The Atlantis Keystone

by Caroline Väljemark

  Emma joined the conversation: “I agree but you have to remember that they care a lot less about this missing artefact than you or I do.” She noticed Paul’s eyes widen as if he took this as a personal insult. She quickly continued: “The Torpa journals are clearly telling us something. The name of ‘Ahmose’ simply must have been copied from the missing half of the tablet. Therefore, both sides of the tablet have to have been present on the estate in the fifteenth century when the cartouche drawing in the journals was made. Perhaps the likelihood of finding the tablet in the space in the wall is slim but unless we find a better place to look, I think it’s definitely worth a check.”

  “I seem to be the only one convinced that we will find the tablet there,” Paul said. “I have a feeling that this is our ticket to decipher Linear A. I’m not giving up, that’s for sure! In fact, why don’t we go to the local authority office again now, to see what they have to say?”

  Paul needed to go back to the UK in less than a week’s time at the very latest. Both Paul and Emma were working whilst in Sweden but Paul needed to get back to lecturing. Emma had no more lectures and could focus on her dissertation. She had brought much of the material she needed to get through for this purpose and was not in a hurry to get back to Oxford. She had already accomplished a great deal since her arrival in Sweden a few days ago. She felt that the fresh air and tranquillity was having a positive effect on her mood and productivity.

  “Let’s go into town then, shall we?” Paul said as he stood up and started to walk out of the room. He was half way out when a horrendous noise made him stop in his tracks.

  Erik jumped to his feet, almost overthrowing the chair as he searched his pockets. He found what he was looking for and answered his mobile phone, silencing the annoying ring tone on his way out of the room: “Ja, det är Erik här”, he said in Swedish. “Oh, vad skönt. Tack så mycket för den glada nyheten!” By this stage Paul had returned to the room and Emma was standing by the door, pretending not to listen but trying her hardest to understand what Erik was saying. It was clear to them both that Erik had had good news of some kind. As he re-entered the library a moment later as soon as he had hung up Paul and Emma were standing like two candles waiting to be lit.

  “It’s clear!” Erik said beaming. “The local authorities have given their permission, not to open the wall but to take a look using a special camera which can be inserted into small spaces. This means that it wouldn’t be necessary to open the wall but to drill a hole for the miniscule camera. It would then be possible to see if there is anything hidden in there. I think they probably regarded this as a good compromise.”

  Emma knew that the same methodology had frequently been used in ancient Egypt to find hidden artefacts; in particular in the concealed chambers of the Giza pyramids. Erik was still smiling widely, content with the response from the local authorities, waiting for their delayed reaction. His white teeth were almost sparkling in the sunshine through the window, his eyes shining blue like tropical ocean water. Emma looked at Paul who was standing in a darker part of the room and the contrast between them was striking. Whilst Erik was perfect in every way, Paul’s hair was a bit too long and his glasses were outdated and thick but she found his smile irresistible. In spite of the minimising effect of his thick spectacles, she knew that Paul had attractive brown eyes which now glittered with excitement. She noticed that Paul was several inches shorter than Erik, making him look like a midget in comparison but Emma was still shorter than Paul. It was just that Erik was so very tall. Emma was delighted and excited. She couldn’t wait to find out what was hidden in that mysterious space. Paul seemed pleased as well but reluctantly so. His smile was hesitant and didn’t reach his eyes.

  When they didn’t say anything Erik continued. “At least this way we may get to an answer without having to risk damaging the old building. I think this is a very good solution for everyone!”

  Paul was unconvinced: “I suppose the only draw-back would be if we didn’t find anything immediately obvious and the artefact was hidden in a place where the camera wasn’t able to reach. All I’m saying is that we might miss something but I guess you’re right; it is a good compromise.”

  They were all quiet for a little less than a minute, each in their own thoughts. Emma could not help thinking about Tutankhamun’s curse and whether drilling a hole into the secret space would upset angry spirits or eject some form of poisonous old chemical but she knew of course she was being silly. It was just that being there in the middle of nowhere with the never-ending woods and fields all around, the mystical deep dark lake, and with that old stone building lurking there as an abandoned ghost house she could understand why locals became superstitious. She appreciated Paul was probably right in their assumption that the curse had been laboriously circulated to drive out unwanted intruders. Part of her wondered whether they would find anything. Maybe all they would recover would be a skeleton of a young girl who had died six hundred years ago. She was angry with herself for doubting Paul and for being so negative. She decided it was better to believe in it and be on Paul’s side than to share her negativity with the others. In any event, she was extremely relieved that they were finally getting somewhere. They might be on their way to the discovery of a lifetime, she thought to herself.

  “Why don’t we celebrate by taking a long walk and I will show you something I think you’ll like!” Erik suggested.

  “That’s the strangest way of celebrating I’ve ever heard but it sounds like a good idea”, Emma laughed.

  Paul agreed: “Yes, it would be nice to take a walk to clear the mind and let the news sink in. We might be on our way to a great discovery people! Hopefully in two days time we will know whether we are right!” At that moment Emma looked at Paul and once again thought about the antagonising romantic feelings she had had for him. It was probably because of his enthusiasm for his work, his optimism and ability to drive through his ideas and make things happen, she decided. Emma was ten years his junior but in her mind this was barely noticeable. Sometimes whilst lecturing he was like a child; animated about his topic and almost jumping for joy if someone happened to ask him a particularly interesting question. She was flattered that he had decided to make her his confidant about his passion to decipher Linear A and his belief in her ability to help him. She was hoping that he would come out of this whole tablet-affair with his academic reputation still intact. As a young professor at a respected university he still had to work very hard to keep on top of his game. By stating that he was sure that the space in the wall was hiding something of interest he had put his reputation on the line. What if they were wrong – would it be her fault? She was the one who had come up with the idea to search for the tablet in the first place.

  During these few days they had spent a little bit of time walking in the surrounding area, which was full of mapped out walks as well as stunning unexplored paths through the woods or next to one of the many lakes. Emma was looking forward to another revitalising stroll. They all quickly put on their shoes and went out into the glorious August sunshine. The sweet and fresh scent of pine trees filled her nostrils as they entered the woods. She was glad that she had had the foresight of wearing shorts and a short sleeved top. Although she was aware that it wasn’t particularly stylish, it didn’t matter anyway; there was no one around other than them. It was very warm outside and the sun was stronger than it had been the day before. She noticed that Paul seemed to be struggling in jeans and black T-shirt, whilst Erik, who wore trendy khaki trousers and a white cotton shirt which accentuated his well formed upper body, appeared perfectly ventilated. Erik led the way onto a well trodden path appearing to steer away from the two lakes and into the deep woods. As they got deeper, the sunshine struggled to get through the tall thick trees and the heat of a moment earlier started to ease. It was almost chilly and so dark that it felt like early evening rather than late morning. Emma nevertheless enjoyed the walk, breathing in the smell of trees mixed with mushrooms and fresh mos
s and avoiding the odd stone or branch along the way. None of them said anything for a while. Birds seemed to be all around, communicating enthusiastically in their own incomprehensible tongue. Once in a while Erik stopped and pointed out giant ant nests or trees he had used to play in as a child. He also seemed accident prone, often not noticing branches or tree roots interrupting the trail. Emma laughed to herself thinking that she had never met a more unobservant person in all her life. This was strange because it was so at odds with his confident appearance but she found it endearing. When they first met in London, she had found him uninteresting bordering on boring. But Erik had grown on her since then. He had a pleasant personality after all.

  “Where are you taking us then, Erik?” she enquired.

  “You will see – and you will both love it, I’m sure. We still have a little bit further to go”.

  That turned out to be a major understatement. They had been walking at a good pace for nearly an hour when Erik finally stopped and looked excited. Emma could not figure out what he could possibly want to show them in the middle of this deep forest. They were now literally standing in the middle of nowhere. Paul seemed relieved, probably because he was hot and in need of a break. Drops of sweat were running down the side of his face.

  “If you want we can stop for a drink first. There is a stream not far from here which has clean water.”

  Paul and Emma thankfully agreed, Paul whispering to Emma: “I wonder if they serve pints.” Emma laughed. When Erik, not entirely unpredictably, managed to step into the shallow stream, making one of his trainers soaking wet, they both laughed even harder. The water rushed past them on its way to the nearby lake, producing a wonderful sound which took her back to her childhood summers spent in the English Lake District. She enjoyed drinking directly from this natural water source. Doubting whether this would be possible anywhere in England she cherished it even more. It tasted better than any bottled water she had ever had. At that moment Emma felt strangely contented. She wasn’t sure whether she had ever felt happier and more liberated, more relaxed. All her life she had ambitiously been working to get the top grades, achieve outstanding results, learn more languages and prove herself in the eyes of others, without stopping to reflect on why she was doing it and what she was trying to achieve and for who. For herself? She was never unwilling to go the extra mile to get things done properly. She felt that she owed it to her parents to do well. They had supported her through good schools and through University in spite of their lack of wealth. They were both teachers in central London and not likely to make a fortune. She had never let them down, always achieving the best grades, easily exceeding expectations. She suspected that her ambition had often made her appear cold and heartless. In the process of striving to be the best she had missed out on friendships, love, laughter and fun. For a long time she had been wearing a defensive shield; too eager to impress to realise that she was actually pushing others away. She was grateful to her parents for having continuously encouraged her but at this particular moment she felt as if she had been living her entire life in an ants nest, working hard to please others in a stressful environment where only the fittest were destined to survive. This peaceful little part of the world seemed far removed from her normal existence. But she tried to convince herself that if she had not felt contented with her life as it was, she would never have carried on the way she had, striving to discover new things and to feed her thirst for knowledge. She liked the hustle and bustle after all, she decided.

  “It’s better in spring time”, Erik added as they started to walk back to the spot where they had stopped previously. His wet shoe was making a squishing sound. Emma and Paul looked at each other, smiling.

  Erik certainly managed to surprise them. A few meters from the path, hidden behind trees, was a meadow, in the middle of which was a small hill, only just discernible. On the hill stood a three meter tall stone, ten centimetres thick and shaped almost into a half circle at the top. It was covered in runes. Although Emma had first thought the stone had certain glyphs resembling Linear A, she quickly realised that this was a much later script. Both Paul and Emma recognised it as a Viking Rune Stone. Erik explained that this stone was from the Viking era, in around the 7th century and that these stones could be found everywhere in Sweden. Paul, who not surprisingly knew something of it, agreed and noted that the runes were actually the Elder Futhark, the earliest form of the Viking Runes. The inscription was neatly carved and covered the entire stone.

  “As far as I know, this particular text has largely been translated by local historians. It apparently talks about the life of a man who lived in the area”, Erik said, sounding surprised that he actually had something to contribute to a conversation about scripts, even if it wasn’t much.

  Emma found this extremely interesting. She herself had not previously studied runes and was intrigued by the prospect of viewing a script which had been in frequent use in Scandinavia a millennium ago. She could immediately see that it was influenced by the Latin alphabet, at least partly.

  Whilst Emma had been fascinated by the stone and had been satisfied after a ten minute look, Paul had been transfixed. Just as Paul fetched his pocket PC from his jeans pocket and started to make notes, Erik’s mobile phone rang again. It sounded almost outlandish in the tranquil surroundings but Paul didn’t even raise an eyebrow. He continued to study the text.

  “I’m sorry, I have to go back to the house”, Erik said as he put his phone back in his pocket. “That was work. I need to go to Gothenburg now unfortunately. I will return this evening. Will you find your way to the house?”

  “Sure”, Paul said without taking his eyes or his finger off the runes. Emma felt fairly confident as well. They had followed the same path most of the way.

  It was strange to suddenly be alone with Paul, Emma thought. She never knew exactly how to behave around him. They had exchanged many encouraging looks of something resembling admiration but he had never given her any reason to think that he had any feelings for her. At this time, he didn’t even seem to notice that she was there, being so engulfed in copying down various runes. Viking runes were something she had never looked at previously and she had no intention of starting now. She thought to herself that she may have a selective mindset but she just didn’t feel that these runes were ancient enough; and they had already been deciphered. What would be the point of looking at them now?

  “I’m sorry”, Paul said after almost half an hour in which Emma had gone to the stream and come back twice. “I just can’t help myself when it comes to scripts. They have this awesome power over me.” Whilst studying the stone he had taken off his glasses and he was still not wearing them when he stood up and turned to look in the direction of where Emma was standing. Having spent more time in the sun than he would normally do, he looked uncharacteristically tanned and he seemed transformed without his glasses. His black shirt and dark wild hair made him look almost attractive. She wasn’t sure what her facial expression had told him and if he could even see her but he took two steps towards her, hesitated and then slowly took her head between his hands and kissed her gently. Her body met his for a brief moment and she felt a wave of excitement running through her as his hand touched her bare leg. She was so surprised by her own reaction that she pulled away almost immediately. He was a good kisser; she had never expected it. He took her abrupt retraction the wrong way.

  “I’m so sorry”, he said as he stepped away from her. “I didn’t mean to offend you in any way. I know it’s against university regulations for me to have a relationship with a student.” He started to walk back in the direction they had come from. Emma rushed after him.

  “No need to apologise Paul. I wanted it too.” He stopped and turned around. She took the initiative to kiss him this time and he was the one who reluctantly pulled away. “No, it’s wrong of me to do this to you”, he said. “We don’t want to raise any eyebrows unnecessarily. It wouldn’t be helpful for either of our careers.” Emma felt a st
ing of disappointment. There was nothing she could say. He was right. Their respective careers were more important than this; whatever ‘this’ was.

  They started to walk back to the house. After less than a ten minute walk Paul stopped again, looking straight at her. “By the way, there’s something I’ve been meaning to ask you.” He said it in a light hearted manner, making a special effort to sound breezy. They sat down on two nearby rocks on Paul’s request. Emma’s heart was pounding hard. She hoped that Paul didn’t notice it. “I was just wondering whether you would want to accompany me and two other students to Crete on a research trip in January.” She didn’t know what she had expected but this came as a complete surprise. Paul quickly continued: “It would be very helpful for your dissertation and you would have an opportunity to study some of the Linear A finds. My colleague over there says they have a whole load of items which urgently need the attention of someone who knows Linear B values. I immediately thought of you.”

  Emma accepted the offer without hesitation. “Sounds great! Of course I’ll join you!” She reasoned that this would not only allow her to work with real life Linear A remains, it would also enable her to view the actual broken Torpa tablet. So far, she had only seen pictures of the half tablet. It had been transferred to Heraklion museum in the 1970s, more than a century after the initial transfer from Sweden to London. She refused to accept that spending more time with Paul was an aspect of the trip which made her shiver with anticipation. The expedition was now less than six months away and she thought to herself that a lot could happen in that time.

  They managed to find their way back to Torpa without any incidents. Paul had immediately resumed his normal cool response towards her but the kiss was clearly at the forefront of his mind; and hers. She had never felt this way before. She was twenty three but still a virgin. In fact, sadly this had been her first proper kiss. She once again reflected over her lonely existence and her approach to life to date, devoid of any significant relationships other than with her books. It had been a lovely day and maybe they had both been overtaken by the romantic surroundings, the news about the tablet and the rune-stone. In any event, she felt some level of triumph that her reluctant feelings for Paul were not completely unanswered. And his reaction to pull back must mean that he genuinely valued her intellect, she thought to herself.