"See the Holy Grail?"
Old Jones lit up at once. "Can we really? Can I see the Holy Grail with my own eyes?"
"Of course," Pan Long replied as though it were obvious. "The Holy Grail simply can't be claimed by ordinary mortals. But looking at it, touching it, even drinking a cup of water from it... why not?"
Once again, he put on his mystical act. "Don't worry, Jesus is easy to talk to. The Romans nailed him up and left him half dead, and he never took revenge. The man's a bleeding heart."
Even Dr. Jones was tempted. He had no intention of taking the Holy Grail, but a chance to see the legendary treasure—and perhaps even drink Holy Grail Water, said to grant eternal life? Who could resist?
The four of them strode through the crowd of soldiers surrounding them and headed for the doorway.
After a few steps, old Jones remembered something. "The path to the Holy Grail is fraught with danger. You may not be afraid, but we..."
"There's no danger," Pan Long said. "If you came on your own, there probably would be danger at every turn. But with me leading the way, there won't be any. Just follow me."
With that, he took the lead and walked through the doorway.
Cobwebs filled the passage beyond. It looked as though it had been abandoned for years.
More troubling, of course, were the corpses in front of the doorway and the blood covering the ground.
It had nearly flooded the steps, leaving nowhere to put a foot.
Looking at the spreading blood, Dr. Jones sighed. "Perhaps we should find something to step on."
"Blood symbolizes life. It's a treasure of the mortal world," Pan Long said. "If its original owners don't mind, I think we