The Secret of the Ancient Alchemist (10 page)

“
And, you
got a grasp of all that from deciphering the Quipus?”

“
Yes. I
used a ten-bit binary code. I had to work out the meaning of
coloured threads. Blue meant sky, green earth, red, fire and so on.
Gold was a fairly common metal in Inca time. The threads were used
for gods. I had to consider the alignment of the knots, type of
knots and size, the length of the vertical and horizontal threads.
I also sent the Inca data to Peter Langley at the Chandra
Observatory for further clarification.”

“
He has
one hell of a decoding system down there.”

“
He
does.”

Olsen pulled a
sheet of paper from his pocket and placed it on the table, pressing
it to remove its creases.

“
This
gives you an idea of what the numerical data looks
like.”

847-937-577-667-847-
mn
-847-937-577-667-847-
mn

“
These
are combinations of the number nineteen.”

“
The date
was woven many times by Inca astronomers. From all the data I
collected, I found two recurring numbers. I’m looking for a third.
The numbers are added to the date of the last solar
eclipse.”

They leaned
back as the waiter placed the bottles of cold beer on the table.
Folding their arms, they took some time with their thoughts. Trays
of food whizzed past their heads as the restaurant grew more
crowded by the minute. People waited with impatient glances.

Olsen pushed
back the ash-blonde curls from his face, unfazed by stares coming
from two female diners not far from him. His presence commanded
attention, as much as Hart’s did. He looked a barrel of health with
his ruddy, tanned complexion. His bushy eyebrows framed his grey,
alert eyes. He turned as Hart spoke again.

“
So, when
was the date actually recorded?”

“
In 1533,
during the reign of Atahualpa,” he replied pouring his beer into
his glass. “What’s fascinating is that Atahualpa said the gods will
return and set the earth right. He spoke of the goddess, Pachamama,
who’s the mother of Inti. After the Inca converted to Catholicism,
she became synonymous with the Virgin Mary.”

The Inca data
was interesting, Hart thought. “There’s some semblance to
Christianity here, isn’t there?” he said.

“
Seems
so. It’s strange, isn’t it?”

“
It is.
By the way, could the Incan new age be the same as the Toltec’s
prediction of a new dawn?”

“
You’re
talking about the civilization that predated the
Aztecs?”

“
The
Toltec left us a stone calendar which doesn’t give dates but
depictions. One is of the emergence of a new era.”

“
Their
leader, Quetzalcoatl, regarded as the feathered serpent, was
described by Spanish clerics as St. Thomas. There’s so much that’s
fascinating about the continent, it’s hard to deny that gods were
here. Inti, by the way, means
he who shakes the earth
.” Olsen drained his glass and placed it down.
“Tom, there’s something I have to tell you and I think the custom
came from him.”

Chapter 25

Hart didn’t
know of Inca history but he figured what Olsen was about to say
might add to his belief that humans harboured a realm. Forces in
other realms communicated with them through their realm. His
thoughts were running so much he could barely eat.

“
What’s
the custom?” he asked.

“
First of
all, Tom, I verified a claim made around the sixteenth century by
Blas Valera, a half Spanish, half Inca Jesuit priest. He taught
Christianity in Andean terms. Valera wrote a lot about Inca culture
and religion but his works were destroyed.”

“
Purposely?”

“
I
believe so.”

“
What a
pity.”

“
He
recorded some in Quipu which survived.”

“
Smart
guy.”

“
Valera
was eventually incarcerated by the Spanish for his unorthodox,
unacceptable teachings.”

“
If you
consider Pachamama to be the Mother of the god, Inti, and Viracocha
his father, then, that would be sort of similar, I
suppose.”

“
Valera
said human sacrifice never happened. The Inca were civilized
people. Valera also claimed Atahualpa was a saint.”

“
A
saint?”

“
Atahualpa despised and rejected the Spanish. He was killed
for his custom which the Spanish regarded as heresy.”

“
And,
what was it?”

“
He
showed how people could venture into an altered state and acquire
powers to heal. He showed them how to receive messages.”

“
See?
There’s a realm in us. Who taught him?”

“
Royals
were tutored by shamans called
Amautas
who got it from Inti.”

“
Any
accounts of what he saw in an altered state?”

“
According to one account, he saw a place where rivers
flowed through gardens lit like Christmas trees, a kingdom of love
and happiness. His ancestors told him his kingdom would end. He
knew the Spanish were coming long before they actually
did.”

“
Fascinating, that’s absolutely remarkable. It’s not easy to
enter altered states. Few can. It takes years to achieve it, to
open up a new consciousness. How old was Athualpa when he
died?”

“
Thirty
six.”

“
He was
very young.”

Hart picked up
his knife and fork. The stares coming from female diners at a table
next to him hadn’t lessened. He was beginning to feel
uncomfortable. Olsen wasn’t bothered one bit.

“
The nice
lady to the left fancies you,” he said, his eyes
twinkling.

“
Maybe
it’s you. You seem to have the knack for the opposite
sex.”

“
It’s my
legs. It works all the time. You should wear shorts sometimes.
You’re always so dressed.”

“
By the
way, how’s Myrtle doing?”

“
Tired of
me working all the time, I guess. I’m almost through and I’ll have
a lot of time to spend with her. She’s pregnant.”

“
What?
You’re going to be a father?”

“
I guess.
I’m twenty-nine and it’s time I laid down some roots.”

Olsen looked as
if he was just about to give Hart a lecture on women. Hart
certainly didn’t want to hear any of that and neither did he have
any desire to mention Jude.

“
We must
really start looking for the ancient text,” he reminded Olsen
again.

“
It’s
going to be tough. You’re bent on finding it, aren’t
you?”

“
I have
to.”

Olsen wiped his
mouth with a napkin and checked the time on his diving watch. It
was 1.55 PM.

“
We can’t
put this off any longer, Tom. I know a great place to start
looking.”

Chapter 26

Yale’s
School of Divinity Library
was miles away in New Haven, Connecticut. It
consisted of three major libraries, the Trowbridge, Sneath Memorial
and Day Missions. The centre began its operations back in 1919 and
grew to be the most important theological centre in the
world.

It was past
five when they stared at the ground floor of the library and headed
to the circulation desk.

“
Hi,”
they said approaching a stern-faced librarian.

She didn’t
immediately answer but stared at them, her eyes scanning the knee
length grey coat Hart wore and the antique watch that hung from its
lower pocket. Resting on his top pocket were a gold plated
Schaeffer pen and a silk handkerchief. Olsen was still in
shorts.

“
Something I can help you with?” she asked finally, noting
urgency in their eyes.

“
Problem
is we’re not sure of what.”

“
You’re
not?”

“
Maybe we
could take a look at the manuscripts of early
Christians.”

“
Mr.
eh?”

“
Olsen.”

“
Mr.
Olsen, we have thousands of references. You can check through the
index in the computer room. It’s on your right.”

Two doors down,
they entered the compact room. Hart typed ‘Christian Egyptian Era’
on a keyboard and waited.

“
Elumine?” he frowned as a site came up.

“
It means
to illuminate text with gold and silver, Tom. Scroll down.” Halfway
along, Olsen spoke again. “Wait a minute. The Monastery of St.
Catherine. Might that lead us to something?”

“
It dates
back to the sixth century and it’s located at the foot of Mount
Sinai between the Desert El- Tih and the Gulf of Aqaba.”

“
It’s
known as the Monastery of Transfiguration. Its chapels and ruins
date from the time of Exodus. There’re quite a number icons
associated with this monastery. One shows the Prophet Elijah
looking at an illuminated Christ. Okay, scroll further.”

“
Document, document,” Hart mumbled staring at the screen.
“I’m not seeing anything remotely connected to a kingdom
within.”

“
Maybe we
should visit this monastery, Tom.”

“
It’s
probably just rocks and stones. I’m looking for a manuscript with
specific reference to a realm within. I know it exists. A god won’t
take an earthly manifestation without leaving guidelines
behind.”

“
I have a
funny feeling they were all destroyed.”

Olsen’s remark
didn’t brighten Hart’s day.

“
By
whom?” he asked.

“
The
early Christians. Many things were regarded as heresy, particularly
matter.”

Turning the
computer off, they went back to the desk where the librarian was
sitting staring at her notes.

“
Hi,
we’re looking for the Egyptian Book of the Dead,” Hart
said.

She peered
through her thick Lens Crafters. “Go to the Special Reading Room on
Floor three. Make sure you have your clearance cards with you.”

Soon, their
heads were buried in the excerpts of the three thousand year old
manuscript.

“
The book
deals mainly with the afterlife, Olsen.”

“
According to it, a deceased enters another world and
regains speech and mobility. Once vindicated, he becomes a god. You
may be right about humans becoming gods after all.”

“
There’s
a way to get there, a way to set the mind. Where can we get a text
that explains it all?”

“
Does
scripture exist in books other than the main holy
books?”

“
It does,
Olsen.”

Placing the
manuscript away, they headed back to the circulation desk.

“
Is there
something else that you’re looking for?” The librarian was
beginning to wonder what they were up to.

“
We’re
looking for the hidden gospels,” Hart said.

“
They’re
in libraries and collections all over the world. We do have
snippets of the Gospel of Thomas.”

Hart’s mood
darkened. It wasn’t the gospel he was looking for.

“
Still
look at them,” Olsen advised.

“
But, I
did, months ago.”

“
Look
again. This is an original Coptic version.”

Hart headed
back to the quiet yet formidable reading room. In less than five
minutes, he was peering at five fragments laid out in glass along
with their translations. The gospel fragments were of papyrus,
etched in an ancient pigment. His eyes moved over each one of them.
His allotted time was going very fast, he noted, glancing at the
clock on the wall. Still, he was sure he had read it all. But, with
thirty seconds remaining, he frowned. His eyes came to rest on five
lines in Fragment 1.

“
Olsen,
look at this,” he said quietly.

“
Read it
out.” Olsen followed his focus.

“
And, the
seeker of truth will be astonished.”

“
Astonished by what, Tom?”

With ten
seconds left, Hart’s eyes hadn’t moved from the lines.

“
Come on,
Tom, hurry.”

“
Before…before…” Hart stopped again. “I can’t believe I
missed this.”

“
Damn,
read it!”

“
The
seeker of truth will be astonished. Before you come to recognize
yourself you must first recognize what is in your sight. Then, what
is hidden will become plain to you.”

“
That’s
astonishing. Are you sure?”

“
I’m a
hundred percent sure.”

“
That’s
confirmation of a realm. It may even be in us. You’re damned right,
Tom.”

Hart grinned.
“Someone in the ancient past must have been a super scientist.”

“
This is
quite incredible!” Olsen exclaimed exiting the library’s main
doorway. “You’re right. Mind and matter are
interconnected.”

“
Descartes, Aristotle and Plato considered at length the
interactions of the mind and matter. Aristotle alluded to the
potential of matter to become immaterial but he didn’t get much
further. He suggested the mind could exist without the body.
Descartes mentioned a third eye, the Pineal Gland. According to
Lavaeau, this is the gland that traps radio waves. He goes further
to defend another theory, that of our soul occupying a place
distinct from the physical world.”