Cassie breathed an inward sigh of relief when John didn’t stop the vehicle in town but kept on heading in the direction of the mountain which loomed ever larger in front of their SUV. He drew up alongside a long low building and announced, “We are here.”
They were now almost at the foot of Jebel Barkal itself at an establishment called “The Guest House.” The trio got out and scrutinized their accommodations. Cassie tilted her head to gaze at the structure which looked oddly familiar—almost like a Mexican hacienda. The hotel was only one story tall with a flat roof and stuccoed walls. A covered verandah spanned an entire side of the building. Chairs and tables were spaced at intervals all along its length.
The Arkana team removed their luggage and entered the cool reception area. Stone floors and ceilings were a welcome relief from the heat outside. Painted archways led from one section of the hotel to another. Cassie breathed a silent “thank you” to Maddie for arranging their stay at the best place in town. Judging from what she’d seen while they were driving through Karima, it was the only hotel in town that wasn’t cringe-worthy.
Griffin consulted his watch. “It’s only two in the afternoon. We have several hours before sunset. Perhaps we should make a cursory inspection of the mountain.”
“You mean climb it,” Cassie said doubtfully.
“Yes, quite.”
“Hmmm.” She walked out to the verandah and contemplated the monstrous landmark. “That thing must be two hundred feet high.”
“Three hundred and twenty-two feet actually,” the scrivener replied brightly. “I looked it up.”
Cassie shrugged. “OK, might as well get started. Will we need rock-climbing gear?”
John chuckled faintly. “No, there are many trails on the north side of the mountain. It is an easy climb. In fact, the local boys go to the top, so they can slide down the western face which is all made of sand.”
“If a ten-year-old can manage it, what am I complaining about?” Cassie said resignedly.
After a brief delay to check in, stow their luggage in their rooms and change, the team reconvened in the lobby. They were all outfitted in hiking clothes, hats, and rubber-soled shoes. John had swapped his dress pants and shirt for Dockers, a Henley and cross-trainers. Their backpacks were stocked with a generous supply of bottled water.
Thus prepared, the little band walked out of the hotel compound and straight into the desert. It was only a short trek uphill before they encountered statues and the ruins of buildings sticking up out of the sand.
“What’s this?” Cassie asked.
“These are the ruins of the temples of Napata,” Griffin answered.
“You mean the city that the Egyptians built underneath the cobra,” the pythia remarked.
They all paused briefly to gaze up at the giant outcrop of rock on the southwest corner of the mountain.
Griffin continued. “The city of Napata was constructed in the fifteenth century BCE to mark the southern boundary of the Egyptian kingdom. It was primarily a religious center honoring the god Amun. We’re walking across what would once have been his temple.”
Cassie noticed statues of rams partially submerged in sand. “Did this Amun have a thing about sheep?” she asked jokingly.
“The ram was the animal most often associated with the god. It was his symbol,” Griffin replied.
“Look. There’s a little door in the mountain.” Cassie pointed past the buried ruins of the temple to a small aperture at the base of the mountain.
“That is the entrance to the temple of Mut, the god’s wife,” John explained.
“So, it was carved right into the mountain itself.” Cassie registered surprise.
“Yes,” John agreed. “It is possible to go inside if we get the key from the local officials.”
Cassie looked questioningly at her colleagues. “Do you think the Minoans might have hidden the relic in there? After all, it’s the shrine of a goddess and they like that sort of thing.”
“Maybe,” Erik said skeptically.
Griffin shook his head. “I don’t believe the temple was built in their time. It was constructed by a Nubian king sometime in the seventh century BCE.” He glanced at John for confirmation. “Am I right?”
Their guide nodded. “Yes, that is so. The Nubian king was named Taharqa. He reigned during the time when the Nubian king was also the pharaoh of Egypt. Napata was the Kushite capital. Much later as the lands dried out and the desert areas increased, the city of Meroe across the river became the capital.”
Cassie glanced at two forlorn pillars bearing the image of the goddess. They were all that remained of the entrance to her temple. “Guess we’ve got no choice but to climb,” she said.
Wordlessly, they followed John as he headed for one of the trails on the north side of the mountain. The hike proved surprisingly easy. The trail rose upward at a gradual incline. After several short breaks for water, they arrived on the top of Jebel Barkal.
It was unlike any mountaintop which Cassie had seen before. There was no peak. The crest was completely flat. With its jagged surface of black rock, it looked more like a moonscape than a mountain peak. They walked along the perimeter of the mountain top, viewing the surroundings from various angles.
The scenery was spectacular. It was still a few hours before sunset but the late afternoon sun transformed the desert sand to gold. The Nile glistened. The shoreline was covered in vegetation. Off to one side lay the sprawl of Karima. In the opposite direction, a green blanket of date palm orchards and millet fields grew right up to the river bank. Beyond the verdant belt was the omnipresent desert. Sticking up out of the sand
