Curse of the Pharaoh: A Brock Stone Adventure

8 The Map

Riverbend was the name old Georgian Colonial mansion Stone had inherited from his grandfather, Samuel Stone. The three-story brick home stood on a rise looking down on the Potomac. Surrounded by forest, it could not be seen from the road. Few would suspect that a mansion lay at the end of the winding dirt drive.

When they reached Stone’s home, Alex hopped off the bike and walked ahead of them up the driveway, pausing the security features he had installed. The previous year, John Kane had sent one of his goons to Riverbend in an attempt to murder Stone. After that, Alex applied his considerable skills to developing a variety of defenses to keep unwanted intruders away.

Once inside the mansion, they made their way down to the secret library where Samuel Stone concealed his treasures. It was an amazing room filled with books, documents, artifacts, and numerous hidden compartments and secret vaults. Samuel Stone had not bothered to tell his grandson about any of them. Instead, the old man had left clues for Brock to follow. It was just like the old man to create a quest to make his grandson prove his worth.

“Let’s take a look at your map,” Stone said to Alex. They spread it out on a table and used old books to hold down the corners. The map showed a river, an island, an obelisk, and a pyramid. Other places on the map were marked with symbols. They examined the map at length. Nothing was labeled, nor was there a compass rose to show which way was north.

“How are we ever going to find out where this place is?” Constance asked.

“It’s got to be somewhere in Egypt,” Alex said.

“Thank you for stating the obvious.” Sarcasm dripped from Constance’s words.

“Can the two of you please snipe at one another on your own time?” Trinity said. “You are beginning to annoy.”

“I could make the same request of you and Stone almost every day.” Alex grinned.

“I do not snipe. I merely correct Brock when he needs it.”

“Which is apparently all the time.” Stone winked to show he was joking. Trinity replied with an arched eyebrow and a cold stare.

“This is no ancient scroll. The paper is fairly new. I believe Orion Crowley drew this map,” Stone said. “But where does it lead?”

“If we assume the river is the Nile, we can search for this bend in the river,” Trinity said. “This island is distinctive in shape. Perhaps we can match it up and then look for the pyramid.”

“And the obelisk.” Alex tapped the map. “Of course, there are a lot of obelisks in Egypt so that might not be of much help.”

Moses entered the library, carrying a steaming mug of coffee. He paused, scanned the map. “Somebody taking a tour of the city?” he asked.

“What are you talking about,” Trinity asked.

“Ain’t that the Washington Monument?” He pointed to the obelisk. “That there is Roosevelt Island for sure. And that’s the Lincoln Memorial.” He pointed to the pyramid.

“The Lincoln Memorial isn’t a pyramid,” Alex said.

“It was planned to be, but it was changed at the last minute,” Constance said. “The original designs are on display. It’s fascinating how much influence Egypt had on Colonial Architecture.”

“That’s because all the people in charge back then was Illuminati,” Moses said.

“Maybe,” Stone said, “but I think you’re spot-on about the map. Brilliant!”

“Why would Orion draw a map of the city and hide it inside his cane?” Alex asked.

“To find the answer to that question, I guess we’ll have to follow the clues. Tell us again what you overheard,” Stone said to Alex.

“I heard Fischer say something about canopic jars and the heart of the Night Queen.”

“I don’t know that name.” He frowned, remembering something else Alex had said. “Are you certain she said the heart?” He glanced at Alex, who nodded. “That’s odd. When you searched the exhibit, did you happen to notice the jars?”

“Yes, there were five of them.”

“Five? Strange indeed. Traditionally, there were four jars — one each for the liver, lungs, stomach, and intestines. The heart was believed to contain the spirit of the deceased, so it remained with the body.”

“Why did they put their internal organs in jars?” Constance asked.

“To preserve them for the afterlife.” He turned to Alex. “What else did you hear?”

“There was something written on the lost corner of the map. A riddle or clue of some sort.” Alex took out a scrap of paper, cleared his throat, but before he could begin, Constance snatched the paper from him and read aloud.

“In the eye of the Star

Established in Strength and Wisdom

Within the pontiff’s great temple

Beneath the seat of Apollo”

“And then there are some numbers,” Constance finished.

“What in the world does that mean?” Alex asked. “Maybe be the Vatican?:

“The Vatican certainly fits the clue ‘within the pontiff’s temple’,” Constance mused. “Established in strength and wisdom fits, presuming one views the Church in a favorable light. In the Bible, the star symbolizes Christ.”

“And Lucifer,” Moses offered.

“That’s a comforting thought,” Alex said. “Might the numbers be map coordinates?”

“You’re all forgetting something very important,” Trinity said.

“What is that?” Constance sounded annoyed.

“We have already determined that this is a map of Washington. And now that I have heard the clues, I think I know the place we are looking for.” She picked up a pencil, bit her lip as she concentrated on the map.

“Are you planning on sharing with the group?” Constance asked.

Trinity ignored her. After a few more seconds of thought, she marked five locations on the map.

“It’s a pentagon,” Constance said.

“That’s one possibility, but here is another.” From each point, she drew a line to a spot in the middle, then drew a circle around that spot. “See? A star.”

“A Seba.” Stone remembered exactly when and where he had last seen that symbol. And what he had done that night.

“Earth to Stone,” Alex said.

Stone blinked. “Sorry. A Seba is an ancient Egyptian star emblem. The star represents the gods. The circle symbolizes the passage into the Underworld.” He frowned. “Trinity, what is this spot you’ve marked?”

“The House of the Temple.” A note of triumph resounded in her voice.

Stone knew the place. It was the Masonic headquarters of the American South and it was rumored to contain more than its share of secrets.

“It’s a place I researched when digging into John Kane’s connections to the Illuminati,” Trinity said. “It all fits. Orion was a Freemason. ‘In the eye of the star,’ would be the Seba.” She tapped the map. “Outside the temple are two sphinx statues. Guess what they are called?”

“Strength and Wisdom?” Moses said.

“Got it in one. And the word ‘established’ is written in hieroglyphics on the side of each.”

“Where does the pontiff fit in?” Constance asked.

“The building was designed by John Russell Pope!” Stone said.

“Exactly,” Trinity said dryly. “And stop interrupting.” She flashed him a wink and smiled.

“You’re right,” Stone said. “You figured it out first. Please continue.”

“Inside the temple is a seat carved into the marble overlook. with the words ‘Know Thyself’ written on it, which is one of the maxims inscribed on the pediment of the temple of Apollo at Delphi.”

Stone looked at the numbers written beneath the clue and he had an idea. “The temple is known for its library. Lots of old and rare items, maybe even some things kept hidden. What if these are call numbers?”

“We’re looking for a book?”

“Or something hidden beside or inside a book.”

“Brilliant!” Alex said. “But how are we going to break into a place that many believe is an Illuminati stronghold?”

Moses cleared his throat. Everyone turned to look at him.

“I believe I can help y’all with that.”