closer to Jade, and Bones and Otto followed.
“ I don ’ t know what he is. ” Jade ’ s voice trembled. “ But he ’ s not human. ” Slowly, as if turning over the last card in a losing hand, Jade rotated the skull for all to see.
Dane stopped short. Behind him he heard Bones ’ sharp intake of breath, and Otto ’ s mumbled German curse. At least it sounded like a curse to Dane.
Protruding from the skull were two small, curved horns.
“ What the hell is that? ” Dane could not believe what he was seeing.
“ Tuefel, ” Otto whispered, taking a step back.
The priests eyes drifted toward Jade, and he seemed to experience a sudden moment of clarity as he saw what she was holding. “ Nein! ” he gasped. His grip on Angel ’ s sleeve tightened and he rattled off a stream of words. He let go of her arm and pointed beyond the altar toward the apse, where seven chapels formed the cathedral ’ s chevet. The priest was speaking so fast that Dane could make out only a few words, though he did catch “ Mailänder Madonna ” and something that sounded like “ dry house and build. ” He paused, gasping for breath, and hacked up a gout of blood. This seem to take everything he had left. He let his head fall back and his eyes close. “ Ewige. ” His voice was a scarce whisper. “ Ewige. ” He coughed again. “ L... ” He fell silent as life fled his body.
“ What did he say? ” Angel ’ s jaw was set and she looked like she was ready to punch anyone within arm ’ s reach.
Otto held up a hand and shook his head. He took out a cell phone and made a call. His voice sounded both grave and urgent. When he finally hung up, he turned back to Angel. “ I apologize. I felt I should call the authorities right away. ” He gave a quick shake of the head as if to jar his mind back on track. “ The priest said the skulls must never be seen or people will lose faith. He begs us to take them away. ” Otto scratched his head. “ After that, I think he was confused. He said all the priests were dead and he had to share the secret or it could be lost forever. ”
“ What story? ” Bones asked.
“ I do not know. As I said, he sounded confused, though he was insistent that I listen to him. I could see in his eyes that it was important. ” Otto looked around. “ He mentioned the Milan Madonna, as you would say it in English, which is back there. ” He pointed to a statue that stood beyond the altar, far to the right, where the first chapel began. “ It is a well-known work of art. ” Otto shrugged.
“ He said something else, ” Dane said. “ It sounded like ‘ dry ’ something or other. ”
“ Dreihasenbild. The three hares. ” When everyone looked puzzled, Otto continued. “ The three hares is a symbol found on many churches, cathedrals, and other sites of religious significance, from England all the way to the Far East. It depicts three hares chasing one another in a circle. The image is rendered in such a way that each hare has two ears, but there are only three ears in total in the image. ”
“ I ’ ve heard of it, ” Jade said, “ though it ’ s not my area of expertise. It ’ s a symbol of the Trinity, is it not? ”
“ It can be. ” Otto nodded. “ But to the Pagans it can represent fertility or the moon cycle. ”
“ How does fertility connect with the Madonna? ” Angel rose to her feet, finally turning away from the priest.
“ She got fertile after Jesus was born, didn ’ t she? ” Bones said.
“ You ’ re a pig. ” Angel scowled at her brother.
“ No, really. I mean, he had brothers and sisters. ”
“ That is true. ” Otto almost managed a smile. “ In the middle ages, it was believed that the rabbit was a hermaphrodite that could reproduce without losing virginity, hence the connection to the Blessed Mother. ”
“ I get it. ” Bones nodded. “ So it ’ s not an Easter Bunny thing. ” Everyone ignored him.
“ Otto, ” Dane began , “ what was that
“ I don ’ t know what he is. ” Jade ’ s voice trembled. “ But he ’ s not human. ” Slowly, as if turning over the last card in a losing hand, Jade rotated the skull for all to see.
Dane stopped short. Behind him he heard Bones ’ sharp intake of breath, and Otto ’ s mumbled German curse. At least it sounded like a curse to Dane.
Protruding from the skull were two small, curved horns.
“ What the hell is that? ” Dane could not believe what he was seeing.
“ Tuefel, ” Otto whispered, taking a step back.
The priests eyes drifted toward Jade, and he seemed to experience a sudden moment of clarity as he saw what she was holding. “ Nein! ” he gasped. His grip on Angel ’ s sleeve tightened and he rattled off a stream of words. He let go of her arm and pointed beyond the altar toward the apse, where seven chapels formed the cathedral ’ s chevet. The priest was speaking so fast that Dane could make out only a few words, though he did catch “ Mailänder Madonna ” and something that sounded like “ dry house and build. ” He paused, gasping for breath, and hacked up a gout of blood. This seem to take everything he had left. He let his head fall back and his eyes close. “ Ewige. ” His voice was a scarce whisper. “ Ewige. ” He coughed again. “ L... ” He fell silent as life fled his body.
“ What did he say? ” Angel ’ s jaw was set and she looked like she was ready to punch anyone within arm ’ s reach.
Otto held up a hand and shook his head. He took out a cell phone and made a call. His voice sounded both grave and urgent. When he finally hung up, he turned back to Angel. “ I apologize. I felt I should call the authorities right away. ” He gave a quick shake of the head as if to jar his mind back on track. “ The priest said the skulls must never be seen or people will lose faith. He begs us to take them away. ” Otto scratched his head. “ After that, I think he was confused. He said all the priests were dead and he had to share the secret or it could be lost forever. ”
“ What story? ” Bones asked.
“ I do not know. As I said, he sounded confused, though he was insistent that I listen to him. I could see in his eyes that it was important. ” Otto looked around. “ He mentioned the Milan Madonna, as you would say it in English, which is back there. ” He pointed to a statue that stood beyond the altar, far to the right, where the first chapel began. “ It is a well-known work of art. ” Otto shrugged.
“ He said something else, ” Dane said. “ It sounded like ‘ dry ’ something or other. ”
“ Dreihasenbild. The three hares. ” When everyone looked puzzled, Otto continued. “ The three hares is a symbol found on many churches, cathedrals, and other sites of religious significance, from England all the way to the Far East. It depicts three hares chasing one another in a circle. The image is rendered in such a way that each hare has two ears, but there are only three ears in total in the image. ”
“ I ’ ve heard of it, ” Jade said, “ though it ’ s not my area of expertise. It ’ s a symbol of the Trinity, is it not? ”
“ It can be. ” Otto nodded. “ But to the Pagans it can represent fertility or the moon cycle. ”
“ How does fertility connect with the Madonna? ” Angel rose to her feet, finally turning away from the priest.
“ She got fertile after Jesus was born, didn ’ t she? ” Bones said.
“ You ’ re a pig. ” Angel scowled at her brother.
“ No, really. I mean, he had brothers and sisters. ”
“ That is true. ” Otto almost managed a smile. “ In the middle ages, it was believed that the rabbit was a hermaphrodite that could reproduce without losing virginity, hence the connection to the Blessed Mother. ”
“ I get it. ” Bones nodded. “ So it ’ s not an Easter Bunny thing. ” Everyone ignored him.
“ Otto, ” Dane began , “ what was that
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