by Justin Sloan
Soon, the tea was done. There was nothing left but to sit at the edge of the bed on an ottoman, watching with bated breath as she faded in and out of consciousness.
Even though he had no idea where to start or what to say, he talked—he had to keep her conscious. Plus, if she remembered any of this, he figured it was best she know as much as possible. He told her about his trip to the afterlife, how everything seemed crazier than it was. Part of him knew he had to get out there and find the tablet, stop Altemus and Anne, and get Tess her body back. But he also knew that he was going to need Nora’s help.
“Hang in there,” he said, wiping her brow with a warm washcloth. He wondered how she’d gotten to this point. Hadn’t she mentioned something about archeologists? That seemed too convenient, like a story she’d contrived as cover. No, he was sure that, at least on some level, she was doing this because she was looking for answers. The archeologist bit was a cover, and a clichéd one at that. But he got it—his own path had led down an obsession he wasn’t proud of, one that had led to Altemus reuniting with Anne to begin with. In a way, all of this was Rohan’s fault.
“The worst will soon be over,” he said, more to convince himself than anything else.
But as far as her fever was concerned, the worst did seem to be nearly over. Soon, Nora’s fever broke, and she drifted into a quiet sleep.
Rohan sighed with relief and curled up at the foot of the bed. He tried to sleep, but he couldn’t. Every time Nora tossed, turned, or moaned, he sat up to check on her.
***
Rohan was only half-awake when Nora woke with the rising sun. Sitting up, she blinked and looked around. When she saw Rohan, she startled and almost fell out of bed.
“It’s okay,” he said.
“Was it all real?” she asked, looking up at him with wide eyes.
He wanted to tell her it was a dream, that she could curl back up in bed and it’d all be over. But she had the power too, now, and lying would do no good.
“Tell me everything you know about that tablet,” he said. “And something called the Eye of Gilgamesh.”
Her eyes went even wider. For a moment she simply stared at him, and her mouth twitched as if she wanted to say something. Then she pushed herself up, a hand on the wall for balance, and started walking.
“Should I come with you, then?” he asked.
She paused, nodded, and then continued on. At a stairway she paused again, and nearly fell.
“You should take it easy,” Rohan said.
“I’ll rest when this is over,” Nora said, motioning him to follow. “We’ve got work to do.”
Rohan followed Nora into the library, his mind still reeling from everything they’d been through. The room was full of shelves lined with dusty, old books. Nora pulled several books off a shelf and piled them on a desk.
“You haven’t told me what exactly you’re doing,” Rohan said.
“Altemus took the tablet from my collection,” Nora said. “Everything happened so fast that I didn’t really understand what was going on. This tablet… it’s special. It came from Babylonia, from the time of Gilgamesh.”
“And it’s connected to The Eye of Gilgamesh,” Rohan said, remembering what the Lich King had said. “I remember that name, but from where? Something I heard high school, maybe?”
“Gilgamesh was an ancient king who searched for eternal life. The history books talk of him as a king, but in his time, he was worshipped and seen as a demigod of sorts. He spent his whole life in search of immortality, but he never found it… while alive.”
“Yeah, I remember that story now. I slept through English class when we read that one.”
Nora rolled her eyes. “His story was told on twelve tablets, all which sing his praises and detail his various adventures in search of eternal life. Historians have generally ruled the twelfth tablet to be inconsistent due to a number of details. For instance, Gilgamesh’s friend is alive in the twelfth tablet, but dead in the earlier accounts.”
“So basically, it doesn’t add up.”
Nora nodded. “But what most people don’t know is that there was a thirteenth tablet. And it explains everything.”
Nora opened one of the books and turned it for Rohan to see. An old photo of a sculptured man in cuneiform took up the majority of a painted wall. He had a long, curly beard, and a sword and a spear. A caption below read Gilgamesh, King of Babylon, 2500 B.C.
“The legend is that the thirteenth tablet details how Gilgamesh found the portal to the afterlife, entered it, and emerged as both the King of the Living and the Dead.”
“So the tablet was his?”
“No. Death did claim him after all, just like it will you and I. Prophets inscribed his story on a tablet of stone. They say that in touring the afterlife, Gilgamesh learned what it meant to be eternal. So strong was his will, he infused his spirit into the stone, crafting a way for his people to open the door to the afterlife when the time was right. Then, he could return and rule the world again. But he feared the stone falling into the wrong hands, so he wiped it clean. Even so, certain indicators still remain, such as the type of cuneiform used, and the way it crumbles at the corners.”
“This isn’t exactly the Gilgamesh they teach in school...”
“It’s not a legend you’ll hear often,” Nora said, scanning one of the books. “It doesn’t exactly jive with the Judeo-Christian philosophy. It was so extreme, it was dismissed by all but the most devout followers, most of whom perished over the next hundred years in war. But the stone remained, and the rumor was that if one could wield it, they could rewrite the rules of the dead just like Gilgamesh did, and they could use it to open the portal.”
“And now Altemus has it.” Rohan scratched his head. “But it isn’t just a portal, is it?”
“That’s right. So the legend continues, and it talks about this orb of sorts that you mentioned. It’s known in some circles as The Eye of Gilgamesh. Without it, the stone can’t fully open the portal to the world of the dead.”
“Please tell me you have it.”
Nora shook her head. “No, but I may know where it is.”
She tossed him a book titled Latin American Legends. It was heavy and worn.
“The Eye would have the power to bring people back from the dead?” Rohan asked, turning a page in the book before him, trying to make sense of the pictures. He stopped at a picture of what looked like a dome of light; but when he looked closely, he could tell it was made up of millions of spirits.
“That, and maybe more.”
A shiver ran up his spine. “How did the Eye end up in Latin America?”
“It passed through many hands throughout the ages. No one knows exactly. And honestly, no one knows if it’s really The Eye. But there are Incan legends that are somewhat consistent with the Eye’s properties.”
“How did the Eye end up in their hands?” Rohan asked. “Maybe Gilgamesh sent it there?”
“Maybe. Or maybe the Eye found them. The more I studied it, the more it intrigued me. At first, I thought it could give one eternal life. But eternal life is just a sliver of what it can do.”
“I’ve tasted a bit of the beyond,” Rohan said. “I know it can be a thousand times better than anything we have here. But I don’t care to have it until I’m dead.”
“It wasn’t for me, either,” Nora said, her eyes distant. “I don’t think the Eye grants eternal life or brings loved ones back from the dead, in the sense you might be thinking. I think it brings us the world of the dead.”
“I’m not following,” he said, scrolling along the ancient text and wishing he could make out at least one word.
“See here?” She pointed to a sketch at the bottom of a page full of text. It depicted trees and houses, upside down. People clinging to the ground, falling away from it. “Like you said… and like that thing down there, the Lich King, was getting at…. I think this means that if the Eye were ever used with the tablet, it could somehow switch our world for that
of the dead. Not only would the dead walk among us, but the world of the dead and ours would become one, in a way.”
Rohan stared at the sketch in horrified wonder.
She almost laughed. “We’d all be damned. That was the secret Gilgamesh discovered. You cannot rule both worlds. But if you make them one—”
“Ruling becomes a whole lot easier,” Rohan said.
“That’s how I interpreted this, anyway,” she said. “Which is why we have to get it before your friends do.”
“For the record, they’re not my friends. And for my information, where exactly are we going? I mean, it’s been millennia since the ancient Incans lived. We can’t exactly waltz back in time.”
“Fortunately for you, I know where we’re going.”
“Where? Does some crusty old guy have it?”
“Not quite.”
“Help me, then.”
“We’re going on an archaeological expedition.”
“God, not another ‘expedition.’ Those never end well.”
“I’ll go alone, then. I’ll stop Altemus.”
Rohan laughed. “Nope. We’re going to stop Altemus.”
“Good.” She closed the book and sighed, looking at him with heavy eyes. “I have food upstairs and a couple of backpacks. It’s going to be a long journey.”
He nodded and followed her up the stairs and into the kitchen.
Nora produced two large hiking backpacks and began to load them with food. Rohan watched as she moved efficiently in her walk-in pantry, and soon the backpacks were so heavy he could hardly lift them.
“Don’t worry, I saved room for clothes,” she said.
“I’m no stranger to backpacks,” Rohan said. He paused. All of this was beginning to make his insides ache. He had to ask. “Nora, how exactly did you find the tablet?”
“Now that’s a bit of a story,” she said.
“If we’re headed to Latin America, I imagine we’ve got the time.”
She threw a couple of bottled waters in her bag and strapped it on. “I was on an excavation in Peru, looking for any sign of a certain legendary lost city.”
“A lost city?”
“I’ve always been a sucker for myths and legends, and yeah, I believe most of them exist.”
“And this one did.”
“Well, probably.”
“You’re not sure you found it?”
She looked to the side, thinking. “I think I found it. And I found the tablet, so that makes me more sure.”
“But you didn’t stay.” He scratched his head, assessing her. “That doesn’t add up.”
“It does when you throw a group of people trying to kill me into the mix.”
He cocked his head with curiosity. “Yeah, that’d do it.”
“I was exploring, like I said, and one day when I was trudging through the jungle, I tripped and found myself in the entrance to a small chamber. It was dark and creepy, and it’s where I found the tablet… deep inside and buried beneath what I thought to be a crypt.
“And then they arrived… men with guns, and they chased me out of there. It wasn’t until I was back home that I discovered what I had found. Well, I didn’t discover it easily. There was nothing quite like this tablet in any of my books. Just the bits of legend, pieced together.”
He contemplated their next move for a moment, but saw no way around it. There was only one option. “Is there any chance you can find this place in Peru again?”
“And make it out of there alive?” she scoffed. “Doubt it.”
“Let’s just ignore the coming out alive part for now. Can you find it?”
“I think so. But it was many years ago, Rohan. And like I said, those people—”
He held up a hand “If it’s a question of our safety or saving the world, I think I choose saving the world.”
She opened her mouth as if to argue, but then smiled. “Then let’s get to it.”
Chapter 6: The Field Trip
“Walk me through the plan again?” Rohan said.
Nora waited at her teal hatchback, wearing a dusty leather jacket over a white tank top and cargo shorts. She seemed a completely different person from the confused woman he’d met at the house. She flicked her ponytail over her shoulder, then opened the car door and waited for him to get in before she answered.
“We’re headed to the jungles outside of Cusco,” she said as she got in the driver’s side. “Don’t worry, I know a guy. He’ll point us in the right direction.”
Rohan nodded, but something about the way she’d said she knew a guy bothered him. Why should it? And why was he thinking of her, and how she had looked walking around the front of the car?
He laughed at himself, and when Nora pulled out of the parking lot, she glanced over and said, “I’m glad one of us can find humor in this situation.”
“Sorry, it’s just….” He knew it was stupid before he said it, but his mouth seemed to be on autopilot. “I mean, we just met, and already we’re going away for the weekend together.”
“It’s Wednesday, first of all,” she said as she pulled onto the freeway. “Second….”
“Yeah? Second?”
“You seem like a nice guy and all, and thanks for taking care of me back there, but….” Her eyes were focused on the road ahead, but possibly too much so. Was she trying to avoid looking at him?
“No, yeah, I didn’t mean anything by it,” he said. “A stupid joke.”
She bit her lip, gently, and gave him a quick, sideways glance. “We’re going to need clear heads on this trip, okay? With everything we’ve been through, on top of the fact that we’re basically going to be wandering through a jungle without any real clue of what we’re looking for.... I’m a bit of a ball of nerves right now.”
He nodded. “I get that you don’t know me,” he said, trying to start over, “but I promise you, I’m a nice guy. I'm just set on stopping the man who killed my fiancé and now means to do far worse.”
Nora didn’t say anything for some time, but when she did, her voice was gentle. “I understand. You went after your fiancé, and all of this—”
“Yes, and all of this is my fault.”
“That’s not what I was saying.” She put a hand on his and squeezed, then quickly pulled it back to the steering wheel. “I didn’t realize you felt to blame, is all. I mean, this Altemus creep would have found some other poor guy to include in his plans. If anything, we’re lucky it was you, so we have a fighting chance.”
Rohan hadn’t thought of it that way, but now that she said it, he thought back to Lev, the Russian guide Altemus had sacrificed to get the portal open. Anyone other than Rohan might have fallen as quickly as the Russian had, and the portal to the afterlife would have been completely opened.
“Thanks for that,” he said.
The city disappeared behind them, replaced by long rows of lush, green trees.
“Dulles Airport’s only another thirty minutes or so,” she said. “If you want to get some rest, go ahead.”
“Thanks for the permission,” he said.
She laughed. “Better take advantage of my offer before I rescind it and make you drive.”
He smiled at her, then leaned back and closed his eyes. He’d need every bit of rest he could get, and right now he felt he needed a break from talking about the past. It still hurt too much.
In spite of a quick dream about him and Nora sitting on a beach and sipping mojitos, it seemed like he had just closed his eyes when they arrived at the airport. They left her car in long-term parking and checked in without issue.
“One last time before we’re lost in the Amazon?” Rohan said, nodding at a sign for a delicious looking breakfast sandwich. “Sausage, egg, and cheese?”
She looked at him like he was crazy, but sighed in acceptance and waved him toward the food court. “Fine, I’ll try one.”
“Try one?” he asked. “Don’t tell me you’ve never had one of these.”
“It’s not really my st
yle. I mean, you don’t look this good eating sausage, egg, and cheese breakfast sandwiches every day.”
His eyes darted up and down her body, and she caught him with a raised eyebrow.
“Not fair,” he said. “You baited me there.”
“Just shut up and get me a sandwich,” she said with a cute laugh.
That flutter in his chest returned, and he stepped up to the counter to order before she could see his cheeks flush red. He shook his head and laughed to himself, before noticing the guy at the counter giving him a weird look. Rohan shrugged, placed his order, and soon found Nora sitting and watching an airplane pull away.
“Do you travel much?” she asked Rohan.
Images of the Door to Hell in Turkmenistan and the temple of the Ural Mountains flashed through his mind, and he shuddered. “A little.”
“It’s magical, don’t you think?” She took her sandwich, unwrapping it slowly, careful not to get her fingers greasy. “I mean, not that many years ago, people didn’t even know some of these places existed, and here we are, just hopping on a plane and going to them. My parents used to always talk about their travels—they met in Milan, Italy, by the way, and—”
But then she took a bite of the sandwich, and her eyes widened as she let out a low moan.
“Good, right?” Rohan beamed.
“Screw traveling the world,” she said, chewing fast so she wasn’t talking with a full mouth. “This sandwich is magical. I can’t believe I’ve been missing out on it.”
“You’re welcome,” he said.
“Okay, but when I’m a thousand pounds overweight from these things, I’m coming after you.”
He laughed, and they shared a smile.
They spent the rest of their wait talking about where they’d traveled. Rohan would sometimes find himself getting distracted with thoughts of Senna when somewhere came up that she’d always talked about wanting to visit, but he pushed them aside.
