"Miss Carter," she heard a gentle voice through the haze of sleep, "Miss Carter, wake up."

Automatically she swatted at the hand that lightly nudged her shoulder and mumbled, "Sorry dear, not in the mood to play. Need to sleep."

The male voice that answered sounded surprised but then stated more adamantly, "Miss Carter, you must wake up." Jarvis did not want to think too deeply about what "play" might mean.

"Do be a dear, Daniel, and just give me another hour or so." She lightly patted Jarvis on the cheek and then rolled over.

Used to waking up a belligerent and hungover Howard Stark, Jarvis would not be deterred. He shook her shoulder more vigorously and demanded, "Miss Carter, I am not your beau, and you need to get up. Mr. Stark says that we are almost to Nineveh."

Peggy's foggy brain finally registered that she was not asleep in her bed and that the hum she heard in the background was not muted traffic. "Oh," she meekly replied and forced her eyes open.

Craning her neck around, she realized that Mr. Jarvis stood over her. Blurrily, she focused on him, "Why won't my eyes work." Then she remembered falling asleep in the car, "And how did I get here?"

Jarvis smiled, "Ah, that last question I can answer. We carried you onboard the plane."

"We're flying?" Normally her astute mind worked faster.

Jarvis wisely did not answer her query, seeing that it had been rhetorical anyway.

Exhaling, she rubbed her face vigorously, hoping the blood flow would help reawaken her senses. Forcing her body to slide off the padded bench, she was soon in an upright seated position but on the cold grated metal floor.

Looking around, she realized they were in the back of an old cargo plane. "Right," she said out loud.

Jarvis leaned over, and in one hand, he held a mug of something steaming and hot.

The smell of coffee wafted down to her, and the familiar aroma helped rouse her. She usually avoided such a bitter and pungent pick-me-up, but she needed to focus now.

After she did a long stretch of her arms, Jarvis handed her the drink.

Nodding her thanks, she then took a sip and was pleased to find that it was the perfect temperature of not burning but refreshing hot. After gulping down the entire dark brew, she could think clearer. She smiled sweetly up at Jarvis and offered her hand. "Well, shall we, Mr. Jarvis?"

Grinning, he then helped her to her feet, and she swayed. Finally, steady enough to walk, Jarvis let go of her elbow. He then indicated for her to head to the front of the plane. As she staggered forward, Jarvis followed close behind as if worried she might teeter out of a window or something.

As she angled toward the cockpit, Peggy approached the overhead opening for the astrodome that was used for celestial navigation. She vaguely recalled seeing a hoist attachment near the rear cargo door and the glider-towing shackles. Between all that, she realized that they were in a Douglas C-47, such as those used by the allies during the last war.

Drawing closer to the front of the plane, Peggy saw that Zdenka and Dmitri sat near the cockpit's open doorway. Their heads were together as they went over map schematics and notes. The light streaming downwards through the glass of the astrodome made their blonde hair almost seem ethereal.

So, if they were out here, that meant that Howard was in the cockpit, flying this thing, Peggy thought. Well, that man loved to fly almost as much as he did inventing.

The sound of the buzzing twin engines had Peggy remembering the time when Howard flew her and Steve Rodgers over enemy lines to save his friend. It all seemed so long ago, she thought with a weary sigh.

Lurching past the Russians, Peggy nodded affably to them, and they looked up at her in concern. My, she must look like a fright.

Just before she entered the cockpit, Peggy noticed that though Dmitri's hands had been properly bandaged, he still used them gingerly.

Unexpectedly bouncing off the cockpit's door jam, Peggy suddenly found herself sitting in the co-pilot's chair. Howard looked over and grinned. He yelled over the rev of the engines, "Feeling better?"

She nodded. Jarvis loomed in the doorway, a coffeepot somehow magically in his grasp. She gladly took the offered refill of java with a grateful nod. He then handed her a stale Danish, but she did not care about its edible state. In two bites, the hard pastry was gone. It was the most amazing sweet roll she had ever tasted.

Even though Jarvis still hovered close by, she was too tired to care. Besides, he might have saved her another pastry. As if reading her mind, he handed her a croissant, and she smiled up at him, pleased.

This time she took her time eating it. As she nibbled, she looked out her side window. Below she saw a large river with patchy green shrubs and marsh plants on either side. Everything else surrounding it was dry desert.

Seeing her frown, Howard ventured, "We're flying south over the Tigris river."

Peggy nodded unenthused. She turned and asked him, "Did Zdenka tell you about the last Cuneiform clue."

Howard nodded, "Yeah, something about "North." He shook his head, "That is a lot of ground to cover, Peg. Hopefully, the final clue won't be so ambiguous."

Remembering the important person they both lost over the cold tundra a few years back, he looked over at Peggy in concern. He knew what this must be like for her but was not surprised when she surreptitiously shook her head, indicating that she did not wish to talk about it.

Zdenka and Dmitri suddenly crowded in the doorway, the Russian woman craning her neck to see what lay below them.

Howard called over to the Russian doctor, "Doctor Z, regardless of what you found back at the cistern, I always thought that they were called the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, not Nineveh."

The scholar answered easily, "That was what had been ascribed to them, but the famous Greek historian Herodotus never described it in any texts as actually being in Babylon. Since the Gardens were so monumental, he would have certainly done so. And it wasn't just him. It seemed that ancient scholars always spoke of the magnificent walls of Babylon but never of any gardens. Nor were they even mentioned in any surviving Babylonian text. It was all just a romantic tale and part of the fabricated idealism of poets centuries ago."

Howard persisted, "But some historians have stated that it was in Babylon. Hell, it is a Wonder, for God's sake, so wouldn't they know?"

But Zdenka was just as adamant and stated, "I hate to admit it, but historic scholars sometimes mixed up the different Assyrian Kings of the land. Often they would erroneously attribute them to Babylon when in fact, they were elsewhere in the region. It also did not help that the invading Assyrian King Sennacherib called Nineveh the new Babylon once he conquered it and made it his own."

"It all sounds reasonable to me," Peggy said around a yawn.

Zdenka glanced perturbed at Peggy's lack of decorum.

Shrugging, Howard suggested, "I just wonder if we should drop down to Babylon first."

Zdenka shook her head, "If you look at a map, Babylon was too far away from the Euphrates River to get enough water to keep plants healthy. But there are texts written about how amazing the multiple aqueducts were at Nineveh. And there is one now." She said excitedly, pointing at Peggy's side of the window.

Peggy dully stared out the small window and frowned. The Tigris River was no longer directly below them but to the west. Instead, the unassuming ground was now dry earth and rocks. Then she noticed a faint line that gouged the land. It did look like a thin dried river bed. She could even make out the distinct outline of a wall as if this had been a channel for water at some point.

Zdenka stated, "See, this is part of the aqueduct that ran from the Jerwan River. Eventually, it connected to the Khosr River that went through Nineveh. Besides all those tributaries, the Tigris River flowed next to that massive city as well. There was certainly enough water for an amazing garden to exist in these parts."

"If they could grow a lush garden out here, it would be justified in being called a Wonder," Peggy murmured.

Howard was still not convinced, "But around here, there is very little left that is alive."

Zdenka answered, "Yes, but keep in mind that this area was not a desert back then. It was known as the Cradle of Civilization for a reason."

Smirking, Howard shook his head, "Then that same reasoning works for Babylon as well."

The female Russian loudly exhaled.

Dmitri stared at the millionaire as if he wanted to throttle him.

To draw attention away from the exasperating inventor, Peggy quickly asked Zdenka, "Back on the blimp, Zemo mentioned that the ultimate weapon of destruction would be found at the end of all this. Do you know what he meant by that?"

After thinking a moment, Zdenka replied, "Well, supposedly, there are many ancient and powerful weapons from the past that he could be referring to. But I would need more information before I could pinpoint which one."

Peggy sighed at this and said, "Then you might as well tell us about these Hanging Gardens instead."

Shrugging, Zdenka stated, "From the accounts I have studied, the Garden was a terraced masterpiece over 80 feet tall. It had a wide base of over 400 feet, and each subsequent level became smaller until it was just a point."

"Like a stout pyramid," Dmitri added helpfully.

Zdenka stared at him adorningly.

Intrigued, Jarvis asked, "So what happened to it?"

Zdenka looked at Peggy when she answered, "Supposedly, the gardens were destroyed after a great earthquake struck the region. Dated at 226BC, it was the same quake that had toppled the Colossus of Rhodes."

Peggy looked insufferably smug at this admittance.

Before Zdenka could retort, Howard said excitedly, "Hey, Dr. Z, that looks promising." He indicated the view in front of them. They were approaching the remains of the only large red brick structure around.

Grinning, Zdenka explained, "That is the mighty Assyrian King Sennacherib's Imperial Palace. It is he who dubbed this place the new Babylon and that is our destination to find the Gardens."

As Howard dipped them lower so to land, they could see all of it, and he frowned, "I take back the promising part. There doesn't seem to be a whole heck of a lot of ruins left. Sure we shouldn't head to Babylon first?"

Peggy pointed out, "And neither was there at many of the other Wonders either. I trust what Zdenka thinks, and so should all of you."

The others agreed, except for Howard. He snorted and then suddenly buzzed some shepherds. Their sheep stampeded away from the cursing men.

"Howard, that was not very nice of you," Peggy chided.

Never one to be repentant, Howard smirked, "Hey, gotta buzz something just before we land, and since there is no control tower—"

Peggy pursed her lips at his juvenile antics. "Speaking of which, where will you land this thing?" Though the ground appeared flat, she knew their tires could get stuck if the sand was not compacted enough. She certainly had no wish to push this heavy plane out of any grainy traps.

"Luckily, most of the ground is made up of hardened clay," Zdenka assured them.

Howard looked out his side window and nodded, "That'll do." He then yelled over his shoulder, "Everyone, strap in. This might get a bit bumpy."

Peggy and the others quickly did as he ordered.

Howard made one more pass over the patchy terrain to ensure their landing spot would work. Peggy realized that they were once more flying over the Tigris River.

When he banked the plane around, Peggy looked out her window and saw a small village-like desert community of old squat buildings on the opposite side of the vast river.

As Howard brought them lower, Peggy noticed where they were going to land was near where many pits were dug into the clay-like soil. The area was dotted with them, and from above, they looked like gopher holes. This expanse was also devoid of any homes, almost as if the inhabitants held it in some regard.

Peggy then saw a massive archeological dig going on near the Assyrian King Sennacherib's Imperial Palace ruins. Before she could point it out to anyone, they were landing.

Their arrival was only a bit bumpy. Howard prided himself on being a consummate pilot, after all. His ego would have it no other way.

The plane had stirred up some dust, and Howard had shut off the engines before it had fully cleared. Unfortunately, their unscheduled landing had piqued the curiosity of the older white man in charge of the local dig, and he was already making his way over.

As Peggy slowly got out of her seat, she saw him approaching the plane. Nodding determinedly, she said to her friends, "As we had begun to land, I saw that they were digging near where we will be going. Sorry, Howard, I will need you to run interference for us. I doubt they would like us poking around their excavation site unattended."

Howard whined, "But I'd rather go with you."

Peggy looked at him askance, "Seriously? You know how dangerous these Wonders have been so far. Who knows what giant creature we will run into this time?"

He still looked unconvinced, so Peggy patted him on the shoulder, "Don't worry, you'll be fine. Archeologists always look for money to fund their digs, and you are so good at playing the investor."

Howard relented, but barely, "They always want to show me the boring old musty stuff."

Exiting the cockpit, Peggy retorted, "And, maybe they will show you something that will help us. Mr. Jarvis, what do you say? With him or us?"

Howard flicked his chin, "He better come with me, Peg. Two heads are better than one when it comes to keeping others occupied."

The manservant cleared his throat and automatically straightened his appearance, "Yes, Miss Cater, over the years, I have become rather intuitive when distractions were in order."

He eyed his employer readily, and Peggy smirked in understanding. She was sure that Howard's many indiscretions kept the butler on his toes more often than not.

She then grinned pleased when Jarvis pulled out her old combat boots and plopped them down next to her. The butler seemed embarrassed when he explained, "Sorry, we did not have time to grab much from the yacht before we rendezvoused with the plane."

"Though I would have loved a change of clothing, my boots will always take precedence over my appearance. Thank you, Mr. Jarvis."

He then handed her the backup Walter PPK and survival knife with an explanation, "I couldn't find your shotgun anywhere."

Nodding, she checked that her gun was fully loaded, and the extra clip was soon tucked away in a pocket, "Though Bessie will be missed, this will be fine, Mr. Jarvis."

After she pulled on her old boots, she strapped the survival knife to her right ankle and then hid it under the cuff of her pants.

Jarvis handed out supplies, and Peggy declined the offered canteen, so he gave it to Zdenka. The female Russian then took the flashlight, and Dmitri frowned.

When Jarvis went to hand the scanner to Peggy, Dmitri snapped angrily, "I can still be of help. I am not an invalid." So Jarvis gave Dmitri the device, and he slung its strap over his shoulder determinedly.

Standing, Peggy shrugged to Jarvis, who had pursed his lips in annoyance.

They then watched as Dmitri clumsily pocketed his gun. He noticed Peggy's stare and stated determinedly, "I will not part with my weapon again."

Peggy held her hands up in surrender.

During this exchange, Zdenka stared out the window. She frowned at the well-dressed older gentleman who was awaiting their exit. Her voice held a sneer, "He looks British."

"How can you be so sure?" Peggy said, offended.

Zdenka smirked, "They are the only ones foolish enough to work in the noonday sun. He must be digging for a much older Assyrian Kings tomb. Hopefully, they will not be too close to our area of interest."

After somehow procuring an umbrella, Jarvis lowered the boarding ramp. Unfurling the parasol, he made his way down the steps.

With a disgruntled exhale, Howard exited the plane just behind his manservant. He made sure to block the archeologist's view before he could see the other occupants hiding in the aircraft. Jarvis aided him by positioning the umbrella just right.

Stationed near the opening, Peggy and the others listened as the British man said jovially, "Good afternoon, sir, and welcome. My name is Max Mallowan. You're not by chance a journalist, are you?"

Howard could not help but smile at the friendly older man and he extended his hand to shake. It was met with a vigorous and firm callused grip. "No, actually, I am Howard Stark, millionaire inventor, err investor. I had heard wonderful things about this area and was looking for something to put my millions into."

Peggy grimaced at how awful Howard was selling it. He sounded like a cartoon caricature of a man of leisure.

But after Howard explained his intentions, the older man grinned wider. Peggy swore she could see dollar signs reflected in Mallowan's eyes.

Enthused, Max bellowed, "I say, what luck, Mr. Stark. You just happen to be talking to the man in charge of this local excavation. Please come this way, and I will show you what we have unearthed so far. It is quite amazing."

With a flourish, he indicated for Howard and Jarvis to follow him as he gave a tour of the new dig site he was working on. Howard pouted over his shoulder at Peggy, and his forlorn look made her chuckle.

As Mallowan led them away, Peggy overheard him say, "Normally, we excavate down at Nimrud but were recently given permission to work up here for the month. We are most excited by this opportunity and hope to discover a very important nobility's tomb near King Sennacherib's Imperial Palace."

Peggy shared a grim look with the Russians. "We have no other choice but to check there?"

Zdenka insisted, "Sorry, what we need is probably in that ancient structure's courtyard."

Once Howard and the others were out of sight, Peggy nodded to the Russians, "Right, shall we?" Not waiting for an answer, she hurried off the plane.

Back on solid ground, Peggy glanced around at the barren desert. A gentle hot breeze seemed to accentuate the heavy noonday sun that pressed down on her like a giant thumb.

Not bothered by the temperature, Zdenka began cautiously walking toward this imposing red brick structure that was buttressing the only mountain around. Dmitri dutifully followed her, the whole time alert for trouble.

Trailing behind them, Peggy also kept a wary eye out for any sort of potential dangerous critters. Human or otherwise.

Near the excavation, Peggy saw that tall mounds of red earth were piled throughout the area.

Dmitri suggested, "Before we go much further, we best use these mounds as cover. They should be high enough to conceal us."

Peggy nodded at his idea, and using the red mounds, they began to circumvent the busy area undetected.

Smiling, Zdenka explained in a hushed tone, "Actually, these mounds are called tells. They used to be the ancient clay bricks of the royal buildings that surrounded the Imperial Palace. But, alas, they have eroded over the centuries."

She nodded toward the excavation, "Thankfully, since each succeeding generation was built on top of the older ones, the deep underground remains of previous ancient vast structures were protected. It is one of the reasons why this area is so popular with archeologists."

As they continued to make their way to the Imperial Palace surreptitiously, Zdenka could not help but be the consummate teacher. Quietly she whispered to Peggy and Dmitri, "I know it does not look like much now, but this area has been ripe with amazing finds. Actually, the Tale of Gilgamesh was found here. There were also the Enuma Elish tablets, which when translated, claimed that it was due to the God's help that man evolved so quickly."

Dmitri chuckled, "I am sure that was well met in the academic community."

Her smile grew, "And that wasn't the only document on that subject they had found here. The Sumerian list of Kings was also unearthed. Once deciphered, it stated that gigantic beings and not the Gods had helped improve our way of life. Some scholars claimed that explained how ancient societies had developed such amazing architecture, advanced farming, and cultures so rapidly," Zdenka laughed with a shrug.

She added, "Actually, the whole belief of giant God-like beings helping evolve early man is a phenomenon found in primitive records worldwide."

Peggy frowned, "It almost sounds as if these are the same God-like people we seek."

Zdenka nodded, "That is what I have been wondering myself." Approaching the busy area near the Imperial Palace, her voice petered out.

Tracking Zdenka's watchful gaze, Peggy turned and saw the multitude of local laborers doing all the heavy lifting for the archeological dig. Men and boys of various ages dumped woven bags of clay and dirt onto a growing pile. It looked back-breaking no matter the age.

After pursing her lips, Peggy then followed the Russians as they continued to skirt the excavation pit cautiously. They were very close to the dig, so it took a bit longer to sneak to the side of the Imperial Palace undetected.

Once there, Peggy marveled at the structure's impressive size. It had not looked very big from a distance, but this close, the red-bricked fortress was rather imposing.

Creeping toward the front, Peggy saw two giant carved statues that guarded the open arched entrance. These masterpieces of chiseled art had the body of a winged bull and the head of a man with a tall hat.

Peggy studied the nearly intact colossal statue that stood sentry on one side of the entry. Across from it stood its damaged twin brother. Sadly, that statue was in bad shape as most of it was either missing or defiled.

Not bothering to acknowledge these magnificent effigies, Zdenka and Dmitri slipped through the open archway of the tall brick structure and stealthily entered the courtyard.

Figuring they had it covered, Peggy hung back as the lookout. Being this close to the dig site, someone had to watch for any approaching trouble. She ducked behind the undamaged winged statue and found that its immense size helped conceal her position.

Glancing about her surroundings, Peggy realized there was not much left of the building other than the stout walls and the courtyard. She wondered if there was anything even to indicate where the lush gardens had once been.

With such a lack of options, Peggy thought that maybe Howard's idea about searching Babylon instead had been a better plan. She looked back to the vast area in front of the Imperial Palace with a tired sigh.

While the local populace cleared away the archeological debris, a group of young students dug in the large pit. Peggy spotted Howard standing next to Mr. Mallowan, who gave some encouragement to his pupils. Turning his attention back to Howard, the man's British accent rose to be heard over the digging as he continued to make his pitch to the millionaire about funding.

That's when Peggy spotted an older English woman walking around the outskirts of this large pit, sticking a long cane into the clay soil. Peggy stared at her askew. The stooped person looked vaguely familiar. The SSR Agent's thoughts went from intrigued to worry, for the woman was slowly heading toward the palace.

Before she could be spotted, Peggy leaned back into the shadows. She truly did not want to explain herself to anyone. Soon she heard the older woman mumbling to herself as she got closer to Peggy's location.

Peggy ducked as far away as possible but knew she would be discovered if the woman got closer. She quickly wondered if she made a mad dash into the courtyard if she would be spotted. Knowing that even she couldn't perform a disappearing act of such magnitude, a desperate Peggy glanced around for some help.

Spying a nearby rock, a desperate Peggy was about to risk grabbing it. If she could chuck it toward the outskirts of the building, the noise might draw the woman away.

But luck was suddenly on Peggy's side when she heard Mr. Mallowan call over to the older woman, "Dear, come here for a moment. Let me introduce you to someone. Someone important," he amended louder. Then he, Howard, and Jarvis began to walk over to the woman to meet her halfway.

Grumbling, the woman turned and then rendezvoused with the nearing party. Her husband beamed a loving smile to his wife as he made introductions, "My dear, this is Howard Stark, a millionaire investor who wants to finance our excavation. Mr. Stark, this is my wife, Agatha."

"Nice to meet you," Howard yelled at the woman as if she was deaf, and Peggy winced. He really did have problems with understanding women of any age.

Agatha shrewdly studied Howard, who flinched under the scrutiny. The woman's rich British accent made her accusatory tone even more strident, "I seem to recall that you got into a spot of trouble a few years back, Mr. Stark."

The woman might have been elderly, but she sounded like a cagey old bird to Peggy.

When Howard cleared his throat in an attempt to think up something, Jarvis quickly interceded, "Mum, it is a pleasure to meet you. I have read all your books multiple times," the butler gushed.

Agatha beamed and stood straighter. Peggy realized that the woman had put on this vulnerable act to catch Howard off guard. Peggy stifled an impressed snort.

Jarvis bent closer and said conspiratorially, "Do you mind telling me something about your next plot? I would love to boast to the missus that I had spoken to such a famous mystery writer. We are such fans of yours, Mrs. Christie."

Peggy's eyes flared open at the reveal of the woman's identity, and the SSR Agent gulped.

Agatha shook her head and admitted sadly, "I am afraid I have had no inspiration lately."

"Hum, well, maybe another trip to Baghdad would help. Perhaps it might inspire a follow-up to the wonderful "Murder in Mesopotamia," Jarvis suggested. He then quirked an eyebrow when he noticed Peggy motioning for them to move elsewhere.

Demurely Agatha nodded her head without answering. The author was used to fans suggesting what to write next. Instead, she took his offered elbow, and Jarvis led her away from where Peggy hid. Howard and Max followed dutifully behind them.

Agatha glanced back at the Imperial Palace as she walked away, and Peggy braced herself. But the woman did not see her and allowed herself to be escorted back to the large dig. From then on, Jarvis ensured that the position of the umbrella obstructed the view of the Imperial Palace.

Exhaling, Peggy allowed herself to relax. She then grimaced when she felt sweat trickling down her back. Damn that saying about mad dogs and Englishmen. It was too bloody hot. The sooner they were done here, the better. She best hurry the others long before they were inadvertently discovered.

With the way now clear, Peggy began to enter the walled-in complex but stopped. Zdenka and Dmitri walked sullenly toward her, blocking her path.

Exhaling, Dmitri stated, "Sorry, it appears that all the bas reliefs had been removed, and the only things left are the few cement walls covered in the ancient Assyrian writings."

Zdenka grumbled disparagingly, "The British stole all the pretty artifacts that did not belong to them and left the more 'boring' items behind."

Peggy once more bristled at the generalization until Zdenka explained, "To link to our clue, there had been many reliefs of the Assyrians hunting lions and such, but all are in the Royal British Museum."

"Well, then that is a blessing. No doubt that when they were removed, the secret entrance would have been discovered," Peggy countered, "Now all that time is spared."

Zdenka relented and nodded, "True. I guess that leaves only one place to go."

Dmitri groaned, "I hope you are not suggesting walking to that aqueduct we saw from above?"

Reading their defeated body language, Zdenka smiled and reassured them, "No, we are not going anywhere else. Remember what I said earlier about newer generations building upon the old? There are still ancient palaces beneath us from all the earlier King's reigns." She nodded in the direction of the nearby excavators, "Like them, we need to find a way to go downwards."

Peggy frowned and looked around, "I don't know where to start looking. Are we sure it is even here? Maybe we should try Babylon instead."

Zdenka stated with a slight grin when she parroted Peggy's own words, "The ones who moved the clues have made sure that they were still accessible after the Wonders had been destroyed." Adamant, she insisted, "And I know this was the location of the Hanging Gardens and not Babylon. So how do we get underground?"

Dmitri answered, "Well, the secret entrance would probably be close to the Imperial Palace. At least it has been in the past."

Nodding distractedly, Zdenka studied the winged statue that Peggy leaned against. Curious, she poked at the stone guardian's intricately carved posterior.

Grinning, she asked intrigued, "Since when do the Lamassu bulls have curly fur?"

Sure enough, when Peggy looked closely at the detailed engravings, she saw tiny carved coils adorning its backside.

Perplexed, Dmitri asked, "Lamassu? What is that?"

While eyeing the statue critically, Zdenka supplied, "With the head of a man and the body of an animal, the Lamassu are considered protective deities. Since they represent the zodiac and stars, they are believed to encompass all life within them. Though the ones in Nineveh are normally in bull form, this city was named after the Goddess whose symbol was a lion. I find that contradictory fact to be rather interesting."

Smirking, she added, "I thought there had been no location hint at the last Wonder, but I was wrong. Instead of a written clue, it was of the statue itself. True, it was a winged guardian, but of a lion, not of a bull as it was here. Hum," she began lightly running her fingers along the back of the statue. Then she touched the carved wings feathers that flowed above its back. "Help me look for any inconsistencies in the patterns—"

Spying something along the rear of the statue, Zdenka blew some sand out of a very thin hairline crack that outlined the back of the bull. Nodding, she said, "Yes, I think this is it."

It took some effort, but she was finally able to manually swivel the long marble section where the bull's tail was until it became a lion's bushy tail that hung down the posterior of the statue.

Dmitri and Peggy marveled as Zdenka then twisted the hoofed back legs around to reveal the clawed paws of a lion's body.

As she turned the long front legs around till they were of the feline variety, she grunted, "Now this is more like it."

But nothing happened. Dmitri asked, "Maybe the head needs to be changed into that of a lion's like the one back at the cistern?"

They looked everywhere around the human head and neck but could not find anything to manipulate. Rubbing her locket in thought, Zdenka wondered, "Well, that is not it. But then again, by its head remaining human, it stays a Lamassu, but now a winged lion. What else are we missing?"

Then Peggy pointed at the rear legs, "Well, what about its fifth leg." They looked at her askew until she amended, "Like the one at the Basilica Cistern."

"Ah, yes," Zdenka smirked and then located where the fifth leg should be. Finding a seam, she was soon able to pivot that area around until it became the additional leg.

Once completed, they heard a loud click as if a large bolt had been released.

"Come, help." And they assisted Zdenka in pushing the immense statue back toward the interior courtyard of the Imperial Palace. It should have been heavier, but it appeared to be on some sort of hidden stone rollers.

Now, where the statue had once stood guarding the entrance to the fortress was a darkened hole in the ground. Like a sunken well, the pit was surrounded by a circular cement wall.

Zdenka shined her flashlight into the darkened maw, but it was too deep to see the bottom of it. To Peggy, it was as if she was looking into the open jaws of a lion.

Surprisingly, there was a wooden ladder inside. Dmitri cautiously kicked the rungs with his foot, but it held.

Worried they might be discovered at any moment, Dmitri took the lead and headed down the ladder. Shutting off the flashlight to conserve its energy, Zdenka then followed behind him quickly.

Taking one last look to make sure that they had not been seen, Peggy hurriedly entered the pitch-black hole.

END NOTE: Agatha Christie and her archeologist husband Max Mallowan would often travel to the Middle East for digs. After the Second World War, they worked mainly at Nimrud but would dig at other sites from time to time. During this, Christie would help her husband with these excavations. Naturally, I had to include them in this story :- )