Chapter Five – New Discoveries
Declaimer: I do not own National Treasure or any of the characters. That right belongs to the Disney Corporation.
Author's Note: I have come up with some really good ideas, don't underestimate my research too much because I have something up my sleeve. ;) I intend to come back with some really good thoughtful information trying to incorporate as much history as I can.
As Ben watched Abigail proceed up the steps of the American History Museum he reached into his pocket, feeling that he had a few dollars stashed away. Interested in knowing how much he would have in order to pay another taxi driver, he pulled the money out. A five dollar bill and three dollars should be enough to take us a few blocks. He thought in his head. Before putting the money away something located on one of the dollars bill struck his attention. It had been something he never noticed before that flabbergasted him almost immediately. Everything on the back of the one dollar bill represented the number 13. For example, the 13 stars above the eagle, 13 steps on the pyramid, 13 letters in "Annuit Coeptis", 13 letters in "E Pluribus Unumi", 13 bars on the shield, 13 leaves on the olive branch of 13 fruits, and 13 arrows. He also noticed that if the pyramid was turned upside down you would be able to locate letters forming the word "mason". (go to photobucket dot com under album Sakura22for image dollar.jpg, it should be one of the first ones)
Ben knew that the number thirteen symbolized the Star-Spangled Banner of thirteen colonies and, the main reason they were in front of the Museum of American History, however, he realized he might of overlooked the clue that could have led them their quicker. Gate's knowledge also led him to remember that thirteen was also associated, along side the all-seeing eye, as being symbols of the Illuminati and freemasonry.
Riley who had been watching Ben stare at the dollar for over a minute finally spoke up, "Are you looking for imperfections of the dollar bill Ben?"
Ben looked up with a sigh, "It's just that there are clues on this dollar that could have led us here much quicker had we known to look for them."
The information seemed to upset Ben other than lift his spirits, mainly because he didn't locate them sooner when it had been within his grasp for so long.
After a few minutes of harking on the fact he'd misjudged the simple things in life he went back to looking out over the crowds of people entering and exiting the building.
Abigail, who had already gained access to view the Star-Spangled Banner, was now on her way down the hall to the very room in which it was kept.
The moment she turned the corner into the bright, white room she took into awe how much history had taken its toll on the poor flag. Half the flag was missing along with the cut out piece in the middle that had been given away. I will be lucky if I obtain any useful information here. Abigail thought pulling out the glasses that she had tucked up her sleeve. As her escorts left and she was left with the people who were preserving the flag, she put on the spectacles and quickly shifted her eyes over the fabric. Surprised, Abigail pulled the glasses off slowly, nothing.
Nothing showed up at all underneath or above anything on the flag. After double checking and inching every few feet around the material she finally came to the conclusion that it was likely it was a dead end.
She thanked the head director of the museum for his time in allowing her to view the banner, but left the building with a look of gloom.
Once outside she found Ben and Riley and explained to them her dismay.
"This can't be." Riley said, holding the back of his head as looking at his two companions in disbelief.
Ben thought for a moment, without really panicking, about what the Star-Spangled Banner stood for, "What if it's not the flag we're supposed to read?"
Abigail shook her head, "What are you talking about?"
Ben quickly sat down on one of the museum's steps, followed by Riley and Abigail and explained his findings on the dollar.
"What do you conclude, Ben?" Riley asked, playing with his shoelace.
"There have always been theories on who actually founded the Star-Spangled Banner as there has been no evidence it was Betsy Ross. For example, the second most popular theory to that of Betsy was that American Naval Hero, John Paul Jones, and Francis Hopkinson actually founded the flag. Now, Francis Hopkinson was one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, and might I add, a mason," a grin started to appear on Ben's face briefly, "This links the banner to the Declaration with the freemasons."
"Where does this lead us?" Abigail asked, starting to get excited.
Ben raised his hand to his temples and massaged them, relaxing his mind, "Well, Francis Hopkinson was said to have made the first real American opera entitled, "The Temple of Minerva". Now, Minerva was the Roman goddess of war, poetry, medicine, wisdom, commerce, crafts, and the inventor of music."
"Sounds like a talented woman, with too much time on her hands." Riley chimed in, sighing in his bored condition.
"Here's a piece of useful information," Ben announced, acting as though he was giving a highly respected speech, "The American Academy of Arts and Sciences, which was founded in 1780, features Minerva in their seal as their central figure. Early members included Samuel Adams, John Adams, John Hancock, Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, and John Quincy Adams. You know as well as I do that half of these men were masons which means this may be our next location of interest." He finished, feeling greatly proud of his knowledge.
All Riley and Abigail could do at this point was take in the overall greatness of the information and how right everything seemed to play together.
After quickly renting a car and looking out for Ian, they made their way to the Academy located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It took a while to get there from Washington D.C but they made it through the night, arriving early the next morning.