Ark

Chapter 33

“All right. Do you want to hear what I’ve got?” Dima said through the doorway to the balcony where Maddock and Bones sat drinking coffee. Stone had secured them a room in a hotel on the outskirts of Rome, registering it under his name so they could fly under the radar. He had further assured them that they need only contact him he would use the Myrmidon’s resources to get Maddock and the others out of the country whenever they were ready to leave. In turn, they were expected to share whatever they learned with Tam, and to turn over the Book of Noah to her when they were finished with it. Dima had balked at the last condition, but had finally agreed. Maddock had decided he rather liked Stone. The man was smart, capable, and sensible. He also didn’t flinch at breaking the rules when necessary, which meant he had a friend in Bones.

“Let’s hear it,” Maddock said.

“As much as I would like some fresh air, let’s do this inside. I know I’m being paranoid but you never know who’s listening.” She had stayed up all night poring over the Book of Noah, translating it bit by bit, along with the image of the fragment they had found in the frozen monk’s hand. Though her eyes were bloodshot and her hair disheveled, she seemed invigorated.

Maddock and Bones picked up their coffee cups and followed her inside where they found seats on the small sofa. Dima stood in front of them like a schoolteacher lecturing her pupils.

“The book is not in perfect condition. Far from it, in fact, but I did the best I could. There’s always some guesswork when it comes to translation, but I’m confident that what I’ve got is very close. I won’t read every word. Just the high points. This first bit is consistent with the bits of the Book of Noah that were preserved in the Book of Enoch.” She cleared her throat and began to read.

“I saw written on them that generation upon generation shall transgress, until a generation of righteousness arises, and transgression is destroyed and sin passes away from the earth, and all manner of good comes upon it. You who have done good shall wait for those days till an end is made of those who work evil; and an end of the might of the transgressors, for their names shall be blotted out of the book of life and out of the holy books, and their seed shall be destroyed forever, and their spirits shall be slain, and they shall cry and make lamentation in a place that is a chaotic wilderness, and in the fire shall they burn. And when Methuselah had heard the words of his father Enoch — for he had shown to him everything in secret — he returned then and showed them to his son Lamech. And Lamech called the name of that son Noah, for he shall comfort the earth after all the destruction.”

Bones held up a hand. “Fire? I thought we were talking about a flood.”

“I assume it’s talking about Hell,” Maddock said.

“Possibly,” Dima agreed, “but I can’t say for sure. The next part is very close to the Genesis story with which we’re all familiar.” She continued reading.

“And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born to them, that the sons of Yahweh saw the daughters of men that they were fair, and they took for themselves wives of all which they chose. And when the sons of Yahweh came in to the daughters of men, and they bore children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown. There were Watchers in the earth in those days, but they were not of man.”

“Sorry to interrupt, here,” Bones said. “I know the sons of Yahweh were the non-humans, you know, the Nephilim and the like.” He shot a knowing glance at Maddock. The two of them had some experience in that regard. “But what’s this about Watchers? Is this The Book of Noah or the script of that crappy Russell Crowe movie?”

“The Watchers aren’t in the Bible, but they’re mentioned in extra-Biblical sources, like the Book of Enoch. Now, any more questions or are you going to shut up and let me read?” Dima put a hand on her hip and tapped her toe impatiently.

Bones chuckled, sat back, and took a sip of coffee. “Go ahead. I’m not stopping you.”

Dima made a face and returned to her translation.

“And Yahweh saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart led to transgression. And it repented Yahweh that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. And Yahweh said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air. Yet a remnant I shall save, as I have foretold.

“Noah found grace in the eyes of Yahweh, for Noah was a just man and righteous among his generations, and Noah walked with Yahweh. And Noah begat three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. And Yahweh said to Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with wickedness and violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth. Make you an ark. And, behold, even as I do bring a flood of waters on the earth, to destroy all flesh, with you will I establish my covenant, and you shall come into the ark, you, and your sons, and your wife, and your sons' wives with you. And living things, two of every sort, shall you bring into the ark, to keep them alive with you; they shall be male and female.”

Maddock noted some differences in this account, namely the lack of specific instructions for the construction of the ark. No mention of gopher wood, pitch, the number of levels, or the specific dimensions.

“And Yahweh sent to Noah three stones, and they fell like fire from the heavens. And Yahweh said to Noah, bring not the three stones together, for in that moment you shall surely die. And Noah took up the first stone and commanded the Watchers to build the ark. And for forty days the watchers labored. And Noah took up the second stone and his blood was on the stone, and he called out to the creatures that walk the earth, and they came two by two and seven by seven into the ark. And Noah took up the third stone, and his blood was on the stone, and the fountains of the deep and the floodgates of the sky were opened.”

Dima paused, her brown eyes intense. “Now we know what the three stones do.”

“So the stone we recovered from the sinkhole can bring down the rain?” Bones asked.

“Or bring up water from below the earth.” Maddock’s hand moved to his pocket. He had taken to keeping the stone with him at all times, while Bones kept the one that had belonged to his ancestor. “I don’t think I’ll try it out just yet. I’d hate to turn this place into Venice.”

“I don’t know,” Bones said. “I wouldn’t mind taking Dima on a romantic boat ride.”

“In your soggy dreams,” she said, rolling her eyes.

“Keep reading,” Maddock said. “Bones can hit on you later.”

“And the waters rose to cover the land, and the men came to the ark, and they cried, Let us inside for we shall surely die. And Noah took up the first stone, and his blood was on the stone, and the men were driven away by the Watchers. And Noah took pity upon the Watchers for they were not of man, and he brought them into the ark and he called them adama for they were of the earth.”

Here, Dima paused. “Some extra-Biblical sources claim Noah brought the body of Adam onto the ark. I suspect this is the source of that legend.”

“And among his sons, Ham contended with Noah, for he saw his father loved the adama and that the stone was precious to him. Thus Yahweh blotted out every living thing that was upon the face of the land, from man to animals to creeping things and to birds of the sky, and they were blotted out from the earth; and only Noah was left, together with those that were with him in the ark. And the water prevailed upon the earth. But Yahweh remembered Noah and all the beasts that were with him in the ark and Yahweh caused a wind to pass over the earth, and the water subsided. And the fountains of the deep and the floodgates of the sky were closed. And on the seventh day of the seventh month Yahweh spoke to Noah and said, Go forth from the ark and take your wife and your sons and your sons' wives with you. Bring out with you every living thing of all flesh that is with you, birds and animals and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth, that they may breed abundantly on the earth, and be fruitful and multiply on the earth. And give to each of your three sons a stone, that they may take them far across the earth, for if the stones come together you shall surely die.

“But Noah heeded not the words of Yahweh for the stones were precious to him. And Ham, the father of Canaan, said to his brothers, It is not good that our father has taken the stones. Let us contend with him and take the stones that are rightfully ours. But his brothers said, We shall not rebel against our father.

“And Noah began farming and planted a vineyard, and when he drank of the wine he became drunk. And Ham saw his father’s drunkenness, and vowed to take the stones for himself. But Noah kept the first stone beneath his head, for among them all it was most precious to him, and thus Ham seized only two stones. And when Noah saw what his youngest son had done, he sent forth the adama, but Ham had fled to the land of Canaan. And Noah said, Cursed be Ham, a servant of servants to his brothers he shall be. So all the days of Noah were seventy-seven years upon the mountains of Meri.”

A thoughtful silence settled over them as Dima finished her translation. Finally, Maddock spoke.

“So, Noah had three stones that fell from the sky. They’re powerful individually, but together they can…”

“Make a mess,” Bones provided.

“That’s one way of putting it.”

“And the Trident wants all three,” Dima said. “That guy who tried to snatch me said so.”

“Which proves they’re up to no good.” Maddock sat up straight. “Think about it. I could see how either of the stones we currently have could be used for the common good. If you had the second stone, you’d never have to worry about drought decimating your crops. With the first stone you could keep predators away from your livestock. If Ibrahim Shawa only wanted those two stones, it could be for benevolent purposes, even if we don’t like his underlings’ methods.”

“But the fact that he wants to bring them together proves he wants somebody to die.” Bones nodded slowly.

“If he gets that third stone, he’ll stop at nothing to get the other two,” Maddock said. “We need to find the last stone before he does.”

“What do we do with the stones we have?” Bones asked. “I mean, if bringing the three together causes some sort of catastrophe, aren’t we tempting fate if we bring our two stones along?”

“But we need them,” Dima said. “Think about it. The tests we’ve run indicate there’s nothing special about the stones. They don’t give off any sort of radiation signature or anything that would help us find them. You only found the second stone because of the way the first one reacted to its presence.”

Maddock scratched his chin and nodded. “I also can’t think of anywhere secure to put them at the moment. I guess the hotel safe is out of the question.” He smiled and winked at Dima, whose sudden, panicked look indicated she’d taken his suggestion seriously. “I’ll think on it. The most pressing question right now is, where do we find the last stone? What is this Meri?”

Dima bit her lip. “I have a theory about that, but you’re not going to believe it.”