7

It was already dark outside, and with difficulty they found the overgrown path that led to the road to the abbey. When they reached the gate, they sat down on the ground and, having caught their breath, they held a meeting.

- What do we do?

- Don't know. There is no point in going to the city. It is dangerous to walk at night, and the city gates are closed until dawn.

Looking around his dusty camisole, Philip suggested:

- Let's ask for an overnight stay here. The monks are kind people, they will not refuse. Let's say we got lost in the woods.

- And the box? Let's open it first, shall we?

- It's dark.

Rene nodded at the bag.

- Candles.

They again went into the forest, Philip sat on a stump and tried to open the box. She was locked up. The mechanism, spoiled by time and basement dampness, did not work. It took them quite a long time to break the lock. Finally, something clicked, the boys froze in anticipation.

Philip swallowed nervously and opened the lid with a trembling hand. The flickering candle flame illuminated the old scroll inside. Breathing a little, Rene carefully took it and unfolded it. It was a manuscript containing only a couple of phrases. A few words were written at the top in large red letters.

- Non nobis , Domine , non nobis , sed nomini Tuo da gloriam , - Philip read and immediately explained, - this is Latin. Not to us, Lord, not to us, but to Your name to the glory.

- Great! So what is next? It seems to be in French, - Rene said uncertainly. He began to learn to read only at a military school and so far could not do it very well.

Philip diligently examined the black letters on the manuscript.

- Dreaming - the birth of truth, hungry - its death; the source is like a hand , the outcome is like a glance,” he read in a whisper. - What could that mean?

- I don't know, some kind of cipher.

Friends looked into the box. At the bottom was a small silver coin. They examined it as carefully as the light of the candle allowed; it bore the profile of a big-nosed gentleman wearing a strange headdress made of feathers.

They looked at each other in bewilderment.

- There is nothing else in the box. So, its value is precisely in these two phrases, - Rene tried to reason. - Although, perhaps, the coin means something.

“In one sentence,” Philip corrected him. - This, written in Latin, is the motto of the Templars, it was written on all papers.

- Dreaming of the birth of truth... Perhaps this means that all dreams will come true at the moment of the birth of truth? And when is she born? On the day of the coming of the Lord?

- No, something is not right. This knight did not die in vain with a manuscript in his hands. Something very important is written here. Have you heard of the secret knowledge of the Templars?

Rene thought.

- They seem to have comprehended the secret of the philosopher's stone ...

Friends figured this way and that, but they couldn’t come up with anything sensible.

- Okay, let's go ask to stay with the monks. Perhaps they won’t drive him away, Philip said. - Eyes stick together, we will continue to guess tomorrow.

Rene really wanted to talk more about the meaning of the mysterious words, but he understood that his friend was right.

"Okay," he sighed. - Tomorrow is tomorrow. Hide the box in your purse.

They got up and walked towards the abbey.

Philip turned out to be right, the Benedictines did not refuse shelter to the boys, fed them in the refectory, and after that the servant led them along the corridor of the abbey to the cells.

Rene walked, looking at the ancient walls with interest and fantasizing as he went.

Suddenly, Philip sharply poked him in the side with his elbow and glanced at the fresco painted on the wall. Rene took a closer look. Nothing unusual, the fresco depicted a monk on his knees, a beam of light descended from heaven to him. Along the beam were letters. Rene shrugged.

The servant led the boys to their cells. Rene went into his room and marveled at the modesty of the furnishings: apart from the bed, there was nothing in the tiny room. There was a small crooked window under the ceiling. In the corner stood a basin and a jug of water.

Less than a minute later Philip appeared. His eyes glowed with excitement.

- You've seen?

- What, a fresco? I saw it, but I didn't understand anything.

- Veritas was written on the beam ! Understand? Veritas is Latin for truth!

- So what?

“Well, don’t you understand,” Philip exclaimed impatiently. - For those who dream - the birth of truth, for those who are hungry - its death. Truth is sunshine!

Rene began to understand what his friend was talking about.

- Wait, it turns out that those who dream - the birth of light, and those who are hungry - its death?

- That's it! When is light born? At sunrise!

- That is, dreams should come true at sunrise? And what should be done for this?

- Well, how do I know.

Rene woke up suddenly and immediately jumped up. Morning light filtered cautiously through the tiny window. He understood! Slipping out into the corridor, he knocked on the door of the next cell.

- Philipp! he called lingeringly.

The door opened, revealing the sleepy face of a young man.

- What are you? he asked sleepily.

Rene squeezed through the door.

- I think I figured it out! Light is born at sunrise, yes, but where?

- Where? repeated Philip stupidly.

- Balda! East, you know? In the east! This means that the dream must be sought to the east of the house, and the treasure - to the west!

Philip immediately woke up.

- Exactly! Do you think that the second is treasures?

- Of course, what else can the hungry look for?

- That's right, - Philip paused. - You know, when we went into the house, the sun was just setting, and the trees cast shadows in the direction of the abbey.

So it's on the east side of the house.

- Yeah, but where exactly to look?

- Wait, Philip, was there something further, in the manuscript?

- The source is like a hand, the outcome is like a look, - he quoted.

René thought frantically.

- The source, the source ... the source of the river - this is where it begins, originates. That's right, it means the beginning! But what?

- After all, the second phrase should be related to the first, right? It turns out the "beginning of the world."

- You mean sunrise? And then the outcome is a sunset? If so, then "Sunrise is like a hand, sunset is like a look." And what?

- You know, all this text is a clear indication of some place, or rather, two. How can you describe the location? Set direction and distance, right? Philip argued.

“Are you saying that a hand and a look are the distance from the Gloomy House?”

- Looks like it.

They thought again.

“Well, if so,” Rene said thoughtfully, “then we can assume that something is located so close that you can reach it with your hand. But then what does the look mean?

- Perhaps, on the contrary, very far away? So what can you see?

- Look, it's true, it seems. It turns out that the dream must be sought very close to the Gloomy House, in the east, and wealth - far from it, in the west.

Philip thought and summed up:

- In general, we must return to the Gloomy House, go east to the wall of the abbey and carefully examine everything along the way. And then go west from the house, get out of the forest, and see how far you can see there. Perhaps we will see something on the horizon.

Branches whipped on the cheeks, trousers clung to the thorns, but friends stubbornly examined the space between the house and the abbey. From time to time they glanced warily at the Grim House, as if expecting the dead knight to come to stop them.

Both should have been at school long ago, but they couldn't think of anything but searching for the treasures of the Templars.

It was already about noon when Philip shouted:

- Rene! Here!

He pointed to a tree, on the trunk of which was carved a sign of two opposite arrows with touching tips.

- Same as in the house! René sighed as he ran up.

- Exactly. And what does it give us?

- In the house under this sign there was a hatch to the basement.

Without saying a word, they bent down and began to rake the leaves and grass under the tree.

- There is nothing on the ground, - Rene sighed, - we have to dig.

“Nothing,” Philip answered sadly.

They tried to rake the ground with their hands, but it was of little use. After consulting, the boys decided to go to the city, and the next day off they would return with a shovel and continue their search.

By evening, they returned to the barracks, tired, dirty, their clothes and hair were covered with dust. Sergeant Dupe was furious.

- You are obliged to spend the night in the barracks, gentlemen! he raged. - I have no other business but to look for my schoolchildren? Not a step more from the garrison! To correct both of you - ten days of additional pair training on halberds and swords.

The friends remained silent.

Now their evenings were busy. But most of all they were upset that they would not be able to go to Saint-Denis next weekend. Jacques Tillon rubbed his hands with satisfaction: it was not in vain that he drew the sergeant's attention to the absence of these upstarts. Now they won't have so much fun!

However, evening classes did not prevent friends from fantasizing and discussing a further plan of action. They will return there with a shovel and dig all around the tree on which the arrows were inscribed. Ah, I wish I knew what they meant.

Time dragged on endlessly, but the penalty classes were finally over, and friends, like everyone else, got a day off. After buying shovels from a shop, they set out for Saint-Denis.

Having reached the walls of the abbey, René and Philip turned onto the path to the Gloomy House. Having found the right tree, they threw off their camisoles and began to dig.

An hour later, a huge hole gaped under the tree, half a poise deep. Friends looked at each other in disappointment.

- There is nothing.

- Perhaps, it is necessary to dig not exactly under the sign, but on the other side of the tree?

They got back to work. René was already desperate when his shovel clanged against something hard. His heart was beating so fast that it was difficult for him to breathe. Philip, who heard the sound, was immediately nearby. Without saying a word, they fell to their knees and began to rake the ground under the tree with their hands.

They soon realized that a chain was wrapped around the trunk above the roots. After a little digging around the circle, they were able to see it in its entirety.

- Wow! they exhaled together.

The boys looked at the chain with delight: it was the first real proof that they had correctly deciphered the mysterious words from the manuscript. They were filled with pride.

The friends hurriedly examined the chain and found that on one of the links hung a metal object in the shape of a palm, which had a second thumb instead of a little finger, which made it symmetrical. A six-pointed star was engraved on one

Philip began to clear the palm of the earth from the leaves, trying to read the letters. Finally he spoke slowly:

- The power of the killer will mix with the power of the East.

They paused, trying to understand the meaning of this phrase.

- Well, it's getting harder with every step, - Rene drawled.

After carefully examining the chain, they came to the conclusion that it would be beyond their power to remove it from the tree.

- You know, Rene, I think it's silver. Maybe this is what we are looking for? This amount of silver is enough for half a life.

- Hardly. Firstly, in this side of the house there should not be treasures, but something that fulfills wishes. Secondly, for the treasure of one chain is still not enough.

- Yes, you are right. What do we do? Philip asked.

- This palm is clearly a symbol or a talisman. Someone must recognize her. We need to take it with us and show it to someone. Let's try with a shovel to break the jumper connecting it to the chain.

They suffered quite a lot before they managed to do it. The palm was small, about half a finger, and the ring on which it was attached to the chain was completely small. It was not easy to hit him with a shovel. But still, an hour later, the treasured talisman was chipped off, and Rene carefully put it in a pouch-purse, which he always wore at his belt.

They dug a hole around the tree and threw leaves on top so that no one would accidentally stumble upon their treasure.

On the way home, they discussed what to do next. The search came to a standstill, and they puzzled over what to do. They needed advice, but they had no idea who to turn to.

- Idea! Rene shouted. "Remember that old woman, Madame Duchon?" She is a witch, and probably knows all about the secret signs. She will tell us about the arrows, and about the palm.

But she drove us away.

- Not us, but me. She had nothing against you. Go to her and ask. I bet she remembers you and won't refuse to help.

- Well, let's try, - Philip drawled doubtfully. - Tomorrow, after class, I'll go.

- Well? Rene asked. He was waiting for a friend near the house of old Duchon, dancing with impatience.

“Got it,” Philip breathed. - I found out everything!

He paused for importance and continued:

- The old woman found this sign in her tome. It means that something important is at ground level or slightly below .

“Just like a chain,” Rene exclaimed happily.

- Yes, and the cellar, - Philip nodded. - Above it, after all, meeting arrows were also drawn.

- And the palm?

- It is called hamsa, and also - the Hand of Fatima. This is an oriental talisman that protects the owner and helps to fulfill wishes.

"Good," Rene exclaimed. - We deciphered everything correctly!

- Looks like it, - Philip nodded and continued the story. - The six-pointed star in the palm is Magen David, the Shield of David. It is also called the star of salvation.

He closed his eyes, collecting his thoughts, and said, clearly quoting the words he had learned from the tome:

- It denotes the relationship between God, man and the universe.

René closed his eyes in amazement.

- And why is it in the palm of your hand, this Shield of David?

Philip shrugged.

- I don’t know, maybe this means that the Hand of Fatima fulfills only good wishes?

- So, the power of the East from the inscription is the Hand of Fatima? Rene asked.

- Perhaps.

- And what then force of the killer?

- Need to think. And further…

- What? Rene asked.

Philip hesitated. How could he tell what the old woman prophesied to him? “Your friend is a demon, run away from him like the plague! He will betray you, and it will cost you dearly." No, he can't say it. "Prophecies can be wrong , " Philip convinced himself. He shook his head.

- There is nothing.

René was sleeping in the barracks when he was awakened by a jolt. Someone was tugging at his hand. He jumped up and saw Philip's burning eyes nearby.

- I understand, I understand! he whispered fervently. - The killer is the king!

Rene shook his head, trying to wake up.

- What killer? Which king?

- Well, how do you not understand? "The power of the killer will mix with the power of the East." The Templars were destroyed by Philip the Handsome! He declared them apostates, tortured them, and then burned the Grand Master at the stake! Haven't you heard anything about it?

"I don't remember," Rene muttered. - What is it to us?

- Like what? We need to find King Philip! After all, he is the killer of the Templars!

- What are you talking about? He died long ago and was buried, only bones remained.

That's right, but still...

Philip's eyes became round with excitement.

- Saint-Denis! he exclaimed. - Rene, you're just brilliant!

Quiet, you'll wake everyone up. What is Saint Denis?

"They bury kings in the basilica, that's what!" The bones of Philip the Handsome are there! That's why the manuscript was kept in the Grim House, and not in some Templar castle - it's a stone's throw from it to the abbey! Remember - "the source is like a hand"?

Now Philippe's excitement was transferred to René.

- Exactly! Finally, everything came together! We need to get into the tomb of this king.

For the rest of the night, the friends animatedly discussed plans for the future.

Lying on his bed, Jacques Tillon listened attentively to what they were talking about.

It was decided to enter the tomb at night, secretly. But how to leave the school if they are obliged to spend the night in the barracks?

- If we run away again, we'll just be kicked out of here. My father will kill me,” Rene complained.

- Yes, and mine will not be delighted, - Philip nodded. - We have to come up with something else.

- Idea! Soon the day of St. Martin of Tours, they will definitely let us go, because he is the patron saint of soldiers. I must say that we will spend the night at our house.

- That's right, Rene, well done!

They lay quietly, each pretending to be asleep. In fact, both were considering what wish to make in the abbey.

“How I would like to become a nobleman, a noble person,” thought Rene. - I will guess to meet with the king, to accomplish some feat, and then he will grant me the nobility. Although no. Death... that's the worst thing! I'm afraid of her, madly, tremblingly afraid! In summer and winter, the dead lie in the ground, worms gnaw at their bodies. Brr... No, I don't want, I don't want to die. It doesn’t matter if I become a noble person or not, but let death be obedient to me and not come for me until I myself call her.

Philip was lying on the bed next to him, thinking too.

“What do I want? Become a brave and noble knight. And also - to marry the beautiful Genevieve. But she is Rene's fiancee, and it is not in the rules of a nobleman to do so. Although, of course, everything can happen, she is not promised to him, they can change their mind, fall out of love with each other.

Philip tossed and turned from side to side for half the night, trying to find a solution. Finally he made his choice.

“I can become a brave and noble knight myself, without any miracles. I will choose Genevieve, but only on the condition that Rene will not apply for her.

After contemplating their desires, they both fell asleep peacefully .

Jacques Tillon, who heard their conversation to the last word, was very excited. He decided not to tell his friends about the overheard conversation. I'll watch these upstarts and when they're gone I'll make a wish too, he thought. - And I already know what it is. I wish to be the strongest, so that I always come out victorious from any fight and fight, so that no one can ever defeat me.