Icefall (Dane Maddock Adventures) by David Wood

bronze through his thin glove , and twisted.
    Nothing.
    He tried the other direction with no more success. He tried pushing and turning, pulling and turning, and anything else he could think of, but no dice.
    “ It ’ s just a solid piece, ” he finally said, rocking back on his heels.
    “ You didn ’ t expect it to be easy, did you? ” Bones pocketed his camera and joined them at the door. “ Pretty cool, though. This alone was worth the drive, but let ’ s check out the inside. ”
    They were disappointed to learn the cathedral was closed for renovations, though Bones declared it “ no freaking problem ” to slip inside after hours, should the y deem it necessary, eliciting a roll of the eyes and a pledge from Angel not to post his bail, should he be caught in the act .
    A break-in proved unnecessary. Angel located a foreman who spoke English and apparently liked flirtatious women with dark skin and big brown eyes, because, five minutes later, they were inside.
    Like the exterior, the interior had a feeling of newness about it, though tempered by the classic works of art all around . The construction foreman was eager to give them an impromptu tour, showing them the high points, including the “ Christ Column, ” a millennium-old, fifteen-foot tall cast bronze pillar that depicted scenes from the life of Jesus, and a bronze baptismal font that rivaled the pillar in its artistry.
    By the time they reached the Epiphany Shrine at the east end of the cathedral, Dane was ready to give up. They had found no representations of the three hares, the Magi , or the Wise Virgins. The shrine was their last hope. The golden shrine was reminiscent of the shrine at Kölner Dom. Among the many images on its face was one of the Wise and Foolish Virgins. And, like the Shrine of the Magi , it was sealed in a thick glass case.
    “ It holds the relics of the patron saints, ” the foreman explained. “ It is very old. ”
    Dane and Bones exchanged glances. If they wanted to see what was inside, they would have to blast it open like the men had done back in Cologne . The idea did not sit well with him. Also, something told him this was not what they were looking for. The door to the temple had been guarded by only three wise virgins, while this shrine depicted all the characters of the parable, both wise and foolish. It didn ’ t look right. He thought back to their sole clue.
     
    “ As the lion roars for the king... ”
     
    He had taken “ the king ” to simply mean Jesus, the “ King of Kings. ” But if the allusion to the lion had been literal, why not the king as well? He turned to their guide, who was having trouble keeping his eyes off of Angel. She was playing along, though Dane knew her well enough to see she was growing bored with the charade.
    “ Are there any relics or treasures from any kings here? ”
    The foreman cocked his head, thinking. They all fell silent, and only the distant sounds of workmen going about their business interrupted the quiet. Finally, he nodded.
    “ In the museum is the Kopfreliquiar of Saint Oswald. He was King of Northumbria. ”
    “ A cop what? ” Bones asked.
    “ Kopfreliquiar. ” The man cupped his chin, struggling for a translation. “ This, ” he indicated the shrine, “ holds all the bones. A kopfreliquiar, ” he held his hands in front of him about eight inches apart, “ holds only the head. ”
    Jade beamed at Dane. A reliquary that held the skull of a king? That was more like it. They thanked the man, who had managed to wrangle a phone number from Angel, and left the cathedral.
    “ Real or fake? ” Bones asked his sister as they headed back out into the cold.
    “ Sort of fake. ” Angel grimaced. “ I gave him Crazy Charlie ’ s number. ”
    “ That ’ s cold, sis. Dude was nice enough to let us in and show us around. ”
    “ Nice? You didn ’ t notice his wedding ring? ”
    Dane and Bones looked surprised while Jade and Angel exchanged a “ that ’ s a man