. We know with whom we speak, with whom we share our secrets. And our love... But do not mistake us. We can kill; we will kill to protect the vaults of Acquaba. In that we are dangerous. In that we are absolute. We will destroy ourselves and the vaults if the world outside interferes with us.
'I, as Minister of Council, ask you to rise, Dr McAuliff. And turn yourself away from the Tribe of Acquaba, from this Council of the Halidon, and face the wall. What you will hear, staring only at stone, are voices, revealing locations and figures. As I mentioned, we are not fools. We understand the specifics of the marketplace. But you will not see faces, you will never know the identities of those who speak. Only know that they go forth bearing the wealth of Acquaba.
'We dispense vast sums throughout the world, concentrating as best we can on the areas of widespread human suffering. Pockets of famine, displacement... futility. Untold thousands are helped, daily by the Halidon. Daily. In practical ways.
'Please rise and face the wall, Dr McAuliff.'
Alexander got up from the block of stone and turned. For a brief instant his eyes fell on the corpse of Acquaba. He looked away and stared at the towering sheet of rock.
Daniel continued. 'Our contributions are made without thought of political gain or influence. They are made because we have the concealed wealth and the commitment to make them. The lessons of Acquaba.
'But the world is not ready to accept our ways, Acquaba's ways. The global mendacity would destroy us, cause us to destroy ourselves, perhaps. And that we cannot permit.
'So understand this, Dr McAuliff. Beyond the certainty of your own death, should you reveal what you know of the Tribe of Acquaba, there is another certainty of far greater significance than your life: the work of the Halidon will cease. That is our ultimate threat...'
One by one, the voices recited their terse statements: