Ark

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 live 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.