“How long do you suppose these stones have been standing here?” Cassie asked.
Griffin was scrutinizing one of the bird carvings—a vulture. “It’s difficult to tell, but I would hazard a guess that this site was already ancient by the time Troy was sacked. There are other megalithic formations in Turkey and Armenia that date back to 9000 BCE.”
Cassie glanced at him in surprise. “But that’s a couple of thousand years before Catal Huyuk, and I thought that was supposed to be ancient.”
The scrivener gave her a brief smile. “I’m afraid we’re all going to have to revise our definition of the word ‘ancient’ during the course of this relic quest.” He transferred his attention back to the carving. “The depiction of this specific bird is significant. The vulture is a prominent figure in the excarnation rituals depicted on the walls of Catal Huyuk. In all probability, the ancestors of those people built this ring.”
“Just exactly what are we looking for here?” asked Erik.
All three paused in their examination and turned toward Griffin.
The scrivener’s exhilaration evaporated. He seemed to hesitate. “I’m not sure exactly. Megalithic formations have been found all over the world. They may have measured a variety of astronomical phenomena. It all depended on which planet or which star was important to a particular culture. Certainly, most of them would have taken account of obvious phenomena like the summer and winter solstice. Lunation cycles. Possibly even eclipses.”
“But how does all of that work?” Cassie felt lost.
“The principle is quite simple really,” Griffin replied. “Let’s take something like the winter solstice. The ancients watched the skies on a daily basis in a way that most modern people would find incomprehensible. It was, in effect, their favorite television program. Over time, they would have observed the sun rising at a different point along the horizon as the seasons changed. In the case of the winter sun, they would have noticed it rising at a point farther and farther south as the days grew shorter. There would come a day when the sun had reached its southernmost point. The ancients would position a stone to mark that location. Every year thereafter, when they observed the sun rising above that particular stone, they would know that winter was over and the days were about to grow longer again.”
“Cool. Which stone is it?” Cassie asked eagerly, looking around the circle.
“I have no idea.” Griffin sounded nonplussed. “I might be able to calculate it based on the sun’s current position on the horizon during sunrise, but there’s no way to tell just by looking around the circle.”
“Besides, we’re not looking for the winter solstice,” Erik corrected, kicking a small rock out of his way. He strode over to where the other two stood in the middle of the ring. “We’re trying to figure out where the sun is when the soul of the lady rises.”
“Yes, a much more obscure reference to be sure,” the scrivener agreed.
“Look, guys. Maybe Griffin’s original idea wasn’t so far-fetched,” Cassie suggested. “It’s got to be one of these rocks, so why don’t I just go around the circle and touch them and see if I can get any impressions.”
The two men exchanged a skeptical glance. Fred came to stand behind Erik, listening to the conversation but offering no comment.
After a long pause, Erik asked Griffin, “You got any better ideas?”
“Sadly, not at the moment.”
The security coordinator turned to Cassie. “Go for it, toots.”
“OK, but one of you guys better follow me around in case I get a hit, and it knocks me off my feet. Remember what happened in Crete.”
Erik nodded. “I’ve got your back.” He obligingly trailed Cassie as she chose her first target.
“Let’s start with this one.” She selected a pillar that directly faced the mountain peaks in the distance. “Griffin, why don’t you keep track of where I started.”
Cassie braced herself, closed her eyes and laid her palms flat against the first megalith. Nothing happened. For the next half hour, she repeated the process with every standing stone in the circle and with the same disappointing result.
“No dice.” She finally sat down wearily on a patch of dry grass. Her three companions joined her, looking equally depressed.
“What now?” Fred asked bleakly.
“I suppose we should go back to the hotel and regroup,” Griffin suggested.
“The funny thing is that I know the Minoans were here.” Cassie sighed. “I can feel it when I touch the surface of any one of those megaliths. It’s almost like I’m wearing a blindfold and they’re playing blind man’s bluff with me. I just can’t get a fix on their position.”
“The fact that you were able to sense that much is comforting,” observed Griffin. “At least we know we’re looking in the right place.”
“Yeah, but looking for what?” Erik lay down on the ground and locked his hands behind his head. “Thousands of years ago, some people came here to look up at the sky. There are a bazillion things they might have thought were important out there.”
“Oh, come on. I’ll bet it was two bazillion,” Cassie joked weakly.
“Look, it’s not over yet,” Fred offered. “You guys traveled thousands of miles to end up in exactly the right spot. If you got this far, you’re bound to figure it out.”
“Yes, but not today,” Griffin murmured wistfully.
“Nope, not today,” Erik agreed.
Chapter 19 – Through a Glass Darkly
It was early. Still dark, in fact, and the compound was quiet. Abraham could hear no footsteps echoing down the corridors. No wailing babies. No whispering women. It was at least an hour before they would stir. Only the guards were awake. The old man’s insomnia had caused him to join the vigil of those who kept a watchful eye on the sleeping flock. The wolves that inhabited the Fallen Lands were always prowling. Always hungry for souls. But the wolves were not the reason Abraham had tossed and turned for the past three nights. Nor why he had risen hollow-eyed and lethargic for
