Murdoch Mysteries (2008–…): Season 8, Episode 10 - Murdoch and the Temple of Death - full transcript

Detective Murdoch and Constable Crabtree investigates the death of a man found in the river by Inspector Brackenreid while out fishing with his boys. The man had been shot in the forehead by a metal rod shaped like an arrow. A receipt in the dead man's pocket directs them to the town of Markham where the dead man is identified as someone who was searching for a mythical Taj Mahal-like temple that is supposed to exist in the woods somewhere west of town and is guarded by a troll. They locate the temple, quickly identify the murder weapon and learn why local legend calls it the temple of death. Julia, Dr. Grace and their friends meanwhile continue to pursue their political aspirations.

(orchestral music)

I've found it.

- I have found it.
- (Clicking sound)

AAAAH!

The secret is to make
the bait look like dinner.

That's why we use live
ones. Does that hurt him?

It's a worm!

You want to make it land with a plop.

The plop grabs their attention.
They think supper has landed.

Why would a worm just go plop
in the middle of the river?

- Does it matter?
- This is boring.



- Worms live in the ground.
- Who cares?

- I got a bite!
- Pull! Reel it in!

- It's a big one!
- It's not boring now, is it?

- It's really big!
- I think it's snagged on something.

Oh, chuffing hell!

- Sir.
- Murdoch.

- What have we, Dr. Grace?
- Male, early forties. Murder victim.

We pulled him out of
the river this morning.

Isn't it also possible he simply drowned?

I'm quite confident in my supposition.

Oh.

It looks like an arrow,
but it's made of metal.

It wasn't fired from a bow.

Maybe a crossbow?



Nothing with a string. See,
no notch here at the back.

(door closing) It appears to fit

- into a mechanism of some sort.
- Hmm...

I also found these in his pocket.

Emily, I've just...

Oh, sorry. Am I interrupting?

- And you are?
- Lillian Moss,

this is Detective Murdoch.

I've heard a great deal about you.

- Oh?
- Lillian, if you could just

- wait outside...
- Of course.

That's quite alright, Doctor.
I believe we're finished here.

- Yes.
- Miss Moss.

Is that the man Dr. Ogden surrendered

- her political aspirations for?
- He is.

Bit of a stick in the mud.

So what's so important?

Official nomination meeting
has been set for tomorrow.

- Oh.
- Margaret Haile will finally

have a proper platform
to address the voters.

We must be prepared to support her.

Then we'll need more pamphlets, signs.

Perhaps, I could recruit some
of the constables to attend.

This is really happening.

A female candidate for
the Provincial Parliament.

These are great times we're living in.

(camera clicking)

Sir! What have we?

A receipt of some sort.

"Dry"?

- Dry Cleaning?
- No, I suspect it's

- Dry Goods.
- Mark? Mark's Dry Goods?

Here we are. Have a look

at where the river where we
found the body originates.

"Markham."

I've always liked this
town, sir. Do you remember

- the last time we were here?
- Oh yes!

I believe we were in search of Martians?

Sir, that was naive of me, I admit.

Their gravity on Mars is one third of ours;

a Martian wouldn't be
able to stand up here.

Now, I still think
Venusians are a viable...

George, thank you.

What is that? What is
that you're doing there

with those little cans there?

And straighten those out.
I told you 4 times already!

- You've got to straighten them...
- Excuse me.

Detective William Murdoch,
Toronto Constabulary.

Could I see one of your
blank receipts, please?

What is this regarding?

- _
- A short while ago, thank you George,

this man came in and purchased these items.

I remember him. But he looked
a little better when I saw him.

- How long ago was that?
- Two weeks, give or take.

Came in with another man. They
were looking for the temple.

- The temple?
- It's a local legend.

Some building like the Taj
Mahal in the woods to the west.

The Taj Mahal? Out here?

Don't know if it actually exists.

But they were intent on finding it.

Can you describe the other man?

Older, slightly. Not a
foreigner like this one.

It's about all I can tell you.
They only came in the one time.

Thank you.

George, ask around town
after these two men.

This can't be the only
place where they stopped.

And see what you can find
out about this temple.

Right, sir.

Detective!

The temple he talked about,

- it's not just a legend.
- You've seen it?

When I was a child, we
played there a few times.

- Oh. Where is it?
- Out in the woods

west of town. I can't
remember exactly where.

Are you going to look for it?

- Possibly.
- Be careful.

The building is guarded by a troll.

A troll?

I've seen him myself.
Bug-eyed crazy, lives on rats.

He can't speak but he
can scream like a banshee.

He used to chase us
away if we got too near.

- Thank you very much.
- Sir!

- What have you, George?
- A great deal, sir.

I spoke to the woman who
rented out those two men a room.

- Did you get their names?
- Yes, sir.

Steven Hayes and Bashar Kaba.

Bashar Kaba... is that Arabic?

Turkish, apparently. But,
sir, these two went looking

for the temple two weeks
ago. Haven't been seen since.

What did you find out about the temple?

Well, sir, the locals call
it the Temple of Death.

They say that nobody who's ever gone inside

- has made it out alive.
- Indeed?

Apparently it was built a couple of
decades back by an eccentric millionaire.

And, sir, rumour has it that he killed

his entire family and buried them in there.

Now, other people say that one of his sons

now guards the place. During
the construction of the temple,

it's said that he was hit on
the head by a falling brick

and now he's a bit, ah...

We have to find this building, George.

Agreed, sir. But how?

I have an idea.

What the bloody hell!

- Murdoch?
- Sorry, sir,

- but I have to test the device.
- What device?

- It's a camera.
- For what?

Aerial photography.

Ah.



♪ (camera clicking twice)

George!

Sir, are you sure we're
going the right way?

According to my calculations, yes.

- Sir.
- Yes, this is definitely an old foot path.

Sir, you should come look at this.

(grandiose music)

Sir, it really does look like
the Taj Mahal, doesn't it?

Actually, George, it's
more like the Hagia Sophia.

Ah, yes.

The church built by Emperor
Justinian in the 6th century.

The greatest in all of Christendom

for over a thousand years.

Sir, I've been researching early
Christianity for my new novel.

I see.

George, the Hagia Sophia

was built in Constantinople, wasn't it?

And our victim was Turkish. Do
you think there's a connection?

It's possible.

Uh, sir, are you intending to go inside?

I'm just saying, sir, they
call it the Temple of Death!

Not the Temple of Doom or
the Temple of Dread. Death.

It appears to be open.

See, sir, I dare say, they're
not trying to keep us out;

they're wanting to lure us inside.

(camera clicking)

Sir, this place is...

It's magnificent!

(camera clicking) It's very Byzantine.

Sir, I can't believe a building like this

would just be left abandoned.

I don't believe it is, George.

This has been cleaned by someone recently.

Perhaps by the man who's
said to guard the place.

- ♪
- Hmm...

Sir, what do these mean?

It's Christian iconography, George.

- The apostles mainly.
- (Camera clicking)

- How can you tell?
- Well, look at this one.

Three bags of money

represent Matthew, the tax collector.

Sir. I've seen this symbol before.

- (camera clicking)
- (footsteps)

Sir, there's someone in here.

Toronto Constabulary!

Show yourself!

(dramatic music)

Flank him, George!

Stop! Stop!

Sir, calm down.

Identify yourself,
please. What is your name?

E... E... Enoch.

- What language is this, sir?
- No, George,

I believe that's his name. Enoch?

- Is that it? That's your name?
- Yeah.

Sir, if this is the guardian of the temple

we've heard about, is it
possible he's our killer?

Yes, George, it's possible.

Um, do you have the photograph of Mr. Kaba?

Sir, do you recognize this man?

Uh...

Dead.

Yes, yes, he is dead. How did he die?

Did you kill him?

G... G... God.

God killed him?

He was with another man, wasn't he?

Did the other man kill him?

G... God, God kill.

"I am the Alpha and the Omega.

The first and the last. The beginning

and the end."

- Sir?
- It's a biblical reference,

George, it signifies God Himself.

G... G... God...

kill.

There seems to be something
inside these symbols, George.

(bearded man stuttering)

God, God, God kill!

Sir!

Well, George...

I believe we've found our killer.

You say the building killed him?

The building is mechanized
to kill whomever performs

a specific sequence of actions.

- What the hell for?
- I have no idea, sir.

According to local lore, it was
built by a wealthy landowner.

You say his son is the guardian of the
place. Does he have anything to offer?

He clearly suffers the effects
of some kind of brain injury.

Find out who owns the land.

We already did. It was
bequeathed to Enoch, the son,

by Arden, the father, in 1878.

This Arden McPhee didn't
build the temple by himself.

He must have used stonemasons, artisans.

If there's stained glass and
plaster icons, people made them.

- People with addresses.
- Good point, sir.

We need to find out more
about this Arden McPhee.

- Ladies.
- Julia.

I'm afraid Margaret can't
make it. She's busy writing

- her nomination speech.
- Isn't this exciting?

The first woman in the
British Empire to stand

on the hustings as a candidate.
Will the press be there?

- Of course.
- I arranged a meeting

with Mr. Magnus Sinclair.
He's prepared to underwrite

- the cost of Margaret's campaign.
- Julia, that's wonderful.

One doesn't need to be in the
spotlight to bring about change.

And, of course, by
staying behind the scenes,

one risks a lot less.

Shall we?

(indistinct conversations)

Sir, I found an obituary.

Arden McPhee was an archaeologist.

He lived abroad mostly, which
is why no one remembers him.

- Where abroad?
- Well, according

to the obituary, he returned
from Constantinople in 1877,

- a year before he died.
- How did he die?

A lingering illness is all it said.

But, sir, he was predeceased
by his wife and two daughters.

I checked their records.
They all died in 1877.

Some illness they brought home with them?

Sir, each death was ruled accidental.

- Really? How strange.
- Strange indeed.

Should I return to Markham,
see what I can find?

No, George, I think we
should turn our attentions

to Mr. McPhee's archeological career.

- Right.
- Sir...

I found the plasterer who made the icons

for the temple. His name is Silas Renton.

- Did you bring him in?
- He's passed on, sir.

But I do have the name
of the architectural firm

- who hired him for the job.
- We never built the temple.

We only did some of the interior work.

There were at least three
other firms involved.

And we all worked
independently of each other.

- That must have been difficult.
- (laughing): It was,

but McPhee insisted on absolute secrecy.

Any communication between the
firms had to go through him,

and all the architectural drawings

had to be surrendered
to him upon completion.

Did you know the building was being armed?

Good God, no.

Never saw a master plan.

And if one existed, I suspect
it was all in McPhee's head.

So you surrendered the
plans upon completion?

Yes...

but we did keep a copy in the company safe,

you know, in case matters
of a legal nature arose.

I suspect the other firms
would have done the same.

Do you know what other
architectural firms were involved?

That was supposed to be a secret
as well. But it's a small world,

and I can give you the names
of at least two of them.

- Success, George?
- Sir, I found some articles.

It's rather dry reading for the most part.

He did most of his
digging in the near east.

In this article, he claims to have found

the lost city of Arimathea.

Indeed!

This was co-written by Mahmoud Bajjali.

- You know him, sir?
- Not of Mahmoud,

but we know an Iris Bajjali.

The woman at the Egyptian exhibit

- with the fondness for snakes!
- One and the same. I wonder...

I'm sorry, this part of
the museum is off-limits.

Dr. Bajjali.

William Murdoch.

To what do I owe this unexpected pleasure?

Mahmoud was my father.

He specialized in artifacts
from the Holy Land.

Did you know an Arden McPhee?

I met him once, actually,

when I was very young.
Six or seven, I think.

He and my father worked
together for a few years

- until they had a falling out.
- What happened?

I don't know.

Arden McPhee was very intense.

I didn't like him much.

Why the sudden interest in him?

Let me show you.

Full dome flanked by two half
domes of the same diameter,

an obvious reference to the Hagia Sophia.

Why would McPhee build such a thing?

To kill people, apparently.

The building is rigged with lethal traps.

- There's one man dead already.
- Who?

Bashar Kaba. Do you know him?

Never heard of him.

Look at the iconography.

That's odd. Why... are
there two of Matthew?

The icons are the same,

but the frieze above is different.

Hmm... What does it mean?

We don't know.

I know.

Oh my.

Sir, the novel that I'm working on now

is about an archaeologist,

but he's sort of a
swashbuckling archaeologist.

A swashbuckling archaeologist, George?

Yes, sir, he's introverted but rugged,

incredibly brave but he
has an Achilles' heel.

What is it?

Butterflies. He's terrified
of them. And of course,

at the end of the novel he has
to crawl in a cave full of them.

What sort of man is afraid of butterflies?

Your point, George?

Sir, I contend that my protagonist

and Arden McPhee were after the same thing.

I believe this icon of money bags is
not a second representation of Matthew,

but rather of Joseph of Arimathea.

He was wealthy, he was also

the disciple that caught
Jesus' blood in a cup,

known by legend

- as the Holy Grail.
- George, I hardly think...

Sir, he found the city of Arimathea!
- Nevertheless...

- He could be right.
- What?

My father was obsessed with the Holy Grail.

It's why he was working with Arden McPhee.

Sir, McPhee must have found it.

Perhaps in Constantinople.

That's why this place
is full of booby traps.

Hidden somewhere in this building...

is the Holy Grail.

The Holy Grail?

In Markham?

Ontario?

- We're positing a theory, sir.
- A very compelling theory.

I'm not entirely convinced myself, but...

Good, because it's bloody crackers.

That's what King Arthur and his
knights were after, isn't it?

- According to legend, yes.
- Then, what's it doing in bloody Markham!?

What was it doing in bloody England?

Ha!

(He clears his throat.)
There are a number of reasons

to consider this theory,
sir, predominant of which

is the lack of a compelling alternative.

And the building was booby-trapped

to kill people following
clues to something.

So what's the case then?

We can't exactly throw a building in jail.

Is this just a treasure hunt now?

A search that could end in the Holy Grail.

And how are you gonna go about that?

Well, sir, I've asked
the architectural firms

who built the temple to
provide me with their drawings.

Well, Margaret's
preparing Lancashire hotpot

and that trumps some old
cup any day of the week.

Dr. Bajjali.



And what are you doing for dinner?

My wife will be expecting me.

- Your wife.
- Yes, I...

Well, we...

- Why don't you join us?
- Oh, no...

- Yes, I insist.
- I would love to.

I don't understand.

We always have eat dinner
promptly at 7 o'clock.

I'm sure she will be here soon enough.

Yes.

- (phone ringing)
- Oh!

(Murdoch clearing his throat)

Hello?

Yes.

Yes.

Of course, of course, that's fine.

All right, we'll see you later.

Julia won't be joining us.

Oh.

- Just the two of us, then?
- So it appears.

So let's eat.

I always understood it to be the cup

Christ used at the Last Supper.

Yes, a common misconception.

But, as your constable said,

the Grail is associated
with Joseph of Arimathea.

The man who collected Christ's body

- after the trial and execution.
- Exactly.

Most experts believe it was the vessel

used by Joseph to capture Jesus' blood

as it drained from his body.

That's why it was thought to be holy.

- So what happened to it?
- There are reports

that both the Grail and the burial shroud

were taken by Joseph to Edessa.

I always understood that

- Joseph brought it to Britain.
- Another common misconception.

Joseph brought it to a palace

in Edessa called Britium.

Oh. So how did it end up in Constantinople?

I imagine it was brought there for
safe-keeping after the Islamic conquest.

Certainly, the crusaders thought

it was there. They ransacked
the Hagia Sophia looking for it.

Iris, this is the Holy Grail

we are speaking about.

The most sought-after
artifact in all of Christendom.

What are the odds that it's here?

If the Holy Grail exists,

it has to exist somewhere.

Is there any reason it cannot be here?

I suppose not.

If McPhee did find it,

then why hide it?

Why not claim the glory for himself?

You said he was stricken with illness,

and that he lost his family.

Perhaps McPhee believed he had angered God

by removing the holy relic
from its rightful place.

He could not bring it
back to the Hagia Sophia.

So he built a replica on his
own land and hid it there.

You make a compelling argument.

I'm glad to see I have
the power to persuade you.

(scoffing) So, William,

shall you and I go and find our Holy Grail?

(George): To tell you the
truth, I'm rather torn. I mean,

I would love to find the Holy Grail,
but it would certainly snuff my new book.

Why does anyone care about
the Holy Grail? It's a cup.

Higgins, it's a holy relic, man!

It could have supernatural powers.

- What kind of powers?
- Well, who knows?

God is full of surprises. In my novel,

it confers invisibility,
which comes in very handy

for my protagonist at a crucial point.

He's about to be eaten by
a tribe of cannibals, and...

- Morning, sir.
- Morning, gentlemen.

Are these the plans we requested?

- This is what we were given.
- Hmm...

Ah. Geometry?

Uh, yes, sir. Have a look at
this. The basement of the temple

is divided into two large rooms,

each 27 feet wide.

But the main floor of the
temple is 60 feet wide.

- So?
- So 2 times 27 is 54.

Even allowing for a one-foot thickness

for these two walls, that still leaves

four feet unaccounted for.

- A secret passageway.
- Running right underneath the main floor.

- Sirs?
- What is it, Henry?

They've found another body.

- (camera shutter clicking)
- (Murdoch): Dr. Grace.

- Another victim of the temple?
- He preceded the first.

This one's been in the
water at least two weeks.

The top of the his skull
is partially caved in.

- Any idea what from?
- Impossible to tell at this point.

I'll need to remove the scalp. But
it appears to be what killed him.

(woman): We have the right to
our demands! Votes for women!

(Margaret): Are you just
going to refuse to speak to me?

We can still put on a spirited
debate for these people, Dr. Beattie.

What's going on?

- Why is everyone leaving?
- I don't know. Margaret?

Mr. Marter has a cold and can't speak,

and Dr. Nesbitt is refusing
to speak out of sympathy.

So it appears this meeting is over.

What about you and your right to speak?

They're completely indifferent
to my presence here.

- This won't do. Your platform will be heard.
- Julia, what are you doing?

Ladies and gentlemen!

It appears Dr. Nesbitt and
Mr. Marter are unwilling

to engage in intelligent
debate. Well, Ms. Margaret Haile

is not. In fact, she relishes it.

And gentlemen of the press,
do you not think that the city

of Toronto deserves to hear a
woman's words? Do you not wish

to record this pivotal moment
in our fair city's history?

Ladies and gentlemen,

I give you our Socialist Candidate
for the riding of North Toronto,

- Ms. Margaret Haile!
- (Some applauding)

I think perhaps I may have
misjudged your Dr. Ogden.

Thank you Dr. Ogden for your introduction.

And thank you all for coming out
today in support of our cause.

(Murdoch): Iris.

(Iris): I telephoned the
station. You were out.

There's been another victim.

- Of the temple?
- Very likely.

Oh, that's terrible. Is it
true? Have you found evidence

of a secret passage?

Because I think I've discovered
something very interesting.

Just one moment, Doctor.

Enoch, I have a question for you.

Do you recognize this man?

His face would have been thinner,

but his beard and his hair are the same.

- Mm... Not... Not there.
- Yes, I know.

His body washed down the river.

But did this building kill him as well?

Mm... God.

- God...
- William,

I think I've figured something out.

All of these saints were martyrs.

Paul himself preached the
virtue of suffering like Christ.

I think the key to finding
the secret passage is to suffer

like Christ.

Christ was crucified.

Exactly.

What if I place my arms thus?

(clicking sound)

(sound of heavy objects sliding)

Oh, it's working!

- Iris!
- (Shrieking)

OH! My God...

You saved my life.

(whispering): William, look.

(breathing deeply) Doctor, wait...

This building is designed to kill anyone

who searches for the Grail.

I'm prepared to risk the
wrath of God if you are.

Stay behind me.

Watch your head.

- It's Greek?
- Byzantine.

What does it say?

"Whoever passes this point shall perish

and bring a curse upon their loved ones."

Why Byzantine Greek here?

I suspect it must be a replica of the curse

McPhee encountered while he
was searching for the Grail

beneath the Hagia Sophia.

- What are you looking for?
- Trip wires, anything.

Be careful. Don't touch the walls.

- (something clicking and sliding)
- (Iris gasping)

- What was that?
- (Blades ringing)

Why is nothing happening?

I suspect the blades won't move

until I lift my foot off of the trigger.

What should we do?

Try pressing your back against the wall

and putting your feet
up on the opposite wall.

Keep your body between the two blades.

- Ready?
- Yes.

- Oh my God!
- (Blades screeching)

(clanging) (Murdoch): Are you alright?

I think so.

My skirt didn't fare so well, though.

I won't look.

(Iris): Oh, my God!

Iris, wait!

It's a cobweb.

What's a cobweb if not a trap?

(flipping coin)

Whoa! Oh! Wow...

- Do you think it's safe now?
- No.

(flipping second coin)

The gas must be expended.

Oh, it's beautiful!

It's just as I imagined.

Iris, what are the chances

that the Holy Grail would be

just as you imagined?

Ah... a decoy.

(loud thud)

Oh, William...

Careful...

Is it the Holy Grail?

I'm not sure...

It's ceramic,

which is surprising, I...

I thought it would be silver or brass.

But it looks first century.

So it could be?

Yes, it could.

William, I think we've
just found the Holy Grail.

Ah, Dr. Grace.

I've determined the cause of
death of the second victim.

- Head trauma?
- Strangulation.

I thought his head was bashed in?

It was, and I assumed that
that was the cause of death,

but once I peeled back the
flesh I found that the bone

had healed over long ago.

- How long ago?
- By the extent of bone growth,

I assume the injury occurred in childhood.

Dr. Grace... the man in your
morgue must be Enoch McPhee.

So who is pretending to be Enoch?

(gun cocking)

I'll be taking that, Detective.

- I don't understand.
- I do.

This isn't Enoch McPhee.

This is Mr. Kaba's assistant, Steven Hayes.

- Pleased to make your acquaintance.
- The second victim we found

- that was Enoch, wasn't it?
- I'm afraid so.

- You killed him?
- I had no choice.

(imitating Enoch): He c...
c... couldn't be reasoned with,

poor man.

I'm hoping the same cannot be said of you.

Mr. Hayes, is this
really worth killing for?

The Grail is not some artifact, Detective.

It has been imbued with
the blood of Christ himself.

It has... power.

Of course it's worth killing for.

Give it to me.

Now.

Now get back down the stairs.

- No!
- Do as he says, Doctor.

- He's going to take the...
- Just do it.

(chains clanking)

(trapdoor slamming shut)

He's getting away. He's
getting away with the Grail!

I'm more concerned that he's
getting away with murder.

What are you doing?

When you pressed against
the posts at the altar

you tripped a wire that
engaged these ratchets,

allowing these counter-weights to come down

and the door to open.

If we want the door to open again,

we have to disengage these ratchets.

(ratchets clicking)

- That should do it...
- (chains clanking)

(trapdoor sliding open)

Get after him!

Argh!

Mr. Hayes! Stop!

(Hayes grunting)

Nowhere to go!

- You're under arrest.
- Never!

I've been searching my
entire life for this.

- It's a 60
- foot drop.

But you forget; the Grail has power.

- What power?
- (Laughing maniacally)

God's protection.

No!

(thunder booming)

(rain falling heavily)

Carefully, sir, it is ceramic.

So this is it then?

This is the Holy Grail?

- Well, we'll have to call in Milton Webb.
- Pottery expert.

But... yes. I believe it is.

(George): Can you imagine;
that cup actually touched

Jesus' lips at the Last Supper.

I thought it was used to catch
his blood after his death?

- Uh... It was both.
- Why?

Were they that short of
goblets back in those days?

... Unbelievable!

Dr. Bajjali. If you'll just
give us a moment, please.

Murdoch...

Look, if this is the one true Holy Grail...

Well, there's gonna be
a bit of a hullabaloo.

International press, parade down
King Street, the whole shebang.

- Yes, I suppose so, sir.
- Who owns it?

Well, it doesn't belong to
any... person, sir, it's...

Well sir, if it's the genuine
article, it belongs to God.

It should be in the Vatican,
or at the very least the museum.

What about Dr. Bajjali?
Does she have a claim?

Her claim is equal to mine.
But as I said, it doesn't belong

to any person.

Right, then.

Oh, no...

She can't have gone far.

(thunder booming)

Taxi!

IRIS!

- Give it back.
- I'm sorry, William.

You said yourself...
it's the most sought-after

artifact in all of Christendom.

It's worth millions.

I could fund any expedition.

It doesn't belong to you!

I was the first person to touch it.

- It belongs to me.
- It belongs to God!

- There is no God!
- (Lightening zapping)

(thunder rumbling)

Very interesting.

- "Interesting" as this is the Holy Grail?
- No.

Interesting because you
rarely see pieces like this.

They were only made in
the first century. You see

- these markings here?
- It's a squiggle. What of it?

The first century was a
dangerous period for Christians.

They needed a way to
secretly identify one another.

The various Christograms

were well-known by the authorities.

Especially the fish symbol.

But if one were to

place another cup upside-down

atop the first...

There.

So it's Christian. Now,
is it the Grail or not?

Inspector, Christianity did not
begin until after Christ's death.

A cup with the symbol of the risen Christ

could hardly have caught his blood.

- So my book...
- Sod your book.

Feel free to write it, George.

I don't think the true
Grail will be uncovered

- anytime soon.
- (Brackenreid): I knew it.

The Holy Grail would be
made of silver or gold.

Sirs....

This could still be the cup.

What if McPhee was trying to disguise it?

What better way to hide the
Holy Grail than encase it

in something that proves it's not?

- Sir...
- George, we are hardly going to

destroy a ceramic artifact
from the first century

to prove your theory.

So what becomes of it?

Well, it's an interesting piece.

- I would like to have it at the museum.
- Done.

(pottery shattering) My God!

My God...