Knock Three Times

25. Into the Catacombs

    'I haven't been down here in years. Remember, I was blindfolded the last time I was dragged through these tunnels. I'm not sure how much help I can honestly provide.' Marc admitted to the Chief, and the Templar replied.

    'Worry not, my friend. The Good Lord will always lead us through the darkness, if our faith be true.'

    'I'm not sure I believe in such things.' he revealed, and the knight simply laughed.

    'Wait until you're face-to-face with a demonic creature, my friend; you're going to believe pretty damn quickly, if experience has taught me anything.'

    'I guess I just never really took it seriously.' Marc shrugged. 'I suppose this is where you'll tell me that it doesn't really matter . . . that God believes in me, right?'

    'Nope.' he shook his head. 'Much like m'self, God knows a stubborn ass when he sees one. If you cannot open your mind enough to see what's happening here, I'm pretty sure . . . you're fucked.'

    As they walked through the confined blackness, Marc couldn't help but be offended.

    'I thought men of god didn't swear? Not very Christian of you, now is it?'

    'Just shows how little you've studied, my friend. Show me in the New Testament where Jesus says not to swear. The good book mention cursing, but that takes on an entirely different meaning of its own, as in telling someone where they can go, and so on. Scripture also mentions blasphemy, which means proclaiming you are a god, or claiming to have the ability to forgive sin and the like. I don't believe the gospels ever mentioned not to use naughty language, most certainly when words like "fuck" and "shit" didn't even exist back then. Now, shut the fuck up and focus.' he grinned, and Marc couldn't help but sense a likable vibe from the mysterious knight.

    'How is it the Templars are still around in this day and age?' he asked, the famed proprietor never becoming a Freemason himself, though he had thought about it in his younger years.

    'We never left.' he replied without turning his back to address him; the knight keeping his focus on the darkness ahead, expecting the unexpected and always at the ready. 'The Templars simply grew incognito over the years. We exist as a sect of faith which decided long ago that the best defense against the coming darkness is the element of surprise. Our elders are careful and overly cautious in their decisiveness to take action, surfacing only when the fate of the world is at peril. Meanwhile, we are trained to blend in—to walk amongst you and place ourselves strategically in positions of power and great secrecy. Make no mistake, there are Templar Knights feeding information from some of the world's most covert organizations and darkest corners of politics. Some have been undercover for decades, waiting for the perfect time to strike.'

    'So . . . you're spies essentially?' the Chief seemed astonished. He had been a Freemason for years, the Templar title always available to him, had he only sought it, but he never thought for a moment the web was as vast and complex as this knight proclaimed.

    'There are members who boast the title only, which are the Templars most Masons are familiar with. Only when the select few truly devote themselves to the cause are they officially knighted.'

    'And who exactly knighted you?' asked Marc.

    'I'm afraid I cannot divulge such information. Only a devout Templar scholar would be privileged with such details. But if you're that curious, no one is preventing you from signing up for the cause. We know you to be a good man, Mr. Richot. If you so choose, Abraham would be happy to consider your application, but you'd have to be a third degree Freemason before you are even considered for knighthood. Just keep in mind you may find yourself in this type of situation on a regular basis, and not everyone has the stomach for it.'