Day 6.- The Holy City of Zion
Another day of globetrotting… "Are you getting used to these trips, Jonah?" Lara asks. "This city creeps me out," Jonah answers. Indeed, if you are a step away from religious quarrels, you might be astonished for both good and bad about life in Jerusalem. Such is the spirit of the Holy City of Zion. They are entering Zedekiah's cave in a tourist contingent. "The guide will be distracted," Lara says. "From there, I can make my own way. Don't want to go through the city as a criminal."
Lara's plan is to clearly go and explore areas of the quarry which may have been sealed off. She's generally lucky when it comes to finding paths across unexpected places. "But how will we create a distraction?" Jonah asks. In that moment, a hand is posed on his shoulder. "Excuse me, miss," Jonah asks. "Do I know you?" The woman starts gasping. "I'm running out of breath," she says. "I thought I could manage my claustrophobia, but I can't." Jonah tries to attend her, as Lara gets lost from the contingent. "Excuse me, what's your name?" Jonah asks. "Minerva," she says as she keeps gasping. "You must relax, you will be OK, just hold my hands," Jonah says. After a while, Minerva relaxes, and everyone claps. "Honey, can you guide me out of here?" Minerva asks the guide. She accepts, and asks everyone to stay where they are, so they don't get lost.
Now, it's Lara and the caves. Lion of Judah, Babel… There could be something overlooked in those caves. "Many tunnels built in here," Lara thinks. "I hope I don't get lost here. I won't be able to do much about it." After looking for a while, she finds something. A small cave, like a crevice, where a person might fit in, up at a strange height. She hasn't been allowed to carry her axe, so it's regular climbing now. And with a bit of good judgement and athleticism, she manages to go into the crevice. "Can't wait to see what might be on the other side!" she says.
A flare is turned on, as Lara's surroundings have gone pitch black. She has managed to make it to a chamber, and it's hard to make any sense of it. "Fire, fire, turn on fire the traitor king Zedekiah who has betrayed the great flame of Nebuchadnezzar bestowed upon him by God," Lara reads. "What is this? Why would God give a flame to a Babylonian king?" The mural goes on. "God has set this world upside down, so that the wrath of Leviathan would never reach the heavens," Lara keeps reading. There is a drawing of the Tower of Babel, with a downwards flame, and above it Leviathan. The sun is drawn below the representation of the ground, and the moon above. "The letters…" Lara thinks. There's cuneiform inscription, but it's upside down. "Gilgamesh…" Lara reads again. "Could it be an underground temple? Like fire impeding the rise of water. Like the imprisonment of Tiamat."
"Zion and Babylon are one," Lara keeps on reading the inscriptions. "But Zion has forgotten that they have been saved by the flame of Babylon, which kept Leviathan imprisoned in Babel; whereas, Babylon has forgotten they should submit to one true God." Lara thinks of something she has read on Egwale's notes. Like two opposites, Zion and Babylon require each other. One has forgotten the flesh, while the other has forgotten the word. "They are brothers…" Lara thinks. "Like Abel and Cain. But it seems they once were in unity under Babel. Could this be linked to the confusion set by God?"
Lara looks at her watch, it's night time, and she's still on those caves. For her, now, escaping the caves is a matter of stealth. She's found what she wants, and she doesn't want to be caught in strange businesses. Lurking behind somewhat relaxed guards, she sneaks and finds her way out into the exit, feeling like Zedekiah himself. Her hope is that she has a better destiny than that king. Now she's a just girl heading back to the hotel.
Jonah and Lara reunite. "I found something," Lara says. "I have news too, " Jonah says. "You start," Lara says. A photo from Abby. Lara hugs Jonah. "Congratulations," she says. "Can I be the Godmother?" Jonah cracks a laugh. "Are you going to put the kid in harm's way?" he asks. "Who knows…" Lara says. "But I always wondered how it would feel to be like Roth, to have a close relationship with a friend's kid." Lara kisses Jonah in the front. "You should be going home tomorrow," Lara says. "Forget about our adventure. Remember that woman you rescued in the cave? She's my commissioner. I'll keep going on with her.