The Flames of Time (Flames of Time Series Book 1)

by Peter Knyte

  It was an exhausting day, made all the worse by the need to do so much swimming back and forth in order to carry what little we’d recovered out of the cave. If we’d thought about things before we started, we’d have brought some better equipment too, instead of having to make do with the things we managed to cobble together from our belongings, at one point even bringing the remains of two tablets out in knotted handkerchiefs. It was particularly hard on Jean and Harry, who just weren’t up to the swimming, but they stuck it out inside until there was nothing else they could help with, and then they swam out and stayed on the boat, collating what was brought out.

  I was completely done-in by the time I swam out of the cave for the last time, with the map case holding the drawings and observations of the site. And it was really just a toss-up as to whether I had something to eat first, or got some sleep. We’d been here since before dawn, and barring a couple of short breaks for something to eat, had worked through the entire day, to excavate the site and retrieve everything of interest, only finishing our work as the sun started to go down over the western end of the gulf.

  We didn’t talk much on the way back, we were all so tired, barring Androus who was immediately immersed in the study of what we’d retrieved. Trusty Stephanos managed to rustle up a hot drink for each of us before we set off, which we had with a packet of biscuits that someone had thought to bring. I think Marlow was as tired as the rest of us, but as the boat turned southward and we started back to Corinth he once more went through his timeless evening ritual. Hauling himself to his feet, and taking his tea with him, he carefully stepped over and around everyone, to the side of the boat where he could watch the sun as it sank beneath the distant horizon.

  The rest of the evening became a bit of a blur, as the momentary boost from the tea and biscuits wore off, and all my muscles started to cool down and stiffen up. I remember getting back and bathing, and then Jean almost forcing Peter and myself to join him for a meal in his suite, before he’d allow us go off to our beds.

  Before I turned in, I also remember becoming aware of a change in the atmosphere. There was a small outpouring of energy and activity from Androus, a weary underhandedness from Luke, as he obviously forced himself to go and tell Selene about our day. But there was also a hint of friction or stress coming from Jean, who seemed anxious about something.

  I wasn’t sure if it meant anything, but just as we were saying goodnight, Marlow happened to pass by. He was himself ready to turn in, but it was as we all said goodnight and left to go to our respective rooms, that I noticed a hint of concern and worry in Jean’s eyes as he watched Marlow leave. It wasn’t the time or place to try and pursue it further, but even as I drifted off to sleep I could sense the concern I’d seen on Jeans face taking root in my own mind.

  CHAPTER 19 – SMOKE AND FIRE

  The next day or so, as Harry and Androus started work on the transcription and preservation of the tablets we’d pulled out of the underwater cave, the waiting became an agony. If we’d got lucky with what we’d retrieved, then our search could be over, and we could start making plans for the next phase of our journey, to find the first great temple of Ziusudra, and the place where these extraordinary individuals went after abandoning their mortal lives.

  Alternatively of course, if we weren’t so lucky, then the fragments we’d retrieved might hold nothing more than the detail of Alcathous’ life or his discovery of the African temple. If that were the case, then I didn’t want to think about what we’d do next, perhaps move back to Jerusalem again, or Athens, perhaps even stay where we were.

  There was nothing else for it but to try and keep busy, and try not to pester Androus too much while he worked. Thankfully the weather stayed fine, so I was able to get out of the hotel and do some walking and sight-seeing. I even tried to start the habit of going for a swim in the mornings, having discovered I rather enjoyed the exercise and feel of the water while we were exploring the underwater cave.

  We still didn’t see much of Selene and her friends, who seemed to be keeping up the appearance of their routine, but I was sure they weren’t going to just accept defeat. But it wasn’t until just before lunch on the third day that we found out what form their action would take.

  I’d returned from my morning swim invigorated, and after wolfing down a hearty breakfast I was talking to Peter about the prospect of heading out of town, maybe for a stroll around the ancient acropolis, when we were interrupted by one of the hotel staff with a message from the manager. Apparently there was a matter that required our attention downstairs in his office.

  It immediately raised my suspicions, and looking at Peter as the messenger left us, I could see he was thinking the same thing.

  We arrived at the manager’s office just as Luke and Jean got there, and after exchanging a quizzical look or two we entered the room. Inside we found Marlow and the others sat on the opposite side of a large desk from the Hotel manager and two other Greek men in plain suits.

  It was a delicate situation, but the hotel manager was the very soul of tact, and after introducing the two men with him as police officers, one Inspector Laskari and his assistant, he proceeded to try and, ‘clear up the obvious mistake and confusion that must have occurred,’ by asking the inspector to explain exactly why he had come.

  The inspector was a man of average height and build, but with a polite bookish manner, and excellent English who reminded me of Androus, but without the added flair and exuberance of our Amenian friend.

  ‘Gentlemen,’ he began, in a good-humoured tone, ‘as Mr Alexandrakis has suggested, I’m sure this matter can be settled quickly and easily, if you will be kind enough to answer a few simple questions for me.

  ‘As I’m sure you will know, our government here in Greece has experienced some… difficulties for the past year or so as a result of a clouded decision at our last national election, and the unwillingness of one of our less experienced political parties to make the compromises they should. Unfortunately, this situation has made the great historic treasures of our troubled country seem all the more tempting to admirers… and collectors who wish to remove items from our soil and our country.

  ‘Now, the customs service where I am engaged has recently received information indicating that your group may have come into the possession of a small number of artefacts, perhaps unaware that our law forbids the unlicensed excavation and removal of such items. As such I have come here today to ask you to hand over any artefacts you may have unknowingly removed and to desist from any further plans or preparations you may be making to engage in any further excavations of this kind.’

  I could feel a knot forming in my stomach as the inspector talked to us. And I could only imagine the inevitability of us having to hand over the tablets to this bureaucrat, so that he could bury them again on some shelf or anonymous cupboard, ignored and inaccessible for who knows how long. Even with Androus and Harry’s impressive academic credentials it could be years before we’d get permission to see them again.

  But I’d failed to consider that Androus and Harry might not be quite so easy to put off.

  ‘Inspector Laskari,’ Harry began, ‘I have to confess my surprise at what you’ve just told us. For, as I’m sure you know, both myself and Dr Chukjadarian here have worked in the field as archaeologists for our respective institutions for a great many years. Including quite substantial amounts of time and work on the Greek mainland, islands and throughout the Peloponese, and I have never encountered this… legal restriction of which you speak.

  ‘Have you Dr?’ Harry enquired innocently of Androus.

  ‘I have not Dr Sutherland,’ responded Androus, ‘but perhaps it is a very recent addition to the legislative body, something which I would have imagined my colleagues at the University of Athens would have mentioned when we stopped off there on the way here.’

  It was like watching the inspector swallow something that tasted bad, as Harry and then Androus so unsubtly showed off their credentials before h
im.

  He must have come unprepared, thinking perhaps he was just dealing with a bunch of European tourists. But to his credit, he collected himself quickly, and bristling slightly at being caught out, he immediately straightened his posture and adopted an altogether more formal tone.

  ‘Yes, well, some… allowances are made for the work of recognised institutions, especially in the pursuit of academic excellence, but even then the treasures of Greece must still be safeguarded, and the due revenue from their export collected.

  ‘Is it your assertion that you are here as part of an authorised and official dig, conducted on behalf of a recognised institution?’

  I knew neither Harry nor Androus would be prepared to claim the work we were doing was for either of their institutions, and again I could feel my heart sinking. But Harry and Androus continued to argue from our side, forcing the inspector to do more thinking on his feet. Still it was clear he wasn’t going to let the matter go, and eventually we had to agree to him taking the tablets back to Athens for the Customs Service to have them appraised by an expert from the university.

  Worse still, he knew about the scroll and other tablets we had with us, and insisted they also be taken for appraisal. This despite the hotel manager’s own testimony that the items in question had been put under secure lock and key on the day of our arrival and not been touched since. For a moment I had visions of us having to make a run for it, back to the boat before he would have time to call for reinforcements. But Androus also knew how to apply the pressure.

  ‘As you wish inspector.’ he said with a very business-like formality. ‘If you are insistent upon this ludicrous course of action, then you will of course be prepared to give me a full financial guarantee for the value of the artefacts you wish to remove, authorised by a signatory of your Prefecture.’

  ‘Yes, yes Dr, that will not be a problem, I’m happy to give you a receipt myself, and take full responsibility for the artefacts while they’re in my care.’

  ‘Forgive me inspector,’ responded Androus with perfect equanimity, ‘I don’t think you quite realise the nature of the artefacts we’re talking about. Not only are these artefacts made in part of semi-precious materials, they are also to the best of my knowledge totally unique in the world. And certainly when they were examined by myself and my colleagues in Jerusalem, before bringing them to Greece, we estimated their value, conservatively… to be in the region of thirty to fifty thousand dollars .’

  My heart skipped a beat at this pronouncement from Androus, surely he couldn’t be serious, the inspector would be lucky to earn the equivalent of a hundred dollars a year. So, as shocking as it was to me, it must have been unimaginably so for him. His face noticeably blanched at the idea, and his assistant, who was obviously a fairly new recruit, looked like his legs were going to buckle beneath him.

  The hotel manager looked a little unstable too, though that was probably at the thought of his own liability in agreeing to safeguard the artefacts for us in the hotel strong room.

  ‘I, I see,’ said the inspector clearing his throat and looking distractedly at the table before him. ‘You are correct, I had not realised the value of the items in your possession. But this is all the more reason for them to be appraised by an expert trusted by my service.’

  ‘Perhaps if we were to accompany you to Athens,’ suggested Androus.’ You have a car at your disposal?

  ‘Good, then might I suggest myself and another member of my party travel with you to Athens, to safeguard our property. They can be appraised by your expert in our presence, and then when everyone is satisfied that these items are in no way part of your country’s historic estate, we can travel back in the same fashion. If your expert is available, we could be there and back in under three days.’

  Somehow, even though his was completely unprepared, Androus had managed to take control of the situation, and the inspector was only able to agree to his terms.

  The arrangements were quickly made, with Peter volunteering to go along as well. Apparently he’d studied the law for a couple of years, before moving on to engineering. He conceded he was no expert, but was confident he’d be able to help out if need be.

  It was going to be a long drive to Athens, and probably a lot less comfortable than Stephanos’ boat. But nobody wanted to try and open up the negotiations again, so we agreed to leave things as they were, and they set off less than an hour later in the police car. Androus and Peter guarding the box containing everything we’d found.

  It could’ve been worse, but we’d still been out-manoeuvred by Selene and her friends, and now we faced an even longer wait before we’d find out whether our latest find was going to be of any value.

  The entire thing seemed to put Marlow into a particularly dark mood, and as soon as Androus and Peter had left in the inspector’s car, he quickly excused himself and left without another word.

  I could tell Jean and Harry were concerned about the situation, but there was nothing to be said, especially in front of Luke, who now seemed intent upon lingering, no matter what.

  This being the case I decided to continue with my planned diversion for the day anyway, and get out for a walk around the old acropolis. So, after skulking around for a while longer, I arranged for a car to drop me off and left them all to it.

  It would have been nice if Harry had come along to the Acropolis and once more acted as guide and educator, as I had no doubt he’d have been able to enrich my visit with his knowledge and understanding of the place. But it was not to be, and instead I had to settle for the nice views, elegant ruins and my own imagination.

  It was a wonderful place, well worthy of a visit, and I thoroughly enjoyed exploring the ruins and escarpment top, before making my way back across the bottom of the great white cliff-face. I realised the exertion and fresh air had completely taken my mind off everything back at the hotel. In fact it was only as I made my way back to rendezvous with the car that I once more started to think about what we were going to do.

  I’d arranged for the car to come and pick me up fairly late in the afternoon, so I wouldn’t have to kill too much time before dinner. So after getting back to the hotel, retrieving my key from the desk and checking for messages, I’d just got to the top of the stairs along from my room, when I saw Luke hurrying down the corridor with an expression full of anxiety and consternation.

  He was almost upon me before he even realised I was there, so preoccupied with whatever was troubling him. Flinching as he saw me, and stopping directly beside me on the staircase, he almost seemed frenzied as he spoke.

  ‘I cannot, will not, go through that again,’ he said, almost reaching for me as he spoke, eyes roving wildly around and barely settling upon me. ‘To even contemplate such monstrosity is… is… Stop him George, plead with him, he cannot know what he is doing.’

  I tried to get him to explain, but he just moved past me, unwilling to stop, almost not recognising who I was again.

  As I watched him go down the stairs, concern now rising in my own mind as to what could have provoked such a reaction, and then moving past my own room I made for Jean’s. If anyone could tell me what was going on it would be him.

  He was waiting patiently inside, sat in a comfortable armchair looking out of the window at the sea and surrounding hills of the bay, just as the light was beginning to fade.

  He smiled a welcome as I entered, immediately guessing what I was about to say.

  ‘You have just seen Luke on your way up?’ He questioned politely, and then continued as I gave my affirmation.

  ‘He is… not happy about a decision that Robert has made,’ he began. ‘You remember, my friend, when we were back in Jerusalem just after Christmas, the snow and ice had covered the place and we were waiting for the weather to break before we could head off to Crete? You caught me in a rather poor mood yhen, just as I was preparing to go out to run an errand to the Al-Dabbagha suq, yes? Well what I could not tell you at the time, is that the errand was one I had agreed to
run for Robert. Although perhaps it would be more accurate to say, an errand which I had asked him to allow me to perform for him. To procure a selection of… substances, with the aid of which he could recreate, or at least better remember the dream visions he had in Africa.’

  ‘You mean some variety of narcotics?’ I asked rather warily.

  ‘I once had a little knowledge of these things,’ Jean conceded with a reluctant nod, ‘As a result of some time I spent in India as a young man. Enough knowledge for me to be able to speak with several of the fakirs and dervishes plying their trades within the Suq… and to be taken seriously. Anyway before the visit we made together, they had agreed to provide me with the components of a powerful potion used only in a rare mystic rite. It was this powder that I collected when you insisted upon accompanying me, and which I have subsequently been holding for Robert. For some time now I have tried to dissuade or discourage him from its use, to counter his increasing willingness to take the risks involved.’

  I was shocked to hear what Jean was telling me, it must have been three months since the day he was talking about, which was a disconcerting amount of time for him to have kept such a secret, let alone to have discussed and argued with Marlow about it. But it was the idea of the drugs that sounded particularly risky to me, especially while there were still other channels of research we could follow. These were after all still powerful narcotics even if they didn’t have the desired effect, what would happen if they simply didn’t work, would it mean trying a string of potentially damaging concoctions one after another. All of which I was open about and told Jean in no uncertain terms.

  ‘Yes, yes you are quite correct mon ami,’ he responded, ‘but if I had not done this for him I am certain he would have found a way to pursue it himself. And at least this way I have been able to moderate, and yes… delay him from following this path.’