The Secret of the Stones by Ernest Dempsey (reading fiction .TXT) 📕

Tommy replied with a sarcastic smile, which only seemed to anger the man even more.

Sounds of dogs barking came suddenly from somewhere else in the building. A few moments later, the tall blond man burst through the door, dressed in an expensive-looking suit like he had just stepped out of the pages of GQ. “Jeez, man!” Tommy laughed, “You just come from a wedding or something?  Kinda late to be dressed like that, isn’t it?”

Ignoring the question, Ulrich strode purposefully toward the table. He stopped a few feet away, produced a black handgun from his pocket, and pointed it at the insolent prisoner. “Why are you not working?”

Having a gun pointed at him seemed less unsettling every time it happened. Apparently, Tommy was getting used to it. “Put that thing away, man. Last thing you need right now is to accidentally shoot the guy who just figured out where the next clue is.” His demeanor remained cool as Ulrich’s icy-blue eyes searched him for the truth.

Ulrich didn’t lower the weapon. “If you are lying to me in the hope that someone is going to come to your rescue, you will be sorely disappointed.”

Unwavering, Tommy unfolded his arms and spun the laptop around so that the screen faced the man with the gun. “Track Rock near Brasstown Bald,” he said triumphantly.

He lowered the gun slightly as he glared at the computer screen that displayed photos of some large boulders, each one riddled with odd symbols and shapes painted on them. The giant stones were surrounded by crude, steel cages. Eyebrows furrowed, Ulrich inquired, “What am I looking at?” His voice had grown slightly less menacing.

“What you are looking at is a place called Track Rock.” Tommy repeated the name then added, “It’s the only spot that makes sense.”

“You are certain?” The gun lowered a little more, though the killer was still alert.

“Dude, I’m sure.”

“How are you so positive this is the right place?”

“Okay, let me explain it to you,” Tommy said in an exasperated voice. “First of all, I’ve been sitting here all night with the Cosmonaut twins searching every friggin’ possible place in the world.” The two Russians turned their heads giving each other a confused shrug. “Secondly, you have to understand the context of the riddle.”

“Tell me,” Ulrich said as he came around the edge of the table, leaning in closer to the monitor. The gun was now hanging unthreateningly at his side.

Tommy was a little put off by the man’s lack of awareness of personal space, but he went on nonetheless. “The riddle says that the stones will mark your path and that of the chariots of Heaven, right?”

A quick nod was all he received.

“Right…So, we went outside for a minute,” Ulrich’s head turned quickly to the guards, eyes flashing in anger. The two subordinates didn’t offer an excuse. They just stood there trying to look professional.

“Take it easy,” Tommy came to their defense. “I was getting sleepy, and I couldn’t keep my eyes open. I just asked them if they would take me outside for some fresh air for a minute. They were both with me the entire time.”

His explanation seemed to be satisfactory, and Ulrich’s attention came back to the matter at hand. Tommy began again, “So we were outside when I saw a shooting star. That’s when I realized the answer.”

“A shooting star?” Ulrich sounded unsure.

“Yeah, a shooting star. You know, a meteor? Streak of light that goes across the sky?”

A nod again told Tommy that the guy knew what he was talking about. “Anyway, that’s when I realized what the riddle meant by chariots of the heavens. The real meaning behind that phrase comes from many different pagan mythologies. Chariots were considered to be not only a powerful weapon, but an honorable mode of transportation. Kings and generals used them not only for ease of movement, but as symbols of their greatness. In many ancient cultures, it was considered an honor to be in the chariot corps of a royal army. So, it was only natural that the religious leaders of the time wanted their gods to look both powerful and yet relate them to a high human position. Imagine if you were a child growing up in ancient Egypt and you saw a shooting star flash through the sky. Every single child was probably told that it was one of their gods on his chariot, coming to aide a human on Earth. It was a better story than Santa Claus.”

“Interesting, Thomas. But what does any of this have to do with the place you are showing me on the computer?

“It has everything to do with it.” He pointed to the screen with an open hand. “Brasstown is the only place on the continent that even comes close to having anything remotely similar to what is described in the riddle.”

“And why is that?”

“Because it’s the only location in this part of the world that has large stones with what many historians believe to be a significant celestial event recorded on them.” He threw up his hands.

His hand moved back to the computer screen in an effort to describe the picture the man was seeing. “These symbols right here are constellations. But the other stuff that appears all over the rock face, those are some kind of anomaly. The only explanation would be some kind of occurrence such as a meteor shower. Seems like the early settlers in the land felt the need to document whatever it was that happened.”

“Where is this place, this Brasstown?”

“It’s a little over an hour northeast of here, up in the Blue Ridge Mountains.”

Ulrich seemed to contemplate what Tommy had presented. Schultz was a renowned historian of ancient