She nodded. “It looks like Altair, but it isn’t. See how it’s to the left, where it should be to the right of this triangle of stars. It’s easy to confuse because it’s so bright.”
Sam swallowed hard. “Any idea what it is then?”
“Sure. That’s the constellation of Contrarian, because it’s a mirror image of the constellation of Aquila. Although I don’t think your stone actually refers to the same body of stars.”
“Why not?”
“Because Contrarian was only recently discovered using the Keck Telescope on Mauna Kea.”
“Any chance an ancient race, highly advanced in astronomy could have spotted the constellation first?”
Airlie laughed. “Not a hope in the world.”
“Are you certain? From what I’ve seen, the world had some extraordinary astronomers ten thousand years ago.”
“I agree, but seeing Contrarian would have been impossible by the human eye without very powerful assistance.”
Sam sighed. He was grasping at straws. “Just out of interest, I don’t suppose you know what Contrarian means in English?”
“I sure do. It means opposite.”
“If this map were made today, do you think its cartographers would have wanted us to know that the locations identified mean the opposite?”
“Maybe. That’s more your expertise. I deal with the stars rather than the Earth’s antipodes.”
“What did you say?” Sam asked.
“I deal more with the stars than the Earth’s antipodes… why?”
Sam called out to Billie. “Get your laptop out.”
Billie stepped toward them, removed her backpack and started her computer. “What’s up?”
Sam said, “Dr. Swan, this is Dr. Chapman. She just pointed out that we were wrong about Aquila. It’s actually the constellation of Contrarian, meaning opposite…”
“Or antipode!” Billie beat him to it.
“Exactly.”
Billie put her laptop on the volcanic rock in front of the three of them. An antipode was the direct opposite mark on the planet. Like the old concept that if you keep digging a hole through the Earth’s crust, you’ll reach China, an antipode is a mathematical opposite to any given coordinate on Earth.
She typed the current coordinates into her world map software. Mathematically, the geographical coordinates of an antipodal point can be calculated by converting each coordinate to the opposite latitude. For example, 45 degrees North becomes 45 degrees South. Then the longitude needs to be subtracted from 180 degrees. For example, 25 degrees West will be 180 degrees minus 25 degrees, making the antipode 155 degrees East.
Billie clicked enter and the program gave the answer immediately.
She shook her head. “I don’t believe it.”
“What is it?” Sam asked.
“The antipode to the Phoiki Hot Pond is somewhere in the southern half of Africa.”
Sam’s eyes widened and his lips curled into a grin. “Let me guess — the buried pyramid of the Kalahari Desert.”
Billie nodded, “Exactly.”
Chapter Forty-One
Within five minutes Billie had the exact locations of the four hidden temples.
Sam stared at the list of locations. The computer had automatically identified the closest known town or spot to the location. The sight took his breath away.
Orvieto — Italy.
Kalahari Desert — Namibia
Sigiriya — Indonesia
Lord Howe Island — Australia
Airlie glanced at the list. “Nice list for a vacation.”
Sam nodded. “If the extinction of the human race weren’t riding on it.”
“That bad, hey?”
“That bad.”
Sam grabbed his cell phone again and dialed a number. “Tom! We found something. I need you and Genevieve to head over to Arizona University. The Professor there will give you one of the sacred stones. I need you to take it somewhere.”
“Sure, where?” Tom asked.
“Orvieto, Italy.”
“Anywhere in particular. Or just the walled city?”
“I have no idea. Just get there as soon as you can. I’ll get Billie to email you with the information we found. Good luck.”
He hung up and then pressed the contact number for Professor Douglas Capel. The phone rang. Twice.
On the third attempt, the Professor answered. “What?”
“We found the location of the hidden temples. Tell me you worked out how to move the sacred stones!”
“I’m still putting it all together, but the stones should be transferable within the next couple hours.”
“That’s great. Tom will be by to pick one of them up. Billie will send you an email with the locations where we need to send the other three stones. How would you like an all-expense paid trip around the world?”
“At my age, I’d just as happily stay at home. But, why not?”
“Good. Just out of interest, how did you resolve the problem of transporting the sacred stones of blackbody?”
“I constructed a vacuum. No air meant no electrons to steal. The stone remains a constant weight inside.”
“That’s great. Well done.”
Sam hung up. He glanced at Airlie. “Dr. Chapman, I can’t tell you how much you’ve helped us. Your information might just have saved the entire human race from extinction.”
Airlie stood up and started to pack her small travel bag. “I’m coming with you.”
Sam grinned. “Where?”
“Wherever it is you’re going. To the antipode of this place. Where that constellation is directing you.”
“Shouldn’t you wait here?”
“My fiancé’s dead. There’s nothing I can do here to bring him back. But if I come with you, I might just find a way to make it so that he didn’t die in vain.”
Sam remained silent. The last thing he needed right now was a tag-a-long.
“I won’t slow you down. But I might be able to help. If you’ve told the truth about anything today, we both know you’re going to need all the help you can get.”
He knew the importance of having something to concentrate your efforts on after a terrible event like losing someone close to you. Sam didn’t know what she could do, but he wasn’t going to turn her help away, either. “Look. I need to check something out. I’ll be back in a few days. Give me your number and I’ll contact you.”
She took a deep breath and sighed. “You’re right. I should probably tell his family. Call me if there’s anything I can do.”
“Of course.”
Demyan greeted him as he was leaving. “You found something?”
“Yes. Not here though.”
“That’s great news.” Demyan swapped cell numbers. “If I find anything I think you might need, I’ll call you. You’ll let me know if there’s anything I can do to help, right?”
“Of course,” Sam promised.
Chapter Forty-Two
The historic red and white funicular lurched forward with a jolt.
Tom Bower gripped Genevieve’s hand affectionately as they traveled beneath a thick forest of Italian pine, which formed a natural arbor through which their carriage ascended. The medieval walled city of Piazza Cahen rose majestically out of a great volcanic plug that extended more than five hundred feet above.
The single line carriageway used two cars and a central pivot point to allow simultaneous uphill and downhill routes along the constant sixteen-degree slope for the entire duration of the nearly two-thousand-foot route.
Tom glanced at the approaching carriage. It traveled downward and toward them, at a combined speed of forty feet per second. He watched, half-waiting for the two to crash into one another. At the last moment, the approaching carriage shifted to the right as theirs shifted to the left and the two passed with no more than a few inches to spare on either side.