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Brophy knelt on the gravel floor “So if we res, ould take away the upper post and the lower seround, creating a T shape with a half circle centered atop it

“It looks like an Egyptian ankh!” Dirk said

Brophy gave a cautious nod “The Egyptian hieroglyph that symbolizes life Or perhaps in the case of Meritaten, eternal life”

They studied the crude drawing, taking photos with their phones, before stepping out of the dark structure

“If we take that to be an ankh and a representation of Meritaten’s burial place,” Brophy said, “then it appears to show a trail leading down from the monastery”

“The drawing doesn’t resemble the path we took up,” Giordino said, “which was e U”

“There are actually three stairways to the monastery” Brophy took a map of the island from his coat pocket “Aside fro path from Blue Cove on the west coast, which joins our route below theon the stone”

“What’s the third trail?” Dirk asked

“It’s a steep and overgrown path that leads fro pier It appears to be aeither”

Pitt leaned over a retaining wall and looked down the steep hill to the north A postcard view presented itself of Little Skellig and the Irish coastline Directly beneath hi at Blind Man’s Cove He turned and took another look at Brophy’s islandtrail or a likely lost path froazed across the terrain

“I don’t think it represents a trail at all,” he said

“If it’s not a trail,” Brophy said, “then what is it?”

“Only one other thing it could be,” Pitt said with a s to a tunnel”

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Their concealed lookout was situated on a rise above the monastery, near the base of Needle’s Eye It was more bunker than perch, a rocky uplift that jutted froh to conceal four people from the monastery and its main trail