“I don’t know? Are you thinking about whiskey and women?” Samuel smiled at his own joke. At Alec’s frown he sighed, “I’ll take the shorter one. He’s more my size.”
~*~
“You there!” the Admiral commanded one of his guards as he stood before the Valley temple. The walkway had been built up with stone, creating a shallow area beside it. “Shore those sides up!” he pointed to where some of the water was threatening to spill out. “Make sure that it will hold water.”
The guard immediately knelt and began piling sand where the rock had crumbled away.
The water in the pool was dark against the white stone. Genevieve watched as another bag was emptied, creating ripples in the otherwise mirror-like finish.
“Will this be enough water?” the Admiral asked from his position beside the reflection pool when the last bag had been emptied.
Sophia shook her head, pointing to several dry spots. “The surface must be unbroken.”
“You are not just attempting to delay this are you?” the Admiral accused.
Sophia returned his cold, unwavering stare.
“Because, if you are, you should know that work here has ceased until next season. And we will be quite alone tomorrow.”
“I am not delaying.” Sophia replied evenly.
“Then tell me, why must we fill this pool with water?”
“In order to reveal the door,” Sophia answered simply.
Skeptically, he looked down at the pool. “And how will this reveal it?”
“You are questioning my understanding of the ancient knowledge?” Sophia lifted a brow.
“I want proof that you are not impeding our progress needlessly,” the Admiral’s features were hard as he watched her.
“The proof is there before you,” Sophia pointed to the scroll he held. “Look at the map.”
The Admiral opened the parchment once again and studied the page.
“Where the cat arches over the door… Sekhmet the lioness,” Sophia waited then added disparagingly. “Wadjet, the all-seeing eye.”
He looked up at her angrily, “I warned you about playing games.”
“You will have to see with new eyes what has always been before you,” Sophia replied calmly, unwilling to let him rile her.
“I am losing my patience with your riddles,” he warned, wrinkling the parchment in his fist.
“This pool was used to reflect the image of the great goddess Skekhet, the guardian of the underworld,” Sophia explained evenly.
“The sphinx?” he turned to look at the great stone beast that could be seen in the distance. “How could that be? It stands in the opposite direction behind the temples?”
“On the map above each lion are the words, horizon and sky,” Sophia waited as he smoothed the page out, studying it carefully.
He looked up at her impatiently. “I’m not here to play your games,” his eyes narrowed on her.
“She is there,” Sophia pointed to the large golden disk that was reflected in the water, “In the moon.”
“The moon?” he looked over his shoulder at the golden orb in surprise.
“The ancients held this land as sacred long before the pyramids were built because of the outcropping of stone which bears a striking resemblance to the face they so revered in the heavens.”
“But I thought the sphinx was carved by Khafre as part of the pyramid complex.”
“The body was carved out and the face retooled, but the head has always been prominent in the landscape. This place was chosen by the great architect Imhotep because it had always been revered by the people as the entrance to the underworld.”
“I still don’t see it.”
“It may be easier to see her reflection in the pool, since her image is upside down. It isn’t until she sets in the west that her image rules the night.”
“I see it!” Percival exclaimed. “Amazing, I would never have thought,” he gazed up at the sky in wonder.
“I take it that I have your permission to continue,” Sophia replied.
“Of course, by all means,” the Admiral nodded.
Genevieve watched as the guards filled the pool. She was momentarily distracted by the one who was repairing the sides. He was working only a few feet away from her, but instead of packing the sand, he was tracing an image with his finger… a heart.
She stared as he traced the contours again. The turban he wore concealed his features until he looked up, revealing his face. Alec! Genevieve couldn’t believe her eyes. He smiled before smoothing the sand away with his hand. She moved closer to her mother, bumping into her. At Sophia’s questioning glance, she motioned with her head, but before she could say anything the Admiral spoke up.
“What is next?” His eyes were filled with excitement.
“We will need to stand as if coming from Abydos, in order for the door to be revealed,” Sophia indicated a point just outside the temple.
“Abydos?” Percival looked over the desert. “Why?”
“That is the direction that the Pharaohs’ procession would enter from.”
The Admiral nodded, motioning for them to follow him.
Genevieve briefly glanced at Alec before going with her mother and the Admiral. Her heart was racing, she could hardly believe it. He was here, he had come for her… and now he was in terrible danger. Oh, dear God. Please protect him.
Genevieve made note of how many men were working for her uncle as she walked, scrutinizing each one as she went. There were at least five on the walls above them. Several men had been working to fill the pool and others guarded the surrounding area. She guessed there were twenty in all.
As she passed, the last guard tilted his head slightly, her eyes widened briefly as she made eye contact. Akeim! She quickly looked away as she followed her mother up the hill.
“What are we looking for?” the Admiral asked as they walked to a knoll just east of the temple.
“Do you see on the map, the disk between the two lions?” Sophia asked. “The lions as well as the disk are below the symbol for the sky.”
Percival once again looked down at the map.
Genevieve nudged her mother while he was distracted. Sophia looked at her questioningly as Genevieve motioned with her head toward the guard.
“Yes, I see it,” Percival said looking up.
Sophia quickly turned to the Admiral. “Just as the disk lies between the mountains, we must stand so that the head of the sphinx rests between the two pyramids.”
A cloud drifted across the moon as they waited.
“I cannot believe that after all this time—” Percival began. His voice stilled as the clouds parted, sending a beam of light reflected back into the interior of the temple. “There!” he shouted, pointing to the northern entrance of the Valley Temple. In his excitement he ran ahead of the women.
“What is it?” Sophia quickly asked.
“They are here,” Genevieve whispered. “Akeim and Alec are—”
“Ladies,” the Admiral turned back towards them. “After you,” he invited.
As they walked toward the entrance of the Valley Temple, Sophia gently tucked her arm within her daughters. “We should prepare ourselves for anything.”
They entered the narrow corridor where the reflection of the moon had pierced the darkness. The walls were high on each side with an archway on the right, leading into the interior of the temple. The passage continued further back into a darkened alcove.
“What is the next step?” the Admiral stepped beneath the archway and looked around. Several guards followed them inside.
Genevieve looked up at the men who remained on the top of the walls. Their number was now three. She counted again, noticing as she did the guard at the far end. Samuel! He winked at her, before she quickly looked away.
“I’m not sure,” Sophia replied.
“What do you mean you’re not sure?” the Admiral asked sharply.
“These twenty-four columns represent the hours of the d
ay and night, whereas these twelve niches,” she pointed to the indents in the floor, “Used to hold statues of the goddesses that represent the twelve hours of the night.”
“Twelve goddesses?”
“Yes,” Sophia nodded as she considered the indents, “the guardians of the gates the Pharaoh must pass in his journey through the underworld.”
The Admiral walked around the columns, “Is this a lunar clock then?”
“It might help if I were able to read from the book.” When it looked like he would decline she added, “This has not been done for several thousand years.”
He reluctantly handed her the book. Sophia’s voice echoed through the structure as she opened the book and read from it.
I have come, bound to rocks and plants,
men and women, rivers and sky.
When the cat arches over the doorway, think of me.
I am there speaking to you.
When you look up, know that I am there,
Sun and moon, woman, cat or lotus.
All these things I am,
And though apart, I am part of you.
The same god breathes within everybody.
You and I together are a single creation.
Nothing stops my love for you…
“What does it mean?” the Admiral asked watching her closely.
“I’m not sure,” Sophia continued to study the page.
“It mentioned both the sun and the moon,” the Admiral spoke looking over her shoulder.
“Yes, the earth god Aker is portrayed by two lions, one at each entrance to the underworld,” Sophia continued to look over the page. “The lion is a symbol of royalty. In this case, the double lions represent the seat of power of the supreme rulers of the sky. Where the sun and moon rise and set.”
The Admiral stepped away from her, tracing the angular shadow of the moon across the stone floor with his boot. “It is said that this temple was built to worship the sun,” he turned back to her as he spoke. “Perhaps we wait for the light of day for the rest to be revealed?”
“I am waiting for a sign,” Sophia briefly glanced toward the heavens above.
Samuel swooped down on a rope from the upper wall as she spoke. He rammed into the Admiral, sending him flying backwards. The momentum of his descent wasn’t stopped however, only deflected. He crashed into the wall with a thud.
“Oomph,” the air escaped his lungs on the impact, as he slipped the rest of the way down the wall. “That’s going to leave a mark,” he moaned.
Chapter 21
In a flurry of activity, Alec took out the guard who was standing next to the women while Akeim fired both of his revolvers, hitting the guards who stood above them on the wall. Akeim then stepped protectively in front of Sophia.
Alec quickly placed Genevieve behind him, fighting against several attackers.
“Kill them!” the Admiral screamed as he struggled to stand.
Samuel fired off a shot at one man who charged at him, before coming to his feet. Using his sword, he blocked an oncoming blow from another of the guards. The man stood before him slashing the deadly blade through the air threateningly. Samuel rolled his eyes as he waited.
Backing away, Alec, Akeim, and the women entered the hall. The alcove to the right was a dead end, leaving the opening they had come through on the left. Rock shattered in front of Alec as he approached the entrance, gunfire echoed through the passage. “We’ve a better chance of getting out the other way.”
Just as they turned back, Samuel dove into the passage from the other opening. Rolling to the side, he fired his gun into the temple. “They have more men coming in from the rear.”
Alec looked back at the entrance, “We’re trapped!”
“Cover me,” Akeim called out as he headed for the opening.
“Wait!” Sophia yelled over the sound of gunfire. “There is another way.”
“That’s what I like to hear.” Samuel replied as he fired another shot, making several guards take cover on the other side.
“The door,” Sophia pointed to the alcove at the rear of the hallway. A small niche had been built at the end of the passage.
Samuel did a double take as he looked up at the depression near the top of the wall. The image of Sekhmet shimmered on the rock surface from the reflection of the moon. “Well! I’ll be damned, it does reflect the moon… Where the cat arches over the door.”
Sophia knelt beside the wall and started feeling the groove between the stones with her fingers. “Genevieve, look around for the lock, it should be near.”
“Isn’t the key something to do with the symbol of life?” Samuel wondered aloud. “We have used water. I don’t’ suppose you have a placenta on you?”
“A what?” Sophia stopped what she was doing turning to look at him oddly.
“A ball of string perhaps?” Samuel amended, speaking of the round ball.
“He means the moon in all its phases,” Genevieve corrected as she felt along the stones on the other side of the wide corridor.
“I do?” Samuel glanced over to see Sophia’s expression. “Of course I do.”
“Honestly,” Sophia shook her head. “How did they get that so confused?”
“I’m not sure,” Genevieve slid her knife along grooves between the stones, stopping when she encountered a niche in one. She scraped the sand away with the blade being careful not to put the knife in too far. The hole became deeper as she worked. “I think I’ve found it.”
“Let’s see,” Sophia came forward examining the small crevasse between the large stones. She unhooked a necklace, withdrawing the pendant that she wore beneath her clothing. It was in the shape of a large ornate teardrop, an ancient symbol of woman.
Reaching beneath her skirt Sophia withdrew a dagger, the hilt of which resembled a cross, the symbol of man. She joined the two pieces together, creating the shape of the Ankh, the symbol of life.
“So it literally was the Ankh… I knew it,” Samuel nodded triumphantly. “Well, not exactly, but I was close.”
Alec regarded him skeptically, “Right.”
“I hope this still works,” Sophia breathed as she inserted the ankh into the depression. The key slipped into the lock, she looked over at the door expectantly.
Nothing.
“I don’t know how much longer I can hold them,” Akeim hollered over his shoulder as he reloaded his gun. “We must hurry!”
“Perhaps if you turned it?” Alec offered.
Sophia grabbed the end and jiggled it, but it wouldn’t budge. She looked up at him, “I think it’s stuck.”
“Great,” Samuel muttered, “Now what?”
Shots continued to be fired into the passage from both directions. Alec left his position by the entrance in order to lend some assistance. Sophia stepped back from the key and motioned for him to try.
Alec grabbed the handle and tried to turn it with little effect. Wrapping his hand with cloth from his robe he tried again.
Genevieve stood watching him. “It could be a lever. Try pulling up on it, or pushing down instead of turning it.”
“Yes,” Sophia nodded, “That’s a good idea.”
Alec found himself yanking on the handle while both women continued to add constructive advice. He looked briefly over to Samuel who was now decidedly minding his own business. The coward! Alec thought with derision as the women continued to direct him.
It didn’t take long for Alec to stand up in frustration and use his boot to kick the protruding handle down.
“I didn’t mean like that,” Sophia criticized sharply.
Alec threw his eyes heavenward in mute dismay.
“Oh, look!” Genevieve cried excitedly, “It moved.”
“Do it again,” Sophia urged.
He kicked with all the force he could muster. The handle of the knife broke away from the pendant that was still buried within the wall.
“Step back,” Sophia placed her hand protectively in front of him before picking up the twiste
d blade. “Whatever you do, do not touch that again.”
“You did it!” Samuel exclaimed, “Its opening!” From his position nearest the alcove he could see the stone as it moved back, revealing a dark passage behind it. “Damn! If we could only get that rope back,” he stared longingly at the rope that still dangled from the archway that he’d tied it to.
“I think it might be better if we improvise,” Alec replied, looking out at the armed men who stood in the way.
Samuel was about to respond when Genevieve ran at her mother, who flipped her up to the ledge high above. She had become a dark blur of movement, so fast was the undertaking. “I told you they could fly,” he whispered under his breath.
Stunned, they both watched in amazement as Genevieve unwound her head covering and lowered it down to her mother who climbed it with ease.
“I’ll never doubt you again,” Alec said as he watched.
Akeim pulled back from the entrance. “Go,” he motioned to Alec as he took up his spot. One by one they climbed the rope and entered the opening to the tomb.
“Can we close the door?” Akeim asked as he climbed up to the ledge.
Sophia started to feel the wall just inside the door, “There is a lever somewhere along here.”
“Is this it?” Samuel asked as he placed his hand on it. “Whoa!” he said in surprise when it moved.
“Watch out!” Alec yelled as he pulled Samuel away from the spot. A counter weight slammed down where he had been standing only moments before. Akeim dove inside as the stone slid into place, sealing them inside. Plunged into darkness they waited, listening to the sound of muffled gunfire.
“That was too close,” Sophia breathed a sigh of relief.
“We can open that back up again, right?” Samuel’s voice held a note of regret.
“Not from here,” Sophia answered him. “We will have to follow this passage. But Samuel, do try not to touch anything, the way is fraught with disaster.”
“Great,” Samuel muttered under his breath. “Good thing we didn’t fall into another trap.”
Treasure of Egypt Page 26