Curse of the Pharaoh: A Brock Stone Adventure

“Let’s take a look at your map,” Stone said to Alex. They spread it out on a table and used old books to hold down the corners. The map showed a river, an island, an obelisk, and a pyramid. Other places on the map were marked with symbols. They examined the map at length. Nothing was labeled, nor was there a compass rose to show which way was north.

“How are we ever going to find out where this place is?” Constance asked.

“It’s got to be somewhere in Egypt,” Alex said.

“Thank you for stating the obvious.” Sarcasm dripped from Constance’s words.

“Can the two of you please snipe at one another on your own time?” Trinity said. “You are beginning to annoy.”

“I could make the same request of you and Stone almost every day.” Alex grinned.

“I do not snipe. I merely correct Brock when he needs it.”

“Which is apparently all the time.” Stone winked to show he was joking. Trinity replied with an arched eyebrow and a cold stare.

“This is no ancient scroll. The paper is fairly new. I believe Orion Crowley drew this map,” Stone said. “But where does it lead?”

“If we assume the river is the Nile, we can search for this bend in the river,” Trinity said. “This island is distinctive in shape. Perhaps we can match it up and then look for the pyramid.”

“And the obelisk.” Alex tapped the map. “Of course, there are a lot of obelisks in Egypt so that might not be of much help.”

Moses entered the library, carrying a steaming mug of coffee. He paused, scanned the map. “Somebody taking a tour of the city?” he asked.

“What are you talking about,” Trinity asked.

“Ain’t that the Washington Monument?” He pointed to the obelisk. “That there is Roosevelt Island for sure. And that’s the Lincoln Memorial.” He pointed to the pyramid.

“The Lincoln Memorial isn’t a pyramid,” Alex said.

“It was planned to be, but it was changed at the last minute,” Constance said. “The original designs are on display. It’s fascinating how much influence Egypt had on Colonial Architecture.”

“That’s because all the people in charge back then was Illuminati,” Moses said.

“Maybe,” Stone said, “but I think you’re spot-on about the map. Brilliant!”

“Why would Orion draw a map of the city and hide it inside his cane?” Alex asked.

“To find the answer to that question, I guess we’ll have to follow the clues. Tell us again what you overheard,” Stone said to Alex.

“I heard Fischer say something about canopic jars and the heart of the Night Queen.”

“I don’t know that name.” He frowned, remembering something else Alex had said. “Are you certain she said the heart?” He glanced at Alex, who nodded. “That’s odd. When you searched the exhibit, did you happen to notice the jars?”

“Yes, there were five of them.”

“Five? Strange indeed. Traditionally, there were four jars — one each for the liver, lungs, stomach, and intestines. The heart was believed to contain the spirit of the deceased, so it remained with the body.”

“Why did they put their internal organs in jars?” Constance asked.

“To preserve them for the afterlife.” He turned to Alex. “What else did you hear?”

“There was something written on the lost corner of the map. A riddle or clue of some sort.” Alex took out a scrap of paper, cleared his throat, but before he could begin, Constance snatched the paper from him and read aloud.

“In the eye of the Star

Established in Strength and Wisdom

Within the pontiff’s great temple

Beneath the seat of Apollo”

“And then there are some numbers,” Constance finished.

“What in the world does that mean?” Alex asked. “Maybe be the Vatican?:

“The Vatican certainly fits the clue ‘within the pontiff’s temple’,” Constance mused. “Established in strength and wisdom fits, presuming one views the Church in a favorable light. In the Bible, the star symbolizes Christ.”

“And Lucifer,” Moses offered.

“That’s a comforting thought,” Alex said. “Might the numbers be map coordinates?”

“You’re all forgetting something very important,” Trinity said.

“What is that?” Constance sounded annoyed.

“We have already determined that this is a map of Washington. And now that I have heard the clues, I think I know the place we are looking for.” She picked up a pencil, bit her lip as she concentrated on the map.

“Are you planning on sharing with the group?” Constance asked.

Trinity ignored her. After a few more seconds of thought, she marked five locations on the map.

“It’s a pentagon,” Constance said.

“That’s one possibility, but here is another.” From each point, she drew a line to a spot in the middle, then drew a circle around that spot. “See? A star.”

“A Seba.” Stone remembered exactly when and where he had last seen that symbol. And what he had done that night.

“Earth to Stone,” Alex said.

Stone blinked. “Sorry. A Seba is an ancient Egyptian star emblem. The star represents the gods. The circle symbolizes the passage into the Underworld.” He frowned. “Trinity, what is this spot you’ve marked?”