EXTRACT FOR
The Fountain of Saba
(Andy Lang)

The golden sunrise promised a perfect day ahead in the mountains and Ayana stretched as she stared at the rugged beauty of the valley. Steep cliffs rose red and orange and gold, small trees clung to narrow ledges defying gravity, far below the river twisted and churned in its stony bed and a tight canopy of vibrant green and olive foliage blanketed the banks, mounded like fluffy verdant clouds. Dries had quickly found a truly beautiful location for their base camp and with military efficiency all had been prepared for their arrival. This was true wilderness she realised, unspoilt and untouched by the twenty-first century, the air was clear and clean as she breathed in the fragrance of mountain herbs and the faint hint of wood smoke from the camps cooking fire. 

Soft footsteps drew her attention but she didn't turn or react, she knew it was James, she sensed him behind her, she was learning him and with confidence she spoke.

"Good morning Jim, did you sleep well?"

"How did you know it was me?" he chuckled, "It could have been anyone sneaking up on you."

"I knew." she smiled and turned to face him, "Hey, I like the stubble, makes you look... rugged." she giggled as she noticed he hadn't shaved.

James rubbed his chin and smiled. "It's really beautiful here, so wild and natural." he replied as they both looked up the valley to the mountain peaks above, "It's a long climb," he admitted, reading her thoughts, "I want to get up there just as much as you... but we have to pace ourselves." She nodded but he could read in her eyes she wasn't listening.

"Why don't we take a walk after breakfast and scout around, we can get a feel for the terrain." again she nodded with her deep brown eyes firmly fixed on the peak looming above.

"I want to get up there Jim... today, I can't wait." and she turned to him and gazed deep into his eyes, his caution melted and he found himself nodding.

"We can try" he replied, "We can try."

"This is destiny Jim," she announced quietly, "I would never have considered searching here if it hadn't have been for the riddle." she grasped his hand, "This is exactly the opposite direction to what we had planned."

He nodded, their chance discovery of the stele had started them on a new path, the first steps were leading them to the source of the Reb... but where would it lead from there? Would it end abruptly, or would the path carry them to new discoveries and ancient legend?

James didn't believe in fate or destiny, "We make our own." was his opinion but faced with the facts he was beginning to allow himself to believe that their path had been in some way pre-planned, had Prester John been bragging about actual places he wondered, his rational mind had been shaken to the core as the legend of Makeda had been so quickly and easily proven as fact, what other mysteries were waiting ahead of them? Once again he doubted the reality he had found himself living and wondered if he would soon wake from the dream.

"Ayana, I have a confession to make." he sighed.

She turned to him and smiled, "You never believed did you..? I mean at the beginning, you didn't think we would ever find anything!" painfully he nodded and she squeezed his hand tight.

"It's alright Jim, there were so many times I doubted, I started to convince myself that I had been fooling everyone with my crazy thesis, and when Ira translated the name I felt sick, it was only then I truly believed myself."

Relief washed across his face as he saw the pain and sympathy in her eyes.

"But tell me Jim... do you believe now? Do you believe we will uncover the mysteries of Saba?"

Without hesitation or doubt he answered her question. "Yes Ayana, I believe, I have complete faith, I believe we are taking the first steps on an incredible journey." he paused before continuing his thoughts debating if it would be an admission too far.

"And there is no-one on earth I would rather share the journey with." he flushed deeply as she squeezed his fingers and smiled.

"I feel the same way." she replied quietly and shifted her eyes back to the peak thousands of feet above not trusting that he wouldn't detect the desire she felt in her expression.

"Breakfast." he exclaimed breaking the awkward moment of mutual awareness and confession, "I'm hungry and I don't fancy mountain climbing on an empty stomach."

Ayana grasped the lifeline and grinned.

"Let's see what Reba has planned for us" and led him back towards the safety of camp where emotions and near admissions could be suppressed. 

Reba had come highly recommended by the hotel who after discovering that the archaeological team were booking rooms on an indefinite basis became very willing to help in any way possible, when Ayana had asked about a cook and housekeeper for their base camp a quick phone call had brought the young woman running.

"Wat... again... for breakfast?" he whispered as Reba placed a steaming bowl on the folding camp table.

"Welcome to Ethiopia," Ayana giggled, "And what would Sir have preferred?"

"Full English," he laughed, "Eggs, Bacon, Sausage."

"Good luck with that," she replied, "We can manage the eggs but you won't find any pork here, I can ask Reba if she can get some beef bacon from town for you?"

James shuddered, he had sampled beef bacon during a holiday in Israel and it was not a treat he longed to repeat.

"Virtual bacon," he laughed, "That's like virtual sex, sure it relieves the urge but it just doesn't satisfy like the real thing." instantly he regretted the sex analogy as Ayana raised an eyebrow.

"Sorry, clumsy choice of comparison." he stuttered flushing deep scarlet.

Ayana giggled, "What are you so scared of Jim... I'm not a nun, things like that don't offend me." and smiled as she saw him relax slightly.

"Thanks," he grinned as he regained a little composure, 

"But I still don't fancy beef bacon."

"Hey hey, finally awake." came a booming voice from the edge of camp as Dries stalked in from the thick bush, "I didn't think you two were ever going to get up!" he grinned as he propped his rifle against the table and washed his hands in a wide plastic bowl before joining them.

"So what's on the menu... Wat I would guess." he chuckled. 

"Well, while you've been snoring I've been scouting around, now I'm no archaeologist but even I can see there's sod all of interest around here."

James smiled. "Different people find different things interesting... just because you didn't find an abandoned temple full of goodies doesn't mean there's nothing here of interest to us... so we'll do you a deal, we won't advise you on security if you don't advise us on archaeology."

His reply was good natured and light but Dries didn't miss the steely undertone and he felt his quick temper begin to flare. With an effort he cleared his mind and grinned.

"Consider it a deal Doc.. So what are your plans for today?"

"We thought we would scout around for an abandoned temple filled with goodies." giggled Ayana breaking the tension and sending her male company into fits of laughter.

"Seriously." James replied controlling his mirth, "We're just going to look around today and explore the valley, 

I've seen a few anomalies on the map I want to get a closer look at, just a bit higher up." he nodded towards the forbidding peak above, "They're probably nothing but that's what it's like in archaeology, lots of time wandering around looking at rocks... it's really quite boring I'm afraid."

Dries hid his shudder, he was a man of boundless energy and the thought of escorting them all day while Doctor Jim looked at rocks filled him with horror.

"Well this area appears secure so you will be safe enough on your own I guess." he remarked as he grasped an opportunity to escape escort duty, "And I have to liaise with Herr Kline at the Palace dig later, so guys, if you don't mind you're on your own today."

"We'll be fine." replied James carefully keeping the relief from his voice.

Filled with a hearty breakfast and fresh strong Ethiopian coffee they both felt well prepared for the hike Ayana had planned, it was a relief to know that Dries wouldn't be dogging their footsteps all day and they were both filled with optimism. Reba had wrapped enough lunch to feed a small army and James felt the sag of bottled water weighing down his back pack. They were ready.

"I feel like a donkey," he complained with a laugh, "I'm sure I've got the biggest and heaviest pack."

"Of course you have," she grinned, You wouldn't expect a lady to carry the most... and I thought you were a gentleman?" she shook her head and laughed.

An hour of solid hiking found them entering more rugged terrain, they had passed rolling open countryside dotted with tiny small holdings with quaint grass thatched and mud walled round houses, but now they were entering a gorge where the Reb was being squeezed between high stone walls. They found a path more difficult to locate and ended up hopping from rocky outcrop to outcrop, the heavy rains had cut deep gouges from the terrain and made the going difficult and uncertain. The gorge walls started to close in above their heads softening the strong sunlight and casting long shadows, James felt the instant relief and paused to mop his brow.

"The aerial photos don't do this place justice," he admitted, "It's magnificent... but I wouldn't mind a more level path to follow, I changed my mind, forget donkey... I feel more like a mountain goat now."

Ayana grinned and sat to remove a stone from her boot, "It is beautiful here and I'm happy the river is getting narrower, it should mean we're getting closer to the top now."

James smiled at her optimism, he doubted greatly if they were anywhere near the top, but who cared, the scenery was stunning and the company amazing... he couldn't have been happier.

Eventually the gorge walls widened again and allowed the full power of the sun to beat down on them and James called a break.

"We're still some way from the top." he stated, "And from here it looks like it's going to get tougher, I vote we rest for half an hour and have some lunch, the sun's directly overhead so it must be around noon."

Ayana studied the route ahead and above, he was right, the river was running much faster than lower down and the incline was increasing, it promised to be a tough trek.

***

"Well, that isn't helpful." exclaimed Ayana as they looked at the waterfall cascading down the sheer rock face. After four hours of hard slog their ascent was completely blocked and to either side all they could see was a continuation of the orange-beige cliff wall.

"There has to be a way up." remarked James, "But maybe we've approached from the wrong side, maybe there's a path up on the other side of the mountain." He was probably right she conceded, and it certainly didn't look like they would be venturing any higher that day.

"But I have a good feeling about this way," she sighed, "That gulley we passed through before wasn't natural, the sides had been shaped, even you admitted that."

"I agree," replied James, "But we seem to have reached a dead end now."

Ayana nodded, "True, but why go to the effort of shaping the gulley just to go no-where? it just doesn't make any sense to me."

James had felt his optimism rise to a new level when they had discovered the overgrown cutting running alongside the rapidly narrowing river, it was a passage hewn through an outcrop of rock and Ayana was correct, that had been no natural feature, the worn and eroded chisel marks had confirmed their convictions. She also made a very valid point, the effort involved in cutting away the rock would have been enormous without iron tools, why invest so much time and energy into a path that led no-where?

"We're missing something." he spoke as much to himself as he considered their options. 

He looked at the river down to his left, had they missed an ancient crossing? Were they stood on the wrong bank? He made a mental note to be more observant on their trek back. Lifting his binoculars he scanned the cliff face seeking evidence of steps or anchor points for a long disintegrated ladder system but saw nothing other than a horizontal ledge about a hundred feet above the ground where he stood. He traced the ledge across to the cascade of water and with a feeling of growing anticipation detected an incline, it wasn't much but the ledge was definitely rising. Quickly he passed the binoculars to Ayana.

"Take a look at that ledge about half way up the cliff, do you think it's rising towards the waterfall... I don't trust my eyes in this bright sunlight." he admitted, Ayana panned the length of the dark outline and a grin appeared on her lips.

"Oh you wonderful man," she exclaimed, "I think it's a path... but why don't we see it on the aerial photos?"

"I don't know." he admitted, "But it's there clear as day." moments later they were scrambling through the thick bush following the cliff face.

Ayana froze as a flat stone rocked under her foot, "Jim, wait." she cried as she dropped to her knees and frantically clawed away the dead leaves and humus beneath her feet.

"Oh my God Jim," she gasped, "It's a paving stone... we're on a path." she turned to him with fire in her eyes, "A path Jim... in the middle of no-where?"

With mounting excitement they cleared the dirt from a second and a third worn but obvious slab of paving, the stone that had drawn Ayana's attention had been forced up by a tree root and now stood proud.

"We have to get a team up here." he announced as the archaeologist in him grasped the opportunities and potential finds an ancient thoroughfare presented.

"We will," she assured him, "But not yet... keep going."

The further they walked the more obvious the path became from ground level even though the shaped flag stones were buried, the trees to the right hand side were mature and their crowns nestled against the cliff face,

"The path is invisible from above," he realised, "The trees are covering it completely, that's why we didn't spot it."

Ayana nodded, "And look, the ledge is much lower here... come on Jim, were so close now." she cried as she began to jog through the deep carpet of fallen leaves, he wanted to caution her, tell her to slow down but the spirit of adventure was coursing through his veins, throwing caution to the wind he sprinted to catch up with the slender yet shapely figure rapidly disappearing into the distance. Panting slightly he caught up with her and slowed to match her pace.

"I just realised something," he gasped, "You will have to make allowances for me if you intend to run."

"There's no way a middle aged Englishman stands a chance of keeping up with an Ethiopian in a running race." he grinned.

Ayana paused,  "You're young," she stated firmly, "Only your heart and attitude is middle aged."

He grinned his thanks, "Maybe, but my legs aren't sure they agree with you."

The ledge was now no more than seven or eight feet above the ground where they stood and Ayana's impatience resurfaced again. 

"Lift me up so I can see over the edge," she demanded before adding "Please." with a grin, she felt his strong hands grasp her waist and seconds later she was staring at an incredible and improbable sight.

"It's amazing Jim," she gasped and he felt her body trembling with excitement, "It's not just a path, it's almost a road, a flat and perfect road."

Spurred on by her excitement and description James was happy to jog at her side until the ledge slowly dropped below their line of sight and he stood and marvelled at the feat of engineering. 

"All of this has been chipped away with only bronze tools, Ayana, can you even begin to imagine how long it would have taken... and how many men?"

Minutes later they had reached a point where the path was only a few feet above ground level and both had  scrambled up to stare in wide eyed and absolute awe at the massive achievement. A twenty foot wide road had been cut deep into the cliff face forming what looked like a three sided tunnel, the rock creating an overhang.

"That's why we couldn't see it in the photos, it would be impossible to see this from above," he exclaimed, "This is truly a wonder of the ancient world."

The softening light brought them back to reality, "It's going to be dark before we reach the camp even if we start back now." he exclaimed.

"I'm not going back." she replied firmly, "I'm going up."

"Our baby sitter will be getting nervous." added James with a laugh as he took her by the hand and started to walk towards the distant waterfall.

"Who cares," she grinned in reply, "He can worry as much as he wants, I didn't invite him on this expedition, and we don't need his security... besides, wild horses couldn't drag me back down there now."

"Seriously... we won't make it back before darkness falls."

Ayana shrugged, "We have food and water, we can find a place to make a fire to keep warm, I'm happy to camp out here tonight, we can get back tomorrow."

Suddenly James was overcome with the understanding that spending a night under the stars completely alone with her was incredibly appealing, in fact he couldn't think of anything he would rather do.

"I'm happy with that idea." he grinned and increased their pace. Ten minutes of steady climbing later he began to regret his enthusiasm as the muscles in his legs began to complain bitterly.

"Let's rest for a minute." he sighed as he sunk to the floor and rested his back against the smooth rock face, he saw the impatience clearly in her eyes, "Just five minutes." he assured her and massaged his aching calves.

"We're so close Jim" she pleaded after less than a minute, "Can't you hear the water?" with a small groan he dragged himself to his feet and forced his tired feet back onto the path.

"You will be the death of me woman," he joked, "Don't forget... middle aged!"

"Oh stop feeling so sorry for yourself," she replied, "You're not old, you're just out of condition... I could soon lick you into shape." she added with a grin.

"Sounds interesting." he replied with an undertone of innuendo receiving a gentle punch in the arm and a "Don't be naughty." in response.

Only minutes later James regretted not resting longer as his legs screamed for mercy, the gradient was gentle yet punishing and a wave of relief washed over him as the waterfall finally came into sight.

"See, you made it old man." she teased.

"I've made it this far, but how much further does it go?" he groaned.

"We won't know that until we get there" she replied happily, gritting his teeth James found his second wind and resumed their steady march, "And don't forget... it's all downhill on the way back." she added, lifting his flagging spirits.

The smooth stone floor became slippery as they neared the noisy tumbling water and a fine mist soaked them to the skin, countless years of trickling rivulets had cut their way through the softer rock leaving narrow tracings like veins across the path before falling to the river below. That alone was sufficient to authenticate the antiquity of the road, abruptly the path disappeared into the heavy stream of water.

"What now?" questioned Ayana.

"I guess we have to go through," he shrugged, "Personally I don't think I can get much wetter... listen, there's no point of us both getting drenched, you wait here and I'll explore." Reluctantly she nodded and watched him disappear into the deluge gripping the rock wall following a three foot ledge that the powerful stream of water had not yet eroded away. He was gone only minutes but those minutes multiplied into hours in her mind.

"Be patient," she ordered herself whenever the urge to follow grew strong, "Just wait, he won't be much longer."

As his figure slowly emerged from the water Ayana instantly sensed the change, he looked stunned, almost punch drunk.

"Jim, are you OK?" she called urgently as she rushed forward and gripped his arms searching his face for reaction.

"No." he shook his head, "I feel sick." slowly he focussed on her face, "Ayana, you are not going to believe what's through there, I don't believe it myself."

"What is it?" she cried in frustration and shook him hard, "Focus Jim, what's through there?" as if emerging from a dream he noticed her again.

"Follow me, I can't even begin to describe it." he muttered, and turning he took her hand and led her into the thundering water.

***

"What do you mean... you lost them?" stormed Dries.

"Sorry boss, I was following them like you said, they got to a waterfall and couldn't go any further, I put the scope down to light a cigarette and when I looked again they were gone."

"Did you search for them?"

"Of course I did boss, but I figured they had headed back to camp." replied the nervous mercenary, Dries was famous for his temper and Rolf knew he had screwed up big time, the rage was clear to see behind the normally calm façade and he wished himself anywhere but there right at that moment.

"Well they're not here are they retard." snapped Dries as the veins in his neck throbbed.

"I'm sure they'll be OK... it's pretty safe around here." the nervous soldier offered to placate his seething boss.

"I don't give a fuck if they're safe... I want to know what they're up to, that Brits a sneaky bastard." he ranted, "Are you're sure they didn't see you following them?"

"Positive boss." he replied quickly, "Sure, I screwed up... but there's no way they spotted me."

Dries nodded, and calmed his anger, he was a good soldier and if he hadn't wanted to be seen... then he would have been invisible, of that Dries was sure.

"Oh shit, these things happen to the best of us... go on Rolf, get something to eat."

"There's nothing we can do until morning." he admitted as the African dusk rapidly descended, "But first light I want you back out there tracking them... and if you don't find them, don't bother to come back."

"What the hell are you playing at Jimmy boy?" he whispered to himself, "It looks like we both have our own agendas here."