TOMB HUNTER

The Adventures of Larra Court

Episode 6

Larra’s Arctic Adventure

Chapter 16 The Cavern

“I see why Featherstone wanted you,” said Melissa.

Larra nodded. The two women were standing in a large cavern facing five diverging tunnels. It had been two hours since they had escaped from Featherstone and had headed up the ridge. At the top was what Larra knew was there all along, an opening to a cave. It was no more than five feet high and six feet wide and was hidden by a cleft in the rock. Only sheer luck or the exact knowledge of its location would have enabled anyone to find it.

Without hesitation, Larra had indicated that they should enter. Melissa had been amazed that Larra had the energy to keep going, but from somewhere the adventuress was drawing on a hidden reserve of strength.

Once inside, the cave had increased in size and they were able to stand upright Using a flashlight from Larra’s pack, they had been able to make their way quite easily. Despite their peril, they did not hurry. Larra was concerned about sudden drop-offs and cautioned a slow approach, but they both knew that it would only be a matter of time until Featherstone and his thugs came charging after them.

The cave descended steadily and after about half an hour of walking, the cave widened into a huge cavern. It was one of the most glorious sights that Melissa had ever seen. Huge limestone pillars rose on all sides where stalactite and stalagmites had joined together. Between the great pillars were hundreds of stalagmites. And everywhere there was a riot of colour caused by the minerals that were deposited by dripping water. In the beam of the flashlight they gleamed and sparkled like the finest jewels. For a few minutes, both women simply stood and stared at the wonders around them.

Finally Larra began to walk forward. “Come, Featherstone and his friends might not be quite so taken in by the wonders of nature as we are.”

It took them another half hour to cross the huge cavern. All the while the ground continued to slope downward. Melissa guessed that they must now be hundreds of feet below the surface. And then they had come to the five diverging tunnels.

“Which one do we take?” asked Melissa.

“The one farthest to the left,” answered Larra.

“And where does it go?”

“Let’s go a little farther. I want to make sure we are safe, and then I’ll tell you a story.”

They strode through the left hand tunnel for about thirty more minutes, until they came to a large pool of water. By this time, Larra’s flashlight was beginning to dim. “This looks like a good place to stop,” Larra said. “And I’m pretty tired.” To their right was a jumble of rocks, probably as the result of some past cave-in. Larra headed toward them. If by chance they were followed, it would provide a convenient hiding place.

Moving right into the rocks, Larra and Melissa stripped off their coats and set them on the ground. Deep beneath the surface, the temperature was quite a bit warmer than above. They no longer needed their heavy coats. As a matter of fact, Melissa realized that she was perspiring from the exertions of the walk.

Melissa broke open Larra’s pack. She had seen some emergency rations in it when she had taken out Larra’s special ointment. She found four bars of chocolate, and several twists of beef jerky wrapped in wax paper. It was not much of a food supply, but it would have to do for now. Later they could worry about finding something else to eat.

Melissa tore off a piece of beef and chewed it slowly. “Now,” she said, “you said you had a story to tell me.”

Larra composed herself on her coat. It was obvious that she was still in some pain and discomfort from the beating she had received at the hands of Featherstone’s men. “Have you ever heard of Sir John Franklin?” she asked.

“Yes. He was some English explorer who got caught in the ice. He and his entire expedition perished. He was never found.”

“Yes, that’s true. Sort of. He was never found, but he was not exactly lost.”

“What do you mean?”

“When Franklin’s ships were caught in the ice, he and his crew abandoned them and set out to trek to one of the northern outposts in search of help. None of the men ever made it, and it was assumed that Franklin died as well, but there is evidence that has just come to light that he may have survived.”

“If that is so, then why was he never heard of again?” asked Melissa.

“He was never found, because he did not wish to be found. The British government thinks that he deliberately stayed lost.”

“Why would he do such a thing?”

“That is what I was sent to find out. A few months ago, just before the war started, the British embassy in Ottawa received a mysterious letter. It was supposedly sent by Sir John himself.”

“That can’t be!” exclaimed Melissa. Franklin disappeared over 90 years ago. He couldn’t possible still be alive.”

Larra sighed. She was very tired. Smiling weakly she said: “don’t be too sure about that. I have come across things just as fantastic during my life time. Things I haven’t even written about.”

“In any case,” she said continuing, “the letter was traced to a Hudson Bay Post, which said it was dropped of by an Inuit hunter. The letter directed us to this cave.”

“To what purpose?” asked Melissa.

“That is for us to find out. I suspect I was not given all the details. If I had I would have known better to watch out for Featherstone. The problem with bureaucrats is that they really don’t trust anyone and only tell you what they think you should know. All I can tell you is that there is something in this cave that is off immense importance and I am supposed to find it.”

“If it is that important why not send a larger expedition?”

“Just in case you haven’t noticed, there is a war on. The government is a bit short of resources right now. I suspect that I am all the government could afford, especially since I don’t charge anything. I am also pretty sure that those who sent me probably had a hard time convincing their superiors that there was any sense in this expedition. After all, don’t you find it a little hard to believe?”

“I guess so,” answered Melissa. “Why do you believe it?”

“Featherstone is here for a reason. Do you really think he is going to all this trouble just so he can rape and torture two attractive women.? Someone sent him. And someone believes in that message.”

“Who do you think sent him?”

“I’ve no proof. But in the last few years every time I’ve gone on an expedition that is at all out of the usual the ugly specter of the Third Reich has never been far behind. This whole thing has the stench of Heinrich Himmler and his band of Aryan fanatics.”

“I’ve never heard of Himmler. Who is he?”

“The head of the SS, the Schutzstaffeln. Hitler’s elite bodyguard. A worse bunch of scum you won’t find anywhere on the face of the earth.”

“Anyway, to get to the point of the story. The reason I knew which tunnel to take was because of a clue in the letter Franklin supposedly wrote. The clue said ‘When in the crystal cave choose the thumb.’ When we were standing in front of those five tunnels if you held your right hand out face down, then the thumb would be the tunnel farthest to the left.”

“Of course,” Larra continued with a wry smile, “it is possible that Franklin was left-handed, in which case we should have chosen the far right tunnel. Or perhaps he meant that the hand should be held palm up. Anyway, it is something that I did not tell Featherstone. He will have to guess which tunnel to take. That might give us time to beat him to his objective.”

Larra lay down on her coat. “Now I think we should rest. I don’t know about you, but I’m ready for a nap.”

“Right.” Melissa switched off the flashlight. To the surprise of both women they were not plunged into total darkness. A very faint glow seemed to suffuse the ceiling and walls of the cavern.

“Curious,” muttered Larra. Then exhausted she lay down her head and was almost instantly asleep.

Melissa stayed awake a little longer, trying to see if she could figure out the source of the dim light. But then her head dropped. Curling up beside Larra, her deep breathing soon showed that she too was asleep.

“What do you mean they’re gone?” screamed Featherstone, momentarily losing his usual icy reserve.

“They must have slipped out the back of the tent, boss,” replied Engles. “But I think I know where they went, their footprints go up the ridge toward the cave.”

“Get the men together. What’s left of them. Leave the wounded behind. We’re leaving right now.”

Featherstone swept his fingers across his cheek. Only six men left counting himself. They had lost two men killed and one wounded in the gun battle with their unknown assailants. Well, they would have to do. And he couldn’t stay here anyway. They had not accounted for any of the men who were shooting at them and would be sitting ducks when daylight came. Best to move to the cave and try to catch the two women. After all, in the condition he’d left Miss Court, what chance did they have of outdistancing him?

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