Secret of the Loch

by Aiden James

  “Because it makes no sense… which makes perfect sense in a place like this.”

  The tunnel was different than the last, in that the pathway curved. Also, unlike the walls of the previous tunnel, these walls were covered with ancient symbols similar to what we encountered outside the cave system. And, there was one other thing that made this tunnel unique from the other four…. The enormous image of Morag in the first cavern hovered above this passageway.

  Even so, when it looked like we were headed for a return to our starting point once again, I began believing we were royally screwed. However, the room we stepped into was much smaller than the first one, spanning maybe seven to ten meters at most.

  “Well, at least we didn’t end up in the same place again,” said Ishi, trying to put a positive spin on things when I offered a salty observation about how things were working out for us. “Maybe one more try will get us to Marie?”

  “Are you frigging serious?” I asked, trying to tread lightly with the disdain.

  “Yes, I am serious,” he said. “You said so yourself, Nick…. What makes no sense in this place actually makes perfect sense. I take that to mean following your heart and not your mind… you big lug.”

  He laughed as he said this last part, and instead of getting more irritated, something inside told me that he was right once again.

  I looked around the room—this smaller cavern that lacked the Celtic art on proud display in the other cave. A pair of tunnels exited the room from the far side, and I was struck by Robert Frost’s poetic observation in The Road Not Taken. Not sure why this would be the thing that popped into my head, but I decided to go with it. Both tunnels looked similar to one another, and I decided to take the one on the right since it was slightly less appealing.

  No sooner had we stepped into this particular tunnel, Ishi and I heard voices. Faintly… a woman’s voice, followed by boisterous laughter and a man’s voice….

  “Do you hear that?” I asked. I didn’t want to fool myself into believing it was Marie, if in fact it wasn’t.

  “Yes, Boss… I do,” said Ishi. “It sounds like her… Marie. At least she sounds okay. She’s laughing.”

  Thank God he heard it too, as I had started to wonder if it was all in my head.

  “The voices are coming from up ahead,” said Ishi, picking up the pace while I kept up with him. “Look—you can see a light!”

  Hard to say if the glow came from Marie’s flashlight or some other source, but as we neared the spot where the voices emanated from, the light was strong enough to illuminate the edge of the pathway as it opened up into what at first looked like another large room. A slender shadow stretched across the spot where the tunnel ended, and another slightly thicker shadow accompanied it.

  Imagine my surprise that someone else was there with us, along with the shock when Ishi and I emerged from the tunnel to find only Marie present. Whatever, or whoever, had caused the second shadow had vanished.

  “Hi Nick and Ishi!” said Marie, waving to us, as if we had been gone for ages. She carried the detached warmth of seeing long lost friends that had become virtual strangers.

  “Damn it, Marie!” I scolded her. “We’ve been worried sick about you—scared to death that you might’ve fallen into… holy shit that is one hell of a drop off!”

  I had just noticed that less than a foot away from where Ishi and I had stopped was a hole of impenetrable darkness. The chilled air coming up through the chasm told me that a misstep would certainly be the last one taken. Though faint, I heard the sound of rushing water far below.

  “Papa says it is more than eight hundred feet to the river, by American standards, and that it runs through the bottom of this cavern,” said Marie, with the nonchalance of a summer tour guide at Disney’s Magic Kingdom.

  “You say ‘Papa’ in present tense,” Ishi said, warily. Surely he didn’t think Marie’s daddy had come back from the grave… right?

  “Yep!” she replied, proudly. “That’s why I had to leave you guys…. Papa said you would come along and join us shortly… and here you are!”

  Damned near giddy, I searched my memory for any other time she had displayed similar, shall we say, mental instabilities. I started to chastise her for such foolishness, but then remembered how my dad’s ghost suddenly decided to show up in Egypt. Of course, as most would correctly assume, I had steadily distanced myself from the belief that my father was actually present at Sekhmet’s temple. The event didn’t even seem real to me anymore.

  “Maybe we should head back,” I suggested, feeling more and more that lingering in this place was a bad idea… a very bad idea. “We can regroup and decide how to approach this treasure hunt after a good night’s sleep.”

  “Regroup?” she asked, incredulously. “Regroup for what? Papa says the gold figurines, coins, and jewels beyond anything any of us have ever seen are over there, just beyond the rock outcropping!” She pointed enthusiastically toward the darkness before us—presumably beyond the deterrent of the black hole before us.

  “What in the hell are you talking about, darlin’?”

  I admit that a gentle approach likely would’ve been preferred, and the harsh tone coating the words with ice was one I could no longer conceal. She pointed her flashlight’s beam across the chasm below with even more exaggerated forcefulness, and I joined her in the duel, focusing my light’s beam down further into the darkness. I started to laugh when the ‘little’ hole I had sensed turned out to be at least one hundred feet across—in American terms, no less. The river had likely cut the chasm over a period of many thousands of years, and it looked like the ledge on the other side of this gulf was significantly narrower than the one we presently stood upon.

  “So, how does Papa suggest we reach the other side, sweetie?”

  “You don’t have to be such an ass!”

  “Actually, in this case, apparently I do,” I countered. “Unless you’re hoping for some jungle vines to suddenly appear and we can swing across like Tarzan, this is the closest we’ll ever get from here to there.”

  I couldn’t stop, as anger swelled within me. I mean, she risked our safety on so many levels just for this? Seriously?

  Ishi stepped between us, to surely bring about a quick and peaceful resolution. Marie turned away from him—and me, too—focusing her attention to the vacant area to her left. Then she began whispering, as if in private consultation. This went on for several minutes, ending with her nodding to either herself or her invisible companion, and turning to me with a smug smile on her face.

  “So what did ‘Papa’ have to say?”

  “Well, Nick… he told me to point the Ambrosius Amulet toward the other side, and a way would be made for me to cross… and Ishi, too, if he hasn’t forgotten what the amulet can do,” she said. “We’ll come back with enough items to take with us to show the Scottish government that a major find is here. Hopefully, that will get them to allow us to bring part of the treasure back to the States for display at Papa’s last museum.”

  “The one in Los Angeles?”

  “Yes, that’s the one.”

  “And, somehow, a magic carpet is gonna appear and ferry yours and Ishi’s asses back across the chasm, I take it.” A slight snicker escaped my throat, and her doe eyes narrowed in response.

  “No, that’s not correct,” she said, her smile collapsing into a thin hard line. “The Amulet will reveal the bridge that’s here.”

  “A bridge,” I repeated, feeling a surge of compassion as I suddenly realized her mental state was likely worse than I imagined. “You mean pontoon? Or, an old rickety wood bridge from King Arthur’s day?”

  “No….” She looked back to the vacant spot to her left, and then back to me. “Papa says it is a bridge strong enough to hold a Mack truck—he says that’s the visual you need in order to picture it. However, if you or Ishi don’t believe in a bridge ready to take you to the other side, then neither of you will ever see it. And… if you can’t see it, then it won’t be t
here….”

  I guess that meant my little buddy and I could soon be a pair of fading screams plunging to the river far below.

  Without waiting for either of us to say something—or most likely the latest smartass response to come out of my mouth—she pulled the amulet from her backpack and put it around her neck.

  Whether I believed in the amulet’s power to create a bridge or not, there was no denying the wonder of the bright blue light radiating across the chasm in steady waves, pulsing as if in tandem with Marie’s beating and believing heart. After all we had dealt with as a trio in regard to this amazing artifact, I was a believer in the Ambrosius Amulet’s ability to shine magnificently and to cloak those it ‘favored’. Repeated magical moments from the damned thing assured that conclusion. So, I was left dumbfounded as I witnessed what happened next ….

  In the bright sapphire glow that fully illuminated much of the cavern around us, to where we could see the tips of enormous stalactites hanging down above the chasm, the sudden clarity heightened my fears that our original quest was an impossible one. The other side of the gap ended in a sheer, slick wall—impossible to reach or get past.

  I figured Marie would surely see the folly of this whole affair and allow me to lead us all back to safety. But instead she did the unthinkable, closing her eyes and stepping off the edge.

  I was too stunned, choking on the shriek stuck in my throat. But, to Ishi’s and my amazement, Marie moved forward as if walking on the air. She opened her eyes, looking behind her as if the invisible presence she had conversed with earlier addressed her again. She smiled and nodded, and then motioned for Ishi and me to join her in the air.

  “I assure you that I’m standing on a bridge, Nick and Ishi—a bridge made of solid stone! If you could only see the gorgeous contours I’m touching now,” she said, rubbing her hands over the unseen surface. “Artisans long since forgotten created it, who were part of the ancient guild that painted the images we viewed in the first cavern. Such true masters, they are!”

  Ishi stepped toward her, wearing a look of child-like wonder—though not the magical kind plastered on Marie’s face. Rather, this was the kid I had damned near raised since a young teenager about to get in over his head. I reached out to stop him.

  “Don’t do it, Nick… my love,” warned Marie, her compassionate voice and amorous look pulling on my heart again. “Ishi believes, so let him come.”

  I reluctantly let go, and after offering me a nervous smile, he joined her, taking a tentative step into the air before him. He dipped for a moment, but as if something lifted his feet back up he ‘stepped’ over to Marie.

  “Nick, you’ve got to see this!” he enthused, looking to either side. He tentatively reached his hand and grabbed hold of something I still couldn’t see, smiling broadly. “It’s made of stone! This is way beyond cool, Boss—you’ve gotta see this… to touch it!”

  “Please trust me, Nick,” said Marie, motioning for me to join them. “Don’t give in to your fears… instead, believe!”

  I tentatively tiptoed to the edge, experiencing a moment of queasiness from the deadly depths just inches away. Asked to ignore it and step into nothingness, I thought of Saint Peter being challenged by Jesus to join him atop the tumultuous Sea of Galilee.

  Part of me wanted to turn around and flee… or cower in the shadows; content to wait for Ishi and Marie to make the journey to the other side and come back with the treasure they intended to collect. Thankfully, that part was smaller than the part of me wanting to believe in the miracle they had witnessed and I desperately desired to see…. Then it happened.

  Suddenly, I could see the bridge! Just for an instant, before it disappeared again… but enough to give me the courage to raise my leg and push it out into the emptiness. For better or for much worse, I would either feel something solid below my foot, or lose my balance and plunge into the afterlife.

  I stepped off the ledge.

  Chapter Nine

  I nearly tripped over my feet when my boots landed on the floor of the bridge. Made from stone similar to what we had found inside the burial mound, and what was used to construct the inner circles of Stonehenge, I was surprised at how dense and real the magical illusion was. And believe me—it certainly was an illusion far beyond what I could understand. As my thoughts wavered between faith and doubt in our survival, the stone became pliable and my boots began to slip through the floor as if it were made of quicksand instead.

  “Hold on Boss!”

  Ishi reached for me, and I grabbed onto his arm instinctively, to my shame pulling hard in a desperate move to avoid the terrifying fall I had expected all along. Meanwhile, Marie chuckled.

  “What in the hell’s wrong with you?!” I roared in anger, as I stood up, scarcely noticing the floor had solidified. Apparently anger was as effective as faith in maintaining this alternate reality.

  “What’s wrong with me?” she retorted, though much more kindly than I expected, and deserved. “I’m not the one refusing to believe, Nick! Believe or go home… or worse, meet your demise. You’re dealing with an ancient culture that valued courage, trust, and a level of integrity that is completely foreign in modern times. You’ve been shown the magical nature of this place, so no more proof is needed. Ishi has taken the step to believe, and you must follow, my love…. What awaits us is something far more spectacular than anything you’ve ever seen before. So says Papa!”

  Papa in the flesh or Papa as an imaginary playmate? And is she going to continue speaking for him like a Bible-thumping evangelist speaks for God Almighty?

  Could I also be on the verge of losing my mind from this ultra mind-fuck? Hell, ghosts and illusions that embraced senses beyond mere sight were the stuff of schizophrenia, from what my psych prof at UCLA used to say.

  Marie’s eyes narrowed again, and I had the distinct feeling that someone stood behind me, angrily glaring in response to my silent musing. Of course, there was no one there when I glanced over my shoulder.

  “Papa says you should just shut up and enjoy the ride, Nick! Ghosts and illusions are a bigger part of everyone’s reality than most realize—and glossing it over with rationalizations doesn’t make it any less true.” She laughed lightly again, studying me as if she could clearly read my least flattering thoughts. “If you’d open your mind and heart, he says you’ll be amazed at what you’re about to discover in the treasure room…. We’re almost there.”

  The illusion of the bridge continued as we reached the narrow ledge along the chasm’s other side. Marie stepped casually onto the crumbling surface with full confidence, and I watched in amazement as it immediately was transformed into a solid stone walkway with a railing to our right, similar to the bridge.

  Ishi followed Marie, and I brought up the rear. Once I stepped onto the walkway I glanced back along the bridge’s length across the chasm, in time to watch the structure steadily fade into nothingness. I made a mental note to keep an eye out for an optional exit from this place, just in case we returned here and the damned thing didn’t reappear.

  “Watch your step,” she advised, as we exited the pathway and stepped into a dark and narrow tunnel. “Papa says it’s slippery in here, since ground water from up above us is known to trickle onto the pathway, making footing tricky.”

  Marie’s and Ishi’s flashlights revealed a descending staircase just ahead, cut into the hill’s granite interior. Definitely manmade, this latest passageway took us down to a tall doorway. The door’s wood was in much better condition than I expected, since the seeping water would’ve hastened the door’s compromise over time.

  Marie released a deep sigh of relief when her flashlight’s beam landed on the surface of the door. Perhaps she also had worried something would prevent her from fulfilling her entrusted task.

  “We’re here,” she said softly, lightly touching the door and seemingly admiring its height of at least four meters—suitable for a race of giants, which the ancient Celts were not. “Just one more incantation an
d we can pass through.”

  “Pass through? …You mean we won’t need a battering ram to get through the doorway, or catch the attention of some gentle Goliath on the other side?”

  “Nick…it’s really not the time or place to make a joke,” she said, with annoyance in her voice that matched the perturbed look on her face. “The ‘Ancients’ might take offense and respond harshly.”

  Honestly, I didn’t know what to think or how to respond to that—admittedly impaired by the miraculous events of the past hour. If anything resembling the paintings lurked inside as an animated being, I could be in a heap of trouble. Hell, we all could be in a world of shit very soon.

  At least we didn’t have to wait long to find out what lay hidden on the door’s other side. Marie performed the mysterious incantation she spoke of—which I intended to ask her about in detail later on, since she had never mentioned it before. I bit my lip to not crack so much as a smile while she rolled her Rs and nailed the consonants as well as any native Scot I had ever heard speak Gaelic before. In fact, I would’ve bet our cabbie from the other day—Brodie MacFarlane—would’ve been quite impressed, as well.

  When she finished, nothing happened… or so it seemed. Ishi was the first one to notice that the wooden door had disappeared. Maybe it was the soft golden mist emanating from the cave room beyond the doorway that attracted his attention first. Once Marie made the same connection, she gleefully led the way inside, nearly skipping like a schoolgirl on the way to meet the source of the glowing haze.

  * * * * *

  During the past twenty years of my life, I have been fortunate enough to participate in quite a few spectacular treasure finds. You might call them, ‘Opportunities to secure artifacts that would likely be lost to the modern age’, if not for my help. I like to think I keep many modern museums relevant… while pocketing a very small portion for my own personal collections.

  Warped altruism, perhaps?