Gloom settled over Griffin’s features at the question. “Where to begin.”
Erik gave a short laugh. “I think he means that literally. We don’t know where to begin. We’ve got a riddle that tells us to look for a Minoan relic hidden someplace on Mount Ida, but that’s all we know for sure.”
“What is the riddle?” Ozgur settled back in his chair to listen.
Griffin recited the all-too-familiar lines. “You will find the first of five you seek, when the soul of the lady rises with the sun, at the home of the Mountain Mother, where flows the River Skamandros.”
The trove keeper nodded. “Yes, it is clear the riddle refers to Mount Ida.”
“But Griffin’s having trouble with the second line,” Cassie offered helpfully.
The old man stroked his moustache. “’When the soul of the lady rises with the sun.’”
“Do you have any notion what that might mean?” Griffin asked hopefully.
Ozgur shook his head. “Regrettably, no.”
“Then perhaps you can recall seeing symbolic markings somewhere on the ruins that match our key.”
“Your key?” the trove keeper asked.
“Oh, very sorry. I left it in the van. Be right back.” Griffin hastened to retrieve the granite key from his knapsack in the car. When he returned, he handed it to Ozgur.
The trove keeper examined it briefly. “Some of these characters are Linear B. To find Linear B script anywhere outside of Greece would have been a major discovery. I should certainly have remembered.”
“But you wouldn’t have found the Linear B characters here,” Griffin corrected. “You would have found the pictograms to which they correspond.”
Ozgur examined the key again. “I’m sorry to be of so little help. No, I do not recall seeing any of these.”
Griffin’s voice held a note of despondency. “Well, no matter. I’m sure we’ll pick up the trail somehow.”
The old man seemed not to hear him. “‘When the soul of the lady rises with the sun.’ Since your riddle speaks of time, perhaps you should begin with the stone circles.”
“What stone circles?” Erik sat forward.
“The megaliths on Ida.”
“Megaliths?” Cassie echoed.
“Yes, large stones set in circles, like your Stonehenge in England. We believe the ancients used them as calendars to measure the seasons.”
“That’s brilliant!” Griffin exclaimed. “It makes perfect sense. If there’s an event we’re meant to witness, the most likely observation point would be a stone circle.” He frowned as another thought struck him. “But we must be facing east. The riddle makes a reference to sunrise.”
“It just so happens that one of the circles on the mountain does face east,” Fred informed them. “I was part of a team that was checking overlord shrines on Ida. A lot of them were built over the ruins of goddess sites. While we were collecting Cybele artifacts, we stumbled across a stone circle.”
Ozgur turned to his assistant. “Do you think you can show our guests where to find it?”
Fred nodded with assurance. “Absolutely. No problem.”
Griffin could barely contain his elation. “That’s wonderful. We may actually have a chance at solving this!”
The trove keeper smiled. “I am glad we were able to be of some small assistance. Fred will accompany you back to the Troad and guide you up the mountain. Perhaps fortune will be with you, and you will find the first of five you seek.”
Erik leaned over and whispered to Cassie. “Better put on your size six and a half sneakers, toots. It sounds like you’re gonna be tripping over some really big rocks.”
Chapter 15 – The Elephant in the Garden
Twilight came and went over Faye’s cornflower blue farmhouse. An afternoon thunderstorm had left the summer air muggy. As the old woman opened her front door to let in a breeze, she found Maddie standing on her porch just about to knock.
“Come in, my dear, come in.” Faye stood aside to let her enter. “I must say this is a surprise.”
“I was on my way home, but I thought I’d swing by and give you an update.” The operations director towered over her hostess as she stepped into the foyer. Her briefcase was bulging with papers.
Faye noted the portfolio. “Taking work home again?”
Maddie shrugged indifferently. “It’s gotta get done somehow. I’m a little short-staffed just now.”
“Shall we go outside and sit in the garden?” Faye suggested. “It’s much too stuffy in here.”
“Suits me. You wouldn’t happen to have a pot of coffee made, would you?” Maddie asked wearily.
“Of course. In the kitchen. Help yourself.”
The two women poured mugs of coffee and walked outside into Faye’s immense backyard. It was densely planted with fruits and flowers and vegetables and trees old enough to pre-date Columbus, all of which muffled the sound of suburban traffic. They seated themselves under a pergola strung with miniature Chinese lanterns. The only other light was emitted by fireflies blinking on and off in their meandering flight over the lawn.
Maddie leaned back in her chair and let out a tired sigh. “What a day!”
“A particularly rough one, I take it?”
The operations director laughed humorlessly. “Lately, they’ve all been rough. This new relic hunt just added another layer of enrichment to my job.”
They sat silently for a few moments. Their eyes adjusting to the semi-darkness.
“You haven’t been around headquarters much lately.” There was a hint of reproach in Maddie’s voice.
“I don’t like to… what’s the word you young people use nowadays? Micromanage. That’s it. I don’t like to micromanage.” She paused. “Besides, I have great faith in all my associates.”
“Well, I suppose we’re all experienced enough to know what we’re doing,” Maddie grudgingly agreed.
“Ah, but that isn’t faith. To rely on you because of your demonstrated competence is simply a reasonable conclusion based on observable facts.”
“You make it sound all clinical and scientific.” The operations director smiled through half-closed lids.
Faye stared off into the distant darkness. “I don’t much care for science myself. Trusting it has a tendency to limit one’s possibilities.”
Her companion made no comment.
“You had something you wanted to report to me, dear?” Faye prompted gently.
Maddie’s eyes were now
