Lemuria by Burt Clinchandhill (most popular novels of all time .txt) 📗

squinted. “What was that? What did you just give him?” he asked in demanding tone.

Ignatowski continued to inoculate Lucy and the baby before he put away the syringe and eyed Lindsey. “Please, Matthew, let me explain. The last time we were here, we took blood samples from all three of them. It wasn’t easy, but after some food, we were allowed to draw some blood. Back home, we had the blood samples analyzed and, please don’t ask me for the specifics, but our lab found some strange readings. Our technicians told us that there was a fair chance that when we would return here, the family would be sick or possibly dead. They gave us these syringes with instructions, and here we are.”

“And they gave you no clue as to what they found in the blood or what was in the syringes?”

“They said there was something parasitic in the blood and that after receiving the medicine, they would rapidly get better.”

“If they were still alive,” Bishop mocked. He turned to the woman, reached into his pocket and took out a chocolate bar. He took off the wrap, bit off a small piece, and chewed it. He took it out of his mouth and presented it to the young woman.

She grabbed it from his hand and smelled it thoroughly. Pleased with the smell, she bit off a small piece and chewed on it for a second.

“Kajaq?” he asked.

Lucy responded with a grunt as she took the full bar from Bishop’s hand. He reached into his pocket again, and this time, he took out a piece of paper with the part of Haeckel’s tree of life on it and showed it to the woman, “Kajaq?”

Squatting, the young woman neared him and took the paper from his hand. She looked at it closely, then looked around the room and back at the paper.

“Kajaq?” Lucy spoke again as she grabbed onto Bishop’s sleeve and pulled him in the direction of one of the adjacent tunnels. Bishop followed her as she led him through a narrow tunnel into another small room.

“You stay here,” Lindsey commanded Ignatowski, and she quickly followed Bishop.

Bishop looked around the new room. It was empty and looked much the same as the one they came from. Then he noticed one difference. The floors and lower parts of the walls were shining somewhat. He bent down and felt the lower wall. Water. We must be close to the groundwater level or maybe an underground river or lake. There was also something soft along the walls which rubbed off as he brushed his fingers over it. It must be some kind of dirt with moss growing on it. The woman grunted and pointed to the corner next to Bishop.

Bishop kneeled next to it, and there it was, a few inches above the floor. The top of the ‘Tree of Life’ and a bit lower the two switched ancient species. Bishop put his finger against the first A at the top of the text and followed the carving as it was written.

He looked at his finger and then to the ground. Small pieces of moss had fallen from the wall as he redrew the word. He turned to Lindsey. “Small fingers.”

Lindsey frowned.

“It must have been written by someone with small fingers. Kajaq?” he asked Lucy, showing her the drawing on the paper again. Lucy looked at him, questioning and pointed at the picture on the wall. Bishop sighed and looked around him. How could he ask her if there were more like this, more drawings or other things in the cave that didn’t belong there? He looked at the picture again and narrowed his eyes. “Wait.” He turned the piece of paper around and showed Lucy the blank side. “Kajaq?” he asked, pointing at the white paper. “Kajaq?”

The young woman hesitated for a second, took the paper from his hand and groaned before walking out of the room. Bishop followed in a hurry as the young woman picked up the pace. “Here we go,” he exclaimed. “Follow us if you can.” With the two light beams from the headlights crossing the gangways like searchlights, they passed several small rooms.

Lindsey argued, panting. “We never came this far the first time around. I wonder where she’s taking us.” As she said it, Lucy turned a corner and stopped.

“Wow, that’s not indigenous.” Bishop rubbed his nose and chin.

“You can say that again,” Lindsey added.

The room looked the same—the same size, the same colors, even the same musty smell. However, against the back wall stood a table, an ordinary-looking, modern table with a wooden top and metal legs. It looked empty.

Bishop looked at it closer, and with his hand, he rubbed over the top. “Looks almost new.” Bishop looked around the room again. “Weird. What’s a brand-new table doing in a cave like this? See if you can find any more drawings near the edges of the floor.”

Lindsey carefully shone her light around the edges on the floor while Bishop inspected the table from left to right again.

“Nothing,” Lindsey stated.

“Nothing here either,” Bishop added.

Lucy kneeled next to Bishop, took his hand, and pulled him to the ground.

Bishop pulled loose. “Hey!” he cried out as she retook his hand.

This time, she pulled harder, making him fall on one knee. As he looked at her, she put her head under the table.

Bishop looked at Lindsey, raising an eyebrow.

“You better follow her.”

Bishop put his head next to Lucy’s under the table. “Ah,” he uttered.

“What is it?”

“You want to join us?”

“No, thank you, just tell me.”

“I’ll do better.” Bishop came back from under the table and brought Lucy back with him. He grabbed the edge of the table and flipped it backward. “You see?”

Lindsey took a closer look. A large piece of paper was taped to the bottom of the tabletop.

“A blank piece of paper?”

“I asked for a blank piece of paper, and I got one.” He smiled.

Lindsey nodded. “That’s true. Can you take it off?”

Bishop carefully peeled the tape