‘Oh, I’m not worried about me, Edward. I’ve had a good run. But your old nan is . . . well, starting to fall apart.’ She tapped the oxygen mask. ‘I don’t want to hang around if I have to be tubed up in some hospital. I’d rather just fall asleep and never wake up.’
He had heard her say similar things before, but always jokily. This time, though, it was almost in resignation. ‘Don’t talk like that, Nan. You’ll be around for a long time yet.’
She smiled up at him. ‘You’re a good lad, Edward, thank you. But I’ve done everything I wanted. I’ve got grandchildren, I’ve got great-grandchildren, and about the only thing I still want is to see you and Nina give me another one.’
‘Not sure when that’ll be,’ said Eddie, ‘but if that’s what it takes to make sure you don’t go anywhere, then I’ll see what we can do.’
Another smile behind the mask. ‘That’s nice. But it’s your world now. Nobody should stay around past their time.’
Her words made Eddie’s throat tighten as though he was being choked. He looked away, following his grandmother’s gaze across the peaceful sea.
Nina didn’t need the satellite navigation system of Macy’s rented Range Rover Evoque to tell her how far they were from their destination. The tiered hump of Glastonbury Tor, the ruined tower of a medieval church atop the green hill, stood out for miles on the plain of farmland surrounding it. ‘There it is.’
‘Good,’ Macy replied. ‘I didn’t know driving in England would be so stressy.’ After being stuck behind a slow-moving horsebox for several miles, she had finally lost patience and blasted past it on a near-blind corner, to Nina’s armrest-clutching dismay.
‘Because of being on the wrong side?’
‘That, and these roads.’ She jabbed a manicured finger at the winding lane ahead. ‘I’ve used Scotch tape that’s wider! And what’s with all the twists and turns? Did the Brits lose straight line technology after the Romans left?’
Nina smiled. ‘Well, not much farther now. And I think you’ll find Glastonbury relaxing. I know I did.’
‘Didn’t you get chased and shot at?’
‘I meant apart from that!’
Before long, they arrived at the Tor. There had been changes since Nina’s previous visit; following her discovery of King Arthur’s tomb beneath the hill, a large part of the southeastern face was now fenced off, portable cabins acting as headquarters and labs for the ongoing dig.
They were met by the archaeological team’s leader, Dr William Barley. The elderly man wore thick round glasses and had a pipe clenched between his teeth. ‘Dr Wilde, welcome. A great honour to have you here.’
‘Thank you,’ Nina replied. ‘This is my assistant, Macy Sharif.’
‘Very good to meet you,’ said Barley. ‘Now, Dr Wilde, you said your visit was a potential security matter?’
‘That’s right,’ said Nina, removing the case containing the two statuettes from the Evoque, as well as a larger one which she presented to Macy, who stared at it uncomprehendingly before realising she was expected to carry it and grudgingly taking it. ‘The IHA came into possession of artefacts that may have a connection to Glastonbury.’
Barley sucked wetly on his pipe stem. ‘Not sure what to think about this cloak and dagger business you have at the IHA. I can understand keeping things quiet to stop treasure hunters, but it’s hard to imagine how anything found in an archaeological site could pose any risks to global security.’
‘You’d be surprised,’ said Nina. ‘Can we see the tomb?’
‘Of course. This way.’ Barley plodded to the tomb entrance, which was now covered by a wood and brick structure watched by CCTV cameras. He unlocked the door to reveal a narrow tunnel leading down into the heart of the Tor. Apart from the addition of a string of electric lights, it was just as Nina remembered finding it two years earlier, the Roman numerals inscribed into one of the stone supports marking the year of its construction: 1191 AD. The monks of Glastonbury Abbey had secretly excavated the tomb and moved the bodies of Arthur and Guinevere – and Arthur’s legendary sword, Excalibur – to a new resting place to prevent their abbey’s greatest treasures from being plundered.
She also remembered other things she had discovered within. ‘You’ve, ah, found all the death traps, I hope?’
Barley chortled. ‘No need to worry, Dr Wilde. Everything’s been made safe.’