“The doorway is on the corner of the structure?” Jade echoed. “That’s unusual.”
“Very rare. And one of them is an astronomical marker. It’s a second floor doorway, and at the time of the winter solstice, light passes through and shines on the base of the opposite corner of the room.” Jade looked skeptical. “Think about it,” Dane said. “The picture on the breastplate was of Pueblo Bonito. It’s a solstice marker, and it’s cast by a highly unusual doorway. It’s one in seven, as in…”
“Yes, I know,” Jade said. “As in the ‘Seven Cities’. All right, Maddock, I’ll grant you it’s worth a shot. But if we’re wrong, don’t say anything to Saul. He takes great pleasure in my mistakes.”
“Few though they are,” Dane added.
“Of course.”
Pueblo Bonito, the largest and most complex of the Chaco Canyon ruins, was an amazing sight. Set against the backdrop of sand colored hills, it was built in a half-circle, the outer rim a complex of multi-storied stone rooms that reminded Dane of college dorm rooms, except of course for the odd, keyhole-shaped doors that led into each section. Another, narrow line of rooms ran across the straight edge, and another bisected the half-circle. There were many kivas here of varying sizes. He marveled at the scale and workmanship of the structures. Unlike the more famous Anasazi cliff dwellings that were constructed of large block, Pueblo Bonito was entirely constructed of small, flat stones that fit together with precision, giving the impression of a brick structure.
“The walls were built in the ‘core and veneer’ style,” Jade explained. “The inner core is made of mud and sandstone. The shaped stones are the veneer. When people lived here, the veneer was plastered over and painted bright colors.”
“So it wouldn’t be out of the question for something to be hidden within the core of a wall?” Dane said. Jade shrugged. “It’s more likely than something being hidden under the slab up on Fajada Butte.”
“I suppose so,” she admitted. “The place is deserted. Let’s find this room and you do whatever it is you’re going to do before someone shows up. By Chaco Canyon standards, this is the most popular attraction.”
They quickly located the solstice room. A small, keyhole-shaped second story window was cut into the corner of one of the larger structures. It was about eight feet off the ground, no problem to reach, but it would be a tight squeeze to get inside.
“Make it quick, Maddock,” Jade said, watching for any unwelcome approach.
“My, aren’t we testy?” he teased. “I didn’t take you for the nervous type.” He took off his backpack and dropped it at her feet. He’d never fit through the window with it on his back. “Toss that to me when I’m inside.” Not waiting for a response, he sprang up, catching the wider parts of the keyhole with his tender fingertips. He ignored the stinging- at least there were no helicopters around this time- and pulled himself up. It was not easy to find toeholds in the well-fitted stone wall, but he managed, and was soon squeezing through the small window. He wasn’t the biggest guy, though broader of shoulder than average, but he was forced to go in on his side, which made for an awkward spill down to the bottom. The walls mercifully hid his fall from view.
“Everything all right in there?” Jade called.
“Sure thing. Toss me my backpack.” She did not reply, but the black canvas pack came flying through the opening a moment later. He caught it and turned to inspect the opposite corner wall.
Protected to a greater degree from the elements, the inner walls in this particular room were in better condition than the outer walls. The plaster was still intact in several places, including the bottom corner opposite the window.
Using a small metal detector, he scanned the target area, and was pleased at the resulting squeal that indicated something substantial lay behind the wall on the bottom left, a foot above the floor. Had he not gotten a hit, he would have tried Jade’s radar unit, but he was satisfied. From his climbing gear he pulled out a spike and small hammer, and began chipping away at the plaster over the area where the detector had found something.
He felt guilty at damaging a historic site, but he told himself that the damage would be minor, and the result might be of greater historical value. The plaster came away in half-dollar sized chips, and soon he had uncovered a stone two hand-widths square. His heart raced as he noted how different this stone was from the others around it. All the rest were thin, rectangular slabs like those he had seen everywhere else. This one was out of place.
He scoured the surface of the stone, rubbing away the last of the plaster. His fingertips found something strange. Something was carved into the rock! Using the spike, he scratched at the surface. When he was finished, his breath caught in his throat as he stared at it. It was a clover with a cross in its center.
With renewed vigor he worked the space around the stone. It was not fitted as tightly as the other stones. The space around it was filled with plaster. He had cleared the area around it and was about to pry it free when he heard Jade called a quiet warning. He stopped and listened.
He soon heard two elderly voices, one male and one female, engaged in friendly conversation with Jade. He could not understand the words, but by their tone, it was doubtless small talk that was trying her patience as much as it was his. The conversation finally came to an end, and he waited for Jade to give him the go-ahead, but she did not speak. Should he call to her, and risk discovery? After a count of twenty, he called her name softly, but no answer. He dared not climb up to the window, not without knowing who might be outside. He made up his mind to finish the job as quickly and quietly as possible.
The stone came free with surprising ease. He placed it on the floor with care, and scratched the hard, dry surface of the core. The mixture of mud and rock crumbled at the first touch. An inch below the surface he struck something solid. Hastily he cleared the dried mud from around it, and pulled it forth into the light.
It was a metal box, seven inches square and four inches deep. The clover and cross of Fray Marcos was engraved in the surface. It was neither hinged nor lidded, but a careful inspection of the bottom surface showed that it had been soldered closed. They would have to take it somewhere else to open it.
With a pang of regret he wrapped it in a poncho and stuffed it into the bottom of his backpack. He flipped the stone over to hide Fray Marcos’ cross, and slid it back into the wall. Quietly he gathered the loose sand and plaster and sprinkled it around the far corners. At a casual glance, he doubted anyone would notice what he had done, and how often was someone likely to enter this room?
Just as he was wondering what to do about Jade, he heard her call to him.
“Are we clear?” he asked. At her confirmation, he climbed up to the window, and held the backpack out through the window. “Careful. It’s heavy,” he cautioned. Her delighted smile was almost as great a reward as finding the box. His good mood was dampened only slightly when he saw that Saul stood nearby, keeping watch. He managed to climb out of the window more gracefully than he had entered, and in a matter of seconds they were headed back through the ancient site.
“Sorry I ditched you,” Jade said. “Those old people invited me to walk with them, and I couldn’t very well stand in one place all that time without raising their suspicion. Saul showed up a few minutes later and I told them he was my husband.” Saul smirked and Jade grimaced.
“So,” Saul said, sounding annoyed that Dane had succeeded where he had failed, “what exactly did you find?”
“I don’t know yet,” he said, “but I’ve got a feeling it’s something good.”