CHAPTER ------------ 3
The sun was beginning to set when the taxi pulled up at the address Skye had given him. She paid the driver as she and Brandon stepped out. ‘Wow,’ Brandon said, staring up at the mansion in front of them. When they had returned to their hotel from the Louvre, Skye had searched the internet for all of the information she could find about Henri Chassel. She had discovered that he had funded many archaeological digs in the Middle East, but more importantly that he lived only a short drive outside of Paris. She and Brandon had wasted no time in hiring a taxi and heading towards his house. But it wasn’t just a normal house ‐ it was a mansion. The taxi had already driven down the longest driveway Skye had ever seen, an avenue of beautiful horse‐chestnut trees that formed an arch over the entire length of the driveway. On their right they passed a huge lush green lawn before they finally stopped in front of the house next to a massive water fountain. The three storey mansion itself was beautiful, and very, very large. Marble columns stood out the front and it seemed to extend endlessly to their right and left. It looked like it must have been at least a couple of hundred years old, and ivy grew over sections of the walls. ‘He must be incredibly rich,’ Brandon said. ‘Look at it, Skye, it’s massive. I couldn’t even guess how many rooms are in there. And the way it’s been built… it’s beautiful.’ Skye was speechless and could only nod her agreement. Finally she pressed the buzzer on the door and after a short wait the door opened. A man dressed in a smart suit stood on the other side. ‘May I help you?’ he asked. ‘Yes, my name is Skye Belle. We’ve come to see Mr. Chassel.’ ‘Do you have an appointment?’ the man asked. ‘Um, no, but we would just like to talk to him about the artefacts that were found in his recent expedition.’ The man stared at them and Skye thought he looked bored. For a moment she thought he was going to tell them to go away and come back when they had made an appointment, but finally he said, ‘One moment please.’ The man closed the door and they heard his footsteps walking away on the other side.
‘I’ve never known someone who had a butler before,’ Brandon said while they were waiting. ‘Neither have I. I thought it was only royalty that had butlers,’ Skye replied. After the man had been gone for a few minutes they heard footsteps coming towards the door. The door opened again and the butler regarded them silently for a moment. ‘Mr. Chassel will see you. Please, follow me.’ He didn’t sound like he was happy for them to be following him. They walked through the doorway and the butler closed the door behind him. The entry that they found themselves standing in was even more impressive than the outside. Marble covered the floor and in front of them was a grand staircase that led up to the second floor. Even the handrail was made of marble! They couldn’t admire it for too long though as they quickly followed the butler down a hall that was so wide that Skye and Brandon could have walked side by side with their arms outstretched and still not have touched the walls. There were statues on either side of the hall, and paintings of gardens and parks hung on the walls. The butler stopped in front of a door and knocked. ‘Yes,’ a voice called from inside. ‘Your visitors, sir,’ the butler replied. ‘Come in,’ the voice inside the room beckoned. The butler opened the door and ushered them into what was obviously a large study. A polished oak table sat in one corner, while shelves full of books lined the walls. A large window behind the desk let in the bright sunlight from outside. Sitting in a luxurious green couch, Henri Chassel put down the book he was reading and looked up to regard his visitors. ‘Hello,’ he said, smiling up at them. ‘Please have a seat.’ ‘Thank you,’ Skye said as she and Brandon sat in the couch opposite. ‘And thank you for seeing us, Mr. Chassel. My name is Skye, and this is my brother Brandon.’ ‘A pleasure to meet you,’ he replied. ‘But please, my friends call me Chassel. Now, I understand you are interested in the artefacts that were found recently.’ Skye and Brandon nodded their heads. ‘Well,’ Chassel continued, ‘I only funded the expedition; I wasn’t there myself. I’m happy to try and answer any questions you may have, but I may not prove as
helpful to you as you hope. A man called Professor Airbon is currently cataloguing the artefacts in the Louvre. I would suggest he would be of more assistance to you.’ ‘We’ve already met the Professor,’ Skye said, ‘and seen the artefacts. Well, most of them at least. You see Mr. Chass – I mean, Chassel, some of them have been stolen.’ ‘Stolen!’ Chassel said incredulously. ‘How could anyone have stolen anything from the Louvre? It’s impossible!’ ‘Unfortunately someone has,’ Brandon said. ‘That’s why we’ve come to see you. We thought maybe you might know why someone would want to steal those artefacts.’ ‘What? Do you mean it? Were they really stolen?’ ‘I’m afraid so,’ said Skye. Chassel stood up and began walking slowly around the room. ‘I can’t believe it. Do you know what was stolen?’ ‘The Professor gave us some idea,’ Skye said, ‘but it appears that it was a lot of the jewellery that was taken.’ ‘The jewellery?’ Henri asked, surprised. ‘I would have thought that some of the plates would have been more valuable.’ ‘More valuable?’ Brandon asked. ‘What do you mean?’ ‘Well if someone wants to steal something, it is usually to sell it for money. I wouldn’t have thought that the jewellery would be worth as much.’ ‘It must be valuable to someone,’ Skye said. ‘What can you tell us about the artefacts?’ ‘Me?’ Chassel asked, sitting back down in his couch. ‘I couldn’t tell you as much as the Professor could. I know all about the history of Persia and King Xerxes, but beyond that, my interest is in helping to uncover things from the past. It’s up to people like Professor Airbon to explain what those things mean.’ Chassel looked at them intently for a long moment. ‘What interest do you have in old dusty plates and coins?’ ‘We were hoping to find some clue to the secret of Queen Esther’s courage,’ Skye said. Chassel watched them for a moment, seemingly not understanding. ‘Who is Queen Esther?’ he asked.
This time it was Skye’s turn to be surprised. ‘Queen Esther was King Xerxes’ wife. She was the one who went to speak with him, even though he hadn’t asked for her, to plead for the Jews. She did it even though she knew it could cost her life.’ Recognition slowly dawned on Chassel’s face. ‘Ah yes. Queen Esther. Of the bible.’ He smiled at them, but it wasn’t a warm smile. Then he shook his head. ‘Dear girl,’ he said, in what sounded to Skye like a patronizing tone of voice, ‘do you really believe those stories? Let me tell you something: there was no Queen Esther. Xerxes’ wife was called Amestris.’ He shook his head again and looked at them pityingly. ‘I had thought you were an intelligent girl, not someone who believed in old make‐believe tales. I’ll give you a small piece of advice.’ He leaned in closer and looked at her intently. ‘The bible is just an old book filled mostly with things that never happened. If you really wish to be taken seriously, next time I suggest that you don’t mention fairy tales and make‐believe stories from the bible.’ Skye’s shoulders slumped. She hadn’t imagined that someone like Henri Chassel would think she was a fool for believing in the bible. The worst of it was she was beginning to feel like a fool now too, and she didn’t quite understand why. Chassel sat in his chair watching her pityingly, which somehow made her feel even worse. Her head bowed down and her shoulders slumped farther forward. Finally she turned to Brandon. He seemed to be staring thoughtfully at the book on the table that Chassel had been reading. Skye ignored it; she wanted to leave, and quickly. ‘Let’s go Brandon,’ she said. ‘Thank you for seeing us, Mr. Chassel,’ she added politely then tugged at Brandon’s sleeve and they turned to go. ‘Emile will show you out,’ Chassel said. They turned and began to leave when Chassel called out behind them, ‘Remember what I said.’ The butler, Emile, walked them towards the front door. ‘I’m sorry, Skye,’ Brandon said. ‘He didn’t seem all that nice to you.’ ‘It’s alright,’ Skye said sadly. ‘Lots of people don’t believe the bible. Sometimes they think it’s funny to make fun of those of us who do.’ ‘I know. But I thought he was especially mean to you,’ he mumbled softly as they walked out and back towards the taxi that was still waiting for them. As much as Skye tried to put on a brave face, the encounter with Henri Chassel had upset her deeply
The sun was beginning to set when the taxi pulled up at the address Skye had given him. She paid the driver as she and Brandon stepped out. ‘Wow,’ Brandon said, staring up at the mansion in front of them. When they had returned to their hotel from the Louvre, Skye had searched the internet for all of the information she could find about Henri Chassel. She had discovered that he had funded many archaeological digs in the Middle East, but more importantly that he lived only a short drive outside of Paris. She and Brandon had wasted no time in hiring a taxi and heading towards his house. But it wasn’t just a normal house ‐ it was a mansion. The taxi had already driven down the longest driveway Skye had ever seen, an avenue of beautiful horse‐chestnut trees that formed an arch over the entire length of the driveway. On their right they passed a huge lush green lawn before they finally stopped in front of the house next to a massive water fountain. The three storey mansion itself was beautiful, and very, very large. Marble columns stood out the front and it seemed to extend endlessly to their right and left. It looked like it must have been at least a couple of hundred years old, and ivy grew over sections of the walls. ‘He must be incredibly rich,’ Brandon said. ‘Look at it, Skye, it’s massive. I couldn’t even guess how many rooms are in there. And the way it’s been built… it’s beautiful.’ Skye was speechless and could only nod her agreement. Finally she pressed the buzzer on the door and after a short wait the door opened. A man dressed in a smart suit stood on the other side. ‘May I help you?’ he asked. ‘Yes, my name is Skye Belle. We’ve come to see Mr. Chassel.’ ‘Do you have an appointment?’ the man asked. ‘Um, no, but we would just like to talk to him about the artefacts that were found in his recent expedition.’ The man stared at them and Skye thought he looked bored. For a moment she thought he was going to tell them to go away and come back when they had made an appointment, but finally he said, ‘One moment please.’ The man closed the door and they heard his footsteps walking away on the other side.
‘I’ve never known someone who had a butler before,’ Brandon said while they were waiting. ‘Neither have I. I thought it was only royalty that had butlers,’ Skye replied. After the man had been gone for a few minutes they heard footsteps coming towards the door. The door opened again and the butler regarded them silently for a moment. ‘Mr. Chassel will see you. Please, follow me.’ He didn’t sound like he was happy for them to be following him. They walked through the doorway and the butler closed the door behind him. The entry that they found themselves standing in was even more impressive than the outside. Marble covered the floor and in front of them was a grand staircase that led up to the second floor. Even the handrail was made of marble! They couldn’t admire it for too long though as they quickly followed the butler down a hall that was so wide that Skye and Brandon could have walked side by side with their arms outstretched and still not have touched the walls. There were statues on either side of the hall, and paintings of gardens and parks hung on the walls. The butler stopped in front of a door and knocked. ‘Yes,’ a voice called from inside. ‘Your visitors, sir,’ the butler replied. ‘Come in,’ the voice inside the room beckoned. The butler opened the door and ushered them into what was obviously a large study. A polished oak table sat in one corner, while shelves full of books lined the walls. A large window behind the desk let in the bright sunlight from outside. Sitting in a luxurious green couch, Henri Chassel put down the book he was reading and looked up to regard his visitors. ‘Hello,’ he said, smiling up at them. ‘Please have a seat.’ ‘Thank you,’ Skye said as she and Brandon sat in the couch opposite. ‘And thank you for seeing us, Mr. Chassel. My name is Skye, and this is my brother Brandon.’ ‘A pleasure to meet you,’ he replied. ‘But please, my friends call me Chassel. Now, I understand you are interested in the artefacts that were found recently.’ Skye and Brandon nodded their heads. ‘Well,’ Chassel continued, ‘I only funded the expedition; I wasn’t there myself. I’m happy to try and answer any questions you may have, but I may not prove as
helpful to you as you hope. A man called Professor Airbon is currently cataloguing the artefacts in the Louvre. I would suggest he would be of more assistance to you.’ ‘We’ve already met the Professor,’ Skye said, ‘and seen the artefacts. Well, most of them at least. You see Mr. Chass – I mean, Chassel, some of them have been stolen.’ ‘Stolen!’ Chassel said incredulously. ‘How could anyone have stolen anything from the Louvre? It’s impossible!’ ‘Unfortunately someone has,’ Brandon said. ‘That’s why we’ve come to see you. We thought maybe you might know why someone would want to steal those artefacts.’ ‘What? Do you mean it? Were they really stolen?’ ‘I’m afraid so,’ said Skye. Chassel stood up and began walking slowly around the room. ‘I can’t believe it. Do you know what was stolen?’ ‘The Professor gave us some idea,’ Skye said, ‘but it appears that it was a lot of the jewellery that was taken.’ ‘The jewellery?’ Henri asked, surprised. ‘I would have thought that some of the plates would have been more valuable.’ ‘More valuable?’ Brandon asked. ‘What do you mean?’ ‘Well if someone wants to steal something, it is usually to sell it for money. I wouldn’t have thought that the jewellery would be worth as much.’ ‘It must be valuable to someone,’ Skye said. ‘What can you tell us about the artefacts?’ ‘Me?’ Chassel asked, sitting back down in his couch. ‘I couldn’t tell you as much as the Professor could. I know all about the history of Persia and King Xerxes, but beyond that, my interest is in helping to uncover things from the past. It’s up to people like Professor Airbon to explain what those things mean.’ Chassel looked at them intently for a long moment. ‘What interest do you have in old dusty plates and coins?’ ‘We were hoping to find some clue to the secret of Queen Esther’s courage,’ Skye said. Chassel watched them for a moment, seemingly not understanding. ‘Who is Queen Esther?’ he asked.
This time it was Skye’s turn to be surprised. ‘Queen Esther was King Xerxes’ wife. She was the one who went to speak with him, even though he hadn’t asked for her, to plead for the Jews. She did it even though she knew it could cost her life.’ Recognition slowly dawned on Chassel’s face. ‘Ah yes. Queen Esther. Of the bible.’ He smiled at them, but it wasn’t a warm smile. Then he shook his head. ‘Dear girl,’ he said, in what sounded to Skye like a patronizing tone of voice, ‘do you really believe those stories? Let me tell you something: there was no Queen Esther. Xerxes’ wife was called Amestris.’ He shook his head again and looked at them pityingly. ‘I had thought you were an intelligent girl, not someone who believed in old make‐believe tales. I’ll give you a small piece of advice.’ He leaned in closer and looked at her intently. ‘The bible is just an old book filled mostly with things that never happened. If you really wish to be taken seriously, next time I suggest that you don’t mention fairy tales and make‐believe stories from the bible.’ Skye’s shoulders slumped. She hadn’t imagined that someone like Henri Chassel would think she was a fool for believing in the bible. The worst of it was she was beginning to feel like a fool now too, and she didn’t quite understand why. Chassel sat in his chair watching her pityingly, which somehow made her feel even worse. Her head bowed down and her shoulders slumped farther forward. Finally she turned to Brandon. He seemed to be staring thoughtfully at the book on the table that Chassel had been reading. Skye ignored it; she wanted to leave, and quickly. ‘Let’s go Brandon,’ she said. ‘Thank you for seeing us, Mr. Chassel,’ she added politely then tugged at Brandon’s sleeve and they turned to go. ‘Emile will show you out,’ Chassel said. They turned and began to leave when Chassel called out behind them, ‘Remember what I said.’ The butler, Emile, walked them towards the front door. ‘I’m sorry, Skye,’ Brandon said. ‘He didn’t seem all that nice to you.’ ‘It’s alright,’ Skye said sadly. ‘Lots of people don’t believe the bible. Sometimes they think it’s funny to make fun of those of us who do.’ ‘I know. But I thought he was especially mean to you,’ he mumbled softly as they walked out and back towards the taxi that was still waiting for them. As much as Skye tried to put on a brave face, the encounter with Henri Chassel had upset her deeply
No comments:
Post a Comment