Chapter 23
With the new search parameters it did not take long to extract all of the Hebrew words. The computer arranged them in order of appearance and quickly it spelled out a description of the object that the man was looking for. Kara wasn't familiar with it and neither was Mon-El, so they went to see if Alura had any ideas.
The Kryptonian was in the medical lab and upon entering the room, the two found that Maggie was awake and Eliza was talking to her. Quickly, Kara and Mon-El made their way over and the police detective smiled at them, despite her features telling them she was concerned about Alex. Doctor Milo promised to see how Alex was progressing even though he just checked, not wanting his other patient to overexert herself and rip out her stitches. Kara pulled her mother aside and explained they had a lead. The three quickly left the room, allowing Doctor Milo and his team to handle things.
"Ok just so we're all on the same page, in nineteen oh eight, there was a large explosion in the sky, which became known as the Tunguska event. Scientists have yet to figure out conclusively how it happened and to explain the damage found on the ground so the fact that our alien landed there seems to make sense," Winn started. He flashed images of scene – there was no crater, trees still stood upright but were missing all of their limbs, other trees were scorched and lying down on the ground. The destruction stretched for miles and it was a sight to behold.
"We fast forward to World War Two, I believe that the owner of the book was Mordecai Leibowitz. He was a Polish Jew who was working for the resistance, inside the countries that the Russians freed from the Nazi grasp. The problem with that is the Russians didn't like the Poles or Jews any better than the Nazis did. It is believed that he died in an attempt to get the Russians out of Warsaw. That brings us to John DeWitt. A quick search reveals his name popping up as a Colonel in Her Majesty's Army, who worked as a liaison to the Russians. He survives the war so perhaps he succeeded in returning the item and there is nothing to find," Winn explained.
"If that's true, why would Coville want the book so badly? What he is looking for isn't there," Kara said.
"I think this goes deeper than that. In nineteen forty six, DeWitt took a trip out to Krasnoyarsk to look at the gulags as instructed by his superiors. They were hoping he would find out if any of the Nazis there could be of use to the British government. He travels to the Vanavara Trading Post, where he was only supposed to swing by on his way to another stop. They were just supposed to be catching a ride on a helicopter out, when his Russian escorts report that the helicopter was damaged in the landing and they need a repairman. Needless to say, one is not coming immediately as darkness settles. Krasnoyarsk officials hear nothing from them and they do not arrive at their destination until two weeks later. According to the declassified reports, one thing after another continued to malfunction on the helicopter. Given that they were travelling just after the war and that the Soviet equipment would not have been in fabulous shape to start with, it wasn't a total surprise. However, upon their landing at their intended destination, John DeWitt has grown a rather decent sized beard. Known for being fastidious about his appearance immediately after the war, some thought that odd. Still no one questioned it and he goes on to live a long healthy life, dying at the age of ninety in nineteen ninety-five," Winn continued.
"So you think that John DeWitt isn't who left the Trading Post," Mon-El said.
"I have serious doubts. Everything I can find on DeWitt after his trip in nineteen forty-six shows him with a beard, when before the war; he never had any facial hair," the computer genius told them.
"You think that our Kryptonian friend made it out of there in his place?" J'onn wondered.
"Wouldn't be the first time something like that happened. So there is only one way to find out. Scan the Tunguska site for a body and make a trip to jolly old England to check DeWitt's grave," Winn said.
"What about object that Kara mentioned?" Alura wanted to know.
"It sounds like something that resembles the shape of your family crest but was obviously solid," Winn pointed out the translation of the description. The elder Kryptonian looked at the words like she couldn't comprehend them, which everyone in the room knew to be false.
"That can't be," she murmured.
"What can't be?" Kara asked.
"If the item is what I think it is, then we are looking at one of the Stones of Power. They were meant to be brought together by a Kryptonian after the destruction of Krypton as foretold in the Book of Rao. However, this was before my time and it was something that was only mentioned by the elders once we discovered there was no hope for our home. You said that this Coville found our capsule with the Book of Rao in it. He then is trying to obtain the stone for himself. If he does, the consequences could be disastrous as they are only meant to be handled by a Kryptonian," Alura said.
"I think we better call Clark," her daughter told them.
To Be Continued…