Lourds studied the writing for a moment. He was aware of Father Sebastian’s intense gaze on him.
“Don’t help him do this,” the old priest said softly. “You don’t know what he intends to—”
Uncoiling like a striking snake, Murani struck Sebastian in the face with the back of his hand. Sebastian cried out, staggered, and dropped to one knee. Blood streamed from his nose and split lips.
Some of the Swiss Guards started to come forward, including a young man with a scar on his face who looked particularly upset. Only the barked commands from men who were evidently their superiors held them in place. Obviously whatever agreement existed within the group meant different things to different members. The Swiss Guards weren’t all of the same mind.
Lourds didn’t know if that was a good thing or a bad thing. One thing he did know—all the Swiss Guards were armed. A rebellion amongst them could have massive casualties, and bystanders weren’t likely to be spared. He decided that setting them against each other wasn’t a sound plan right now. Maybe later, if he got desperate.
“Can you read this?” Murani asked.
Lourds examined the text. “I don’t know. I just learned how to translate this language last night.”
“What does this say?”
Glancing at the man, Lourds wondered if Murani could read the inscription.
A smile curved Murani’s thin lips. “Let me paraphrase this section for you. After God created the Heaven and the Earth, after the oceans and the skies, when He finally created man, and woman from his rib shortly thereafter, He sent down His son to walk with Adam and Eve.”
“That can’t be right,” Lourds said. During the whole recital Murani hadn’t looked at the inscription.
“It’s right,” Murani replied.
Lourds turned his attention from Murani to the story written in the stone. Even allowing for mistakes and misinterpretation, that was what the stone recorded.
“But that’s wrong,” Lourds said. “The Bible states that Jesus was born to Mary thousands of years later, and that He was God’s only Son.”
“That’s what the Church would have you believe,” Murani agreed. “That’s just one of the secrets they’ve protected all these years. God had two Sons. Two. God sent both His Sons to earth. Mankind killed them both.”
Lourds looked at Father Sebastian.
Sebastian’s silence was eloquent.
“If you can read this, why do you need me?” Lourds asked Murani.
“Because I can’t read it,” the cardinal answered. “I only know what the story deals with. I know only part of the secret. I need you to tell me the rest. God’s first Son came to earth, to the Garden of Eden, and He brought a wondrous gift: the Book of Knowledge.” Murani smiled. “It wasn’t a tree or a fruit at all. That was another thing the Church hid. It was a Book. That Book is God’s Word and it has the power to reshape our reality.” He paused. “It was that Book that destroyed Atlantis.”
CHAPTER
23
ATLANTIS DIG SITE
CÁDIZ, SPAIN
SEPTEMBER 14, 2009
C
arefully making her way through the shadows, Natasha crept up to the side of the hill where the hurricane fence butted up against the rock. The cave’s throat blossomed light only a few feet away.
Gary followed her. She was thankful for lax security. If anyone had been truly listening, she was certain they would have heard Gary as he stumbled through the dark. He stayed behind her and sucked in air.
Hunkered down against the hillside, Natasha took out the sat-phone she’d gotten in Cádiz after she’d landed. She’d arranged it through the same black market dealer from whom she procured the two 9 mm pistols she carried in the pockets of her trench coat.
“This next part is going to get dangerous,” Natasha told Gary as she punched buttons on the sat-phone. “You might want to reconsider coming along.”
Gary looked tense. He swallowed hard and shook his head. “I can’t let you go on alone.”
Natasha stared at him for a moment and saw his resolve reflected in his eyes. She nodded as she pressed the TALK button. She stared out at the coastline where the retaining wall held back the thunderous surf. The noise of the breakers striking the wall rolled continuously over the area.
It took a moment for the call to go through the international operator.
Ivan Chernovsky answered on the first ring, however. “Chernovsky.”
“It’s Natasha.”
“So, then. You are still alive.”
“For the moment,” Natasha admitted.
“I had been wondering,” Chernovsky told her. “It appears that Professor Lourds and other members of your entourage have been busy.”
“Somewhat.”
“Running gun battles in Odessa, Germany, and West Africa. You’ve had quite the itinerary.”
“I knew you would know about Odessa, but how did you know about the others?”
Chernovsky sighed. “I have been answering many calls from other countries about my partner. Our supervisor feels that I should know everything about you. He put those people directly in touch with me. After telling me to deny everything and that my job hangs in the balance, of course.”
“I apologize. I never intended for this to cause you problems.”
“Eh.”
Natasha could imagine Chernovsky shrugging in his office.
“We’ll get through this, Natasha. We always do. So where are you? The reporters in London seem to think you’re not there anymore. Many people have wanted to speak to Lourds, and the corporation that employs Miss Crane has announced that she’s gone missing.”
“Cádiz,” Natasha answered. “We’re in Cádiz.”
Chernovsky was silent for a moment. “So it was true? Atlantis was there?”
“I don’t know. Lourds was abducted in London. I escaped before they could catch me. I knew they would bring him here, and they did.”
“Why?”
“Because of the instruments.”
“The musical instruments Miss Crane alluded to in her interview.”
“Yes.”
“Is there any truth in that?”
Natasha hesitated for a time. She thought again of Yuliya and how interested she’d been in the ancient cymbal she’d been working on.
“I hope so,” she finally answered.
“But you called about something else,” Chernovsky said.
“Things have gotten more complicated here. Evidently the Roman Catholic Church has been hiding more than they’ve been showing. Lourds and the woman have been taken into the dig site by the people who captured them.”
“What are they after?”
“I don’t know.”
“Does Lourds?”
“Possibly.”
Chernovsky paused, and Natasha heard the rasp of his hand across his beard stubble. She knew that if he hadn’t been shaving, he had been under tremendous stress.
“He must know, Natasha. There’s no other reason for these men to kidnap him and bring him here.”
“That makes sense. But I do not know what he knows.”
“What do you need me to do?”
Natasha smiled a little. “At this point, I’m wanted for questioning, yes?”
“Yes.” Chernovsky’s reply was cautious. “In several places. What are you thinking?”
“I’m thinking,” Natasha said, “that you should notify the local authorities and let them know that a potential terrorist threat is in the area.”
“You?”
“Me.”
Chernovsky was silent.
“Ivan,” Natasha said, “we don’t have a lot of time.”
“What you’re suggesting is very dangerous. Especially for you.”
“I know.” Natasha watched the front of the cave. So far she hadn’t seen any guards at the cave entrance. Trucks and mobile buildings sat outside the cave mouth. No one appeared to be guarding those, either. “But I need to save Lourds, an
d I need to do it right now. I’m out of choices. I need help. And I think things already are dangerous. If what Lourds believes is right, whatever destroyed Atlantis is still here.”
“After thousands of years underwater?”
“So he says. The Catholic Church is here. In force, I might add. And some of them have been pursuing us all along.” Natasha studied the fence. “I have to go. Tell me that you’ll make the call.”
“I will.”
“And wish me good luck.”
“Good luck, Natasha.”
Natasha thanked him and closed the phone. Then she stood.
“I didn’t understand a word you were saying,” Gary said.
“I called my partner. He’s going to call the Spanish authorities and get them to intercede.”
“Cool. Then we just stay out here and keep watch?” Gary seemed happy with that.
“No. We go inside. Now. The men he is sending, they’re going to be looking for us. We could still be killed, possibly by friendly fire.”
Gary frowned.
“I told you this wouldn’t be easy. Or safe.” Natasha looked at him. “You should stay behind.”
He shook his head. “I can’t. I’m in.”
“Then follow me.”
Natasha turned back to the fence and climbed over it.
Lourds read the inscriptions aloud as he walked. He held a powerful flashlight to scan the language. Even though he was operating at gunpoint, lecturing to an audience headed by a madman, part of him still felt proud of his ability to decipher the long-dead language.
He hadn’t had a large section of the language to work with on the instruments’ inscriptions, but the translations had proved fairly simple and straightforward after he’d broken it. He didn’t recognize all the words in front of him now, but he was able to make educated guesses to fill in the gaps in his knowledge. His voice sounded loud in the walkway between the pictographs.
“ ‘Adam and Eve and their children grew to be selfish even in the Garden of Eden. With the world laid at their feet, they wanted more. The First Son walked with them and tried to teach them the ways of God, but He didn’t teach them all of God’s holy knowledge, and they faulted Him for it. In the end, they decided to take the knowledge for themselves.’ ”
The next image was disturbing. It showed a man in a deep stream beneath a waterfall. Men on both banks held him from the shore with long poles.
“ ‘Adam’s sons with the darkest hearts took the First Son to the stream that fed Eden and drowned Him. This is what caused God to drive them from Eden and to later drown the wickedness in the world.’ ”
On the next stone, men held the Book of Knowledge high in obvious exultation.
“ ‘Adam’s children took the Book of Knowledge. They celebrated their triumph, but they did not admit their ignorance. Though they studied the Book, they could not understand it. Three days after His death, the First Son rose again.’ ”
The next scene showed the First Son dressed in robes and a glow around his head as he walked through the forest filled with cowering men and women. Around them, animals poised to attack.
“ ‘When the First Son returned, He carried His Father’s wrath. No weapon made by Adam’s children pierced him. No stone bruised Him. Adam’s children lay in fear before Him. He—’ ” Lourds hesitated as he tried to decipher the word.
“ ‘He alienated the animals from Adam’s children,’ ” Father Sebastian said.
Lourds glanced at the priest. “You can read this?”
Sebastian nodded.
“Where did you learn the language?”
The old man shook his head. “I’ve never seen it before I came here.”
“You’re a linguist?”
“No. I’m a historian. Languages have never been my strength. I can barely manage Latin.”
“But you can read this?”
Sebastian nodded.
“How do you explain your ability to read it?”
“I can’t.”
Lourds regarded the old man curiously. There’s no way I’m going to start believing in divine intervention at this point. But how else could he explain what the old priest claimed? Lourds doubted Sebastian was lying.
Turning back to the last image in the series, Lourds said, “ ‘Adam, Eve, and all their children were driven from the Garden of Eden.’ ”
The image on the stone looked a lot like the interpretation in several illustrated Bibles Lourds had seen. A winged angel with a flaming sword blocked the way back. But this time the First Son was with the angel.
“ ‘In his righteous anger, God left the Book of Knowledge among men,’ ” Lourds went on. “ ‘He gave warning that if it was found, it was to be kept—unread—until He took it back from this world.’ ”
“But the Book of Knowledge wasn’t lost,” Sebastian said. “One of Adam’s descendants hid it for generations. He brought his family out here, to found Atlantis and begin the civilization that would draw God’s greatest wrath.”
“How do you know that?” Lourds asked. At that moment, he was so lost in the excitement of deciphering the story that he hardly noticed Murani and the armed warriors surrounding him.
“Because that story is here.” Sebastian led the way through the stones. His flashlight whipped over other stones with more writing.
Lourds followed, and Murani and the Swiss Guard trailed behind.
Gary’s heart banged inside his chest as he followed Natasha.
Mate, you’re going to get yourself killed. You should drag your bleeding arse right on out of here.
But he couldn’t. He needed to do something to help Lourds and Leslie. And he’d grown up on hero-driven fiction and video games. He had always wanted to be a man of action. Kill the bad guy, get the girl, and all that. He’d learned over the last few weeks, though, that being heroic wasn’t that easy. Heroes were more likely to bleed to death than to throw victory parties.
But that wouldn’t stop him.
He followed Natasha to one of the temporary buildings in front of the cave mouth and slipped inside. Racks of coveralls like those most of the construction crew wore against the chill of the caves were stacked near the cave mouth.
“Get dressed,” Natasha ordered quietly in the darkness. She threw him a pair of work boots. “Put those on as well.”
“They’re kind of clunky,” Gary objected.
“Too bad. We have to fit in. Criminals often get caught because they don’t change their footwear.” Natasha shrugged into her coverall and pulled it over the twin pistols she carried. “Supervisors probably check for work boots and hard hats. If you’re not wearing them, you’re going to get noticed.” She thrust a hard hat at him as well. “I don’t want that to happen.”
“Neither do I.” Gary put the hard hat on and kicked his shoes off. “The boots are still clunky.”
Natasha ignored him, put her hair up, slapped the hat on top of it, and headed back out the door. Gary had to hurry to catch up. He fell in beside her as she strode into the cave.
“One question,” Gary said quietly. “Do you have a plan?”
“I do,” Natasha said. “We find Lourds and Leslie. We get whatever it is everybody is after. We get out. During that time, we stay alive.” She looked at him. “Is that clear?”
“Crystal,” Gary replied. “Especially the part about us staying alive.”
“Good. Don’t make me kick your ass for getting killed.”
Gary couldn’t think of a heroic reply, so he followed along silently.
“The man who had the Book of Knowledge founded the island that became known in legend as Atlantis. With the power he expected to get from the Book, he knew the other men in the world would try to take it from him.”
Lourds came to a stop beside Father Sebastian. The priest’s flashlight beam illuminated the stone in front of him alone for a moment, but the beams of the others quickly joined them.
The image showed a king seated on a throne overlooking a vast empire.
Drawn by the words, Lourds began reading again. “ ‘Stripped of Eden, Adam’s children began making their lives in the outer world. One of those children, Caleb, founded the island kingdom of—’ ” He couldn’t make out the word. He turned his attention to Sebastian.
“I see it as Heaven,” Sebastian whispered, “but that can’t be what this place was. The founder chose to name this place that.”
“ ‘Caleb continued his work to read the Book of Knowledge. Years passed and he gave the task to his children. They passed it on to their children. They didn’t forget about God’s power. They lusted after the power. Instead, they chose to forget about God.’ ”
The next image showed a ziggurat under construction. Hundreds of men labored to haul rock and build the edifice that was supposed to reach the heavens.
“ ‘Under the Priest-King, Caleb’s son, a great tower was built. The people intended to live in Heaven and become gods themselves. They believed all they had to do was climb into the sky to reach God’s paradise.’ ”
The next stone showed the tower’s destruction. Bodies littered the ground.
“ ‘God saw the evil, selfish ways of the people and rained down His vengeance—’ ”
“ ‘Wrath,’ ” Sebastian interrupted.
“ ‘—and rained down His wrath,’ ” Lourds amended, “ ‘upon the people and destroyed their tower. He also destroyed that which bound all men together when He took away their language. Even the language they had carried with them from the Garden of Eden was lost.’ ”
Lourds tried to imagine what that had been like. All the men who had shared so many things suddenly couldn’t talk to each other. Even the core language, which he had to assume this was, had been taken.
“ ‘In time, they spoke to each other again, in a multitude of tongues. In time, the language in the Book of Knowledge was decoded,’ ” Lourds said. “ ‘The priest-kings began to read the Book. God called the sea up and destroyed the island.’ ”
The Atlantis Code Page 40