The diviner knew that the Lord would surely hold him accountable. If the devil succeeded in infiltrating the Nephilim, it was because Abraham had not been strong enough to prevent such a catastrophe. The prophet would pay a high price for his negligence. He rubbed his forehead wearily, recalling his ambitious plan to win the Lord’s favor. He had aspired to sit at the right hand of God. And now...
He shivered involuntarily. All his designs would go for naught if he couldn’t check Satan’s poisonous influence over his flock. Despite his careful measures, Abraham had been a fool to believe that a fence, or a surveillance camera, or a dozen soldiers with guns could stop the invisible source of all evil. The diviner felt himself at a complete loss.
He limped over to his prie-dieu and knelt down, wincing with pain. He shut his eyes and rested his forehead against his clasped hands, beseeching the Lord to guide him—to show him the means to fight this incorporeal foe. His inner voice immediately reminded him that Satan might be incorporeal, but his vessel was not.
Abraham opened his eyes, startled by the obvious realization. Annabeth was mortal. She might be under the thrall of the devil but she, herself, was quite tangible. Certainly, there must be a way to restrain her. Over the years, the diviner had dealt with many cases of insubordinate wives. The usual procedure was to send such women to asylums where they could be medicated and kept out of sight. Some could be rehabilitated. Others remained there for the rest of their lives. He brightened. Yes, he could send her away.
Almost as soon as the plan occurred to him, its flaw became apparent. He slumped back over his cushioned armrest. The diviner realized that Annabeth was no typical consecrated bride who refused to submit to the will of her husband. She was much more dangerous than that. By sending her to a Nephilim asylum, Abraham might be providing her with the means to cast her wicked spell over the other inmates—encouraging them to flout the word of God as she, herself, had done. The spiritual contagion which had thus far been contained within the walls of the compound would spread, and Annabeth’s evil master would rejoice.
If that weren’t reason enough to prevent the diviner from institutionalizing Annabeth, the old man belatedly remembered the promise he had made his son. Abraham never went back on his word, and he had vowed that Annabeth would be at peace by the time Daniel returned. How in the name of heaven was he supposed to make that happen? Once more he shut his eyes and beseeched God to show him a solution to this insurmountable difficulty. He waited in silence while the clock on the wall ticked out the minutes. He didn’t know how long he knelt there motionless before he heard his inner voice whisper to him once more. At last! He gave a sigh of relief and opened his eyes. Rising on rickety limbs, Abraham murmured a prayer of thanksgiving that the Lord had been merciful. God had just revealed to him the solution to his problem. He would be able to fulfill his promise to his son after all.
Chapter 43—Observations
Daniel stood on a hot, dusty hillside surveying what had once been the ancient city of Dholavira. It had come as a shock for him to realize how technologically- advanced these prehistoric people were. In fact, it called into question much of what he had learned through his studies in the library as well as what his father taught. The diviner preached that the world was only six thousand years old. In all likelihood, the Indus Valley civilization was already thriving by the time Adam and Eve took their first bite of the apple.
The scion consulted his map of the dig site. Chris had told him to find a section of the excavation called the bailey and to locate any circular structures within its walls as these might have been astronomical observatories. The word “tower” in the riddle could refer to such a place. Daniel looked ruefully at the ground. There were no structures. Only squares of brick indicating the foundations of long-demolished buildings.
He glanced off in the distance toward the guest house where Leroy Hunt had sequestered himself to nurse a particularly stubborn hangover. As Daniel had expected, Hunt drank himself into a stupor the night before they left in anticipation of several days without alcohol. Needless to say, the early morning flight from Mumbai to Bhuj and the lengthy car ride to Dholavira only aggravated the cowboy’s already vile mood. Upon arrival at the archaeological site, Hunt immediately commandeered a guest room and told Daniel he was on his own for the rest of the day.
Truth to tell, the scion was relieved to be allowed to search the ruin alone. Hunt’s only purpose at this stage of the trip was to keep a lookout for the appearance of the three relic thieves. Since it was highly unlikely they would pop up in the middle of this exposed stretch of desert, Daniel felt the cowboy’s presence was superfluous. The scion entertained the fleeting hope that the trio had taken his advice and abandoned the quest altogether. Only time would tell.
By a process of mental association, Daniel’s brain skipped from his anxiety about the trio to his anxiety about Annabeth. He felt a sense of foreboding every time she crossed his mind. Of course, his fears were groundless. Each time he called his father to give a progress report, he inquired after his wife’s mental state. Each time, the diviner assured him that she was doing well. Abraham would then pointedly remind his son to devote his full
