King Solomon's Journey (The Dominguez Adventures) (19 page)

            Sliding his gloves on, he measured the rope, leaving enough slack to make it down the hole and guide Amanda. It was a short distance to keep her from crashing. He could easily grab her about halfway down. It was the perfect place to learn how to repel.

            “When you swing, prepare to kick-off from the side. Do not lock your legs or knees. Keep them bent and as relaxed as possible.”

            He looked at her, smiling as he clipped the flashlight to his belt. Putting his pack back on, he grasped the tops of both her arms. “Are you okay?”

            “Yes.” She smiled.

            “I’ll go in first…Okay?” She watched every move he made.

            He was down at the bottom.

            “Amanda, remember the sides will hurt, so stay away from them, use your feet. Come on…  Come down to me.”

            She fought the urge to start laughing as she gripped the rope, lowered herself, and kicked the side. She was doing perfect. He laughed, unsure if she knew that he’d catch her in his arms. On her second little hop, he grabbed her.

            “Damn you, Antonio, I wanted to do it by myself.”

“This is where I first saw you.” He still held her.

            “Well, it is a little strange, but it served its purpose.”

            He shone the flashlight around. Taking her hand, they inspected the circumference of the cave in the light. They found nothing else, and no evidence of mining.

            He told Amanda, “You know I can’t figure out the dugouts. Some think they were military lookouts, or used for mining. I don’t believe either one of them.” He scanned the center with the light.

            “Antonio, you shed blood here…  Look… your blood at the sacred site. That is a wild thought.”

            “There you go, acting witchy again.”

            “Yeah, witchy as in - you don’t see the significance?”

            “Ok, you win.”

            “Maybe, they dug the holes in preparation for building a structure.” Antonio’s mouth dropped. Something told him she was right. One time visiting the site, and he bet his portfolio she solved the mystery.

            He was playing the light around the walls, when Amanda gave a little gasp.

            "Antonio, do you feel that?'

            "Feel what?" He asked as he moved close to her and shone the light at their feet.

            "Give me your arm." Amanda Demanded. Then she moved his hand with the light o shine on his exposed forearm. "Watch, see the hairs, they are standing up, energized with static electricity!"

            Laughing like children playing with a plasma ball, they watched the static play around their heads and down their arms. Suddenly the laughter died, and Antonio yanked Amanda into his arms.

            A shimmering, light reflecting fog was moving around the floor of the cavern, and was sinuously flowing across the floor to wrap around them. As it swirled around their feet, it became a tighter stream, which continued to shrink and begin to give off flashes of bluish light. After only moments it had appeared, it coalesced into a ball of glowing light that hovered in front of them.

                        It moved around for a few minutes before floating around a corner, and revealing a passageway. Amanda followed.

            “What in the hell are you doing?” He went after her.

            “There is more here, Antonio. Come on.”

            Damn, she’s crazy. Catching up, he stopped her and moved in front of her.

            “Stop, stay with me.”

            “Antonio.” She tried to move around him to follow the light around the next corner. Antonio forced her to stop and listen.

                        “Amanda, damn it - I’m serious. You cannot wander off in here; we have no way of knowing what's ahead. Just give me a few minutes, and we can go on, but we have to do it safe and smart.”  Amanda nodded, unsure why she had felt the sudden need to follow no matter where the light led. Antonio was right; to go off unaided or unprepared was dangerous and stupid.

            He quickly organized their gear and prepared for their trek, into the bowels of the volcano.

            “Antonio, what did you clip on your belt?”

            “An air meter, it’ll detect changes in air quality and alert us.”

            When she had watched him put on all the gear earlier she had thought Antonio carried so many gadgets hanging off his trousers he resembled a telephone lineman. Now she knew why, and she was grateful for his knowledge. Soon, Amanda sported a hard-hat with light, compliments of Antonio’s stash.

            As they took a step towards where the light had been, it suddenly reappeared, and they followed it around a narrow, tight corner that opened up into a T, with narrow breaks on the left and right.

            “Antonio, is this a maze?”

            “It sure as hell seems to be.”

            “Let’s see what we can find Antonio.”

            Nodding, he shrugged off his pack and attached a ring bolt into the sand at the base of the wall, then guided one end of the reflective rope through and knotted it off.  Antonio attached the spindle of rope onto his pack, ensuring it would roll with ease.

            “Amanda, I’ll lead. You’ll hold onto me at all times. I must feel you. IF - I say turn, do not hesitate. Lead us out using the rope and reflections as your guide. There are multitudes of possible deadly situations we may encounter. If you start to feel ill, tell me immediately. Hesitation can kill. Do you understand?”

            “Yes.”

            She held the loop attached to his belt as they began their trek into the dark cavities. The cavern was remarkably dry, unlike most caves Amanda was accustomed to in the Midwest. There was no condensation, whatsoever.

                        “Antonio, which way will you choose?”

            “You’re the mystic. Come stand in front of me and feel it, Amanda.”

            Hands grasped her waist and guided her to face the intersection.

            “We should go right.”

            A quick kiss on her neck sent her back.

            The path grew darker as their decision took them deeper. The light from their flashlights was adequate. Still, the reality of a black hollow excreted the eerie unknown.

            “Amanda, I’m stopping.”

            “What is it?”

            “I’m beginning to see signs of alternation. We need to get a closer look at the walls and take some photos.”

            Antonio removed the camera from the attached pouch and moved to the wall of the cavern.      Shining his light, he used his hands to analyze the texture. With the camera, he shot a sequence of photos.

            “It is definitely altered. Hold on, we’re going to take 20 paces and stop.”

            The tunnel became even more complex as the light revealed short hallways leading to nowhere. Antonio alternately inspected and took photos.

            Their path began to gently curve. Again, they paused to analyze as Antonio scanned the walls.    His flashlight quit moving, fixated on something.

            Amanda let out a faint shriek of, “Oh Sweet Heaven!”

            Before their eyes, etched into the Stone was an incredible Ancient Hebrew inscription.    Trembling, Amanda reached for Antonio. He felt her quiver, and reeled her into his body.      Embraced, they stared at their discovery.

            Finally, Antonio translated. “Amanda the inscription says something about only the Levites should enter the Holy place of God.”

            “Antonio, that is incredible, I will never forget this moment.”

            He felt her body heave as she attempted to hide her sniffles. Removing his hand from her side, he snapped pictures of their discovery and surrounding surfaces.

“We need to move on. We can’t stay in this air forever.”

            It’s strange how the awesome moments always found them speechless. During these experiences, communication flowed through them, penetrated all barriers between their existences.

The curved path took a sharper turn as they proceeded. Suddenly, the maze gave way to an enormous open area.

            Amanda’s features contorted as she struggled to adjust to the strange sound that reverberated through the air. She could feel Antonio strive to do the same. Murmurs, like stringed instruments responded to one another throughout the chasm.

            As she grew accustomed to the strange vibrations, they became almost pleasant, and soothing. They seemed to echo inside her head, knocking on a part of her that she rarely opened. Amanda spoke.

            “Are you okay, Antonio?” Empathizing with him, she knew it was worse for him because she could only hear with one ear.

            “It’s getting almost intolerable. You seem to be taking it well.”

            “I am fine.”

            The area was a natural formation, but with evidence pointing to the presence of archaic men was noticeable.

            “Antonio, can we look around?”

            “Yes.” He still grimaced from the sound. “Damn, I should have brought ear plugs.”

            Amanda knew their time would be limited here. She rushed to inspect, aware of Antonio’s disability, and spotted some interesting elements. She snatched the camera from him.

            “Antonio, give me some of your collection bags, quick. Then we can get you out of here.”

            He wrestled with his pack to find the bags she needed. Amanda snapped the camera as fast as it would handle. Returning to him, she found him on his knees as close to the exit as he could get without losing sight of her. She took the bags, and raced to collect the samples. Her hands shook and made it difficult to use the little scoop. Just as she moved to leave she noticed a bundle of Scrolls. Carefully she took the precious antique with the other samples. Antonio was getting worse, and there was no time to mark the tags. Rushing to him, she shoved her finds into his pack.

            “Come on Antonio…We have to get you out of here.”

            She tugged and ushered him away from the excruciating sound that tortured him.

            Once they were at a distance away from the noise, she halted their escape to embrace him.

            “Antonio, are you recovering?”

            “Yes, but let’s get out of here. My head is pounding.”

            They picked up the pace to the speed of a jog. Soon, they were back to the point of entry. Amanda attempted to help prepare their devices for ascent.

            “I’m going up the same as last time. I’ll pull you out as fast as I can.”

            “Okay, I will watch the sides.”

            Antonio wasted no time and succeeded getting them both to the top in record time. After stuffing everything in their packs, they covered the cavity hold with the surrounding rocks.

As they neared Raven, Amanda offered, “I will drive us back. You can rest.”

            “No need. I’m better now... How in the hell could you stand it?”

            “It really did not bother me.”

            “Amanda, that’s weird…witchy!”

            She smiled at him as he threw their gear in the trunk. They got in and took off. The incident exhausted his central nervous system. They drove a long distance in silence. His driving was not up to his usual fast pace. Amanda was worried about him, and suggested he pull over at the next clear spot on the side of the road. His true condition was noted in the fact that he did not argue.

            They got out of the car and walked a short distance to sit beneath a large Giant Timber Bamboo tree. 

CHAPTER 18

"Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth."

Sherlock Holmes

            Beneath the shade of the ancient tree, Antonio quickly recovered. Amanda watched him closely, and saw that his face was no longer as pale and he was not constantly rubbing his head. Thinking now would be the perfect time to tell him of her discoveries within the maze, she blurted out, “Antonio, I found another bundle of scrolls, and gathered manna.”          

            “What in the hell...Another bundle of Scrolls…Manna…How did you know?”

            “Antonio, it is sooo Hebrew. Don’t you think a volcano would produce manna? The content of Alluvia Gold in New Mexican soil makes it a given.”

            “Damn it, Amanda, it sounds crazy...another bundle of Scrolls?”

            “Why Doctor, because you were not the one to find it?”

            “Amanda, you know that’s not how I think.”

            “Manna…Showbread…Transmutated Gold. The ultimate white powder is in your damn backpack, I found loads of it. I believe someone placed it there intentionally. I gathered some other gems, or crystal-like substances, and a couple of other things I am not specifically sure of.”

            “This is crazy. Even considering the soil, how could the content of the powder be significant?”

            “The process truly destroys the waste. Antonio, the Hebrew Bible tells us it is true. When the Israelites left Egypt, the volcano erupted. They lived off the manna. It fell from the Heavens.”

            “That’s what it says. Why don’t I know about this damn volcano? I have studied my entire life, and not once did it come up.”

            “Antonio, you are getting angry with me.”

            “No I’m not. I’m angry with myself for not thinking the way you do, but don’t get carried away, my little enchantress. I need evidence of the powder, and your damn volcano. I can’t give in so easily to your deductions. I’m powerless against the rest.”

            She smiled at his testimony.

            “I want to seduce you with this fact.”

            “You’re scaring me, Amanda.”

            “In the book of Job, I think it is Chapter 28: Verse 5 and 6. ‘As for the earth, out of it cometh bread; and under it is turned up as it were fire. The stones of it are the place of sapphires; and it hath dust of gold.’  Sounds like a volcano to me, Doctor.”