Ice Queen
A Franklin Adventure

   Two pictures, one woman, three thousand years, and a mystery to be solved. So begins the search for the Ice Queen. Archeologists Philip and Helen Franklin have built their reputations on discovering the truth behind the legends. What they discover will surprise even them.
   Unique items are what have made black-marketer, Justin Smythe rich. Unafraid to kill for what he wants, he intends to have whatever the Franklins find. To steal it away from Thomas Coswell, the man funding the search is just icing on the cake.

   When the Franklins discover the true power in the Ice Queen, they know that Smythe cannot be allowed to get his hands on it. In an underground city, with unlimited power at hand, who will ultimately win?

            Here is an except from Ice Queen
    

 

1145BC

South Pacific

 

          The winds were light, the air was heavy with tropical humidity, but there had been no rain for 10 days. The travelers had struggled through two fierce tropical storms, losing four of the original seven ships and sending twenty-three men to their graves. Clear skies and calming waves had allowed the survivors to make minor repairs and mourn the dead. The supplies were checked; half of the food had been lost and they were nearly out of fresh water. On top of all of this, the fishing had been bad. With strict rationing, they would have enough food for one more week. Lack of water would kill them first. They needed to find land.

Tomar, the leader of the expedition, stood in the bow of his ship and scanned the skies. An ocean voyager all his life, he searched for birds that would indicate land was near. He had seen none for weeks. They had left their homeland and headed for the rising sun. It was not long before the islands disappeared and the endless ocean stretched out before them. They sailed where no one had ever sailed before.

            “It would be nice if the gods would smile on us a little more,” he said quietly to himself.

            “Do not let the elders hear you say things like that my friend. They may decide to throw you overboard as an offering.”

            Tomar turned to see Tonga standing next to him. His lifelong friend and fellow mariner had an unnerving habit of coming up beside him completely unnoticed. “I may throw myself off if we do not find land soon. I would prefer to die fighting a sea monster than to stay on this ship and starve or die of thirst.”

            “Let me know when you are about to jump in and we will fight it together. To die in a great battle is the only way for the likes of us.”

            Tomar stared at his friend and knew he meant what he said. They had traveled the seas together and he knew that Tonga was never happier than when he was in battle in some foreign land. They had saved each other countless times and had become legends in their homeland. That was why the elders had chosen them to lead this expedition. They had the best chance of surviving the journey and completing the task set out for them.

Tomar returned his gaze to the sky and thought about what he had gotten into. He was a warrior who traveled the South Pacific in large, dugout, outrigger canoes. By most standards, they were large boats, measuring twenty feet long with capacity for ten men. They had added sails and his boats were the fastest and most feared in the entire ocean. What he commanded now made his previous boats look like toys.

 Nearly fifty feet long and twenty feet across, these ships dwarfed anything Tomar had ever sailed on or fought against. A centrally located sail, a mast that stood thirty feet above the deck, under-deck storage and sleeping areas made these true ocean vessels. He had laughed at the designs when he first saw them, knowing anything that large must surely sink. Not made of a single, tree trunk, the builders had cut the trees into long thin sections and then attached them to other wood pieces arranged like a man’s ribs. The ships were built on land next to a lagoon. As they grew in size, he shook his head at their strangeness. They were not sleek like his canoes. He doubted they could even get them into the water.

He was proven wrong. As he learned how to sail the ships, he grew to respect the one who designed them. However, even ships of this size were not always strong enough to withstand the storms of the Pacific.

            “I do not understand why we are doing this,” Tonga muttered. “Travel for untold days to an unknown land to take her to a final resting place. Then what? We have already lost many of our friends. We cannot return. The tides and currents will be against us. Not even the gods can change that. We will grow old and die and no one will remember.”

            Tomar could not help but smile at his friend’s anguish. He laid his hand on his shoulder. “I think that is the idea. She is to be forgotten.” He returned his gaze to the sky. “And who knows? Perhaps there will be wild warrior people who we can fight to the death and take their women for our own. Your legend may still live on.”

            Tonga’s eyes blazed with fury. “Pray that it is true my friend.” they stood silently and stared at the ocean. “Why must we travel so far? We should throw her overboard and go home.”

            “Her power is too great. We do not know what would happen if we left her in the sea. The council said she must be hidden from our enemies so they cannot use her powers against us. Hidden so our own people will no longer search for her. It is a wise decision.”

            Tonga grunted in agreement. She was very powerful and had done many wondrous acts for their people, but the power was corruptive and soon even their own were starting to try to steal her power.

            Kintunami. A name that had no meaning in their language. She could turn the heat of the day so cold that even the communal fires could not warm them. Water became solid and burned the fingers from the cold. Powers so strong she could move boulders that all the men of his village combined could not move. Storms could be stopped or started with a look. Tomar shivered at the thought. Now she was on his ship for her final journey. Those who had come to his home with her had all died over the last few years. All were given burials only kings were accustomed to receiving. Perhaps Tonga was right, she should be sent overboard and they could turn around and try to find a way home. He dismissed the thought as soon as he had it. No, he would finish the task set before him and then he would see what was left of his life. He was still young and he too would welcome new battles over old age and slow death.

 

cd

 

            Three more days passed before a lookout spotted the first bird. Cheers could be heard from the remaining ships for they all knew that land was near. It was late in the afternoon and Tomar waited to see the direction the bird took, knowing it would soon head for home. As it vanished to the southeast, the ships started in pursuit. If the winds held, he was certain that land would be spotted the next day. Birds rarely flew more than half a day’s flight from their nests. His spirits lifted at the thought. In his heart, he knew that this would not be their final stop, but it would be good to walk on dry land again while they re-supplied the ships.

 He had been right, and by mid-day, an island was spotted on the horizon. By nightfall, they were close enough to see an entrance through the reef that would take them into a sheltered cove. As anxious as they all were to get on dry land, Tomar decided to stay outside the reef for the night. It was a small island, a single volcanic cone, covered in lush vegetation. They had seen no indication of human life but if they had been spotted, the locals could be in hiding. He would not take the chance until he could see any possible enemy.

            The lookouts scanned the island throughout the night and with no indication of human life, Tomar headed for shore at first light. As the ships came to rest, three men from each vessel jumped to the beach and spread out in defensive positions. Tomar smiled inwardly as he watched the warriors wobble slightly as they tried to regain their land legs. He turned and nodded to Tonga who sprang from the ship as if it was on fire with two men right behind him. Tonga showed no ill effects of the weeks on water and the three men disappeared into the trees. Tomar was staying on his ship, protecting Kintunami and the priests while Tonga scouted the area for danger. If they were attacked then the warriors on the beach would fight to the death, giving the remaining crew on the ships time to get back to sea. Tomar didn’t like the idea of running from an enemy. He never had. However, the protection of Kintunami was of far more importance than his pride. He would leave his friends if he must. He scanned the hills and coastline as far as he could see.  He could hear running water and the sound was making him thirsty. Their supply of water had run out the day before. As much as he wanted it quenched, his thirst would have to wait.

            One hour later, Tonga and his men returned. “We have seen no one, Tomar. The island appears deserted. Kuman went to the ridge. He could see the other shore and saw no evidence of people. I feel we are alone.”

            Tomar nodded. “We will stay then.” There was an audible sigh of relief as the others started to offload the ships and set up camp. Tomar jumped off his ship and walked over to Tonga. “Any signs of animals?”

            “We spotted tracks of some small four-legged creatures, but they did not look familiar. There is a spring near the top of the ridge that empties into the lagoon at the far end. We also saw trees with ample fruits.”

            “Then at least we will not starve this week. Any good ground for our shelters?”

            Tonga pointed to the tree line. “About fifty paces in is a clearing that should be large enough.”

            “Good. We will set up the camp. Take five trackers with you and explore the island on this side of the ridge. Tomorrow we will go to the other side and make sure we are alone. Tonight we will keep sentries on guard. Try to find us some meat for dinner while you are out.”

            Tonga smiled and turned away. He called five men and headed for the jungle.

 

cd

 

There were no other inhabitants on the island and no indication that there ever had been. Tomar finally relaxed. They stayed on the island for ten days while repairs to the ships were completed. Food was gathered and meat from the local animals was dried. The rest was good for everybody’s spirits. The evening prior to their departure, Tomar had slipped away and sat alone on an outcropping overlooking the ocean. Tonga came up, sat next to him, and waited for Tomar to speak.

            “You get better at moving silently with age my friend.”

            “Or your hearing gets worse.”

            They sat viewing the endless ocean to the east. The moon was full and the gentle swells shimmered in the night.

            “How long do the priests feel it will take us?” Tonga finally asked.

            “They do not know. A week, two, four. We know of no journeys to this part of the sea. Perhaps we will never see land again.”

            “So tell me again why we continue.”

            Tomar laughed. “I have no answer except we accepted this task and you and I have never failed at a task before. I do not wish this journey to be the one to finally defeat us.”

            “We could leave Kintunami here and no one would be the wiser. I doubt she would ever be found.” Tonga said this half-heartedly and Tomar knew it, so he said nothing. Tonga sat quietly and after awhile, he sighed. “Very well, we will complete this task. I am going to get some sleep.”

            He stood and left as silently as he had arrived, leaving Tomar to watch the ocean alone.

                           
                         
                                                            Chapter 2

 

The ships were re-supplied and the first had just cleared the reef. Tomar looked at the beach as Tonga stood by the canoe. They should have been first to leave but one of the priests was still missing. They would wait only a few more minutes and then they would leave, with or without Kunili. He was the youngest of the priests and had spent most of his time away from the others. Tomar had not given it much thought, but now he wondered where the man was.

He was about to call Tonga to the ship when he saw Kunili come running out of the trees. Tomar could not hear what Tonga told the man, but he saw the fear in his eyes. They jumped into the canoe and were soon climbing aboard the ship. Bowing and mumbling his apologies, Kunili quickly moved to the stairs and went below decks. Briefly wondering what the man had done, Tomar gave the orders to make sail and soon left the island behind him.

 

cd

 

They sailed on, the moon now well into its second cycle. The ocean had remained calm but so had the winds and progress was slow. Fishing had been good, but the food they had brought from the island was gone. Tomar had hoped they would have made landfall by now, but the seas were as endless as when they began. He scanned the ships that sailed around him. He could not see details in the faces of the men, but he knew they mirrored the faces of his crew. Worn from the endless heat of the day, eyes open only slits to protect them against the glare of the water. Though tired and filled with anxiety, not once had he heard a complaint. These were good brave men and he was proud to have them by his side.

The sun was low on the western horizon when an excited yell came from two ships over. “Land! I see land!” Tomar turned to look where the man was pointing. On the very edge of the horizon, he saw what he thought might be the tip of a mountain but the shimmering water made it drift in and out of focus.

“Kuman, climb the mast and see what you think. You have the best eyes of us all.”

Kuman scurried up the mast to the highest point and faced the east. He cupped his hands around his eyes to reduce the glare while he hung precariously to the mast with his legs. He scanned the horizon for several moments as the sun continued to set behind them. Finally, he dropped his hands and climbed down. He walked up to Tomar and stood solemnly in front of him.

“Well?” Tonga growled from next to him.

Kuman smiled. “I cannot be positive, but it does appear to be land.”

“An island?” Tomar asked.

“It is too far away to tell Tomar, but from what I could see, if it is an island, then it is bigger than any I have seen.”

Relief flooded through Tomar. A slow smile crossed his face and he looked at his friend. “We have made it Tonga. The land of our destination.”

 

 

 

Chapter 3

The Recent Past

 

The midday sun beat down on the desert landscape, heat rising in shimmering waves. The excavation, now entering its second month, had little to show for the effort. The lead archeologist, temperamental at best, was now becoming unbearable and everyone tried to stay out of his way. Philip Franklin had made the mistake of questioning him and now found himself scrapping dirt in a trench, one hundred meters from the main dig. Helen Lewis had made the mistake of supporting Philip and found herself in the same trench.

            “Arrogant prick,” Philip murmured as he filled another bucket.

            “You knew he was in a foul mood,” Helen said as she sat up and wiped her forehead. “He’s under a lot of pressure to find something here. Anything.”

            Philip stopped and sat back. “Yeah, but he’s wrong. He’s digging in the wrong place. All the computer models agree.” Philip pulled out a bottle of water, drank from it and offered it to Helen.

Taking it, she took a deep drink. “You’re sure of the models?”

            “Absolutely. I verified the program I developed on two other sites. He just won’t listen to a grad student. It would be beneath him to do so. At least he banished us in the right direction. If I’m right, which I am, we should be on the edge of the ruins.”

            “Wouldn’t that just burn his ass,” Helen said. “If we actually find something.”

            Philip laughed. He liked Helen. A lot. They attended the same university but had never met, their schedules never crossing. Philip was a computer science major with a minor in archeology and Helen was an archeology major. Both were graduate students and each had been offered the chance to come and work on this excavation. Helen was at the top of her class and Philip was developing new programs for site evaluation and re-construction. Now they were in the doghouse and depending on how mad the boss was their careers could be starting off on the shaky side.

            Helen moved to the wall that was in the shade and started to scrape more dirt. It was only a few minutes when she hit something hard. Working slower, she scraped an area two feet across. Stones, she thought, and not naturally set. She raised her hand and lightly ran her fingers across the surface.

            It was a cool evening; a gentle breeze flowed around her. Torches stood as sentries to the crypt. The passage was open and she could hear what sounded like chanting. Without thinking, she moved through the entrance. More torches lit the way and she soon found herself in a chamber. In the center was a sarcophagus. Around the room, baskets of food and clothing were arranged. This was a tomb of a person of high standing, she thought. Moving closer she knelt and tried to read the hieroglyphics on the sides of the crypt but she could not see them clearly. Standing, she turned and a servant walked right through her.

 

cd

 

            Helen stumbled backwards and slammed into the opposite wall.

            “Watch out, Helen,” Philip called out as she tripped over his foot. He turned and saw her slide to the ground. Her eyes were wide open and all color had drained from her face. Philip scrambled over. “Helen? What’s wrong?”

            Helen stared across the trench, saying nothing.

            Philip moved in front of her and took her face in his hands, making her look at him. “Helen,” he said gently. He watched, as her eyes refocused and finally recognized him. She let out a shaky breath.

            “Philip,” was all she said.

            He lowered his hands from her face and took her hands in his. They were cold to the touch. “I’m here. It’s okay. What happened?”

            “I, I don’t know,” Helen whispered, trying to catch her breath. She began shaking and Philip moved next to her and wrapped his arms around her. They sat in the heat of the day and Philip gently rocked her. It took some time, but finally Helen took a deep breath, let it out and relaxed.

            “Sorry,” she said. “You can let go, I’m okay.”

            “No hurry. Let’s make sure.”

            Helen smiled and stayed nestled in his arms for a couple of minutes.

            “You ready to tell me what happened?”

            Helen stared at the opposite wall when she spoke. “There’s a burial chamber here.”

“Okay.”

“It’s behind the stones in the wall. That’s the entrance.”

“How do you know this?” Philip asked.

“I saw it. The way it was. From inside.” Helen waited for his response, expecting to be laughed at. Philip didn’t laugh.

“By ‘the way it was,’ you mean originally?” Helen nodded. “This ever happen before?” Philip asked.

Helen relaxed a little. “No.”

“And you say it’s behind those rocks?”

Helen nodded again.

“You good enough for me to let you go?”

“If you think it’s best,” she answered.

Philip laughed. “Actually, I could probably sit here all day, but I want to see what you’ve found.”

“You don’t think I’m crazy?” Helen asked as he stood and moved to the opposite wall.

“Probably, but I like you anyway.” Philip grabbed a trowel and started scraping dirt off the wall. A few moments later, Helen moved in next to him.

“I’ll remember you said that. The crazy part.”

“Just being agreeable.” They both grinned.

For the next hour, they cleared away the dirt and soon uncovered what was definitely an entrance to an unknown tomb. Helen tentatively touched the stones and felt nothing, saw nothing. Calling the lead archeologist over, the excitement grew as something had finally been found. Helen and Philip were pushed aside as the senior members moved in to open the wall. It was nearing dusk when the passage was opened and people started moving inside.

Philip pulled Helen aside. “What will we see when we go in?” In detail, she told him what to expect. Once room was made, the two walked in and entered the burial chamber. Looking around, Philip took it all in. It was exactly as Helen had described. Turning, he grabbed her hand and started out.

“Where are we going?” Helen asked.

“I’m hungry. And thirsty.” He stopped once they were outside and faced her. Looking in her eyes, he studied them. She didn’t squirm under the scrutiny. “Then I think we need to talk about what just happened.”

Chapter4

Modern day

 

            “Nice outfit,” Philip said to his wife from their hot tub.

            Helen had dropped her towel as she came out of the house and was now standing in front of her husband completely naked. She made a dramatic pose. “You don’t think it shows too much?”

            “You could never show me too much, but it might be a little skimpy for going out in public. Unless of course we were going to a nudist colony.”

            “Then I guess I’ll only wear it for you.” They both laughed as she climbed into the tub and stretched out next to him. It felt good to relax in the hot water and let the jets loosen her tired muscles. Philip looked at his wife as she stretched out next to him. It was hard to believe that they had been together for almost 18 years. He knew he loved her more now than ever. Helen was long and lean, nearly matching his six-foot frame. With light brown hair that just reached her shoulders, a chiseled face that had just the hint of softness and the deepest brown eyes he had ever seen, he never tired of just looking at her. At thirty-eight, Philip himself was not a bad looking specimen. Where his wife had the sleekness of a swimmer, Philip had the wiry, well-defined muscle of a rock climber. Thick dark hair with just a touch of gray at the temples offset his emerald green eyes. They were a striking couple, but they never seemed to take much notice as many beautiful people do. Theirs was a rugged, natural look and it fit them like a glove.

 They were experts in their field, and had become world-renowned archeologists for a remarkable ability to track down historical myths and legends and separate fact from fiction. Some considered it amazing luck while others said they had a sixth sense for the truth, but all respected them for their accomplishments.  They were so good at it, that they now had their own business doing nothing but investigating ancient legends. Hired by universities and governments around the world, they solved one riddle after another.  On occasion, they would take off and research a project just for fun. They had invested well, and although not rich by any means, they were secure enough to do as they pleased.

            Since they traveled much of the time, they had decided to own a small, low maintenance home on the Southern California coast. The hot tub sat on the rear deck and overlooked the Pacific Ocean. The sun had just dropped below the horizon and a sprinkling of stars was visible.

            “You’re staring at me,” Helen said from behind closed eyelids.

            “I was just trying to decide what I was going to do to you tonight. Any requests?”

            “Hmm. I trust your judgment. Surprise me.”

            “I’ll see what I can do.” He pulled her in front of him and began massaging her shoulders. “So who called?”

            “Mmm, that feels good. What was the question?”

            “Who called?”

            “Thomas Coswell.”

            “Really?  Of Coswell International?” Helen nodded. “He’s like the richest man in the world. What did he want?”

            “I think he said he would like to employ us; or something like that. Rub a little lower please. Ahh, that’s the spot.”

            “So what did you tell him?”

            “I said we were busy tonight, but we should be free tomorrow.”

            “Never say free to a man that rich. It ruins our negotiating position.”

            “Damn, you’re right. I hope you can salvage it. A little to the right now. Perfect. Anyway, we’re invited to his estate for dinner tomorrow. I said we’d be there.”

            “Never turn down a free meal I always say. He mention what the job is?”

            “No, he wants to discuss it in person. A plane will be at the airport tomorrow. He’s e-mailing the information.”

            “Where does he live?” Philip asked.

            “Monterey, I think.”

            “Mexico or California?

            “California.”

            “Well it would…”

            Helen spun around and planted a kiss on her husband’s mouth. When she pulled back she said, “Would you shut up. This discussion is distracting you from more important things.”

            “And these things would be?” Helen stood up in front of him. Philip smiled. “Oh, those things.”

            “Now get up and take me to bed.”

            “Never argue with a naked woman I always say.”