Read Online Summer Lightning by Jill Tahourdin - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Jill Tahourdin
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Afrikaner accent and a tough look to him. Harry Lemon, a friend of Mark’s Oxford days. Walter Fiennes, the oldest member of the team, and the only married man among them.
Dominic didn’t give Louise time to go into action. He hustled his party without delay into the sanctuary. For Stone Age families it had been first a place of worship of their pagan gods and then a place of burial, he told them.
Chloe looked around her with keen professional interest. She began assessing the problems involved in underground color photography. She started mentally planning her work, the scope of which Dominic had already explained. She saw that it was going to be very novel and exciting.
They passed through a semicircular forecourt into a large chamber, elliptical in shape. This was divided by a central passage from a similar chamber.
The passage led into other chambers. Dominic named them. The shrine of the presiding deity. The altar room for animal sacrifices. The place of the oracle...
They stared in wonder at the vast blocks of stone that had been used in their construction—colossal slabs, tooled as precisely as dominoes, precisely fitted together.
“And by people who didn’t know the use of metal tools,” Dominic said.
“Fantastic. And what’s that booming, menacing noise—like a ghostly voice—all around us?” Louise wanted to know.
“Actually, it’s my voice. The acoustics of this place are very strange indeed. In some way the male voice—though not the female—is magnified. The oracle had to sound superhuman, you see.”
He halted at a flight of wide, shallow steps leading down into a lower set of chambers. A chalked notice said DANGER—NO ENTRY.
“Down there are the chambers where they kept their treasure,” he said. “Now watch this.”
He knelt down on one of the upper steps and pressed down heavily on one of those below him. At once it canted and rose smoothly on end.
“That’s a trick step. It was meant to send intruders to their death.”
They leaned over to peer at the wide hole, with blackness beneath it, that the raising of the step had revealed. “What a horrible idea,” Chloe exclaimed.
But Louise thought it fascinating. “Show me how it works, Dominic.” He explained that it was done by counterweights, and she watched him press it back into place. “Fascinating,” she said again.
They emerged at length, by way of a sloping stone ramp on a rocky terrace, fragrant with wild thyme, starred with tiny flowers. The main courtyard of the sanctuary was behind them. Opposite, the tiny island of Filfla rested lightly in the purple blue sea. Below, the gentle swell washed on the ledges of apricot cream rock.
“The cliffs down there are honeycombed with caves. Perhaps when we get to exploring them, we may come across what they’ve found elsewhere—the skeletons of great Pachyderms, bears—extinct species. Humans, too.”
“But surely pachyderms and bears never lived on Malta?” That was Chloe.
“No, they came from Africa. Once this group of islands was joined to it, you see. The great beasts came to Marsa Xlogg for fresh water, we suppose. It’s...”
“Oh, God, must we go into all that?” Louise broke in rudely. She couldn’t bear not to be the center of attention. And she was bored. “Can’t Miss Linden take our pictures now, for heaven’s sake?”
Chloe looked at Dominic for guidance. He took Louise by the arm.
“Sorry, my dear. No time for that now. Another day, perhaps.”
“But I...”
“Now—” briskly “—where would you like to go from here? Mark will drive you.”
“I insist...”
“He’ll bring the car back here for us, so you can feel free to do exactly as you like. We three won’t be back for lunch or tea. So enjoy yourself. Telephone Santa Clara whenever you want to go back, and Nibblu will send a car for you. So long.”
His manner had such firmness that even Louise didn’t try to argue. In fact she was seated in the car with Mark, and on
Dominic didn’t give Louise time to go into action. He hustled his party without delay into the sanctuary. For Stone Age families it had been first a place of worship of their pagan gods and then a place of burial, he told them.
Chloe looked around her with keen professional interest. She began assessing the problems involved in underground color photography. She started mentally planning her work, the scope of which Dominic had already explained. She saw that it was going to be very novel and exciting.
They passed through a semicircular forecourt into a large chamber, elliptical in shape. This was divided by a central passage from a similar chamber.
The passage led into other chambers. Dominic named them. The shrine of the presiding deity. The altar room for animal sacrifices. The place of the oracle...
They stared in wonder at the vast blocks of stone that had been used in their construction—colossal slabs, tooled as precisely as dominoes, precisely fitted together.
“And by people who didn’t know the use of metal tools,” Dominic said.
“Fantastic. And what’s that booming, menacing noise—like a ghostly voice—all around us?” Louise wanted to know.
“Actually, it’s my voice. The acoustics of this place are very strange indeed. In some way the male voice—though not the female—is magnified. The oracle had to sound superhuman, you see.”
He halted at a flight of wide, shallow steps leading down into a lower set of chambers. A chalked notice said DANGER—NO ENTRY.
“Down there are the chambers where they kept their treasure,” he said. “Now watch this.”
He knelt down on one of the upper steps and pressed down heavily on one of those below him. At once it canted and rose smoothly on end.
“That’s a trick step. It was meant to send intruders to their death.”
They leaned over to peer at the wide hole, with blackness beneath it, that the raising of the step had revealed. “What a horrible idea,” Chloe exclaimed.
But Louise thought it fascinating. “Show me how it works, Dominic.” He explained that it was done by counterweights, and she watched him press it back into place. “Fascinating,” she said again.
They emerged at length, by way of a sloping stone ramp on a rocky terrace, fragrant with wild thyme, starred with tiny flowers. The main courtyard of the sanctuary was behind them. Opposite, the tiny island of Filfla rested lightly in the purple blue sea. Below, the gentle swell washed on the ledges of apricot cream rock.
“The cliffs down there are honeycombed with caves. Perhaps when we get to exploring them, we may come across what they’ve found elsewhere—the skeletons of great Pachyderms, bears—extinct species. Humans, too.”
“But surely pachyderms and bears never lived on Malta?” That was Chloe.
“No, they came from Africa. Once this group of islands was joined to it, you see. The great beasts came to Marsa Xlogg for fresh water, we suppose. It’s...”
“Oh, God, must we go into all that?” Louise broke in rudely. She couldn’t bear not to be the center of attention. And she was bored. “Can’t Miss Linden take our pictures now, for heaven’s sake?”
Chloe looked at Dominic for guidance. He took Louise by the arm.
“Sorry, my dear. No time for that now. Another day, perhaps.”
“But I...”
“Now—” briskly “—where would you like to go from here? Mark will drive you.”
“I insist...”
“He’ll bring the car back here for us, so you can feel free to do exactly as you like. We three won’t be back for lunch or tea. So enjoy yourself. Telephone Santa Clara whenever you want to go back, and Nibblu will send a car for you. So long.”
His manner had such firmness that even Louise didn’t try to argue. In fact she was seated in the car with Mark, and on
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