The Days of Peleg (31 page)

“I believe it is worth a try,” he said. “We might be able to make up for the final two hours of pressure.”

“It’ll give us something to do,” said Untash. “My joints are getting all stiff.”

“That’s right,” added Serug. “And the sooner we get out, the sooner we can find something to eat.”

“We will have to plan this carefully,” said Untash. “We will be diving down 10 meters, arranging ourselves flat, face down along the floor so we can push against the valve-stone in the far wall. We must then be prepared for whatever happens if we do manage to successfully begin emptying this chamber.”

Peleg asked, “Does anyone remember which wall held the valve-stone?”

Silence ensued as they tried to orient themselves based on the direction the water entered the chamber. However, due to the hourly deluges, no one could remember.

Thaxad said, “I’ll be right back,” and disappeared beneath the water.

A few moments later he re-emerged near one of the corners gasping for breath.

“It’s on the side next to this corner,” he said. “We will need to dive together and arrange ourselves when we reach bottom.”

Untash took over.

“When we get to the bottom, we lay face down and I will place my feet on Serug’s shoulders and Thaxad will place his on Peleg’s to the right. I will tap on the wall three times, after which we will push with all of our might.”

Thaxad resumed.

“I suspect there will be a locking mechanism which will hold the stone once it has been pushed into place, but we can’t be sure. We also don’t know if there will be any room for us to exit through the opening we create. We might just be emptying the water and then waiting for mid-night when it will all start again.”

“Let’s go,” said Serug.

“Wait,” said Thaxad. “One more thing. Before you dive, take deep breaths and breath in and out as quickly as possible. This will charge your lungs with air and allow us to stay under longer.”

“Okay,” said Untash. “Let go of your robes and arrange yourselves in the same position we will have on the floor.”

The men moved around and began breathing in and out rapidly until Peleg began to feel dizzy. Finally Untash said, “Dive!”

The four men descended into the depths and Peleg tried to maintain a slight contact with the wall. For a panicked moment, he realized he had lost all sense of up and down, but he kept pushing against the buoyancy assuming “down” to be in that direction.

Just when he thought he would never reach bottom, a strong hand grabbed his shoulder, and Thaxad placed him facedown on the floor beside the others.

Peleg had forgotten that he was the only totally blind person here. He allowed Thaxad to maneuver him until he felt the far wall under his feet. Soon Thaxad’s sandals were digging into his shoulder and he heard/felt the three echoing thumps of Untash striking the wall.

He flexed his thighs, and Thaxad’s enormous strength began compressing his vertebrae.

The heavy valve-stone in the far wall began to depress slightly, and then slammed back into position. Air bubbles escaped from their lungs as the concussion shook them, and they continued to shiver in the cold pressure.

Renewing their efforts, Untash and Thaxad pressed again, this time refusing to give up any space gained. Digging their own toes into the floor, the stone began to move slowly again.

Exhausted from lack of food, shivering violently from hypothermia, and knowing this was their last chance, the four men pushed for their lives.

A small opening behind the stone cleared, and suddenly a rush of water began to seep out, working in their favor. More and more water began to push past them, adding force and momentum.

They continued shoving until the stone was suddenly beyond the combined reach of Untash and Serug. This transferred the effort to Thaxad who pushed even harder. As his sandals dug into Peleg’s neck and shoulders, Peleg slowly began to pass out.

Untash could contribute no more, so he reached into the opening and found a space above the stone where he could insert his arm. Forcing it upward, he continued to widen the gap and move the stone as high-pressure water tore past him. Eventually he was able to wedge his shoulder in, and then his head and upper body.

From behind the wall, he could now push the stone with his hips while pressing into the wall with his shoulder and biceps. As the water rushed past him, his ears suddenly exploded when his head entered the region of fresh air above the flow.

He took a gulp of air and forced the stone back further with his legs until he felt a huge
clank
as the stone locked into place. He was able to step back on a ledge to the right which was in a tiny chamber over the channel that had been cut for this water release.

Serug had already followed him through, and Untash reached to lift him up. Thaxad pulled himself up on the other side, gratefully refilling his lungs, as the water continued to wash through.

Untash looked behind Thaxad.

“Where’s Peleg!” he shouted above the roar of the water.

Thaxad turned and dove back into the opening against the force of the water.

When the pressure from Thaxad’s feet had suddenly disappeared, Peleg had been propelled by his own legs into the far wall. He struck his head just above the new opening and lost his final sliver of consciousness. He floundered with a gasp, inhaling water.

Strong hands grabbed his ankles and began dragging him back down.

Thaxad hauled him through the opening and lifted him to the ledge where he helped him kneel over. Placing a fist under his abdomen, he jerked backwards, forcing Peleg to exhale the water from his lungs. He did this two more times, then turned Peleg around, tipping his head to the side.

Peleg coughed several times, then slowly opened his eyes.

“Are we out?” he asked.

“Yes,” answered Untash.

Peleg’s shoulders and lower back ached. It had taken the combined, focused strength of all four men, plus ten meters of enormous water pressure to escape.

They were in a tiny enclosed room above the channel where the water kept pouring through beneath their feet. Untash noticed a stiff breeze as the displaced air blew into an opening above him.

He felt the edges and realized there was square shaft about a meter on each side that seemed to incline upward at about seventy degrees. Mysteriously, there seemed to be some faint ambient light far above.

“Over here,” he said. “There’s an air-shaft that we can climb.”

“That might take us to the top,” said Thaxad. He looked to Peleg. “Can you get up?”

“Yes, I’m fine now,” Peleg responded. He gathered his strength, coughed a few more times, and managed to stand on the far ledge next to Thaxad. He was shivering uncontrollably.

“We can wedge ourselves into this shaft and work our way up—and hopefully—out,” said Untash. They checked their belt packs, adjusted their wet clothing, and prepared to move out.

The water had stopped flowing, now, leaving small dormant pools—much like when they had first entered the chamber.

Suddenly, Serug jumped back down into the opening and yelled.

“I’ll be right back.”

“Serug!” Peleg shouted. “You idiot! Don’t go back in there.”

But he was gone. He re-emerged moments later holding four soggy robes.

“I thought we might need these,” he said.

“Master Serug,” intoned Thaxad, glaring in the darkness. “You
know
where you can go.”

Serug’s laugh echoed in the narrow space.

“It might be easier to wear them, than to carry them.”

They wrung out the robes, untied the knots, and slowly managed to force the wet garments over their heads.

They made their way to the shaft and began their climb by pressing their feet and backs against the sides. The shaft was too narrow for Thaxad’s shoulders until he turned them diagonally.

After they had traveled only a few “steps”, the shaft veered upward and slightly to the right. Suddenly there were bright lights shining down on them. Untash, who was in front, had to shield his face because the brilliance hurt his eyes.

“It’s the stars!” exclaimed Serug who was directly behind him.

He was right. During their last twelve hours of total darkness their eyes were now extremely sensitive.

They continued their labored assent for several minutes until Untash called out.

“I’m at the roof!” he said. “We’re at the top edge of the Southeast corner of this Pyramid. There is construction scaffolding behind me, but the section below is finished. I can see the stars reflecting in the water moat below.”

“Can you climb up to the scaffolding?” asked Thaxad.

“No,” answered Untash. “It’s much too steep and smooth.”

Untash managed to sit on the ledge of the shaft with his feet extended against the lower side. Serug poked his head up through the opening.

“Just move over to the side and hang on to your robe,” he suggested.

“What do you mean?” asked Untash.

“Like this.”

Serug pushed himself past Untash and held himself in place on the steep roof by pressing his feet into the lower edge like Untash. He bent over and grabbed the hem of his robe from between his legs and said, “Watch”.

He shifted his weight over to the right of the opening and swung his feet out in front of him.

Instantly he began sliding down the side of the pyramid on his robe, which he held securely in front of him. He lifted his feet higher and tucked his head in until he was traveling on his back, and the wet robe provided a smooth surface which glided down the andesite tiles.

Untash watched as Serug went faster and faster, until he disappeared over the edge of the pyramid.

His disappearance was soon followed by a large splash, after which a hoarse whisper was heard.

“
Come on. It worked!
”

Peleg had reached the roof just in time to watch Serug sail off the edge. With a sinking feeling, he realized he was going to have another brush with heights.

Untash called down to Thaxad.

“We can slide down on our robes!” He looked at Peleg. “Let’s go.”

Peleg hauled himself to the edge of the shaft, sitting besides Untash.

“Just scoot over, then lift your feet. Make sure you’re holding your robe securely between your legs.”

Peleg moved over, then started to lift his feet.

“I’ll race you,” said Untash. He motioned for Peleg to start, and the two men headed down.

Peleg was astounded. Never in a thousand years would he have guessed this would happen on his Great Discovery. He was sliding like a child down the side of an unknown pyramid in the middle of the night along with three other grown men. He shook his head at the absurdity of it all. Only a kid like Serug would have even thought of it.

He looked around at the sky, realized how high up he was, and suddenly became disoriented. He became dizzy and tipped over on his right side. His elbow caught the roof and he began a slow uncontrollable spin, the stars swirling lazily above him. Soon he was hurling backwards towards the edge. By the time he reached it, he was flat on his back, going over headfirst.

He dropped the two stories before landing in the moat. He had had enough water for one day.

The incoming class at the
Citadel
included a secret sorority which lamented the demise of their beloved High Minister Dumuzi. More mystical than their fellow students, they meditated constantly, believing that someday he would return.

They called themselves the
Sisterhood of Lilith
, the Handmaidens of Heaven. Surely their combined
Lifeforce
would yield nothing but positive results. There was no way of knowing
how
his spirit would return, but they rested in the certainty that
somehow
he would. And that he must.

They closed their eyes and focused their mental energies inward. Certainly,
something
of their
Lifeforce
must reach beyond time and death.

Chapter 25

Depths

“A paradox is when you reach your goal faster by moving away from it.”

“Y
our heart has been found sick beyond healing.”

High Priest Manco Cachi declared his sentence over the still form of Manco Chavin.

The Inner Nine had brought him here in time for the rising of
Apu Inti
. They were in a small temple due east of the
Kalasasaya
. The temple was really nothing more than a courtyard, since there was no roof, but the “floor” of this courtyard was several meters below the surrounding landscape giving it a submerged impression.

A large golden statue of
Viracocha
stood in the Northwest corner waiting for the sun to strike it. This particular sculpture was unique—not only because it was the largest ever made—but because it showed the Great Serpent/Creator weeping.

Their task today was sad indeed, since one whom they had selected to protect and minister to the people had been found with a sick heart.

Such occasions were very rare, but when it was discovered that one of the Serpent’s own had blasphemed in a crime against the gods or their priests, appropriate measures had to be taken to remove the scourge from the people—and appease
Viracocha
.