Icefall (Dane Maddock Adventures) by David Wood Read Free Book Online Page B

his nose , savoring the aroma. “ There must be tons of representations of the Wise Men all around Germany, and that ’ s assuming the skulls are still in the country. Who knows? ”
    “ You ’ re such a cynic, Maddock. ” Jade sighed and handed him her phone. “ Take a look at this. It ’ s a picture of the Three Kings panel. ”
    The image was impressive. The Magi were sculpted, as was the Blessed Mother holding the baby Jesus, and gave the etching a three-dimensional quality. But it wasn ’ t the scene itself that drew Dane ’ s eye; it was the door knocker in the shape of a lion ’ s head that dominated the lower middle of the panel.
    “ You see? ” Jade grinned. “ I thought the mention of the word ‘ lion ’ might be figurative, you know, Jesus was the Lion of Judah. But if it ’ s a literal clue, this is a good fit. You ’ ve got the Magi , the lion, and a cathedral. The place is filled with works of art. There ’ s even a shrine that includes a depiction of t he wise and foolish virgins. I ’ ll wager that somewhere in there is a depiction of the three hares. What do you think? ”
    “ It ’ s a stretch, but I suppose it ’ s worth a try. ”
    “ Look, I know it ’ s not a sure thing but, the way I see it, we ’ re on vacation and it ’ s a place I wouldn ’ t mind visiting anyway. What do we have to lose except a few hours in the car? ”
    “ That works for me, ” Dane said. “ But I ’ m guessing you ’ ve forgotten what a road trip with Bones is like. ”
     
    Dane didn ’ t know if it was holiday spirit or the presence of his sister, but Bones was much less annoying than usual on their d rive to Hildesheim. Instead of playing his favorite car game – thinking of an obscenity that started with the first letter of every road sign they passed – he contented himself with singing Christmas songs, though his habit of changing the lyrics to make the songs off- color finally drove Angel crazy and she put a stop to it. By the time they arrived at the cathedral, even Bones was focused on the task at hand.
    “ We ’ ll start by checking out the door and take it from there, ” Jade said. “ Keep an eye out for anything with the three hares or the wise virgins. ”
    “ What about the shrine you mentioned? ” Angel asked.
    “ We ’ ll take a look at that too. Anything that looks promising. Just don ’ t draw attention to yourself. ” Jade directed the latter comment at Bones.
    “ You know me. I always rise to the occasion. ” Bones grinned.
    Dane gazed up at the cathedral. In no way was it as magnificent as Kölner Dom. It was smaller and less elegant, and the massive repairs to the damage wrought by Allied bombers in World War II had deprived it of the aura of age that imbued so many structures of its kind. It did, however, have its own charm. The symmetry of the structure gave it an orderly feel that was pleasing to the eye, and the sand-colored stone put him in mind of home.
    It was only a short walk to the cathedral ’ s western portal and the Bernward doors. Though impressive in photographs, the sheer size of the doors, which stood at nearly sixteen feet tall, gave him pause. The artistry of these thousand year-old castings was breathtaking. Assuming the role of tourist, Bones took out a camera and started snapping pictures of Angel. She positioned herself to screen Dane and Jade who , in turn, moved in for a closer look at the Three Kings.
    The panel was much larger than Dane had i Magi ned. He had figured the doors to be closer to an ordinary size, and thus scaled down the image in his mind.
    “ I don ’ t see any hares here, ” Dane said.
    “ The clue mentions the lion. Give it a twist. ” Jade whispered.
    “ Seriously? ”
    “ These doors are probably thick enough to hide something inside. Maybe the knocker comes off, or releases a panel. ” She looked around, clearly nervous. “ Hurry while we ’ re alone. ”
    Dane took hold of the handle, feeling the cold