The Quest of the Empty Tomb

by Elyse Salpeter

  Chapter 23

  ARI’S DREAM

  Two hours after Ari fell asleep that night, the dream came. He stood amidst a garden valley in Xanadu, the most spectacular place he’d ever seen. Kelsey had explained the land to him in vivid detail, but in his wildest imagination, he couldn’t do it justice until he dreamed it. The grass was the brightest of greens, the flowers so delicate you felt if you gripped them too hard, they’d crumble into dust. When he peered through the forest, he could see the grand temple across the valley, glowing brilliantly as the setting sun hit the golden stupa. Its radiance dazzled him and gave him such a sense of hope and peace that he was overcome with emotion.

  He closed his eyes and breathed in the fragrant air. When he opened them, he glanced at the spectacular sky. Streaming ribbons that reminded him of the aurora borealis in the northern skies, blanketed it. Except these ribbons looked more majestic and held such beauty they took his breath away.

  He’d started dreaming about Xanadu just a few days earlier in the week, and the dreaming had quickly escalated to become the most coveted thing in the world to him. The land intoxicated him. His real waking world of facts and figures, the hunt for information, making corporations quake in fear, and getting information out of people that wouldn’t talk, couldn’t compare to being in this fantastical land. The finest wine, the most exquisite woman or the most spectacular artwork at the Louvre were nothing in comparison. Being here was the biggest high he could get, better than any drug he’d ever tried, and he realized there was nothing he wouldn’t do to continue dreaming about this wondrous place. He normally slept little, but now he relished going to bed, just for the chance to come back to this world.

  Ever since her return from Tibet, Kelsey had tried to bring him numerous times to Xanadu through meditation, but she could never take him there. They believed he simply did not have a connection to that world strong enough for her to bring him. Why she could take Desmond and not him, disturbed him greatly. But a few days ago he dreamed about it in such vivid detail, he believed the monks astral projected themselves into his dream and took him there themselves. He felt sure there was no other way he could experience it in this capacity. If possible, Xanadu was even more magnificent than Kelsey had explained. Ari wondered vaguely if the monks had tapped into his very dreams and showed him the most spectacular place imaginable. He didn’t yet understand how this had happened, but he didn't want to question it. If the monks needed him, he must obviously be more important than Kelsey realized. And maybe more important than Desmond, too. That knowledge made him smile.

  Ari’s gaze turned to the sky. A creature flew across the heavens. Jet black, huge and magnificent, it streaked across the land. It flew faster than any other creature he saw riding the night sky. His heart skipped a beat as he watched the fedelia in its sheer perfection. He knew it would be his, though he hadn’t met him yet. It would be his gift when he accomplished his task. And then he’d be able to fly across the lands with him whenever he wished. A sound startled him, and he turned to see a small creature sniffing the front steps of his home. His own refuge in this world. It resembled a lodge the way it extended into the forest, with its many rooms and secret passages. The monks had given him this, too, and he knew they must have read his mind to know exactly what he would have wanted it to look like. He found it perfect and felt certain it was much larger than Kelsey’s own little hut in the woods. This gave him another satisfied feeling. He would be superior to her in this land. The best warrior in the world, with the best steed in Xanadu.

  A light cough brought him around and he turned to see a Theravada monk standing next to him. The monk was clothed in the same traditional dress he had sported the previous days. He wore a red robe, called the uttarasanga, which only draped over his left shoulder, leaving the right shoulder bare. He wore the antaravasaka underneath and it covered his body from his waist down to his knees. His extra robe, the sanghati, draped over his left arm. He appeared exactly like the monk Kelsey had met in Colombia six months before. Her description to the letter.

  “Did you do what we asked, Ari?”

  “Yes, I did, Venerable One.”

  “And does Desmond believe you?”

  Ari nodded. “Definitely. I told him how to kill Ustha and he’s going to Egypt to confront her on the full moon. That is this coming night.”

  The monk nodded. “Good. It must be this way. If Desmond lives, he will get the girl killed. Our own dreams have foreseen this. We must end Desmond’s path in this lifetime now. Do not tell the girl because she will never understand. This is the best way. Do you understand me?”

  Ari nodded. “She’ll never forgive me if she finds out.”

  The monk waved this aside. “Each of us must make sacrifices in our lives. What the girl feels is not important in the grand scheme of things. That she lives her life to the fullest is her path in this incarnation. She must be allowed to continue to grow. More importantly, she must be allowed to die on her own and not by the actions of others. Per our agreement, since you’ve helped her, we will reward you by letting you come to this land whenever you dream. And the beautiful creature in the sky will be yours. You can ride him for eternity here.”

  Ari sighed in pleasure. “Thank you. I’m humbled by your generosity. Though I would have helped my sister even without this promise.”

  The monk cocked his head. “Perhaps. Or perhaps not. We all have wishes and desires, don’t we?”

  For just a second, Ari paused. A strange expression had rippled across the monk’s face, as if his features suddenly distorted. His expression for a moment seemed… almost malicious and, if possible, feminine. And the way the monk referred to Kelsey as “the girl” also jarred him. A whiff of perfume wafted towards him.

  The monk’s eyes widened slightly, as if surprised Ari seemed to have some sudden confusion. With a flick of his wrist, the monk called to the fedelia. Without hesitation, the creature swooped down into the valley and alighted next to him. Ari’s worries and concerns about the monk melted away as he gazed at the remarkable creature. He reached out and touched the steed’s soft mane and the animal whinnied in pleasure. “May I name him?”

  “He is already named. It is Vires, of course.”

  “Vires.” Latin for power. A feeling of immense pleasure coursed through Ari. Vires made the perfect name for this magnificent creature. That’s exactly what he would have named him. It was as if the monk has read his mind about everything.

  The monk moved suddenly nearer to him and Ari felt him lean close to his ear, so close he could feel his warm breath against his cheek. “Vires is yours once the deed is done. Everything here will be yours. Now go.”

  A shiver of pleasure went through Ari, and then the world disappeared.

  #

  With a start, Ari opened his eyes in his dark bedroom. He craned his head to see the clock, lifting it slightly from the pillow so he could see over the head of the girl he’d bedded this evening. 3:30 a.m. The number thirty-three was not lost on him.

  He rested his head against the pillow again and thought about his dream. A warm feeling ran through his body, from his head to his loins, as he thought of Xanadu. This exquisite land would soon be his to visit whenever he wished. His thoughts turned to Desmond and he paused for just a moment, knowing he’d agreed to set up a chain of events that would get the guy killed. But he knew he had no choice. He had to do it to save Kelsey. No question of whose life was worth more to him, Kelsey’s or Desmond’s. No decision to be made.

  Yet, an unsettling thought lingered in the back of his mind. Could the monk possibly be wrong about Kelsey’s path? Was the temptation of Xanadu’s gifts so great that he too readily agreed to the monk’s requests? Did the idea of getting rid of Desmond, to make his own life easier for his own project, influence him too greatly? He scoffed at the ridiculousness of those thoughts. This is about saving my sister. That’s all this is about. The monks thought I could help them and they have come to me. And Vires. Soon he would b
e riding the ribbons of color with him across that incredible land. He’d be so fast and spectacular that the Emperor himself might invite him to the monastery. Maybe he’d even get into his inner circle. This thought pleased Ari immensely.

  Satisfied with his decision, he leaned over and woke up the girl. The grand in cash he’d paid her for her services for the entire evening still lay on the night table in a neat stack of hundred dollar bills. He intended to make good use of it.

  Chapter 24

  THE TEMPLE

  Kelsey couldn’t see even her hands in front of her face. Everything was black. She turned towards where she thought the hallway window would be and couldn’t make it out. With the cloud cover earlier, even the moonlight couldn’t sift through and light the hallway.

  Must just be an electrical blackout. It happens in Egypt all the time now with the unrest occurring in the infrastructure of the country.

  The hairs on the back of her neck prickled and she swung around. She had felt a presence. It seemed so big and massive that she shrank back against the wall, inching along until she’d found the door handle to Armand’s apartment. Someone or something stood there in the hallway with her. Was it one of the Decans?

  An urgent voice boomed in her head. “Get out now, Kelsey. The Usthatan are here.”

  A fierce gust of wind whipped her face and its force flung her against the apartment door. Her forehead slammed hard against it.

  It wasn’t one of the Decans at all. She recognized the voice.

  “Pancaggala, what’s happening?” She felt dizzy from hitting her head.

  “Get out, now!” the deva boomed.

  The wind whipped itself into a frenzy and blew through the window at the end of the hall. The glass shattered.

  Kelsey yanked open the door and propelled herself into the apartment. Nigel already stood, his gun in his hands. Gianni was beside him, zipping up his pants while juggling his own pistol under his armpit.

  “Someone’s coming for us,” Kelsey said. “We have to get out of here right now.”

  “You’re not going anywhere,” responded a gravelly voice. Kelsey felt the cool metal tip of a gun against the nape of her neck and froze. She knew the speaker. Crew-Cut man, one of Ustha’s minions.

  A team of men swarmed past her and spread out like bugs into the apartment. They quickly relieved Nigel and Gianni of their weapons. Another man pulled Armand off the couch, and two others grabbed Jay. Crew-Cut gripped Kelsey’s arm painfully and turned her to face him. He smiled in triumph.

  “You’re not getting away this time, girl.” He glanced at the others. “Let’s go.”

  “Should we take off their charms?” a minion asked.

  Crew-Cut raised his arm. His wrist bracelet glowed. “Obviously, one of them already has.”

  Kelsey stared at the others. Armand wore a sheepish expression on his face. She inwardly groaned. Glancing at his ears, she didn't see his opal.

  Armand stared around at the others pleadingly. “I don’t like to sleep with my earring in,” he whined. “It’s uncomfortable and I figured I wouldn’t get sick if you all had yours on. And my hands still hurt.”

  With a grunt of frustration, Gianni tore himself from the arms of the minions, rounded on Armand and punched him squarely in his face.

  Armand fell to the floor, but the minions hoisted him back up.

  Crew-Cut man laughed. “Let them keep the charms on for now. And put the idiot’s earring back in. They’ll just slow us down if they’re ill. Don’t worry, they’re not going anywhere anymore. We got them.”

  The Usthatan dragged them down to a waiting van and thrust them inside. An armed gunman flanked each one of them, and this time Kelsey knew no matter how much begging or cajoling she did, she wouldn't be able to get out of the van this time. She wasn’t even wearing shoes.

  Kelsey glared at Armand, wondering how on earth she could possibly be this fool's daughter? Despite all his claims of redemption, the man remained absolutely selfish and gutless, with no care for anyone but himself. His own egotistical needs still rose above those of his children and his friends.

  They drove in silence for nearly thirty minutes and soon came to an abrupt stop. Crew-Cut opened the van’s door and the smell of cooked meat and tobacco assaulted Kelsey’s senses. They had stopped in a town outside Cairo, in a crowded residential area; poor by the standards that she could see. The minions led them through a series of alleys and then into the heart of the town. Donkeys and camels crowded their way and a baby’s cries pierced the night.

  They entered the local trading market and their captors ushered them through the maze, past makeshift stores packed high with wares, produce, animal carcasses and sometimes garbage. Despite the advent of early morning, the sunlight didn’t penetrate this deeply into this warren of dens. Many times they encountered villagers, but those they saw did nothing as the Usthatan paraded them by at gunpoint.

  They came to a dead end, with a rock wall stopping their path. A crevice cut into the rock and they were pushed inside into what appeared to be yet another ancient temple. The aroma of fresh herbs and plants was strong here. Kelsey tried to glance at the walls as they entered the temple. Depictions of ancient Egyptian funerary scenes and star constellations were painted on all the rock faces. They were pushed through many passages until one opened up into a small cavern. A large square stone slab occupied its center and they were forced to sit on it. Kelsey noted the dark stains on its surface, wondering just how long ago this stone had been used for whatever offering the officiate had called for. She knew it probably hadn’t been a good outcome for whomever had sat there before.

  She scanned her surroundings. A large statue of Ustha was erected in the center of the temple, just like the deity of the Buddha in Buddhist temples. The effigy, set in stone, depicted the woman naked from the waist up and lounging on a throne. At the sculpture’s feet lay hand-woven baskets of offerings overflowing with mandrake roots and stuffed full of ivy.

  That’s not good. Kelsey swallowed hard and glanced at Jay. His eyes met hers, wide in understanding. He obviously also knew that the ancient Egyptians avoided mandrake and ivy like the plague. They were specifically meant for ill will, not resurrection or protection like most of the medicinals that usually encompassed Egyptian hieroglyphics and texts. This might be a sacred temple, but it was a temple of death. Of that, she now felt certain.

  She heard shuffling and craned her neck to see a procession of men and women emerge from the shadows in the back of the room. Each wore his or her hair cut short like Ustha and were clothed in midnight blue robes. Their arms carried large bundles of rope and twine, and within seconds the minions had trussed each of them up, binding their hands and feet. Then Crew-Cut ordered the men to take off their charms. With savage glee, the minions yanked them off.

  In the blink of an eye, Kelsey crumpled to the floor in agony.

  She now fully understood the nature of the stomachaches she experienced as a child. Understood why she had landed in the hospital multiple times. She now realized another of her relations must have always been close, and now with her brother, father and other descendants near her, the pain intensified a thousand-fold.

  She unconsciously curled up into a fetal ball as the feeling of hundreds of dagger blades pierced her gut, and she felt the world close in as pain engulfed her. She begged her body to fight it, but she couldn’t get a handle on it. With her head pressed against the cold stone slab, she distantly heard Jay’s labored breaths, heard Nigel screaming to the Usthatan that they were killing Gianni. She couldn’t see Armand, but figured he must be having a horrific epileptic fit. The Usthatan had spread out around them, doing nothing but laughing.

  She heard a tortured series of moans and realized the sounds were coming from her. The cramps pulled at her and she cried out again. Oh my, God. The baby. If she really was pregnant, this could kill it. She squeezed her eyes shut and held back another tortured cry. This is unbearable. One thought leaked through her haze of mi
sery. Could I go to Xanadu? Could I take myself there and make the pain disappear? But if she took herself away, she’d be lying on the floor of the temple, completely inert and at the mercy of the minions. Absolutely and utterly helpless.

  Why are they doing this? Are they just playing with us? If they thought one of us succumbed, would it be enough for them to put our talismans back on? Even in her pain, she couldn’t help trying to find a way out. If one of us died, would Ustha be angry with them for not waiting for her to destroy our souls? For if they thought I died now, technically Ustha would have no time to claim my soul, would she?

  Yes, that made sense. It’s the only way. I will not stay here and let them do this to me. To my child. I have to take the only control I have.

  Kelsey stomach convulsed violently and she threw up on the slab of rock, vomiting until her throat was raw. When the episode slowed, she made a decision she hoped she wouldn’t later regret. Resting her face against the wet slab, she wiggled her fingers and tried hard to concentrate. Up and down, up and down her fingers moved like a wave. She closed her eyes tight and tried to forget the atrocities happening to her body, the drool dripping from her mouth, the way her stomach clenched, threatening to attack her again. A new throbbing sensation formed suddenly low in her abdomen. It built quickly, cramps escalating and increasing in frequency and intensity until they peaked at some imaginable summit and she screamed out in sheer agony. Oh, Lord, what new fresh hell is this? And then it calmed. In that moment, she drowned out the cries of her friends, ignored their labored breaths and their tortured screams, the laughter of the minions. She let her mind drift, let her fingers fly and then…

  She collapsed.

  Chapter 25

  PANCAGGALA

  Kelsey opened her eyes and stared at the beautiful ribbons of color rippling across the sky.