The Forbidden Tomb

66

In case of emergencies, Manjani had memorized a wide variety of escape routes from Amorgos. He knew the schedule of every ferry with service from Katapola and the northern port of Aegiali. He also had the names of a few local fishermen who would be more than willing to take him from the island for the proper compensation.

And yet none of those was good enough for Cobb.

Not with so much at stake.

With a single call to Papineau, he arranged for a seaplane to pick them up near the harbor and whisk them back toward Alexandria. Five hours later, they were touching down in the blue water several miles from the Egyptian coast, where McNutt and the speedboat greeted them. Tired from their journey, few words were spoken until they reached the yacht.

Manjani stared at the vessel in total disbelief. He was used to canvas tents and broken cots, not multimillion-dollar boats. ‘This is your base of operations?’

Cobb nodded. ‘Make yourself at home.’

As they crossed the aft deck Papineau stepped out from the lower lounge to greet them. He was anxious to hear Manjani’s take on things, but he didn’t want to pepper him with questions just yet. ‘I trust the arrangements were satisfactory?’

Sarah nodded. ‘I have to give you credit: you’re one hell of a travel agent.’

‘Thank you, my dear. I’m glad you approved.’

Cobb patted him on the shoulder. ‘She’s right. Nice work.’

Papineau smiled. ‘For once, it seems I have done something right. Perhaps the tide is turning, and there are clearer seas ahead.’

‘Let’s hope,’ Cobb said with a shrug. ‘In the meantime, I need to hit the head. How does the command center in ten minutes sound?’

‘Ten minutes is fine, but let’s meet in the lounge instead. I think that would be better for Hector.’

Cobb grimaced. He sensed something was wrong.

Before Cobb had a chance to find out, Papineau extended his hand toward their guest. ‘Dr Manjani, I presume? I am your host, Jean-Marc Papineau. It’s good to have you aboard. Please let me know if I can do anything to make your stay more comfortable.’

Manjani noticed Papineau’s designer suit and guessed that it cost more than the cottage on Amorgos. ‘Thank you. I appreciate the hospitality.’

Papineau smiled warmly. ‘Josh, would you please show Dr Manjani to the lounge? I need to have a quick word with Jack before we start our briefing.’

‘No problem,’ said McNutt as he took Manjani’s elbow and led him inside. ‘Hey, are you really a doctor? Because I have this rash on my thigh that won’t go away. I can take off my pants, if you’d like.’

Cobb rolled his eyes but let it pass. For the time being, he was more interested in what Papineau had to say about Garcia than Manjani’s response to McNutt. ‘So, what’s going on with Hector?’

‘I’m afraid he’s rather agitated,’ Papineau answered.

‘That time of the month?’ Sarah asked.

Papineau ignored the wisecrack. ‘He’s having a few issues with the star map that you asked him to analyze. He can’t come up with a solution, and he feels like he’s letting us down — particularly Jasmine. Right now, he’s a bit of an emotional wreck.’

Cobb appreciated the insight. ‘Is it really that bad?’

‘I’m afraid it is. I fear he’s close to his breaking point.’

Sarah patted Papineau on the back and reassured him. ‘Don’t worry, Papi. It will be all right. We’ll take it easy on him. I promise.’

Ten minutes later, Sarah wanted to scratch Garcia’s eyes out. ‘We did the hard part! We found the goddamn map! All you have to do is math!’

Garcia yelled back. ‘For the last time: I can’t figure out the equation if I don’t have all the variables! It’s impossible! It can’t be done!’

‘Then tell me what you’re missing so we can figure this out!’

‘It’s not just one thing, Sarah! There are just too many factors involved!’

Cobb heard the commotion and hustled into the lounge. He found McNutt, Manjani, and Papineau standing in the back, watching the fight from afar. None of them was tempted to intervene. In fact, McNutt was eating a sandwich.

Cobb knew they didn’t have time for arguments, not at this stage of the game. So he ordered the two combatants to shut the hell up and sit the fuck down at the center table. Then he sat on the chair between them to put a stop to their squabbling.

‘Hector,’ Cobb said, ‘Dr Manjani is here to help you solve the problem. Ask him whatever you need to ask. Hopefully he can fill in some of the gaps.’

Manjani tentatively approached the table.

Garcia took a deep breath, trying to calm his nerves. ‘Doctor, I’m not challenging your assertion of a star map. I’m really not. Based on my comparisons with current charts, I agree that the markings on the dome correspond to visible stars in the nighttime sky. But my question is this: are you sure that the map is meant to point to some specific location? Is there a chance we’re reading too much into it?’

‘I believe the map will tell us where to go,’ Manjani answered as he settled into a chair. ‘The ancient priests spent their lives studying the sky above them, and their understanding of celestial bodies was truly remarkable. Not only were they able to use the stars to navigate through the barren desert, but they actually constructed many of their temples in accordance with astronomic phenomena.’

Papineau was familiar with the concept. ‘For instance, the pyramids in Giza correlate to the stars in Orion’s belt. Their size, their spacing, their alignment, all mimic what was seen in the heavens.’

Manjani nodded. ‘That’s nothing compared to the Temple of Amun in Karnak. It was built along the precise rise of the midwinter sun. It is only during that period that the structure is fully illuminated. At all other times, the angles of the inner walls prevent the light from penetrating deep into the temple.’

‘What’s your point?’ Garcia demanded.

Manjani smiled in return. As a college professor, he was used to highly intelligent students with anxiety issues. He knew the best way to calm them down was to relate to them in simple terms. ‘Tell me, are you familiar with Indiana Jones?’

Garcia grinned at the mention of one of his favorite fictional characters. ‘Of course I am. He’s the whole reason I learned how to use a bullwhip.’

‘Kinky,’ Sarah muttered under her breath.

Manjani ignored her comment and continued. ‘Remember the scene in Raiders of the Lost Ark where Indy used a wooden staff and a special jewel to create a shaft of light that showed him where to dig?’

‘Great scene. One of my favorites.’

‘Mine, too,’ said McNutt as he rushed forward. ‘Please tell me that we’re looking for the Well of Souls. If so, I know how to deal with the snakes. Napalm.’

Manjani laughed. ‘Sorry to disappoint you, but the Well of Souls was discovered a long time ago. Furthermore, it’s located in the depths of Jerusalem, not Tanis, Egypt, but that’s beside the point. The main thing to remember is that the scene with the beam of light was based on real archaeological evidence.’

‘Really?’ Garcia asked.

Manjani nodded. ‘For instance, the Serapeum in Alexandria, which is quite near the grotto, was constructed so precisely that it did not even require a jewel. The temple was designed in such a way that the structure itself would focus a beam of sunlight into an inner chamber and onto the statue of the god Serapis as a way to honor him.’

He glanced around the lounge, making eye contact with everyone on the team. ‘As improbable as it may seem, I assure you that Egyptian priests had a masterful knowledge of the stars above and how they related to the earth below. Now all we have to do is crack their map and figure out where it’s pointing.’