Familiar Mirage
“Get your mind out of the bedroom and onto your work,” Beth said, finishing her roll and rising from the table. “I’ll meet everyone at the boat. I want to make sure all the equipment is loaded.”
WELL, I’VE LEARNED two valuable lessons today. The hard rolls served for breakfast may satisfy the humanoids, but not me. I want sausage or bacon or an omelet with shrimp and Parmesan cheese. Hard roll—yuck. Not even butter can make it palatable.
Probably of more importance is the second thing I’ve learned by hiding under Miss Explorer’s table. Omar Dukhan hedged the truth. He and John Gilmore were not talking about the airport incident. John was actually accusing our fearless guide of tampering with the air tanks. Now that’s interesting. Why would Gilmore jump to the conclusion that Omar had gone into his room and done that?
Diving tank. Boat. Water. I’d rather face lions and tigers and bears. I’d rather face the Wicked Witch of the West and all her flying monkeys. I’d even rather face the Munchkins, though I don’t want to hear them sing, than get on another boat. But I’ll be on the Memphis or my name isn’t Familiar.
I don’t trust Omar the desert guide, and I don’t like John Gilmore. I think Miss Explorer has put herself behind the eight ball in this entire adventure. It’s up to me to see that nothing bad happens to her.
OMAR HEFTED his diving tanks onto the deck of the Memphis and then began to go over the other gear that was already loaded. The expedition was professional and expensive. He could only wonder again where Beth Bradshaw had gotten the funding.
He had to hand it to her; she was not only smart, she was prepared.
She was right on target, going to Herakleion, one of the sunken cities, to look for specific directions to the City of Con. It was in the coastal city that Con had performed many of her most impressive feats. She had predicted the coming of the Romans and the romance between Cleopatra and Mark Antony. Con had warned of the dangers of the liaison, but her warnings had gone unheeded. Queen Cleopatra, the last of the Ptolemies, had died by her own hand, a snake clutched to her bosom. Alexandria, jewel of the Mediterranean, and Egypt, the center of culture for the past century, were forever changed.
And Con and her followers had taken to the desert, hunted like dogs.
But Con and her followers had not been destroyed. They had built a village where the world leaders often sent emissaries to have dreams foretold and to buy a glimpse of the future.
Taking her gift of seeing the future, Con had gone into exile, but she was still very much a presence. So much so that legends began to spring up about her. Her name was whispered in all the halls of power. Assassins were sent to destroy her.
None succeeded.
Omar knew all this. He knew it was not just legend, but truth. He knew because he was descended from the lineage of Con. And he was the protector of her palace.
“Dukhan!”
Omar was pulled out of his reverie by the shout from the dock. He stood up and saw Beth Bradshaw and her party as they approached the boat. The man who’d hailed him was in the lead, John Gilmore.
“What are you doing here?” John asked him angrily.
Omar didn’t bother to answer. He knew his lack of courtesy would infuriate the scientist, and he was right.
“Are you deaf, as well as stubborn?” John asked.
“John!” Beth’s voice was sharp. “What do you think you’re doing? Mr. Dukhan is my guest on this trip.”
“Guest? He’s hired help. And he went into my room last night and—”
“Choose your words carefully,” Omar said in a deadly voice. “In my country, a man’s honor is worth dying for.”
John stared at Omar with open dislike.
“What’s this about?” Beth demanded.
“Nothing,” John said, looking away.
“John, Omar is a hired hand, but so are you,” Beth said pointedly. “Now put aside whatever it is that’s eating you or go back to the hotel. I don’t have time for temper fits and rudeness.”
She glanced once at Omar, and he saw the embarrassment in her eyes. She was ashamed of her countryman, and Omar felt a twinge of guilt for deliberately provoking the scientist. John Gilmore was such an easy mark, though.
John brushed past him, and Omar assisted the other members of Beth’s party aboard. The site of the sunken city was fifteen miles off the coast, still in the Bay of Aboukir. Omar knew the craft Beth had rented would get them there in good time, and he looked out at the water, a beautiful aqua that promised adventure and a cool break from the heat that was already building.
As the boat left the dock, Omar kept his distance, aware of the surreptitious glances that the members of the crew cast his way. One of the women, a vibrant redhead, winked at him, and he flashed her a smile. But his gaze kept drifting back to Beth.
She wore a blue, one-piece swimsuit, which though conservative, showed off her figure. Her waist was tiny, and her hips swelled beneath it. Though she was short, her legs were tapered and beautifully proportioned. She was a lovely woman, with her dark hair sparkling in the sun.
He was watching her when he noticed the black cat sit down at her feet. There were thousands of black cats in Alexandria, but this one was…unique. He felt the cat’s golden gaze on him, and he examined the feline. To his amusement the cat stood up and walked right to him. It jumped up on the seat beside him and with a deliberate action, hooked both front claws into the flesh of his thigh.
“Hey!” He was more startled than injured.
Everyone around stopped what they were doing and stared at him as he gently tried to disengage the cat. Unfortunately the animal only hooked his claws in farther and gave a low, warning growl.
Beth saw what was happening and hurried over. She carefully picked up the cat, unhooking the claws. The black devil began to purr in her arms and licked her chin.
“My goodness,” Beth said, cradling the cat. “Are you okay?” she asked Omar.
“Fine,” he said, rubbing his leg. He eyed the cat. “Is he yours?”
“He’s been following me.” Beth laughed when she realized how sinister that sounded. “Really, he has.”
Omar found that he was smiling in amusement at her. There were many things about Beth Bradshaw that surprised and delighted him. She was supposed to be a cool, calm scientist, and here she was claiming that a stray cat was following her. “Since when?” he asked.
“Since the airport, and you can drop the condescension. It’s the same cat, and he’s been stuck to me like glue ever since I got into this country.”
Omar studied the animal more closely. There had been a black cat in the airport, one that had given him the once-over. And there had been a black cat in the lobby of the hotel the evening before, hiding under some furniture. As he thought about it, the cat had seemed incredibly interested in the conversation he was having with John Gilmore.
“In my country,” he said, “cats are worshiped. They roam wherever they like, but they hardly ever stalk tourists.” He couldn’t suppress the smile that teased the corners of his mouth.
“In my country, some people believe that black cats are the familiars—” She didn’t get a chance to finish.
“Me-ow!” The cat leaped from her arms and landed on the seat beside Omar, who instinctively put his hands on his thighs to protect them from the cat’s sharp claws.
“Me-ow!”
“Familiar?” Omar said carefully, though he could hardly believe the cat was trying to tell his name.
“Me-ow!” The cat nuzzled his leg, rubbing his head against the white robe with great relish.
Omar looked up at Beth. “I think that’s his name.”
“But that would be an American—”
“Me-ow!” Familiar lifted a paw and held it up. Tentatively Beth met his paw with her own hand. “Me-ow!” the cat proclaimed, swatting her palm with his claws sheathed.
“Incredible. He just gave me a high-five,” Beth said.
“Incredible indeed,” Omar said. He watched the cat intently. There was something odd about this one. He’d known and loved cats all his life, but he’d never seen a cat who could so clearly communicate with humans.
John Gilmore sauntered up to Beth and Omar. “So the two of you are adopting a stray cat,” he said with one corner of his mouth twisted. “How cute. I’m just wondering if we’re here for an archaeological expedition or as emissaries of the Humane Society.”
Omar’s fist clenched, though he made sure that no other part of his body registered his anger. Beside him, Beth, too, tensed.
“If you’re so overly worried about our expedition, why aren’t you suited up for the dive?” Beth asked with a measure of calm that Omar could only admire. She was a woman who’d learned to govern her emotions and to sharpen her tongue for use as a weapon. What she lacked in physical size, she made up for in spirit and intelligence.
“I could ask you the same,” John countered. “Him, too.”
“You could, but you aren’t in charge of this expedition. I am,” Beth said evenly. “You don’t have to worry your pretty little head about any of the decisions that need to be made. That’s my job.” Her tone suddenly hardened. “Now suit up and prepare to dive.”
Omar watched as John’s face suffused with blood. Beth had angered him deliberately. He felt a tiny smile tug at the corners of his mouth. Sometimes words were far more effective than fists.
John abruptly wheeled around and went to put on his diving gear. Mauve sauntered up to Beth. “That wasn’t particularly smart. You’re going down in the sea with him.”
“John is annoying, but once we get to work, he’s a professional,” Beth said.
“I hope you’re right,” Mauve said. “I’d feel better if I were going down there with you.”
Beth shook her head. “I need you on top here. You can run the equipment better than anyone.”
“I’ll be there with you,” Omar said, and both women turned to him. “As your guide, I’ll be at your back at all times.”
He saw the slight tremor pass through Beth, and he couldn’t help but wonder if the reaction was to the hint of a threat his words induced, or the image of him standing behind her, protecting her from anyone who dared threaten. He wasn’t sure exactly which he preferred.
Chapter Four
“Now, we all know what we’re looking for?” Beth asked as she stood on the deck of the boat with the four members of the crew who were diving with her. Omar stood slightly behind her, but she was more than aware of his presence. She shot a glance at Mauve, who was staring blatantly at Omar’s sculpted chest and stomach, the lean and sinewy legs that emerged from the bottom of his conservative swim trunks. She’d always disliked the small briefs-style suits some men favored, much preferring the boxer-shorts style.
And in Omar’s case, she was more than a little interested in the man who wore them.
At the sound of Mauve clearing her throat, loudly, Beth brought her attention back to the group who stood in the hot Egyptian sun waiting for her to continue. Mauve’s wicked grin almost made her choke. She flushed but got a grip on her thoughts.
“If my hypothesis is correct, we should find a temple built to Con in Herakleion. In the temple there should be hieroglyphics that will reveal the exact location of the lost city.
“If it exists,” John said.
Anger made Beth whirl to look at him, but before she spoke she’d already governed her temper. “John, we all know that we’re here to explore my personal hypothesis. You knew that when you signed on. Creating doubt in the project isn’t helpful, and if it continues, I will send you back to the States.”
“A professional always doubts.” He lifted his chin and glanced at the other members of the dive team.
Beth noticed that only two of them met John’s glance—Ray and Judy—the two who doubted her the most. John was always a pain in the butt, but he was sometimes helpful. She made a note to question Ray and Judy closely after they made the dive. Their doubt could prevent them from seeing a clue.
“Doubt can be effective, but not nearly as much as belief,” Beth countered. “I believe in the lost City of Con. I believe in the woman who became a goddess. And I believe she had the ability of second sight. Those of you who don’t believe the same, just keep an open mind and we’ll gather our facts and let the evidence prove or disprove my theory.”
She nodded and began to adjust her diving mask and regulate her oxygen. She felt a tug on her tanks and turned to see that Omar was checking her harness.
“Thanks,” she said.
He nodded. “I will be at your back,” he said softly. “I hope there’s no need for me to be there, but I will be watching you.” He took the heavy light from her. Each pair would share one light. “I’ll carry this.”
“I’ve worked with John on two other expeditions. He’s always like this, but he is excellent at reconstructing sites.”
Omar nodded, then adjusted his own mask. Through the plastic shield, his dark eyes searched hers. Beth turned away and felt his gaze scan down her body, sending tiny little prickles of awareness all through her.
She went to the side of the boat and dropped backward into the water.
Almost immediately she felt a concussion in the water beside her and a swirl of bubbles as Omar dropped in beside her. The site of the sunken city had already been marked by other scientists, and they followed the markers down through the depths.
Beth’s first glimpse of Herakleion made her stop her progress and simply stare. In all her excursions to date, she’d always worked to bring a buried site from the soil, carefully brushing layer after layer of soil away from the ruins. In this instance, the city rested on the white-sand floor of the sea. Some silt had built up, but most of the city was visible, rising from the floor of the sea like Atlantis.
Entire buildings were still intact. Beth’s crew stopped behind her, all of them staring at what had once been a thriving seaport.
Beth motioned her crew forward and they swam into the city, the three pairs each covering a different quadrant as they searched for an edifice that might be a temple to the goddess Con.
True to his word, Omar stayed just behind her. She found his presence both a comfort and a distraction as she swam through the watery streets.
The scientists who’d done the initial work on the city had determined that an earthquake on the coast of Egypt had sent Herakleion and Menouthis into the sea. She saw that several ornate buildings, which had once been supported by columns, had collapsed. All the columns had fallen in the same direction, indicating that it was indeed an earthquake.
Omar touched her shoulder, pointing to the columns, and she was again struck by his knowledge of her profession. She swam on, wondering about the mysterious Omar Dukhan. Why was he working as her guide?
There was far more to the man than he’d presented when he’d applied to lead her expedition. Far more.
She found that she was troubled by that thought as she led the way down a narrow alley. A slight movement up ahead made her halt. Small schools of fish swam by, monochromatic flashes of silver in the dark water. Near the surface, she knew, they would take on the iridescent hues of blue, yellow, red and green.
When Omar touched her shoulder, she pointed ahead to where a swirl of water sent fish darting and weaving away.
Omar kept a hand on her shoulder until he slipped past her, turning on a diving light whose beam cut through the water and revealed a narrow alley.
Almost at its end a huge black shape spun, whirling sand and fish in all directions. Omar reached back and caught Beth’s hand, pulling her forward.
Her first instinct was to resist, but Omar’s gentle tug brought her alongside him as he moved slowly toward the black shape, the light beam shifting from side to side until the giant ray was fully revealed.
The black wings of the creature seemed to cover the entire alley as it spun and lifted into the water above them, a dark shadow passing swiftly over their heads.
Beth had done extensive diving, but she’d never seen a ray that big. They both watched as the creature disappeared.
This time Omar led the way into the alley.
While the other divers had selected the heart of the city to begin their search, Beth was operating on a hunch. Con was a goddess who came and went in Herakleion. Alexandria was actually the place she’d called home, as had her ancestors. Because much of Con’s fortune-telling abilities came in dreams, Beth was working on the premise that Con’s temple might be on the western edge of the city, where the sun set.
Legend had it that one of Con’s ancestors was the lover of Alexander the Great, and that she’d waited for his return in the city that bore his name. It was said that this ancient seer was the woman who’d given Alexander his greatest battle strategies. With her ability to see into the future, she could divine the plans of his enemies. Once Alexander knew their plans, he deployed his armies to defeat them.
Most scientists didn’t believe in Con or in any of the legends attached to her lineage. But most scientists were men, Beth thought as she swam behind Omar, watching his long legs kick rhythmically.
Men never wanted to believe that women had that kind of power. Or, at least, most men. A question that interested Beth personally was why, if Con had indeed had the power of second sight, she didn’t use the power for her own advantage. Why had Con and her female ancestors used their talents for men?
Beth gazed at the doorways of what once must have been a thriving area of the city. Most were hollow openings, the doors either long gone or nonexistent. She was about to follow Omar to a turn in the alley when she saw an engraving on a stout bronze door that was slightly ajar. She stopped to examine it. The long neck, the elegant head of a feline caught her immediate attention. It was a beautifully crafted carving. She traced the pattern with her fingertip. At her slightest touch the door fell open, and she found herself in a narrow entrance hall that led only to darkness.
She felt movement in the water behind her and turned to find that Omar had come back for her. She pointed into the hallway, and he fumbled with the light, finally bringing the beam to illuminate the interior.
Just as she was about to swim forward, Omar dropped the light. It seemed to fall in slow motion, as if it would never strike the bottom. Omar followed it, but he was too slow. The light struck the floor of the sea and went out.
Left in darkness, Beth wanted to cry or curse. She was on the right track—the proof that she so desperately needed had been within her grasp. But without the light, it would be insane to go into the dark recesses of the building. Most sea creatures were completely harmless, but not all of them.
Omar tapped her shoulder and made apologetic gestures. She forced herself to pantomime that she understood. It was an accident.
Checking her watch, she made a decision. She would send Omar back to the boat for another light. She would mark this spot with some of the floating markers she’d brought along and then try to find some other members of her crew and use their light.
She tried to make her decision clear to Omar, regretting each moment that she hadn’t purchased the more expensive dive equipment that would have allowed verbal communication. Hindsight was always twenty-twenty. She’d scrimped on the dive suits to be able to buy the underwater video, still-camera equipment and optic computer that would document her find.
Finally giving up on making Omar understand, she marked the spot with a balloon that she tied to the doorway and began to go in search of other crew members.
Omar swam behind her, keeping close enough to stay constantly in her thoughts. He was a highly perceptive man, and one who knew about diving. Why had it been so difficult to make him understand her need for another light? She gnawed at that question as she swam.
They’d swum for ten minutes when Omar tapped her shoulder, indicating that he was headed up for another light. Beth nodded, then continued on her way to find John and Ray or Judy and Sam.
She’d memorized the quadrants of the city that the others were searching and swam toward the nearest section with as much speed as she could muster. She saw the air bubbles before she saw the divers. John Gilmore was examining what could only be a sarcophagus. Camera at his eye, he was documenting the carvings and hieroglyphics that covered the stone funery.
He must have sensed her arrival because he looked up, lowering the camera. Ray swam over from the carvings he’d been studying. Beth motioned to them to help find the others. They immediately swam north while she headed west. It didn’t take her long to find Sam and Judy. She led Sam and Judy back to where she’d discovered John and Ray.
As soon as John and Ray returned, Beth made a few motions, describing her discovery, and they all swam back toward the alley.
Eyes open for the floating marker, Beth covered the same territory twice before she realized that, somehow, the marker was gone.
Borrowing John’s light, she searched the area until she found the alley. Once there, she led her crew to the doorway with the carved cat. Watching John’s face, she knew that her intuition was right on. His face registered the same excitement she felt, and he was already preparing the video camera.
Slowly, in the beam of two lights, the small crew entered the dark hallway, swimming carefully until they were suddenly in an open room that brought all of them to a stop.
“Holy Christmas,” Beth mouthed around her regulator as she stared at the incredible statues that lined two sides of the chamber. This place had to be a temple.
John pointed to a limestone altar at the front of the room. Behind it stood another statue—that of an incredibly beautiful woman. In the center of her forehead was a third eye.
“Con,” Beth mouthed.
“Con,” John said, removing his mouthpiece and mouthing the word so that air bubbles burst from his mouth and sped toward the surface.
“We’ve found her,” Beth said, even though she knew no one could possibly understand what she was saying.
OMAR HUNG BACK, the light in his hand, as he watched the divers enter the alley. Even though he’d gone back and cut the balloon marker free, Beth had been able to find the alley with little trouble. Now they were undoubtedly in the temple of Con.
Omar had never seen the temple, but he was aware that it existed. Until the scientists had found Herakleion on the bottom of the sea, the secret of Con’s temple had seemed safe for eternity.
Now, though, the trail to the lost City of Con was at stake. And Omar’s sacred vow was in danger of being broken.
He waited until the last of the research crew had disappeared in the watery temple before he swam down to join them. Whatever he did, he could not let Beth or any of the crew members suspect he was trying to hamper their efforts.
Slipping through the dark hallway, he stopped at the entrance to the temple sanctuary. For centuries this temple had been buried safely beneath the sea. He knew all about it from the stories that had been handed down to him through the ages. He knew that Beth had made an important discovery in her quest.
He swam slowly to the front of the chamber, stopping at the altar to look up into the face of a statue that could easily have been modeled after his mother. Con. The goddess who had unlocked the secrets of the third eye, the woman to whom he could directly trace his blood.
He stared at the statue, comparing it to the ones in the secret city. Very slowly he drifted to the statue and touched the cheek of the goddess. He’d never doubted the legends of his people, but now he had looked upon the goddess and her temple. He would have much to tell his followers when he returned to the desert.
Several of the scientists had gathered along one wall. He watched them, suddenly aware that Beth wasn’t in their number. He turned, searching the darkened chamber until he found her suspended in the water and staring at him.