CHAPTER 73

CHAPTER 73

THE GOLDEN BOOK WAS OPENED AGAIN on the small coffee table in Victoria's suite. On the last page, amid unknown characters, the projection of some spheres stood out in relief, distinguishing themselves from each other by the size of their circumferences. Some of these spheres had concentric circles around them; others were crossed by lines that interconnected them with the others.

— But what could it be? — Victoria asked looking at the last open page in front of her.

— I believe this is a map — said Nicole, leaning over the golden book.

— A map? — Questioned the woman.

— Yes, Victoria, a map! — Nicole said turning to her mother — Do you remember that Grandpa's letter said that the Golden Book had a map of the place where a treasure would be hidden, and that according to him, it would be the most precious ever dreamed of by the human mind? Well, I think the map is this one.

— Nick is right Victoria! The book is completely taken over by these inscriptions whose meaning we do not know. If there is a map in this book, it must be this one.

— There's only one though, which we're missing.

Suddenly they remembered.

— It's incomplete...

Everyone nodded despondently.

— But this is nowhere near like a map! Unless it's a map of another world — replied the woman. — Look, there are no geographic coordinates, there are no scales, in short, there is nothing! How can we find anything out of it?

— Victoria is right, Nick — said Roman Green — although I also recognize this as a map, it seems impossible to understand it. Interpretation of its meaning requires knowledge of a completely obscure language, and so far we have not been able to decipher a single comma of what is written here.

Nicole's eyes flicked to the book. Suddenly his mind cleared:

— There's a way to find out what this map hides!

— As? Green asked with a glimmer of hope.

— Cardinal Messina... We must show the Vatican Secretary General the map!

— This is too risky! He showed too much interest in the Golden Book. What if he belongs to the Brotherhood of the Serpent?

— It's a risk we'll have to take if we want to discover the secret this map hides. Do you remember that he told us that a copy of the second part of the book used by Richard Hulmann to discover the Golden Book was still in the possession of the Vatican? Well then, I think that's the key to your interpretation. We must risk it and let the Cardinal know that we have the book.

— But if we go to the Vatican with the Golden Book, we will certainly leave without it — argued Green.

— I'm sure of it — Nicole replied — but I think I have the solution!