Four Sacred Treasures by David Leadbeater

Author:David Leadbeater [Leadbeater, David]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2019-07-14T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWENTY SIX

They climbed up the stone steps and sat down to rest. Water ran off their slick suits, pooling on the floor. Alicia removed her flippers and then her mask, pronouncing that the air was good. Together, they ate a few energy bars.

As expected, their comms system was useless.

Dahl rose first to explore the cave. “Nothing out of the ordinary,” he said. “The steps lead to a high outcrop where—–” he climbed higher, straining up to see “—we have another tunnel. I suggest we get started.”

Alicia followed the Swede, taking care to step warily on the slick rock with her bare feet. Soon, they were ascending a narrow passage, the steps worn by time and moisture. Dino fell first and then Luther, both managing to catch themselves before doing any damage. Alicia followed Dahl up through the ill-lit darkness.

“It’s an undersea cavern formed inside the rising rock mount,” Dahl said. “I can only assume it was found by accident, but a perfect place to conceal the jewel. Nobody would ever find it without the start point only Gyuki could give.”

“Or each successive leader of the Tsugarai,” Alicia amended. “Which, in a different world, would have been Mai.”

“Yes.” Dahl nodded. “That’s a very odd thought.”

“Oh, I’m full of ’em.”

At the top of the winding stairs they came to another cavern. Dahl stopped, crouching with his gun in hand. Alicia drew her own weapon, not knowing what to expect, and sidled around the big Swede.

Before them, littering the floor, looking stark white and crumbling in the torchlight, lay piles of old bones.

“That’s not good,” Dino said as he emerged.

Alicia saw skulls and empty eye sockets staring forever in a single direction. All sorts of other bones too, and tattered clothing. Dahl scanned the area.

“It seems clear,” he said. “But stay frosty.”

Alicia counted the piles but stopped when she got to a dozen. There were too many. “What is this?” she said. “And, more importantly, what did it?”

“Ancient mariners,” Luther said. “They found the jewel, or almost did. They got this far and . . .”

“Just dropped dead,” Alicia finished. “Yeah, right.”

“They seem very old.” Dahl was on his knees, peering at the skeletons. “Maybe whatever did this is long gone.”

He picked up an old, dull sword, studying the handle. Alicia tapped his shoulder. “C’mon, Torsty. This isn’t the time to find something for Kenzie’s birthday. It’s onward and upward, it seems.”

“Maybe they did it to each other,” Dahl said speculatively as he rose. “Old pirates and cutthroats and all that.”

Alicia thought it most likely. It took another ten minutes of walking before they came to a third large chamber. Inside this one a flat plateau of rock led away from them. It curved at its far end. They shone their flashlights into the blackness at the edge of the plateau but could not penetrate its inkiness.

Dahl walked forward. “It’s an outcrop,” he said, going to his knees. “Most likely over an enormous drop.”

Alicia joined him. “There has to be something else.”

“There is,” Luther said.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.