“Why d’ye think?” Iseabail paused. “I dinna think it was tae tarry, so if ye could maybe ta’ it a wee bit faster—” “One roar is worrying,” Masaracchia said, “but not dangerous in itself. If the captain thinks it valuable, … Continue reading
Cannon would have been very keen to see Michaelangelo Masaracchia’s response when the lights went out. The ostensible monk jumped, but it was an artifact of surprise more than fear, and once he recovered, he looked heavenward. He’d known something … Continue reading
Cannon followed the flashlight’s beam with his eyes down to the bottom of the flight, which the stone block, hollowed out on this side, covered. He could make out a sarcophagus in an open space, before the narrowness of the … Continue reading
“Si, capitano. Are you sure we should split up?” Somewhere far off in the chamber, a few pebbles fell. Cannon glanced over his shoulder at the noise. “We’re poking around. For that, I want more firepower and fewer people in … Continue reading
Joe worried less about an attack from that direction—he could win a stern chase until nightfall. Nearly due south, about fifty miles distant, a lone Kestrel carrying the wing tanks flew race tracks. Another did the same thing fifty miles … Continue reading
From the far end of the burial dais, only about ten yards from Cannon, stairs descended to the main floor. Cannon stood at the top of the flight and marveled. His flashlight’s beam only just revealed the furthest corners of … Continue reading
Iseabail paid no attention to Cannon’s clumsy translations, and ran her fingers around the seams between the bricks. “These two move—ye can see the marks where the stanes rubbed. An’ here’s another.” Waving the others out of the way, she … Continue reading
“It wouldna happen to be a straight line, would it?” “Looks like it is. Man-made?” “Aye.” Iseabail smiled. “Dinna worry, cap’n, ye’ll be out a jiffy. What d’ye weigh?” “About a hundred and seventy pounds.” Beyond his mouth, Cannon moved … Continue reading
The others followed him across. Burr pointed her light down the tunnel. “Is that a door?” Cannon took a step toward it. “It could—” The floor beneath his foot shifted, and a click echoed down the hall. Instantly, Iseabail said, … Continue reading
A grisly tableau met them. On the left side of the passage, two dessicated corpses sat propped against the wall. Scavenging insects had done their work some time ago, leaving the bodies eyeless. Dozens of small lengths of reed littered … Continue reading
