by Aiden James
“Surely, you both have many more questions,” said Francisco, as he helped himself to a couple of rolls. “Perhaps it would be more comfortable for you if we continued our meeting in a more private setting, with only Rafael in attendance.”
“It might be easier,” said Jeremy. “At least for my concentration it would be. Honestly, I can’t help listening to everyone else in here. The Aymara words and phrases I keep hearing are just too hard for me to tune out.”
“Would you rather retire to your room that we have prepared for you, Jeremy?” Francisco asked him. “Maybe a hot bath would do your mind and soul better at this point.”
“That’s definitely tempting,” he agreed, “and I’ll look forward to that. But, I do have some questions for you that I’d like answered before I call it a night.”
“How about you, Jack?” asked Francisco, in between bites from one of the rolls on his plate.
“I’m looking forward to a good night’s rest as well,” he told him. “But I’ve got questions, too.”
He pushed the plate holding the last remnants of his desert away from him to indicate he’d finished. Jeremy soon did the same thing, even though he left significantly more uneaten on his own plate.
“Very well, then,” said Francisco. “We can either return to the reception area or retire to my study or our library. Better yet, if you both have enough energy left, we can visit our main archive chamber, not far from here.”
After waiting for Rafael to finish his dessert and drink the remaining wine from his goblet, Francisco motioned for the three of them to stand and follow him out of the dining hall and back into the reception area. From there, he led them down a short corridor located to the right of the fireplace, where another enormous wooden door awaited them. At present the door was unattended, with the pole device to open it leaning against the door. Francisco pulled a long slender key from under his robe and unlocked the door, while Rafael picked up the pole and used it to manipulate the ring in the door’s center until it opened.
Francisco stepped through the doorway, where it was pitch black and much colder than the main floor. Rafael left the door open until Francisco lit a torch. He then motioned for everyone to follow him down a stone stairway consisting of nine steps.
“We will be in here fifteen minutes at most, for I want to show you a few things,” said Francisco as he led them down into the chamber. It wasn’t possible to gauge the room’s size since the torch’s glow only illuminated a two to three foot area around them. “Some of what you will see are among the most cherished items contained in this place, and have been with us for many centuries.”
He led them further into the blackness, where the air became even colder and somewhat oppressive. Jeremy later told Jack it reminded him of the Inca tombs he visited while in Columbia. As for himself, it reminded Jack of the place where Genovene lured him nearly eight years earlier. The thick darkness barely penetrable by the torch’s flame was enough to unsettle him for the first time since their arrival at the castle—much in the same manner that Talusha’s lair unnerved him long ago.
Francisco suddenly stopped and turned to face him.
“Your spirit is strong, Jack, and much of what you feel transfers easily to those around you sensitive enough to notice,” he told him, his warm eyes aglow in the torch’s light. “Do not fear her, for Elohim is with you.”
He smiled and returned his attention to the area in front of them.
“What the hell was that all about?” Jeremy whispered to Jack, who shrugged his shoulders in response. Francisco’s remark surprised him just as much.
“At last, here we are!” Francisco announced, and immediately brought the torch close to a stone table.
Upon it sat a large trumpet that appeared to be made of solid gold. The table’s ornately decorated base was covered with dust and cobwebs, but the top of the table and the golden relic itself appeared to have been recently cleaned and polished.
“It may not look like anything of importance, but this instrument once adorned the main table outside the ‘Holy of Holies’ in Solomon’s temple,” Francisco explained. “Our ancestors brought this with them when they fled Judea at the end of the first century. It dates back to 400 B.C.”
Immediately impressed, Jeremy couldn’t contain his excitement, which brought a smile to Francisco’s face.
“The trumpet was taken by our ancestors when they were held captive by the Babylonians,” he continued. “It was hidden and later stored in secret with a vast amount of other relics, until the Judean Essenes suffered betrayal by their Jewish brethren, the Sadducees and Pharisees.”
“So, this is an actual instrument from the original temple?” whispered Jeremy, sounding further amazed.
“Yes, it is. This is one of many things in here that are truly priceless. Come, there is more.”
Francisco led them over to another table and brought the torch close until its contents were clearly illuminated. This table was covered with gold vessels encrusted with precious gems. In its center stood a three-foot tall golden idol, whose long beard resembled the prevalent style of the Sumerians and their successors, the Assyrians and Babylonians.
“The god depicted here is Zoraster, which our ancestors took with them as well, when their captivity ended. If you have studied Essene philosophy, you know that all religions are treated with respect in order to better understand mankind’s continual search for a true relationship with the Almighty. Even the vilest and pagan images are often embraced…not for worship but for knowledge.
“These relics were part of the same secret treasure in Judea. The remote caves where all of this was kept were abandoned long ago, after our ancestors divided everything up equally amongst themselves. Once the Romans took up the cause against them, they fled to the far corners of the world in order to survive.”
He motioned for them to follow him over to a longer table sitting nearby. Along the entire length of the table sat a polished, fully enclosed, glass case. Within it were roughly sixty to seventy papyri scrolls.
“These are the complete books of the Talmud, along with a few scrolls that eventually were included in the Apocrypha and New Testament that we know today,” he told them. “Nine of the books contained here are considered by most modern scholars as heretical and have long since been removed from the Talmud that dominates modern-day Judaism. If I were a gambling man, I believe a safe wager would certainly be that you, Jeremy, would love to spend an afternoon examining these scrolls.”
He chuckled warmly as he glanced at Jeremy, and then moved on to another table a short distance away.
“The last two items I will show you should give you both much to think about as you retire to your rooms this evening,” he said, and then brought the torch to where it illuminated this table’s contents.
Jack gasped slightly while Jeremy looked on, grinning in amazement. On top of this table sat an enormous golden angel. The figure nearly twelve feet in height, it sat on its knees with both arms and a rapturous gaze lifted toward heaven. Realistic details told that an unusually talented artisan created the statue. The angel’s huge wingspan and the wonderful mixture of masculine and feminine features especially impressed Jack, as it closely resembled the living angel he once encountered long ago.
Francisco stood nearby, watching the brothers’ reaction to the statue, particularly Jack’s.
“Legend has it that this statue was waiting here in the castle, in this very room for our Essene ancestors when they arrived nearly nineteen hundred years ago,” he told them. “I can only imagine the sheer hardship they would have faced trying to bring it here on their own, for the angel weighs several tons. The man who later became our first Superior on this continent, Micah Albidan, once said the archangel Gabriel told him when he saw this statue again he would know that he and the rest of our ancestors had finally reached their intended destination. They survived an incredible journey that took them across the Mediterranean Sea, the Atlantic Ocean, and then across South Am
erica to this remote place.”
“How long did that take?” asked Jack, still gazing into the angel’s upturned face, mesmerized.
“Almost seven years,” said Francisco. “Along the way, many precious artifacts were dumped overboard or lost. Our brethren in the Mediterranean nations have sent a few items to us, after telling us our group left them behind when they fled in haste from one port to another as they tried to avoid the Roman assassins charged to find them.
“This angel was our ancestors’ most prized relic, for according to legend it once sat in King David’s palace, in his very bedchamber long ago. Once their journey across the Atlantic was complete, it took nearly eleven more years before they ended up here. Our ancestors endured incredible horrors and loss of life moving through the lands of the various warlords that ruled this continent before the Mayan and Inca kingdoms arrived. It is said that Gabriel frequently appeared to them through dreams and visions during those long years, encouraging them not to lose faith in finding this place. Once they finally found the castle and the angel within it, they decided never to leave. We have been here ever since, despite the challenges we often experience living in the Andean wilderness.”
He motioned for them to move with him to another table directly across from them.
“This will be the last thing we visit in this chamber,” he advised. “Even though I am sure you long for a spot next to that warm fire we sat near earlier, I hope you agree it has been worthwhile to come here.”
Jack didn’t gasp in surprise this time, but was just as amazed. What stood before them now was another golden angel in the exact same pose as the one they had just beheld, though much smaller. Jeremy recognized the workmanship as being that of the Aymara, the ancient civilization that dominated the Altiplano long ago. He reverently voiced this determination to the others.
“Very astute of you, my friend,” said Francisco, visibly pleased while glancing at Rafael. “This is perhaps among the most significant relics from their empire, and definitely the earliest discovered. You can see this angel’s style was later replicated in other statues and carvings of the Mayans. Our ancestors found it in the jungles to the east of us soon after they arrived.”
“And that was almost two thousand years ago?” asked Jack, trying to sort the many implications of this in his mind. “How old is it?”
“According to the Vatican’s last scientists to visit here six years ago, it may be twenty-five hundred to three thousand years old,” said Francisco.
“Are there other relics here from the Aymara?” asked Jeremy.
“Yes, there are,” replied Francisco. “But, this is definitely the oldest item we have on hand from them in the castle.”
“You said a moment ago that ya’ll found it in the jungles not too far from here,” said Jack. “Were the Aymara the ones who built this place?”
Ever since he first laid eyes on the enormous structure, he wondered how it had been built. The gargantuan granite stones would have required incredible ingenuity to measure and cut them to where they fit together so perfectly, despite their immense size. In addition, a sizable workforce would have been required to slowly move them into place in this remote location. He could only imagine the daunting chore that surely took decades to complete, and when he tried to envision an ancient workforce placing the stones into place atop the lofty pinnacles of the castle, he could scarcely picture it.
“No, they were not,” answered Francisco. He withdrew the torch away from the angel so the four of them could see one another clearly. “Surely, you both have noticed the great number and immense size of the red granite blocks used to build this place. There are roughly one hundred and forty-two thousand such blocks in the castle’s walls, floors, verandas, and throughout the towers and their spires. As the stones range in weight from two hundred pounds to several tons, it would have been an arduous task at best for the Aymara or any of the other ancient civilizations of South America to complete. Not to mention the fact the nearest granite quarry we know of is sixteen miles away. The carbon dating used by the same Vatican scientists I told you about a moment ago placed the construction of the castle from twelve to fifteen thousand years ago. The lower levels may have been started even earlier, roughly eighteen to twenty thousand years ago.”
Both Jeremy and Jack were rendered speechless as they tried to comprehend the mystery presented to them by Francisco, who looked over at Rafael and smiled knowingly. This brought a slight smile to Rafael’s lips as well. Francisco addressed the brothers once more.
“I told you when we first arrived down here that you would have much to think about,” he said, motioning for them all to turn around and head back to the warmth that awaited their chilled bodies in the reception area.
Despite being completely enthralled by what was in the darkened chamber, Jeremy and Jack had been shivering noticeably for the last few minutes. Even Rafael was shaking. Francisco seemed impervious to the cold and possibly could have remained in the room for some time.
They backtracked through the darkness, and warm air again greeted them once Francisco led them out of the chamber. They returned to the four chairs near the reception area’s fireplace.
“Perhaps you would enjoy some warm cocoa,” he offered after they sat down.
The leather in each chair felt delightfully warm. Once comfortable, Francisco summoned two Indian children and told them what he wanted. The young servants scurried off in the direction of the dining hall. When they emerged again, they carried two small pots and a carafe, which they set down on a table near the chairs, along with several mugs, wine glasses, and a jar filled with medium-sized cigars. At his beckoning, the servants retreated to either side of the reception area to await his next call.
“Please help yourselves,” he said, motioning to the refreshments. “In addition to the cocoa, there is more wine. Perhaps you have also noticed the cigars. They have a wonderful flavor when dipped in brandy. And, if you want a drink with some kick, try our local chicha.”
“Isn’t that ‘industrial-strength maize liquor’?” asked Jeremy, as he picked up a glass and brought it under his nose for a sniff.
“Indeed, it is,” replied Francisco, pleased at the prospect that Jeremy would join him for a drink.
“Ah, this will make our trip to the ‘castle ice box’ more than worthwhile, no?” added Rafael, laughing merrily as he helped himself to a cigar and a cup of cocoa.
Feeling a little left out since he wasn’t a smoker, Jack helped himself to a cup of cocoa and moved his chair a little closer to the fire’s warmth. Jeremy sat next to him, while Rafael and Francisco sat across from them on the other side of the fireplace.
“You don’t know what you’re missing, Jackie,” said Jeremy, finishing the first drag from his cigar. He then took his first swig of chicha. “Man, this shit’s potent!”
He smiled and nodded his head approvingly toward Francisco and Rafael before turning his attention back to Jack.
“It’s comparable to ‘moonshine’, man, but chicha’s a hell of a lot more fun to drink. It’ll give you a better buzz and a lot less of a hangover the next morning.”
He laughed almost as merrily as Rafael had a moment ago.
Jack smiled politely. Busy thinking of questions for Francisco, he soon presented his first one.
“Are the angels we saw in that room the only ones inside the castle?”
“Yes, they are,” Francisco replied, pausing to enjoy the aroma from his cigar. “There are only a handful of such angels in the entire world. Two others are presently located in European monasteries, while a third is in the private collection of a wealthy businessman in Hong Kong. But, the angels here in Bolivia are the only ones on bended knees with their arms and faces outstretched toward heaven.”
“There’s something else significant about them, isn’t there?” said Jack, following a strong intuition he felt about the statues. “It has to do with the carvings in the cavern we passed through earlier and the two angels portra
yed on the windows at the castle’s entrance, as well as the fact this place is out here in the middle of nowhere. Right?”
Francisco turned to face him directly, his eyes brightened.
“Perhaps there is an important connection between them all, Jack. As I said earlier, you will have plenty to think about tonight as you lie down to sleep.”
“Wait a minute, man,” said Jeremy, suddenly irritated. “So, this is all you’re going to tell us? What the hell gives with that, Francisco?”
“Just as I have honored your request to not investigate your backpack, I am asking you to honor my need to be evasive about the angels—at least until tomorrow,” he told him, his mellow mood again undeterred by Jeremy’s abrasiveness. “By the time you are ready to return to Alabama, you will completely understand my reasons. Everything should make perfect sense by then.”
Sullen for a moment, Jeremy weakly nodded he could wait until tomorrow for this promised revelation. Jack just as willing to wait, he had other questions as well.
“You mentioned the Vatican examined the angels and the very castle itself. Does this mean you are affiliated with the Roman Catholic Church?” he asked. “If so, does it mean they’re aware of all the other stuff going on throughout the world?”
“The Vatican and our group have enjoyed an excellent relationship for more than three hundred years, now,” Francisco explained. “But, it was not always that way. Up until the late seventeenth century our relationship was quite strained with all of Christianity. Here in South America, the Spanish conquistadors wreaked havoc throughout the continent and ruthlessly plundered the Inca and Mayan gold and other precious commodities. Thousands of Indians were slaughtered, as anyone who stood in the conquistadors’ path was quickly cut down.”
He paused to take another drink from his cocoa and enjoy his cigar. Jack, Jeremy, and even Rafael waited patiently for him to finish. When he noticed their expectant gazes, he smiled and continued.