The Thrones of Eden 3 (Eden) by Rick Jones Read Free Book Online

silence that was complete and absolute, the area becoming sepulchral as the scarabs lay dormant with the stillness of death.
    And in darkness they would wait until man drew closer.
    And they would wait with overwhelming numbers.
    And when the opportunity availed itself . . .
    . . . they would feed.
     
     

 
     
     
    CHAPTER TWELVE
     
    The Wall of Symbols separated in the middle, the divided halves parting and sliding into the side walls, disappearing until an amphitheater was revealed.
    “That seemed relatively harmless,” said Hillary. “Certainly nothing like the drama you expressed in your articles.”
    Alyssa wasn’t so sure. And neither was Savage. Like most prey, they could intuit danger on the wind.
    Together they took tentative steps forward with their lights reflecting off the surrounding walls of black silica. The ceiling was domed with chips of crystal embedded in the silica to resemble the placement of stars in the universe. When lights flashed against them they sparkled like gemstones, like star-point glitters of light. 
    In the dome’s center were the three major stars of the Orion Belt: the Alnitak, the Alnilam, and the Mintaka. The large crystals of the constellation were situated directly above the center of the amphitheater’s floor, the precious stones serving as the possible representation points regarding the origin of God—or Gods—as recorded by Sumerian, Egyptian and Peruvian cultures.
    The amphitheater was circular and multi-tiered with rings of black silica seats surrounding the area’s central point like concentric circles. The outer rings were higher on the level to allow an unimpeded view as the entire area angled downward like a funnel.
    At the center of the amphitheater floor was a sculpture that appeared to hover several feet in the air, an immovable object.
    As the team converged, the object shined against their lights. The surface of the sculpture was polished, an ebony beauty of black silica.
    The ministers circled the structure in awe, as did Savage, Alyssa and Hillary. The Maroon Berets, however, maintained a perimeter along the top tier and looked down with repressed fascination.
    On closer examination they discovered that the figure wasn’t suspended at all. It was situated on top of a crystal-clear plinth which proffered the illusion that it hovered above the floor.
    The ministers made notes, took photos, and gathered into council with the American group—with John, Alyssa and Hillary—and attempted to fathom the shape. It was something Alyssa had seen before—something John Savage had seen before.
    It was a black silica representation of an upside down Egyptian Ankh, the symbol in this position representing ‘The Key to Life.’ It was approximately ten-feet high with a crossbar that was six feet across. On the vertical and horizontal beams was ancient lettering that resembled the writings on the Ankh they discovered in the Yucatan Peninsula. But the writings discovered on that Ankh were more delicate with hook-like sweeps to their formation. They were alien and familiar to her at the same time, the changes most likely due to time and evolution. But the meaning was the same: ALL LIFE UNDER ONE.
    But who’s the One?
    Alyssa studied the Ankh closely, tracing her fingertips over the bas-relief carvings of archaic lettering. “John,” she began, “it’s nearly the same as the lettering on the ship in the Yucatan.”
    He agreed. “Minor differences maybe. But very close.”
    “Evolution of the written word has changed little. But it’s here, John. It’s similar.”
    He nodded. “There’s the tie. This Ankh is the connection alluding that the God of the temple may have come from one of the stars in the Orion Belt. But the mystery remains: Who is the One that all these markings make reference to?”
    “One ruler. One government. One God.” Hillary speculated. “Perhaps they’re all one and the same. But I do believe that the answer is here . . . somewhere.”