Tridas Read Free Page A

recline above
the temple floor looking east out to the sea, the sheer cliffs providing
protection from marauders and the crashing waves far below. The citadel was
picturesque, indeed.
    The food was fresh and full of flavor. The wine
was flowing freely, each new reserve better than the last. The women were
beautiful, if only because he was the only man present, but one demanded
special attention. 
    Her laugh was contagious. Her very presence
lifted the energy of all others. Her dark hair, in loose curls and tan skin was
such a striking contrast to the white of the dress and decor. Her beauty was
undeniable. From the marking on her wrist, Antipater knew Kava was from the
city Tilos of Rhodes.
    Kava turned to look at Antipater and he was
already starring at her. His eyes piercing her soul, not in a subjective way,
but were empowering and full of passion.
    "May I dance in your honor Regent?"
    "Do you think it wise to isolate yourself
from amongst your sisters to honor me rather than your goddess of
tribute?" Antipater queried.
    "Yes... Athena is portrayed as a shrewd
companion of heroes and is the patron goddess of heroic endeavor after
all." She quipped, as the wine provided just the right amount of liquid
courage.
    "By all means, dance for me”. Antipater
admired her bold spirit as well as her embrace of individuality. After all they
were celebrating the "free ones”.
    Kava approached Antipater's raised platform,
taking each step on her toes, muscles flexed revealing the tone of her body.
Moving to the music, as the drums beat faster, her new elevated position
allowed the sea breeze to lift the light fabric of her parted dress and blow
through her hair. She appeared angelic as the winds complimented her movements.
At this close distance, her entire body was visible through her sheer gown.
Antipater was mesmerized.
    Olympias was furious.

The energy of the mind is
the essence of life.
~ Aristotle ~
    Aven
was escorted around the chain links that separated the public from the sacred
ruins and proceeded up the narrow outer steps to summit the pyramid. Digits in
the code intercepted in Thailand had ancient characters incorporated. Symbols
that resonated with Aven in DC, now at Chichen Itza were tapping into memories
from long ago. Inside the pyramid, Aven navigated the narrow passages to enter
the temple room of Chac Mool. Examining the Jaguar throne, the engraved
characters on the chest of the statue, were the same as those embedded into the
code, awaiting his interpretation back at the Pentagon.
    Suddenly everything was clear from 3 days ago.
Aven had experienced a vision of Sumeria in his convertible outside the winery,
in preparation for this interpretation. Throughout his long life, memories were
lost until they were needed to fulfill a purpose. Realizing the draw to Chichen
Itza, was a call from the ancients, Antipater recalled his first visit to
Sumeria with Alexander. They had entered the famed Ziggurat tower of Babel,
square at its foundation (rather than round) and 91 meters high. It was in
decay, but both men knew the significance of the structure. Alexander would
eventually destroy the tower, but not before removing certain tiles to another
location. The similarities between the pyramid and the tower were not a coincidence
and the use of the number 91 bore significance.  
    The number 91 carries with it a meaning of
disaster. It is the sum of the numbers one to thirteen and is a symbol of the
culmination of all that is "unlucky."
    Aven took 91
paces and before him was a carving on the tomb wall. It was a rendering of a
great cataclysmic event. One he had seen depicted before in the stone carvings
of Angkor Wat, a temple in Cambodia, a country that shares borders with
Thailand. At the realization of the connections, Aven lost his footing as the
ground beneath him began to shake. He caught a glimpse at his watch, as his arm
reached toward the wall to stable himself...