The Hunt For Atlantis

TEN

France

Iran was a long way behind her. And thank God for that, thought Nina, as she gazed out from the hotel balcony over Paris. From the penthouse suite, she had a clear view across the city. Landmarks like Notre-Dame and, farther away, the Eiffel Tower stood out in their floodlit glory against the clear night sky as if placed there for her personal pleasure.

But sightseeing would have to wait. She had work to do first. And she didn’t seem to be getting anywhere.

Someone knocked on the door. “Come in,” she called, turning away from the balcony. Kari entered.

“Are you ready, Nina?” she asked.

“I don’t know…” Nina shot an aggrieved look at the Atlantean artifact, which was surrounded by her notes beneath an illuminated magnifying lens. “I’ve done as much as I can, but it’s not enough. I still can’t translate some of the symbols. Why, is your father waiting for me?”

Kari nodded, then smiled. “But don’t worry. You’re one of the few people in the world he’s willing to wait upon.”

“Well, I’m honored, but it doesn’t make me any less nervous.”

“There’s no reason to be nervous. You’re already closer to finding Atlantis than anyone since the ancient Athenians.”

“Yeah, and look what I’ve been through-what we’ve been through-to get there! I still don’t think I’ve got that horrible stink out of my hair.”

“Come on,” Kari said reassuringly, “let’s tell my father what you’ve found out.”

Nina picked up the artifact and Kari led her into the adjoining room, a lounge at the center of the suite. Chase lurked near the door, his jacket off and his Wildey’s shoulder holster in plain sight. Castille was absent; Nina suspected he was guarding the corridor outside. “Hi, Doc,” Chase said cheerfully. He nodded at the top-of-the-line laptop sitting on a table. “Hope you’ve got your makeup on, you’re going to be on camera.”

“Oh, we’re videoconferencing?”

“My father likes to talk face to face, even when he can’t do so literally,” said Kari. “Come on, sit down. Do you want anything?”

“No thanks.” Although she wouldn’t have minded a drink to settle her nerves.

Nina sat in front of the laptop, Kari joining her and tapping a key on the computer. The screen came to life, revealing Kristian Frost in his office. “Dr. Wilde! I’m glad to see you again!”

“I’m glad to be seen!” Nina told him. “It was a bit more… well, violent than I expected.”

“So I heard. Were there any problems getting out of Iran?”

“Nothing serious,” said Kari. “Mr. Chase’s local contacts got us back to Esfah?n, and the foundation’s influence with the government let us clear the country unchecked.”

“And Hajjar?”

“Dead.”

Frost nodded. “Good. A shame about the ten million dollars, but it’s a small price to pay.” His face became eager. “So, Dr. Wilde. Please tell me what you have found.”

Nina cleared her throat. “Well, I’m afraid it’s not a direct route to Atlantis, unfortunately. But it’s definitely a map of some kind.” She held up the metal bar, turning it to the laptop’s camera. “The line running down its length represents a river-the Glozel word is unmistakable. And there are other markings, which I’ve been able to partially translate.” She checked her notes. “‘Begin from north mouth of’ the something ‘river. Seven, south, west. Follow course to city of,’ um, something. ‘There to find…’ I’m afraid that’s all I’ve got so far. But these markings to each side, I think they show the number of tributaries you have to pass to reach the destination. Four on the left, seven on the right, and so on.”

Frost was intrigued. “I take it the words you can’t translate are not Glozel.”

“No. They’re actually more like hieroglyphics than letters, part of a different linguistic system. The frustrating thing is that they seem familiar, but I can’t place them. They could be a regional variation…”

“Interesting. Kari, can you take pictures of the markings and send them to me, please? I want a closer look.”

“Of course, Far,” Kari answered, using the Norwegian term for father. She took the artifact from Nina and started a program to photograph it with the laptop’s camera.

Chase came over as she worked. “So who are these Glozelians, Doc? I did GCSE history, but I’ve never heard of them.”

Nina laughed. “You wouldn’t have, because they don’t exist.”

He looked puzzled. “Eh?”

“Glozel is-at least at the moment-the oldest known written language,” she explained, “a sort of ancestor to several others, including Vinca-Tordos and Byblos.” Chase’s expression didn’t change. “Which I guess you’ve never heard of either!”

“I said I did GCSE history. I didn’t say I passed it.”

“It’s named after the town where it was discovered. Here in France, actually.”

Kari finished taking pictures and put the artifact down, addressing Chase as she sent the files to her father. “The Glozel Tablets were found in a cave beneath farmland in 1924 by a man called Émile Fradin. Because they indicated an earlier origin than any language known at the time, they were dismissed as fakes-but when they were tested with new dating techniques fifty years later, it turned out that they really did date back to at least 10,000 BC.”

Chase whistled. “Bloody hell. That’s really old.”

“There was a civilization using a complex written language in Europe several millennia before even the ancient Greeks,” said Nina, “and that civilization was widespread enough to influence the languages of the Phoenicians, the Greeks, the Hebrews… even the Romans and Persians.”

“And that civilization…” Chase gazed at the artifact, the golden reflected light illuminating his features from below. “You think it was Atlantis?”

“She does,” said Kari. “And so do I.”

“In that case? I do too.” He smiled at Nina. “So how do we find out which river to check?”

“That’s the problem,” Nina told him reluctantly. “I don’t know. This figure on the main inscription,” she pointed out the little group of seven dots, “seems to be some unit of distance. The words following it mean ‘south’ and ‘west.’ ”

Chase examined the artifact more closely. “So it could mean seven miles southwest of somewhere, or seven south and then go west…”

“Exactly. The problem is, we don’t know what units are being used, or even what they relate to-their ‘zero point.’ ”

“Atlantis, I’d guess.” Nina looked at him, impressed. “Hey, I’ve been known to use my brain from time to time.”

“Dr. Wilde,” said Frost over the videolink, catching everybody’s attention, “I’ve just looked at the markings. I didn’t expect that my knowledge would be any greater than yours, and I was right. I don’t recognize them either. But,” he went on, catching Nina’s glum expression, “I will arrange for an expert in ancient languages to view the artifact.”

Nina’s face fell further. “Oh. So you don’t need me anymore, or…”

Kari laughed. “Don’t be ridiculous, Nina! You’re the most important person on the entire mission! In fact, without you there wouldn’t even be a mission.”

“Kari is absolutely right, Dr. Wilde,” said Frost reassuringly. “You’re irreplaceable.”

“Our expert can decipher the remaining characters when he gets to Paris,” Frost said. “Then, once we know which river to search, we can prepare for a full expedition.”

“Wouldn’t it be easier just to e-mail this guy some pictures?” Nina asked.

“After your last experience, I don’t want anybody to see the artifact except under conditions we can totally control. The fewer people who know about it, the better.”

“Good point.”

Frost gave her a broad smile. “There’s no need to feel downhearted, Dr. Wilde. You’ve done excellent work! I think we’re now closer to finding Atlantis than ever before. Congratulations!”

The praise boosted Nina’s spirits immediately. “Thank you!”

“Since there’s nothing more you can do for the moment, I suggest you take a break and enjoy Paris. Kari can show you around. I’ll speak to you again soon. Good-bye.” The screen went black.

Kari checked her watch. “It’s a bit late to show you around town now, unfortunately. We should probably go to bed.”

“Oh, aye?” said Chase, waggling his eyebrows suggestively. Kari glared at him again. “Sorry, boss,” he said, without a hint of genuine contrition behind his smirk.

“Have you ever been to Paris before, Nina?” Kari asked.

“Yes, but only briefly. I was with my parents; they were going to an archaeological conference. And I was only nine, so I didn’t really appreciate it.”

Kari smiled. “In that case, tomorrow we’ll do something that you can appreciate.”

That something turned out to be art, cuisine… and shopping.

They spent the morning at the Louvre, Chase acting as Nina and Kari’s escort while Castille guarded the Atlantean artifact at the hotel, before moving on to Paris’s consumerist heart.

“Uh, I don’t think so,” said Nina, pausing at the entrance to Christian Lacroix’s store on the rue du Faubourg St-Honoré. “My credit card’ll spontaneously combust if I even look at the prices. I’m more of a T. J. Maxx kind of girl.”

“Thank God,” Chase exclaimed with a mocking smile. “Nothing more boring than standing about watching women try on clothes. Unless they’re bikinis.” Nina made a face at him, which only served to widen his grin.

“Don’t worry about it,” said Kari. “From now on, you have unlimited credit. The Frost Foundation will pay for anything you need. Or want, for that matter.”

“Seriously?” Nina asked.

Kari nodded. “Absolutely. Well, within reason. If you want to buy a Lamborghini, you should probably ask first! But you can get anything you want. Treat yourself.”

“Thank you,” said Nina, feeling oddly uncomfortable about receiving such largesse. It wasn’t something she was used to. She decided to restrain herself, whatever Kari might buy.

An hour later, she was staggered to realize that she’d spent almost a thousand euros. Definitely not T. J. Maxx prices. And that was barely a quarter of Kari’s total bill.

“Better be careful, Doc,” said Chase. “You get into the habit of spending that much, you’ll be in trouble when you get back to New York and blow your rent money on shoes!”

“I don’t think so,” Kari countered. “When we find Atlantis, money will be the last thing you need to worry about. We’ll take care of you.”

“Really? Thank you,” said Nina.

Kari smiled at her. “We always look after our own.”

Nina wanted to ask exactly what she meant by that, but Kari was already hailing a taxi.

Their next destination was a restaurant called L’Opéra. The place was busy with well-heeled Parisians enjoying the traditionally lengthy French lunch.

Nina didn’t think there were any tables available, but she soon discovered that for daughters of billionaire philanthropists, tables very quickly became available. “I despise crowds,” Kari sighed, after speaking to the maître d’ in perfect French and getting a flurry of activity from the staff in response. “It always reminds me that there are just too many people on the planet. The resources we have aren’t sustainable for a population of close to seven billion.”

Nina nodded. “Too bad there’s not much you can do about it.”

“We’ll see. The Frost Foundation is doing what it can.”

While they waited for the maître d’ to return, Chase examined a menu and grimaced. “I’m more of a fish and chips kind of bloke,” he objected. “Think I’ll sit this one out and grab a burger later.”

“First you complain that the Mona Lisa’s ‘a bit small and grubby,’ and now this? You’re such a philistine, Eddie,” Nina said, amused. “You’re not just going to sit there and get drunk, are you?”

“Not while I’m on the clock. Besides, I can keep a better eye on the entrance from the bar,” Chase told her. “Make sure nobody tries to ruin your dinner.”

“You, ah… you think there might be trouble?”

Chase gave her a smile that was simultaneously reassuring and ominous. “There’ll only be trouble if anyone tries anything. You two enjoy your nosh, I’ll watch out for you.” With a final survey of the other patrons, he headed for the bar, perching on a stool where he could observe the restaurant.

Their table now prepared, a waiter led Nina and Kari to it. Nina glanced over towards Chase once they were seated. “Do you think we really might be in danger?” she asked Kari.

“It’s always a possibility,” she replied. “Qobras and his people will almost certainly have found out by now that we escaped from Iran. Which is why we need to work as quickly as possible-the longer it takes, the greater the risk of him finding us.”

“And trying to kill us again?”

“We’re not going to allow that to happen,” Kari said firmly. Her expression softened. “Nina, I never thanked you properly.”

“For what?”

“You saved my life! In Hajjar’s fortress, when you shot at the helicopter. That was a very clever and incredibly brave thing to do.”

Nina blushed. “Ah, actually… I was terrified that if I shot the chopper, it would instantly blow up!”

Kari laughed again. “That only happens in movies! No, you were very brave, and I am incredibly grateful that you were.” She gently squeezed Nina’s hand. “If there is anything you ever need-anything-just ask me.”

A little overwhelmed, Nina had no idea what to say. “Thank you,” she eventually managed.

Kari held her hand for a moment longer before releasing it. “Anything for you.”

“So, er, do Eddie and Hugo get the same deal?” she asked, blushing again with the attention.

Kari’s smile became more jokey. “Not exactly. After all, they’re being paid to look after us!”

“From what Eddie said, it sounds like you don’t need anyone to look after you. Did you really escape from Hajjar on your own?”

“You helped me again! When you turned off the power,” she added on seeing Nina’s confusion. “It distracted them for a second, and I… Well, I’ve done a little self-defense training. And another reason I’m glad you cut the power when you did was because I think Hajjar was about to accept Qobras’s offer and shoot me.”

“That was Qobras?” Nina remembered the face of the man she’d seen on the videoconference split screen.

“You saw him?”

“Yes, there was a computer room in the basement; I saw him on a monitor.”

Kari looked solemn. “So now you know who we’re up against. And how ruthless he is. He offered Hajjar five million dollars to kill the Russian, Yuri, there on the spot. He’s an extremely dangerous man, a psychopath… and he will do anything to stop us from finding Atlantis. I won’t underestimate him again. But for now, we’re safe. We have the artifact, and more important, we have you. We’ll find Atlantis, I know it. Now,” she asked, “are you ready to order?”

By the time they returned to the hotel later that afternoon, Nina was exhausted. How much of it was just tiredness caused by touring Paris, and how much was a delayed reaction to her experiences in Iran, she didn’t know. All she did know was that before Frost’s expert in ancient languages arrived, she needed a nap.

Even lying on the huge, comfortable bed, however, Nina’s rest was uneasy. Part of her mind was still trying to process all the frightening and violent events she’d witnessed-been part of-since Starkman’s phone call. Her academic life in New York seemed almost like another world.

And even in her half-sleep, she couldn’t escape from the mysterious artifact, her mind still focused on the puzzle within her dreams. There was something about the piece, the strange feeling of memory she had experienced when holding it in the farmhouse.

Something familiar.

Something here.

Nina jolted to full wakefulness, knowing what it was, and how she knew it. She was curled up, knees tucked almost to her chest, one hand resting on the base of her neck.

Holding her pendant.

That was the sense memory she’d felt.

She leapt from the bed and raced to her desk. She snatched the artifact from under the magnifier and with her other hand hurriedly pulled the loop of the pendant over her head, holding the two pieces next to each other.

That was the connection! She’d had it all the time, and never even realized.

The telephone rang, startling her. Still clutching both pieces of metal, she clumsily picked up the receiver. “Yeah! Hello?”

“Nina?” It was Kari. “Are you all right?”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m fine! I just woke up.” She was about to tell Kari what she had just discovered, but the Norwegian spoke first.

“I just wanted to tell you that the expert is here, so when you’re ready, could you bring the artifact?”

Nina caught a glimpse of herself in a mirror. Her hair was standing up on one side where she’d slept on it. “Uh, can you give me five minutes?”

“That was seven minutes,” whispered Chase as Nina entered the lounge.

“Oh shut up,” she whispered back, looking around the room. Kari was sitting expectantly in an armchair, Castille leaned against the door to the corridor, eating an orange, and on a couch, sipping a cup of coffee, was…

“Hello, Nina,” said Philby, standing up.

“What are you doing here, Jonathan?” Nina blurted, thinking-hoping-this was a joke. Of all the people in the world Kristian Frost could have called upon to help analyze the artifact, he had chosen Professor Jonathan Philby?

“I think that’s the reason,” said Philby, looking down at the object Nina was carrying, wrapped in its cloth. “I got a call yesterday morning from none other than Kristian Frost, who told me that you’d helped find a most remarkable item but were having difficulty translating what was written on it. He asked if I would be willing to help you out. It was rather short notice, but…” He glanced at Kari. “Your father does have a way of making offers that can’t be refused!”

“Horse’s head in your bed?” asked Chase.

Philby looked at him uncomprehendingly. “No, a rather generous donation to the university. And, well, a flight in a private jet! Not something I’ve had the plea sure of before.”

“So, Jonathan,” said Nina, looking at him askance, “since when did you become the world’s greatest expert on ancient languages?”

“Really, Nina,” said Philby, “not wanting to blow my own trumpet, but I would have hoped you’d read my recent papers for the IJA. I think it’s fair to say that I’m one of the top five authorities in the world on the subject, and certainly the top man in the West. Although I’m sure Ribbsley at Cambridge would disagree!” He chortled at his joke, stopping when he realized that the absence of undergraduates in the room meant nobody else was laughing with him. “Well then,” he continued, “shall we have a look at what you’ve found?”

Nina carefully placed the artifact on the table as Kari adjusted a lamp to illuminate it. Philby’s eyes widened. “Oh, now that’s… that’s remarkable.” He looked up at Kari. “May I hold it?”

“Please do.”

Philby picked up the artifact, weighing it in his hands. “Heavy, but not pure gold, the color’s wrong… a gold-bronze-no, more like a gold and copper mix?”

“The word you’re looking for,” said Nina pointedly, “is orichalcum.”

“Let’s not jump to conclusions. Has a metallurgical analysis been done yet?”

“Not of the entire piece,” said Kari, “but a small sample has been tested, yes.”

“And?”

“And I believe Dr. Wilde is correct.”

Nina gave Philby a self-satisfied nod.

“I see.” Philby clearly had more to say, but kept it to himself. He turned the artifact over. “Small circular protrusion on the underside, and on the top surface… ah!” He shot Nina a smug smile. “Nina, I’m disappointed! Surely you can translate this!”

“I’ve translated most of it,” Nina snapped. “It’s a map, directions up a river to a city. I couldn’t identify the other characters, but they’re definitely not Glozel.”

“Well of course they’re not,” said Philby. “But really! How could you not recognize Olmec inscriptions?”

She looked more closely. “What? Those aren’t Olmec.”

“Not classical Olmec, but the family resemblances are unmistakable. Don’t you see?” He indicated certain characters. “Some of the symbols have been inverted or restyled, but they definitely-”

“Oh my God!” Nina exclaimed. “How the hell didn’t I see it?”

Kari peered at the artifact. “Then they are Olmec?”

“God, yes! I mean, like Professor Philby said, not the classical form of the symbology, but definitely a variant. Older?” She looked at Philby for affirmation.

He nodded. “Almost certainly. They’re less refined, and maybe with an influence from the Glozel in certain places. Very strange.” He leaned back. “Glozel alphabetical influences in proto-Olmec hieroglyphics? That ought to ruffle a few feathers…”

“Who or what is an Olmec?” Chase asked.

“An early South American civilization,” Nina told him. “They were at their height around 1150 BC, mostly on the southern coast of the Gulf of Mexico, but their influence went a lot farther inland.”

Chase shrugged. “Oh, those Olmecs.”

“Professor,” said Kari, “what does the rest of the inscription say? I assume you can translate the Olmec symbols.”

“I can certainly make an attempt. It may not be entirely accurate; as I said, the characters aren’t quite the same as the traditional forms, but… Well, let’s see, shall we?” He adjusted his glasses and leaned forward, Nina doing the same from the other side of the table.

“That first symbol, could it be-an alligator?”

“An alligator or a crocodile,” Philby mused.

Castille perked up. “The crocodile river? That could describe a few places that Edward and I have visited. There was one time in Sierra Leone -”

“The next word is a combination of symbols,” said Philby, ignoring him. “God… and water?”

“Or ocean,” Nina offered. “Hey! The god of the ocean! Poseidon!” She and Kari both said the name at the same moment.

“Begin from the north mouth of the crocodile river,” Philby went on.

“Seven, south, west. The river at seven, south, west, presumably,” said Nina. “Follow course to the city of Poseidon. There to find… to find what?” She tried to make sense of the remaining symbols. “Damn it. I’m not exactly fluent in Olmec.”

“Let me see…” said Philby, running a fingertip above the artifact. “This first symbol looks like the one for ‘home,’ but with these extra marks. It’s almost like ‘descendant’-no, ‘successor,’ but that doesn’t really fit.”

“Yes it does,” Nina realized. “Successor home-new home. There to find the new home of… of this symbol.”

“Hmm.” Philby leaned so close that his breath clouded on the artifact’s surface. “Now this one I really don’t recognize. It could be a representation of a personal name, or maybe a tribe…”

“Atlanteans.” Everyone turned to Kari. “The new home of the Atlanteans. That’s what it says.”

Philby pursed his lips. “Now, Ms. Frost, that could be wishful thinking. There are many other possibilities, which a detailed study of the ancient writings found in that region could clarify.”

“No,” said Nina, picking up the artifact. “She’s right. It has to be the Atlanteans. There’s nothing else it could be. The Atlanteans built a new home for themselves following the sinking of the island, somewhere in South America -and this piece is the map that’ll take us right to it. All we need is to identify the river. If we can work out what the numbers represent-”

“Or we could just do a pub quiz,” cut in Chase, grinning. “Seriously, Doc! South America! Big river full of crocodiles! What’s the first answer that comes into your head?”

“The… Amazon?” she answered, unsure if Chase was, as he put it, “taking the piss” again.

“Bingo! Come on, look how many notches directing you left and right there are on this map of yours, and each of them has a number next to it. If that’s how many tributaries you go past, that’s a bloody big river. And if there’s a lost city out there, it has to be in the Brazilian rain forest. If it was anywhere else, somebody would have found it already.” He looked over his shoulder towards Nina’s room. “You had an atlas in there, didn’t you? Hold on a minute.”

Chase jogged through the connecting door, returning with the large atlas, which he opened. “Here. There’s the northern mouth at Bailique, and if you go upstream you pass four tributaries on the left, seven on the right…” He laboriously tracked the route westward against the markings scribed into the orichalcum bar. “Eight on the left, and that brings you to the first big junction at Santarém.” The marking under his finger was more deeply indented than the others.

“Where it says to go right,” Nina said.

“So it’s working so far, then.” They followed the directions farther upriver until their course finally branched off the Amazon itself, onto a tributary over a thousand miles inland. The thin blue line on the page of the atlas continued westward for another hundred miles before stopping. There were still several more direction markings left to follow on the artifact.

“We need a better map,” said Kari. “Satellite imagery too.”

“But at least we know the general area,” Nina said excitedly. “Somewhere along the Tefé river. Right in the middle of the rain forest!”

“A proto-Olmec civilization, that far inland?” wondered Philby. “That doesn’t fit with any of the current theories about their origins and population distribution.”

“Nor does Atlantis, but things seem to be holding up so far,” said Nina, slightly caustically.

Philby huffed. “And how exactly would the Atlanteans be able to sail from the Gulf of Cádiz, according to your theory, all the way across the Atlantic? Even if we accept that the Sea People of ancient legend were in fact the Atlanteans, a journey of a few hundred miles in a trireme is rather different from a journey of several thousand. Especially when they had no way to navigate!”

“Actually,” Nina said, “they did have a way to navigate.”

“What do you mean?” Kari asked.

“I just realized it before you called me.” Nina picked up the artifact. “There was something about this that felt familiar, but I couldn’t work out what until now. Look.” She held the piece by the circular protrusion, letting it swing gently from her fingers like a pendulum. “It’s meant to hang down, like this. And then…” She held her pendant beneath the curved end of the artifact. “They match up exactly. My pendant has a few numbers marked on it, and if you extend it along the same curve and also continue the sequence of numbers… Well, with a sighting system of some kind, like a mirror that fits in the little slot, then you’ve got a way to measure the angle of inclination of an object relative to the horizon!”

“An object like a star?” asked Kari, caught up in Nina’s rising excitement. “Or the sun?”

“Exactly! It’s a sextant! The Atlanteans had a navigational instrument in 10,000 BC that wasn’t reinvented until the sixteenth century!”

“Imagine the military advantage that would give them over any other nation of the time…” Kari said thoughtfully.

Chase looked doubtful. “It’s not exactly like they had GPS.”

“Well no, because to work out longitude you need a very accurate chronometer, and it’s a stretch to think the Atlanteans were that advanced,” Nina said. “But a sextant lets you calculate latitude, how far north or south you are, with reasonable accuracy by using the sun or a star as a guide, as long as you adjust your calculations for the time of year. Which every ancient civilization with knowledge of astronomy was able to do.” She held up the two orichalcum pieces and pretended to take a sighting on Chase’s forehead, swinging her pendant back and forth as if it were part of a larger arc centered on the bar’s pivot. “Without something like this, the only way to navigate at sea is to either follow the coastline looking for landmarks, or use dead reckoning-just head in a particular direction and hope you don’t go off course.”

“But being able to calculate latitude makes longer voyages possible,” added Kari.

“Yeah. In fact…” Nina showed Chase the markings on the bar again. “The number here, seven, then south and west-the seven could be a latitude using whatever scale the Atlanteans worked in, and the compass directions…” The thought that had been taking form in her mind finally solidified. “It’s telling the user how to get to the river on the map from Atlantis! Go south to what they called latitude seven, then turn west. As long as you’re at the right latitude, then all you need to do is keep going west and you’ll eventually reach your destination. Since we know where their latitude seven is, that means…”

Kari completed her thought. “That means, if we can determine exactly how many degrees are in an Atlantean unit of latitude, we can backtrack and work out the exact location of Atlantis!”

“Okay, so,” said Chase, “all we need to do to find Atlantis is mount an expedition into the middle of the Amazon jungle, find a lost city and see if it’s got any old maps still knocking around?”

Nina nodded. “More or less.”

“Yeah, I’m up for that,” he said with a mock casual shrug.

Philby stood up. “Ms. Frost?”

“Yes?”

“This may be completely out of line, but… if your initial surveys show that there may indeed be a lost city somewhere along the Tefé, would it be possible for me to accompany your expedition?”

“Wait, Jonathan, let me get this straight,” said Nina, scenting victory. “Are you saying that now you do believe I was right all along and that Atlantis really existed?”

“Actually,” Philby sniffed, “I was thinking more about the importance of discovering evidence of a pre-Olmec civilization and the chance to study its language firsthand. It would be an incredible find. Any connection to Atlantis would be… well, a bonus.”

Kari was slightly thrown by Philby’s request. “I’ll check with my father, Professor, but… Are you sure that would be practical? We will be going deep into the jungle-and what about your commitments to the university?”

“I think I can arrange the time off-I am the head of the department, after all!” Philby laughed. “Besides, if Dr. Wilde can take off at a moment’s notice on an expedition around the world…” He gave Nina a pointed look. “It’s been several years since I went properly out into the field, but I’ve been to worse places than the jungle, believe me.”

“Then as I said, I’ll check with my father. But for now…” They shook hands. “Welcome aboard, Professor.”

“Thank you,” Philby replied.

Nina put her pendant back around her neck and placed the artifact on the map of Brazil. She gazed at the blank swath of green surrounding the Tefé river, trying to imagine what she would find there. “So,” she whispered, “that’s where you went…”