The 13th Tablet

Mina noticed Shobai squinted slightly when he pronounced his last words.

‘It’s a 16th century chronicle describing a discussion between rabbis in Safed.’

‘Yes?’

‘A discussion about the tablet.’

‘Extraordinary. Do you have this here?’ he asked.

‘No. It was also stolen from me,’ she said, looking down at her tea cup.

‘Dear me. Mina. You want to give this old man a stroke? Next thing you’ll tell me you’ve found the original Ten Commandments, but that you lost them on the Tube.’

Back in the car, Jack laughed. He was starting to warm up to the old man.

Mina blushed. She was about to say ‘it’s real, Moshe. An old man just like yourself died because of it’, but she held back. Instead, she said ‘Well, not everything was stolen from me.’

Shobai looked up at Mina, curiously.

‘Mina, no!’ Jack blurted out in the mouthpiece.

But Mina didn’t care. She felt wounded in her academic pride and she blurted out ‘I still have a fragment of a letter which seems to indicate that there is another tablet, somewhere in… in Britain, but it was torn, so I have no idea where.’

‘How interesting. What does it say exactly?’ leaning in.

‘Oh, for that I’d need to have a better look at the fragment. I can’t remember off by heart.’

She was lying miserably and she sensed he knew it, but he didn’t comment.

‘Why would it be in Britain? Maybe you’re wrong about its location?’ he asked.

‘Maybe. But if I weren’t, where should I start searching?’

‘Do you mean “in which library”?’ he asked her, tentatively.

‘I don’t know. You tell me.’

‘Well, I really don’t have a clue. I’m baffled,’ said the old scholar.

Mina looked disappointed. Shobai tapped her gently on the arm.

‘Mina. Don’t worry so much. I’m sure it will all turn out fine. Do you need a few letters of introduction to London libraries?’

‘No, but thanks for your offer. I have all the credentials I need.’

‘Of course you do. Well,’ he said as he stood up after Mina, ‘I’m delighted to have met you again, but I’m only sorry not to have been able to help you more in your current search.’

‘Thank you for your time Dr Shobai.’

The young student brought Mina her coat, and then left them. Dr Shobai walked her back to the door, and waved her goodbye as she left. Mina searched for Jack’s car, and his voice in her ear said, ‘Just walk down the pavement to the left. I’m on the corner of the street.’

As Mina turned the corner, Jack opened the passenger door and she jumped in. He seemed irritated, so Mina did not speak. When they reached the hotel, and Jack had parked the car, he finally looked at her and said:

‘It went pretty well didn’t it?’

‘Are you being sarcastic?’

‘No, why?’

‘Why? You haven’t said a word since I got in the car,’ she said angrily.

‘Oh, that.’

‘Yeah, that.’

‘I’m pretty sure we were being followed,’ he answered.

‘Oh my god. Who?’

‘I don’t know. This is the second time I sense we are being followed but I can’t see anyone.’

‘Maybe we’re not being followed then,’ said Mina cheerfully. But her smile froze when she saw Jack was dead serious.

‘You don’t understand, Mina. Not only was I trained by the best to pick up on someone tailing me, but I am particularly good at it. I know we’re being watched.’

‘So who are they? What are they after? Wheatley already has the tablet.’

He did not answer. Instead, he got out of the car. She followed him into the hotel. A crowd was waiting at the lifts, so they climbed the stairs. As they reached the third floor, he said, ‘Mina, as soon as we get to our room, grab your things. The hotel isn’t safe anymore. We need to move.’

‘OK.’

‘We need to get to a place with loads of people, and lose these bastards there, before leaving for Cambridge.’

‘How do we get there?’

‘We take a train from King’s Cross.’

‘Can’t we lose them at the train station?’ asked Mina.

‘We don’t want them to know we’re leaving London.’

They entered the room. Mina went straight to her case and started sorting her things, but Jack took a moment to sit on his bed and plan the next step. She suddenly had an idea and stopped what she was doing.

‘Jack, why don’t we go to the British Museum? It’s usually crawling with tourists day in and day out.’

‘Perfect. You’re right. Are you ready to go?’

‘Give me ten minutes.’

A quarter of an hour later, Mina walked to the reception, where Jack had just finished paying for their room. He rushed her to the exit. Jack felt like alarm bells were ringing all around him.

‘They’re here, Mina. I can’t explain, but I know they’re here. Transfer any valuables and your notes about the tablet in your small rucksack and when I tell you, drop your suitcase and run to the car. Don’t forget Hildersham’s letter.’ Jack watched her transferring all her things. He paused, ‘Now!’