“That would have been quite a jump if the Minoans were crazy enough to try to reach the cobra,” Erik ventured.
They all gazed over the edge of the precipice. Cassie gulped involuntarily.
“It’s approximately thirty feet to span the gorge. The distance down to where the base of the pinnacle meets the mountain is about a hundred feet,” Griffin said.
“Nobody would be crazy enough to try to reach that spot,” Cassie observed.
“Yes, someone was crazy enough,” John said softly.
They all turned to regard him with surprise.
“This pharaoh Taharqa of whom we were just speaking—he was crazy enough.”
“You mean he jumped that chasm?” Erik asked in disbelief.
“Worse,” John replied. “He ordered workmen to do it.”
They stared at him.
John walked to the edge of the precipice. “Do you see these holes cut into the rock?”
The trio gathered around to contemplate three deep holes carved into the mountain top.
“These were made to hold the posts of an ancient crane. It lifted building materials up the mountainside.”
“Why?” Cassie asked blankly.
“For scaffolding, so workers could climb out to the pinnacle. There are post holes dug into both the mountainside and the pinnacle itself starting at the base and leading all the way to the top.”
“What on earth were they trying to build there?” Griffin asked in bafflement.
“You can’t see it from this side,” John continued. “But from the ground, you can see an inscription carved into the top of the pinnacle praising Taharqa and naming him the son of Amun.”
“That’s seems like a pretty typical thing for a pharaoh to do,” Erik remarked.
“Ah, but this inscription was special. At one time, it would have been covered with a layer of beaten gold so that when the sun reflected off the pinnacle, it would shine like a lighthouse beacon.”
“Now that’s ingenious,” Cassie admitted.
“When the rays of the sun hit that spot directly, the light could be seen all the way across the river,” John explained.
“That sure seems like something the Minoans would gravitate to,” Erik offered.
“No,” Cassie shook her head sadly. “All this time we’ve been up here, I’ve been trying to get a vibe, but I’m sure this wasn’t the spot they chose.”
“And quite rightly,” Griffin piped up.
“Why not? It’s perfect,” Cassie challenged.
Griffin sat down on a large flat boulder. The others clustered around him.
“You have to consider what this place was like in one thousand BCE when the Minoans would have visited here,” the scrivener said. “It was a busy metropolis, and this pinnacle was a national symbol. Even if the Minoans, by some miracle, were able to leap across the gorge, it would have taken time to chisel a lily symbol much less hollow out a niche to hide a relic. Do you think that sort of thing would have gone unnoticed?”
Erik laughed as a thought struck him. “When you say it like that, it would be the same as if some fool took a chisel and hammer to the Washington Monument. Nobody would let that slide.”
“I see your point,” Cassie admitted. “The Minoans would have looked for a spot that’s more hidden. Someplace they could work in private without fear of being seen.” She turned excitedly to John. “Caves!” she exclaimed.
“Yes?” he offered uncertainly.
“There have to be caves in this mountain. Every mountain we’ve searched on this relic quest had caves. There must be some on Jebel Barkal.”
“Oh, I see.” Their guide nodded. “There are many caves in the mountain. The local people even have legends about them.”
“Tell us,” Cassie urged, clearly feeling they were now on the right track.
John looked up at the sky briefly, trying to recall the stories. “Well, there is the magical cobra cave. A legend says that there is a secret cave somewhere on the mountain that is the home of a golden cobra. It is hidden behind a locked door. The cave is filled with treasure and the cobra guards it day and night.”
“Has anybody ever found this cave?” Cassie asked skeptically.
John chuckled. “No, it is only a story. Though the people say that once upon a time some Englishmen found the cave. They brought incense with them and burned it to make the snake drowsy. After he fell asleep, they ran away with the treasure. But then the cobra woke up and tracked them down at the edge of the desert where he killed them. Then he brought the treasure back, and nobody has heard anything since.”
“English, huh.” Erik looked pointedly at Griffin.
“I weep for my countrymen,” the scrivener replied dryly. Changing the subject, he asked their guide, “Any other caves of note?”
“There are said to be caves which go on for great distances and turn into tunnels. One such tunnel is said to run underneath the Nile all the way to the pyramids of Nuri across the river. When the rulers of Kush died, their funeral processions began deep in this mountain and traveled through that tunnel to their final resting spot at Nuri. Another even greater tunnel is said to run from Jebel Barkal all the way to old Dongola town. That’s a distance of a hundred miles.”
“That’s some tunnel,” Erik said.
“Well, I think that’s our best bet,” Cassie ventured. “Every myth has some basis in fact, right? Even if those tunnels don’t exist, the stories tell me that some of these caves are pretty long. Probably long enough that somebody could work undisturbed for hours without a light being seen or a noise being heard outside. What do you guys think?” She looked around at her companions.
They all nodded in agreement.
“It’s settled then,” Griffin said. “Tomorrow we explore the caves of Jebel Barkal.”
“Maybe we’ll get lucky and find a golden cobra and a fabulous treasure.” Cassie
