Kane took out his handkerchief and wrapped it carefully about the necklace, knotting the ends before placing it in his pocket.
He picked up the lamp again. ‘I’ve an idea there’s more up ahead. Much more.’
He moved on quickly and they descended a short flight of steps and faced a bronze door. By now the water was thigh-deep, and Cunningham waded forward to lift the locking bar and he and Jamal pulled the heavy door slowly outwards.
The bronze swing pins were set in holes drilled in the solid rock, and the door swung open effortlessly with a slight, eerie cracking sound.
For a moment Kane stood there, a wave of greyness sweeping through him as if by instinct he knew that they were on the verge of something tremendous, and then Cunningham pushed him forward impatiently.
FOURTEEN
THEY ENTERED A LARGE chamber which was about three feet deep in water. It was otherwise completely empty, but the walls were covered with paintings. Kane swung the beam of the lamp slowly along, carefully examining them, and something jumped out at him with the force of a physical shock.
The particular scene depicted a king standing before his throne at the top of a flight of steps. Around his neck was suspended the Star of David. He was holding out his hands in welcome to a woman who advanced to meet him, her long train carried by twelve maidens.
For a moment, she seemed to float out of the darkness but it was only a trick of the light. She gazed out at him, remote and austere, her beauty fixed for eternity, and he stared back. Above the painting was an inscription in Sabean. He translated it slowly, and when he had finished, the wall seemed to undulate and a strange, quiet whisper rippled through the room as though her voice called to him across time itself.
He stretched out a hand and leaned his head against the cold stonework, and behind him Cunningham said, ‘What does it say?’
Kane pulled himself together. ‘It says “Solomon the Great King greets Balquis”.’
Cunningham seemed to lurch to one side, and Jamal moved in quickly and caught him. In the light of the lamp the Englishman’s face looked white and drawn, the eyes suddenly enormous.
‘Balquis,’ he whispered. ‘Queen of Sheba.’
He pulled away from Jamal and moved forward and touched the painted figure very gently with his fingertips. When he spoke there was awe in his voice. ‘A biblical legend and we’ve brought her to life.’
Kane turned and waded towards the far end of the chamber, and the rays of the lamp picked out another entrance, flanked by carved pillars. In place of a door there was a wall of large dressed stones.
Cunningham moved beside him. ‘What do you think?’ he said and his voice was strained and unnatural.
‘I said there was a strong Egyptian influence here,’ Kane told him. ‘There must be a stone burial chamber on the other side.’
Cunningham seemed to have difficulty in speaking. He swallowed and said, ‘Do you think it might be hers?’ щ
‘Anything’s possible in this business,’ Kane said. ‘You know that as well as I do.’
Cunningham nodded several times and turned and looked back towards the wall painting. Waves caused by their movement through the water rippled across the room and splashed against the wall and his breath hissed sharply between his teeth.
He grabbed the lamp from Kane’s hand, plunged forward, water foaming around him and dropped to his knees at the base of the painting of Solomon and Balquis.
He gave a cry of anguish. ‘The water, Kane. It’s spoiling it. Part of the painting’s gone already.’
Kane took the lamp from him and pulled him to his feet without saying anything.
‘Thank God we’ve made the discovery when we have,’ Cunningham said. ‘Another couple of years and that dam back there would have been down and the river flowing in. Everything would have been ruined.’
‘I know,’ Kane said calmly.
Cunningham laughed wildly. ‘For God’s sake, man, don’t you realize what we’ve found here? The greatest archaeological discovery ever made. We’ll be world-famous.’
‘That’s hardly likely,’ Kane said, ‘because the way things look, you may never get the chance to tell anybody about it.’