The Scepter by Tom Hunter

Author:Tom Hunter [Hunter, Tom]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2018-10-06T04:00:00+00:00

Twenty-Five

The Milky Way shone brilliantly over Meroe, bringing a mystical majesty to the swath of pyramids. The scene was surreal and timeless.

A cool breeze blew across the Sudanese deserts, sending the tourists scurrying back to their hotels for shelter and sustenance. In the darkness, nobody noticed a small party heading away from the modern area and into the heart of ancient Meroe.

“This way.” Abdul, accompanied by a handful of Knights, led Samuel and his friends to an area outside of the main perimeter of pyramids, off towards the easternmost edge of the city. There was an abandoned, neglected feel to this section. Rarely visited by tourists, there were few information signs in this area, and little refurbishment had been carried out to the remains, making it of little interest to the average visitor.

Samuel, in particular, was more excited about the untapped potential offered by this segment of the city and, as he walked, his agile mind couldn’t help but make notes on which areas offered the most potential of future digs. If Abdul and his cell had lost so much of their ancient history, perhaps it could be recovered by an experienced archaeologist who was familiar with St. Augustine’s traditions. It was something to consider once the Bruard were finally defeated.

“This is the stele you’re looking for,” Abdul announced, coming to a halt in front of a nondescript obelisk. Unlike the one they’d been examining earlier, this stone pillar hadn’t been maintained or upgraded. It tilted slightly to one side, a possible result of erosion in the ground. The markings that had been engraved on the walls had worn away from countless sandstorms over the centuries, only the occasional scratch hinting at earlier decoration. However, it did bear one similarity to the other stele: there was a false door on both sides.

“My predecessor of many generations ago is said to have realized that this stele was the ideal place to hide the entrance to the relic’s resting pace,” Abdul explained. “His reasoning was simple. He knew that mankind was drawn to historical sites, so Meroe would not be able to avoid being looted for long. However, being wise to human nature, he realized that the greedy thieves who would want to ransack the place would be drawn to the pyramids. After all, we all know that there are incredible riches buried with the dead the pyramids protect. Faced with so many options, it would take years to empty all the pyramids. Meanwhile, smaller obelisks such as this one would remain unscathed. So far, we’ve seen nothing that suggests that his wisdom was misplaced.”

“Hmm.” Waleed walked a little closer to the stele. “Are you so sure? While your predecessor is right in that most people would head for the obvious, grandiose pyramids, the truly clever criminal always knows to look where no one else would consider. Personally, if I were wanting to loot Meroe, this is exactly the kind of place I’d check out first. A lot of people hide valuables

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