by K C West
“Me, too. And now I’d better get back to Kim. She’ll be wondering where I am.”
“You said you had another issue to discuss.”
I tapped my forehead. “Right. If we accept the board positions, will it restrict us from taking part in any further expeditions? Are there any rules or conflicts of interest about that?”
His easy laughter warmed my heart. “There aren’t, but even if there were, you’d find a way to break them. Wild horses couldn’t prevent you two from following your dreams.”
“Hey, what can I say? I’m your daughter, and I can be as stubborn as you are. Some of that attitude must have rubbed off on Kim, too.”
I could still hear him laughing as I exited the tent.
Chapter 18
PJ and I eased back into our routine in the labyrinth. I was relieved that Sandy and the rest of the team had decided to leave the caved-in room undisturbed for the time being. I thought that was just as well, for PJ’s sake and my own. Keeping safe was the crew’s main reason, but neither PJ nor I were ready for a return to the land of the Amazons. We had left them in such a precarious state that we feared a return would mean finding most of them dead.
Our explorations continued along the main passage, but progress was slowed by the keen sense of danger that lurked so far into the tunnels. Safety was our top priority. “We don’t want anyone else getting hurt,” Sandy told us on our first day back to work. He focused on PJ.
“Don’t look at me,” she said, holding her hands up in surrender. “I’m not taking any more chances.”
“Where have I heard that before?” I whispered in her ear.
“Hey, I’m ready to stay in the present for a while. The good old days weren’t always that good.”
A short side passage ended at a wall constructed of huge blocks. How the builders of that wall ever got the blocks into the passage and lifted them into position was a mystery to all of us.
Sandy consulted with Frederick, who suggested the use of a small, specially designed forklift to disassemble the wall. Sandy was not in favor, however, and after some discussion, they decided to hire expert stonemasons and more laborers to help the rest of us in cutting away individual blocks, without disturbing the integrity of the labyrinth walls. Using manpower and hand tools also prevented excessive dust and engine fumes from entering and accumulating in the work area.
Slowly and painstakingly, the men chiseled the first block out from the upper corner of the left side and deposited it on the ground. After the second block was extracted in the same fashion, Sandy switched on his powerful flashlight, climbed up on the stack, and peered into the opening. We heard his sharp intake of breath. “Kim, PJ, you’ve got to see this.”
I joined him at the opening and felt the same exhilaration that had gripped me when we first viewed the interior of that cave in the Superstitions. My gasp echoed off the walls. “That’s amazing.”
“What’s in there? Come on, Kim, let me see.” I jumped down to allow PJ access. Since she was shorter, I bent down and gave her butt a boost upward. “Watch it,” she said. “No fair pinching.”
PJ took a quick peek and called down to Sandy. “Congratulations, buddy, you’ve hit the jackpot.”
He struggled to keep his voice calm. “It’s a little soon for that. We need to know more about what we’re looking at here.”
One by one, the team took turns at the opening.
After the initial exclamations of awe at finding a massive golden door behind the wall of blocks, an uneasy silence fell over the group. We settled into a routine of removing, photographing, and numbering all the stones so that they could be replaced later, but nobody speculated openly about the significance of a door in that location and what it might be guarding. In private, however, if the crew members were anything like PJ and me, imaginations ran rampant, conjuring up all sorts of precious finds behind that mysterious barrier.
Sandy had the electricians run bright lights into the area so the team could work in shifts around the clock. After all the blocks had been removed, the sheer majesty of the golden door was revealed. Its face was a series of squares, each containing designs of carved figures. When light played across the squares, the figures appeared to move.
A few more days passed while Sandy and Frederick conferred with experts and government officials. The rest of us spent our time measuring, taking pictures, making sketches, and researching the carvings on the door. When all the careful preparation was finished, Sandy decided it could be opened, but that feat proved more difficult than we imagined. The structure had no obvious lock or latch, and more experts were called in. They huddled with the team’s engineers, seeking a way to gain entry without damaging the door itself. Almost anti-climactically, Alexander tripped a tiny panel deep within the design, and the massive barrier swung freely on its hinges. The huge door operated so smoothly, it was as if it had only recently been closed.
Sandy, Alexander, PJ, and I donned shoe covers, dust masks, and gloves before entering the room in single file. A sense of quiet reverence kept our bubbling excitement in check.
The room, some three meters by five, was crammed with an astonishing assortment of artifacts and treasure, most from ancient Greece, but others, we determined as we explored, from other parts of the Mediterranean.
“My God,” Sandy said, “where do you suppose all this stuff came from?”
It was as if this valuable cache had been gathered from somewhere else, the mainland perhaps, and stored there, for safekeeping.
PJ stooped to examine two effigies of the Goddess in one corner. “These are similar to, but smaller than the one found on Knossos.”
Sandy and Alexander peered closely at two frescoes on opposite walls where images of dancers seemed to leap outwards in a three-dimensional effect. Tablets covered with ancient script were piled in a corner as if hurriedly dropped in place. Beautiful pottery, most of it intact, lined one of the walls. Kraters, amphorae, bowls, vases, and cups were piled haphazardly in the middle of the floor. A small gold chest contained piles of ancient Greek coins; another was filled with jewelry fit for royalty.
I looked at Sandy. “Congratulations, Dr. Arnold, you’ve stumbled on a treasure trove.”
PJ slipped her gloved hands into the chest and let a fistful of coins cascade through her fingers. “It’s like pirate’s hidden loot, just waiting for the thieves to return.”
“Something like that. There’s stuff here from around the ancient known world.” I fingered a cartouche. “For example, this is Egyptian.”
“It’s going to take ages to go through all this stuff.” PJ looked around in wonderment.
“Just the recording, photographing, and dating will take months,” Sandy said, “maybe years.”
“Definitely years.” I was on my knees studying the tablets. “We’ll have to get experts in to decipher all this script.”
Sandy appeared to be in daze. It was as if he couldn’t comprehend the enormity of his discovery. He was a kid discovering a furry caterpillar for the first time. Looking over at me, he said, “Guess I’m going to be around here for a long time.”
“Very convenient,” PJ quipped, “with Irini being here and all.”
The visible parts of Sandy’s face reddened above his dust mask. “I guess it will work out okay at that.”
Alexander laughed. “I’m sure you’ll manage, boss.”
“One thing I’d better manage right away,” Sandy said, his forehead wrinkling, “is talking to Frederick about tightening security around here.”
“Good idea,” PJ said.
“Yes.” He rubbed his wispy mustache. “We’ve had a lot of people in here lately, and while we’ve checked them out, the sight of all that wealth is quite a temptation.”
“Talk to Frederick,” I said. “He’ll get right on it.” If anybody knew about security, Frederick Curtis did.
Within an hour of Sandy’s meeting with Frederick, Greek armed guards appeared at the labyrinth entrance. Within twenty
-four hours, an American security detail joined them, and a day after that, workers began installing a chain link fence, with surveillance cameras and sensing monitors around the site’s perimeter. If word leaked out about the value of the find and all the gold, we could be targeted by all sorts of less than honest citizens.
“I don’t like living and working in an armed camp,” PJ told me, when we retired to our tent the evening after the compound had been fenced in.
“I don’t either, but considering what we have here, it’s a necessary evil.”
Despite my having other things in mind, we were both so weary that we were asleep in minutes.
*
Our work had taken on a new sense of urgency. Kim and I spent all of our free time conducting research to help Sandy identify the contents of the treasure room. One evening, just before bedtime, I stood in our tent, zipped my sweatshirt jacket, and grabbed a paper from our make-shift desk. “I’ll be right back. I downloaded that list of experts in Linear B writing. I know Sandy hasn’t had the opportunity to contact anybody, and I’m sure he’ll want to get right on it.”
“Okay.” Kim, absorbed in what she was reading, didn’t even look up. She answered so automatically that I wasn’t even sure she had heard me. It had been like this for both of us since our discovery, and I was feeling a bit ignored. I guess I was neglecting her just as much, but it didn’t make me feel any better.
When I started out, Pup raised his head, stood up and wagged his tail. “Later, buddy, okay? We’ll take a walk when I get back, I promise.” He sank down onto his bed with what sounded like an exasperated huff, sounding just like Kim when she was put out about something. That made them two of a kind, but what a lovable pair they were.
A large quadrant of moon gave me plenty of light, but I stuck my flashlight into my pocket anyway.
Sandy’s tent was illuminated from within by a soft, yellow glow, and I heard music playing at a low volume.
“Sandy. You around?”
“Yes.” Sandy’s reply was muffled, and I heard a feminine voice say something.
Uh-oh. I must be interrupting something. “Sandy, it’s PJ. If it’s not a good time, I can come back later.”
“No problem, PJ. Come on in.”
“Okay, if you’re sure.” I pulled aside the door flap and walked into the tent. “Hey, you two. Are you sure this is no bother? It can wait.”
I was glad to see that they were both dressed. Stumbling in on my father and Susanna that time had made me gun-shy about visiting couples in their private sanctuaries. Sandy didn’t look upset. He was sitting with Irini on their bedroll, holding her hand, and gazing dreamily into her eyes.
“I… uh… have a list of experts on ancient tablet interpretation. If you want, I can contact any of them for you.” I waved the paper at Sandy. He was still lost in the depths of Irini’s eyes. “Earth to Sandy. Come in, please.”
“Sorry.” He dropped her hand just long enough to reach for the list. “Thanks, it will save me a lot of time.” Their hands clasped again, and I became invisible.
Okay, I’m obviously in the way.
“That’ll be all, then.” I turned to leave the tent. “Carry on… uh… I mean have a good night.”
Sandy cleared his throat. “Wait, PJ. You can tell Kim, but nobody else, okay?”
“Tell her what?”
“Not even our folks know yet.”
“Ookay.”
“I just proposed to Irini.” He looked like he’d just won the Lotto.
“And I accepted. We’re going to be married.” Irini’s eyes gleamed with joyful anticipation.
Boy, was my timing in need of adjustment, or what?
“Fantastic news. No wonder you both seem so goofy.” I rushed over to hug them and give Sandy a big kiss. “Cowboy, we thought you’d take forever to catch a clue. Way to go.”
“Well…” He blushed.
“He caught on real fast,” Irini said, giving her new fiance a possessive hug.
“This is so great. Let me get out of here and tell Kim.” I hugged each of them again.
As I rushed across the compound, I couldn’t stop a goofy grin from plastering itself on my own face. And when I told Kim, she would have the look, too. Love was in the air, or maybe it was in the water.
*
“What?” PJ’s question was sharp.
We’d discussed the news about Sandy and Irini, expressing our delight in their happiness and good fortune. Then she’d gone silent, her expression reflective. I couldn’t help watching her, waiting for a return of her extroverted self. “Was I staring? I’m sorry.”
“No need to apologize, Kim. Just tell me what’s on your mind.”
“I was about to ask you what was on yours.”
PJ’s expression lightened. She smiled. “How about we take turns with the questions? I’ll ask, you answer. Then you ask, and I’ll answer.”
“Okay.” I took her hands in mine. “I love you.”
“And I love you, too. But why were you staring?”
“You’ve been quiet, inward, if you like. Is something the matter?”
She blew out a breath, and her gaze drifted off to one side. “Nothing’s the matter, really. It’s just that when I think about Frederick and Susanna, and Sandy and Irini, I can’t help asking myself if our love is any less than theirs.”
“Of course not.” I led her to our bed and pulled her down beside me. “And don’t you mean Freddie and Susie?”
“I know.” PJ momentarily forgot her seriousness. “Can you believe it? They’re acting like a couple of teenagers. It’s as if they’ve gone through a metamorphosis.”
“I think it’s great.”
“I do, too. Dad happy again is something I never thought I’d live to see. Susanna is good for him, even though I admit I had some pangs of jealousy at first. I know it was childish to feel that way, but I’ve been the only woman in his life for some time, despite our having been at odds with each other.”
“Your feelings are perfectly understandable.” I took PJ’s face in my hands, gently caressing it as I looked deeply into her eyes. “But, to answer your question, our love is no less than theirs. If anything, it’s greater. It has to be, in order to flourish among people who consider it the very essence of evil.”
“That’s the whole thing. No matter how strong our love is, its value is less in the eyes of society. It’s something to be pushed into a closet like a broken tennis racket and kept there, out of the sight.”
“As far as I’m concerned, society can go to hell. It’s no one’s business whom we love or what goes on in the privacy of our bedrooms. We can’t change what or who we are. We’re consenting adults, and our love is just as precious as anyone else’s.”
“I know, but I want to be able to shout it from the mountaintops and let everyone know how much I love you.”
Seeing tears in PJ’s eyes, I softened my tone. “The important thing is that we do love, because without love, hearts shrivel, and souls surrender all hope.” I watched two tears trail down her cheeks. “You do still want to be with me, don’t you?”
She nestled her head under my chin, sniffling. “I love you, and I want us to be together forever.”
“That goes for me, too.” I rubbed my cheek against her head, breathing in the sweet fragrance of her hair.
PJ broke away from our embrace long enough to pull a tissue from her pocket and dab her eyes. “It’s just not fair.”
“What can I do to make you feel better?”
She snuggled back against my chest, wrapping both arms around my waist. “I’ll be okay. It’s just that Dad and Susanna will be having their ceremony, and Sandy and Irini will have theirs. But for us, it’s not allowed.”
“Have you forgotten that we are joined in the eyes of the Amazon Nation, and our blood flows in each other’s veins?”
“I haven’t forgotten. It’s just that it happened in another world, another time. It would be nice to declare our love here and now, in
our time.”
“Yes, it would.” I kissed her temple and a tiny seed of an idea took root in my mind.
“Thank you for understanding.” PJ turned her head so she could kiss my cheek. “That Amazon ceremony was like a dream, and I’m not sure to this day that it wasn’t just that.”
“What about the dagger you found in your pack?”
“I can’t explain that,” she said.
“Neither can I, but I’m sure that someday, we’ll know the truth.”
PJ appeared to feel better after we had talked about it. She pulled me to her again and kissed me slowly and lovingly, taking great pleasure in the act. “We don’t need words, do we, for our love to thrive? It’ll do so because of the strong bond between us. And while we’ve had some rough spots here and there, and probably will again, it’s strong enough to weather all storms. You’re my soul mate, and that’s all that matters.”
I held her close to me, rocking us both for several minutes. Neither one of us spoke. Just feeling her warm breath tickling my neck and the steady beating of her heart against my chest was enough.
Chapter 19
I stood just behind Kim at the base of a small hill overlooking our camp. Above us, on the top of the hill, a white trellis of red roses formed an arbor where Dad and Susanna planned to recite their wedding vows. Below the arbor, in a naturally curved earthen amphitheater, a small orchestra played for guests seated on wooden benches. Just behind us, a tent had been erected to provide privacy for the bride before her grand entrance.
Kim tugged at her outfit for the fifth or sixth time in the last minute. I didn’t know if it was the fact that she was wearing unfamiliar clothing or the solemnity of the occasion, but something had her twitching. It was the first time I had ever seen Kim in a skirt, and the sight of the colorful fabric accentuating her slim waist and firm butt flooded me with all sorts of inappropriate thoughts.
“Some latecomers,” she said, bringing my thoughts back to what was happening. She put her hand behind her back, and I gave her palm a tickle, before squeezing her fingers.