Having listened with great intentness to the stories told to me by my Uncle James, I found it quite similar to the temple at Koh Ker and thus was somewhat familiar with what might be found on and within such a structure. On at least one side of the temple I surmised there to be a long stone step-works leading to the top of the pyramid to the temple proper, although from our present location one was not visible, but this was not an indication that none existed - rather we were, in all likelihood, on the opposite side of where the pyramid steps would be found.
After binding the wounds of those who had come through the jungle with us and accounting for most every member of our party, in which by some great miracle the majority were spared, though somewhat worse for the wear, we decided to take the opportunity, which had as of late presented itself, to explore as much of the ziggurat, both inside and out if at all possible, as time would allow for. It was also decided that it would be prudent to locate an alternate route back to the Stratos in order to avoid any further altercations with the apes from which we had just in panic escaped.
We approached the temple, for this is how it came to be known to us, with caution as we were now more wary from our battle with the apes. I approached the wall of the tremendous shrine and examined the moss-like growth covering it, peeling some away to keep for further investigation. This I wrapped in a clean cloth that I produced from my pack and placed in one of the several outer pockets. The texture of the moss was rougher than any moss or lichen I had before come into contact with. My hope was to deliver it to the scientific department of University College London upon my return for proper study.
I then examined the smooth stone beneath the moss and conjectured that the material was not natural to the area and was at some time in its ancient history delivered to this location by some unknown means. I say by some unknown means for each stone measured, by rough calculation, eighteen to twenty feet in length, twelve feet in height, and in all probability, the same in depth for the manner in which the stones were assembled made their depth impossible to measure from our current point of observation. Stones of this size would have without doubt been quarried elsewhere and brought, although it was pure conjecture, to this location by means of an enormous barge down the Congo River.
Continuing our march along the base of the temple, we discovered nothing more of note, save for the odd protuberances jutting from the walls of the massive construction, the purpose for which we could not, in even the depths of our imaginations, determine. Some guessed they were nothing more than ornamental in their nature, while others presumed them to be remnants of yet a separate portion of the temple long lost to decay or vandalism. While interesting and somewhat entertaining, I’ve no doubt these ideas we invented in our heads held no resemblance to the actual uses for which these outgrowths had been designed.
At last we reached our destination and, as I had expected, were met with a great flight of stone steps that reached up to the very top of the pyramid, some one hundred feet or so to what was, as I had so guessed, the temple proper. To our surprise, however, the steps leading to the temple were not, as was the rest of the pyramid, covered in the moss-like growth but rather worn bare of the material as though the path were well-trodden.
At the base of the steps on either side stood two large statues carved in stone of what appeared to be half-man, half-ape creatures, deities of a long forgotten religion or perhaps guardians of the temple and its priests or priestesses. Approaching eighteen feet in height, it was difficult to imagine the effort expended to create such magnificent works. The head of each statue was carved in such fine detail as to cause one to pause and consider the manner in which it was accomplished. Further, each of the heads appeared to be in perfect symmetry with every feature and detail of the monuments precisely mirrored.
It was also rather plain to us that the visages of the twin monuments were not at all unlike the appearance of that of the apes we had struggled in such frantic effort against. This, I am not ashamed to say, gave rise to a shudder of fear within the collective company of crew-mates, myself included. I made several quick sketches of both the temple itself and the monuments that stood before us and, as had been decided upon by all in our party, we began our ascent of the stone steps to the peak of the temple high above.
The long journey to the top of the temple, though somewhat slow and arduous due to the narrowness and steepness of the incline, lent itself to a most spectacular view even though the jungle covered the majority of the vista below us. Stopping on occasion to drink and enjoy the view, it was once the group neared the completion of our hike up the side of the pyramid that the party noticed, once again, an unnatural silence befall the jungle below and now, outside of the jungle, we were able to observe that the skies were devoid of birds as well.
It was at that very instant that the jungle erupted in an outpouring of the great apes once again, but rather than the dozens we had encountered before, the surrounding area was now filled with hundreds of the wailing beasts all hurling themselves at the base of the temple and clambering their way up the stone walls one atop the other, as well as streaming up the steps we had just traversed.
Realizing we had no other recourse, we made great haste to the top of the temple hoping to establish a defensible position once we reached the summit. Although we had gained a sizeable lead against our attackers, it was soon apparent that with their great speed and power they would soon be upon us. Racing as fast as we could, it was rather impossible to imagine that we would make refuge in the enclosed sanctuary of the temple atop the great stone structure before the horrendous creatures reached us – but reach the top we did, and with much urgency began to funnel into the safety of the enclosed edifice.
Now trapped inside and with no other discernible egress, we positioned ourselves in such manner as to cause the most damage to our aggressors as possible without giving the beasts access to the opening through which we had entered. Several of the crewmen knelt in the entranceway, rifles at the ready, firing into the throng before emptying their weapons and thus rotating into position a fresh set of men who repeated the procedure. The corpses of the wild creatures began to collect upon the steps leading to our position; however, the stream of crazed brutes, unaffected by the demise of those that had been felled by our rifles, did nothing more but clamber over top of their dead companions.
On and on the siege continued, and on and on we emptied our weapons upon the beasts to no avail. As it became apparent our current course of action would at some point, and in rather quick fashion, become useless once we had expended our ammunition, I set my mind to devise an alternate solution to our predicament. Searching about, I was quite overcome with elation as I noticed, now more able to see as my eyes had adjusted to the lack of light, a large round stone like a wheel just to the left of the temple entrance. This stone was in fact a door designed for sealing the room in an almost perfect manner.
I called to McNeil to assist me in rolling the large stone across the opening of the doorway. The size and weight of the stone was immense and it took not myself and McNeil alone but three other hearty souls as well, pushing with all of our strength to roll the object into place, cutting off our attackers and leaving us, although somewhat trapped for the moment, safe within the confines of the temple.
Once the stone came to rest we were pitched into complete darkness until, fumbling all the while, I retrieved one of the Congreves and struck it, producing enough light for a member of the crew to see well enough to procure a small lamp from one of the other packs we had carried with us. To increase the illumination of the chamber further, some four or five more lamps were produced from the remaining packs not lost in our first encounter with the apes. Having lit said lamps we then set them about the immediate area such as to cast their light in the most useful manner.
We spent the next hour searching about the area, stopping on occasion to listen at the large stone door and hoping our foes, having grown disinterested with us, had abandoned their pursuit. H
owever, we continued to hear their angry howls, and thus we returned to searching for a second means of escape. Though none was evident, we still held hope for another way out, knowing well that to roll back the stone in an attempt to exit would be futile and would end without question in the demise of us all.
Thinking it odd that there was but a single entrance to the temple proper, we began to look about the room, running our hands across the smooth stonework, hoping to find some form of door – perhaps hidden within the stonework itself. Finding no door or any other item of interest, we resolved ourselves to the notion that we would be confined to this upper chamber for some time, until either the apes left of their own accord or perhaps by some other means that we had not yet imagined.
As time passed the men grew irritable and restless, and both I and McNeil became concerned about rising hostilities within the ranks and the possibility of skirmishes breaking out, a situation which held its own particular dangers. So it was to ease tensions that we then decided to move the altar, situated in the centre of the chamber, to one side so as to make the somewhat limited space within the room seem less confining.
This was a most fortunate action indeed, for as we began to push the altar aside it became at once evident that part of its purpose and function was to conceal a narrow, rectangular opening with steps leading down into the main area of the ziggurat which was used, in all likelihood, as an entrance and exit for the chief priests of whatever form of religion was practised here. The large stone with which we had sealed the entrance earlier was indeed meant as a means of tricking the priests’ followers into believing they were witness to a miracle. The stone would be set in place, sealing the entranceway, while the priest or other ”deity” and their retinue would climb the steps to the temple chamber, and once inside would roll the stone back, revealing the god-priest or whomever standing before the awe-stricken worshippers.
Upon conclusion of the fantastic reveal, those who were responsible for the manipulation of the stone would descend the stairs, exit the pyramid by some means, and return to the onlookers below as a great show were being made of the event that had just transpired. Praying my assumptions were correct, we took up our lanterns and with care began to descend the steps, which were designed in such a manner as to afford a rather rapid descent, the rise being about one and a half times as great as the run of each stone step.
Thus in this manner we continued our downward parade until at last we found ourselves at the very bottom of the pyramid in the centre of a large chamber that had four separate corridors leading into the unknown architecture of the giant structure. I should also like to mention that I was so overcome with awe and curiosity that I wanted nothing more than to venture off into the first passageway I spied. But I resisted the temptation for the necessity of caution, taking into light our experiences thus far.
We decided it would be safer to divide ourselves into smaller groups of four or so and each take a separate passage to explore; thus we distributed the lanterns one to each group and set about examining the many passages that lay before us. The tunnel my party was tasked with began in what I guessed to be the south-east side of the temple. The corridor was quite long and turned several times before coming to a halt before a large stone door, which sealed the entranceway to what I should think was an antechamber just beyond.
Pushing against the door, I was rather surprised at the ease with which it gave way, turning upon a pivot, granting us access to the room beyond. With some caution we entered the chamber, our small lamp casting enough light to illuminate no more than half a dozen feet or so in front of us. The room seemed empty save for a few small urns and some broken shards of pottery and other antiquated relics, which appeared not to have been disturbed since they first found their resting place there.
Upon further inspection of the chamber, however, we noted with some excitement what appeared to be hieroglyphic writings carved into a section of one of the walls. With eager anticipation I brushed away much of the dust covering the engravings and was at once rewarded with what I recognized to be a brief history of the immediate chamber, which I surmised to be the tomb for one of the high priests or some other important figure.
I produced the book which was given to me by my Uncle James and began to flip through its pages in feverish excitement, for I was convinced that I would find the translation of the writing within its tattered pages or, at the very least, gain some understanding of the message written upon the walls or perhaps become more enlightened to the inner workings of the rituals for which the ziggurat was designed.
Finding the proper page, I set about translating each of the hieroglyphs, starting from the immediate left and continuing on to the right, for the hieroglyphs were written facing to the left indicating, as per my Uncle James, the correct position to begin the translation. Had the hieroglyphs faced right, then the message would have been read right to left. Thus I went with each word, first examining the writing and then finding its translation within the book, locating first a determinative at the end of each word group to aid in the translation.
Soon I had the first set of words translated and with pencil scribbled their meanings in the back of my uncle’s book as I went. In this manner I continued for some length of time, stopping for nothing and at moments all but forgetting to take a breath, such was my excitement over the entire affair. Reading, interpreting, and writing - on I went until at last I had the entire row of hieroglyphs translated to the best of my ability and was ready to share them with McNeil and the rest of the party.
“What does it say?” said McNeil.
I took a deep breath and began to read the entire message, as I had interpreted it, aloud.
“When returns the Phoenix, opened will be the door of the gods, pale visitors of ill intent return once more, the daughter of the Pharaoh taken home, joining him in the sky. Thus it has been so for all time.”
For a moment all were silent as we conjectured about the meaning of the passage, deep in concentration. Our thoughts, however, were interrupted as a great stone door of enormous weight fell with violent abruptness into place - by either misfortune or some malevolent deed we did not know. However, the consequences of the event were well understood. We had been sealed inside the chamber, helpless, by an immovable stone gate which without the aid of the miraculous would seal us to a fate of doom.
Chapter V
IN WHICH EDGAR AND THE REST FIND THEMSELVES IN A MOST PERILOUS CONDITION, AND THE PECULIAR CIRCUMSTANCES THEREOF
The number of hours which were spent in an attempt to exact our escape, I could not presume to guess. Due to the stone’s weight and size, it was an impossible task and was a mere point of academics regardless. For at each attempt it was quite obvious that even a concerted effort of five strong men would not be enough to budge, even an inch, the gigantic monolith separating us from freedom.
Exhausted from our efforts and on the precipice of total despair, as fortune would have it, while resting against a far wall, lamp at my side, I noticed something very peculiar about a certain stone a few feet away from where I was resting. Upon further inspection, and much to my delight, I noticed what I perceived to be a small gap all along the edge of the aforementioned stone, accompanied by numerous scratch marks on the floor of the chamber as though it had been moved, and dragged across the floor.
I reported to the others what I had discovered at once, and their countenances shone with the hope that, I could but imagine, would be seen on a man sentenced to hang who, at the very last hour, was issued reprieve – such was the excitement over the notion of escape and freedom. For one of the most uncomfortable feelings of man is that of inescapable confinement.
Prying with our knives, we were soon able to create a gap between the stone and the surrounding wall to allow our fingers to grasp with ease the edges and, working back and forth, were able to extract the block some several inches. A feat both time-consuming and difficult, for the stone was heavy in the extreme and well-set within the wall. M
easuring perhaps three feet along each of its sides, I estimated the stone would be at least equal in depth and that it would take us another half hour to remove it in its entirety from the wall revealing, what we were all hoping to be, a way out of the chamber.
We continued working at a somewhat slow pace until at some length the stone had been dislodged, and peering within, lamp before me, I was able to detect a chamber on the opposite side which looked to be a bit smaller than the room we were now within. Creeping prostrate upon the ground, with lantern held before me, I inched through the hole in the wall and emerged in a moment on the other side. The second chamber, though somewhat smaller, had a ceiling which was far lower than the first, and while standing at full height, I was able to feel the hair atop my head brush against it.
Turning the wick of my lantern up to increase the amount of light shed upon the room, I was able to see that, unlike the former chamber, this one, though not brimming, was full of artefacts of quite every type imaginable including small figurines of wood and bone, pottery, copper, bronze, and silver trays and plates. It was a spectacle to behold and one which I will not soon forget.
I called to my companions and each, one after the other, came through the small door at the base of the wall and was as astonished at the sight as I first was. I took the time to sketch many of the items in the back of the book my uncle had given me once again and made note of most every item within the alcove, in particular its location and brief description of colour, size, and any interesting or unusual markings.
In this manner we were all kept busy for some time, quite forgetting that, in fact, we were all still prisoners within the pyramid with, still as of yet, no means of escape. The situation seemed dire indeed; nevertheless, if we were ever to escape our quiet tomb we would, indeed, have a most amazing discovery to show for it.
HAWTHORNE: Chronicles of the Brass Hand: Mystirio Astronomiki Page 6
