Truthseekers by Mike Handcock Read Free Book Online Page B

all yelling ‘one dollar’ and holding postcards. Next to them a group of landmine victims were playing Khmer instruments and hoping for a tip.
    “The thing is Rocko that the system worked pretty well for many years. The Church was damn powerful, and whilst it was built on a pack of lies it had its place. People at least had something to believe in and faith shifts a lot of mountains, especially in the dark ages after the fall of Rome.”
    David went on to explain how the list of names ceased in 1136 with one final name: Alphonse of Toulouse. He was a known friend of the Templar Knights and suddenly he vanished. David explained that the Templars’ affairs had led them to be challenged by King Phillip the Fair and Pope Clementine V in 1307 and how they literally ceased to exist not long after. Yet whilst there were apparently 2,000 Templars at the time, with aides, those in training and wives there were in fact many more and most ended up in hiding or simply migrated to the Knights of St John, an order that lasted until Freemasonry became popular in the 17 th century.
    “Wives… I thought Templars took a vow of chastity?” Rocko said. “That’s why I was never one.” He laughed out loud at his own joke.
    “That’s what is written, but what Stacey turned up in documents that have come into the public eye only in the last few years is that there were wives, only for those at the highest level. Like… do your crusade then get laid.” David smiled at his crude line too. “In fact they were often disguised as nuns and had the name, the Ladies of Tsion, which linked to their Judaic roots. In this way there were generations of Templars, which were portrayed as cousins but really were father and son. These were the most trusted.”
    “OK OK … so Templars had geisha girls… tell me why I am in Cambodia again?”
    “Oh Rocko, never had patience did you?” quipped David. “You see when King Phillip had the Templars arrested over forty ships escaped.That’s a lot of people. My belief is they went far and wide. I believe they knew who was the family lineage of Christ and took them to protect them. I remember seeing Xs at Angkor Wat, so I thought what better place to start than to come here and look for the hooked X.”
    “Oh well…” said Rocko “At least Mr C will have some beers waiting for us.”

7
    “Mr David, Mr Rock… over here!”
    The voice was distinctly Mr C’s. He had been patiently waiting at the ticket office to Angkor Wat. Smiling broadly and a few pounds heavier than the last time they saw him, Mr C gave them a big hug. At 33 years old he was one of a new breed of entrepreneur in Cambodia and he had his finger on the pulse of everything. Mr C had been around and was considered almost an old man in a population that boasts 75% under the age of 30.
    “So good to see you again. Mr Rock you look very fat… you will need beer.” Mr C’s Asian brutality made Rocko laugh and give C a big hug, ruffling his head.
    “Where’s that beer C? You look like you drank a whole case just waiting for us.”
    “You know me. I save farmer. They have no water. So I drink beer, save them water… ha ha.” The three friends roared with laughter.
    It was always good to see Mr C. He made stupid jokes and never took life too seriously. How could you, David always thought, when at age 10 you were carrying an AK47 and watching your school friends being used for land mine bait?
    “I already pay for Angkor pass. You just need photo so they can see you,” said C.
    David always shook his head at Angkor Wat. Here it was one of the seven wonders of the world and a UNESCO Heritage site, yet it was US$20 a day to get in and all the money went to Prime Minister Hun Sen’s son-in-law. At 2 million tourists a year, David really regretted paying him part of $40 million in income. Worse still was the country then asked every other country to sponsor the works at Angkor Wat because there was no money.
    He watched Rocko march