The Keepers of the Rose Page 16
An ugly green lamp hung down from the ceiling, releasing a pallid glow over the small kitchen. Anna and Sayla stood on either side of Rock and together they were staring down at the metal framed, round kitchen table. The white tablecloth spread over its surface was well worn, and the little yellow flower pattern appeared faded and even ripped in places. But that was of little concern. The two unopened cases that held the contents of the chests beneath Oak Island rested on that table, and they were just waiting to be opened.
“Well,” Anna said, nudging his right shoulder.
“Ok,” Rock finally gave in. He reached for the first of the two housings, the smaller one. He unhooked the latches, opened it and reached within, withdrawing a plain brown book. The cover bore numerous scratches and an engraved rose decorated the lower corner reflecting a dull gold. The parts of the exposed pages appeared yellow from first glance though he had yet to open it for a full inspection. He wondered if it was even going to be readable. He gently set the book aside and reached back into the case. His hand clasped two small envelopes and he pulled them out. One he already opened on his first visit but was unable to read it, the other remained sealed under the original wax mark. He laid the envelopes out side by side next to the book.
“What are the letters,” Sayla asked.
“I don’t know yet,” Rock replied, “but these envelopes, sealed as they are came from a very different era than the book, I’m guessing. They look much more recent.”
“How do you know that?”
“The type of paper used to make these envelopes, the shape, and wax as a sealant puts these no earlier than the 15th century. The book on the other hand looks different, bound in hide and I felt the pages briefly. My best guess is huun paper, largely used only in ancient native American cultures, like the Olmec or Mayan. I’ve come across many of these in different studies but Wallace mainly taught me how to pick them out.” Anna picked up the letter with the broken seal. “Careful with that,” Rock said holding out his hand.
“I know,” she smiled. She took out a single folded piece of paper and held it up. To his delight, the old parchment didn’t crack or break. The enclosed chest and cave environment must have preserved everything remarkably well. But he knew this might be the case as remote caves, sheltered from the changing elements were the best place to find well-preserved artifacts from all over the world.
Anna stayed silent, studying the piece paper with a furrowed brow. “Can’t read it,” Rock asked. “Do you know what language it’s in?”
Sayla started scooting towards Anna, “I know a bunch of languages, let me see if I can read it.”
“It’s in English, “ Anna said.
“Well that’s boring,” Sayla answered.
Anna began reading the letter aloud. “War is worse than ignorance, fear of death worse than death itself, and justice should be done only through the just which no man can lay claim to in truth. Who am I to choose who is to receive life’s knowledge and who’ll be cast in darkness, I am nobody of import. And as such I choose to give it to specifically none, and let the fate of lives decide that day which shall be brought forth into the world’s 6th age. I do not believe war over land, where surely the most powerful would prevail, to be in the best light of moving forward for the strong are not always the most worthy though history would have us believe otherwise. As such this treasure awaits the patient, the clever, the intelligent and the determined for you must have these qualities if you are reading this now. And I leave the fates now in your capable hands. Careful on how to proceed, and I caution on which king and country is given access and thus do not blindly follow the land of which your life was given for that which you have is worth the lives of more than you know. My advice would be to take the gold, take the jewels and forget the rest. It will only bring suffering, it will only bring pain. The world is yours. Fate is yours. Power is yours. But beware, corruption, greed and ambition won’t linger in the shadows for long. Signed Captain Robert Ryder son of Captain William Kidd. 1720, 292 years to date.”
Rock quickly did the math in his head. “There’s no way,” he said more to himself than to either of the women. “There is no way he could have known this was to be found this year. Two hundred and ninety two years from 1720 is 2012. That’s this year.”
“That’s kinda creepy,” Sayla muttered.
“Captain Kidd,” Anna interjected. “Just what most theorists believed.”
“But it’s not his treasure trove,” Rock replied. “There were only two small chests still down there, not nearly what he was said to have hoarded. They may have gotten the who right, but they definitely didn’t get what. For some reason, this book and whatever is in that case, he must have felt was more important than anything else.”
“Then we should probably see what’s in the other case,” Sayla said flipping the latches. The second case was almost twice the size of the first. Once inside she parted two folded plastic sheets and withdrew a medium sized stone plate. She laid it on the table next to the other things.
“Careful, that’s heavy,” Rock cautioned.
“It looks native American,” Anna said hovering next to him. Rock made a quick observation but looked to Sayla. “Notice anything?”
Sayla leaned in closer and took a long look at the stone slab. “It’s Mayan, at least a third of it is. The other two parts I’m not so sure. I’ve never seen them before.” The slab was distinctly divided into three parts and written in three separate languages. Rock recognized two of them.
“Look closer,” Rock said. “The glyphs on the left are Mayan, those in the middle are ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs and on the right is completely new to me, nothing familiar.” Sayla started running her finger along the grooves. “Don’t touch it if you don’t have to,” Rock scolded her.
“Egyptian,” Sayla hovered over the slate, “I see it now, but they’re very old.”
“Let’s open the second envelope, it may tell us something,” Anna touched the wax seal and it crumbled apart breaking into hard flaky pieces. She opened the envelope and withdrew a small but thick piece of leather. She unfolded it and flattened it out on the table.
Rock’s heart leapt, “it’s a map,” he blurted out. “It’s another map. Look, look,” he pointed to the outline of an island running his finger along the shoreline. “And up here,” he pointed. “It’s a code. The same type of symbols on the map of Oak Island.” He picked up the leather page and started examining it.
“There’s something on the other side,” Sayla said.
Rock immediately turned it over. He read the few words aloud. “Boston State House, NW corner, first, noon. Below it, there’s a poem or riddle.”
Of twenty men, the answer’s ten.
Of those ten hearts respond in parts.
Part one to solve take three to sea.