“It’s amazing! I have not seen or heard of anything like this during my years at the university,” said Michael, unable to withdraw eye from the artefact. Andy told them about what he had heard from Julius, the jeweller and the metal that glows. He then gently turned the artefact to project the writings on the garden wall.
Michael ran into his study to collect his code book and his diary to take notes. The code was complex, wherein most of the alphabets looked the same and since he had only part of the script, Michael had to improvise to crack the message.
After a few minutes, they had deciphered two words, “I am”. Jerry suggested we move on and try to decipher the small words first, then try to crack the big ones. An hour later, Michael had made little progress. They only had the sentence-“I am ….open....” “This is stange, the name quoted is the same as the one giving the instructions.” said Michael.
After taking a long and hard look at it, the team found themselves frustrated and tired. Andy then decided to share the details of his dreams, hoping for some clues to be unearthed.
“The scene you described could be the war of Kalinga and if you think the person you saw was a general, I can dig up the names of Asoka’s generals who were with him during the war. We could insert the names and see what happens,” suggested Michael.
“Absolute Tosh! Dad, do you really think it can hear what we say?” inquired Nick.
“Based on what Andy has told us so far, I believe so. Now if you excuse me, I have work to do,” said Michael rushing off to his den.
The team had moved into the living room and were watching the re-runs.
A couple of hours had passed before Michael returned with a list, which had the names of generals who fought alongside Asoka, scribbled in an obscure paper, which only Michael could understand.
Michael instructed Andy to place the artefact on the table and call out one by one the general names. He started with a first name 'Turasara'. He spoke in a distinct voice “I am Turasara, open Turasara”. Everyone waited with bated breath. But there was no change in the artefact. Then one by one, Andy repeated the sentence using all names from the list, but nothing happened. Disappointed and exhausted, the team crashed out for the night.
CHAPTER 60
Andy felt a strange sensation like someone was watching him. Opening his eyes, he saw Michael staring at him from the far side of the living room with a cup of coffee. It took Andy a while to realise that he was at Nick’s house and that he had crashed out on the couch last night. Suddenly, Michael jumped from the chair almost spilling his coffee and bolted to his study.
Ryan and Jerry were nowhere to be found, while Nick had plunked on the floor in his sleeping bags. He headed over to Michael’s study and greeted him.
“Good morning Andy. The blokes have gone to get us breakfast as Nancy is busy packing. She's off to attend her nephew’s wedding in Northampton. It will be nice and quiet here. We can get some work done,” quipped Michael.
He continued with some seriousness, “I have done some research, based on your dreams and the timeline of the script. In the fierce war of Kalinga, none of Asoka’s general survived except Turasara. All the other generals were killed in the war. Turasara and Asoka then converted to Buddhism and left the country in the hands of his son and daughter.
“Why don’t we consider Asoka? What if this was his handiwork?” proposed Andy.
“It’s a possibility. I was also thinking along the lines of using their Buddhist names,” replied Michael. Devanm Priya was Ashoka's and Nirvanpali, Turasara's.
Immediately, Andy picked up the artefact and spoke: “I am Ashoka, Open Ashoka”.
Nothing happened. Let me try the next one. “I am Turasara, open Turasara,” still nothing. But this time, Andy felt a slight vibration.
“It just vibrated like a cell phone. I must have missed it yesterday, as it’s very subtle,” said Andy shivering with excitement.
“Try it again,” coaxed Michael.
“I am Turasara, open Turasara,” and there was a distinct buzz but nothing more.
“Should we try his Buddhist name?” asked Andy.
“His Buddhist name was Nirvanpali, meaning attainer of Nirvana,” replied Michael.
“I am Nirvanapali, open Nirvanapali,” echoed Andy.
Instantly, the artefact was illuminated with a bright luminescent particle and with a violent vibration it split into two.
CHAPTER 61
Andy was groggy and was yo-yoing between reality and hallucination. After focussing hard, he realised he was lying on the back seat of the car. The car was speeding through the streets of central London. Nick was at the wheel and next to him was Michael, frantically instructing him to the British Memorial Hospital. Glancing back, he saw Jerry and Ryan crouching in the boot peering into their mobile phones.
“Hey fellas, where are we going? How did I get into the car? I don’t remember a thing” Nick jammed the brakes and pulled over.
“How are you feeling?” enquired Michael with a mixed feeling of relief and worry.
“You were knocked out after the artefact opened. A light went straight into your body,” informed Michael.
“We tried to revive you, but you were not responding. So, we decided to take you to the hospital,” added Jerry.
“I am feeling fine. Just a little dizzy,” assured Andy.
“Now that you are conscious, let’s go to the hospital and get you checked. We don’t have to give them any specific reason. Just a general check-up should do,” instructed Michael.
45 minutes later, Andy walked out of the observation room.
“Anything to worry about?” asked Jerry.
“I don’t know,” said Andy still groggy.
The doctor who examined Andy approached them. She was blond, tall, slim and spoke with a deep confident tone.
“Your reports seem to be fine. Since the alcohol level in your blood is beyond admissible limits, I cannot comment on the blood test. Overall everything is normal except for the burn mark on your chest. It looks like someone put a hot one pound coin on your chest,” informed the doctor.
"How did it happen?” she asked.
Andy unbuttoned his shirt and tried to get a look at it but the burn was just below his neck. Michael lent him to a mirror. The area felt coarse when he ran his fingers across it but there was no sensation. The guys took turns observing the mark and Jerry examined Andy’s back but there was nothing there. “Whatever it is, my dear cousin, is inside you,” he whispered.
The Doctor continued, “I am Dr.Linda, the duty doctor. My number is 4467689789. You can reach me anytime, if you have any queries or if you feel ill. I have listed a set of medicines that will heal the burn.”
“Hello, Linda. I am Ryan and I always wanted to be a Doctor,” Ryan was trying his pickup line.
“I am sure, we will have some queries,” added Jerry.
“Unbelievable!” muttered Nick and Andy smiled coyly as they exited the Hospital.
CHAPTER 62
All of them crammed into the car feeling relieved that Andy was alright.
Andy phone rang and it was his dad. Michael had informed him about the incident. Andy appraised his dad of his condition and promised to look after himself and not be foolhardy.
As soon as he hung up, his mind had focussed back to the artefact.
“Was there anything else in the artefact?” he asked.
“Yes. There was a cloth, and it had some diagram on it. I did not get a good look at it as you collapsed. I put it in the study safe.” said Michael.
“I'm famished. Let's stop by a restaurant for brunch,” announced Jerry.
They stopped at a French Café that surprisingly served English breakfast and beer. Andy ordered a Lager. Jerry and Ryan opted for draught beer and Michael ordered their house wine. The Brunch was set menu, which included Salad, Bacon, Eggs, toast, baked beans, hash browns, pudding, the entire works.
Andy took a sip of the beer and put it back with a disgusted look
. Jerry who was halfway through looked surprised. “It's your favourite brand,” he said.
“Maybe, it's just the episode,” added Andy in his defence.
“Are you suggesting that you might quit drinking, ludicrous! Please order another one,” quipped Nick.
“Stop it, you silly oaf!” scolded Michael.
Once they reached home, Michael headed for the study and bought out the artefact and the cloth that was inside it. The design on the cloth was a complicated. It had a concentration of circles, rectangles and triangles. It was weaved with gold and silver thread. There was no writing but the cloth itself was red in colour. The material was unidentifiable. It was made with a metal which was weaved to make a cloth, yet it was supple and flexible. The artefact no longer glowed when Andy was near it. He stared at the diagram on the cloth for a long time and then he suddenly jumped up. “It’s an optical illusion, look,” he turned the cloth sideways and the cloth turned into a map.
CHAPTER 63
They all gathered around and took turns to look at the map.
“I have seen many hidden messages in pictures and paintings but never one on a cloth and that too with Gold thread. It must have taken the artist ages to do this, and how did he visualise the image while weaving it? Evidently, it was done in layers to create the perfect illusion,” said Michael in complete awe of the craftsmanship.
The map was beautiful it depicted mountains, rivers and valleys with amazing precession. But there were no landmarks or any markings pointing to the location.
“This could be anywhere in the world,” sulked Michael.
“We need to look closer. Going by the story so far it has to be part of the Mauryan Empire, but where?” questioned Michael.
“The Himalayas, where else could you find such mountains,” replied Andy.
“The Mauryans did not go that far. Their Empire stopped with Kapilvastu in the north, unless someone went further up North into the Himalayas and to do what? It is impossible to locate this place using this map.”
Just then Andy blurted, “I think I have seen this place. I had a dream of sitting on a ledge and I think it was here,” he pointed to a spot on the map.
“We have advanced Geo-mapping satellite access in the university. We use it for exploration and site mapping. The computer has Geo maps from all parts of the globe. I will make a copy of this map and run a search for a match,” informed Michael.
20 minutes later, Michael left for the University. Ryan and Nick took over the Kitchen to make supper, while Jerry went out to get some beer. Andy sat glued to the couch waiting for Michael.
At 8:30 P.M., the doorbell rang and Andy bolted towards the door to usher Michael inside. Everyone gathered around him and he stood with a wide grin on his face.
“Got it,” he said, plopping himself on the couch. “It’s in the Himalayas, 110 kilometres from Kathmandu!”
CHAPTER 64
The next two agonising days were spent looking after the booth at the Expo.
Andy was feeling like he was held captive against his wishes. Finally, when it was over, he bid goodbye to Tony and promised to catch up soon.
He left the convention centre and headed straight to Nick’s house.
The living room looked like an adventure store with climbing equipment, rucksacks, package of food and water spread all over the living room.
Michael was busy in the study making calls to his contacts in Kathmandu to arrange for the expedition. Later, the group met over the dinner table.
“We have everything in place, dad has arranged for the Sherpas and guides to take us into the mountains. We have all the supplies for 15 days in the wilderness. Most of this will be shipped today so that the Sherpas can transport part of the items to camp two,” updated Nick.
“I have booked the tickets and have obtained the permits from the Government of Nepal for the expedition,” informed Jerry.
“I have to call Cara. I have kept her in the dark,” thought Andy to himself.
“Uncle Mike, are you sure you are up to this?” enquired Andy.
“Of course, I would not miss this for the world. This could be one of the greatest archaeological discoveries of the century."
They spent the next two day's in getting all the equipment, supplies and paperwork in place.
Andy sat closing his eyes in the Heathrow Airport lobby waiting for the boarding call. Michael walked over and asked “Did you inform anyone of our mission? I just got a call from the university. Someone named Chang was there looking for you."
CHAPTER 65
Fifteen minutes later, the group was sitting with a glum look in the airport coffee shop.
“I can't believe you did this to us. You have misled us from the beginning. Is this all or is there anything else that you're not telling us,” asked Michael.
“I promise. This is it,” said Andy embarrassed and guilty of leading them into the danger zone.
“You should have at least told us so that we could have made the right choice,” said Jerry.
“I did not want to scare you guys. Now seriously, would have you guys come to Nepal if you knew about Chang,” replied Andy.
“That’s not for you to decide, Andy,” shouted Ryan.
“You withheld information and put all of us are in grave danger. If Chang was at the University, then he already knows about your plan. He knows we are travelling to Kathmandu. I’m worried about what is waiting for us when we land in Nepal,” said Michael in a hazy tone.
“This trip is going all to pot. You can still back out, you know,” said Andy regrettably.
Nick whacked his head from the back, “Are you off, your rockers? I would not miss this adventure because of Chang. What say, guys?"
“No way, mate,” said Jerry
“I’m in too because we are mad as a bag of ferrets,” laughed Ryan.
“We are not backing out now,” said Michael with a smile. “I am in too but you better not throw any more surprises."
“I promise, you know everything now.”
Final call for the flight to Kathmandu blasted from the speaker. The group left for the boarding area. They settled into their seats and Andy sent a last-minute email and a few SMS to his friends. Michael was reading the flight manual and Nick was playing a video game on his phone. Andy was just about to close his eyes when the phone rang. It was a private number. Andy answered it immediately.
“You have something we need,” said a voice from the other side. “It is in your best interest to hand it over to my contact in Kathmandu. When you exit the airport, you will see a man in blue suit holding a placard stating, Welcome Mr. Simon. You can hand it over to him. If you fail to comply, you and your friends will be dead within 24 hrs.”
“Who is this? I have no idea what you're talking about,” replied Andy.
“I don't have time for your games. Just do as you're told,”
Before Andy could reply the phone went dead.
Andy quickly shared the details of the phone call with the team. “Evidently, he does not know your name but has your phone number that means Tsang has not told them everything about you. Switch off your phone and let's take a chance and walk past the guy at the airport. But then, who was the guy who came to the university looking for you?” asked Michael.
“Have you told Tsang anything about me?"
“I just told him I was in London. So, who is the guy that called me?" wondered Andy.
"Don’t tell me there are two of them now and we don't even know who the second guy is," whispered Nick.
CHAPTER 66
“Let's think this through on the flight,” said Michael. Andy went back to his seat but was unable to make sense of what was happening. Tsang had warned him this would happen, but then who is the second caller? If Chang was in London, why would he come on his own? It's too risky and how did he get into the country, as he is one of the most wanted criminals in the world. Andy spent the next few hours recollecting all the instances, but could not make sense of the
situation.
He gave up and soon went into a deep slumber. He found himself in a royal court surrounded by fierce-looking generals carrying deadly weapons and peering over a map of a treacherous region. Asoka the great presented his strategy to win the war and the generals shared their thoughts. Asoka then enquired his generals about their unit and gave his orders to be carried out.
“Andy, Wake up! We have landed in Kathmandu,” came Jerry’s voice as he pulled him out of the dream.
Kathmandu is the capital city of the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, the largest Himalayan state in Asia. It is the largest metropolis in Nepal, with a population of 1.4 million in the city proper, and 5 million across the Kathmandu Valley, which includes the towns of Lalitpur, Kirtipur, Madhyapur Thimi and Bhaktapur. Kathmandu is also the largest metropolis in the Himalayan hill region.
The team got down from the plane and were ushered into the lobby area. As Andy headed towards the immigration clearance counter, a lean man with a shaved head in a uniform asked him if he needed any help. Andy quickly instructed him that the team was tired and they would like to avoid waiting at customs and bypass the long queue.
“No problem Sir. I will assist you,” said the officer whose nameplate read Thimpu Narang. He led them to a VIP counter where the customs check was done immediately.
They also requested Thimpu, if he could arrange airport taxi to take them to their hotel. A couple of phone calls later, they were taken to a parking lot where a minivan was stationed. They jumped into the van and sped towards Kathmandu city.
The Quantum Cypher Page 10
