the-secret-crusade-oliver-bowden

beyond. But they cannot succeed in their mission.’
‘Why is that?’ asked Altaïr.
‘Their plans depend upon the Templar Treasure … the Piece of Eden
… But we hold it now. And they cannot hope to achieve their goals
without it.’
Of course, thought Altaïr. This was the item so many of his targets
had referred to.
‘What is this treasure?’ he said.
Al Mualim smiled, then went to the rear of his chamber, bent and
opened a chest. He took a box from it, returned to his desk and placed it
down. Altair knew what it was without looking, but still found his gaze
drawn to it – no, dragged to it. It was the box Malik had retrieved from
the Temple, and as before it seemed to glow, to radiate a kind of power.
He had known all along, he realized, that this was the treasure they
spoke of. His eyes went from the box to Al Mualim, who had been
watching his reaction. The Master’s face bore an indulgent expression, as
though he had seen many behave in this way. And that this was only the
beginning.
For now he reached into the box and took from it a globe, about the
size of two fists: a golden globe with a mosaic design that seemed to
pulse with energy, so that Altaïr found himself wondering if his eyes
were deceiving him. If maybe it was … alive in some way. But he was
distracted. Instead he felt the globe pulling at him.
‘It is … temptation,’ intoned Al Mualim.
And suddenly, like a candle snuffed out, the globe stopped pulsing. Its
aura was gone. Its draw suddenly non-existent. It was … just a globe
again: an ancient thing, beautiful in its own way but, still, a mere