by Alan, Mark
"Welcome home Antipater, your presence has been greatly missed". Came the greeting from Aristotle accompanied with a hearty hug.
"It is good to see you, my teacher and friend. I fear much has changed in a relatively short time. I seek your counsel as well as shelter for me and my guest". Antipater gestured to the cloaked figure accompanying him, as Kavani pulled back her hood.
"A rare beauty indeed, the face of Aphrodite I see. Rhodes has been good to you my Regent". Antipater appreciated his warm welcome of Kavani as well as his use of the title, reinforcing where his loyalties lied”. And what of your negotiations with Memnon?"
"My sequester after Olympias' attack all but ceased any progress. I fear he is all the more confident that our Macedonia is vulnerable. A perception, I intend to rectify with Alexander immediately”. Antipater reported, while prepping wine for each of them. Aristotle's cellar was well supplied, as well as providing a remote locale to avoid prying eyes.
"I have my own letter from Alexander that you should read". Aristotle handed the parch to Antipater.
You see, my dear Aristotle, it would be in the interests of peace and order, and consistent with political interests, if I were recognized as God in my western territories as well. It would free my hands here in the east if my own Macedonia and Hellas accepted the political principle of my absolute authority; I could set out with a quiet heart to secure for my own land of Greece her natural frontiers on the coast of China. I should thus secure the power and safety of my Macedonia for all eternity. As you see, this is a sober and reasonable plan; I have long ceased to be the visionary who swore an oath on the tomb of Achilles. If I ask you now as my wise friend and guide to prepare the way by philosophy and to justify my proclamation as God in such a way as to be acceptable to my Greeks and Macedonians, I do so as a responsible politician and statesman; I leave it to you to consider whether you wish to undertake this task as a reasonable and patriotic work and one which is politically necessary.
Greetings, my dear Aristotle,
From your Alexander
"He has always wanted to be God”. Antipater mused, "And with his acts on the battlefield, I think many suppose he actually is”.
"His successes backed by your support. Many a time have you defended, not to mention rescued his reckless marches with supplies and fresh troops. The victories are not all his to wear as laurels. The Empire, as well as our enemies, know your role. One of the reasons, the rumor of your ascension above Alexander in his years of absence is so easily believed”. Aristotle continued the accolades. "I'll leave the two of you to rest for tomorrow's affairs. I believe we may be mistaken that Colossus is the wonder of Rhodes... thank you for gracing us Kavani and for protecting our Regent across the Sea”.
I think he likes you”. Antipater offered after Aristotle had made his grand exit.
"What's not to like?" Kavani quipped sipping her wine, "This is wonderful, sweet & bright”.
"It is from a reserve I fermented, created by extracting juice from red grapes, but not allowing the juice to touch the skins...fewer tannins... removing the dry, tough taste, for 'sweet & bright'."
"You didn't mention this in Rhodes..." Kavani questioned.
"A man of some mystery is much more admired”. Antipater replied, as they enjoyed their full of the cask in their private hideaway.
Morning came and so did Alexander, with all the pomp and circumstance expected for the returning Liege. In such a public setting, Antipater felt comfortable making his presence known. Kavani wore a magnificent gown to match Antipater's royal apparel. Her hair up and encrusted with golden tiaras dazzling in the sun, every on-looker noticed the royal guest. Her image burned into their minds.
After a long speech, met by cheers and concluded with fireworks, Alexander withdrew to his personal quarters to meet with Antipater. Kavani remained perched on the balcony taking in the grand festivities. The people would be dancing in the streets for days. No one held a party like Alexander, his wealth as well as his propensity to overtly display it, rivaled King Solomon himself.
Olympias spotted Kavani alone enjoying the spectacle from her vantage point and her devious mind concocted a new plan. Antipater may find a way to return to Alexander's good graces, but not if their discussion is interrupted by a danger towards his beloved Kavani.
Alexander and Antipater had just settled into their discussion. Antipater had even brought wine to toast Alexander's return. The two were reminiscing as well as updating one another on the previous years' events, threats, victories and anecdotes.
The noise of the crowd had been in the background from their first words, but the sound of celebration had now changed to one of chanting and violence. Suddenly a recurring name echoed in Antipater's subconscious and triggered a response. He excused himself momentarily and moved to the window. It was clear they were shouting "Kavani." In fact they were yelling "Kill Kavani!"
The mob had tied Kavani's hands and feet to a column and a prefect was reading her sentence. Antipater was outraged that anyone would handle her in this manner and distraught that he had left her alone.
"Traitor to the Empire by beguiling the Regent, by use of magic. Traitor to the Empire for sharing secrets with the enemy. Traitor to the Empire for betraying Queen Olympias. Traitor to the Empire for leading others to follow her as a Goddess, when Alexander is our declared God." Droned on the prefect.
Antipater rushed to the scene, dagger in hand, cutting Kavani free and reaching for the throat of the orator all in one spinning motion.
Alexander stopped Antipater, looping his arm over the knife hand shoulder.
"I am curious as to this girl's exact crime, Prefect”. Alexander stated, starring directly into Antipater's eyes.
"She is charged with elevating herself over your authority Sire. She is a high priestess of the old religion and has accessed your inner circle with a plan to assassinate you on your return to the capital". The Prefect pontificated at Olympias' queue.
"Interesting timing... What do you say as witness to your guest's character?" Alexander posed to Antipater, still unsure of his companion's loyalty.
"She is a priestess of the old religion, initiated by Queen Olympias herself at the festival in Rhodes. She is here, under my escort, to see the capital and welcome you home. I vow for her integrity and assure you she is of no threat to you Alexander”.
"Still curious, this report has surfaced, as my return was prompted by rumors of your desire to secure higher position in my absence. As you continue to describe your activities this past year, I think it best your guest remains under the watch of the royal guard. I intend to bring immediate order to my capital decisively displaying the power I yield against my enemies to instill fear, here for my countrymen to instill confidence”.
Antipater was raging inside. Knowing he needed to control his emotion, he proceeded down the corridor with Alexander back to the inner sanctum as Kavani was directed to the other direction by the guards to a holding room.
Alexander returned to the table, relaxing with his wine as Antipater continued to defend his activities both at the capital and most recently in Rhodes. Tired, but mostly wanting to exert his power over Antipater, Alexander cut the discussion short, instructing Antipater to remain in his quarters, for his own safety, but also an order of confinement. Antipater received the dismissal cordially, anxious to investigate Kavani's situation. He would not be ordered about, with her safety in question.
The amenities of her "prison" were amply luxurious in the confines of the palace, but the very idea of her treatment had Antipater furious. He entered the chamber at the approval of the posted guard and they embraced.
"Were you successful in convincing Alexander of our innocence?" She whispered into his ear.
"His actions indicate he is more questioning of my intentions than I expected".
"The capital is beautiful and the exuberance of the people at Alexander's return has the air charged with excitement, but Olympias' influence and your soiled reput
ation amongst the elite have made me anxious. I've never been tied to a pole before, after all”. Kavani said everything, ending with a cute smirk across her face, but Antipater could sense the tension underneath. He knew she could defend herself and he would not let it become that dire, but he was fearful as the situation was spiraling out of his control.
"I thought I would be the first to tie you up”. Antipater replied tongue in cheek to lighten the mood.
They were so much better, now that they were back together. Antipater knew he was disregarding Alexander's order to remain in his quarters, but he had no intention of leaving Kavani alone. As night fall settled in, Allatore entered the room via one of the balconies, under the cloak of darkness.
"My Regent, the city is live with the tale that a witch has entered the capital to challenge Alexander and destroy the Empire”. Allatore reported. "Men are banding together to call for her public trial and death by fire! I submit to your counsel, but advise that we find a safe place to observe this uprising. I suggest we flee the palace under the guise of night immediately. Our few remaining friends can assist in your escape”.
"Fleeing could simply add to Alexander's suspicions. He will seek Aristotle's counsel soon, if he has not already. This will lend credibility to our position and Alexander will squelch the rumors with one swift decree. Running suggests cowardice at this stage. I appreciate your concern, my friend, but I must leverage my reputation or we will be fugitives for life”. Antipater's strategic brilliance was surpassing his emotion with each statement.
The Regent's confidence and reasoning also lightened Allatore's posture. A feeling of relief filled the room as each resolved the situation to be rectified shortly.
Unfortunately, the morning brought different news. Allatore woke Antipater and Kavani. "Alexander has been poisoned and is deathly ill”. Allatore blurted, without any formalities. "Physicians are attending while Aristotle reviews the Hippocratic Collection for potential remedies”.
Antipater burst into Alexander's private quarters to find him motionless on his bed. Aristotle turned, startled by his entrance. "It was poison in the wine”. Aristotle revealed. Before Antipater could respond, Olympias re-entered the room.
"Alas, Antipater, your chambers were searched as you were confined under direct order of Alexander himself. The physicians have traced the poison source back to the wine. The wine you presented in your private defense with the Emperor. Guards seize the Regent and confine Alexander's murderer!" Olympias directed.
Being unarmed, just waking from sleep, did not impair Antipater, a warrior, second maybe only to Alexander, perhaps second to no one. He easily broke the guards' attempted seizure and doubled back to find Kavani. At this point, Allatore's words from the previous evening proved sage, and his preparation of their few allies would bear out beneficial for their escape.
Happiness depends upon ourselves.
~ Aristotle ~
Taking a few moments to realize the impact of Kava's name being in the code, Aven knew events were transpiring on another plain. He needed to reconnect with Kavani, on another ancient ground, but under the government's radar. The world needed her, but he was unwilling to compromise her identity. The two of them would need to solve problems on their terms, exercising whatever means necessary to postpone what Aven had concluded was a pending global flood.
"I need a flight to Thailand”, Aven requested.
"With martial law enacted, flights are grounded. We could schedule a flight into a neighboring country and acquire passes to cross the border?" The Director suggested.
"Where do you suggest?" Aven wanted it to appear, he had no preference.
"Cambodia, the north east border with Thailand has sympathizers to the ousted government and is also the original transmission point of the encrypted code. If you want the answers that is the place to find them”. The Director directed.
Aven wanted answers and some likely would be found in the region the Director indicated, but others needed to be found at Angkor with Kavani. The ancient temple would be the true destination in Cambodia, but that privileged information was Aven's alone.
The international airport into Siem Reap is only 3kms. from the Angkor Wat Temple. Being the busiest of the airports in Cambodia and bustling with tourists, it would be easy to lose any uninvited tails and connect with Kavani without raising any suspicion. Past memories were lost in a haze again, so returning to an ancient site was appealing to both of them, if not only for personal reasons.
The beauty of Angkor Wat was not exaggerated. The aerial view from the helicopter tour revealed the size of the many reservoirs surrounding the remote areas and the great rectangular 'moat' of the temple itself. Even from the sky, the temple was the dominating fixture of the landscape. It was the pearl of the Ehem Empire. The intricate designs of the canals peppered amidst the spectacle of the temple displayed the level of sophistication of the ancient architects. Kavani could already sense the power here, but not one in union with her renewed knowledge and power. Touching down near the entrance to the archeological treasure, Kavani reached out her hand dipping it into the surrounding waters. A sudden rippling stirred the reservoir.
"There is a force here, strong and opposed to our presence." Kavani confided in Aven. He had forgotten how powerful she was in the spiritual realm. Here they were both at their strongest, filled with full memories and knowledge attained over thousands of years. "We must be careful to blend in with the other tourists".
"True beauty can never be hidden". Aven countered, completely captivated by the fullness of her being.
"Our magic will be felt here. Never the less, we must remain hidden until our destinies call us forward to act". Kavani's accent growing stronger with each statement.
The figures carved into the temple walls were speaking, but she could not understand the sounds. Explaining the situation to Aven, he recalled a phrase from his readings at Alexandria. It had opened his ears to the sounds of ancient Egypt. He spoke and instantly Kavani understood.
"Descendant of Venus, why do you enter the sacred halls of your enemy?" Kavani listened to the question emanating from the walls, but chose to remain silent. As they continued deeper into the temple, both could sense the danger lurking around them. The questions had progressed into statements, louder and more threatening. "You may control the moon, but your pull will end with your death. You shall not survive to claim victory”.
The massive combat reliefs on the walls were becoming more prominent, more defined, more life-like. As she turned to describe to Aven the dialogue being narrated to her, she caught an arrow flying their way out of her peripheral vision. Her eyes flashed, and the trajectory of the arrow lifted glancing off the hall ceiling. Aven and Kavani turned to see a lone archer, being joined by hundreds of warriors emerging from the ancient reliefs.
The hand to hand combat of the ancient warriors was no match for Kavani's magic. The parade of troops was exhausting, but Aven barely lifted a finger to defend their position. The battle pushed them into an inner courtyard, as Kavani continued to evade their pursuers. Not at full phase, the moon was reflecting the sun's light in mid afternoon. As Kavani and Aven broke into the outdoors, their enemies stopped short. The last statement Kavani heard emanating from the hall was a bit of a riddle.
"From the moon you draw power, but from the source we power the moon”.
Peering down the hall from which they had fled, Aven could see no one, nothing but light at the end of the tunnel. "Maybe we should find an alternative route back to the helicopter" Aven posed with a bit of a smirk, still enamored by Kavani's skills against the stone to flesh soldiers.
"I'm not quite ready to retreat yet” was her calculated response, obviously deep in thought, "The temple voice described a power source for the moon... have you ever heard of such an element?"
"In the library of Alexandria, I read the supposed lost book of Jashar. It describes an ancient Egyptian prophet from the Bronze age, who had the power to still the moon in the sky t
o defeat his enemies. His teacher bestowed him with powers received in the Sinai Mountain Range. This teacher transferred divine power through his rod. This staff was preserved in an ark which has been lost throughout history. The location of this staff is unknown, but is recognized with the ability to control the earth's sun and moon”. Aven recited.
"Is this the first mention of a 'Magic Wand' being used to conjure the supernatural?" Kavani asked with interest.
"I guess so... One legend says the ark that kept the 'Wand' was secretly delivered to Ethiopia and was under the watch of the Coptic guard for centuries. There are ancient links between Indochina and Ethiopia recorded during the Auximite period, but could date back to the dawn of history. The ancient port of Adulis, outside of Ethiopia, served as the entry spot and hub of maritime trade where the Indian's would trade spices and silk for ivory and gold. The staff could have been acquired in trade or battle and brought to this region. The idea has never really been connected, much less investigated." Aven continued to map out the dots as he spoke.
They had made their way back to the helicopter, avoiding any confined spaces, but Kavani could still hear the temple voices, droning on over and over,
"You cannot stop what is already in motion".
Aven greeted the pilot, "Any other sacred sites that are on the must see list? May be some more remote areas?"
Beng Mealea, right here in Siem Reap, was cloaked in the jungle, lost, not to be discovered until 2003! It's still not very visible from the air. There is also Phnom Kulen, the old road to the peak has been bulldozed, but it is considered by the locals to be the most sacred mountain in the region. There is a small wat at the summit, which houses a large reclining Buddha carved into the sandstone boulder upon which it is built. Nearby is a large waterfall and above it are smaller bathing areas and a number of carvings in the riverbed, including numerous lingas. For the Khmer people, a pilgrimage here requires head coverings and the removal of shoes to enter this sanctuary”. Reported the pilot in full guide mode.