Chapter 10

CHAPTER 10 In a body, the Benedictine brothers surged toward her, arms reaching for the precious artifact. Amy stood frozen with fear, but Dan was ready for action. He had already spotted the single small doorway in the dormitory. He wasn't sure where it led, but out of here was good enough. He grabbed Amy by the arm and began to tow her through the swishing black robes, ducking reaching arms. When it became clear that they were about to escape, the monks' agitation grew. A hand grasped Amy's sleeve, and Dan shouldered it away like a pro football player. Amy leaped over a would-be tackler, and the Cahills fell into a broken-field run for the exit. Nellie fretted in the Fiat, checking her watch every thirty seconds. Where were they? She should never have let them go into a place where

one of their slimy Cahill relatives was prowling around. If that lousy Alistair Oh did anything to hurt Amy and Dan, she was going to feed him his walking stick wrapped in barbed wire. She turned to the backseat, where the cat lounged, no longer scratching. "They're half an hour late, Saladin. Where can they be?" And then she spotted them, moving fast through the milling crowd of tourists. Running, even. Looking kind of disheveled — and scared. Her eyes focused beyond the Cahills to the wave of black that was gaining on them. Dozens of robed figures — monks — were chasing Amy and Dan across the abbey grounds. She started the car and threw open the passenger door. "Get in!" The parchment thieves did not have to be told twice. They barreled through the gates and piled in, a tangle of arms and legs. "Get us out of here!" Dan gasped. Nellie stomped on the gas pedal. The car was already squealing forward as Amy pulled the door shut. Dan stared into the side mirror, watching the

enraged monks grow smaller as the car accelerated. The au pair was bug-eyed. "What happened back there?" "It's not our fault!" Dan babbled. "Those guys are crazy! They're like mini–Darth Vaders without the mask!" "They're Benedictine monks!" Nellie exclaimed. "They're men of peace! Most of them are under vows of silence!" "Yeah, well, not anymore," Dan told her. "They cursed us out pretty good. I don't know the language, but some things you don't have to translate." "We found a clue," Amy explained breathlessly, "and they didn't want us to take it. I'm positive it's something important!" She thrust the parchment into Nellie's arms. "Can you tell us what it says?" "Why don't we put some distance between ourselves and the abbey first," the au pair advised, wheeling through the narrow streets of Salzburg. "How'd you like to have to explain to the rental company that their car was trashed by an army of

deranged monks?" Dan was impatient. "We'll buy the rental company and the abbey, too! This time, we scored the big enchilada!" By skirting downtown, Nellie was able to avoid most of the traffic and get over the bridge quickly. They made a few twists and turns and pulled over on a quiet street. "Okay, let's have a look at this 'clue.'" She picked up the parchment. "We think it might be some kind of formula," Amy put in excitedly. Nellie pored over the calligraphy, her eyes widening in amazement. "Oh, my God! I can't believe it!" Dan grinned. "That good, huh?" "But what's it the formula for?" Amy persisted. The au pair read the page again and again, as if trying to convince herself that it really was what she knew it to be. "You boneheads! This isn't a clue — it's the recipe for Benedictine!" "Benedictine?" Amy repeated. "You mean the drink?"

Nellie nodded miserably. "It's an ancient recipe known only to the Benedictine brothers for centuries. That's why they were chasing you!" The Cahills were devastated. "We almost got killed in there," moaned Dan. "And it was all for nothing." "No wonder the monks were upset," Amy lamented. "It must have seemed like we stole the most important thing they own." "Well, maybe it isn't a clue," Dan tried to console himself, "but at least that parchment will look cool in my collection." "Dan!" Amy exploded. "We have to give that back." "Good luck." Dan was bitter. "If we set foot in that abbey again, those men of peace will rip our heads off." Amy was adamant. "We can't keep it. Maybe we can mail it to them." "I can't wait to see the address — third cave on the right, go through fifty tunnels, turn left at the stalagmite. In German." He climbed over the seat and joined the cat in the back. "I'm going to sit

with somebody who isn't nuts — what's up, Saladin? Hey, he stopped scratching." "I was going to tell you — before I had to play getaway driver from the Christian brothers. While you were at St. Peter's, I took Saladin to a veterinary clinic." "Was it fleas?" asked Amy. Nellie shook her head. "The doctor took off his collar and this popped out." She reached into her pocket and produced a miniature electronic device about the size of a thumbnail. "He figures the corners were digging into the skin. That's what all the scratching was about." Amy frowned. "But what is it?" Dan was disgusted. "Don't you ever watch TV? It's a homing device. You plant it on somebody when you want to keep track of where he's going."