the
Buildings.
“ Creeper and vine cling to
Nagkas many faces and tendrils search the City floor. Huge Banyan
and Silk Cotton trees rise in once open spaces and insert their
fingers into Nagkas sandstone body. The writhing roots of Fig trees
strangle massive Statues of the Gods. But inside Nagka waits a cool
sanctuary from the oppressive heat.”
I reluctantly closed the book,
eliciting complaining noises from Jack and Mel. I didn’t know when
Gia Sabato would turn up and I wanted to be ready.
Chapter Six
I sat at the kitchen table trying to
watch TV, but I couldn’t concentrate. My long-sleeved cambric shirt
covered my angle-draw shoulder holster and Ruger SR9. I wasn’t
taking any chances.
My mind on other things, mainly
Royal’s behavior, I idly flipped the pages of Elizabeth’s diary. An
interesting little book, but who sent it to the agency, and why? I
couldn’t come up with any possible explanation.
Was it authentic? The cover and paper
looked old, with lettering in thick and faded ink. I’m no expert,
but it didn’t look like modern ink. The journal had been written in
ornate handwriting, with great care. It was for the most part
legible, although some of the letters were strange. The S looked
almost like an F, but only when used within a word. If the S came
at the end of a word it was a plain old S. I could imagine
Elizabeth writing slowly and carefully so she didn’t have to cross
out words and waste paper, but there were a number of crossings-out
and blotches.
The minutes ticked by and
Gia didn’t come. That’s the problem when a person says evening . It could mean
any time between four and ten. I pushed the journal away, got to my
feet and went restlessly to the kitchen window to look out. Jack
and Mel watched the Billy French video, but despite their
complaints I had set the volume on low.
Still no sign of her. I wanted her to
arrive, talk, leave and get it over with so I could quit thinking
of her. My shoulders were in knots at the thought of being alone
with her in my house.
I sighed, went back to the table and
opened the journal again. Jack and Mel were behind me in a
flash.
I skipped over a detailed description
of the expedition setting up camp, the meals they ate, Elizabeth’s
tedium as the men explored the city and she remained confined to
camp.
A dangerous place; some of the
buildings hid nasty traps, as in the Indiana Jones movies. The men
slowly and carefully explored each small area, every room.
Hazardous areas were marked and some traps sprung. Elizabeth was
allowed to roam those areas of the city deemed safe three days
after their arrival.
“ As high as the Towers are
their peaks do not rise above the mighty Wall. This morning I went
carefully up the crumbling Steps passing first the Tower roofs and
successive floors to the top of the wide stone Wall. Daddy would be
most upset if he saw me up there. I looked down at Nagkas sun baked
brick floor and our dirty white tents and sodden lines of laundry
which are very much out of place here. When I returned to the
ground I entered the Palace through its massive column flanked
doorway. Blessed cool enfolded me and eased my eyes. I followed the
Passage until daylight faded behind me and I passed the first
Lantern and entered a world bathed in mellow amber
light.
“ The first room is a Small
Antechamber and is dominated by a centrally placed raised dais
supported by six squatting tusked Panthers. They look like old
gnarled friendly beasts. There is a covered stone Basin set into
the dais. The Basin is carved in such a way to make one think some
artisan has laid a lacework mantle upon the open top of a plain
stone receptacle so cunningly is it wrought. Wide steps lead from
the floor up to a Gallery which surrounds the room on three sides
making it appear sunken and more tusked Panthers stand guard along
the Gallery. Nagka truly is magnificent both inside and
out.
I had not so far been
unnerved by the eerie ancient dusty
Buildings.
“ Creeper and vine cling to
Nagkas many faces and tendrils search the City floor. Huge Banyan
and Silk Cotton trees rise in once open spaces and insert their
fingers into Nagkas sandstone body. The writhing roots of Fig trees
strangle massive Statues of the Gods. But inside Nagka waits a cool
sanctuary from the oppressive heat.”
I reluctantly closed the book,
eliciting complaining noises from Jack and Mel. I didn’t know when
Gia Sabato would turn up and I wanted to be ready.
Chapter Six
I sat at the kitchen table trying to
watch TV, but I couldn’t concentrate. My long-sleeved cambric shirt
covered my angle-draw shoulder holster and Ruger SR9. I wasn’t
taking any chances.
My mind on other things, mainly
Royal’s behavior, I idly flipped the pages of Elizabeth’s diary. An
interesting little book, but who sent it to the agency, and why? I
couldn’t come up with any possible explanation.
Was it authentic? The cover and paper
looked old, with lettering in thick and faded ink. I’m no expert,
but it didn’t look like modern ink. The journal had been written in
ornate handwriting, with great care. It was for the most part
legible, although some of the letters were strange. The S looked
almost like an F, but only when used within a word. If the S came
at the end of a word it was a plain old S. I could imagine
Elizabeth writing slowly and carefully so she didn’t have to cross
out words and waste paper, but there were a number of crossings-out
and blotches.
The minutes ticked by and
Gia didn’t come. That’s the problem when a person says evening . It could mean
any time between four and ten. I pushed the journal away, got to my
feet and went restlessly to the kitchen window to look out. Jack
and Mel watched the Billy French video, but despite their
complaints I had set the volume on low.
Still no sign of her. I wanted her to
arrive, talk, leave and get it over with so I could quit thinking
of her. My shoulders were in knots at the thought of being alone
with her in my house.
I sighed, went back to the table and
opened the journal again. Jack and Mel were behind me in a
flash.
I skipped over a detailed description
of the expedition setting up camp, the meals they ate, Elizabeth’s
tedium as the men explored the city and she remained confined to
camp.
A dangerous place; some of the
buildings hid nasty traps, as in the Indiana Jones movies. The men
slowly and carefully explored each small area, every room.
Hazardous areas were marked and some traps sprung. Elizabeth was
allowed to roam those areas of the city deemed safe three days
after their arrival.
“ As high as the Towers are
their peaks do not rise above the mighty Wall. This morning I went
carefully up the crumbling Steps passing first the Tower roofs and
successive floors to the top of the wide stone Wall. Daddy would be
most upset if he saw me up there. I looked down at Nagkas sun baked
brick floor and our dirty white tents and sodden lines of laundry
which are very much out of place here. When I returned to the
ground I entered the Palace through its massive column flanked
doorway. Blessed cool enfolded me and eased my eyes. I followed the
Passage until daylight faded behind me and I passed the first
Lantern and entered a world bathed in mellow amber
light.
“ The first room is a Small
Antechamber and is dominated by a centrally placed raised dais
supported by six squatting tusked Panthers. They look like old
gnarled friendly beasts. There is a covered stone Basin set into
the dais. The Basin is carved in such a way to make one think some
artisan has laid a lacework mantle upon the open top of a plain
stone receptacle so cunningly is it wrought. Wide steps lead from
the floor up to a Gallery which surrounds the room on three sides
making it appear sunken and more tusked Panthers stand guard along
the Gallery. Nagka truly is magnificent both inside and
out.
I had not so far been
unnerved by the eerie ancient dusty
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