Read 04 The Edge of Darkness for Free Online

that settled that.”
    “Yes. Aaron and Moses continued their leadership. Aaron’s Rod was to be kept in the Ark as a miraculous sign against the rebels.”
    “Okay, I’m following. There are three things in the Ark.”
    “Right. There is one more detail. In the book of Hebrews we are told that the jar that held the manna was made out of pure gold.”
    “So?”
    “So, the Ten Commandments were given somewhere around 1445 B.C. Solomon’s Temple was completed in 959 B.C. When the temple was completed, they brought the Ark of the Covenant to be housed there. I Kings 8:9 informs us that at that time, the Ark contained only the Ten Commandments. Sometime in the roughly four-hundred-eighty-year interim, Aaron’s Rod and the Golden Jar of Manna were removed from the Ark of the Covenant. What happened to them remains a biblical mystery.”
    “Do you think that Methuselah has discovered where they are?”
    “I think that’s a strong possibility. The next question is, who in the world is King Yamani? And what does it mean?
Thirty degrees northeast of the altar … press the king’s head.”
    “Would you like some help?” A knowing smile played across Shari’s face.
    He hesitated for a moment. “Of course. Do you have the answer?”
    “No. But I think I know someone who might.”
    “And who would that be?”
    “I’ll give you a clue. Stunningly beautiful. Red hair. Sparkling green eyes.” Shari seemed to delight in seeing Murphy blush.
    “Isis McDonald.”
    “You’ve told me that she is one of the leading experts in ancient cultures and languages. The name King Yamani sure sounds ancient to me.” Shari was still smiling. She knew that she had got him and she intended to savor the moment.

EIGHT
    MURPHY TAPPED HIS FINGERS on the desk as the phone rang. He found himself wanting to hear that familiar voice and thought back to the first time he met Isis. It was in the hospital, as Laura lay close to death. She had entered the room wearing a black coat and looking a little sheepish. She had brought a section of the Bronze Serpent that Moses had lifted in the wilderness. Moses had used the serpent to save the lives of his people, and somehow Isis thought the artifact might help to heal Laura.
    After Laura’s death he had not allowed himself to think of any other women. Then Isis reappeared. At first he thought that she might be an ice maiden. She seemed preoccupied much of the time, interested only in her work. After her father’s death, she had lived herlife in hiding. Perhaps in an effort to avoid dealing with her loss, she holed up in her office at the Parchments of Freedom Foundation in Washington, D.C.
    Isis’s skills as a philologist were astonishing. She could read and write Chaldean, Terammasic, a dozen varieties of Arabic, and ten other distinct Near and Middle Eastern languages. She had been extremely helpful in uncovering clues that had led Murphy to discover a number of ancient biblical artifacts.
    His feelings for her had started to grow during the expedition to Ararat. They had spent a lot of time together talking and planning for the trip. They had also spent many memorable moments talking around the campfires on the mountain. His mind began to drift back to his rescue of Isis from the bandits. Ever since, he had begun to feel protective toward her.
    He thought about how his battle with Talon on the ark had nearly killed him … and how Isis nursed him back to health in Azgadian’s secret cave. He feelings for her grew stronger on their search for the Handwriting on the Wall in Babylon. Now he found himself excited at the prospect of speaking with her again.
    “Parchments of Freedom Foundation. How may I direct your call?”
    “Isis McDonald, please.”
    Murphy drummed his fingers some more as the hold music played. He found himself smiling and wishing he could be there in person … to hold her. For now, he’d have to be content to just hear her voice.
    “This is Isis