Alexis Konnaris - The Emperor Awakes

Could Giorgos have been right all along? Could the illustrious but elusive figure from the past have made his final home here? Could Giorgos have finally found what he had sought for so long? The doubts were now taking shape, putting down firm roots inside his mind and unless he put a stop to it would outgrow the confines of his brain and become a monster.

But how could it be here? It was lost, was it not? At this moment that he had dreamed for as long as he could remember, his eyes refused to believe the, at first glance, irrefutable evidence accosting them. He was suddenly doubting himself and his research.

But in an instant the doubts were gone and the child was back, a child in a candy store. He just had to look inside the sarcophagus, but he did not dare to do it on his own. He was afraid and was making up excuses for not exploring further. Besides, it didn’t look as if he could lift the lid on his own.

He needed help. He did not want to risk damaging the contents, which had, most probably, not been disturbed or exposed to the air for centuries. Even this stale air could be fatal.

He then had an inspiration. They could create a sterile environment right here instead of risking damage to the sarcophagus and its contents by attempting to move it and open it off site.

Giorgos retraced his steps and went in search of the others. He found them near the mouth of the cave. Sotiris was facing in Giorgos’ direction and was the first to see him. He stood up, but waited for Giorgos to come closer and said nothing. He thought he could see a slight difference in the way Giorgos carried himself, but he could not quite put his finger on what it meant.

The others had their backs to Giorgos, but they sensed the shift of excitement in the air at the same time as noticing Sotiris’ reaction and turned towards Giorgos too. Sotiris saw Giorgos first, but Katia was the first to speak.

‘Hey, Giorgos, where have you been? We were just debating whether to send a search party. We began to suspect that this lovely fresh air hypnotised you into the hundred-year sleep.’

Katia tried to make herself heard above the din of the excavation work that combined with the echo in the cave was deafening. Katia was a cheeky twenty-four-year-old. A brilliant academic and archaeologist who had fought tooth-and-nail to be a member of this team and who, when selected, became its youngest member.

‘I have you to thank for not ending up like sleeping beauty. Aren’t I lucky to have the canary you gave me? It is an adorable pet, a great companion in times of loneliness. I would have rather preferred a different birthday present though. What I could not decide at the time was whether you were encouraging me on my quest, along the line of the illustrious men who discovered the Egyptian tombs or making fun of me.’

Giorgos appeared angry, but his eyes told another story; he could hardly contain his amusement.

‘I would never do that to you. I volunteered for this expedition, remember? I wouldn’t be part of this team if I didn’t have faith in you and agreed with your theories. I knew you’d like your gift. The guy at the shop did say that it could converse in three languages, that it had an unparalleled library of knowledge and a fascinating range of interests. There you are. The perfect companion. You should be thanking me sincerely not diminishing my concern with distasteful irony.’

Giorgos broke into a loud hearty laugh that spread like an epidemic amongst the others, and bounced off the walls of the cave like gunshot.

After the last echo had died out, Giorgos remembered what he came out for and his face became serious. The others noticed the sudden change in his demeanour and were worried, but they also recalled their first instinct when they saw Giorgos return from the depths of the cave. Sotiris was the first to speak.

‘OK, either somebody died or you have found something. I can read that look. Come on, don’t keep us in suspense. What have you found?’

‘I need to know how quickly we can set up a sterile environment.’

‘My God, you have found something. Come on show us, lead the way.’

Giorgos simply nodded and turned to walk towards the interior of the cave. The rest of the team took out and switched on their torches and followed him into the chamber. Silence reigned as they gazed upon the extraordinary find. Suddenly the chamber exploded in a flurry of voices as they all, furiously, fought to examine and interpret the sarcophagus and regale each other with their respective analysis.

Without the rest realising, Giorgos made his way out of the chamber and only stopped when he emerged into the daylight. He stood just outside the cave’s entrance and taking out the satellite phone he dialled a mobile number straight from memory.

Halfway around the world in New York, it was coming up to eight o’clock in the morning. It took only a few rings to rouse a very sleepy James Calvell, deputy director of the Metropolitan Museum and one of the best-connected men in the art world. James had had a rough night. They’d had a theft from the museum’s Cyprus collection, which was not even on display, but languishing in storage, in the basements of the Fifth Avenue beast.

‘Yes?’ answered an unmistakably angry and drowsy James.

Giorgos was taken aback and almost hung up. He knew James could be abrupt on a good day, but he sounded exceptionally so. Obviously he had just woken him up. This was surprising as he should have been up and running by now and at his desk at the Museum; unless he had caught him in a stranger’s bed or even in his own after a wild night out which would be typical of James’ adventurous side.

‘It’s Giorgos.’

Judging by the fact that they had not spoken in months, James knew it was serious. He shook the last remnants of his sleep and sat up in bed. He knew about Giorgos’ involvement in the Cappadocia expedition.

‘What have you found?’

‘I don’t want to say anything yet, but it could be significant. I need a favour. I need the latest dating equipment.’

That was code for a makeshift laboratory to provide sterile conditions.

‘I’ll see what I can do. There’s a plane leaving New York tomorrow carrying stuff for a special exhibition at the Istanbul Museum of Modern Art. I’ll arrange to load on board a package with all the gear you’ll need. You should have it by the end of the week. In the meantime I will call our man at the Topkapi in Istanbul and ask him to help you in any way he can.’

‘Thanks, Jamie, I owe you one.’

You bet. You are coming bungee jumping off the Brooklyn Bridge next time you’re in the Big Apple.’

Giorgos knew he could not get out of this one. The favour he just asked was a big one. ‘It’s a date.’

Giorgos hung up and went to join the others.

He was disheartened to see that nobody had noticed his absence. He thought he could smell the excitement hanging in the thin air around them.

James came through for Giorgos. Giorgos was in no doubt he would. The equipment arrived at the site in Cappadocia earlier than expected. He knew he could always rely on James. The two of them went way back. James was one of those rare guys who had the integrity, street-smart and contacts that allowed him to exercise influence disproportionate to his position, in pulling together huge resources in the pursue of a project.

The makeshift laboratory was quickly set up and the team started the painstaking job of shifting through the chamber for further clues whilst waiting for some extra specialist equipment.

However, the opening of the sarcophagus was not to be. The funding was suddenly and inexplicably pulled and the chamber and the neighbouring cave were sealed.

Giorgos and his team, crashed, returned to Athens.