by Summer Lee
Sam looked puzzled. “Does that mean that all of those tattoos she had…?”
“Yes,” she replied, before giving Sam a chance to finish his statement. “I have all of her abilities without the tattoos. The staff and sling will propel us to where we need to go.”
“That is something I understand.”
“We must find and return the stone slabs of the Commandments of God into the ark.” Achava sighed. “The commandments must be taught in our schools again before the whole world goes to the devil.”
Sam looked on the ground where the items were. “Then I think it’s about time we got this show on the road! Will you Soul Merge us?”
Achava laughed. “Not really. No. It is time to allow the artifacts to guide us. They possess ability to guide us where we are supposed to be going. I have to protect our baby. My Soul Merge will be set aside for the time being, so I can reserve my energy. Are you about ready to go, my love?”
“I was born ready,” he responded with confidence. He clasped her chin and kissed her lips. “I love you, Achava.”
“I love you, Sam,” she replied, as she wrapped her arms around him and leaned in to kiss him passionately.
“Me too.” Sam held her close. He felt her breathing hard against his face. Suddenly, he wanted to be in her arms forever. “Darling, can we delay this trip one more day?”
“What do you have in mind?” She looked down at the ground of the cavern floor. It did not look like a good place for Sam to show her his love.
“Follow me and I’ll show you.” He led his wife deep inside the cave to where he placed the mat they carried in the backpack.
Achava slept well that night in her husband’s arms. She awakened full of energy and eager to go. She placed her hand on Sam’s shoulder. “Ready now, dear?”
“Ready.” He placed his hand with the staff on top of the Ark of the Covenant, which was draped with linen. He trusted the staff to have the ability to bring the ark along with them. At that moment, he turned pale. “Achava, I sense the ark is empty.”
“That means the Commandments of God written in stone are not in there.” Momentarily, she felt fear. “Al-Achsah must know we will care for the Ark of the Covenant for her.”
“But her ancestors have been the guardian of the ark since Israel went into captivity in Babylon.”
“True.”
Sam frowned. “Wasn’t that when Solomon’s temple was destroyed and Jerusalem flattened?”
“You’re right.” Achava touched the ark. “We’ll keep you safe until we return your possessions.”
“We must find the thief.”
Achava bent down to pick up the piece of wood from Noah’s Ark, then turned toward Sam. “We will not make the first move on attacking the enemy, Sam. We will attempt to accomplish our mission first and foremost without bloodshed.”
“I agree,” he replied, as he picked up the staff and sling. “We only attack if someone tries to prevent us from our mission. On that note, do you have any idea just where our mission might go down?”
“No, but I think I know what it is.” There was a flash of bright light, as Achava looked one final time toward the cavern entrance. “That’s our signal. Let’s do this.”
She closed her eyes and sent a message telepathically. Godspeed, Al-Achsah. We will meet again. When we do, we will have the Ten Commandments to return to the Ark of the Covenant. Trust you deliver the ark to us.
Chapter the Second
SAM AND ACHAVA MATERIALIZED within a familiar chamber. They stood at the edge of a certain collapsed floor. They were back in King Herod’s treasure chamber, where they had gone on their first excavation.
Sam breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that he still had the staff and sling in his hand. He then panicked when he noticed something was missing.
“The ark!” he exclaimed, while looking around. “We lost the Ark of the Covenant!”
Achava looked around and noticed that she still had the piece of gopher wood. “Be calm, my husband. The ark is not here, because it is not needed to be here. We will meet up with it again when it is ready.”
He shivered. “No matter how many missions I go through, I will never get used to you referring to inanimate objects as being alive.”
“They contain life,” she said, with a smile. “They are enlivened with the power of our Heavenly Father and those He deemed worthy to be His disciples. It is like the ax-head that swam for Elisha.”
“Do you know what we’re supposed to be doing here?” he asked, while trying to change the subject.
“What does the Staff of Moses want here?” she replied.
Sam looked at the staff as it glowed in his hands. He could have sworn he heard it calling to him. He narrowed his eyes as he and Achava remained quiet, so that he could understand.
He had a feeling of realization, when he looked up at her. “Yes. We have to collapse what’s left of this chamber. No one is ever supposed to find this place again. Ever again.”
“So be it,” she said, calmly as she looked around. “How does the staff want it accomplished?”
“We have to…” Sam stopped, because he looked down into the lower chamber. The same chamber where his mentor and teacher died. Salinger had passed on the way he wanted to, searching for the Staff of Moses. “I do believe that we have to get to the very center of the lower level. The staff will take it from there.”
Achava laughed, as she placed her free hand on his shoulder. In an instant, they were amid the rocks and rubble of the lower level. There were several patches of darkness, due to the lack of light being able to get down there.
“Let the staff guide you to the center,” Achava said as she looked for a way to navigate through the rocks.
Sam nodded. He held the staff up and focused all of his energy on it. Walking slowly, he watched for a sign. The staff glowed brightly for a few moments. He was right at the center. When he moved, the glow faded. The glow reappeared over his shoulder from behind him, so he went back.
“That’s odd,” he said, as he returned to the center. His mouth dropped and his eyes widened. He was having a vision, like the prophets in the Bible.
Standing before him was one who looked like Professor Albert Salinger. He was somewhat transparent, but it was him. He had a smile unlike any Sam had ever seen. It was a smile of peace. “Is it Professor… Salinger?”
“Yes!”
“Aren’t you dead?” Sam stammered.
“Hello, Samuel,” the professor said. His voice was hollow, yet comforting.
Achava turned to see what was going on when she heard his voice. She joined her husband. “What is it?”
“I’m having a vision from God. Can you see what I see?” Sam asked.
“Yes, I can.”
Unsure if it was really him or just another illusion, Sam asked, “Are you here to help?”
“Yes, Samuel,” Salinger replied. “I’ve come to help you find the original commandments on stone.”
Sam stepped closer to shake hands. “Good to see you.” His hand waved right through nothing. He was an illusion.
“I must say that I am extremely proud of you. You have accomplished so much.”
Sam looked around. “Have you been watching all this time?”
“Of course,” he replied. “I have seen you from time to time. I’ve watched you grow from an impulsive young man into the mature, intelligent man I see before me. God has allowed me to contact you one final time.”
Sam tried to make sense of it all. “Am I going to die?”
“Eventually,” Salinger replied with a chuckle. “Such is life in the flesh. You have much to do though first. Since this chamber is to be destroyed beyond rebuilding, so will my bones. I was given a chance to meet with you to say goodbye.”
Achava stood quietly, as tears of joy rolled down her cheeks. “So good to see you once more.”
“Professor!” Sam exclaimed, as his eyes teared up as well. “The way you went out…”
&nbs
p; “…was the way I always wanted to go out,” he said. “I also came back to tell you that, as hard as you tried to follow my steps, you have been called for something greater. I would think that I wouldn’t have to tell you that by now.” He winked at Achava. “Achava. You are more beautiful than I could have ever remembered. I’ve seen you grow as well. You were really rough around the edges when I knew you. You two look good together.”
“You look well,” Achava replied. “I am pleased to know that you are with our Lord.”
Sam narrowed his eyes. “Are you trying to say that I’m not supposed to follow in your path, Professor?”
“No, Sam,” Salinger said, as he turned his attention back to Sam. “You proclaimed that you wanted to go out like me, but we are different. I went out the way I had spent my life. Don’t you see it, Sam?”
Sam raised his brow and tightened his lips. “Not really.”
Salinger grinned. “My ending was your beginning. It wasn’t meant to inspire you to end your days the way I did. It was meant to inspire you to make your own path. I must say that after watching you and Achava go on mission after mission, you have done things that no one else could ever do. Not even me. What adventures you experienced! I do not regret anything in my life. You have lived a thousand lifetimes in a mere 30-plus years.”
For the first time in a long time, Sam understood. “Every person must follow their own path.”
Salinger nodded. “Everything has come full circle, Samuel. You will come against insurmountable odds. Whether you win or lose depends upon where your faith lies. You have a great destiny with Achava and your child. I couldn’t be more proud if you were my own son. It’s time to let my path go from your life, Samuel.”
“Thank you, Professor,” Sam said, still teary eyed. “I’ll never forget what you’ve taught me.”
Salinger smiled. “Too many people are concerned with what kind of legacy they will leave. It is how you live that matters. All of life is a school. What you learn is completely up to you.”
“Have you seen my mother?” Achava asked. “I heard she passed on.”
“Yes, your mother rests in peace. She is with your sister.” He clasped her hands in his. “Choose wisely and don’t think too deeply. Sometimes the obvious choice is the right one.”
“Are you here to lead us to the Commandments of God?”
“Just follow your heart.” Professor Salinger glowed even brighter. Then in a flash, he was gone. The large rock he was near continued to glow brightly. Sam looked at Achava. The Commandments of God are there?
Yes Sam. But we can’t take them with us now. Achava showed strength.
Sam smiled as he stared at the glowing rock. I wonder if the professor left a part of himself here.
“It is a true shame that you two won’t be alive to enjoy the memory of the one you just saw.” The deep voice came from behind them.
Sam and Achava turned at the same time to see an old man with a long white beard, dressed in a long robe, standing behind them. He had a walking stick that he hit against the rock three times.
Three more old men dressed similarly appeared.
Achava narrowed her eyes. “Antiquarians?”
“You win the prize!” the old man exclaimed as he tapped his index finger on his nose several times.
Achava recognized him. “Someone else from our past.”
“What do you want here?” Sam asked, realizing he was holding two valuable artifacts that he did not want stolen.
“What do you think we want, scoundrel?” The old man sneered. “We can’t have you destroy this place yet. We haven’t been able to gather enough able bodies to pull out the really good stuff yet.”
“Why now?” Achava asked as she stepped forward. “There are more than enough Antiquarians to take care of a little task like stealing important artifacts.”
“Ooh, that hurts, Achava,” he replied. “Your words really sting. This coming from you? The person responsible for killing two of our brethren?”
Achava huffed in disagreement. “Your former leader, Itai Malka, was not only a danger to anything Biblical, but he was killed by my husband to stop him. He was killed by a mortal. Aharon Malka went out the way he wanted to. It was his choice. He was a hero.”
The old man scratched his head. “Funny about that, but there is absolutely no trace of him anywhere on this earth! How did you manage that one? There isn’t even a remnant of his abilities that we can track. It’s like he just simply ceased to exist!”
“We have no quarrel with the Antiquarians,” Achava continued. “If you had a dispute with us, then you should have brought it up long before this. We made no attempt to hide ourselves from detection.”
“Yes, but you are always teleporting here and there so quickly that we can’t get a bead on you.” The old man moved his hands around in the air to illustrate his point.
“We were in one place for three months,” Sam said with a grin. “We were stationary and you didn’t bother to find us before now. That means that you’re not only a liar, but a bad one. You came here because you detected the Staff of Moses.”
The old man started to chuckle madly, as he brought his hands up to his face. He then pointed to Sam. “That’s a smart mortal. He is a prize, but not the one we seek. That will be the last time you get a chance to be right about anything mortal! Get ‘em boys!”
The other three Antiquarians immediately started to snap their fingers. As they snapped faster, the entire area started to shake. What remained of the upper level came off in small chunks and fell all around Sam and Achava. Then larger chunks of rocks fell.
The old man who was talking, jumped toward Sam and grabbed the Staff of Moses. Sam wouldn’t let go, but in order to hold it with both hands, he had to relinquish his hold on the Sling of David. It fell between some rocks and tumbled outside, lost from view, as Sam wrestled with the unusually strong Antiquarian. Sam rolled over onto the jagged rocks, thus keeping the old man away from the staff.
There was a wild look in the old man’s eyes. “I’ve waited too long for this! You’re not going to take our prize!”
Out of the corner of Sam’s eye, he saw Achava engage the other three villains. She would know her limits as an expecting mother. That left Sam free to concentrate on the old man. He gritted his teeth. “I don’t care who you are or what you want! You can’t have the staff!”
With that said, Sam pushed him off the cliff. “Hah! Now it’s my turn!” Sam held onto the staff and lifted it up in the air, above his head. He turned to see the still glowing rock where Salinger had been standing. He believed that was his clue to go to the center of the room to receive more energy. “Achava! Take cover!”
Sam jumped for the glow, but stopped short when something stopped him. He looked behind him to see the old man grab his leg. He was holding on with all of his strength. “Did you think it would be that easy, mortal?” the old man said, with a deeper and more menacing voice.
Sam huffed in disgust as he twisted to get out of his grasp. “Actually, I don’t think anything is that easy!”
With his other foot, he kicked the Antiquarian squarely in the face and freed his foot. “Hah, again!” When he reached down to reclaim the sling, the old man rushed him.
In a split second, Sam made a decision that would destroy not only the lower level of Herod’s treasure chamber, but the Sling of David as well. The old man had a crazy look in his eyes as he reached for Sam again. Sam used the staff as leverage to bring himself up. He then kicked the old man in the face, which caused him to fall backward down below onto the rocks.
Sam looked up toward heaven. “Sorry about the sling, Lord!”
He then gathered all of his strength and slammed the bottom of the staff onto the glowing rock. The stone immediately shattered into thousands of tiny little shards of rock, like diamonds. The glow surrounded the staff, encompassing Sam at the same time.
He reached out with his free hand toward his wife. “Achava! Do you see the glowing
energy?”
“Yes! It is close to me.”
“I’m going to reach for you there.”
“Okay.” Achava stretched for all she was worth as her muscles strained against confinement. The energy stretched out from Sam, as if on command. She managed to wriggle out of the grasp of the old men and fall toward the glowing light. Sam grabbed her.
Sam pulled her free of the three Antiquarians. When he did, the entire ground beneath them rumbled and shook, which gave the two of them a distinct advantage.
Suddenly two of the men attacked Achava, pounding her on the back. Their strength was astounding. She turned, grabbed one by the throat, and tossed him into the dark pit below the lower level.
The sound of him hitting the solid floor was deafening. She grabbed the other one and did the same, hearing the same sound. Holding the third shocked Antiquarian by the shirt, she threw him hard. He landed between two rocks that had just fallen. Along with the falling rocks, the Antiquarian then tumbled onto the ones that were already below.
“Got them.” Achava smiled at Sam, who was still holding the old man by the cuff of the neck. She moved toward him, the glow following. Rocks and rubble were still falling all around them. Sam tried to focus on his bride as he watched her easily dodge the debris, coming toward him. At the same time, he held the old man tightly.
All of a sudden, another old man popped up right in front of Sam and grabbed the staff again. As soon as he touched it, the glow snaked into the old man’s body. The electricity seeped through every pore until his eyes were glowing brightly, illuminating the level. He shook violently as he screamed and relinquished his hold on the staff. He landed on the rocks, still quivering.
Sam looked at Achava. When she reached him, the energy remained around her. As their eyes met, they exchanged smiles, reading each other’s thoughts. They were thinking the same thing. They both thought that the end was near. Is this it? Are we dying?
I think so. They clung to each other and watched.
The luminance light completely filled the lower level and soon all of Mt. Nebo was aglow. Sam guessed that the tremors that followed were more than enough to chase the few tourists off of the mountain. He assumed they would move away a safe distance. He then sensed strange activity outside the mountain. “Achava, help me with this one. See who is out there.”