The slab slammed back into place and the drums started beating again. Wild dancing broke out in the crowd and Brandon returned to India, deep in thought. Miguel led a tethered pig from the surrounding forest and India turned away as the animal’s throat was cut and the blood smeared on top of the slab to seal the doorway.
Miguel approached them.
‘I suspect you find this a bit uncomfortable?’
‘We do,’ said India.
‘Then please return to your hut,’ said Miguel. ‘Tomorrow morning I will take you to Roseau. Suffice to say, you must not mention this to anyone.’
‘Don’t worry, Miguel,’ said Brandon with a sigh, ‘I have no intention of implicating any of us in the illegal disposal of a body.’
‘A devil,’ corrected Miguel.
‘Whatever,’ answered Brandon.
‘What about Ricardo?’ asked India.
‘He will be fine,’ said Miguel. ‘Now leave us. We have much celebrating to do and it is for the eyes of the Kalinago only.’
The two were led from the clearing and back to the hut. Though he believed Miguel that they were safe, Brandon took no chances and wedged the door shut.
‘Well, that was fascinating,’ said India. ‘What did it look like?’
‘What did what look like?’ asked Brandon.
‘Hell.’
‘Crowded,’ said Brandon, but despite India asking him to expand, he would say no more. Eventually, they both fell asleep on the floor mats, covered by the blankets provided by Miguel. In the distance, the drumming continued until dawn.
* * *
The following morning, Miguel honoured his promise and drove them to a hospital in Roseau. After a few X-rays and a thorough examination, India left the hospital in a wheelchair with a heavily strapped leg and a pocket full of painkillers. Brandon pushed the wheelchair out to the car park where Miguel was waiting.
‘Well?’ he asked.
‘Nothing too serious,’ said India.
‘What did you tell them?’
‘The truth, said India. ‘I said we had been visiting the Boiling Lake but had left the trail and got lost in the forest. I suffered a fall and was found by some locals who brought me here.’
‘Nothing about the ceremony?’
‘No,’ sighed Brandon. ‘We decided it was in nobody’s best interests. Your secrets and way of life are safe.’
‘Thank you, Mr Brandon,’ said Miguel, ‘we are really grateful. Anyway, can I take you anywhere?’
‘Well, I suppose we will need a good hotel for a few days. Can you recommend anywhere?’
‘We have a lot of hotels, but can I offer you the hospitality of my home?’
‘That’s very kind of you,’ said Brandon, ‘but we wouldn’t want to put you out.’
‘It will be my pleasure.’
‘In that case, we are very grateful. It will only be for a few days, until I can arrange the paperwork to allow us to leave your country.’
‘If you have no passports,’ asked Miguel, ‘then how did you get here?’
‘You have your secrets, Miguel, please allow us ours.’
‘Touché,’ said Miguel. ‘Anyway, get in the car and I will take you to my house. I think you will be pleasantly surprised.’
Within a few minutes they were driving back to the Carib territory, chatting as if nothing had happened. On the way they picked up a couple of pairs of shorts and T-shirts, courtesy of Miguel, as well as a new mobile phone. Finally they reached a bungalow perched on a small outcrop overlooking the Caribbean Sea. India and Brandon stared for a few moments before looking back at Miguel, who was smiling at them through the rear-view mirror.
‘Is this yours?’ asked India with more than a hint of wonder in her voice.
‘It is,’ said Miguel. ‘Do you not like it?’
‘Yes, it was just that I was expecting something a bit more, um, traditional?’
‘We don’t always prance around in make-up and skirts, Miss India, we are a modern country after all. Now, let’s get you out of the car and into the house. You will be much more comfortable there.’
The two men helped India into Miguel’s home and carried her through to sit on a sunbed on a balcony overlooking the sea. When she was settled, Brandon followed Miguel into the kitchen.
‘Thanks for this, Miguel,’ he said. ‘If you let me know what we owe you I will have it wired as soon as we get home.’
‘The debt is mine,’ said Miguel. ‘Stay as long as you like. There is food in the cupboards and beer in the fridge. I have to go to work but will return tonight. Make yourselves at home.’
‘It will only be a day or two,’ said Brandon. ‘I have already made the necessary calls.’
‘Good, then in that case, I will see you later,’ said Miguel, and left the house to return to the car.
Brandon and India took it in turns to shower and change into clean clothes before Brandon helped India back out onto the balcony.
‘Hungry?’ he asked.
‘Not really,’ said India, ‘though I could murder a beer.’
Brandon went to the kitchen and returned with two opened bottles.
‘Look at that view,’ said India as he returned. ‘It is stunning.’
‘Nice place to come on a holiday,’ said Brandon.
‘It is,’ agreed India, and a silence fell once more as they both drank their beers.
‘So,’ said India, eventually, ‘are you ready to talk now?’
‘What do you mean?’
‘It’s not difficult, Brandon,’ said India. ‘You have been hiding something since last night. I know we haven’t had the chance to talk but the house is empty. Why don’t you sit down and tell me what is on your mind?’
‘It’s nothing really,’ said Brandon, ‘just something that doesn’t add up.’
‘Run it by me,’ said India. ‘You never know, I just may be able to see it from a different point of view.’
Brandon sat down and leaned forward, staring over the ocean.
‘The thing is, India,’ he said, ‘I’m not sure we have the full story about what really happened here.’
‘Why not?’
‘Last night, when I looked into that pit, I saw something that didn’t make sense.’
‘What did you see?’
‘Well, first of all, the pit wasn’t very deep, about ten feet or so.’
‘It wasn’t hell then?’ said India with a smile.
‘No,’ said Brandon, returning her smile. ‘Anyway, at first all I could see was some indistinct shapes, but very quickly I could make out several bodies scattered across the bottom.’
‘Several?’
‘Well, I made out at least three skulls in the darkness, but there could have been more.’
‘That’s strange,’ said India, ‘nobody ever mentioned more than one body. Do you think it is a place they use regularly?’
‘No, to be fair, all the skulls were obviously hundreds of years old.’
‘Perhaps there was more than one devil,’ suggested India with a laugh.
‘It would seem so,’ said Brandon. ‘But there was something else. To one side of the pit, there was a pile of crates, each stacked carefully as if they were meant to be there. Some had split open but the contents were covered with dirt and I couldn’t make them out.’
India’s brow creased in thought.
‘Anything else?’ she asked.
‘There is one more thing,’ said Brandon. ‘The thing that doesn’t make any sense at all.’
‘And what was that?’
‘On one of the top boxes, there was an image carved into the wood. It immediately seemed familiar, but at first I couldn’t remember where I had seen it before.’
‘And now you do?’
‘Yes.’
‘Where did you see it?’
Brandon paused and looked across at India for a second before answering.
‘On Kosta’s chest.’
India frowned again.
; ‘You mean the tugrah tattoo?’
‘If that’s what you call it, yes.’
‘But that doesn’t make sense. How could that design be down there? Suleiman’s tugrah is from a different culture half a world away and five hundred years ago.’ Her eyes suddenly widened. ‘Unless…’
‘Unless what?’ asked Brandon.
‘Oh my God, Brandon, it can’t be true.’
‘What can’t, India?’
India emptied her beer bottle and handed it to Brandon.
‘Get me another beer,’ she said, ‘I need to gather my thoughts.’
‘Yes ma’am,’ answered Brandon, and marched out into the kitchen. Five minutes later he returned with two beers and a chicken sandwich.
‘I thought you might be hungry,’ he said, before stopping short and staring at India’s beaming face.
‘What?’ asked Brandon.
‘You clever, clever man,’ said India, and threw her arms around him to give him a hug.
‘It’s only a chicken sandwich,’ mumbled Brandon, but enjoyed the hug nevertheless.
‘Not the sandwich, you idiot, the clues. You have just solved the whole thing.’
‘Nope, you’ve lost me,’ said Brandon.
‘Sit down,’ said India, ‘and listen. The thing is, I believe everything we have worked out is wrong. Well, not entirely wrong, but misunderstood.’
‘I don’t know what you mean,’ said Brandon.
‘Well, I believe that Kemal Reis didn’t cross the Atlantic as we thought but did send someone over on one of Columbus’ ships to report back on the new world, probably one of his trusted crew. Anyway, whoever it was found the Boiling Lake and realised it was a perfect place to hide his master’s treasure. Now these sailors often had valuables of their own, and it is entirely feasible that the sailor, whoever he was, hid his own booty in that fumarole before he left and finished the voyage with Columbus. The ring that the guide’s uncle found was probably part of that initial hoard.
‘When he returned to the east,’ she continued, ‘he would have told Kemal Reis about this wondrous place where water boiled up from the ground and the admiral eventually gave the directions to his nephew Piri Reis to make the map. The only thing is, it wasn’t where his treasure was already hidden but the place where it was going to be hidden.’
‘You mean it wasn’t already there?’
‘No. I think Kemal Reis had already planned his final journey and as he had vowed to serve the sultan, he faked his own death and sailed across the Atlantic with his treasures.’
‘Possible, I suppose,’ said Brandon.
‘It makes complete sense,’ said India. ‘He was fascinated by Columbus, and as he was getting old, he would have loved the opportunity to carry out a similar voyage. What better opportunity than to make his last adventure the one to hide his fortune?’
‘OK,’ said Brandon, ‘so he came later. That still doesn’t mean we were wrong.’
‘Oh, but it does,’ said India. ‘I believe he did land here on Dominica but by then, the locals weren’t as friendly as they initially were toward Columbus years earlier. The Carib are famous for resisting the encroachment of the conquistadors, and if Kemal Reis landed in a hostile territory, then they could well have been attacked by the Carib, or in this case, the Kalinago.’
Brandon stared at India as understanding dawned.
‘You think that the men in the pit are Kemal Reis and his men?’
‘I do,’ said India. ‘The Kalinago legend says that a devil came to their lands and offered gold for them to worship him. Now, I don’t know what Kemal Reis looked like, but you can bet your life he was an impressive man and looked completely different from the Kalinago, or even the conquistadors for that matter, and the one thing that Kemal Reis had was an abundance of gold. Imagine if he and some of his men landed here and after a while, the Kalinago’s way of life was being affected by the actions of his men – there could well have been a confrontation with tragic consequences. The elders would have proclaimed him a devil and cast him and his gold back into hell.’
‘Hang on,’ said Brandon. ‘If you are right, that means that those boxes in the pit would contain…’
‘Kemal Reis’ gold,’ confirmed India, before he could finish the sentence. ‘We did it, Brandon. We found the treasures of Suleiman.’
Chapter 23
Two days later, Brandon stood to one side as India hugged Miguel and said goodbye. Adriano had sorted out the paperwork and their passports and plane tickets had arrived the previous day. Now they were in Canefield Airport waiting for their plane to Miami where they would get a transatlantic flight home.
Brandon stepped forward to shake Miguel’s hand.
‘Thank you, Miguel,’ he said, ‘we owe you a lot.’
‘No problem, Mr Brandon,’ said Miguel, ‘you just take care of Miss India.’
‘I will,’ said Brandon. ‘Look, are you sure about this? There is enough gold in that pit to make you and your people world famous, not to mention filthy rich.’
‘The beauty of this island and the richness of our culture means we are already filthy rich,’ Mr Brandon, and the ill-gotten gains of a long-dead murderer will only poison our way of life.’
‘I realise that you can never make it public,’ said Brandon, ‘but perhaps the odd trinket now and again will make your people’s life easier.’
‘And how would I explain sixteenth-century coinage?’ laughed Miguel. ‘No, the gates to hell will remain closed, and I will take the knowledge to my grave. I hope you will do the same.’
Brandon nodded sombrely.
‘Well, I think you are making a mistake,’ he said, ‘but I accept your reasons for doing so. Neither India nor I will breathe a word. By now, Hundar and his mob will have checked that fumarole and realised they have undertaken a wild goose chase. They will probably be halfway back across the Atlantic. Your secrets are safe with us, Miguel, and your way of life can continue as it was.’
‘Thank you, Mr Brandon,’ said Miguel. ‘Now you should go, they are calling your flight.’
‘Thank you, Miguel,’ said Brandon, ‘and goodbye.’
India and Brandon walked through the gates and into the boarding area.
‘Do you think he will ever open it?’ asked India as they walked.
‘Somehow, I don’t think he will,’ said Brandon.
‘And what about you?’
‘What do you mean?’
‘There’s a lot of gold back there,’ said India. ‘It would set you up for life, as well as your descendants.’
‘Well, I don’t have any family yet,’ said Brandon, ‘but one day, if I do, I know exactly what I am going to leave them in my will.’
‘And what is that?’ asked India.
‘A treasure map,’ said Brandon with a poignant smile. He held out his arm. ‘Come on, Miss India, let’s go home.’
Author’s Notes
Piri Reis Map
As noted in the beginning of this book, the Piri Reis map does actually exist and is the source of much controversy due to the apparent outline of the coast of Antarctica, a feat only possible if the coastline had been charted before the last ice age.
Characters
Piri Reis and Kemal Reis were both pirates in the Mediterranean around the time of Suleiman the Magnificent. Kemal Reis was offered the role of admiral due to the sultan’s inability to catch him and went on to be the scourge of the Ottoman Empire’s enemies.
Nileometer
The Nileometer at Kom-Ombo actually exists and was an indicator of the river level in times gone by.
The Capture of the Galleons
Kemal Reis did indeed capture seven Spanish galleons off the coast of Morocco, one of which seems to have contained artefacts from the new world, along with various maps and charts.
Christopher Columbus
Columbus crossed the Atlantic four times in total. On each occasion he visited Hispaniola but on the first occasion, he spied Dominica and though h
e didn’t land, he named it after the day of the week upon which it was spotted. On the last occasion in 1502, before he started the crossing, he stopped in Morocco. Could it have been for a meeting with Kemal Reis perhaps?
The Valley of Desolation
Actually exists and has to be crossed to reach the Boiling Lake.
The Boiling Lake
Actually exists and is one of Dominica’s most famous tourist attractions. It is the second largest boiling lake in the world.
The Story
The clues in the story regarding the Piri Reis map refer to actual marks on the document and with careful examination can be followed to back up the storyline within this book.
Does the treasure exist?
You decide!
Next in The India Summers Mysteries:
The Mummies of the Reich
A pulse-pounding conspiracy thriller with a twist you won’t see coming, perfect for fans of Dan Brown, Scott Mariani and Chris Kuzneski.
Find out more
First published in the United Kingdom in 2012 by K M Ashman
This edition published in the United Kingdom in 2019 by
Canelo Digital Publishing Limited
Third Floor, 20 Mortimer Street
London W1T 3JW
United Kingdom
Copyright © K M Ashman, 2012
The moral right of K M Ashman to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
The Treasures of Suleiman Page 26
