The Survivor (Eve Duncan #30)

Maya stared at him for a long moment. “What the hell? In the end it won’t make a difference. Stay.” Then she pulled out her notebook and sat down in front of the fire. “Give me a cup of coffee and I’ll start filling you in about Zokara Mountain.” She took a sip of the coffee Riley handed her and gave Kagan a sardonic glance. “And don’t bother trying to remember the name of that mountain out of all the peaks you’re familiar with. You won’t know this one.”

“I wouldn’t waste my time. I prefer to have you tell me about it,” he said quietly. “There are over three thousand four hundred named peaks in the Himalayas alone. Not to mention the other Asian ranges.”

“Well, this particular mountain wasn’t named before Silvana purchased and took possession of that strip of the mountains at the same time that she bought the island. She had plans for the foothills and mountains because she was always afraid that the island itself was too accessible. There was always the chance that Rome might find where she was and send soldiers after her.” She shook her head. “But no one could say those mountains were accessible. She would have a place to run to and escape if it became necessary. There was no way she was going to let them drag her back to those arenas and butcher her. The mountains served as an escape hatch, and there were valleys in the foothills where she could nurture the herds she’d brought with her. It seemed a perfect way for her to have it all.”

“Good for her,” Riley said as she sat down beside Maya. “It obviously worked. Those unicorns appear to be healthy and flourishing. And she never had to use her escape hatch?”

“No, but she never got over the fear that it could happen. Over the years she nearly reached the status of queen, one revered and respected by everyone. Yet the more she worked at creating her perfect world for herself and the islanders, the more she looked over her shoulder. She began to worry about what would happen to her little kingdom and her islanders after she was no longer there to protect it. Would everything she’d worked for be taken away from the islanders if Rome discovered she was the one who had made it a success?” Maya shook her head. “Being Silvana, she couldn’t bear that idea, so she began to look around for a way to take herself out of the equation. When she died, no one must be able to find her remains and steal either her treasure or the glory of her accomplishments. Which would also keep the islanders safe. And she had one more requirement: She disliked the idea of her body being cut into and her organs removed, which was the common practice at that time in both Rome and Egypt. As a warrior, she thought it would be like a final defeat in the arena, and she refused to be defeated even by death. So she set about searching for another way to get what she wanted. It took her a few years, but she found a mountain that was close to the island but high enough that there would be no chance of any grave robbers or pesky Roman soldiers being able to raid her tomb. She named it Zokara and started to work.”

“High enough,” Cade repeated. He looked at Kagan. “Are you going to ask her or should I?”

“I don’t believe she’s going to be shy about spelling it out,” Kagan’s gaze met Maya’s. “Altitude?”

She nodded. “The sarcophagus area was over eight thousand meters. That put it into death zone territory as far as altitude was concerned. But you know that.”

“Very well. High-altitude pulmonary edema. Most frequent cause of death.” He added, “And cerebral edema is even more dangerous because it causes fluid on the brain.”

“But it doesn’t affect you?” she asked. “You’re the genetic miracle man.”

He smiled. “My ancestors have lived in these mountains for centuries, so my genes have adjusted and I require much less oxygen. But then most guides I know have a similar ability.”

“Maybe not quite as extreme?”

“Perhaps not. I’m multiracial in my heritage. I have a thread of Irish. I have relatives on the Tibetan side, and my great-great-grandfather was born in the Changbai Mountains in Manchuria—and heaven only knows where his forebears came from. But I can almost guarantee it was deep mountain country.”

“Well, unfortunately Silvana didn’t know about altitude sickness when she was preparing her sarcophagus,” Maya said. “She lost three workers while they were constructing the central burial tower and the smaller treasure area. She was horrified. She didn’t know until it was too late that they were suffering any more than a little shortness of breath. They hadn’t complained. Her workers wouldn’t have wanted to refuse her if they could help it. They had a duty to her and wanted to do it. They might possibly have lived if they hadn’t worked so hard and long to complete the tower room. She ordered the rest of the workers down from the mountain, but she still hadn’t given up her plan to be placed on that mountaintop. Now it seemed even more important because her islanders had died there for her. But it had to be done right and with no harm to anyone but herself. She had to be the only one who ever visited that tower room. She knew a lot about poisons and drugs both from her experience on the steppes and Antonio’s dealings with the court. So she went searching for answers that pleased her.”

“And did she find them?” Riley asked.

“She found them,” Maya said. “She found a drug that would act almost like an instant fast freeze when she was placed in the sarcophagus. She called it a forever drug because it would freeze time forever for the person receiving it. When she knew her time had come, she had herself carried up to the tower room. She gave herself a strong sedative so that she wouldn’t have to struggle for breath until she was in the tower room. Then all relatives and servants had orders to leave the room and lock it. They were told to leave the mountain and not return after they watched her take the final drug.” Maya smiled faintly. “Her daughter said the drug worked instantly. It was incredible. She was beautiful. Silvana looked younger than she had in years, as if she had just fallen into a restful sleep.”

“Nice…” Riley said. “Though a little too much like a fairy tale. Particularly the bit about the freeze-drying drug she was given.”

“Maybe not,” Kagan said. “It could be that Silvana was just a little in advance of her generation. Though there might have been drugs like that in her day. It was a prime era for magicians and priests to work their magic. Besides, not all drugs are concocted in a lab. She might have gathered them in a forest.”

“You’re reaching,” Cade said.

“Am I?” Kagan smiled. “Remind me to tell you about Chile.”

Maya shrugged. “When you’re finished, I’d like to go on. I’ve told you what her daughter and the servants who witnessed her death related afterward. Do you want to hear the rest?”

“I definitely want to hear where that mountain is located,” Cade said.

“I thought you would.” Maya reached for her notebook and tore out the first page. “The coordinates of the waterfall entry and the passage that leads from there up to the tower room where Silvana died.”

“Waterfall?” Cade echoed.

“Look at the directions and the coordinates on the page. The entry path leads behind a waterfall in the jungle near the temple. Once inside there’s a trapdoor near the cliff edge that goes down about fifty feet and connects with another path that goes east for about four miles and then starts upward to curve around the mountain until you reach the tower room they carved into Zokara. After that, you’re on your own.”

“Any suggestions?”

“Watch for broken stones. You’ll be warm for only about a fourth of the trip up the path, then you’ll start feeling the cold. The darkness can be overwhelming, so be sure your lights and batteries don’t fail you. It’s always a good idea to have someone close to you in case you become disoriented and wander off the path.”

“And how many of those mistakes did you make?” Cade asked.

“More than I care to admit,” she said wryly. “So I’m not about to do it. But you’ll probably be able to guess when I tell you I made that trip by myself. As caretaker, I thought I should handle such a delicate mission with discretion.” She hesitated. “One thing I did do right. I took the precaution to get four complete oxygen units that you’ll find about halfway up to the tower. It might save your life. By that time the altitude may be taking you down.”

“What a touching gift,” Riley said with a grin. “You always know what to get a friend.”