Ark

Chapter 45

Maddock led the way up a steep incline and out into another cavern, this one smaller than the previous two. What he saw there stopped him in his tracks. Though their entire search had been aimed at this moment, he hadn’t fully expected to find it.

“The ark. It’s here!”

Before them lay the shattered remains of a wooden boat. Despite its present condition, he could still make out the bow and stern, which remained largely intact. It was huge. Noah and his family could have scavenged boards from it for their entire lives and there would have been plenty to spare. He took a few dizzied steps forward, letting the sense of wonder wash over him. They had done it.

Dima hurried forward to run her hands along the boards of the legendary ship. “I can’t believe it.” She stepped back, took out her camera, and began snapping pictures. “It’s real! I always believed there was truth to the story but I figured even if the ark had existed, it would have crumbled to dust by now.” She paused, lowered her camera, and stood beaming at the magnificent sight. “It’s magnificent.”

“There’s something that doesn’t make sense,” Bones said. “How did the ark get underground?”

“I have a theory.” Maddock shone his light up at the ceiling, where the tangles of magma formed a latticework of stone. “I think this was a deep depression or a place where a section of the mountain collapsed and formed this chamber. If the water subsided quickly enough, the ark could have been sucked into it. Unable to climb out, Noah and his family made their home in the caverns. Over time the slow-moving magma formed the ceiling we see now. Like you said, it’s still an active volcano, after all.”

“Let’s hope it doesn’t blow until we get out of here.” Bones shot a nervous glance at the stone above them. “I don’t fancy a race against molten rock, not even the slow kind. We should hurry up and…” Bones froze.

“What is it?”

Bones pointed to the wall to their right. “Dudes. Big stone dudes.”

Maddock followed Bones’ line of sight. Standing like sentinels against the wall were three stone men. Truth told, they were barely men at all. They resembled vaguely human-shaped stacks of thin, flat stone. Maddock didn’t know why he was surprised — the stone men had been a key part of the Book of Noah, but to see them in the…not flesh, exactly, was still a shock.

“The Watchers,” Dima said.

“They look like Rock ‘em Sock ‘em Robots,” Bones said. “Big, blocky bodies, broad shoulders, square heads and fists.”

“Hopefully they don’t wake up and start punching us.” Maddock moved in to get a better look. Seen up close, each was a mottled pattern of various shades of gray. The stones that formed the creatures were fitted together with such precision that he wouldn’t have been able to see the seams were it not for the contrast in the rocks that formed them. He ran a hand along the forearm of the closest Watcher and felt warmth spread through his body. Whether the sensation was real or imagined, he could not say.

“You know, these guys are sort of the heroes of the Noah story,” Bones said. “They built the ark and protected Noah and his family. I’ll bet they’re the ones who placed the altar stone over the entrance to the passageway.”

“I can’t think of a word to describe them. All the superlative I know just fall short.” Dima once again raised her camera and began snapping photographs of the stone sentinels.

Maddock would have been content to stand there and admire the Watchers, but Bones nudged him.

“Do you feel warm?”

“I do. I think it’s…wait a minute.” He reached into his pocket and drew out his Noah Stone. “The third stone! It’s somewhere close by!”

“It’s got to be on the other side of the ark. Let’s go!” Bones hurried over to the broken middle section of the ship, which now was little more than a giant heap of broken boards, and climbed over. When he reached the top, he whistled in surprise. “Bro, you have got to see this.”

“I see another passageway up ahead. Do you want me to investigate?” Ahmed seemed to have finally mastered the art of speaking softly. Perhaps being brought up short in front of the men had finally made an impression on him.

“No. I’ll go first.” After the booby traps, Tyson had sensed the mercenaries’ confidence flagging, and he’d made certain to take the lead as often as possible. Long ago he’d learned what he called the Teddy Roosevelt Principle — men would willingly follow a confident leader who was not afraid to put himself in the line of fire.

The passageway was steep, and he moved slowly along it. He had a strong feeling they would catch up with Maddock soon. They’d already found the place where the animals were kept, and the place where Noah and his family had apparently lived. What was left, except the last stone?

And the prize he coveted most.

When the mouth of the passageway came into sight, he halted. The others stopped behind him.

All was quiet.

Tyson concentrated, bringing his senses to bear. He heard the beating of his heart, the rush of blood in his ears, the slow intake of breath from the men who stood close by.

And then he heard the sound of voices up ahead, so soft he could not make out the words, but there could be no doubt — they had finally overtaken Maddock. Smiling, he turned to his men and nodded. The moment was at hand, but there was no cause for haste. This had to be done properly. It was time to plan their attack.