by Gene Curtis
Chapter 3
Clues of Fortune
Sometimes it’s the journey. Sometimes it’s the destination. Most often it’s both.
School days ended and summer vacation settled over the residents of number one Trafalgar Court. Steve was enjoying his time stateside. He knew that it wouldn’t be much longer before he would be called to duty in the Middle East again.
He knew that he would have a couple more months at home; maybe as much as a year before the call came. He also felt that he wouldn’t have that much more time with his younger son, Mark. What the hooded man told him was true. He couldn’t explain why, but he knew it was true. Mark would be leaving home.
He wanted to do something special with the family before this happened. He thought that a vacation would be just the thing. He decided that he would bring the subject of a family vacation up at breakfast and let the family decide where to go. Maybe they would like to go on a cruise. Cruises are generally expensive, but Steve thought that it would be worth dipping into the family savings. The hard part would be getting Shirley to agree.
Shirley walked into the kitchen. “Morning, hon.”
Steve was sitting at the table. He folded the paper and laid it on the table. “What would you like for breakfast? I’m cooking.”
“Okay.” Shirley was a little puzzled. This was out of character for Steve. He only did this sort of thing when something was on his mind. “How about some French toast?”
“Roger that. French toast it is.” Steve got up and walked to the kitchen counter.
James and Mark came down the stairs still sleepy and blurry eyed.
James said, “Good morning, Mom. Good morning, Dad.”
Mark was his usual morning sleepy self. “Morning.”
Shirley noticed that Mark was carrying the old German Family Bible. “Why do you have that Bible this morning, Mark?”
Mark sat down at the table. “Did anyone ever look at what was written in here?”
Shirley was a little baffled. “Of course, but it is all written in German except for inside the front cover and some of the family tree. We never had it translated.”
“There is another part in English.” He opened the Bible to the back leaf page and pushed the Bible across the table to his mother. “See.”
She examined the hand written script. She looked baffled. “Honey, that’s German.”
Mark hated contradicting his mother but he knew that he was right. There was no other way that he could think to tell her that she was wrong other than to just say it. “No it isn’t. I can read it. It’s in English.”
Shirley looked at it again. She turned it kitty-corner and tilted her head to the side. She turned it upside down. She squinted and then frowned. She got up and showed the page to James. “Can you read it? Is it in English?”
James looked at it. “I can’t read it. It isn’t English as far as I can tell.”
Shirley took the book to Steve. He was still cooking but he had been following the conversation.
Mark watched intently.
Steve examined the writing. “It looks like German to me. I can’t make it out.”
“I can read it. Honest. Let me see it.”
Shirley handed Mark the Bible back. “What’s it say, honey?”
Mark began to read aloud.
Hello Son,
I’m taking a very big risk leaving this note for you, but I have to. I’m afraid that my fate doesn’t leave me any other options. If you’re reading this, then that means that it made it to its final destination. Thank God for that!
I wish that I could have known you. I went to the school that you are about to go to. It’s a very wonderful place. You will learn a great many things there. I wish that I could go back and do it all again, especially with what I know now. The only advice about the school that I can give you, which will make any sense, is listen to your teachers, even the ones you don’t like. Pay very close attention to what they say.
I have left for you a legacy. I can’t tell you anything more about it here. If all went well, no one knows the location except for me, and now you. Go to the mountain called Mystery, south of Albuquerque. There is a large stone there with the Ten Commandments carved on its face. This marks the path to the top of the mountain. On the top of the mountain you will find an altar and a stone with a star carved in it. Touch the points of the star with your fingers and the altar will open. Only you can do this.
I’m sorry that I can’t tell you anymore, but you will discover the meaning of what you find there. Oh, I wish ever so much that I could accompany you on this quest.
May God guide and keep you,
Joseph Young
Steve sat a large platter of French toast on the table, drawing everyone away from their own thoughts. Steve had been waiting for this. It was the first sign indicating what he was supposed to do. The hooded figure had been right.
“I guess that settles it. I had planned to ask, at breakfast this morning, where you guys would like to go for a vacation. It seems to me that Albuquerque is the place that we need to go. I’ll go ahead and schedule my leave so that we all can go there.”
Shirley looked flabbergasted. “Honey, how can you be so sure? Don’t you even want to have this translated?”
“Sweetheart, we’ve already had this conversation.”
“I know; I just want some assurance, something more tangible.”
“This sounds trite, but it’s still true. The proof is in the pudding. If it’s meant to be, then it’s meant to be. If it’s not, well, then we’ll know for sure soon enough.”
Mark’s thoughts turned inward. He tuned out the conversation while he considered what was happening.
What does all this mean?
Have I really been chosen for some special destiny?
Why can I read the message and no one else can?
There was other strange stuff too. Things that he just couldn’t put his finger on. Deep inside of him something told him that all of this stuff was true. He knew somehow that he was a part of something very much bigger, only he didn’t know what. His attention came back to the here and now just as his father finished asking the blessing.
* * *
Steve scheduled his leave time for mid-August. That would put them in Albuquerque during the hottest time of the summer. That couldn’t be helped. It was the only time that he had available to schedule his leave.
The days of summer passed without any more unusual occurrences. There were no more strange dreams or unknown writings that Mark could read. Everything seemed like it was back to normal.
The middle of August rolled around and the family loaded up the car for the trip to Albuquerque. Steve hated driving through the large cities. It seemed that he always managed to hit them at rush hour. Nothing seemed more frustrating than the bumper-to-bumper traffic, cars edging in front of you at the slightest opportunity, vying for nothing more than one more space ahead. Steve considered it the flow of humanity and the ebb of intelligence. To top it off, there were two days of two adolescent boys imprisoned in the back seat.
The Young family arrived at the hotel in Albuquerque on schedule to start their mission. Dinner and finding directions to this Mystery Mountain were the next order of business. Then, the next day, they could take in some sights and head out to the mountain. The hotel was one of those large-chain, undistinguished, two story brick buildings with a swimming pool and most importantly, low rates. Steve asked the clerk behind the desk, “Do you happen to know where Mystery Mountain is?”
“It’s a mystery to me.”
The restaurant was across the four-lane highway. It was one of those buffet chains, all you care to eat for one low price. Four times one low price wasn’t all that low, yet it wasn’t that expensive either. Trying to make ends meet on a military salary was difficult at best. Savings were hard come by and well
earned.
At dinner that night Steve asked the waitress, “Do you happen to know where Mystery Mountain is?”
“Sure don’t.”
He got the same results at breakfast.
Shirley said, “It doesn’t seem like this Mystery Mountain exists.”
“It’s probably just not well known,” Mark said.
“Maybe they don’t call it Mystery Mountain anymore,” Steve said.
When the waitress returned with their breakfast, Steve asked, “Is there a mountain around here with a stone at the bottom with The Ten Commandments carved on it?”
“Sorry, I’ve never heard of such a thing.”
“Thanks, anyway.”
Mark commented, “Let’s look at the library. They have to know.”
After breakfast, they went to the library. It was a sprawling complex of white cement and glass, one story tall. Trees shaded park benches that lined the stone walk leading to the front door.
The inside was a welcome relief from the heat that was building up outside. A semi-circular counter guarded the door attended by an older looking lady with salt and pepper hair busying herself in its confines.
Mark said to the librarian, “Good morning. Do you know anything about a stone at the bottom of a mountain with the Ten Commandments carved on it?”
The librarian smiled. “Do you mean the Decalogue Stone at Hidden Mountain?”
“I don’t know. Can you tell me a little more about it?”
“Sure can, hon. It’s in Los Lunas. That’s a few miles south of here just off Interstate 85. Some say it dates back to one hundred and seven years B.C. It’s supposed to be written in a combination of ancient languages like Hebrew and Greek and such.”
“That sounds like it. Can you tell me how to get to it?”
“Well, hon, there aren’t any roads there. It’s out in Indian country. Excuse me, I’m sorry. I meant to say it’s out in Native American country. You could take Route 6, park and hike in, or you could hire a helicopter.” She looked at Steve. “Best bet is to hire a helicopter, if you ask me.”
Mark said, “Thank you, ma’am.”
The group turned and started to walk back out. The Librarian called as an afterthought struck her. “Mister, if you’re going to hike in, then you had best get a guide. And if you look for a guide in Los Lunas, they don’t call the place Hidden Mountain. They call it Mystery Mountain. They won’t know what you’re talking about if you call it Hidden Mountain. Although, Hidden Mountain is its proper name.”
Steve said, “Thanks again, ma’am. You’ve been real helpful.”
“You’re welcome, mister. Anytime.” The Librarian watched as they left.
Out in the parking lot Steve queried, “Walk or Fly?”
The answer was unanimous. “Fly.”
“Well then, plot a course to the airport and let’s go.”
The general aviation and charter service area of the airport was not hard to find. Steve drove up to the building that had helicopters on the ground. They had several ranging from a really old Bell “bubble” to a more modern Bell Jet Ranger. The Bell Jet Ranger had the markings of a medical air transport.
Mark and James got out of the car and walked over to the helicopters. They had never been this close to one before. They wanted to examine every aspect of the amazing machines.
Mark came back to his dad. “Do we really get to fly in one of these?”
“Well, let’s go inside and find out.”
Inside Steve called, “Hello… anyone here?” He waited a moment and a short man came into the office wiping his hands on a rag.
“Hi. What can I do for you?”
“How much do you charge to fly four people out to Hidden Mountain?”
“Four folks… oh, about a hundred dollars. When do you want to go?”
Steve thought that the price was a little steep until he thought about it. Four people plus a pilot would take a larger helicopter. Helicopters were expensive to fly and to maintain. He said, “We could go now, if that’s okay.”
The short fellow looked quizzically at Steve. “Can’t do it for at least three days. Low altitude flying in that area is restricted for the Balloon Fest. Balloons from all over the world, you know. Near about a thousand of ‘em, I reckon.”
Steve raised his eyebrows. “Bet that is a sight to see.”
“Yep. All different kinds. Why, last year there was even one that looked like Jesus. There were all kinds of animals too. One guy even had one shaped like an old tennis shoe.” The short fellow chuckled as he spoke.
“Well, thanks anyway.” Steve turned to leave.
“You don’t need to fly in. Take Route 6 down by Los Lunas. You can see it from there. It’s the closest one and it’s all by itself. You could walk to it if you had a mind to.”
“Thanks. I’ll check it out.”
“Anytime.” The short fellow turned and walked back into the hangar.
When Steve got back to the car, Shirley asked, “What did you find out?”
Steve started the engine after everyone got back in. He said, “No one can fly out there for three days. There is a big balloon fest going on. It’s supposed to be a sight to see. He said that we could see the mountain from Route 6 down by Los Lunas; that we could walk to it.”
“I don’t know, hon. It’s pretty hot out there.”
Steve backed out of the parking space. “Well, let’s go have a look-see after lunch.”
* * *
Route 6 wasn’t hard to find. “The guy at the airport didn’t say which way to turn. Which way do you want to try first?” They were approaching the intersection.
Shirley said, “There’s a gas station. We can ask over there.”
Steve pulled into the gas station and parked. He got out and walked toward the service bays. He heard from behind him, “Can I help you?” Steve turned and saw a young man.
Steve smiled. “I’m looking for Hidden Mountain.”
“I don’t know that one.” The young man tilted his head as if thinking about it.
Steve remembered what the librarian had said. “You might know it as Mystery Mountain.”
“Si, Mystery Mountain. You want to go there?” The young man smiled back at Steve.
“Yeah. Do you know where it is?” Steve used both hands to point along the two directions on Route 6.
“Si. You going to walk? It’s too hot for that.”
“I just wanted to see it first.”
The young man pointed west down Route 6. “You go that way for a little bit. You will see it. Then you come back and rent ATV’s. Fifty dollars a day for two plus gas. It’s a good deal, no? Go. You will see.”
Steve scratched his head. “Thank you.” He turned and walked back to the car.
Shirley said, “I caught most of that. ATV’s beat walking.”
Steve glanced at her. “Let’s go have a look first. Then we’ll know what’s involved.” He headed west on Route 6. “He didn’t say which side of the road it’s on. I guess that it will be obvious.”
After a few minutes James exclaimed, “Check it out! Look at all of them.”
Shirley and Mark turned and looked out of the passenger side windows.
“Dad! Pull over! You have got to see this!” Mark was straining against the seat belt to look out the passenger window over James.
Steve pulled the car over to the shoulder and got out. He looked to the right and there they were. The sky was filled with hot air balloons as far as the eye could see. He walked over to the passenger side of the car and hopped up onto the hood. He agreed with the boys. This was definitely a sight to see. Everyone else climbed out of the car and claimed a perch to watch the spectacle.
The guy at the airport was right. There was a Snoopy®, an outhouse, a flying saucer and all kinds of balloons. He even saw the tennis shoe balloon. There were countless of the regular style balloons too, every one of them in bright, eye catching colors.
After about ten minutes or so,
Mark said, “I know why they call it Hidden Mountain. Look at the shadows of the balloons way over there.”
Steve squinted and watched. Sure enough, every shadow that passed beyond a certain point in the distance disappeared only to reappear a minute or so later. Steve looked harder. It was hard to make out against the background of distant mountains, but it was there. It had to be more than just a couple of miles away, unless it was very small. The terrain was too rocky and broken to drive the car on. An ATV would be just the ticket.
Mark stared at the mountain. Hidden Mountain… this is where it really begins.
Steve said, “It’s too late to go back and get ATV’s now. We can do that tomorrow.”
* * *
Bright and early the next morning Steve drove the family back to the gas station. The same young man greeted him. “Buenos dias, señor. You come back to rent ATV’s, si?”
“Yes, and extra fuel.” Steve made the arrangements. He even opted for a small trailer with a quick hitch to carry the two ATV’s. After a short while, they were on their way with the trailer in tow.
They reached a spot that he thought was safe. Steve pulled off the road as far as he dared. It was enough to keep the car out of harm’s way while they were gone. He loaded some snacks, a flashlight, a rope coil and military knife into the under seat compartment of one of the ATV’s. The cooler with the drinks was strapped to the back of the other one.
“Mark, you and James ride on this one. Your mom and I will ride on the other one. Take it easy and be careful. Don’t lose sight of us.”
A half hour of grimy dust and teeth jarring bumps paved the way to the mountain. Sweat collected the dust and held it, forming thin layers of muck on everyone’s necks and faces.
The mountain was a very old, extinct volcano. From the ground, the top looked fairly flat. Brush had grown up around the base. Finding the stone was going to take some doing.
Hours passed, and the stone remained hidden. Mark decided that it was time for lunch and wanted to head for the shady side of the mountain, what little shade was left. Noon was fast approaching.
His parents were a little ways out, looking for some feature, some clue to where the stone might be. He drove toward them and motioned for them to follow and they did.
Two packs of sandwich crackers and one soda later, Mark lay back with his head propped against the wheel of the ATV. He looked up the side of the mountain, squinting, trying to discern anything that might be a path or a road. There wasn’t anything there to be seen as far as he could tell.
The sun crested the top of the mountain and there it was. The path, curving back and forth on itself, formed an almost straight shadow down the side of the mountain, disappearing behind the brush dead ahead.
Mark sat up and pointed. “There it is!”
Steve led the family through the brush and a little ways up the base of the mountain. The Decalogue Stone was right where it was supposed to be at the bottom of the path.
Over the many years it had settled sideways, skewed and eroded by time. It marked the entrance to the only footpath that led up the side of the mountain to the top.
It was rocky and slow going, but everyone made it to the top without incident. The view was breathtaking. Mark could see the road miles away. Every now and then a tiny dot moved along its surface. The top wasn’t really flat as it had appeared from the ground; it was kind of bowl shaped.
Mark and James started to explore. It didn’t take them long to find the rock that must have been the altar. It was on the highest point on the edge of the bowl, right where you might expect it to be. Steve and Shirley walked over to where the boys were.
“I can’t find a star anywhere.” Mark had remembered what the note in the Bible had said. He was to place one finger on each point of the star, the altar would slide back to reveal his legacy, only there was no star to be found.
Mark looked around. “Maybe it’s not on the altar. Maybe this isn’t the altar. It’s probably somewhere else. I noticed that there are some carvings of different things all over the place. Keep looking.”
Steve said to Shirley, “Well, everything that we have seen so far has been accurate. There has to be a star here somewhere.”
Shirley forced a smile. “You’re probably right.”
The boys went off to investigate some more. Steve looked around. He couldn’t help thinking that this mountaintop was an excellent defensive position. There was only one way up. You could see everything for miles around. There were even depressions scattered around. They could have been primeval foxholes. He looked over the side. It looked to him as if some ancient army had built a stone battlement around the top perimeter of the mountain. That’s when he saw them. The boys had discovered a large stone with all kinds of carvings on it. He climbed over and down for a closer look. Sure enough, there was a large star on the end of it. There were pictures of other things on it too. It looked like a scorpion, an elk, and other animals. He climbed back up to tell Shirley.
Steve pointed over the side. “I think that is what we’re looking for. The boys have found it.”
A few moments later, Steve and Shirley were startled when the altar stone slid open. Beneath it was a narrow, steep incline leading into the blackness below.
Steve yelled to the boys, “That’s it! Come back up and have a look!”
“Whoa! Check it out.” Mark shouted when he saw the cavern. “Let’s go in.”
Mark made a break for the hole. Steve grabbed him by the collar. “Don’t you think that we’re going to need a flashlight?”
“Yeah! I’ll go get it.” Mark was held back by his father’s grip on his collar. “I just want to see it closer.”
Steve released his collar.
“You and James rest for a minute. Then you can go and get the flashlight and the knife and the rope… after you rest. That incline looks pretty steep. We need to be careful.” Steve was anxious to explore too, but he knew that it was best to be prepared.
Mark lay on his belly with his face in the hole. “Hello…”
The first echo returned, sharp and distinct, followed by fading hellos. “Hello… Hello… Hello… Hello.”
About fifteen minutes passed. “All right boys, go get the stuff, and be careful on that path. You can’t explore much with a broken leg.”
It wasn’t long before the boys had returned with the things they needed.
Steve tied one end of the rope to the altar stone. He tossed the rest of the coil down the incline. “I’ll go in first. You boys follow me, one at a time, when I say it’s okay. Take your time and do it nice and easy. We don’t know what it’s like down there, and you won’t be able to see much.”
Both boys nodded that they understood.
“Honey, don’t you think that it would be better if the boys stayed up here? I mean, we don’t know what’s down there. It could be dangerous.”
“Hon, recon is what I do. This is a cinch. You stay up here in case we get into trouble. If we do, then you can go for help.”
“You be very careful down there. Don’t take any chances.”
Mark watched his dad grab the rope, wrap it once around his wrist for better control and then ease onto the sloping path. He carried the flashlight in his free hand, stopping every few feet down and looking around. Lying on his belly, Mark watched his dad descend. It seemed as if there was nothing for his flash light beam to hit. Everything looked black. After about forty feet the slope leveled out.
The coolness escaping from the hole was a refreshing break from the heat topside. His dad was down there, but the light from the flashlight was all that he could see. He heard his dad call back up.
“Okay, just one of you. It’s about forty feet down. Take it slow and easy.”
Mark went slowly down the rope and once he reached the bottom, Steve gave the okay for James to follow.
Both boys made it down and Steve shined the flashlight around, but there wasn’t anything to see except the near wall.
Mark said, “Yes sir.” There was a touch of excitement in his voice.
Mark took the lead and edged his way around the wall with his dad and brother directly behind. They made their way around the perimeter of the cavern. The wall was glassy and featureless just like the floor. They stopped every few feet to examine the path ahead. He estimated that they had gone over a thousand feet and had found nothing. He looked at his dad’s watch and saw that it was getting close to 2 o’clock.
He looked back at the way that they had come. It looked like they had gone less than an eighth of the way around the wall based on what he could see from the light coming from the entrance. That, too, was based on the assumption that the cavern was essentially round. His eyes had grown somewhat more accustomed to the dark and he could see further than he could when they had first entered. They hadn’t gone more than ten more feet when he noticed the increased light. He looked back at the opening.
“Look at the opening. It’s getting brighter.”
Steve and James turned to look. The entrance was indeed getting brighter. The sun must have been getting high enough to shine directly into the opening. The entrance kept getting brighter and brighter until all at once sunlight started reflecting off every surface in the cavern. It was dim, but they could see pretty well and there it was, a column, not a hundred feet straight out from the entrance. There was something gleaming beside it.
Steve said, “Okay, let’s go. Remember, stay alert.”
Mark took the lead, heading back almost the way they had come. He was careful to keep a sharp eye out for hidden dangers.
The group made it to the column. There, on its side hung a short shepherd’s crook. It was decorated, but in the dim light it was hard to tell how. There was also a leather pouch hanging from a leather strap. Mark scanned the cavern again, thinking that there might be something else. There wasn’t anything else that he could see.
Mark said, “Let’s get back to the entrance before we lose the light.” The light was fading rapidly and they had what they had come for.
Everyone made it back up to the top all right. Mark carried the pouch over his shoulder and the staff slid neatly into the back of his belt, poking up over his back.
The staff was about four or five feet long. It was bent into a hook shape at one end. Its surface had been polished to a glossy sheen. It had inlaid blue and gold decorations all over it. It was simply a beautiful piece of craftsmanship.
The pouch was leather and simple, something like a pony express rider might have carried.
Mark opened the pouch. Inside was something wrapped in a brownish-orange tinted, waxy paper. He removed the paper and carefully unfolded it. He found three documents. The first document was a will of sorts. It read:
Young Mister Young, fourth generation great grandson, you will find here a deed and a lease. You, being my descendant, are its rightful heir. The deed is to a piece of property that you now own. The lease is for the family that has acted as keepers of this property. Show them the staff and they will know that you are the rightful heir.
The lease was a simple document allowing the Newsom family to use the property and to harvest the timber until the rightful owner, with the staff, came to claim it. The lease was to be kept in the Newsom family and passed down from generation to generation.
The deed was for a parcel of land in Halifax County, Virginia. It said that it was about six hundred and sixty acres, more or less.
Mark sat down on the ground. The rest of the family looked over the papers. When they had finished reading, Mark looked at his dad and said, “Virginia?”
“That’s what the deed says. You guys want to go and have a look at it? We still have another few days left before I have to be back on base.” Steve felt dubious about this. After all, it had been more than a hundred years since the deed had been drawn up. The date on the deed was 1888. Surely the property taxes hadn’t been paid for all that time. But miracles had been happening with the things surrounding the events that were unfolding. The thing that stuck in his mind was the altar stone sliding away.
“Mark, go touch that star again. See if the altar closes.”
Mark and James went back over the side again. A few seconds later the stone slid back over the opening. It looked as if the stone had never been moved.
Just then, a shadow crossed over Steve and Shirley. They looked up. The balloons were back again. This time they had a much better view. The tennis shoe balloon passed close to the mountaintop. A bearded fellow was leaning over the basket, waving at them. They all waved back.
Mark watched the man in the balloon float off toward the distance. He knew that there was something very significant about the man in the balloon. He felt it deep inside, like the feeling you get when you do something and just know beyond all doubt that it is incredibly right.
There was something else tugging at his mind too, What’s next?
