The Last Priest

by Amy Cross

  “Are you sure that's a good idea?” Henrik asked. “I mean, maybe we should just mark the location and get back to base, so we can arrange for a more extensive party to come out here. I'm sure Mr. Manners will finance anything we ask for. All we need is to show him a few photos of the main pyramid.”

  “The plan was to stay until day twenty-one,” Chris reminded him. “We spent longer than expected wandering through the jungle, but we still have enough supplies to stick around until then. That gives us four full days to take a look around, collect samples, and generally document the site, and then we can start thinking about heading back.” Reaching into his pocket, he took out the satellite phone he'd been carrying since the start of their journey. “I'm going to get in touch with the rest of the team back at the university, though, and let them know we've struck gold.”

  As he wandered away from the group and began to establish a satellite link, Charley made her way over to Duncan, who was still examining the inscriptions on the wall.

  “Find anything interesting?” she asked.

  “Bit of a dumb question, don't you think?” he muttered, running his hands over the carved stone.

  “You know what I mean.”

  “I found text that, as far as I'm aware, no man has read for more than a thousand years.” He glanced at her. “What's wrong? Didn't Daddy ever pay for you to learn classical languages?”

  “I know ancient Greek, Latin, Egyptian and some versions of Mayan Yucatec, but nothing like this,” she replied, forcing herself to keep from telling him to go to hell. “I thought that was the reason you were brought along with us? You're supposed to be the language guy.”

  He paused for a moment, before turning back to focus on the inscriptions. “There's a hell of a lot here,” he said finally, his tone seeming to soften a little. “Mainly warnings so far, telling grave-robbers and thieves to keep the hell away. The standard stuff, you know?” He indicated another section of the wall, a little further down. “This part here says that anyone who enters the tomb will be subjected to the most painful death imaginable, while this part a little higher up says that once you step across the threshold, there's no going back. A plague of a thousand deaths will fall upon you, and eventually the jungle creatures will claim your bones.”

  “Sounds welcoming,” she replied.

  “It's pretty typical stuff,” he explained. “People were superstitious back then, even more than today, and a lot of them genuinely believed that curses and demons were real. Five hundred years ago, a European explorer who got this far would have genuinely feared these warnings. Good job we're a little more enlightened these days, huh?”

  “But the warnings are about thieves and grave-robbers, right?” she continued. “We're neither of those things. We¨re historians.”

  “We're still gonna break into the tomb,” he pointed out, “and we're still gonna take stuff away with us.”

  “Yeah, but -”

  “That makes us grave-robbers and thieves from their point of view.”

  “No, we're different.”

  “We're still going to be removing things without permission,” he continued, getting to his feet. “You're English, right? How would you feel if a bunch of people showed up and started digging up your ancestors so they could take them away to be poked and analyzed?”

  “It's not like that.”

  “You think?”

  As Duncan made his way over to one of the other walls and continued to examine the inscriptions, Charley turned back to see that the others were also getting to work. Chris was using the satellite phone to communicate with a team back at the main base, while Henrik was taking photos of the area while Martha had already started to make her way around the side of the wall, examining the structure and the layout. For a moment, Charley figured she should go and ask if there was anything she could do to help, but finally she realized that she felt curiously out of place. As a research student, she didn't really have an area of specialization, so she was reliant upon the others to tell her how she could be useful. Realizing that everyone was lost in their own little world, she turned and headed across the muddy ground until she reached the bottom of the stone steps.

  With nothing else to do, she began to make her way up, until she reached the top and found herself on a long, wide stone plateau that seemed to serve as some kind of courtyard that opened out onto the main part of the pyramid. A few hundred meters ahead, at the other end of the plateau, a large stone structure stood with ominous dark entrances and gaps that hinted at a way into the pyramid itself. Taking a few steps forward, Charley found herself staring at the dark holes in the building and wondering what might be inside. Glancing over her shoulder, she realized that everyone was still busy, so she made her way across the plateau, figuring that she might as well take a look. With each step, she was keenly aware that she might well be the first person to approach the building for many centuries.

  Stopping as soon as she reached the shadow that was cast by the pyramid she looked up at the dark gaps that, so far, offered no clue as to what was inside. She'd studied enough history to know that this first section was most likely the entrance to the various tunnels and chambers inside the pyramid, and that although the lost tomb of Ah-Shalla was referred to in all the textbooks as a 'city', it was in reality a city of the dead, which meant that it was relatively compact with just a few chambers arranged inside the pyramid, with various tunnels leading deeper and deeper toward the center. During construction, hundreds or even thousands of workers would have inhabited the immediate surroundings, all working to build a tomb for one man. She took a few more steps forward, reaching the edge of the archway that led to the interior, but she still couldn't see much in the darkness ahead.

  “Going somewhere?”

  Spinning around, she found to her shock that Chris had approached from behind.

  “I wouldn't go in there just yet,” he told her. “We need to be methodical about this.”

  “I was just taking a look,” she replied.

  “It's okay, don't worry, you're not in trouble.” He paused for a moment, staring at the dark archway. “I know the feeling. It's tempting to just go barreling in there and look at everything at once, but that's not really a good idea, not with a site like this. For one thing, as hard as it might be to believe given that the jungle around here is so quiet, there could well be wildlife around. Monkeys, bats, spiders... Better to be safe than sorry.”

  “The whole place just feels dead,” she pointed out.

  “The warnings on the pillars were designed to keep humans away,” he explained. “So far, it looks like they worked pretty well on other animals too.” He paused for a moment, seemingly a little uncomfortable. “Charley, I just wanted you to know that you're not on this expedition solely because of your father's money.”

  “But partly because of it?”

  “I would have brought a research student along anyway,” he continued. “Sure, the fact that you're your father's daughter meant that you were the natural choice, but that's just a case of being in the right place at the right time. Everyone needs a lucky break now and again.”

  “I just want to pull my weight,” she told him.

  “Let me guess, you're having trouble working out how you slot into the team?”

  She glanced back across the plateau for a moment. “I'm okay,” she replied. “I'll figure it out.”

  “We're going to have to work fast,” he told her. “I want to get inside this place tomorrow. At the same time, we need to exercise a little caution. We're still not quite sure about the culture of the people who built the tomb of Ah-Shalla, but if they're anything like some of their neighbors, they most likely left a few deterrents behind.”

  “Such as?”

  “Booby-traps.” He smiled. “Relax, most of them will have stopped working a long time ago. This isn't going to be some kind of Indiana Jones style trip, and there definitely won't be snake pits or giant rolling balls. Still, it's a good idea to treat a site li
ke this with a little respect. The people who built the place weren't idiots, and they really didn't want people breaking in.”

  “Maybe we shouldn't,” she replied.

  “I'm sorry?”

  “Just...” She paused. “Nothing. It's just something Duncan said a moment ago, about how we're basically just one step up from grave-robbers.”

  “Duncan can be a little cynical.”

  “It's true, though. We might be scientists, but we're also people who are coming here to disturb the last resting place of whoever was buried here. We're going to take the treasure we find, we're going to disrespect the last wishes of the people who were left here...”

  “No-one's going to disrespect anything,” Chris told her. “It's because we respect these people that we want to find out as much as possible about them. If we didn't -”

  “Chris!” a voice shouted suddenly from down beyond the steps. “Come and take a look at this!”

  “Sounds like Henrik wants to show me something,” Chris said with a smile. “Listen, keep poking about up here for a while, okay? Whatever you do, don't go inside, but you've got a camera, right?”

  She nodded.

  “Take photos. Take lots of photos, of anything that catches your attention.”

  “Sure.”

  “And keep hold of this,” he added, passing the satellite phone to her. “A guy named David from the university is going to call me back any minute, if it rings just answer and bring it to me. The signal's better up here anyway.”

  “Are you sure you're not just stretching to find something for me to do?” she asked.

  “I'm really not,” he replied, patting her on the shoulder. “Don't let people like Duncan get to you, okay?”

  As Chris headed away, Charley looked down at the satellite phone for a moment before turning and looking through the archway again. She knew she shouldn't go inside, and she was determined to follow Chris's orders, but she couldn't help taking a few steps forward, trying to get a slightly better view. Reaching the archway, she peered into the darkness and saw that the area inside was large, with a stone floor spreading away into the darkness. Taking her camera from her pocket, she activated the flash and looked through the viewfinder, taking a couple of photos that lit the interior for a fraction of a second. Switching the camera to viewing mode, she began to look at the pictures.

  Suddenly the phone began to ring, scaring her so much that she almost dropped the camera.

  “Damn it,” she muttered, trying to work out how to answer, before hitting a few buttons and then raising the phone to the side of her face. “Hello?” she said cautiously. “Anyone there?”

  “Who am I speaking to?” asked a male voice on the other end.

  “My name's Charley Manners,” she replied, turning and making her way back across the plateau. “I'm a research student on the expedition.”

  “Hello Charley Manners,” the guy replied. “I'm David, I'm in the university's data room in London. So I got a message saying you've made a breakthrough?”

  “Sure, I'll get Chris for you.” Reaching the top of the steps, she looked down and saw that Chris was talking to Henrik. She waved at him, and he indicated that he'd be up in a moment. “He's coming,” she told David. “Sorry, we only found the place about an hour ago, so we're still just getting our bearings. It's hard to know what to do first.”

  “I can't believe you actually found the lost tomb of Ah-Shalla. I've got to be honest, it's a big relief. Old Alistair Manners has been a pain in the ass over the past few days, but this should cheer him up.”

  “A pain in the ass?” she replied, allowing herself a faint smile.

  “I don't know if you've met the guy,” he continued, “but he's a right -” He paused suddenly. “Oh shit,” he said quietly.

  “It's okay,” she told him. “Yeah, Alistair Manners is my father, and yeah, he can be a real pain.”

  “I'm so sorry,” David replied. “Please don't tell anyone I said that -”

  “I won't.” She turned and glanced back toward the building. “Don't worry, the -”

  Stopping suddenly, she saw a hint of movement in the darkness beyond one of the arches. She froze, waiting for it to happen again, but whatever she'd spotted seemed to have disappeared from sight. Replaying the moment in her mind, she told herself it had all been in her imagination.

  “Don't worry, the... what?” David asked.

  She opened her mouth to reply, but her mind was racing and all she could manage was to take a few steps forward, watching the archway in case it happened again.

  “Are you still there?” David continued. “Hello, this is London calling -”

  “I'm here,” she replied, as she heard footsteps nearby and turned to see that Chris was making her way up the steps. She handed the phone to him, but before she could tell him what she thought she'd seen, he was already deep in conversation with David.

  Making her way across the plateau again, she stopped after a few steps, suddenly feeling as if perhaps it wouldn't be safe to go too far from the group. Despite the fact that the entire site felt dead, she figured there was still a chance that some wildlife had made it into the main part of the tomb, although she couldn't shake the lingering feeling that whatever she'd seen had looked distinctly like a person.

  “No, we're going to stay here until day twenty-one,” Chris said, standing nearby as he continued his conversation over the phone. “No, I think it'll be fine. We'll set up camp somewhere and spend a few days really getting to work. I'll be in touch tomorrow afternoon, our time, to give you an update.”

  Still staring at the archway, Charley suddenly felt as if she was being watched. She looked over at one of the archways, then at another, but even though she couldn't see anyone, she was convinced that someone was just out of sight. The sensation was like nothing she'd ever experienced before: she felt as if eyes were staring straight at her, watching her, even studying her. Convinced that there had to be someone nearby, she watched the pyramid, looking for any sign of -

  “You okay?” Chris asked suddenly.

  Turning, she almost jumped out of her skin.

  “Easy there,” he added, having finished his phone conversation. “Don't let this place spook you out.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Just that it's easy to let it get to you,” he continued. “I've been to place like this before, and I know what it's like. You can end up...” He paused. “It gets to different people in different ways, but the shadows can seem a little jumpy. When it's your first time at a site, sometimes you need to be extra careful to make sure you don't let these things start nibbling away at your mind. Let me know if you need to talk at any point.”

  “Sure,” she replied uneasily.

  “I mean it, Charley. It's not weak to struggle with these things.”

  She nodded.

  “Do me a favor,” he continued. “We need to document this site extensively, and I mean thousands of photos. I know it might seem like a simple task, but could you get started? Just make your way around the perimeter and get shots of everything. We've got enough memory cards to cover the entire planet, so if in doubt, shoot away.” He turned to rejoin the others, before glancing back at her. “And try to have fun, Charley. This is a great discovery and I think we're at the start of something really special. We're going to go down in history as the people who discovered one of the most sought-after historical sites in the world.”

  Forcing a smile, Charley watched as he walked away, before switching her camera to photo mode and making her way along the edge of the plateau. She couldn't help looking over at the archways, and she still felt as if she'd definitely seen something in the shadows, but she figured it was most likely just a stray shadow, and she also told herself that Chris was probably right about the psychological effect of such a remote location. Reminding herself that she had to stay strong, she made her way down a second set of stone steps until she reached the muddy ground again, and then she turned and took several ph
otos of the stone wall.

  For the next few minutes, she wandered along the side of the main building, snapping a picture of pretty much everything she saw. The process was strangely calming, and she felt as if she was finally managing to put some of the fears out of her mind. By the time she reached the edge of one of the walls, she'd lost the sensation of being watched, and instead she was allowing herself to enjoy the quiet, peaceful atmosphere. She wasn't even missing home so much, and she figured that although she wanted to get back to her dog and her clean, soft bed, she also wanted to finish the job that she'd started when she signed up for the expedition. For the first time on the entire trip, she actually felt useful.

  Raising the camera, she took a couple more photos of the side of the pyramid, before making her way around the back. Just as she was about to take some more shots, however, she felt her feet bumping against something, and when she looked down she saw that a long, thin bone was resting in the mud.

  “What the hell?” she whispered, using the tip of her boot to lift the bone so she could get a better look, finally realizing that it was from the upper leg of a large animal, most likely a human.

  Turning to look around, she spotted a few more bones up ahead, and when she went over to take a look, she saw to her horror that a human skull was poking out of the mud, with pieces of flesh still clinging to the bone.

  Chapter Four

  “If I should die here,” Chris said, reading from the tattered piece of paper, “I wish only that this letter be conveyed to my dear wife, Elizabeth Martin of Pencester Square, London. It is vitally important that this letter should reach her, so that she will know that I held her in my thoughts even at the very end. Of my remains, I have no concern other than that they are given a good Christian burial.”

  “Good luck with that,” Duncan muttered, looking down at the bones. Using the tip of a boot, he reached out and kicked one of the bones out of the way.