“Ten thousand years. I loved you every day of those many years. And I will remember and love you for the next ten thousand.”
With tears streaming down her face, Donnchadh threw the first spadeful of dirt into the grave. After an hour she was done. Then she turned to the south for one last task.
Merlin held up his hand and his small party of Watchers halted. A golden craft came racing in low to the ground, directly toward them. Several of the Watchers cried out in alarm and threw themselves to the ground. The craft landed directly in front of them. A hatch on the top opened and two people — a man and a woman — got out along with a third party — someone who was not human. Both humans were armed with long spears and walked down the slope of the craft to the ground, while the alien remained on top.
“I will take the Grail,” the woman said as she came to a halt less than a meter away from Merlin. The spear was held in a manner that while not directly threatening, came close.
Merlin hesitated.
“If you do not give it to me, you will die, and I will have it anyway. And you will give me the sword.”
“No.”
The woman lowered the spear until the point was almost touching Merlin’s chest. “Give me the Grail and Excalibur.”
There was a cry of alarm from behind the woman. She hesitated, then glanced over her shoulder. Donnchadh was on top of the bouncer, a sword held against the neck of the Airlia. “We will keep the sword,” she called out. “You may take the Grail back to Giza and put it in the Hall of Records.”
The Ones Who Wait did nothing. Donnchadh pressed the sword into the Airlia’s neck.
“Do as she requests,” the Airlia called out in its native tongue.
“Give them the Grail,” Donnchadh ordered Merlin.
The sorcerer handed over the Grail, still wrapped in the white cloth. Donnchadh held her place as they came back and climbed inside the ship. Then she removed the blade and quickly made her way down the side, joining Merlin. The bouncer lifted and flew away to the south.
“Will they come for me again?” Merlin asked her.
Donnchadh watched as the ship disappeared in the distance. “They might, but I don’t think so.” She turned to him. “Do as I ordered — take the sword to the roof of the world.”
The bouncer approached in darkness. It came to a hover near the Great Pyramid and the Airlia and one of the Ones Who Wait exited, the latter helping the wounded alien. They entered the Roads of Rostau and wove their way to the Hall of Records. The Airlia used the scepter to open the Hall and the Grail was placed inside.
They retraced their steps, the Airlia moving even more slowly. As they exited the Great Pyramid, the Airlia collapsed, its energy spent now that it had accomplished its task. The One Who Waits carried it into the craft.
As the bouncer raced south over Africa, the Airlia died. Arriving at Ngorongoro, they landed the saucer in the crater near the lake and buried the Airlia with the scepter. Then they re-entered the base and went back to doing what they did best: Waiting.
It took six years. From his original company of six, there were only two of Merlin’s companions left alive. And they were now slowly dying with him.
They were close to the top of the mountain. They had gone as high as they could go, but their dedication could only carry them so far against the cold, the lack of oxygen and mountain. They lay huddled together on a narrow ledge on the side of the mountain. Slowly one of the Watchers stopped shivering, then the other, as life seeped out of their bodies. Merlin was the last to go, his hands tightly gripping the sword he had carried around the world and up the mountain.
When he died, there was the slightest trace of a smile on his blue lips. He had, for once, succeeded.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
ROBERT DOHERTY is a pseudonym for a bestselling writer of military suspense novels. He is a West Point graduate and served as a Special Forces A-Team leader before writing full-time. He is also the author of The Rock, Area 51, Area 51: The Reply, Area 51: The Mission, Area 51: The Sphinx, Area 51: The Grail, Area 51: Excalibur, Area 51: Nosferatu, Psychic Warrior, and Psychic Warrior: Project Aura. For more information go to www.BobMayer.org