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"An ankh?" Alexia blinked in aypt?" Madame Lefoux arched one perfect black eyebrow

"Were the two cultures chronological y coyptian expansion

"It is possible they had some form of contact, but it is more likely that this little object cah trade with the Greeks"

Alexia studied the sold closely but, uncharacteristical y, pursed her lips and said nothing She found it odd that an Etruscan statue would offer up the Egyptian symbol for eternal life, and while, to be sure, she hadto share them with a Templar

The preceptor tucked his char further to say and led the way back up the limestone stairs and out onto the sun-dappled hil side The other toood repair

The picnic that fol oas an uncomfortably silent affair Alexia, Madame Lefoux, and the preceptor were seated on a square of quilted gingham spread atop the tomb while the other Templars enjoyed their own meal a short distance away One of the Teubrious tones The preceptor seee in any conversation with his two companions

Alexia ate an apple, two rol s of crunchy bread spread with sos dipped in hted her the day before

With meal finished and Bible put away, the party prepared to leave There was one benefit to picnicking, Alexia realized As she had used no utensils, nothing needed to be destroyed because of contamination

"It is not a bad life we lead here, is it, My Soul ess One?" The preceptor spoke to her at last

Alexia was forced to admit that it didn’t appear so "Italy is a lovely country And I cannot fault your cuisine or climate"

"You are--how do I say this politely--unwelco to correct hiht better of it Instead she said, "That is a very diplo it, Mr

Teri here with us, then? It has been a long time since we of the temple at Florence had a preternatural in residence, let alone a female of the species

We would make sure of your every comfort while we studied you Provide for you your own, ht back to her unfortunate encounter with Dr

Siemons and the Hypocras Club "I have entertained such an offer before"

The Te her

Since he seemed, once more, to be in a chatty frame of mind, Alexia asked, "You would put up with devil spawn permanently in your midst?"

"We have done so before We of the brotherhood are God’s best weapon against the supernatural threat We were made to do what needed to be done no matter what the cost or personal risk You could be very useful to our cause"

"Goodness gracious, I had no idea I was that appealing" Alexia waggled her eyebrows suggestively

Madame Lefoux joined the conversation "If that is the case, why are you not equal y welco to olves and vampires?"

"Because they are not born daemons To be born with the eternal sin is not inal sin The soul ess suffer, as we al do, under the metaphorical cross, only for them there is no salvation The vampires and olves, on the other hand, have chosen their path voluntarily It is a matter of intention They have turned their backs on salvation in a way far more reprehensible, because they once had excess soul They could have ascended into heaven had they only resisted Satan’s temptation Instead, they traded the bulk of their soul to the devil and became els are al owed immortality" He spoke calmly, with no emotion, no inflection, and no doubt

Alexia felt chil ed "Which is why you wish to see al supernatural folk dead?"

"It is our eternal crusade"

Alexia did some calculations "Over four hundred years or so Commendably committed of you al "

"A God-sanctioned purpose, to hunt and kil " Madaiven her choices in life--she was a creator, an engineer, and a builder

The preceptor looked froiven purpose is, Scientist Lefoux--a soul ess creature whose only skil is in neutralizing the supernatural? Do you think she was not placed on this earth as a tool?

We can give her purpose, even if she is only a female"

"Noait just ato Conal , before theiruseful to do with her life Queen Victoria hadvaious fanatics was not precisely what she had been hoping for

"Have you any idea how rare you are, a feet the iht" Alexia looked about suddenly, feigning physical discoht visit a convenient bush, before we depart for the long drive back?"

The Templar looked equal y discoed at Madaed her off behind the tomb and down the side of the hil a little ways to a selique this way," co her pregnancy, she always had to… well … you know"

"Oh, no, that waswith you That ankh around his neck, did you notice that it had been repaired?"

Madanificant, do you think?"