Part 7 (2/2)
Jack's relations with the United States of America were somewhat strained. His mission to locate the Seven Ancient Wonders had been in direct opposition to an influential group of Americans known as the Caldwell Group, who at the time had had the ear of the President. There had been some deaths involved, including people dear to Jack.
Robertson remained impa.s.sive, a cool customer. ”We know, for instance, where the Chinese are keeping your friend, Professor Epper.”
West stepped aside immediately. ”Come on in. Take a seat.”
At that very moment a windowless Boeing 767 cargo plane took off from Dubai International Airport.
On its flanks were emblazoned the words:TRANSATLANTIC AIR FREIGHT.
Its listed pilot: Captain Earl McShane.
And so now the representatives of six nations sat arrayed around the Presidential Suite of the Burj al Arab: Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, the Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and the United States of America.
”You've all read the briefing doc.u.ment,” West said. ”Here is the translation of a carving that I received from Wizard in China just before he was captured by Chinese forces.”
West distributed a new threepage handout. On the first sheet was Wizard's translation from China: THE COMING OF RA'S DESTROYER THE COMING OF RA'S DESTROYER SEES THESTARTING*OF THE GREATMACHINE**
AND WITH IT THE RISE OF THE SABENBEN.
HONOR THE SABENBEN,.
KEEP IT CLOSE, KEEP IT NEAR,.
FOR IT ALONE GOVERNS THE SIX.
AND ONLY THE EMPOWERED SIX CAN.
PREPARE THE PILLARS AND.
LEAD YOU TO THE SHRINES AND THUS.
COMPLETE THE MACHINE.
BEFORE THESECOND COMING.***
THE END OF ALL THINGS IS NEAR.
AMBIGUOUS TERMS:.
MATCH REFERENCE:.
Ref XR:512 Partial inscription found at ZhouZu Monastery, Tibet(2001) West said, ”As you'll see, this decryption refers to a Great Machine and the importance of theSaBenben. 'The Second Coming' to which it refers is the coming of the Dark Sun.”
”This Dark Sun, or Star, this bringer of the Apocalypse, why have astronomers not seen it before now?” Sheik Abbas asked.
”According to Wizard,” West said, ”it exists on a light spectrum unknown to humanity, so we can't see it through any of our telescopes, in any spectra, like infrared or ultraviolet or UVB. Its presence has only been verified by what itblocks from our view.
”From what I've read, it seems to roam the outer reaches of our solar system in a hyperelongated elliptical orbit. When it comes near, which is not very often, about once every six million years, Jupiter's movement s.h.i.+elds us from it, blocks us from its deadly radiation. But even if this didn't happen, you couldn't see this Dark Sun with the naked eye.
”In any case, it's close now and this time-apparently-it will emerge from behind Jupiter, and that's when things get really ugly. That's when its constant discharge of radiationlike zeropoint energy will wash over our planet, killing every living creature on it-unless we can rebuild this Machine. The Machine, apparently, sends out a balancing response that counters the Dark Sun's energy stream, saving the Earth. It always comes back to balance, to harmony.”
”Comeon, Jack,” Zoe said. ”Listen to yourself. Are you seriously saying that there is some kind of evil celestial orb out there bent on destroying the Earth?”
”It's not evil, Zoe. It just is. Call it antimatter, call it a singularity, call it a moving black hole. In the end, it is a netnegative void. A dense moving hole in the air. It's not evil and it doesn't hate us. We're just in its way.”
Stretch said, ”And yet somewhere,sometime,someonebuilt a Machine here on Earth that is somehowconnected to this Dark Sun. Are you talking about advanced technology, Jack?
Alien technology?”
Jack bowed his head. ”I don't know. Wizard doesn't say.”
Vulture mused aloud: ”'Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.' Arthur C. Clarke.”
”So how do we rebuild this Machine?” Sheik Abbas asked. ”And why does China have a such a keen interest in doing so by itself? Surely, even the Chinese would realize that a united global coalition would be the best vehicle to achieve this?”
”As always, Lord Sheik, you go directly to the heart of the matter,” West said. ”Please turn to the second sheet of your handout.”
They all did so. On it was a photocopy of Wizard's summarizing page.
West directed them to the center of the page. ”To your first question, Sheik: how do we rebuild the Machine? Observe the six Pillars drawn by Wizard and described as 'oblong uncut diamonds.' Elsewhere in his notes, he states that these Pillars are each about the size of a brick. He also says-”
”A diamond the size of a brick?” Scimitar said in disbelief. ”Just one alone would be larger than the Cullinan, the largest diamond ever found, and beyond value. And you claim there aresix of these.”
”Yes, six. Wizard also says that each Pillar must be 'cleansed' by the Philosopher's Stone before being placed in the Machine, inspiring his exhortation that we 'musthave both the SaBenben andthe Philosopher's Stone. They are central to everything .'
”The way I see it is this: to rebuild the Machine, we must place the six Pillars-cleansed by the Philosopher's Stone-in position in this mysterious allpowerful Machine.
”Which leads me to your second question, Abbas, why does China want to do this alone?
They want to go it alone because it seems that whoever sets each Pillar in place in the Machine receives areward.
”You can see the rewards listed by Wizard: knowledge, heat, sight, life, death, power.
What these rewards actually are, I don't know. I a.s.sume Wizard knows, but there's nothing about their actual nature in his notes. But given what the Chinese have already done-grabbing Wizard in China and trying to steal theSaBenben from me-I imagine the rewards are pretty d.a.m.n rewarding.”
West threw a sharp glance at the two Americans, Robertson and Astro.
Robertson cleared his throat. ”I am not privy to my country's research on this matter, so please don't even ask me about that. But yes, the United States is unwilling to allow China to obtain the benefits you so describe.”
”We'll be wanting to talk to someone about your country's research soon,” West said pointedly.
”Wait, wait, wait,” Zoe said. ”I need to backtrack a bit. The Six Ramesean Stones plus theSaBenben give usinformation about this Machine. The Philosopher's Stone, once charged by theSaBenben, cleanses the Six Pillars, which then have to be placedin the Machine. So what is this Machine? And how big can it be?”
West tapped the image that signified the Machine: After reading Wizard's notes these last couple of days, he'd been thinking about the Machine a lot: about this image and Wizard's scribblings around it.
At last he said, ”Wizard doesn't say what or how big the Machine is. But I have a theory.”
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