14
On the Wings of Pegasus
3 days later
Middle of the Atlantic Ocean
The aircraft bobbed up and down like a cork in the choppy North Atlantic waters. Indiana Jones' stomach was protesting against the ceaseless, dizzying, sickening motion and threatened outright revolt. Despite his own calm appearance, the rather 'green' look to his countenance betrayed Marcus' feelings at the moment also.
The refueling tanker stood off on the starboard side and the hoses had been hooked up and pumping fuel into the thirsty tanks of the Short S23C Empire Flying Boat for several minutes already. The aircraft was nearly full again; filled up with fuel for the second half of its Atlantic crossing.
It was an experimental route. During the warmer months the normal New York to Southampton route of the Trans-Atlantic British Airways flying boat went by way of Newfoundland, Greenland, Iceland, and the Shetlands. But this route couldn't be used in the winter months due to the icing over of these ports of call, so BA was experimenting with the concept of stationing refueling tankers midway in the Atlantic. The route it took was via Newfoundland and Ireland, with a stop in mid Atlantic for fuel.
Now the hoses were let go and reeled back aboard the tanker. Jones and Brody were both relieved to hear the sound of the four Bristol Pegasus radial piston engines cough, sputter, and then roar to life. The powerful engines, slung beneath the aircraft's one hundred and fourteen foot wing span, each provided 910 horse power, and after a rugged take off ride over the tossing seas the combined 3600 horsepower lifted the flying boat majestically out of the water, and back into its primary element. Like the fabled winged horse itself the craft soared back upwards and into the clouds.
"I'm glad that's over," Jones said to Marcus after the airplane had leveled off and resumed its eastward course for the British Isles.
"As am I," Marcus concurred.
Just then the door to the salon cabin in which the two men sat, opened. The lone flight steward entered carrying a tray with two steaming cups of coffee, and all the fixings.
"Compliments of the Captain gentlemen; along with his apologies for the rough seas during the refueling."
"Well," Marcus answered the man, "unless the Captain is Poseidon himself, then he's nothing to apologize for. I found it all rather exciting actually."
Indy threw Marcus a dubious look.
The man chuckled, "Enjoy your coffee gentlemen. We should be landing in Bantry Bay Ireland in about five hours, and then it's on to Southampton. Now excuse me I've got to go attend to the rest of the passengers...all five of them."
While the Short S23C Empire was capable of carrying up to seventeen passengers, its primary role was as a mail and light cargo plane, and to get even more fuel mileage for this experimental route, they limited the passengers to seven. Indy and Marcus enjoyed the entire salon cabin to themselves.
Initially Marcus was to have made the trip alone. Scotland Yard requested him to assist them in the investigation of the disappearance of the British Museum's leading Egyptologist for two reasons: Firstly for his archaeological knowledge; for reasons not yet clear, Scotland Yard seemed to believe that Lord Malboury's disappearance was in some way connected to his work. And secondly because Marcus was a personal friend of Malboury's and had even worked with him on various past research on New Kingdom artifacts and tablets.
But the first thing Marcus had done was to request Indy to accompany him and assist. Jones had agreed immediately; always willing to help his best friend. A few short, winter days, and a few cross-Atlantic telegrams to Scotland Yard later the two men found themselves streaking through the sky across the ocean at speeds in excess of one hundred and forty knots in the fastest, most modern method of transport known to man.
As he poured sugar into his cup Marcus spoke to Indy, "As we were discussing before, the 18TH Dynasty of the New Kingdom produced not only some of the most extraordinary works, but also a much wider diversity of styles than were evident in perhaps any other period of Egyptian history."
The photos and drawings that Jones studied from the large book on the table in front of him confirmed what Brody was saying.
"Especially during the reign of Akhenaton," Jones said.
"Yes, of course," Marcus said, "Akhenaton, the heretic king."
Jones looked down at a photo of a beautifully stylized tablet carving of Queen Nefertiti, Akhenaton's wife, kissing her young daughter Meretaten. He couldn't help but be touched by the tenderness of the loving kiss. The figures seemed to come alive from the lifeless stone upon which they were carved.
But the stone had been defaced. Like so many of the works and records carved during Akhenaton's reign, this piece had been defaced by the Amun priests after Akhenaton had died and the priests had regained their power over the Pharaohs, and the life of all Egyptians. They had sought to desecrate every monument associated with his reign, and to obliterate all memory of him and his queen who had committed what they deemed to be sacrilege against the religion of the Amun priests.
Jones pointed to the photo, "Look here Marcus, see how they've deliberately hacked away the cartouches, and struck out the features of Nefertiti's face. And yet her lips kissing her daughter, and all of Meretaten's features are left unharmed."
Marcus looked at it, "yes, very interesting. It's as if the vandal couldn't bring himself to destroy such a lovely, beautiful sight."
"There's other examples here of Nefertiti kissing her daughters, and kissing her husband, the Pharaoh Akhenaton. And here is Akhenaton kissing his daughters as well. The style is so unlike anything before or after." Jones said as he studied the exquisite artworks from Akhenaton's reign.
"Yes," Marcus said, "one can't help but think that there must have been a lot of love in the union of Akhenaton and Queen Nefertiti, and in their royal family life. One rarely sees such dramatically sensuous and naturalistic styling in Egyptian works as in those of the Akhenaton period."
Marcus sipped his coffee and then continued, "So much love in the royal family, and yet they were so utterly hated by the priest class, and the conservative classes who supported the priests."
Indy gazed out the window of the aircraft at the rising sun ahead of them, "Essentially Akhenaton turned religious life upside down. No longer were the priests, with their secrecy and their pantheon of deities to be worshipped. Instead, Akhenaton introduced a new religion, a whole new concept, the concept of one God, one almighty power."
Marcus followed Jones' gaze out the window at the rising orb of the sun in the distance ahead, "Indeed. The almighty god of the sun, Re."
Jones brought his eyes back down to the book again and sipped his coffee as he looked at a photo of a stone stele carved with an image of the royal family of Akhenaton, Nefertiti and their daughters. Above them hovered the orb of the Aton; the symbol of the sun god Re. Rays shone down from the Aton, symbolized by lines tipped with Ankh and Djed-like symbols.
"But there is a theory isn't there Marcus; a theory that Lord Malboury was studying."
Marcus nodded, "Lord Malboury postulated that perhaps it was not so much the God of the sun that Akhenaton worshipped, but rather the power of the sun."
Jones looked out the window again, "the power of the sun." He spoke the words slowly, letting them linger on his tongue. It was as if the very words themselves manifested a force of their own.
Marcus continued on, "You and I both know that the Amun priests maintained their hold on power throughout the long millennia of Dynastic Egypt through their secret knowledge of science and technology that they shared with no one. And of course it is widely believed that this knowledge that they went to extraordinary lengths to keep secret, came from an earlier civilization."
Indy gave a wry smile, "it always comes back to Atlantis doesn't it Marcus."
"Atlantis, the Osirean civilization, what ever you may wish to call it." Marcus answered him, "but we both know of the very real probability that the vast knowledge of an advanced civilization was passed on to the Egyptians after their own civilization was destroyed by a monumental cataclysm."
Indy nodded his head, "The great flood that the bible talks about, the sinking of Atlantis that Plato describes, as well as too many other catastrophic destruction myths from all around the world to be a coincidence."
Marcus nodded, and then spoke again, "This knowledge was kept secret by the priests so that they could keep their perpetual hold on power. But Akhenaton simply refused to play along with the Amun priests as his forefathers had for so many centuries. Basically he exposed them for the frauds that they essentially were, and in the process he learned much ancient knowledge of the priests, wresting it from their stranglehold of secrecy."
As the plane cruised eastwards the sun rose rapidly and soon poured its warming rays into the cabin through the four circular windows. Indy and Marcus sat in silence for a few moments and sipped their coffee, luxuriating in the warmth of the cabin, knowing that the North Atlantic air outside was well below freezing.
Jones picked up the discussion, "And Malboury believes that it was this knowledge of science and technology that formed the basis of Akhenaton's radical new religion."
"Yes," Marcus said, "Lord Malboury contends that Akhenaton founded his new religion, based on the worship of this scientific knowledge."
"That is why the priests hated the 'Heretic King' so much," Indy said, "and why they worked so diligently to depose him and erase all traces of his rule by tearing down his temples and monuments and defacing them after his death. Akhenaton had put them out of a job, so to speak."
Marcus looked at Indy with a somber expression, "Malboury also believes that among the ancient knowledge of the priests was,...knowledge of the power of the sun itself."
"The power of Re, represented by the Aton symbol," Indy said, pointing to the photo in the book. It showed Queen Nefertiti and Akhenaton basking in the rays of the Aton hovering over them. Then he looked up, "What do you think Marcus? Do you believe that the Egyptians may have had such knowledge of the power of the sun, and if so, what exactly was it, and how did they use it?"
Marcus spread his hands and shrugged, "The priests kept their secrets well."
"There are men today who want to unlock the power of the sun Marcus."
"Yes," Marcus said, "that fascinating gentleman at Princeton comes to mind."
Jones held a pensive expression for a moment, and then said, "Yes and unfortunately there's that ...gentleman... in Berlin....," he let his sentence trail off, but the meaning was clear.
Jones then returned the discussion to the 'Heretic Pharaoh', "After his death Akhenaton was succeeded by Tutankhaton, the boy king. The boy was like putty in the hands of the priests; even changing his name from Tutankhaton to Tutankhamun to symbolize his loyalty to the priests and the restoration of the old religion.
"Yes," Marcus said, "or as he is better known as...King Tut. The priests regained their power, and their lock on all the secret knowledge," then he smiled at Indy, "they were back on the job, so to speak."
The plane rumbled through some minor turbulence, bouncing and bucking a little. It was not enough to be too concerned about, but enough for Jones and Brody to pick up their coffee cups so as not to spill them.
Indy looked over at Marcus, "so what of Queen Nefertiti?"
Marcus glanced out the window and then turned to Indy, "well of course Queen Nefertiti survived her husband. She lived out her remaining years alone and lonely. She must have been saddened to watch as the Amun priests regained their power and defaced the temples, stelae, and other monuments that had glorified the reign of her and her husband."
Jones smiled at Marcus for a moment and took another sip of his coffee, "I wasn't referring to the Queen Nefertiti of three thousand years ago Marcus, I was referring to our Queen Nefertiti; the one who now sits in a Scotland Yard holding cell."
Marcus just shook his head a little, "that I can't say for sure. But we shall soon see, shan't we?"
On the Wings of Pegasus
3 days later
Middle of the Atlantic Ocean
The aircraft bobbed up and down like a cork in the choppy North Atlantic waters. Indiana Jones' stomach was protesting against the ceaseless, dizzying, sickening motion and threatened outright revolt. Despite his own calm appearance, the rather 'green' look to his countenance betrayed Marcus' feelings at the moment also.
The refueling tanker stood off on the starboard side and the hoses had been hooked up and pumping fuel into the thirsty tanks of the Short S23C Empire Flying Boat for several minutes already. The aircraft was nearly full again; filled up with fuel for the second half of its Atlantic crossing.
It was an experimental route. During the warmer months the normal New York to Southampton route of the Trans-Atlantic British Airways flying boat went by way of Newfoundland, Greenland, Iceland, and the Shetlands. But this route couldn't be used in the winter months due to the icing over of these ports of call, so BA was experimenting with the concept of stationing refueling tankers midway in the Atlantic. The route it took was via Newfoundland and Ireland, with a stop in mid Atlantic for fuel.
Now the hoses were let go and reeled back aboard the tanker. Jones and Brody were both relieved to hear the sound of the four Bristol Pegasus radial piston engines cough, sputter, and then roar to life. The powerful engines, slung beneath the aircraft's one hundred and fourteen foot wing span, each provided 910 horse power, and after a rugged take off ride over the tossing seas the combined 3600 horsepower lifted the flying boat majestically out of the water, and back into its primary element. Like the fabled winged horse itself the craft soared back upwards and into the clouds.
"I'm glad that's over," Jones said to Marcus after the airplane had leveled off and resumed its eastward course for the British Isles.
"As am I," Marcus concurred.
Just then the door to the salon cabin in which the two men sat, opened. The lone flight steward entered carrying a tray with two steaming cups of coffee, and all the fixings.
"Compliments of the Captain gentlemen; along with his apologies for the rough seas during the refueling."
"Well," Marcus answered the man, "unless the Captain is Poseidon himself, then he's nothing to apologize for. I found it all rather exciting actually."
Indy threw Marcus a dubious look.
The man chuckled, "Enjoy your coffee gentlemen. We should be landing in Bantry Bay Ireland in about five hours, and then it's on to Southampton. Now excuse me I've got to go attend to the rest of the passengers...all five of them."
While the Short S23C Empire was capable of carrying up to seventeen passengers, its primary role was as a mail and light cargo plane, and to get even more fuel mileage for this experimental route, they limited the passengers to seven. Indy and Marcus enjoyed the entire salon cabin to themselves.
Initially Marcus was to have made the trip alone. Scotland Yard requested him to assist them in the investigation of the disappearance of the British Museum's leading Egyptologist for two reasons: Firstly for his archaeological knowledge; for reasons not yet clear, Scotland Yard seemed to believe that Lord Malboury's disappearance was in some way connected to his work. And secondly because Marcus was a personal friend of Malboury's and had even worked with him on various past research on New Kingdom artifacts and tablets.
But the first thing Marcus had done was to request Indy to accompany him and assist. Jones had agreed immediately; always willing to help his best friend. A few short, winter days, and a few cross-Atlantic telegrams to Scotland Yard later the two men found themselves streaking through the sky across the ocean at speeds in excess of one hundred and forty knots in the fastest, most modern method of transport known to man.
As he poured sugar into his cup Marcus spoke to Indy, "As we were discussing before, the 18TH Dynasty of the New Kingdom produced not only some of the most extraordinary works, but also a much wider diversity of styles than were evident in perhaps any other period of Egyptian history."
The photos and drawings that Jones studied from the large book on the table in front of him confirmed what Brody was saying.
"Especially during the reign of Akhenaton," Jones said.
"Yes, of course," Marcus said, "Akhenaton, the heretic king."
Jones looked down at a photo of a beautifully stylized tablet carving of Queen Nefertiti, Akhenaton's wife, kissing her young daughter Meretaten. He couldn't help but be touched by the tenderness of the loving kiss. The figures seemed to come alive from the lifeless stone upon which they were carved.
But the stone had been defaced. Like so many of the works and records carved during Akhenaton's reign, this piece had been defaced by the Amun priests after Akhenaton had died and the priests had regained their power over the Pharaohs, and the life of all Egyptians. They had sought to desecrate every monument associated with his reign, and to obliterate all memory of him and his queen who had committed what they deemed to be sacrilege against the religion of the Amun priests.
Jones pointed to the photo, "Look here Marcus, see how they've deliberately hacked away the cartouches, and struck out the features of Nefertiti's face. And yet her lips kissing her daughter, and all of Meretaten's features are left unharmed."
Marcus looked at it, "yes, very interesting. It's as if the vandal couldn't bring himself to destroy such a lovely, beautiful sight."
"There's other examples here of Nefertiti kissing her daughters, and kissing her husband, the Pharaoh Akhenaton. And here is Akhenaton kissing his daughters as well. The style is so unlike anything before or after." Jones said as he studied the exquisite artworks from Akhenaton's reign.
"Yes," Marcus said, "one can't help but think that there must have been a lot of love in the union of Akhenaton and Queen Nefertiti, and in their royal family life. One rarely sees such dramatically sensuous and naturalistic styling in Egyptian works as in those of the Akhenaton period."
Marcus sipped his coffee and then continued, "So much love in the royal family, and yet they were so utterly hated by the priest class, and the conservative classes who supported the priests."
Indy gazed out the window of the aircraft at the rising sun ahead of them, "Essentially Akhenaton turned religious life upside down. No longer were the priests, with their secrecy and their pantheon of deities to be worshipped. Instead, Akhenaton introduced a new religion, a whole new concept, the concept of one God, one almighty power."
Marcus followed Jones' gaze out the window at the rising orb of the sun in the distance ahead, "Indeed. The almighty god of the sun, Re."
Jones brought his eyes back down to the book again and sipped his coffee as he looked at a photo of a stone stele carved with an image of the royal family of Akhenaton, Nefertiti and their daughters. Above them hovered the orb of the Aton; the symbol of the sun god Re. Rays shone down from the Aton, symbolized by lines tipped with Ankh and Djed-like symbols.
"But there is a theory isn't there Marcus; a theory that Lord Malboury was studying."
Marcus nodded, "Lord Malboury postulated that perhaps it was not so much the God of the sun that Akhenaton worshipped, but rather the power of the sun."
Jones looked out the window again, "the power of the sun." He spoke the words slowly, letting them linger on his tongue. It was as if the very words themselves manifested a force of their own.
Marcus continued on, "You and I both know that the Amun priests maintained their hold on power throughout the long millennia of Dynastic Egypt through their secret knowledge of science and technology that they shared with no one. And of course it is widely believed that this knowledge that they went to extraordinary lengths to keep secret, came from an earlier civilization."
Indy gave a wry smile, "it always comes back to Atlantis doesn't it Marcus."
"Atlantis, the Osirean civilization, what ever you may wish to call it." Marcus answered him, "but we both know of the very real probability that the vast knowledge of an advanced civilization was passed on to the Egyptians after their own civilization was destroyed by a monumental cataclysm."
Indy nodded his head, "The great flood that the bible talks about, the sinking of Atlantis that Plato describes, as well as too many other catastrophic destruction myths from all around the world to be a coincidence."
Marcus nodded, and then spoke again, "This knowledge was kept secret by the priests so that they could keep their perpetual hold on power. But Akhenaton simply refused to play along with the Amun priests as his forefathers had for so many centuries. Basically he exposed them for the frauds that they essentially were, and in the process he learned much ancient knowledge of the priests, wresting it from their stranglehold of secrecy."
As the plane cruised eastwards the sun rose rapidly and soon poured its warming rays into the cabin through the four circular windows. Indy and Marcus sat in silence for a few moments and sipped their coffee, luxuriating in the warmth of the cabin, knowing that the North Atlantic air outside was well below freezing.
Jones picked up the discussion, "And Malboury believes that it was this knowledge of science and technology that formed the basis of Akhenaton's radical new religion."
"Yes," Marcus said, "Lord Malboury contends that Akhenaton founded his new religion, based on the worship of this scientific knowledge."
"That is why the priests hated the 'Heretic King' so much," Indy said, "and why they worked so diligently to depose him and erase all traces of his rule by tearing down his temples and monuments and defacing them after his death. Akhenaton had put them out of a job, so to speak."
Marcus looked at Indy with a somber expression, "Malboury also believes that among the ancient knowledge of the priests was,...knowledge of the power of the sun itself."
"The power of Re, represented by the Aton symbol," Indy said, pointing to the photo in the book. It showed Queen Nefertiti and Akhenaton basking in the rays of the Aton hovering over them. Then he looked up, "What do you think Marcus? Do you believe that the Egyptians may have had such knowledge of the power of the sun, and if so, what exactly was it, and how did they use it?"
Marcus spread his hands and shrugged, "The priests kept their secrets well."
"There are men today who want to unlock the power of the sun Marcus."
"Yes," Marcus said, "that fascinating gentleman at Princeton comes to mind."
Jones held a pensive expression for a moment, and then said, "Yes and unfortunately there's that ...gentleman... in Berlin....," he let his sentence trail off, but the meaning was clear.
Jones then returned the discussion to the 'Heretic Pharaoh', "After his death Akhenaton was succeeded by Tutankhaton, the boy king. The boy was like putty in the hands of the priests; even changing his name from Tutankhaton to Tutankhamun to symbolize his loyalty to the priests and the restoration of the old religion.
"Yes," Marcus said, "or as he is better known as...King Tut. The priests regained their power, and their lock on all the secret knowledge," then he smiled at Indy, "they were back on the job, so to speak."
The plane rumbled through some minor turbulence, bouncing and bucking a little. It was not enough to be too concerned about, but enough for Jones and Brody to pick up their coffee cups so as not to spill them.
Indy looked over at Marcus, "so what of Queen Nefertiti?"
Marcus glanced out the window and then turned to Indy, "well of course Queen Nefertiti survived her husband. She lived out her remaining years alone and lonely. She must have been saddened to watch as the Amun priests regained their power and defaced the temples, stelae, and other monuments that had glorified the reign of her and her husband."
Jones smiled at Marcus for a moment and took another sip of his coffee, "I wasn't referring to the Queen Nefertiti of three thousand years ago Marcus, I was referring to our Queen Nefertiti; the one who now sits in a Scotland Yard holding cell."
Marcus just shook his head a little, "that I can't say for sure. But we shall soon see, shan't we?"