lit the way with the kerosene lamps we had carefully wrapped up in our backpacks and Kalisteas led us down a narrow passageway that meandered left and right, as well as up and down. As we began to descend, the heat became even more stifling, until we came to a fork in the passageways with two separate shafts leading off in different directions.
‘This is as far as I know,’ Kalisteas said quietly. ‘Now it's your turn.’
We carefully looked over the walls of this crossroads, until the professor recognized some inscriptions engraved at the bottom of one of the shaft walls. Turning towards us with a triumphant smile on his face, he announced:
‘This is the way. I have no doubt about it.’
While we continued down the narrow shaft we could hear the fluttering of bats behind us, until the passage came to an abrupt end.
After using the lamps to look all around us, we could see a narrow opening on our left through which only one person at a time could just about squeeze through.
‘The secret entrance,’ the professor announced.
Kalisteas stooped and entered the narrow opening while we followed.
We had to squat down and even at times crawl our way along the tunnel, our legs beginning to go numb as we advanced, until finally, we reached the foot of a rough spiral stone staircase, which went down further still.
On reaching the bottom of the staircase, the professor was panting.
‘Are you all right?’
‘Of course I am. Don’t worry about me. I may be an old bookworm who’s not used to exercise, but there’s no way I’m giving up now.’
Kalisteas smiled on seeing this spirit of adventure in the professor while he was hunched over trying to catch his breath.
‘I think we’ve reached the end,’ the Greek announced as he pointed ahead.
There in front of us was a dark underground lagoon. As we approached the edge of it, we could distinguish a very small altar at the opposite end of this grotto.
‘We’ve only got two options,’ I exclaimed, turning to my companions. ‘We either cross the lagoon or we turn around and try one of the other tunnels.’
‘There’s something I don't like about this cave,’ declared the professor.
We began to look around the lagoon’s edge. There was only a tiny area of solid ground flanked by a huge rock wall about 30-foot high that extended all around the lagoon.
‘The altar on the other side doesn’t seem that far away,’ said Kalisteas. ‘I’m a good swimmer. I think I could get across without much of a problem.’
‘There’s no trace of any human presence. It’s as if no one has ever been here’ added the professor.
We both stared at him as if he had read our minds. The Greek began to remove his clothing and prepared to enter the water.
‘Are you sure you can swim over to there?’ I asked him.
He smiled with a nod.
Kalisteas got into the cold water and began to stroke away. He had been swimming for just a short time when we heard a splash in the water and a small wave forming some distance away from him.
‘Look over there,’ said the professor pointing.
‘Swim back as fast as you can!’ I yelled to him instantly. ‘There’s something in the water!’
Kalisteas looked over to his left and saw the ripple in the water approaching him.
‘Shine the light over there, professor!’ I said as I took out my revolver from its waterproof wrapping and started shooting in that direction.
The shots seemed to make the creature hesitate and change direction, giving Kalisteas the time to get back to us safe and sound.
‘We now know why no one seems to have crossed this lagoon,’ the Greek said as he was drying himself off.
‘And now what?’ asked the professor.
‘I have no idea’ I replied, looking around that sinister cavern once more.
We spent some time scrutinizing the place trying to find a solution. At first we thought that the best idea was to turn around and come back another day with the right equipment, but we were far from the nearest town and the entrance to the cave would be submerged again in a couple of days. That would have meant waiting a whole year to try again.
Having run out of ideas, we sat on the outcrop of rocks at the water's edge. Despite the darkness, the torches were reflected in the water of the lagoon, drawing a starry sky over the grotto’s vaulted ceiling.
That vision reminded me of a time a few years earlier when I had gotten up before the break of dawn to undertake the tough climb of one of the Alpine mountains during my holidays in Switzerland.
‘That wall,’ and I pointed to the left, ‘runs right along the grotto. It starts here on our side and ends right at the little altar over there. If I can manage to climb along it, I wouldn't have to get wet.’
‘You've gone mad?’ the professor declared as if he were teaching back in his Oxford classroom.
‘I can cross that wall from one end to the other. Look!’ I said pointing at it. ‘There are cracks and fissures all along the rock face. Anyone could climb along it without too much trouble.’
‘It’s too risky,’ added Kalisteas. It was the first time I had seen fear in his eyes.
‘I haven’t come this far just to turn back. We’re on the point of the greatest archaeological discovery in history,’ I replied angrily.
They both lowered their heads and kept their mouths shut.
I took one last look all along the rock wall face, trying to envisage my route. There were certainly enough cracks and fissures that could provide hand and foot holds for someone who was as experienced at climbing as I was. After a last look, I began the ascent.
The first section was relatively easy. I climbed to a not too excessive height, around 20 feet above the level of the lagoon, high enough to ensure that nothing could attack me from the water. I inched my way along searching for a crack that could provide first a handhold and then a foothold, taking one step after another with great care. The humidity in the underground cavern had made its mark on the walls over the years, creating a large number of cracks and fissures.
Upon reaching halfway, I was beginning to feel tired but on looking down, I saw the water gently stir in the centre of the lagoon; something that gave me more than enough motivation to carry on.
As I neared the altar, its
