Seven Ancient Wonders - Matthew Reilly [28]
And his left arm ended at the elbow.
Everyone noticed it.
Whispers rippled across the room.
‘The ones who found the Scrolls of the Museion . . .’ one of the Arabs whispered.
‘Epper is Professor of Archaeology at Trinity College in Dublin, a brilliant fellow, but he also has doctorates in physics and electromagnetics . . .’
‘And Huntsman?’
‘He was military, but not anymore. Worked alongside the Americans in Iraq in’91. But after what the Americans did to him there, well—’
‘What on earth has happened to his arm?’
Abbas stood up. ‘Where is the girl, Maximilian? I thought you were bringing her.’
‘We left her at a secure location,’ Epper said. ‘Her safety at this juncture is of paramount importance. Her actual presence at this meeting, my old friend Anzar, is not.’
Epper and West sat down at the table, joining the seven delegations.
Epper sat with the Canadians.
West sat alone, attaching himself to none of the seven countries at the table. He was the eighth delegation. His home nation had sent no other representative, having decided that his presence at this meeting was sufficient.
That nation: Australia.
The host, the leader of the Irish delegation, General Colin O’Hara, formally opened the meeting.
‘My friends, welcome to Ireland, and to a meeting of tremendous significance. I will get directly to the point. Seven months ago, members of a European military-archaeological team found the pregnant wife of the Oracle of Siwa in her hideaway in Uganda. It is not known how they found her, but we do know that the leader of the European expedition was the eminent Vatican historian Father Francisco del Piero. Del Piero’s specialty is ancient Egyptian religious practices, particularly Sun worship.
‘In accordance with the dictates of an ancient Egyptian Sun cult, del Piero and his team took the pregnant woman to a remote volcano in Uganda on the day of the vernal equinox, March 20.
‘At noon on the day of the equinox, by the so-called “pure” light of the Sun, in a chamber cut into the flank of the volcano, the Oracle’s wife gave birth to a son, whom del Piero immediately abducted.
‘Del Piero and his military escorts then left, leaving the mother to die inside the chamber.
‘But then something most unexpected occurred.
‘After del Piero’s team had departed, the Oracle’s wife gave birth to another child, a girl. Through the extraordinary efforts of Professor Epper and Captain West, this baby girl was recovered, alive and well . . .’
There was, of course, more to it than that, West thought as he listened.
He and Epper had actually found the Oracle’s wife a day before the Europeans. Her name was Malena Okombo and she had been living in hiding, in fear of her abusive husband, the present-day Oracle of Siwa. Pregnant with the Oracle’s heir (or heirs), she had fled from his fists and rages, the petulant rages of a spoilt man. West had sympathised with Malena immediately, promised to look after her. But then the Europeans had arrived the following day in great numbers and abducted her—leading to the incident at the volcano.
O’Hara was still talking: ‘It is this extremely fortunate occurrence—the birth of a second Oracle—that brings us together today. Professor Epper, if you will . . .’
Epper stood up. ‘Thank you, Colin.’ He addressed the assembled delegates. ‘Ms Kissane, gentlemen. Our eight small nations come together today at a pivotal moment in history.
‘The actions of Father del Piero and his men in Uganda can mean only one thing, a most dangerous thing. The Europeans are making their move. After 2,000 years of searching, they have just secured the key to discovering the greatest, most sought-after treasure in human history: the Golden Capstone of the Great Pyramid.’
‘Allow me to elaborate,’ Epper said.
‘As you will have read in your briefing materials, there was once a magnificent Golden Capstone that sat atop the Great Pyramid. It, however, was removed from the apex of the structure soon after the Great Pyramid was completed, staying there