The pythia shook her head. “Nope.”
“Then let’s look at Tunisia next,” Michel continued. “Here are photos of the megalithic tombs near Makthar.”
This time the photos revealed vertical stone blocks holding up immense horizontal slabs. After the pages were passed around, Cassie shook her head once more. “Sorry guys, but I’m not getting anything.”
Fifi scowled at her but kept quiet.
Erik, who had been silent up to this point, said, “I think I know how we can speed this up. Griff, are any of these sites in line with the latitude you recalculated?”
The scrivener sighed. “I should have thought of that sooner, shouldn’t I? Michel, I’m very sorry not to have begun at the beginning. We’re actually looking for megaliths at approximately twenty three degrees north latitude—somewhere around the Tropic of Cancer.”
Michel sat forward in his chair. “The Tropic of Cancer did you say?”
“What’s the Tropic of Cancer?” Cassie asked.
“It’s a line of latitude at twenty-three point-five degrees north which has special significance,” Griffin replied. “Around the time of the summer solstice in June, it marks the position where the northern hemisphere is tilted toward the sun to its maximum extent. If one were to stand on the Tropic of Cancer at noon on the longest day of the year, the sun would cast no shadow because its rays are hitting the earth directly. The Tropic of Cancer derives its name from the constellation in which the sun was positioned when this phenomenon was first discovered. Its counterpart in the southern hemisphere is called the Tropic of Capricorn because the sun was stationed in the constellation of Capricorn around the time of the solstice in December.”
“If you’re searching for megaliths near the Tropic of Cancer, I think I know just the site.” Michel smiled with satisfaction. “Give me a moment. I didn’t print photos of this location because I was concentrating my search primarily in northwest Africa.” He turned to his computer and started typing. After a few moments, his printer disgorged several pages of photographs. “Have a look at these,” he suggested.
Cassie intently scrutinized the image that was handed to her. The photo displayed a flat stretch of sand interrupted by a series of oddly-matched rocks. Some of the stones jutted up out of the desert at oblique angles. Others were flat slabs embedded in the ground. The size and color of each of the boulders was different. No attempt had been made to shape them in any way. However, they had been placed equidistant from one another to form a circle. In the center of the circle were several other stones, seemingly scattered at random. After studying the photo for several seconds, Cassie raised her head and smiled. “I’m getting a strong pull from this one.” She peered at Michel. “What is this place?”
“It is called Nabta Playa and is very old. The stones were arranged to record celestial phenomena many thousands of years ago when the Sahara was still green pastureland. Some estimate the age of the site at eight thousand years. More importantly for your purposes, it is erected precisely on the Tropic of Cancer as it existed in 6000 BCE. Of course, the stones you are seeing in the photographs are no longer in their original location.”
“What!” Griffin gasped in alarm. “Where are they now?”
“In the Nubian Museum. This is a simulation of what Nabta Playa must once have looked like. Some of the stones in the exhibit are original parts of the calendar circle. Others are still onsite.”
“Oh, dear. That means the lily mark, if it existed, may have been defaced or destroyed and we would have no way of knowing.”
Michel sighed. “I am sorry. The Egyptian government is not so interested in preserving ancient artifacts which are pre-pharaonic. The idea of an ancient Nubian culture possessing sophisticated calendar measurement which predates Egyptian civilization by millennia doesn’t fit the current overlord narrative.
“You said Nubian Museum,” Cassie repeated doubtfully. “Where is this Nabta Playa circle?”
“In southern Egypt,” Michel replied. “In the middle of the Nubian desert.”
“There may be nothing left to find there,” Griffin observed gloomily.
“Oh, there’s something all right,” Cassie retorted. “We have to take a chance and go there.”
“Well, what are we waiting for?” Erik extricated himself from Fifi and stood up. “Michel, can you arrange the paperwork for us in Egypt?”
“Certainly. When will you be leaving?”
“Tomorrow morning if we can catch a flight,” Erik replied. “OK with you guys?” He glanced at Cassie and Griffin for confirmation.
They both nodded.
Fifi looked shocked by the sudden turn of events. She opened and closed her mouth several times before words could form. “But wait.” She stood up and linked her arm possessively through Erik’s. Appealing directly to him, she said,” Mon chéri, you only just arrived. There are many, many stone circles nearby that you should search first.”
Erik shook his head, appearing more relieved than regretful. “Sorry, Fifi. We can catch up another time.”
“But this is madness!” she protested. “You are willing to leave at a moment’s notice and fly halfway across Africa simply because the little girl thinks Nabta Playa is the right spot?”
At those words, Cassie stood up too. Fifi’s attitude and her accent were getting on the pythia’s nerves. She folded her arms resolutely. Glaring directly at Fifi, she said, “Sorry to burst your bubble, but I don’t just think Nabta Playa is the right place. Zee leetle girl KNOWS it is!”
Chapter 24—A Lack of Intelligence
Joshua waited patiently at the back of the shooting range while Orvis Bowdeen finished some last-minute instruction before dismissing his class for the day. The process was a lengthy one since Bowdeen had to speak through an interpreter. From what little Joshua had managed to see, these recruits were still fairly inept in the use of firearms. He hoped their instructor would be able to whip them into shape soon.
After they’d all filed out, Bowdeen packed up a duffel bag of gear and headed toward the exit door. He was unaware that
