Sands of Abydos

Chapter 3: Express Pass

Neal gouged the sand with the toe of his boot. There wasn't a trace of ruins on the desert plain. Unless the altar magically appeared, they were faced with what would be a monumental excavation effort. The Great Sphinx had been buried in sand up to its shoulders by the time of the New Kingdom. The altar Neal had seen was made of granite and had been surrounded by five tall sandstone columns with lotus blocks. Based on the drawing he'd made, Peter said the columns were in the style of the Old Kingdom, the same period as the Sphinx. If the altar hadn't been demolished, it could now be buried deep beneath the sand. And even if they were somehow successful in excavating the altar, the odds of a crystal being found with it were astronomically slim.

It was now late morning. The sun caused the scorched sand to sparkle but not with the rainbow iridescence he'd learned to associate with the winged serpent. The brightness brought tears to his eyes despite the sunglasses he was wearing. His enhanced vision had turned into a curse.

Neal focused his thoughts inward. He breathed in the desert air, steeling himself against the desiccating heat. Any celaenite crystal would be rich in algolnium. He should be able to sense it. As he scanned the landscape, the dunes blurred. He imagined scenes of ancient charioteers riding across the desert. Ancient reliefs came to life in vivid colors. The cliffs dissolved into vast temples. In the background, he heard the murmur of Peter and Mozzie, but he tuned them out.

The mirage faded, but the cliffs continued to beckon to him. He focused on the rock face. The cave portal to Tirelia shimmered in colors only he could detect. Like the winged serpent, the shimmer appeared to be a sign of Celaenian involvement. The aliens had once possessed physical bodies. Perhaps they'd appeared similar to the serpent.

He stopped in his tracks and whipped out his binoculars.

"See something?" Mozzie asked eagerly.

He nodded and pointed to the base of the cliff. "It's glittering just like the cave entrance on Tirelia."

"Get back in the Jeep!" Peter ordered excitedly. "We'll soon find out how close that resemblance is."

Neal directed Peter to drive to the base of the cliff directly underneath one of the tombs. An area roughly ten feet in diameter glinted with iridescent colors.

"Can it possibly be this simple?" Mozzie asked, sounding disappointed. "We go into the cave, grab the crystal, and then scram?"

"Would you rather be cast into a turbid sea of grotesque monsters like the abyss Neal dreamed about?" Peter challenged.

"Perhaps not," Mozzie admitted. "In any case, that won't happen, right?"

"Sorry, I make no predictions," Neal said. "Gideon admitted the abyss was something he added when he planted the memory. He'd heard of similar seas in regions controlled by the Ymar and wanted to test my reaction."

"He was wise to do so," Peter said. "When you were pulled into the wormhole in the church of St. Jude, that's what you encountered. It could happen again."

Neal didn't need the reminder, but he had the feeling that whatever was inside was likely not anything they'd experienced before.

When Peter turned off the ignition, they debated over what to take with them inside the cave. In the end, they opted for a small kit of digging tools, flashlights, rope, and the starfish. The gear fitted easily into one work bag. The Celaenians had guided them to this spot. If specialized equipment was needed, Neal was convinced their invisible allies would provide them.

The last time they'd used a Celaenian portal, the only way Mozzie and Peter could get through was by holding onto Neal. They assumed this one would be similarly restricted.