The Atlantis Cipher

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Lucie began to pace, but the slight roll of the plane made it too difficult and she grabbed hold of a seat back.

“Remember I stressed that the Atlanteans were an advanced seafaring people? Well, through history it has often been believed that the mariner’s compass existed long before we thought. It seems as far back as you can study ancient races of the world there is some knowledge of the magnetic stone. Europeans routinely claimed new inventions that were in fact just plagiarized from older populations. First, the compass was believed to be invented by Amalfi in 1302, but an Italian poem from 1190 refers to its use by sailors. And, of course, it is now known to have been used by the Vikings back in AD 868—five hundred years earlier than we first thought. Sanskrit has been a dead language for twenty-two hundred years but refers to ‘the precious stone beloved of iron,’ and ‘the stone of attraction.’ And even the Phoenicians placed a representation of the compass at the prow of their ships. Again, I mention this to back up my findings.”

The team drew a collective breath, but said nothing.

“There is a clear line of progression here that passes the compass from the Atlanteans to the Hindus to the Chinese. But this is the one thing everyone is clear on — all civilizations where the compass has been found associate it with territories where Atlantean myths prevail. The compass is older than we have been led to believe, people, much older.”

Bodie shifted in his seat as winds gently rocked the plane. “You’re saying that the man who forged the statues nine thousand years ago also made a compass? And you’re saying that’s the next clue?”

“If I am reading the verse correctly, yes. Don’t you see it?”

“Well, I guess so, but you’re the historian.”

“Of course. So true. In fact, I already found out the man’s name. It is Danel, and was carved on the base of every statue. A signature.”

“So we’re searching for Danel’s Compass, a little known historical relic, in the whole of Europe?” Jemma asked, looking confused. “Surely you have more to go on than that?”

“I seriously doubt you would need more.”

Jemma bit her tongue. “If you’re about to say ‘We’re the relic hunters,’ I’m gonna—”

“Not at all.” Lucie looked confused. “I was merely offering the floor to Agent Moneymaker here, and the CIA.”

Jemma inclined her head. “All right, I admit the reasoning’s sound.”

Heidi moved over to stand next to the history expert. “Of course, Lucie is right. She suggested in private that we should search for an object by the name of Danel’s Compass. We’ve been scouring the databases for the last few hours.”

“You couldn’t just tell us before all the… rhetoric?” Cassidy asked.

“Again,” Lucie said with confusion in her eyes, “don’t you want to know why you’re going where you’re going? Don’t you want to question the evidence? I present it as best I can, but even my reasoning can occasionally be flawed.”

Bodie turned to address the others. “She’s right, you know. Who here would embark on a heist without questioning every blueprint, every camera position, every laser sight?”

Lucie cleared her throat. “Umm… laser sight? I hope this won’t be too dangerous.”

“Don’t worry about it, love,” Bodie said. “That’s the least of your worries now that you’re working for thieves who work for the CIA who may or may not have the full backing of the US government. Depending on who you speak to. Is that about right, Heidi?”

The agent ignored his question. “I, for one, wouldn’t join an op that hadn’t been scrutinized down to the last possible element. Thank you, Lucie.”

“You’re welcome, I think.”

“Listen,” Cross spoke up. “We’re about halfway into this journey. Do we know where we’re even going?”

Now Heidi smiled. “Oh yeah,” she said. “Have you ever visited the Swiss Alps?”