‘But how do the Russians know what this particular book is called, and where it is?’ asked Jake, puzzled.
‘That’s the really important thing!’ said Lauren excitedly. ‘Don’t you see, Jake? It means they’ve got hold of The Index!’
‘The Index?’
‘The journal that lists every book that was in the library at the monastery on Iona, and where it was buried!’
Chapter 5
Jake sat, stunned. So much information, and raising so many questions.
‘Actually, the Russians must have only got hold of part of The Index, otherwise they’d be all over the Highlands and islands, digging everywhere.’
‘But why would the Russians be interested in . . . what was it again?’
‘Spontaneous human combustion. Where a human being just bursts into flames from the inside, and gets burnt to ashes.’
Jake shuddered.
‘Weird,’ he muttered.
‘It’s not weird,’ said Lauren. ‘It’s some sort of chemical reaction inside the body, triggered by something. There are lots of instances of it recorded, but no one knows why it happens. It may be that Dioscorides had the answer.’
‘OK, but back to my original question: why would the Russians be interested in it?’
‘The Russians have always been interested in what you used to call “weird science”,’ said Lauren. ‘In the Soviet era they had whole government science departments carrying out experiments on things like telepathy, telekinesis, levitation.’
‘Why?’
‘One, to get an understanding of how and why things work. And, two, to see if any of them could be used as weapons. Just think, if you had a telepath inside the White House, you wouldn’t need electronic surveillance — very expensive and easy to discover.’
‘And spontaneous human combustion? People bursting into flames?’
‘Can you think of a better weapon?’ asked Lauren.
‘No,’ admitted Jake. ‘So, what are we going to do here?’
‘We’re going to wait until the Russians find the book, and then get it back off them. And we’re going to see if we can get whatever part of The Index they have off them as well. There are bound to be other books listed in it. They’re going to be our bargaining chips.’
‘To get you back here?’
Lauren nodded. ‘Back properly, under my own name, so we can be together openly. And prove that the secret library of Malichea exists.’
‘That the library on Iona existed,’ stressed Jake.
‘It’s a start,’ said Lauren. ‘First we prove that there was an Order of Malichea on Iona who buried their library; then that gets the whole business of the Order and their secret library out into the open.’
Jake nodded.
‘Sounds like a good plan,’ he said. ‘How are we going to get the book off the Russians once they find it?’
‘That’s what we’ve got to work out,’ she said. ‘Tomorrow I’ll take you along to the site where they’re digging, and then we’ll have a look at the cottage where the Russians are staying, and we can work out how we’re going to do it.’
‘We’re going to have opposition,’ said Jake. ‘Let’s face it, if you know about this, so will everyone else who’s interested. MI5. The CIA. Pierce Randall. The Watchers.’
‘Yes,’ agreed Lauren. ‘I’ve been trying to work out who might be who. There’s an American staying here. Ian Muir. He says he’s come here to explore his Scottish roots, but it wouldn’t surprise me to find out he’s CIA. Then there’s a couple of Brits, Mr and Mrs Gordon, John and Pam. Very nice. They claim they’re here birdwatching. They say they’re here especially to see golden eagles.’
‘MI5?’
‘Possibly. Or they could be working for Pierce Randall. We know how far that bunch of crooked lawyers will go to get their hands on the books. Their clients are some of the richest people on the planet, so Pierce Randall can make a lot of money finding the books for them.’
‘What about the Watchers?’
The Watchers, the mysterious organisation set up hundreds of years before to keep guard over the hidden books and protect them from being found.
‘I’m fairly sure the MacClains who run this place are Watchers,’ said Lauren. ‘The family have been here for generations, stretching right back to the time the books were hidden. They must be involved in some way.’
‘OK.’ Jake nodded. ‘So those are the ones we know about.’
‘Suspect,’ corrected Lauren. ‘I could be wrong about any or all of them. And, of course, there are loads of other people on the island. Mull is a haven for visitors, birdwatchers, tourists, people who want to get away from things. And Iona is a must for pilgrims as well as tourists. Any of them could be using that as a cover while they keep watch on the Russian dig.’