The Gods' Gambit (27 page)

One or two drawings attracted James’ attention. One of them
depicted a man sitting cross-legged next to a large sphere. Between the man and
the sphere was what looked like a pipe with a funnel-like end. The funnel was
right in front of the man’s face; its other end touched the sphere. On the next
page was a drawing of some sort of building surrounded by water. The building
was composed of three cylindrical segments – the widest segment was the
fundament, the middle-sized one lay on top, and on the top of that was the
narrowest segment. Clouds partially veiled the upper part of the building and a
sun was shining above them. These two drawings illustrated a long article
entitled ‘Dreams from the Old World’. In brackets beneath the title was written
‘Genesis’. On the last page of the notebook after this text was another drawing
showing a murder scene. A man, holding something like a horn in the shape of an
elongated spiral, was standing above a prone body.

Stefan Costov was stabbed in the heart with a horn
,
remembered James. He leafed back through the diary until the title ‘Dreams from
the Old World’ appeared and immersed himself in reading: During the previous
epoch, in the middle of the ocean the Island Mountain towered, and its peak
reached up to the sky. Gods and people lived together on it. All venerated the
Great Snake-Spirit – creator and destroyer of worlds – and Her god-Steward. The
Snake-Spirit marked the gods, their priests and multitudes of servants so they
could see each other’s souls. They lived on the higher flanks of the Island
Mountain. The rest of the people, who didn’t bear the mark, inhabited its lower
sides and the wild lands. They worked hard to provide for their gods and their
servants, who spent their time in amusements and practicing the magical
knowledge the Snake-Spirit had entrusted to them. The gods used magic to make
people live in a dreamlike state. Thus, the people obeyed the gods’ will
totally. If they were called to be sacrificed for the sake of the Great
Snake-Spirit, they walked to the altar with a smile on their face. If they had
to give up an offspring to satisfy the gods’ desires, they felt honoured. Order
reigned over the earth and this order was never changed for generation after
generation. The two snakes – that of the gods and that of the people – lived in
peace and harmony. Order was maintained through the All-Seeing Eye. It could
penetrate into the souls of the living and the dead. The Eye was hidden deep in
the Island Mountain’s womb where it was darker than the darkest night. Priests
gazed into the Eye day and night through telescopes made of four types of
precious stone: yellow, red, blue and green. They could see what the Eye could
see, and that’s how they watched over the world. Sometimes it happened that a
few people woke up from the ‘sleepy’ magic of the gods. Awakening, they saw the
world with unveiled eyes and wanted to obey the gods and venerate the
Snake-Spirit no more. But the priests discovered them because their souls began
to shine with a new light and they became distinctive to the All-Seeing Eye.
The awakened ones were captured. The priests gave them the Oblivion Drink and
then pierced their hearts with a horn. The awakened souls were channelled
through the horn to be banished forever into the ‘World with no Exit’. Yet one
day from the ocean an alien wind blew. It covered the Eye and the priests
couldn’t see how one man stopped dreaming out his life. The light of his soul
became bigger than the earth itself and there was no way to put it out. This
man became the First Truly Awakened One. The Awakened One left his body so he
could enter into the dreams of other people and teach them how to ignite the
light of their souls His dream disciples woke up as well and passed his
knowledge to others. Then the eyes of more people opened and they rebelled
against the gods and their servants and took over the dwellings in the higher
mountain areas. The people’s anger disturbed the magic that held the Island
Mountain above the water and the ocean swallowed it. Many died. Thus, the
dominance of the gods and the worshipping of the Great Snake-Spirit came to an
end. Those amongst the people who managed to get onto the gods’ ships escaped
the crumbling Island Mountain and the raging waters. They reached new land and
settled on a blessed place beneath the rainbow, which the survivors had stolen
from the peak of the Island Mountain. Among them were disciples of the First
Awakened One and they led the people on the Path of Knowledge. The epoch of
free humankind had begun.

Unlike the other entries in the diary, brother Federico had
not included any notes about the source of this myth, or about the place and
time he obtained it. There were just a few lines written immediately after the
text:
To professor Paolo Donato: Copy of ‘Dreams from the Old World’,
presentable set of photos, accompanying letter. To professor Leo Goodman: Copy
of ‘Dreams from the Old World’, a selection from the oral tradition, records,
photos of the tablets, letter.
This was written in darker ink than that
used to write down the text of the myth. This meant that he added the note was
some time after he obtained the myth.

Slowly, as if he were handling something fragile, James
placed the diary in the middle of the table. “I’ve been deluded. I’ve made a
mistake,” he said in a low voice.

Lino looked at him surprised. “What is it?”

“Read the last few pages,” said James, pointing at the
diary.

After Lino finished reading, he lifted his head; he was
breathing heavily and his cheeks were flushed. He had read the text with such
concentration that he had almost stopped breathing. “That’s huge! Assuming it’s
an authentic Indian tale,” he said, panting.

“We can’t be one hundred per cent sure. Yet this diary
contains only samples of Indian mythology and folklore. We could assume that
this myth is authentic.”

“It would appear then that the cult people are pretending to
be the successors of those ‘gods’ and worshippers of the so-called
Snake-Spirit.” Lino waved his arms and shook his head in disbelief. “What kind
of people could kill because of such—?”

James’ strange fixed look halted him in his tracks. In the
next second, Lino’s expression changed because an unbelievable thought had
flashed through his mind. “Nooo … You don’t think that?”

“I do,” James retorted. “The cult has enormous financial
resources. Its followers are ready to give their lives for their cause. God
knows how many of their groups exist all over the world. You yourself claim
that these people have been working for centuries to achieve world domination.”

“Yes. Although I never imagined they could have been among
us for millennia.”

“I assume that they not only pretend to be, but really are
successors of those so-called gods,” James continued. “That means that through
known human history they’ve tried a number of times to resurrect their kingdom.
Of course, they’ve never acted directly, highlighting their own names and
goals. We don’t know how many wars, revolutions, or rebellions have been
triggered by them under false pretexts. Fortunately, until now they haven’t
achieved their objective.”

“So now we’re experiencing another of their uprisings.”

“Not just another one. Probably the most dangerous one.”
James’ voice was hard and cutting.

The two men were silent and thoughtful for some time.

“I never anticipated that one day you and I would swap
roles,” said Lino. “Now I’m the sceptic, not you.”

“You may think I’ve been led by my emotions, but it’s not
true. I want to focus your attention on another important point though. Don
Federico wrote in his diary: ‘The gods, their priests and multitudes of
servants were marked by the Snake-Spirit so they could see each other’s
souls.’”

“Maybe the term ‘marked’ means something like initiation,”
Lino suggested.

“Okay. Let’s assume that the initiated ones could ‘see’ each
other in a way impossible for others. This makes them a kind of brotherhood, a
clan with a special bond. That’s the reason behind their dedication.”

Lino suddenly cheered up. “Yes. This could explain the
diligence, the cohesion, the unbreakable secrecy these people have shared and
maintained. But we’re still guessing—”

James interrupted. “At this point I’m not seeking proof
which could be sustainable in court. It would be a mistake to stick to a pure
scientific approach in this investigation. I intend to rely more on my
intuition.”

Lino gave him an enigmatic smile. “I’m thinking about
destiny’s oddness. What are the chances! As an individual, you’re possibly the
worst enemy they could have. Much worse than I could be.”

James paused before responding. “Until recently, I also
thought all this had been a matter of fate and chance. But not anymore.” His
tone carried a hint of sadness.

“Don Federico’s notes have obviously changed quite a lot for
you. It’s not easy for me to move ahead with your speed,” Lino admitted.

“I’ve pursued the wrong path from the beginning. I neglected
the obvious and narrowed my range ... I mean the deductions I made after
analysing the symbols left around Stefan Costov’s body,” James added on seeing
the lack of understanding on Lino’s face.

“I presume you’re talking about the excessively Sumerian
slant of your interpretation.”

“Exactly,” James praised his assumption. “This cult is
rooted in prehistoric times. There was no separation between the sacred and
profane in the life and consciousness of men of that time. Life was religion;
religion was a way of life. Many old texts state that in ancient times
humankind was united. There were no different states, religious systems. The
pantheon of gods was the same everywhere. Viewed in such a context, the symbols
left by Costov’s killers can be considered universal. Ningishzida was an echo
from the past inherited by the Sumerians. The same goes for the two serpents as
his distinctive symbol.”

“Do you think that Don Federico’s tale is an Indian story
retold from legends from the old world? That’s to say, an archetypal myth which
fed some known ancient myths, like Atlantis’s submergence, for example?” Lino
asked.

“Both could have had the same source. Why not?”

“Yes. Theoretically, it’s possible. It’s also possible that
this source was a collection of real prehistoric events.”

“This particular myth is not typical for the indigenous
population of Ecuador, or for the South Americas,” said James. “Yet I can’t
dismiss some coincidences. Like the remarks about the two snakes – of the gods
and the people – that lived in peace and harmony, or the settling under the
rainbow which the survivors stole from the peak of the Island Mountain. In
their chronicles, the Spanish conquistadors described the Inca Empire’s flag as
depicting a rainbow, a king’s crown beneath, and a snake at each side. Why not
assume that the Indians are descendants of the survivors who escaped the
destruction of that Island Mountain? The Inca kings were considered divine,
sons of the sun. The castes of the nobles and the clergy in the Inca Empire
were clearly separated from the rest of the population. The Empire’s social
structure resembled the one of the old world from the myth where gods and
ordinary people lived together although separated. The Incas built pyramids,
which architecturally resemble the description of that Island Mountain. Why not
assume their predecessors passed on to them the social system and knowledge
they brought from the old world?” He paused.

Curiosity had visibly overtaken Lino. He looked like he had
experienced every passing second like a minute. “All right. One – these are
intriguing resemblances. Two – the cult uses a symbol code dated thousands of
years back. What can we conclude?” he asked impatiently.

“All becomes crystal clear. It’s simple.” James looked at
Lino as if expecting him to figure the answer out by himself.

Excited, Lino urged him to continue. “Go on, James. You
don’t want to give me a heart attack!”

“The story repeats itself. The cult kills people who are
obstacles in their way. This is exactly what their predecessors did on the
Island Mountain. These are not necessarily highly developed minds, as I thought
in the beginning. Rather, these people have something in them that can’t be
easily seen or perceived. In the myth, there are lines about ‘awakening’ men
whose souls ‘shined with new light’, also about the ‘First Truly Awakened One’.
You know who was called the Truly Awakened One?”

“Gautama Buddha.”

“I think the myth tells a story about an ancient Buddha and
the diffusion of his teaching. Buddhism is just the opposite of the enslaving
beliefs, which dominated the old world. The followers of that Buddha would not
want to live a lie and obey so-called gods like lambs.”

“That sounds right. They would not continue to worship the
Snake-Spirit, creator of all existence, either. The Buddhists consider the
universe to be nobody’s creation. It’s without beginning and without end.
However, non-violence is one of the fundamentals of the Buddhist religion. Its
genuine followers would not have raised weapons against those gods.”

“Buddhist teaching might be peaceful and perfect. The
ordinary Buddhists are not like that. The followers of that Buddha were
ordinary men and women, not saints. His teaching sparked them to strive for
freedom. The gods, of course, wanted to extinguish this impulse. The people
rebelled and defeated them.”

“I’m trying to see all this through the prism of what’s
happened recently. This speculation doesn’t explain the murders of the Bulgarian
scientist, the German in Algeria and the three bodies in the Indian jungle,”
said Lino.

“I’m sorry if I sound like a madman preaching the
Apocalypse. But even if I wanted to, I couldn’t think differently—”

“I know the feeling.”

James smiled. “The people the cult has killed so far were
‘illuminating’ souls. I suppose that kind of people somehow restrain the cult’s
expansion. One could call them sentinels of the sparks of freedom bequeathed to
the world from that ancient Buddha. That’s why the killers carve swastikas on
their chests. In eastern symbolism, the swastika is a symbol of the awakened
mind.”