Chapters 7-8 of Indiana Jones and the Curse of Rhan

Posted by Goodsport from adsl-216-102-199-185.dsl.snfc21.pacbell.net on June 06, 2000 at 07:43:27:

Chapter 7

Faizabad, Afghanistan - 1956

    Louis and Kas had contacted someone they knew who dealt with freighter journeys to Asia and the East. Within days the man had found them room on board 'The Sova', which would take them to Central Asia. Once there, Louis would have to improvise. That would be no problem, thought Louis. He had all the improvisation he needed in Kas. If something went wrong, Kas would get rid of it. If somebody got in the way, Kas would get rid of them.

    The two men had, after a few hours of waiting, hitching and walking, arrived in Faizabad. It was a relatively large town; bustling markets, religious monuments which Louis took no interest in, a colourful and curious mix of buildings; again, Louis was not
    bothered; he had come for one thing. Moreover, he come to Faizabad for one person - Mustafa Sharilla. In his mind, Louis had drawn two conclusions. Either Sharilla would hand over the headpiece or Kas would take care of him. It was a clear
    choice, and Louis favoured both outcomes.

    Louis loosened his shirt collar, sweating under the sun that beat down on Faizabad. "Our dearly departed Grundman wouldn't have liked it here anyway," grinned Louis. "He would have been too hot". Kas nodded, following Louis loyally.

    It took just half an hour for someone to lead Louis to Mustafa Sharilla's shop. It was a relatively modest building, with a canopy outside and tables of various trinkets. Louis and Kas marched up to the shop. Outside, watching people pass-by and occasionally shouting about various items for sale was a large, balding man. He was well-dressed, but had not shaved in a
    while. What hair he had left was greasy and uncombed. However, he had powerful eyes that seemed to notice everything and everyone.

    "Mustafa Sharilla?" asked Louis.

    The large man eyed Louis and Kas suspiciously. "Tell me, sir, who may you be?" he said, leaning back slightly and folding his arms.

    "Louis Belloq, at your service"

    "At my service?" grinned Mustafa. "Then allow me to introduce myself, Mustafa Sharilla. The finest merchandise in all Afghanistan is to be found in my humble shop. Please, come inside"

    Kas looked to Louis, who just nodded, making his way inside Mustafa's shop. "What a remarkable collection of antiquities you have" said Louis as he stepped inside, his eyes filled with views of trinkets, junk and other assorted items.

    "Yes. Collected from all over the world"

    "And just you yourself run this business?" asked Louis, trying to work out whether Mustafa had protected himself well with guards.

    This question however hit a raw nerve with Mustafa, who became stern and frowned at Louis. "Yes," said Mustafa. "Although I have a girl that helps with the selling - she is not here now" said Mustafa. "Why do you ask?"

    "I am amazed the two of you run such an...empire" said Louis, trying to sound sincere. Mustafa didn't notice the insincerity and suddenly relaxed, smiling again and walking back towards Louis.

    "Thank you for your kind words" said Mustafa.

    "I would very much like to see what you have on offer, Sharilla" said Louis.

    "Please, you may now call me Mustafa"

    "Then you may call me Louis Belloq"

    "Very well, Louis Belloq...if you want to see what is on offer, open your eyes. Take a look around the room...this is my stock, this you can buy" said Mustafa, waving a hand over various old items. Louis scanned the items; nothing in the room remotely resembled the headpiece - Louis's scroll showed the headpiece to be a round, golden object encrusted with exotic jewels. At the moment, Louis was starting at dull tin curiosities.

    "I'm looking for something else," said Louis.

    "Oh?" asked Mustafa.

    "Yes. I'm looking with this..." said Louis, reaching into his pocket. Mustafa tensed, as if he was about to fight, but relaxed when Louis pulled out a wad of money, enough to buy Mustafa's shop and more, and waved it slowly.

    "Who sent you?" asked Mustafa, again tensing up and folding his arms; becoming defensive. If this was his only defence, taking care of him if he was trouble would be easy, mused Louis.

    "Dr. Jerome Launce"

    "I have no time for friends of Jerome Launce"

    "I am considering buying"

    "Then I now have time for you" grinned Mustafa. He said nothing, and turned, walking towards the back of the room. Flipping a curtain that hung from the ceiling to the floor, Mustafa made his way through an until-now undiscovered exit. Louis and Kas swiftly followed. As Louis emerged the other side of the exit, he was amazed. Rather than another room full of useless trinkets, this room was a treasure trove of items - ancient coins, fine jewels, small golden statues.

    Louis urged Mustafa to explain what each of the items were, all the time keeping an eye out for a sign of the headpiece. If the Jewel of Rhan was in this room, Louis wanted it. "This is from the pyramids of Egypt...pure gold" said Mustafa, continuing, "...this is a majestic piece I discovered in Greece..."

    "That..." Louis said, almost breathless.

    Mustafa handed the headpiece to Louis. Louis eagerly took hold of it. The Jewel of Rhan was even more exquisite than he could have imagined. The painting of it on the scroll was in no way a fair representation of the object Louis now held in his hands. The Jewel of Rhan was a large, rounded golden disc, encrusted with a lining of bright, priceless jewels. Small writing was engraved on the top half - Louis realised that it spelt out the missing letters he couldn't work out - it was the Rhan alphabet!

    This was only the beginning though; another line of letters took up the bottom half of the headpiece. They were the same strange drawings as those on the scroll which Louis had never seen before. Thinking quickly, Louis realised that it was the second Rhan alphabet; he would now be able to decipher the entire scroll! "I want it" said Louis.

    "That item, sadly, you cannot afford," said Mustafa. He reached for the headpiece, but Louis held onto it, still looking at it.

    "Don't be so sure"

    "It has a high price"

    "I do not care" said Louis, thinking to himself that a couple of thousand dollars were a small price to pay for invincibility. "How much?"

    "Three-hundred thousand American dollars" grinned Mustafa. Louis nearly dropped the headpiece in shock. He wasn't carrying that sort of money, and even if he had it with him, he didn't want to hand it over to an arrogant, cheating shopkeeper.

    "I would very much like the headpiece," said Louis, trying not to let Mustafa realise that he didn't have the necessary money.

    "Can you pay me now for it?" asked Mustafa.

    "Not at the moment..." began Louis.

    "Very well," said Mustafa. This time he was more forceful, grabbing the headpiece. However, as he took hold of it, Kas stormed into the scene, clutching Mustafa's hand tightly. "Let go!" shouted Mustafa.

    "Now, Mustafa..." Louis said. However, he was cut short by Mustafa, who whistled a strange short tune. Seconds later, the room was filled with about ten of his relatives; all twenty-something, well built men ready to fight at a second's notice.

    Louis quickly eyed the competition. He slowly let go of his hold on the headpiece, returning it into Mustafa's sweaty grasp. "Perhaps," said Louis, "I do not need the headpiece at this exact moment in time". He clicked his fingers, and Kas let go of Mustafa.

    "I bid you au revoir for the time being, Mustafa" said Louis, retaining a sense of calm and swivelling on one foot before marching out of Mustafa's shop. Kas lingered, glaring menacingly at the men now surrounding Mustafa. Hearing Louis shout at him to return, Kas grunted and made his way out of the shop, his feet thundering across the floor.

    "Do not worry, Kas" said Louis, as they left the shop. "Our friend Mustafa Sharilla is not the kind to bear grudges. He will be most co-operative. I can predict it. Especially if his life hangs in the balance"

* * * * *

Boston - three days earlier

    "Henry!" Anthony said, leaping up from his desk. "Where on Earth have you been? What happened to you - why are you bruised?". The questions flowed fast from Anthony, who hadn't seen nor heard from Indy in quite a few days.

    "Relax, Anthony, relax" said Indy.

    "Sit down..." said Anthony. Indy did so; he wasn't in any sort of pain. Just a few cuts and bruises to remind him of New York. Anthony sat back down in his own seat, looking concerned. "Who did this?" he asked.

    Indy sat back. "Remember a while ago, I said 'I'll tell you soon'? Well, now I'll tell you" said Indy, pouring himself a coffee. "I used to know a man...a crook...called Rene Belloq. He thought he'd found the Ark of the Covenant, but it killed him. And several other Nazis" said Indy.

    "Yes, yes. I remember dad telling me this," Anthony said, filling in his mental gaps. "Rene Belloq. Oh! Now I see - Louis Belloq; is he related?"

    Indy nodded. "His son"

    "Son?"

    "Yes. And that's why I've been asking about Tet Rhan. Belloq's son has set off to find the Temple, and..." but Indy was interrupted by Anthony hiding a laugh. "What is it?"

    "Tet Rhan?" asked Anthony. "It's a myth"

    "That's what I thought. But there's something to this...an old man I met in Corinth told me that the headpiece of Rhan had been found and taken to Faizabad, in Afghanistan"

    Anthony smiled. "He was probably senile"

    "I don't know. When I went to see Dr. Launce in New York, I was attacked by a group of thugs; that explains the cuts and bruises"

    "Why on Earth would they attack you?"

    "My guess is that Rhan is real, and Louis Belloq is getting closer and closer to finding it...and I think he knows who I am. I've not upset anyone enough in the last ten years to warrant the attack in New York," grinned Indy, but he quickly became very serious again. "Anthony, if Belloq finds the Temple and the legends are true...he could become invincible"

    Anthony paused. "I'm not going to laugh, Indy, because you seem very serious about this. Instead, I can only ask one question; what do you want me to do?"

    "I want you to help me decide," said Indy. "What to do next"

    "Well," sighed Anthony, "it seems to me that you've only got two very clear options. One, do nothing and hope it resolves
    itself. Two, go to Faizabad"

    Indy paused. Then, after a few moments, jumped up from his seat, grabbing his hat and making his way out of the office. Anthony quickly shouted after him "What now?"

    "I've made up my mind" said Indy.

    He only had one choice. Faizabad.

*************************

Chapter 8

Faizabad, Afghanistan - 1956

    "They can't be there all the time" Louis was looking out of his window at the small inn he and Kas were staying at. Thinking of the relatives who had rushed to help Mustafa, Louis again repeated his thoughts, "They can't be there all the time"

    Kas stood watching Louis, nodding. Louis thought to himself. "We simply wait for an opportune moment, then strike - if we can get to him when he is alone, then..." Louis broke off speaking, interrupting himself. "But that will not happen".

    Louis Belloq desperately wanted the headpiece, yet an obstacle stood in his way - Mustafa Sharilla. Whilst he had the headpiece in his hands, guarded and out-numbering Louis and Kas, Mustafa had the upper hand. This was going to be difficult. Louis could either try and steal the headpiece from Mustafa, or there was another option, one that did not appeal to Louis in the slightest.

    If only Louis could get hold of the headpiece - then he would have the solid lead he needed to find the Temple of Rhan. Then he could strike down Henry Jones like some insignificant insect.

    Louis poured himself a drink. He sipped it gently as he once again observed the scroll. If only he still had the headpiece in his hands, he could - with the alphabet written on it - decipher the rest of the scroll. Then he would have the Temple's location.

    "No longer mere myth," grinned Louis. "If I say so myself, I do believe I pose a very great threat to the rest of the world". Louis sat back, drink in hand, and planned his next move. "To kill or not to kill?" he asked out loud.

    Kas clearly favoured the first option.

    Louis needed some way to get the headpiece. But, realising that Mustafa was better off charmed than angered, Louis sighed, saying, "If we want the headpiece, I have the disgusting feeling that we will have to work with Mustafa Sharilla, not against him"

    Kas looked angered.

    "Well...for a certain amount of time"

* * * * *

    One o' clock in the afternoon. Indiana Jones had arrived in Faizabad.

    It felt strange to be wearing his 'adventuring'clothes again. Indy felt slightly unsure of himself, holding his fedora to his side as he wandered around the streets of Faizabad.

    Indy had arrived with a feeling of worry. If Louis Belloq had known Indy was in New York, it was even riskier for Indy to travel to the same town as him. However, Indy wasn't one to take an attack by thugs lightly, and he certainly wasn't going to let Louis get anywhere near the Temple of Rhan.

    There was a safe way out, thought Indy. Buy the headpiece, hide or destroy it and hope that Louis would eventually give up. However, it was clear to Indy from the ambush in New York that Louis Belloq wanted him dead. It was either Indy or Louis. Faizabad could be fatal for either of them.

    Trying to put those thoughts to one side, Indy concentrated on his current mission; finding Mustafa Sharilla's shop. All Indy had to go on was the scrap of paper from Dr. Jerome with Sharilla's address on it. However, Indy was distracted by the beauty of
    Faizabad. The vibrant colours of the markets, the various intricate and ornate items for sale; Indy felt like a tourist in a foreign land.

    Every person he handed the scrap of paper to just pointed further down the street. This went on for about twenty minutes, people kept nodding and pointing Indy further and further down the street. But they were right. As Indy approached the end of
    one of the streets, a shop came into view. It had a small table of junk items for sale outside. Nothing of great interest or archaeological value, indeed nothing that looked anything like the headpiece.

    Dr. Jerome had been wired a picture of the headpiece from the scroll Louis Belloq had. Dr. Jerome had let Indy have the picture, to help him track down the headpiece - if Louis hadn't already found it. Unlike Louis, however, Indy couldn't care less about Tet Rhan. He wanted to get the headpiece as far away from Louis Belloq as possible.

    "Mustafa Sharilla?"

    "Who are you?"

    "My name is Indiana Jones"

    "Perhaps you have come from the circus?" asked Mustafa, spying Indy's whip. Indy didn't even fake a laugh. Mustafa became hostile, he looked irritated. "What do you want?"

    Indy didn't answer, instead continuing, "I've come from Corinth. You took something from a site there. I want to take it off your hands"

    "A very generous gesture" sneered Mustafa. "What is this item I took?"

    "The headpiece of an old staff; it's called the Jewel of Rhan" said Indy. Mustafa looked angered. His voice became low, serious.

    "Listen" growled Mustafa, "I do not appreciate these bully-bully tactics. I knew you were not a man of money; you are just hired muscle...well, you can tell Louis Belloq he is advised not to try anything so stupid again. I bid you good-day"

    "Wait!" said Indy.

    Mustafa turned round. "What?"

    "I'm not with Belloq. Why would I be? He tried to have me killed...I need the headpiece of Rhan. Please. Let me see it"

    "What do you bring?"

    "I haven't got much money"

    Mustafa shook his head. "Then you cannot speak my language" he said, walking back into his shop. Indy followed him, not giving up. He paused to examine the articles inside the shop, all junk.

    "Then I'll just browse" said Indy. Mustafa agreed, and stood watching. Indy slowly wandered past the various items on offer, headed towards a large ceiling-to-floor curtain at the end of the room. "Interesting artefacts" said Indy, almost at the curtain.

    Mustafa looked edgy. "Yes, they are"

    Indy quickly turned to face the entrance of Mustafa's shop, as if looking at somebody. Mustafa swivelled on one foot, looking at the entrance. He saw nothing, and turned back to see Indy. He was gone. Mustafa panicked.

    Racing towards the curtain, Mustafa flicked it open to see Indy standing in the middle of the 'secret' room, the headpiece of Rhan in his hands. "Get out!" shouted Mustafa. "Get out!" he repeated, whistling another strange short tune.

    Sure enough, Indy was soon surrounded by ten to fifteen thugs; all ready to fight. Not one for stupidity, Indy flipped the headpiece in Mustafa's direction and made his way through the imposing circle of Mustafa's henchmen and relatives.

    As he was about to leave the room, Indy turned to Mustafa. "I'll not bother you again, Mr. Sharilla," said Indy. "But please, I'm asking you to do one thing for me...don't sell the headpiece to Louis Belloq"

    "I do not do favours for people" snapped Mustafa.

    "Then just don't sell it"

    Mustafa didn't respond, and Indy left the shop with every intention of coming back to bother Mustafa again. He wasn't going to let Belloq have the headpiece. He couldn't.

* * * * *

The next day

    Louis had woken up early, and had set off with Kas to pay another visit to Mustafa Sharilla. However, this time Louis made sure his revolver was loaded and that he picked a time of day when he was sure Sharilla's henchmen and relatives would be busy.

    Louis and Kas had arrived at Mustafa's shop to see the large trader stood outside. "Mr. Belloq. What a...surprise. I cannot believe you would show your face on my premises again" said Mustafa.

    "I come with a proposition," began Louis.

    "I do not care"

    "What?"

    Mustafa laughed. "Your petty muscleman you sent round yesterday? I made him leave with his tail between his legs. Have you come for more embarrassing treatment?"

    "What?" said Louis, confused. "What 'muscleman'? Who came to visit you yesterday?"

    "Don't play stupid, Belloq. He was yours. Tall, American...he was very interested in the headpiece of Rhan. Obviously came on your orders"

    "Wait!" said Louis frantically. He grabbed a picture out of his pocket. "You mean this man?" he asked, desperate for an answer.

    "Yes, that's him. I knew he was yours"

    "No..." said Louis. "He's not mine"

    Mustafa looked curious. "Oh?"

    "But he will be"

    Louis beckoned Kas to one side for a moment. "What uplifting news" said Louis. "Mr. Jones has come to pay us a visit. I do hope he didn't invest in a return ticket - he won't be needing it"

*************************

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