Cibola

Chapter 29

The icy water drenched Dane as he ducked through the waterfall, chilling him to his core. It brought him to his senses after feeling dazed by Jade’s revelations. Behind the waterfall, a door in the face of the rock led to a spiral staircase. As Dane led the way up, Bones filled him in on the events that had brought him and Amanda to this point, including the attack at the motel, Jimmy’s updated translation, and their trek through the chambers beneath Angel’s Landing. Finally, the stairway ended at an ornate stone door. The door was carved with an elaborate scene of a storm at sea, complete with angry clouds, crashing waves, and a sea monster writhing in the depths. Where a knob would be found on an ordinary door, the cross and clover was carved, hovering just above the horizon. Hebrew words were carved above the doorway.

“I’ve seen these words before,” Jade said. “When I was studying the first temple. ‘Shaar HaMayin. The Water Gate. I wonder what’s behind there.”

“Only one way to find out,” Dane muttered. His anger had lent him a sense of reckless disregard. He pressed the symbol and the door slid back, revealing another glowing cavern. Here, the glow was more intense, the light brighter, and the chamber was noticeably warmer, almost humid. A cross-shaped channel ran down the center of the room, the water disappearing into a hole at their feet. On the far end of the chamber near the point of the cross, and on either side, lay circular pools, their dark waters speaking of great depth. “The cross and clover,” Dane said, noticing the layout of the pools. “This must be the source of Fray Marcos’ symbol.”

“Either that, or Estevanico spent a lot of time with a hammer and chisel,” Bones said with a smile. “So, what’s the next clue?”

“At the edge of the canal on its northern side, six cubits toward the immersed pool,” Amanda recited. “Which way is north?”

“To the left,” Bones said, consulting his Pathfinder.

They skirted the edge of the cross-shaped canal. Reasoning that the northernmost point of the cross would be the logical place to begin, Dane led the others to the far left point of the cross.

“A cubit is the distance between a man’s fingertip and elbow.” The hurt was still evident in her voice. “So, probably about eight feet toward the pool.”

Dane paced off the distance, dropped to his knees, and shone his flashlight across the floor. He saw nothing but smooth stone.

Bones dropped to the floor next to him and ran his fingertips across the smooth stone. He frowned.

“Shine your light here, Maddock. I think I feel something.” Dane turned his light on the spot Bones indicated, and saw the cross and clover traced into the rock in such fine lines it would have been almost impossible to see if they had not been searching so intently for it. “But what do we do?” Bones asked. “It’s just a picture.” He pressed it, but nothing happened.

“Boys, how about that big chain hanging up above you?” Amanda asked, her voice playful

Dane looked up. A massive chain hanging down from the ceiling, ending about eight feet above them.

“How long have you known that was there?” Bones asked.

“Since we walked in,” she said. “There’s another one on the opposite side.” She pointed to the far side of the channel where Jade stood looking up at the twin of the chain under which they stood. “I imagine there’s an unpleasant surprise waiting for the first person who doesn’t know his north from his south.”

As she said those last words, Jade reached up to take hold of the chain.

“Jade! No!” Dane took off at a sprint, leaping across the center channel and dashing over to her. She looked into his eyes in complete astonishment as he clutched her tight against him.

“I wasn’t going to pull on it, Maddock,” she whispered. “What’s gotten into you, anyway?”

“You have,” he said, so soft that only she could hear him. For in that moment he thought she might die, he knew his true feelings for her. All uncertainties and hurt aside, he had cared only that she lived. He cared. “We have a lot to work out between us, but I do care about you.”

She did not reply, but twined her arms around his neck and kissed him very seriously. After what seemed like an hour, Bones interrupted them by loudly clearing his throat.

“Excuse me, but don’t we have a treasure to find here?”

“I found my treasure,” Dane said, holding Jade tight to his side. “Let’s get out of here.”

“Are you serious, Maddock?” Bones’ eyes were wide and his mouth agape.

“Hell no,” Dane said after a suitable pause for effect. “I was yanking your chain. How about you yank that one and see what happens?”

“I suppose you think that’s funny too,” Bones said to Amanda, who was covering her face.

“Of course not,” she said, her smile belying her words. “I would never make you the butt of a joke.”

“Forget it,” Bones said. He took hold of the chain and pulled. A sound like thunder filled the room and the floor shook.

“Bones! Are you sure this is the north side?” Dane shouted over the roar.

“Trust me!” Bones called back. “Look there!” He pointed to a spot in the ceiling directly above the pool, where a circle of stone about twelve feet in diameter had begun to turn. As the stone rotated, it gradually descended, revealing another spiraling stone staircase. It settled to the floor with a thud, fitting perfectly over the top of the pool. “Told you,” Bones said. “Trust me.”

Dane again took the lead. As they ascended, he finally told them how Justin had rescued him in the desert and showed him the pool that gave him access to a back entrance through a long, spiraling tunnel, much like the one at the top of the peak through which the others had entered. Finally, weary from the climb, he had emerged in the center of the gargoyle-lined pit. He had immediately been set upon by the dark creatures from Justin’s drawings. He had retreated back into the tunnel, where he could pick them off one at a time. Finally, he made his way back out, praying he would not meet any more of the beasts, as he had exhausted his ammunition.

Upon learning that his friend was unarmed, Bones gave Dane the .22 Jade had returned to him. She had given Bones his Glock back as well, but her revolver was lost. When they reached the top of the stairs, they were again faced with a stone door. This one was engraved with a large circle at the top, with seven lines descending from it, each ending in a hand.

“That’s the same symbol that was painted in Orley’s cave,” Bones said. “And on the sun disc.” He took the disc out of his pack and held it up for comparison. They were identical. “Do you think whoever painted it was here?”

“Whoever the artist was,” Amanda said, “he certainly knew the way to Angel’s Landing. His paintings led the way. And that giant spiral slope Dane climbed sounds a great deal like the spiral staircase that was painted in the cave. I’ll wager,” she said, reaching out to touch the disc, “that even if the artist was never here, the disc was once here.”

“It’s also the symbol of Aten,” Jade said. “I think this just about seals the connection, if there was any doubt.”

“Can you translate what’s inscribed above this door?” Dane asked.

“Shaar HaKorban. The Gate of the Offering.”

“Sounds promising,” Bones said, putting the gold disc back in his pack. “Maddock, do you want to do the honors?”

This door pivoted as the others had done, and as he stepped through Dane was greeted by a sight that took his breath. Like the chamber below, a cross-shaped channel flowed through the middle, but this was a massive, vaulted chamber with ornate columns, all shot through with the same intensely glowing streaks, that climbed to a ceiling far above them, supported by shining arches. Here, the light burned with such intensity that it had lost most of its greenish hue, and was almost white. A similarly vaulted chamber was carved into either side. It was like a giant cathedral! It was not, however, the magnificence of the room that amazed him, but the treasure.

The floor was carved into seven terraces rising up from the channels in the chamber’s center. Every inch was packed with more wealth than Dane had ever imagined. Huge chests had dry rotted and burst, spilling their contents upon the floor. Coins and ingots of gold, gold, silver and bronze coins lay scattered on the floor. Bars of gold and silver were stacked like firewood. Casks that probably contained oils or perfumes stood on the upper levels, interspersed with sculptures and pottery. Much of it was obviously Egyptian, but not all of it. As they made their way through the room, they saw other treasures. Some barrels held precious jewels, while others held ivory, or moldering bolts of what must have once been the finest cloth.

“Man, something’s messing up my phone,” Bones said, holding up his cell phone. “I wanted to take a picture. Bummer.” He looked down at a pile of Egyptian artifacts that had spilled down from somewhere up above and lay strewn haphazardly across the bottom level. “This must be how that ranger found his ankh, and Justin found his treasures. They washed down the channels and eventually made their way out.”

“Let’s see what’s in the transepts,” Jade whispered, using the name of the side chambers that gave cathedrals their cruciform shape. She took Dane’s hand and led him forward. The left transept was shallow, perhaps forty feet deep, and held no treasure, but at the far end, perched atop the seventh tier, stood a golden lampstand larger than any Dane had ever seen. Three golden arms curved up on either side of its central column, and its solid base was inlaid with rubies. Jade squeezed his hand in a crushing grip. “Dane! It’s the menorah! The menorah!”

“I can’t get my camera to work either,” Amanda said as she and Bones walked up behind them. “It’s almost as if…” She stopped in mid-sentence as her eyes fell on the menorah. “I can’t believe it. I thought the Romans took it.”

“That was the one that was made after the Babylonian Exile,” Jade said, her voice soft with reverence. “This must be the original. Many believe that the shape of the menorah is influenced by the Aten symbol.”

“So what’s in the other transept?” Dane found that he could not bring himself to speak above a whisper in the face of such a holy sight. Moving as one, they all turned slowly about, and again were stunned by what they saw.

This transept, too, held no treasure save what stood at the end.

“I have to get a closer look at this,” Dane whispered. He leapt across the center channel, the others following behind, all in rapt silence. The steps of this chamber were lined with white marble, and the walls were lined with cedar. On the bottom level of the left side of the transept, spaced at three-foot intervals, stood a line of twelve golden lions. On the right, facing their counterparts, were twelve golden eagles. Each step at the far end of the transept was also flanked by a golden creature: A lion facing an ox, a wolf and a sheep, a tiger and a camel, an eagle and a peacock, a cat and a cock, and a sparrow opposite a dove.

“Six steps lead up to…” Jade whispered.

On the seventh step stood a throne of such magnificence that it almost hurt to look upon it. The seat was made of ivory, its frame of gold. Atop the seat stood a golden candelabra topped by a golden basin. Twenty four golden vines entwined above the throne, and topping it all was a dove clutching a tiny hawk in its claws.

“…Solomon’s throne.”

Dane dropped to his knees, and the others did the same. He took Jade’s hand in his left and Amanda’s in his right, who in turn took Bones’ hand. They remained there, in reverent silence, gazing upon what, until now, had only existed in memory and legend.

“I don’t understand,” he finally whispered.

“Understand what?” Jade asked, turning to stare at him.

“There are more clues,” he said, unable to take his eyes off the throne of the greatest king in Hebrew history. “This isn’t the end. But what else can there be?”

Bones stood and one-by-one hauled everyone to their feet. He looked at Dane with an unreadable expression.

“As to that question, my friend, there’s only one way to find out.”