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Authors: Christopher C Doyle
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break into the locker. There were only two ways the locker could now be opened: either someone from the vault would help unlock the steel door or it would be blown open. And if the latter happened, it would be best if there was no one near it.
A worried group crowded into the space between the rows of lockers.
Colin frowned. ‘Do you think we’ve been tailed all the way here?’
Vijay shrugged. ‘Perhaps. But I think we are safe here. I don’t think their Uzis can penetrate that door of steel. It must be two feet thick.’
Just then, as if to prove him wrong, there was a loud explosion accompanied by an ear-shattering crunching of metal and the ground beneath their feet shook as if an earthquake had struck. Vijay and Colin looked at each other in dismay as the steel door bulged inwards from the centre, as if it had been struck by a powerful projectile. The thick hinges were bent and the door itself was twisted in places along the frame. Wispy trails of smoke drifted in through the cracks that had appeared between the steel door and its frame.
Voices could now be heard through these cracks. Men shouting at each other in harsh, guttural tones; sounds identical to what they had heard the previous evening.
Vijay and Colin exchanged glances.
Then, without a word, they split up and began searching along the walls for an opening, any orifice that might lead out of the vault. But there was nothing. The vault had been built to keep things in.
9
244 BC
Surasen stood silently and watched his Emperor pace the length of the chamber. Rarely, in his long association with him, had Surasen seen Asoka this distressed; this restlessness was uncharacteristic.
‘Where are they?’ Asoka stopped in mid-stride and turned to Surasen. ‘Did you not command them to come here immediately?’
‘My liege, I did,’ Surasen bowed his head. ‘It is midnight and they would have had to be roused from their sleep.’
Asoka turned away and resumed his restless pacing of the chamber. Silence descended on the two men, leaving Surasen to his thoughts.
He remembered the change in the Emperor’s demeanour at the discovery in the forest. His mood had persisted since. So deeply had Asoka been affected that he had not spoken a word since then, except for a brief command, instructing him to immediately summon a few courtiers.
Surasen noticed that his emperor did not hesitate while naming the men who were to be summoned; clearly the emperor had, during the journey home, been dwelling on what he intended to do about their discovery.
There was a sound at the door, and a guard entered to announce the arrival of the courtiers.
Surasen noticed that the furrows had disappeared from Asoka’s face. The mask of serenity was back. The Emperor was in control of himself once more.
The courtiers filed in, eight of them, and stood before Asoka in a semi-circle, each wondering what was so important for their Emperor to wake them up in the middle of the night. But they said nothing, waiting for his orders.
‘Surasen, tell them what we found.’ Asoka folded his arms across his chest as Surasen narrated the story of the forest dweller, his journey to the cavern and the discovery he had made, his subsequent journey back with Asoka and the second discovery they had made—the one that was deeply troubling the Emperor.
As he spoke, the faces of the other courtiers registered surprise, amazement, shock and wonder, in turn. When he finished, he knew they understood as well as he did the reason for them being here at this hour.
‘So, you see,’ Asoka took up the narrative, ‘the myths of the ancients were not just stories. And I know that you, my wise courtiers, are aware of the danger posed to the world by what lies in this cavern. If it were to fall into the hands of the enemy, they could use it for untold gain. We cannot allow this to happen. This cavern and its contents have been buried for centuries. We will seal up the opening on the hillside. They must
A worried group crowded into the space between the rows of lockers.
Colin frowned. ‘Do you think we’ve been tailed all the way here?’
Vijay shrugged. ‘Perhaps. But I think we are safe here. I don’t think their Uzis can penetrate that door of steel. It must be two feet thick.’
Just then, as if to prove him wrong, there was a loud explosion accompanied by an ear-shattering crunching of metal and the ground beneath their feet shook as if an earthquake had struck. Vijay and Colin looked at each other in dismay as the steel door bulged inwards from the centre, as if it had been struck by a powerful projectile. The thick hinges were bent and the door itself was twisted in places along the frame. Wispy trails of smoke drifted in through the cracks that had appeared between the steel door and its frame.
Voices could now be heard through these cracks. Men shouting at each other in harsh, guttural tones; sounds identical to what they had heard the previous evening.
Vijay and Colin exchanged glances.
Then, without a word, they split up and began searching along the walls for an opening, any orifice that might lead out of the vault. But there was nothing. The vault had been built to keep things in.
9
244 BC
Surasen stood silently and watched his Emperor pace the length of the chamber. Rarely, in his long association with him, had Surasen seen Asoka this distressed; this restlessness was uncharacteristic.
‘Where are they?’ Asoka stopped in mid-stride and turned to Surasen. ‘Did you not command them to come here immediately?’
‘My liege, I did,’ Surasen bowed his head. ‘It is midnight and they would have had to be roused from their sleep.’
Asoka turned away and resumed his restless pacing of the chamber. Silence descended on the two men, leaving Surasen to his thoughts.
He remembered the change in the Emperor’s demeanour at the discovery in the forest. His mood had persisted since. So deeply had Asoka been affected that he had not spoken a word since then, except for a brief command, instructing him to immediately summon a few courtiers.
Surasen noticed that his emperor did not hesitate while naming the men who were to be summoned; clearly the emperor had, during the journey home, been dwelling on what he intended to do about their discovery.
There was a sound at the door, and a guard entered to announce the arrival of the courtiers.
Surasen noticed that the furrows had disappeared from Asoka’s face. The mask of serenity was back. The Emperor was in control of himself once more.
The courtiers filed in, eight of them, and stood before Asoka in a semi-circle, each wondering what was so important for their Emperor to wake them up in the middle of the night. But they said nothing, waiting for his orders.
‘Surasen, tell them what we found.’ Asoka folded his arms across his chest as Surasen narrated the story of the forest dweller, his journey to the cavern and the discovery he had made, his subsequent journey back with Asoka and the second discovery they had made—the one that was deeply troubling the Emperor.
As he spoke, the faces of the other courtiers registered surprise, amazement, shock and wonder, in turn. When he finished, he knew they understood as well as he did the reason for them being here at this hour.
‘So, you see,’ Asoka took up the narrative, ‘the myths of the ancients were not just stories. And I know that you, my wise courtiers, are aware of the danger posed to the world by what lies in this cavern. If it were to fall into the hands of the enemy, they could use it for untold gain. We cannot allow this to happen. This cavern and its contents have been buried for centuries. We will seal up the opening on the hillside. They must
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