The DaVeggie Code
Professor of Symbology Fielding George felt the pain in his back getting worse. He was tired, thirsty and hungry and he felt as if he could hardly breathe. The air in the vault of the tiny Roman church was heavy with age and the damp rising from the floor seemed to take away all the oxygen.
George had been crouching down for a long time. He stood up gingerly, careful not to bang his head again on the uneven stones above him. He checked the bump on his head. Yep, it was still there.
Behind him, he could hear special agent Louise Wells' steady breathing. He saw her silhouette in the yellow light of their torch. For the umpteenth time that day he was amazed at how determined she was to find the symbol they were looking for. He wondered whether she had ever in her life conceded defeat.
"Don't say it!"
Her voice pierced through the silence and startled him.
George remained silent, firstly because he was annoyed at the fact that she seemed to read his thoughts. Secondly because the past 24 hours had taught him not to argue with her. Louise's sharp intake of breath brought the professor back to reality.
"Over here. I've found something."
He swung the torch in her direction. One of the stones of the wet slimy wall was removed. Wells reached inside the tiny opening, and retrieved a small wooden box.
"We've got it!"
Back in Fielding's hotel room, they had managed to prise open the box and were looking at the content. Professor George studied it carefully.
"It's a triangle but without the base. Depending on the material that was used and the dimension, it could either be the ancient symbol of the Triangulums or it could refer to the warlord Dynes. There are also Roman numerals on the back. I.X.V. I'm not sure what they mean. I'll have to look it up and that might take a while."
The Professor looked up. Special Agent Louise Wells was staring at him. She looked amused.
- "It's a V, professor."
- "A V, you know. The 22nd letter of the alphabet?"
George looked dumbfounded.
"But it can't be. What is that a symbol of? And what about the Roman numerals?"
She burst out laughing when she saw the look on his face.
"Do you mean to tell me we've been running around this city for more than 24 hours for nothing!!"
Louise took him by the hand.
"Not for nothing professor. Come on, I'll treat you to the best vegetarian meal ever. You deserve it!"
This year, to celebrate World Vegetarian Day, why not pass on the DaVeggie Code and treat someone to a vegetarian meal? You don't have to take to the streets to make a change: if one vegetarian can convince one meat-eater to try a veggie meal for a day, it can make a difference. To quote the peace activist Daisaku Ikeda, "A great revolution in just one single individual will help achieve a change in the destiny of a society and, further, will enable a change in the destiny of humankind."
For more information on World Vegetarian Day, please click here.