Solomon's Throne (44 page)

“Go for it!” Mac said at the same time. There was an awkward silence.

“Personally, I’d really like to get out of here, and get someone from Kulem on the rescue operation. If we can get up there fast,” Mac pointed to iron steps leading up the stone bridge, “we should be ok.”

“We’ll be ok if the train is
after
ten. I’m not sure we’ll be ok if it’s
before.”
Rei said.

Gideon stood still and listened for a minute. “I don’t hear anything but water. Let’s just go.” He put his arm around Rei’s shoulder and kissed her ear. “We can do it, babe.”

They all scrambled up the metal rungs and out onto the stone bridge holding the track. They walked quickly but carefully west, crossing over the last tier of the waterfall. They were still thirty feet from the next service ladder when they heard it: the train whistle.

“I knew it!” yelled Rei as she began to run.

“The train won’t be going fast—it stops for people to look at the falls,” Mac said as they jogged along.

“Is it legal for us to be up here?” Gideon asked.

“That I don’t know…” Mac said.

“Then let’s get down!” Gideon said, and sped up, holding Rei’s hand and pulling her along behind him.

They took the rungs down as fast as they could, and as soon as Rei’s feet touched the ground the engine of the train passed overhead. Mac was right, it was barely moving, bringing the viewing cars to a stop across the span of the falls. The three stayed under the bridge for fifteen minutes, until the train slowly moved off towards its next destination.

“Alrighty then…” said Rei as she started walking in the direction of the SUV. “That was about all the excitement I can stand in one week.”

Getting the rescue operation started took longer than they could have imagined, as the authorities in the small town could not, at first, understand what they were saying about caves and an injured man. The head official kept shaking his head.

“We do not have caves in this region. No sir. We do not.”

After nearly an hour, Rei asked to step outside, where she placed a call on her cell to Mr. Xavier. After explaining that they had, indeed found the treasure, and it was, indeed, King Solomon’s Throne, she finally broke through his excited questioning to get to her immediate point.

“Mr. Xavier! Sir! I’ll show you pictures and send you emails and everything as soon as we get to a hotel. But please, listen… One of those monks is injured, and he’s still two days back in the tunnels, with two other men.” She listened for a long moment. “Yes sir, but that’s a long story. What we need is for the authorities here to mount a rescue operation for Thomas and his men. They’re not near the Throne room, we can figure that out later. But they have a limited supply of food and water, and we need to get going to get them out. The people here just aren’t seeming to get it!”

After another long pause she said, “Thank you!” and hung up. She ran back into the building and whispered to Gideon, “Mr. Xavier’s on it. The phone here should ring soon…”

In fifteen minutes the head official picked up the phone on the second ring and barked a greeting, still annoyed with his crazy American guests. He listened for a long moment, his eyes on the tourists, his back straightening ever so slightly.

“Sir, yes sir. Consider it done, sir. Yes. Thank you, sir.” He hung up the phone. “It seems that word has come all the way from New Delhi that I am to provide rescue for men trapped in a cave behind Dudhsager Falls. A cave that I have never heard to exist.”

He stood up and put on his hat. “You, sir,” he said, pointing to Mac, “Will accompany our rescue team. You will tell us what we must bring to accomplish this thing, and you will lead us. There is not a question. You will come.” And he walked out of the office.

Five days later the Quinns were sitting on the veranda of Mrs. Pandey’s guest house when they heard car doors slam shut. They looked at the patio door, expecting Mrs. Pandey, who had gone to a local bakery for pastries for tea.

“Glad you guys are kicking back, resting up. Some of us had work to do…” Mac said as he came through the door, followed by Thomas and the two young monks.

Rei jumped up and ran to hug him. “Mac! We didn’t expect you til tomorrow! I’m so glad you’re all ok!” She smiled at the monks and said, “
Bem-vindo de volta do escuro!
Welcome back from the dark!”

Thomas said, “Thank you, Mrs. Quinn. And thank you for assisting with our rescue.”

“We would never have left you!” Rei said, aghast at the thought.

“No, I have come to know that. Please accept my apologies for my order, and for myself.
Tenho pena.
I’m sorry.”

“It’s water under the bridge…or over the falls,” said Gideon, shaking his hand. “Come have some tea and tell us about Mac’s heroics.”

EPILOGUE

I
t took a crew of
forty workers and six archeologists five months to extract the Throne of King Solomon from its long resting place. Luis Xavier hired an expert spelunker to discover a secondary entrance to the cavern, and after two weeks of exploration, they emerged through a diamond mine, long forgotten. Apparently the ancient miners had dug through to the cavern, following the alluvial deposits as they meandered under the hills. When the Throne and other artifacts were illuminated by generator driven lights, the workers also found ancient pottery and tools, indicating the miners had used the cavern as a primitive dormitory.

Under tightly controlled conditions, after analysis by the archeologists and two engineers, the Throne was disassembled, and it, along with all the accompanying artifacts were documented and crated. A half dozen shuttle cars, used in coal mining, and just small enough to traverse the tunnels, moved the crates from the cavern to the mine entrance, where they were loaded on trucks, taken to Mumbai, and flown to Israel.

Kingfisher Resort, Mozambique

Three Months Later

Rei was lying, eyes closed, soaking up the sun on a chaise lounge beside the crystal blue sea. She had been dozing, enjoying the sounds of the surf and the sea birds, and the delicious thought of having nothing to do for two whole weeks. Hearing a noise next to her, she opened one eye and saw Gideon settle down on the chair.

“Well?” she asked.

“It’s all done,” he said. “Mr. Xavier has agreed to present the Throne and all the accompanying treasure to the public at the Tower of David Museum in Jerusalem on the first of Nisan, which is the New Year for Kings. That falls on March 24. And we are invited as the official finders of record for the lost Throne of King Solomon. All expenses paid…”

“Wow, that’s awesome!” Rei said, sitting up. “So we’re going down in the history books.”

“Something like that,” Gideon said, adjusting his sunglasses and lying back on the chaise. “Oh, and we’re getting a big fat bonus.”

“What about the St. Paul letter?” Rei asked.

“Mr. Xavier agreed to let the Society keep it. He’s quite happy with the treasure, and I think also happy to be relieved of the burden of that letter.”

Rei took a sip of her fruity adult beverage, and kissed him. “I’d do it again, you know.”

“Don’t even say that!” Gideon pulled a towel over his face.

The Prime Minister himself opened the exhibit, and the Quinns, Captain McMillan, and Luis Xavier were feted all across the city for a week. Tales of their exploits were blown up to Indiana Jones proportions, and no mention was ever made of a letter written by Saint Paul, or a secret organization bent on finding it. Father Eduardo/Joao Xavier and his wife Isabel had an exhibit with all of their letters prominently displayed on a map of the Portuguese spice route.

Rei and Quinn stood at the foot of the throne, looking up.

“It was worth it,” Rei said.

“Yep,” Gideon agreed.

Mac joined them. “Pretty awesome, seeing it here with all the lights and fancy displays,” he said.

“Better than in that cave!” Rei said. “But it was nice to have it to ourselves for a little while, wasn’t it?”

The men nodded, still gazing up at the seat on which Gideon had sat, and the crown that had lowered onto his head.

“Hell of a job, y’all,” Gideon said, raising his glass of champagne.

“And by Father Eduardo. Or Joao. Whatever we call him, he was an incredible guy,” Mac said.

“And don’t forget his Isabel… They had quite an adventure, too,” Rei said.

They toasted, and drank, and each said a silent thank you.

Lisbon, Portugal

1704

Joao and his fifteen year old son Quico trotted along the busy street atop bay mares, heading to the wharf. Joao had promised his son an outing, and he always enjoyed the ships along the quay. A nau was in port that reminded him of the Santa Antonio de Tanna, which had been sunk several years before. They stopped at an inn, where a groom took their horses, and Joao told him they would walk a bit before coming in for their midday meal.

“Papa, why do you not go on any of the voyages anymore?” Quico asked as they walked slowly down the waterfront.

“I have done my share of seafaring, my boy. I have your mama and your sisters now to think of. And you, of course,” Joao ruffled his head, which he knew annoyed the young man.

“I could come with you! I would love to go to Africa, to see all the places that you and Mama talk about in your stories at bedtime. The
oliphants
and the camels…” His eyes were dreamy and far away as he remembered the stories he’d heard all his life.