by H. B. Moore
As Alem read the notes, he let out a low whistle. “Dr. Lyon thinks the queen’s tomb is in Shisur.” He looked at Jade. “That might mean the cavern you fell into is possibly the greatest find of the century.”
She nodded, her eyes wide.
Alem continued. “But what does this part of the article mean?” He read,
A written lineage of new kings found in a Northern Jerusalem tomb may prove David and Solomon as fictitious, leading us to question the validity of the Bible. Will Israel’s claim to Jerusalem be fraudulent and the Ethiopians’ royal heritage turn out to be propaganda from the Middle Ages?
He turned to Omar. “Is this true?”
“Yes,” Omar said. “The lineage of three kings was listed on the walls with the dates of their deaths. The third king ruled during the same era as King Solomon is said to have ruled.”
He paused. “I saw the tomb in Jerusalem before the bombing.”
“What did it look like?” Jade asked.
“Just like every other tomb, I suppose,” Omar said with a smile. “It was quite ordinary. I was there with a work crew when we cut through the outer wall.”
“Did you see the names of the kings?” Alem asked.
“Yes, but for only a few minutes.”
“Were there symbols on the walls?” Jade asked.
“Some,” Omar said. “Now that I’ve told you my secret, tell me yours.”
“What secret?” Jade looked furtively at Alem.
“The tomb at Shisur.”
Jade’s face turned pink. “The cavern I fell into had writing on the walls. There was a stone that could have passed for a sarcophagus, but more significant, I saw a symbol that Alem said is on his grandmother’s tombstone.”
Alem pulled out a piece of paper and held it up.
Omar took the paper and studied the rough sketch of a snake intertwined with a flower—the canna lily, no less. “Who have you told about this symbol?”
“No one,” Jade said, confusion crossing her features.
“And Lucas sent you away?” Omar asked.
“He convinced her that she’d only imagined the sarcophagus,” Alem cut in. “That’s why we needed your help.”
“As a taxi?”
“No,” Alem said. “For your many skills.”
Omar cracked a smile. “If it involves a tomb belonging to a queen, I’m at your service.”
Alem pulled out another piece of paper. “When I was . . . tortured . . . they took a letter that I always carried with me. My grandmother wrote it, admonishing me to try to find the queen’s tomb.”
Omar nodded. He remembered seeing Alem read the well-worn letter.
“I couldn’t understand what the crew boss would want with the letter—until I remembered the poem she included at the end.” Alem passed over the paper. “I think I remembered most of it. A word or two might be reversed.”
“Poem?” Omar took the page. He stopped dead at the first lines. They were the same verses he’d read on Mia’s PDF.
O Queen of the South,
Death began your journey
He paused on the third line.
To that night when seven women held one man.
“I just read this—it’s from the Song of Songs. No, wait. Only some of this comes from Solomon’s accolade.” He grabbed his bag and took out the Bible he’d purchased in Yemen. Flipping to the Song of Solomon, he scanned the words. “Here it is: ‘His cheeks are as a bed of spices, as sweet flowers: his lips like lilies.’ ”
He turned back to the poem written by Alem’s grandmother.
The feast of seven days brought him from your dreams,
But your heart melted for another like incense spread gold upon cherubim
Until your desire became as bright as precious stones
Against your bed of spices, O Queen of the South.
Your lips are lilies; your chaplets of flowers fill palms of love.
Yet your virgin flower faded as the face of the serpent appeared.
As sunlight wasted, six branches closed, and flowers wilted.
Now the seven devils hide beneath the tomb,
Waiting as seven lamps still burn above,
Waiting for the queen of the South.
Omar looked at Alem. “What’s the origin of this poem?”
“I assumed my grandmother wrote it.”
“I don’t think so.” If Mia had a copy of the original etching, it was impossible that Alem’s grandmother was the author. This poem was ancient, translated from Aramaic. Omar ran his finger along the lines, muttering, “Seven women, palms of love, six branches, seven lamps, virgin flower, serpents, waiting for the queen of the South.”
Omar grabbed the sketch and started to count the branches of the palm trees. “Each tree has six branches.” He looked from Alem to Jade. “I don’t know what this means exactly, but the poem from Alem’s grandmother is very close to what I found in the Jerusalem tomb.”
Alem eyed the sketch in Omar’s hand. “How did you get hold of that?”
Omar hesitated. “In an unorthodox manner.”
“I can very well imagine that,” Jade said.
“So you are telling us this is hot property?” Alem asked with a laugh.
Omar winked at Jade. “It’s hot no matter how I obtained it.”
The three of them laughed, and Mia stirred with a soft moan.
“Let’s go,” Omar said. “We can fill Mia in later. But right now, I think we’d better get to Shisur as fast as we can.”
CHAPTER
41
Shisur, Oman
“We’re here.” Omar’s voice pierced through Jade’s drowsy state.
She lifted her head, feeling the dull ache brought by trying to sleep upright. The oasis looked beautiful in the orange-red glow of the setting sun. The palms swayed majestically in the evening breeze, the tents dotting the earth as if they had since antiquity. A chain of smoke billowed from a campfire on the perimeter, and several men had gathered in a circle around it.
Jade’s stomach twisted as she anticipated seeing Lucas again. As soon as their Land Cruiser was noticed, the men rose to their feet, and two men strode forward to meet them. One was Lucas.
Seeing him brought it all back with a hard slap, and his betrayal burned hot in her breast. He’d lied to her about the tomb. Anger flushed her face as she prepared to ask him why he’d deceived her.
As plain as midday, she saw that excavation work had taken place in the area where she’d fallen. She took a deep breath and twisted her ring furiously. It had dulled to amber. Anxious.
The four of them climbed out of the SUV. Their footprints immediately filled with sand as the wind swirled around them. Jade shouldn’t have been surprised to see both Lucas and Ismail carrying guns—ready to defend their claim, even if it resulted in violence. Was this Luc’s true character? Had it taken the discovery of a tomb to reveal it? She bit her trembling lip to keep her emotions in check. She was usually a mess when she was mad—and she didn’t want to turn into a blubbering idiot in front of all these people.
She focused on her new friends. Omar’s eyes flashed like a jaguar ready to pounce as his hand moved to his pocket and brandished a pistol. At least she had Alem and Omar on her side—two seemingly loyal guys.
Lucas scanned the group, his gaze settling on Jade. “Are you all right?” His unmistakable accent cut through the tension. His hand tightened on his Kalashnikov as he finished surveying the others. “Hello, again.” His eyes settled on Alem. “You’re looking much better.”
Why is he being so normal? So cordial? Jade wondered.
“Alem, this is Lucas Morel,” Omar said, throwing the politeness right back. “He was with Jade when she found you in the desert.”
With a smile, Alem said, “I can’t thank you enough. I wish I could repay you in some way.”
Don’t smile at him, Jade wanted to shout. Lucas is the one who forced me to go to the hospital. He lied to me about the tomb.
Lucas acknowledged Alem, then moved his focus back to Jade. He took a step toward her, but she shrank back. “Why did you leave the hospital? I was going to check on you in the morning.”
To make sure I didn’t leave the hospital. She forced a smile and glanced between Lucas and Ismail, her insides crawling with uncertainty. Surrounded by people who believed her story, Lucas was acting far from the tyrant she’d conjured up in her mind. In fact, he looked quite handsome as the desert wind blew his hair across his face. “The doctor seemed to think I was just fine,” she managed.
“Great news.” But there was hesitation in his eyes. “I think you should still take it easy, though.”
“You must join us for supper,” Ismail cut in. His broad smile welcomed the entire group. “Are you passing through?”
Omar answered, “We’ve come to do some of our own excavation, although we’ll set up away from your roped-off area.”
Lucas’s smile was amiable enough, but Jade recognized a steely glint in his gaze.
They unloaded a few things from the SUV and joined the crew for supper. Omar presented fresh tomatoes and cucumbers purchased from a roadside stand, which the Yemeni men eagerly accepted. Jade stayed by Mia, avoiding Lucas.
“Omar said you were stuck in Marib,” Jade said as they both ate their rice.
“Yes. I was working on a contract project when things went wrong.”
Jade noticed a haunted look in her eyes. Omar had told her and Alem about hiring a helicopter to rescue Mia. Jade could very well understand Omar’s near obsession with making sure the woman was all right . . . not to mention that it appeared he’d rescued her from a dangerous situation. “Omar seems like a brave guy.”
Mia raised an eyebrow. “He can be impulsive, so I’m surprised he didn’t charter another helicopter and fly us all here.”
“Impulsive?” Jade tried to hold back a laugh. “More like reckless.”
“That too,” Mia whispered with a smile. She turned her attention to the men’s conversation.
Omar had wasted no time in confronting Lucas. “Even under conditions of severe dehydration, it’s still possible to be coherent in your surroundings.”
“Undoubtedly,” Lucas responded in a smooth tone. “Ismail examined the cavern, found nothing, and it’s now sealed off to prevent further danger.”
Omar’s eyes were dark, doubtful, and Jade felt her heart rate pick up.
Luc’s gaze locked with Jade’s across the sparking fire. His expression burned through her, and for a moment, she wouldn’t have been surprised if her hair spontaneously ignited. She couldn’t deny the attraction, yet she was starting to hate herself for it. It was as if he had some power over her, and now, he seemed to be willing her to back him up.
“Take me there,” Alem said. “I want to see the place.”
A reverence fell over the Yemeni crew. Surviving a human sacrifice made Alem a legend. Ismail stood and bowed. “We would be honored.”
Lucas leaped to his feet, his face dark in the fire’s glow. “I cannot allow it. Your safety is in jeopardy.”
Alem removed some of his bandages and spread his arms. Gasps echoed around the circle. Reflected against the light of the fire, the carvings of his skin stood out, gory, yet fascinating. “I have returned to this place of death, and it is my last wish before leaving this oasis to see the cavern Jade speaks of.”
The others waited in silence, seeing how it would play out. Lucas relaxed his shoulders and held up his hand. “At first light, then.”
Omar nodded with approval, and Alem looked pleased. Jade felt the tension flee from her limbs, knowing that her questions would be answered once and for all. She wondered: If it hadn’t been for Ismail’s obvious move to please Alem, would Lucas have allowed the exploration?
Supper had disappeared, and the work crew reclined, sharing stories of previous excavations in other sites. Omar moved to unload the rest of the SUV, and Jade joined him. She couldn’t just sit around the fire and try to avoid Lucas’s penetrating gaze. She still had questions for him, but she hoped her answers would come in the morning.
“Satisfied?” Omar asked Jade when they were alone. He spread a tent cloth on the sandy ground.
“I know what I saw, but at times I doubt.”
Omar straightened, and Jade felt him surveying her in the moonlight—unnerving her to the very core. “I don’t doubt you.”
“That’s what Alem said. How long have you known each other?”
“Just a few weeks. Toiling under the hot sun for long stretches with someone reveals his character in no time.” Omar threaded tent poles through the slots of the canopy. “How did you hook up with Lucas?”
“Through Dr. Lyon.” Jade lifted the sleeping bags from the SUV and carried them to Omar.
“I’d be careful around Lucas,” Omar said. “He seems to know an awful lot about Dr. Lyon. And considering that the professor was murdered . . .”
“I honestly can’t believe Lucas is involved,” Jade said. “I know he can be brusque and piously intelligent, and I don’t understand why he’s lying about the tomb, but to kill someone?”
“Seen it multiple times.” Omar grunted as he bent over to hammer the stakes into the crusty ground. As the sound pinged through the air, Mia rose to her feet and crossed over to them.
Jade noticed Omar’s change in demeanor as Mia approached; it was like a fierce protectiveness. She guessed there was some sort of history between them.
“I’m almost finished,” Omar said.
Mia turned from Omar and looked at Jade with curiosity. “Tell me about the cave you fell into.”
Jade studied the woman in the rising moonlight. It looked as if she owned this desert—her beautiful olive skin, dark eyes, and soft, curling hair falling to her shoulders. “Alem showed me this sketch at the hospital,” Jade said, withdrawing the page from her pocket. “This is what I saw on one of the walls.”
Mia moved to her side and examined the simple drawing with a flashlight. She glanced at Omar and motioned for him to join them. In two strides, Omar was peering over Jade’s shoulder.
“The symbol of Sheba,” Mia breathed.
A shiver passed along Jade’s neck. “So you recognize it too?”
“It seems that tomorrow is going to be a banner day,” Mia said.
“You mean tonight,” Omar corrected.
Mia and Jade both looked at him.
Omar lifted a shoulder. “Think about it. If Jade really did find a tomb, which I wholeheartedly believe, and Lucas really did try to get rid of her, do you think he’ll allow us near the site?” He glanced at the dwindling fire and the group of lazing men surrounding it. “My bet is they collapse the opening tonight, or they create some sort of tragic diversion to get us out of the way.”
“You think they’d kill one of us first?” Mia asked, her tone sarcastic.
“Either way, they’re not going to let us near that tomb,” Omar said.
Jade twisted the ring on her finger. What if Omar was right? Lucas did know a lot, maybe too conveniently. Why would he lead her all the way out here, though? He could have dumped her in Cairo. Whatever the answers, she felt as if she were slowly spinning into a living nightmare.
“What’s your plan, Jade?” Mia’s businesslike tone inspired Jade to try to think more rationally.
“I honestly don’t know,” Jade said. “I wish we could have a conversation with Lucas about it, but that’s impossible.”
Omar snorted, looking up at the infinite stars spread across the night sky. “These men are experts, whoever they are, whomever they work for. Plus, they outnumber us thre
e to one.”
“Are you thinking AWP?” Mia asked.
“Possible,” Omar said.
“Are you certain those men are Yemeni?”
“Does it really matter?” Omar sounded annoyed. “Do they know about the sketch on the Jerusalem tomb wall?”
Mia arched a brow. “Let’s take this conversation somewhere else.”
“Jade knows, Mia,” Omar said. “I told her and Alem about the sketch and the names. I told them we know about the tomb. And Alem gave me a poem that came from his grandmother that I think you’ll find very interesting.”
Mia looked angry, but Jade guessed that Mia was probably surprised he had shared so much information.
Mia folded her arms, eyes narrowed. “Why don’t you just take over, then? You ignore what Levy says; you ignore what I say. You don’t care about anyone but yourself.” She pushed a finger into his chest. “And now there are innocent people involved. We shouldn’t have brought them back here. As soon as the AWP louts show up, it will be dangerous for everyone. You should have left me in Marib and let Levy handle Shisur.”
Omar scoffed. “You were practically stripped and tied up in an underground storage room in the middle of nowhere!”
Not knowing whether she should be hearing all of this, Jade took a step back.
“An operation was being planned, and you knew that,” Mia said, her voice harsh. “Besides, I am none of your business. You tell me to trust you . . . and now this. You don’t trust me. It’s like you’re trying to get everyone on your side so you can show them what a great hero you are.”
Jade saw the hurt displayed on Omar’s face.
“ ‘Thank you for rescuing me’ would have been nice,” he said, turning from her.
Both women watched him walk away.
Jade started to say, “I know it’s not my business, but—”
“You’re right,” Mia said, deadpan. “It’s none of your business.”
CHAPTER
42
