The Solomon Key (27 page)

Scott skimmed down past the plot to capture the demon, his eyes scanning the text until captivated by some severe underlining.

Solomon sends BENAIAH ben Jehoiadah to capture Ashmedai (Asmodeus). He gives Benaiah
a chain with a ring on it
(some translations say it was engraved with the Tetragrammaton). Then Benaiah pours wine into the demon’s water well and makes him drunk. Once he has fallen into a deep sleep, Benaiah throws the chain around his neck and says, “The Name of thy Lord is upon thee.”

-Connection of Solomon with magical ring is first documented by Josephus, who also describes him as a magician (Ant. 8.2.5).

Scott had no idea what all this meant, except that it sounded similar to what was in the
Testament.
“Do you know what this says?” he asked Malachi.

Benjamin’s death was weighing heavily on Malachi, and it was through a softer, more sullen voice that he answered. “I know the gist of it.”

“Do you know about this Benaiah guy and the ring Solomon gave him?”

“Nothing more than what is in
Tobit.
”

“The priest underlined it…”

“Keep reading, Mr. Scott.” He sighed and leaned to his left, putting his weight against the door.

“You okay?” Scott asked.

“Fine.”

Scott went back to reading.

Solomon tells the demon that he only wants the worm, and Ashmedai (Asmodeus) reveals its location. However, he remains with Solomon until the Temple is completed. Solomon then says to Ashmedai that he does not understand the greatness of demons if their king can be bound by a mere mortal. Ashmedai responds to this by suggesting that Solomon remove the
chain and lend him the magic ring
. Then would he reveal to Solomon his greatness. Solomon agrees to this, and the demon stands with one wing touching heaven and the other reaching earth before he snatches up Solomon (who had parted with his
protective ring
) and flings him 400 parasangs away from Jerusalem. From that point on, Ashmedai poses as Solomon in his stead.

After wandering for a long time, Solomon eventually returns to reclaim the throne, telling his story to the people. At first, they think him mad. And then they begin to consider the strange behavior the king had recently exhibited, for his marital affairs were no longer being kept in accordance with Jewish law, and not even Benaiah was permitted in his presence. Solomon is then
provided with another ring
and when he appears before Ashmedai with it, the imposter takes flight.

Then there were written some words that Scott couldn’t decipher, and his head seemed to throb even more. He flipped through the rest of the book just to see how much further he had to read. It looked like there were only four or five pages left, so he took a deep breath and pressed on.

Midrash Tehillim 78:351-353; Midrash Al-Yithallel (Sefer ah-Likkutim I, 20-22, ed. Gruenhut); Midrash Sir HaShirim 29a-30a; B.Berakhot 6a; Zohar III, 309a; Emek ha-Melekh, 12. Adolf Jellinek’s Beth ha-Midrasch. Maasebuch.

He figured they were references to what followed — more Jewish folklore.

Ashmedai throws
Solomon’s ring
into the sea in hopes that no one finds it and discovers his true identity. Meanwhile, Solomon finds himself in a field, his appearance that of a merchant. He wanders the countryside as a beggar and cries out declarations that he was once the king of Israel. People think he is crazy, children throw stones at him. For three years, Solomon wanders foreign lands until he comes to Ammon and is hired as a cook. There he falls in love with the King’s daughter, and the King expels them both into the wilderness, not wishing to see their forbidden love or their deaths. They come to the seashore and buy a fish, and when they cut it open,
Solomon’s ring
is found in it. He puts it on and his rags are instantly turned to velvet. So he goes back to Jerusalem and shows the king’s ministers
the ring
. Then he confronts the demon posing as him, and the demon flees back to his mountain. Solomon then marries the king of Ammon’s daughter, and she gives birth to Rehoboam.

-Other legends tell of the Sanhedrin giving Solomon another ring once they believed it was not Solomon sitting on the throne.

There was a loose piece of paper resting between the last two pages, just as there had been loose pieces in the
Testament.
And, like the ones in the other book, they seemed to be filled with random notes: references to Josephus, something about Mormonism, the Talmud, Kabbalah, and five-pointed stars… There was a bright star floating in a triangle that was surrounded by more roses, “Blazing
Star”
written across what appeared to be a sketch of the American flag. The phrase “as above, so below” was sketched in a pool of water, the number 007 hovering beside it. There was a statue that the priest had ascribed the word
Destiny
to sitting over a line labeled “Pennsylvania Avenue — the hypotenuse of the Federal Triangle.” There were six stars arched over the statue’s head. And then there was the crucifix, standing in front of the double-headed phoenix again…

Scott closed the book and took another look at the passing scenery. They were getting into the mountains now. He closed his eyes and tried to forget about the books in his lap, the ring, the Resistance sitting in the back seat, and the Mossad driving their stolen car.

Ten minutes later, his eyes snapped open. His brain, while subconsciously working the text, realized something.

According to the priest’s books… there were
two
rings.

30

M
alachi turned the Mustang onto a dirt road and pulled up alongside a modest looking house on their right.

“This it?” Scott asked, leaning forward.

“Yeah,” Malachi answered.

But the BMW they were following continued on past the house and disappeared behind a trail of rising dust.

Mayhew sat up straight in the back seat. “Where are they going?”

“To the rendezvous point.” Looking over at Scott, he said, “I am sorry about your friend, that we couldn’t do more to help her.”

Scott winced at the sting he felt. “Me too.”

Malachi pulled a phone out of his pocket and handed it to him. “You can use this to reach us. Just hold down the number one key. Only use it once, then get rid of it.”

Scott held it for a second before reluctantly slipping it into his pocket. “What do we tell this guy?”

“Tell him that Benjamin sent you and show him the priest’s books. He will believe you.”

“And what exactly is it that we’re supposed to learn from him?”

“That is up to him, I guess.”

“Right,” he mumbled while pushing open the door.

“Hold on a second,” Mayhew suddenly protested. “Where are you going?” he asked Malachi.

He turned to look at him. “Secret.”

There was a strange moment of hesitation on Mayhew’s part, almost like he didn’t want to leave the car. He glanced up at Scott, then back at Malachi. Finally, he sighed and threw open the door.

Bending over, Scott stuck his head back in the car, through the open window. “Thank you.”

Malachi smiled. “I will see you soon.” And then he put the car in drive and pulled back onto the dirt road, speeding off after the BMW and leaving Scott and Mayhew standing in the middle of nowhere.

“You trust them with the ring?” asked Mayhew.

“It’s not mine to trust them with.” And he started walking up the path. It was cold, and clouds were rolling in. It looked and felt like it might snow. He crossed his arms, shivering, and tried not to think about the tiny phone in his pocket… why the Mossad wanted him to have it. None of it made any sense, but so far, whatever this game was, it had kept him alive.

The house was two stories tall and covered in yellow siding. There was an old pickup truck peeking through a tiny garage beside the house, but otherwise, the surrounding property was bare.

As Scott approached the front door, he noticed his reflection in the glass window. His hair was matted with dry blood, and a plethora of cuts crisscrossed his forehead. His clothes were dirty and charred, holes spotting his jacket, and his eyes were bloodshot with fatigue. Just before knocking, he turned away from his reflection and observed Mayhew. His appearance wasn’t much of an improvement. Taking a deep breath, Scott rapped his knuckles against the door.

A few seconds later, the door cracked open.

“Who is it?” a voice called from the other side.

Scott exchanged a quick glance with Mayhew before answering. “My name is Matthew Scott, and this is Titus Mayhew. We were sent here by Benjamin.”

A pause. “Why?”

“To be honest, I’m not really sure.”

Silence.

Scott tried explaining further. “We have something to show you, something we were told you would understand.” He took the books from Mayhew.

“What is it?”

“Actually, they’re books. Written by a priest.” Trying not to move too suddenly, he slipped the books into the opening between the door and its frame.

The person inside took the books and shut the door.

Mayhew looked up into the sky. “Looks like it might snow,” he grumbled.

The door finally swung open to reveal Mr. Smith back from the dead. He was holding the books in his hands. “Are you armed?” he asked in a deep voice that was not Benjamin’s.

“No.” It took Scott a second to remember this was Benjamin’s brother, the similarities uncanny.

The man nodded his approval. He then turned and walked into the depths of the house, looking through the books. “Come in and shut the door. They’re calling for snow.” And then he whispered under his breath, “Or
making
it.”

Closing the door, they followed after him.

“Are you hungry?” the man asked, leading them into the kitchen. He set the books down on a hutch positioned beside the kitchen’s entrance. “You look like you haven’t eaten in quite a while. Or slept for that matter.”

Scott noticed that the man walked with a slight gimp. “Your name is Isaiah?” he asked.

He spun around. “Yeah, I’m Benjamin’s older brother.” He opened a cabinet and pulled out a box of crackers. “Here, you can snack on these for now. Until I know what all this is about.” He set them down on a round table that was surrounded by two lonely chairs. “Have a seat.” He went to the refrigerator. “Something to drink?”

“Please, thank you.” Scott sat, looking around.

“Actually, would you mind if I used your bathroom?” Mayhew asked.

Without turning around, and his head in the refrigerator, Isaiah answered, “Down the hall on the right.”

Mayhew walked out of the room, leaving Scott with the crackers.

Isaiah brought over a pitcher of water and some glasses. “Go on, help yourself,” he said.

Scott obeyed, reaching for the crackers and pouring himself a glass of water. “So you’re Jewish?” he asked, gulping down the water.

Isaiah leaned against the kitchen sink and nodded. “Messianic Jew.”

“Meaning that you believe Jesus Christ to be the Messiah?”

“That is correct.”

“Don’t have too many Jewish friends, do you?”

The old man laughed. “Out here?”

“But Benjamin…” He stopped himself before he could use the past tense.

“He is Orthodox, though I believe the Lord is working on his heart.” He was watching Scott intently, doing a little profiling of his own. “How is my brother?” he asked.

Scott stopped chewing, frozen, and stared blankly at Isaiah.

Isaiah sighed deeply, and his eyes filled with water. “How did he die?” The question came through quivering lips, but he was emotionally strong, quick to assemble a dam that would stay the tidal waves of comprehension — though they would inevitably drown the very foundation of his reality. But not right now.

“He was shot by an imposter.”

Isaiah closed his eyes, and a tear rolled down his cheek. Then he looked up to the ceiling, taking a couple of deep breaths while rubbing his swollen eyes. “Forgive me,” he whispered.

Scott stared down at the table. “I’m sorry you had to find out this way.”

“I never suspected that old age would be the means of his departure.” He leaned forward and off the sink. “But I can’t do anything for him now, can I? So we should find out why he sent you here.” He pulled a pair of reading glasses from the chest pocket of his flannel shirt. Then he walked over to the doorway and picked up the two books. Sitting down in the empty chair across from Scott, he wiped his eyes and slid the glasses up over his nose. “This came from a priest, you said?” He opened the first page.

“Yes.”

“Ah. The
Testament of Solomon.
Father Baer.”

“You knew him?” Scott asked, surprised.

A modest smile. “Yeah. I knew him. But since you have his books, and my brother sent you here with them, I’m guessing he’s dead as well.”

Scott nodded solemnly.

Isaiah flipped through the pages.

“How did you know him?” Scott asked.

Peeking over the top of his lenses, he answered, “A while back, before things really started changing, he was working with my brother and some others on a secret project. These are some of his notes.”

“What kind of project?”

“A sort of treasure hunt. But the world being what it is now, they decided that discovering this ‘treasure’ would lead to certain ramifications they wanted no part of. So they decided not to pursue it after all, to let God deal with it in His own way, in His own time.”

Scott leaned forward. “Are you saying these books are part of some old quest to
find
something?”

“In a way, yes. Though the most important one is missing.”

“What do you mean?”