Solomon's Gold

CHAPTER 39

They dragged the boat onto the beach, above the high water mark. The ground was hard packed and strewn with rocks, covered with wind-blown sand. Ahead, broken columns rose from a courtyard of stone, dark shapes silhouetted against the last of the light. With the end of the day, a strong breeze had sprung up. It made an eerie sound as it whistled through the ruins.

"This is spooky," Lamont said. "Something about it."

They reached the ruins. Selena walked over to a broken obelisk inscribed with hieroglyphics. She ran her fingers over the worn marks, her lips moving as she translated the symbols to herself.

"This temple was dedicated to Serket."

"Who's Serket?" Nick asked.

"She's called the scorpion goddess. She was supposed to have power over scorpions and poisonous snakes. That was good, if she liked you. Not so good, if she didn't. See? There's a picture of her, here. She's wearing a headdress that looks like a stylized scorpion."

"I hope we don't see any," Lamont said.

"Or snakes," Ronnie said. "I don't like snakes."

"You ever hold scorpion races, when you were in Iraq?"

Ronnie rubbed the side of his nose. "Not me, but some of the guys did. Those big sand colored ones. It was like herding cats."

The floor of the ruins was a rectangle, two hundred feet long and half as wide. In its time, it had probably been an important temple. The floor was uneven, buckled over the centuries with the movement of the earth. Large cracks ran through the stone tiles. Broken pieces of limestone scattered about were all that was left of the roof and the walls.

"I'm surprised any of the stone is left," Selena said. "Usually it's hauled away by the locals to build their houses."

"Maybe there's something they don't like about this place," Lamont said.

"The light will be gone soon," Nick said. "Spread out. Look for anything that could have been an entrance into whatever is under these ruins. Keep your lights pointed down."

"There must have been a stairway," Selena said, "but I don't see anything that looks like that."

Lamont started toward the corner of the temple floor. He'd almost reached it, when the floor moved under his feet.

"Nick…"

As Nick turned, the floor collapsed beneath Lamont's feet. His startled shout was cut short.

"Holy shit," Ronnie said.

They ran to the opening where Lamont had fallen through.

"Careful," Nick said. "The rest of it might go."

Nick lay down on the floor and crawled to the edge of the hole.

"Lamont. Are you okay?"

There was no answer. Nick shone his flashlight into the darkness. Lamont was sprawled below, unconscious. Something glittered at the edge of the light.

"Tie off a rope around a column," Nick said. "Looks like he's knocked out. I'm going down."

Ronnie grabbed rope from the pack and quickly knotted it around the nearest column.

"All set."

Nick threw the end of the rope into the opening and watched it fall to the floor below, next to Lamont.

"You two be ready to come down."

He stuck the flashlight in his pants pocket, took the rope in both hands and slipped over the edge of the opening. In seconds he was at the bottom.

He shone his light around the space, scarcely believing what he saw. He stood in the treasure room of the richest king in history. There was gold everywhere. The space was filled with treasure. Lamont had fallen into an open area in the midst of a sea of gold. The beam of the flashlight illuminated a row of golden statues, bins of gold coins, sealed chests stacked upon one another, bars of silver in neat piles.

A large scorpion scuttled away from the light.

Lamont groaned.

Nick shone the flashlight on his friend.

"Lamont. Wake up, buddy. Talk to me."

Lamont opened his eyes.

"Whoa," he said. "What…"

"You fell. The floor gave way. We're in the space underneath the ruins."

Lamont started to sit up. His face turned white with pain and he fell back against the floor. He clutched his left arm.

"Uhh. I think I broke something."

"Let me see."

Nick moved the light over Lamont's arm. The forearm was at an odd angle.

"Hang on."

Nick cut away the sleeve on Lamont's arm with his knife. The elbow was swollen, distorted and ugly. The forearm was slightly twisted.

"You dislocated your elbow," Nick said. "It looks pretty bad. I've got to set it back in place. If I don't, it could pinch the blood vessels and cause some real problems. It's going to hurt."

"Do what you have to do."

"Ronnie, come on down," Nick called.

Ronnie dropped down from above and knelt by Lamont. He looked at the elbow.

"Man, that's ugly."

"Anybody ever talk to you about your bedside manner?" Lamont said.

Nick pulled off his belt and folded it in half.

"Bite on this."

Lamont put the belt between his teeth.

"Get it over with."

"Ronnie, hold him down."

Ronnie put his hands on Lamont's shoulders and pressed down. Nick placed his hands on either side of the injured joint.

"Hey, Lamont, do you remember when you tried to pick up that redhead in Washington? The one with the…"

With a quick, powerful movement, Nick pulled and twisted, bringing the joint back where it belonged. Lamont screamed, the sound loud even through the belt between his teeth. Tears ran down his face. He reached up with his right hand and took the belt away.

"How does it feel?" Nick asked.

"Hurts like hell, but it's better."

"Don't move it."

"What was that about the redhead?"

"I figured it would hurt less if you didn't see it coming. I was trying to distract you."

"Yeah. Thanks, I guess. Here's your belt. A little chewed up."

Nick took the belt. "We have to rig a sling."

"What's happening down there?" Selena called.

"Come on down. Lamont needs a sling. Bring the pack."

A minute later Selena stood on the cavern floor. Ronnie shone his light around the space. Nick knelt by Lamont, rigging a sling.

"I don't believe this," Ronnie said.

Selena walked over to one of the gold statues.

She ran her hand over the smooth surface. The metal was cool to the touch.

"This is our old friend Baal," she said.

"Why would he be in here?" Nick asked.

"Solomon was famous for building temples to different gods," Selena said. "If you believe what's written in the Bible, that's why his kingdom fragmented after he died. It was God's punishment for his heresy."

"What do you think is in the chests?"

"Let's find out," Selena said.

She went to one of the wooden chests. Each one was the size of a small trunk. She lifted the lid. She reached in, took something out, and held it in front of her light. It flashed with brilliant, red fire.

"Rubies. The chest is filled with rubies."

"I wonder what all this stuff is worth?" Ronnie said.

"You can't put a price on it," Selena said. "No one's ever seen anything like this before."

Nick stood. "I guess we found what we were looking for."

"Don't move, Nick," Ronnie said. "There's a scorpion crawling up your leg."

Ronnie took a glove and slapped the scorpion away. It was an odd, greenish-yellow color. He stomped on it. It made a loud crackling noise under his boot.

"What's that over there?" Ronnie said. "Under the canopy?"

He shone his light on a limestone chest set on a raised plinth. A canopy of faded blue still hung above it, supported by four poles of gold. The chest was about three feet long and two feet high, and was carved with elaborate designs of vines and grapes.

"I think it's an ossuary," Selena said. "There's an inscription on it."

She knelt down by the box and brushed her fingers over the carved letters.

"Wow," she said.

"Wow, what?" Nick said.

"The inscription says, 'David. Son of Jesse.' It's King David. "

"The King David? The guy who took out Goliath?" Lamont said.

"Remember what Solomon wrote on the scroll? It said that his 'father kept sentry over the wealth.' It's his father inside the box."

"Hell of a way to end up for someone like David," Lamont said.

"We all end up like that," Ronnie said, "sooner or later."

"Man, you're a real bundle of sunshine, aren't you? That box gives me the creeps. Probably full of scorpions keeping him company."

"We should get out of here," Selena said.

"Right. Time to go home," Nick said.

"Perhaps not," an unfamiliar voice said from above.

Someone pulled the rope up through the opening.