‘It’s a treatise said to have been written in about 690 AD by El Izmir Al Tabul, an Arabian philosopher and agrarianist,’ answered Lauren.
‘Agrarianist?’ asked Jake, with a puzzled frown.
‘A gardener,’ explained Parsons.
‘Then why not say so,’ Jake complained, ‘instead of using words like some sort of code to cut me out and make me feel like a spare part.’
‘I’m not trying to make you feel cut out,’ defended Lauren. ‘The fact is, he was more than just a gardener, and – for me – science is about being precise. Anyway, when I was researching the Order of Malichea I came across a list of books that were said to have been in the secret library.’
‘I think I need to know more about this secret library,’ said Jake.
‘Bear with me’ said Lauren. ‘One of the books was a scientific text written in the late seventh century by this El Izmir, in which he claimed to have developed a strain of fungus that only needed the moisture in air in which to grow rapidly. As soon as the dehydrated spores came into contact with moisture . . . voom!’
‘And the point of this was?’
‘Food,’ put in Parsons. ‘The desert is not a place where food can be cultivated easily, and in areas far from groundwater, but where there could be moisture in the air . . .’
‘OK, I get the idea.’ Jake nodded. ‘So this particular type of fungus . . .’
‘Was an early example of genetic modification of a plant strain,’ said Lauren. ‘Food that could be grown in abundance from the water in air.’
‘If it’s true, that would be fantastic,’ said Jake. ‘Growing food rich in protein in desert areas.’
‘An end to famine,’ said Robert.
‘Exactly!’ said Lauren.
‘But it didn’t happen,’ pointed out Jake.
‘It did,’ said Lauren. ‘You saw it happen. The fungus grew when exposed to air.’
Jake shook his head.
‘It grew on this man who was working at the site,’ he said.
‘Because human beings are seventy per cent moisture,’ said Parsons.
‘The spores have to be released in a properly controlled way,’ added Lauren.
Jake thought about it, and what he’d seen. The man opening the book, breathing in whatever was stuck to the pages.
‘You’re right,’ he said. Then he frowned. ‘But, if it works, why hasn’t anyone heard about it before? I mean, something like this, that could solve hunger . . .’
‘Because El Izmir’s book about the fungus was destroyed, along with the rest of the secret library,’ said Lauren. ‘Or, it was believed to have been destroyed.’
‘We’d better tell him about the secret library and the Order of Malichea,’ said Parsons. ‘Otherwise none of this is going to make sense.’
Lauren turned to Robert.
‘Robert, have you still got that battered old van of yours?’ she asked.
Robert looked affronted.
‘Lizzie is not a battered old van,’ he replied defensively. ‘All right, she may have a few dents here and there, but . . .’
‘But is she still noisy?’
Robert looked uncomfortable.
‘Well, compared to some of these modern vehicles . . .’ he began, his tone a definite sneer.
‘Good,’ said Lauren. ‘We’ll need your laptop.’
‘OK,’ said Robert. ‘I’ll go and get it.’
Chapter 9
Lauren waited until they were all in Robert’s van and he’d turned over the ignition and started it up before she told them her plan. Robert was at the wheel, Jake was in the back of the van with Lauren and Parsons. The van was really noisy. Lauren had to shout to make herself heard above the sound of the engine.
‘Once, when my laptop was out of commission, I borrowed Robert’s and copied my files on to it,’ she said.
She opened Robert’s laptop, turned it on, and her fingers began hitting keys.
‘So he has the history of the Order of Malichea on it?’ asked Parsons.
‘Providing he hasn’t deleted it,’ said Lauren.
‘I haven’t,’ Robert called from the front of the van. ‘Everything you put on there is still there, just in case you needed it.’
As the van set off and began chugging along the road, Jake realised why Lauren had chosen it for this session. There would be very few microphones, if any, that would be able to pick up their conversation above the noisy engine.
Lauren found the file she was looking for and passed the laptop to Jake.
‘Read this,’ she said.
‘ “The Order of Malichea and the Lost Sciences”, by Lauren Graham,’ read Jake.