by David Wood
Bones rubbed his chin. “It’s thin.”
“Not as thin as my patience will be if you keep interrupting me.” Dima shifted in her seat, crossed and uncrossed her legs, and folded her hands. “What if I told you there’s only one place in the world that claimed to be Noah’s homeland? It’s called ‘Borno’ or ‘The Land of Noah’ and it’s located in the center of Africa, near Lake Chad, in fact.”
Bones nodded but didn’t interrupt this time.
“The African connection rang a bell with me, and I did a little research. Listen to this Nigerian flood story.” She took out her cell phone, tapped the screen, and began to read.
“The first man, Etim 'Ne, and his wife Ejaw came to earth from the sky. At first, there was no water on earth, so Etim 'Ne asked the god Obassi Osaw for water, and he was given a calabash with seven stones. When Etim 'Ne put a stone in a small hole in the ground, water welled out and became a broad lake. Later, seven sons and seven daughters were born to the couple. After the sons and daughters married and had children of their own, Etim 'Ne gave each household a river or lake of its own. He took away the rivers of three sons who were poor hunters and didn't share their meat, but he restored them when the sons begged him to. When the grandchildren had grown and established new homes, Etim 'Ne sent for all the children and told them each to take seven stones from the streams of their parents, and to plant them at intervals to create new streams. All did so except one son who collected a basketful and emptied all his stones in one place. Waters came, covered his farm, and threatened to cover the whole earth. Everyone ran to Etim 'Ne, fleeing the flood. Etim 'Ne prayed to Obassi, who stopped the flood but let a lake remain covering the farm of the bad son. Etim 'Ne told the others the names of the rivers and streams which remained and told them to remember him as the bringer of water to the world.”
Maddock had to admit he was intrigued by this new piece of information. “Obviously the minor details are different, but that’s the only flood story I ever heard, before we found the Book of Noah, that is, that connects stones with flood mythology. I suppose the actual events of the Book of Noah could be the source of that legend.”
“And the difference in the number of stones can be attributed to storytelling techniques,” Dima agreed. “Seven is considered a powerful or lucky number in many cultures.”
Maddock tried to picture a map of Africa in his mind. Chad lay in central Africa, while Tanzania, where Mount Meru was located, lay in the east. “But how do you get from Lake Chad to Mount Meru? That’s a long way. I suppose if it were a worldwide flood.” He shrugged.
“That’s unlikely, given the archaeological record.” Bones held up his hands. “Sorry, I figured I’m allowed to talk now.”
Dima ignored him. “Remember that Noah lived at a time when the Saharan region, and much of Africa for that matter, was experiencing a wet period, so the boundaries of the major waterways were different than they are today. According to studies done of satellite imagery, Lake Chad, or Mega-Chad as they refer to the old incarnation of the lake, was once a massive body of water. It covered an area at least five times the size of Lake Superior with depths of two hundred to six hundred feet. It’s believed to have extended hundreds of miles beyond its current boundaries, even encompassing Lake Victoria and beyond. It’s a little over two hundred miles from the center of the Chad Basin to Mount Meru, so it’s not impossible that the water could have reached the mountain itself. Add a major flood to that, and there’s no reason the ark couldn’t have settled somewhere on the slopes of Mount Meru.”
“I’m not trying to give you a hard time here,” Bones said, “but we’re stringing together evidence from different parts of Africa, which is a pretty big place. How confident are you that the Book of Noah is accurate? We’ve already seen some differences between it and the Bible story.”
Dima nodded. “Obviously, we won’t know until we investigate, but you can’t deny it’s the best lead we have. The Trident must also believe in its worth or else they wouldn’t be coming after it…and me.”
Maddock sat back and let it all sink in. It was a lot of new information to process.
“There’s something we haven’t considered, Maddock,” Bones said.
“What’s that?”
“Stones with mysterious powers. We’ve seen that before, and it wasn’t the power of God at work.”
Maddock nodded. On several occasions, he and Bones had encountered such stones, and had reason to believe their origins were not supernatural, though not of the earth.
“Would you two care to fill me in?” Dima asked.
Maddock quickly summarized a few of their exploits and the discoveries they had made. “Of course, that’s not to say there aren’t items out there with miraculous powers. We’ve found a couple of those, too.”
Dima sat slack-jawed, staring at the two of them as if she expected them to admit it was all a joke. Finally, she let out a weary sigh and shook her head. “You’re really not winding me up, are you? You’ve really seen this stuff, or at least you believe you have.”
“Come on, now.” Bones reached into his pocket and pulled out his stone. “You watched Maddock use this to take control of the mind of an animal. You’re really going to tell me you don’t believe in the supernatural? Heck, you’re a Noah researcher, which tells me you’ve always been a believer on some level.”
Dima looked down at her hands, which she held folded in her lap. “A dreamer more than a believer. I guess I hoped to find proof of God but expected to find a much more pedestrian source of the myth. Which is looking like it wasn’t that much of a myth after all.” She looked up, her eyes cloudy. “What I didn’t expect was to learn that little green men were behind it all.”
“That’s not at all what we’re saying,” Maddock reassured her. “Even if these stones didn’t come from God in the way the story claims, they got their power from somewhere, and what they do is nothing short of miraculous.”
“I suppose. But why didn’t you two tell me about all of this before?”
Maddock grinned. “Would you have believed us?”
Chapter 35
The city of Arusha, the capital of the district of the same name in Tanzania, lay near the Kenyan border. Located on the eastern edge of the Great Rift Valley, the city of nearly half-a-million people was both a diplomatic hub and a center of tourism, with such noted sites as Olduvai Gorge, Serengeti National Park, and Mount Kilimanjaro all located nearby. As he guided their rented four-by-four through the outskirts of the city, Maddock admired the lush, green landscape, with Mount Meru looming just to the north, so close he felt he could reach out and touch it. At fifteen thousand feet, Mount Meru was Africa’s fifth highest mountain. Though not nearly as well-known as Kilimanjaro, which stood forty miles to the northeast, Meru drew many serious climbers. Its slopes were also home to Arusha National Park, known for its varied wildlife and spectacular landscapes.
“So that’s where we’re headed,” Bones said, gazing out the window at the tall peak. “Should be a heck of a climb.”
“Supposedly it can be climbed in two to four days, depending on your experience and physical condition,” Dima said, scanning a web page devoted to the mountain.
“Maddock and I can handle it no problem. Have you done much climbing?”
“Enough that I won’t be a burden, and I stay in shape.”
“I’ve noticed that.” To his credit, Bones didn’t punctuate the comment with a leer, wink, or even a smile.
“If the mountain is climbed regularly,” Maddock said, “it’s a wonder no one has found any clues to the ark.”
“You have to figure that, in this climate, there’s nothing left of the boat itself,” Dima said. “All that’s left are the legends, and hopefully the stone.”
“Are there any local legends about the ark?” Bones asked.”
“Believe it or not, tourist agencies refer to Mount Meru as ‘Noah’s Ark.’ Supposedly, it’s because of the tremendous variety of species that li
ve on and around the mountain, but maybe there’s more to it than that.”
“So, how do we proceed?” Bones asked. “Do we start by climbing the mountain?”
“We’re going to visit the park first,” Maddock said. “The ark didn’t necessarily land right on top of the mountain. We’ll split up, do some hiking, and see if either of the stones pick anything up.” They had reluctantly brought both of the Noah Stones along, figuring they had a large area to cover and having two stones would double their chances of locating the third. “We might also be able to pick up some clues from the locals. If that doesn’t work, we’ll try the peak.”
“All right.” A touch of disappointment rang in Bones’ voice. He hated to miss an opportunity to climb.
“Cheer up. I think you’ll like the lodge where we’re staying tonight. It’s got great food, hot tubs…” Out of the corner of his eye, Maddock caught the sly wink Dima sent in Bones’ direction.
Bones returned the wink. “Sign me up.” I assume the rooms are coed?”
“We’ve got two rooms. Maddock gets one, I get the other. Where you sleep depends on your behavior.”
“In that case, you’re definitely bunking with me,” Maddock said to Bones. He wondered at Dima’s flirtatious behavior. One moment she seemed to like Bones, the next she was putting him in his place. Not that he didn’t deserve it most of the time.
“What’s the political situation in Tanzania?” Bones asked.
“It’s stable overall, but there have been some terrorist attacks, mostly against religious sites. There are rumors of connections to Boko Haram, but it’s not definite.”
Bones sighed. “Good old Islamic fundamentalists.”
“The Christians’ hands aren’t clean either. They’ve made their share of reprisals and done their share of rioting. It’s a mess.”
“Sorry if I gave offense,” Bones said quickly. “I never thought to ask if you’re Muslim.”
“I’m not really anything. Growing up in the Middle East, you get to see the darker side of religious devotion firsthand. I haven’t missed it since I moved to the States.”
They skirted the national park, riding on in silence until the Hatari Lodge came into view. The so-called “luxury bush hotel” consisted of three buildings, one of which had once been the home of actor Hardy Kruger. Located near the boundary of Arusha National Park, the idyllic setting offered sweeping views of open plains, acacia forests, as well as Kilimanjaro and Mount Meru.
Inside, a short, balding man in khaki greeted them at the front desk.
“Welcome to the Hatari Lodge.” He punctuated his friendly greeting, delivered in lilting, accented English, with a broad smile.
“Wayne Shipman checking in,” Maddock said, giving the false name under which the reservation has been made.
The desk clerk’s demeanor changed immediately. Lines creased his brow and he pursed his lips.
“Yes, Mr. Shipman and party,” he said flatly. “Two rooms?”
“Yes, that’s correct.” Maddock was puzzled by the man’s sudden change in attitude. “Is there a problem?”
The man hesitated and then shook his head. “No, sir. It’s just that we were forced to relocate some guests to another lodge in order to accommodate you.”
“I assure you, that was never our intention. We didn’t actually make the reservations ourselves.” Maddock suppressed a grin. Leave it to Tam to let no one stand in her way, including paying guests. “I would apologize to them myself if I could.”
“I did not mean to suggest you were at fault. But when a government official arrives to claim the rooms personally, it is a bit disconcerting.” He looked at Maddock, Bones, and Dima through narrowed eyes, probably thinking to himself that these three did not look at all like government agents.
“We are on a government-sponsored research trip,” Dima said. “And again, we never dreamed that anyone would be inconvenienced by our presence. We are truly sorry.”
Now, the desk clerk relaxed, and his smile returned. “It is all right, of course. We are happy to have you here. What sort of research are you doing?”
“Archaeological surveys,” Bones said. “No actual digging, just comparing landforms to places described in ancient documents.”
The clerk’s smile slipped, though whether it was disapproval of their intended work, or the fact that he preferred talking to Dima over Bones, Maddock could not say. “I hope this will not be a precursor to conducting future digs here in the park,” he said.
“Not at all,” Maddock assured him. “This is strictly information gathering for the purpose of verifying data.”
The clerk did not try to hide his skeptical frown. “That is good to know.” He turned, leaned down, and began rummaging through items piled behind the counter. A few moments later he produced a black, leather briefcase. “The men who… reserved your room, left this for you. He pushed the case across the counter to Maddock.
“Thank you,” Maddock said, passing the case to Bones.
“It is very heavy,” the clerk said.
“Reading material. Very boring, unless you like topographical charts and climate data.”
“No thank you.” The clerk finally managed a smile as he handed Maddock two room keys. “I will show you to your rooms. Dinner will be served in the main hall in,” he checked his watch, “three hours. All the guests dine together, family-style.”
“I don’t care how you serve the food as long as there’s plenty of,” Bones said.
The clerk looked him up and down. “Perhaps I shall tell them to roast an extra chicken. We don’t often serve men of your stature.”
“Did you hear that, Maddock? My own chicken. I like this place.”
Maddock nodded but kept his thoughts to himself as they follow the clerk to their rooms. The lodge seemed nice enough. He only hoped they could stay ahead of the Trident long enough to find what they were looking for.
Chapter 36
The tiny hotel room felt like a prison cell. Everything in Europe was too small for a man of Tyson’s size. His feet hung off the bed, the pitiful stream of water in the shower wet only a hand’s breadth of flesh at a time, and passing through a doorway meant risking a concussion. Curse this place!
He looked out the window and down at the throngs of tourists wandering the streets of Rome, taking in the sights. What must it be like to live so free, without a care? Suddenly he couldn’t remember what it felt like to live without a death sentence hanging over your head. There was no question—Tyson was a dead man walking unless he could find Zafrini, and thus far she had eluded him at every turn. The thought of the woman and her companions, Bonebrake and Maddock, set his teeth on edge. Somehow he had to find them, and when he did, he would take his sweet time making them pay for putting him in this position.
His phone rang. When he saw the identity of the caller, he considered hitting the ignore button. A call from Yusuf was seldom good news. Did this mean the clock had run out on Tyson and Ahmed? Was Shawa’s right-hand man calling them to account? Perhaps he shouldn’t answer. Then again, it wasn’t like he could avoid Shawa forever. There was no leaving the Trident, much less escaping its reach. He glanced at Ahmed, who nodded once. Reluctantly, he accepted the call.
“This is Tyson.” He hoped his voice didn’t tremble. He hated sounding weak.
“Tyson, it’s Yusuf.” The voice was scarcely audible.
“Why are you whispering?”
“Just listen. There isn’t much time. I think I might know where Zafrini is.”
Tyson’s heart skipped a beat. “Go on,” he said, not daring to get his hopes up, yet dying to get out of this dingy hotel and back on Zafrini’s trail.
“I received a report that the large Indian she is traveling with was spotted leaving an airport.”
“Bonebrake.” Tyson uttered the name like a curse. “Are you certain it was him?”
“He wasn’t wearing an identification tag, but he’s unique. And he was traveling with a man and a woman.
Besides, he’s looking for the ark. What are the odds another giant American Indian would show up in Arusha?”
Tyson forced a laugh that came out as a grunt. “Arusha? Then they are following a cold trail. We have searched that mountain thoroughly.”
“The trail doesn’t matter right now,” Yusuf said. “What matters is that you and Ahmed must catch up with Zafrini and her party and recover any documents or items they might have in their possession. Shawa will permit you this last chance to make things right, but he will not tolerate more failure.”
Tyson did not have to ask about the items to which Yusuf referred.
“It would also be a good idea for you to take Zafrini in,” Yusuf continued. “I think Shawa will want her questioned. There’s no telling what she might know.”
Tyson breathed a sigh of relief. The chase wasn’t ended yet.
“Yusuf, I can’t thank you enough for this. You just might have saved my neck.”
“Don’t thank me yet, my friend. Just get this mess sorted and get yourself back into Shawa’s good books before he calls you in to answer for your blunders.”
That last bit stung, and even seemed a touch unfair, but Tyson was not foolish enough to express surprise. Shawa despised incompetence and he accepted no excuses for failure. “I understand.”
“Good,” Yusuf said. “If you need more men, you will have to hire them from among the locals. I can’t help you in that regard without risking Shawa finding out. And keep your eyes open. We have reason to believe that Boko Haram has planned something for Arusha, and it could happen soon.”
“I owe you.”
Yusuf chuckled. “Yes you do. And don’t think I won’t collect when the time comes. Good luck.”
Tyson ended the call and pocketed his phone. He wasn’t sure what Yusuf met by that last comment, but that was the least of his worries right now.