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A large upright boulder blocked the entrance, but carved steps descended to the side At the foot of the steps, a deep basin was cut into the floor, extending across its length Rising fro wood post that rose high above the elevated entrance

Pitt hesitated at the top of the steps when he heard the sound of voices approaching from behind They weren’t those of his coht illu from its peak Pitt suddenly realized it was no siular sail hung in tatters Below hi Moving closer, he ai a sea of oars attached to the hull He couldn’t help but wonder who last touched this ship so o

68

The narrow tunnel that split to the left at the junction proved a far more arduous path It snaked for a couple hundred yards, rising sharply in elevation at ti Giordino and Dirk to slide Brophy through its confines The path leveled, and the tunnel finally reached its end in a sh mound of boulders towered over one side of the entrance, but the chamber was otherwise open It wasn’t empty

Along the far as a narroooden altar A pair of bronze oil lah silver cross that was mounted on an ancient anchor On the rock wall behind the cross was a faded , a pyraold above his head

“Guess we found a dead end,” Giordino said He carried Brophy across the chamber and set him down in the corner The professor looked up, his eyes crystallizing as Dirk’s light splayed across the mural

“It’s Saint Anthony of Egypt,” he said, sitting upright “This must be a secret vestry, or perhaps a chapel, built for Anthony by the monks”

“Whatever it is, there’s no way out,” Dirk said “Might be a good time to pray for his help”

Giordino eyed the altar, then waved his light toward the mound of rocks by the entry

“I’m not sure who this Saint Anthony character is,” he said, “but I think he ht have helped us already”

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Gavin reached the tunnel intersection and stopped to catch his breath Overweight and averse to exercise, the hired tough was out of his element The initial climb, followed by the subterranean descent, had left him winded and sweaty, despite the cool tehts appeared behind hiht up Like Gavin, McKee appeared fatigued froer women showed more stamina

“The ht,” Gavin said

McKee studied the two tunnels, then pointed her light at the ground In the dusty gravel underfoot, she detected a partial footprint leading in the direction of the smaller tunnel

“You take this one Rachel and I will follow the larger one” She patted a tay radio on her hip “Call me in five minutes with a status”