“Spot on. A syllabary is a complete writing system that uses symbols to represent all the syllables of a language, ja? Remember?”
Hayden and Kinimaka both nodded. “Ja.”
Drake grunted. “A mix of Greek, Chinese, Mayan and so on.”
“Exactly! And that is also what Alexander’s inscriptions are based on. It’s why the symbols are slightly different. The writing system draws on scripts used in many of the lands he conquered. And purposely so. It’s a kind of code, impossible to crack until the tombs were discovered and, consequently, the language of the gods. If we never found the tombs — the swords would never be translated and never actually be needed. Very clever.”
Patterson positively glowed.
“Can you translate them?” Hayden asked.
Akerman gloated. “Put me in front of a computer and a light-fingered female.” He stared at Mai. “I’ll have it down in no time.”
The Japanese woman gave him a dangerous look. “I save these fingers for killing.”
“Then at least I’d die happy.” Akerman was incorrigible and scooted across the room to the little corner PC. He began to type, humming happily. Dahl grabbed a chair and sat next to him, sending a look of apology across to Mai.
“Speaking of dying happy,” Drake murmured. “Have you heard from Smyth lately?”
Mai’s expression remained hard for almost two seconds before she allowed a slight smile to curl the sides of her lips. “What do you think?”
“Not getting under your skin is he, Maggie?” Drake joked.
“Matt,” Mai sighed. “Smyth would have more chance with Maggie Q, believe me.”
It took hours, and Akerman would not reveal even a single word until he was finished, but, slowly, painstakingly, the inscriptions on the six swords began to make a sort of sense. Akerman insisted he reveal the swords in order — as best he could divine — and moved to stand before them like a lecturer in a classroom. The team gathered around and Hayden made sure to include Karin and Komodo by speakerphone.
“Okay,” he said. “First sword. It says this—” He cleared his throat and began to narrate. “The device that was made by the hands of the Gods can be unmade.”
“A direct reference to the doomsday weapon,” Kinimaka said immediately, voicing the thoughts of everyone. “This is for thinking.” He tapped his head and pointed at his feet. “These are for dancing.”
Hayden shook her head. “Well, at least we know we can stop — or even destroy — the device. At least that’s something.”
“But not how,” Yorgi spoke up, trying to get involved.
“Sword two.” Akerman shushed them “What was suspended at Ragnarok can be recreated.”
Minutes of silence followed, then, “Armageddon?” Hayden wondered. “Are they saying the swords could bring about Armageddon?”
“I don’t think so,” Karin’s tinny voice warbled through the little speakerphone. “If you remember Odin purposely prevented Armageddon at Ragnarok at that time because he knew all the gods would die, but he didn’t stop it forever. He prevented it so, at a later date, he could return. And Ragnarok was all about the deaths of the gods.”
Kinimaka let out a breath. “I don’t get it.”
“The inscription — the message — says we can actually bring about the true deaths of the gods, preventing them from ever returning, and ending this threat once and for all.” She coughed. “Forever.”
“It’s a thought, but listen further,” Akerman interrupted. “And so to the third sword. What was written in time can be erased. Speakerphone girl, I think this corroborates your theory.”
“Yes it does,” Karin said. “The prophecy of the gods’ return was written in time.”
“And the fourth bears further fruit.” Akerman paused. “That which is only sleeping can be destroyed forever.” He nodded to himself. “The gods.”
“Two to go.” Patterson rubbed his hands together excitedly.
“Well these two are real doozies,” Akerman said with a touch of gloom. “I have no idea what they mean together. First — take two swords each to the tombs and the Great Sword to the pit. And the last one — and channel the fires of your own destruction.” He stopped.
Drake glanced around, seeing blank faces and knitted brows. Karin remained quiet. At last Kinimaka said, “What the hell does channel mean?”
Drake shrugged. “I have no idea. But we’re clearly missing one thing here. The seventh sword. Actually the Great Sword. Its inscription might tell us all we need to know.”
“And…” Karin spoke up. “Count the swords. Two swords to each tomb makes six. My guess is the seventh has a different purpose.”
“If they can destroy those tombs,” Drake said. “And the device, I’m beginning to think it’s not such a bad thing.”
Hayden looked a little horrified. “You can’t say that,” she blurted. “You work for the U.S. government.”
Drake laughed. “Since when did that ever stop us blowing things up?”
“Think of it,” Mai said. “The threat of the device and the gods — gone forever.”
Professor Patterson moved to stand beside Akerman. “Consider this. Earth energy is heavily involved here somewhere. Pure elemental power. I believe that is what the doomsday device was all about in the first place?” He looked to his left.
Akerman nodded.
“The swords were made by someone who knew all about earth energy and how to negate an earth energy vortex. Alexander. He knew about the gods and the device but wasn’t dumb enough to try and use it. He sought instead to counteract its effect. Wherever earth energy gathers in a vortex is called a sacred place, and, in many of them, you often find standing stones placed there by the ancients who had — shall we say — more time to contemplate these things. The three tombs are more than likely built atop the three most powerful in existence. But there are also vile vortexes around the world. Think — areas where ships and aircraft disappear, where radios and compasses don’t work, where regular upheaval occurs in the Earth’s crust, where monsters are seen, where people exist perpetually in a state of unrest. There are many, many reasons why these swords could have been created.”
“But the existence of earth energy has never been proven,” Hayden insisted.
Patterson sighed as if he’d heard it all before. “You should read more. When I say ‘mystical energy’ you immediately qualify me as a wacko. If I was to tell you that I studied in pseudoscience, what would you say to that? Probably the same.” He laughed. “There are literally hundreds of electro-magnetic aberrations around the world and no convincing explanation has ever been forthcoming.”
“But there’s still no proof.”
“And there never will be. Do you think your stuffy academics want to be seen investigating events so far out of their comfort zone? The Daily Telegraph reported that the Austrians brought in local earth energy consultants to reduce the number of accidents on Austria’s worst stretch of Autobahn. Roadside monoliths were erected to help restore the natural flow of earth energy. Since that day, over a stretch of two years, the number of accidents fell to zero. But the biggest substantiation of earth energy came from none other than the great inventor himself and employee of Thomas Edison, Nikola Tesla. An electrical and mechanical engineer, physicist, and contributing designer to the modern A.C. electricity supply system, even he later became known as the ‘mad scientist’. He found the Earth to be, quote — ‘literally alive with electrical vibrations’. Tesla believed that when lightning struck the ground it emitted mighty waves that went from one side of the Earth to the other, a great tree of energy. ‘The Earth is a wonderful conductor,’ he said. ‘I could transmit unlimited amounts of power to any place on Earth with virtually no loss’. He even said that it would be possible to split the planet apart by combining vibrations with the correct resonance of the Earth itself. The Earth’s crust would vibrate so vigorously that it would rise and fall hundreds of feet, throwing rivers out of their beds, wrecking buildings and practically destroying civilization. And—” Patterson grinned. “He even tested his theory.”