The Secret of the Stones, Ernest Dempsey [popular books to read TXT] 📗

away was when the sexton started talking about an altar.”

“An altar?”

“Yeah. The history of Rock Eagle and Rock Hawk is a pretty big mystery, as I’m sure you know.”

This time Joe nodded. “Yep, those are a couple of odd spots for sure.”

Allyson was confused. “What is this place you guys are talking about?”

“Rock Eagle and Rock Hawk are located down in East Georgia, fairly close to Augusta,” Sean explained. “The names eagle and hawk refer to two giant stone effigies that are in the shape of birds. Rock Hawk was built out of a darker stone, so it appears almost black. A few miles away from there, Rock Eagle was constructed out of white stones. They are actually quite amazing designs.”

“So what does this have to do with the Golden Chambers?”

“Well, the riddle mentions a raven and a dove. Maybe whoever gave the name Rock Eagle and Rock Hawk was just trying to help keep the mystery hidden.”

“Makes sense,” Joe added. “I’d never actually considered that before. And the altar?”

Sean smiled. “Glad you remembered. When the first excavations were done at the sites, researchers believed that the stone mounds were some sort of mass graves. They expected to find dozens, if not hundreds, of human remains underneath.”

“Did they?” Allyson asked.

“No. In fact, they only found two skeletons, one at each site. Turns out, the bones found at the Rock Hawk site were of a female, and those discovered at Rock Eagle were that of a man. What tipped me off, though, was an odd little detail of the story.”

He paused for a moment, reflecting. “It is said that Indians from many parts of the region would make a pilgrimage to both sites to place stones there. Over the years, there must have been hundreds and hundreds of rocks brought from all over the southern part of the continent to be placed on the giant stone birds. Generations of Indians traveled to the altar where “the sacred bones lay.” The two people buried there must have been extremely important. Perhaps even the first Natives to settle the area.”

“According to the new theory, the first Egyptians to settle here,” she realized.

“Exactly. They were the father and mother to a new nation.”

The moment was heavy in the truck as the last little detail sank in.

“So, you think these two birds will lead us to the chamber?”

“More than that, Allyson. I think the birds watch over it.”

Joe and Allyson cast a questioning look at him.

“Think about it. The medallion Tommy found has two birds on it divided by some kind of line or pole. I think that line marks the location of the first chamber.”

“You know,” Joe added, “I think you might be right. But how do we find that line?”

“Well, I wasn’t sure about that until I remembered another oddity in the area. You see, the two birds face each other even though they are miles apart. Almost exactly at the midpoint between them, a set of totem poles was erected.”

“That is interesting.”

“Even more fascinating, these totems were built out of stone, not wood. Now why would the Natives go to so much trouble?”

“They wanted them to last forever,” Allyson jumped in.

“Exactly. But there is one more piece to the puzzle. And if I know Tommy, he has already figured it out. If he’s smart, he will take those guys to the totems without the key.”

“Key? What key?”

“Remember the riddle,” Sean continued. “It said there was a key.”

“Do you know where this key is?”

“I think so. When the bones of the man were discovered at Rock Eagle, there was only one other artifact recovered with his body: a quartz arrowhead.”

“Quartz?” Allyson inquired.

“Yes. It was an odd material for Natives to use, considering they made most of their weapons from flint in the early days. Spearheads and arrowheads were almost exclusively made from the soft, gray stone. So, when the archaeologists found one that was made from quartz, that naturally seemed strange.”

“And you think this arrowhead is the key to the chamber?” Joe looked hopeful.

“I do. It’s the only thing that could make sense.”

“Where is this key then?”

“It should be at the museum at Rock Eagle. My guess is it should be on display there.”

“How do we know that Jurgenson won’t get it before us?”

“We don’t,” Sean said with determination. “But if Tommy’s smart, he will take them to the totem poles first, which should give us enough time to get the key.”

“And just how do you plan to do that?” Allyson asked skeptically.

He answered with a sly grin. “I’m sure the museum can make an arrangement for one of its principal contributors.”

53

Eastern Georgia

Between the majestic peaks of the Blue Ridge Mountains and the plains of Southern Georgia lies a happy medium. Putnam County’s rolling hills. A little farther south, the golf course famous for dogwoods, azaleas, and green jackets rested quietly awaiting that fabled weekend in early April.

One of the perks of being wealthy was the ability to attain the unattainable. And no sporting event in the world was less attainable than a ticket to the Masters at Augusta National.

Being an avid golfer, Tommy had paid an outrageous amount of money to make the pilgrimage to the annual tournament among the pines and flowering bushes. Sean had tagged along more for the story than anything else but was dazzled by the immaculate beauty of the course. He had gawked at the explosion of colors and had wondered at how the groundskeepers could shape nature into such perfection.

Tommy’s mind snapped back from the brief daydream as he and his two captors approached the welcome center of the Rock Eagle Effigy Mound. The lengthy drive seemed to take forever, and his legs ached from