The Hidden Chamber In The Great Sphinx

The Hidden Chamber in the Great Sphinx

AuthorHouse

Chapter One

Abdul Saad, Minister of Antiquities for the Egyptian Government was calling.

"Cliff, we have found a hidden chamber in the right paw of the Great Sphinx."

"That's exciting. How did you discover it?"

"We used ground penetrating radar (GPR)."

GPR is a geophysical method that uses radar pulses to image underground. The advantage of GPR is that it is a nondestructive method which is ideal in the field of archeology. GPR uses the microwave band of electromagnetic radiation. It can penetrate rock as well as the ground. In archeological features and cemeteries, GPR creates a three dimensional image which is called a tomographic image. GPR can penetrate the ground up to a depth of 15 meters. The best images are created by penetrating ground and rock. When penetrating clay the GPR penetrates at much less depth. The GPR equipment uses an antenna which sends radar waves into the ground. The two way travel time is measured. The printout which is produced is called a radar gram.

The use of GPR began in the mid-1980s. The use of computers allowed data to be collected in the field the brought back to the lab where it could be placed on computer disk and analyzed. The digital data which was collected allowed much larger areas to be mapped and the digital data collected was much more precise.

"An expedition to open the chamber is being organized at Cairo University. We would like you to be part of the expedition."

"Thank you. I would honored to attend."

Cliff hung up the phone. He stretched his long arms and smiled.

Cliff Post was 6 feet 4 inches tall and had a muscular build. His eyes were dark blue like sapphires and his hair was jet black. His hair was so black that it looked blue in bright sunlight.

Professor Post was Professor of Archeology at Lodge University in Boston, MA. He had been there for twenty years and had grown weary of commuting from his home in Plymouth to Lodge. It was a difficult decision for Cliff. He loved his home in Plymouth. He owned a home on a corner lot on top of a hill which gave him a panoramic view of Plymouth Harbor. It was a family home which he had inherited from his parents but the commute was killing him. To solve his dilemma, Cliff decided to rent out his home rather than sell it. He put his Plymouth home in the hands of a real estate agent. He would keep his Plymouth home but live in Brookline and eliminate the Plymouth-Boston commute.

In the winter road conditions were terrible and during the rest of the year traffic and accidents made the commute very difficult. While living in Brookline, he would be able to take public transportation on snow days. Boston had a large public transportation system which was run by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority( MBTA). Bostonians affectionately called the MBTA "The T". Cliff's new home was a short walk from a T stop on the Green Line and Lodge was at another stop on the Green Line. He was going to move in next week. His new home was in a quiet neighborhood near Lars Anderson Park. Cliff had already met his new neighbors, Lisa Sheridan and her young son, Matt. Lisa was a single mother and her son, Matt was a handicapped 8 year old boy.

Luckily, Cliff's friends in Plymouth had volunteered to move him to Brookline. Next week would be a busy week because Cliff was preparing midterm examinations at the same time he was moving.

Lodge University was a large University with an enrollment of 30,000 students. It housed many colleges on its campus. There was the College of Liberal Arts, the College of Engineering, the College of Fine and Applied Arts, the College of Public Communication and the College of Nursing.

Cliff taught archeology and was most interested in the similarities between ancient sites. Cliff was fascinated by the fact that such diverse cultures as the ancient Egyptians, the Mayans and the Incas had one thing in common: pyramids. He was also a proponent of the theory that Earth had been visited by aliens and that the aliens used their advanced technology to construct structures such as those on the Giza plateau. Whoever built the structures of Giza had advanced knowledge of astronomy, mathematics and science. Cliff knew from speaking with engineering professors that we could not build the pyramids of Giza even with our modern technology. He was also intrigued by the fact that the Inca pyramids, the Aztec pyramids and the Egyptian pyramids were all built at 33 degrees latitude.

In the case of the Great Pyramid, the quarry from which the stones were removed was located at some distance from the pyramid. The stones were mammoth each weighing from 2 to 70 tons. The obvious question was: How were they moved? On Easter Island, the Moai statues were located a great distance from the quarry that they came from. Some of the stones used to build the statues weighed 65 tons. The current theory was that logs were used to move the mammoth stones from the quarry to the sites of the Moai statues. However, there were no trees anywhere on Easter Island. Therefore, Cliff dismissed the log theory. In England, the stones used to build Stonehenge were 150 miles from the quarry that they were taken from. The question was, How were they moved? This had been on Cliff's mind since college. Cliff reasoned that it would take advanced technology to accomplish these tasks.

Cliff's views did not reflect the views of mainstream archeologists who did not believe in the ancient aliens theory. Cliff believed that the ancients did not have the technology to build the Great Sphinx and the Pyramids of Giza. The Great Pyramid of Cheops had stones that weighed hundreds of tons and, in some cases, thousands of tons placed together with a clearance of one-eighth inch.

Cliff's theories did not alienate him from his colleagues. He was affable, easy going and had a wonderful sense of humor. He was well liked both by the other professors and by other archeologists.

Cliff recognized that be living in Brookline would give him more time to spend with other archeologists and to make full use of his membership in the Boston Archeological Society.

Professor Post gave his midterm examinations then used Spring Break to move to his new home. His friends Tom, Bob and Larry helped him load the moving truck. Then Cliff and his friends drove to Brookline and moved Cliff's belongings into the Brookline home. Cliff's new home was a split level with two steps between each section. Cliff had purchased a case of beer which he stored in the Brookline refrigerator. He had ordered 8 pizzas from Papa Gino's. Cliff has also invited Lisa and Matt to come to his moving day pizza party. Just as Cliff and his friends finished arranging all the furniture the doorbell rang. Cliff opened the door and Lisa and Matt stepped in.

"Come in and welcome to my new home."

"Thank you. I made two apple pies so that we'd have dessert," announced Lisa. Lisa was a tall, green eyed redhead with silky smooth skin.

"Let me introduce you to my friends. This is Tom. This is Bob and this is Larry."

"This is my son Matt." Like his mother, Matt was a green eyed redhead. He was cute but he walked with a pronounced limp. Cliff instantly felt sorry for him.

They all sat around Cliff's dining room table eating pizza and drinking beer.

"What is Matt going to drink?," asked Lisa.

"I bought him a half gallon of chocolate milk", said Cliff.

"Thank you so much. That is his favorite."

Lisa's apple pies were the hit of the party. The men found them to be delicious.

"How long have you men been friends?"

"We met when we were all freshman at Boston University. We have remained friends until the present day. I take it that you two have just met," said Larry.

"Yes, we met when Cliff came here to look at the house."

"You're going to find that you have a very useful neighbor in Cliff. Cliff can fix anything and he loves home improvement projects," added Bob.

"Cliff is a real knight in shining armor," chimed in Tom. "I'll never forget the day we were in Western Civilization class. Western Civ was a requirement for graduation. So, the lectures were given in Hayden Hall which is a huge auditorium. Well, one day we were all listening to the lecture when this wise guy named Kurt Hutchinson put his hand up Beth Cormier's dress. Beth was this freshman girl who was just about the prettiest girl in the freshman class. She turned bright red. Well, Cliff jumped up out of his seat and punched Kurt in the nose. Well, with that right cross Cliff flattened Kurt. He was out cold. When Kurt woke up. Cliff told him that if he ever pulled a stunt like that again he'd put his lights out permanently. Beth thanked Cliff for protecting her and immediately said yes when he asked her out."

"Cliff is also very honest. One day, in sophomore year, Cliff owed the student cafeteria $2.60. Would you believe that Cliff drove all the way to Plymouth, withdrew money from his bank account and then drove all the way back to Boston to pay the cafeteria? He spent more money in gas than he owed the cafeteria," said Bob.

"Cliff is a stand up guy. You'll enjoy having him as a next door neighbor, said Tom.

After two hours, the party ended and Cliff's male friends returned to Plymouth. Cliff asked Lisa and Matt to stay. He wanted to make friends with his new neighbors.

"Your friends are very nice. I enjoyed their company."

"We have been friends for years. They are all married and they all have small children."

"Younger than me."

"Yes, Matt, younger than you. They are all preschoolers. Their wives wanted to come today but they had to stay home with the children."

"Perhaps, you can invite them to come another time; this time please ask them to bring their wives and children. I will cook for this party."

"Thank you. That's very nice of you. I'll ask them when I see them."

"When you see them pick a date that is at least two weeks in the future so that I can plan. You and I will need to get together so that I can plan the menu. I will also make food for the children."

"Thank you. By the way, on another subject, what are the neighbors like?"

"On the whole the neighbors are very nice, but we have a couple of characters. Mrs. Collins is the neighborhood spy. She knows everything about the neighborhood including your Social Security Number."

Cliff laughed.

Mr. Morton goes around the neighborhood in his motor scooter, collecting cans and bottles. He's so cheap it is unbelievable. I'm sure that he has a Swiss bank account."

Cliff laughed again. "Thanks for filling me in."

"Thank you for inviting us to this party. Matt and I had a very good time."

The next day Matt went to school as usual. When he left school at the end of the day, there were three boys waiting for him Tim, Luke and Mike.

"Hey! Gimpy! Whatcah got in your backpack?", shouted Luke.

"Take the stuff out so we can see it," added Tim.

"Neat watch. I want it," said Mike as he pulled it from Matt's wrist.

"Give it back. Gramps gave it to me for Christmas," pleaded Matt.

The three boys pushed Matt to the ground and ripped his backpack off his body. The boys kicked him and ran off. Matt chased after them shouting, "Give back my stuff!!"

Matt chased after the boys who purposely let him catch up with them.

"I want my stuff!!"

Luke punched Matt as hard as he could knocking him to the ground.

When she was walking to the school parking lot, Matt's teacher, Miss Collins saw Matt lying on the ground. She helped him get up and took him to see Mrs. Campbell, the school nurse.

"What happened?"

"Luke, Mike and Tim stole my stuff. Luke punched me when I tried to get it back."

When she was finished examining his eye, Mrs. Campbell said, "You're going to have a big shiner."

Matt started crying. "They kicked me too!!"

"Let me take your shirt off, honey."

Turning to Miss Collins, Mrs. Campbell said, "He has bruises all over his chest and back. This incident should be reported to the principal."

"I agree."

Miss Collins and Mrs. Campbell took Matt to Principal Meade's office.

When she was told about the incident Mrs. Meade said, "I will not tolerate bullying in my school. Call his mother immediately. She is at the junior high."

They all stayed in Mrs. Meade's office until Lisa arrived. Shaken but angry, Lisa hugged Matt.

"I will notify all of those boys' parents. I want all of Matt's belongings to be returned post haste. I assure you, Lisa that these boys will not go unpunished."

Lisa turned to Mrs. Campbell. "Do you think that he should go to the doctors?"

"I would recommend it. Judging from the size and location of those bruises, he could have internal injuries. Doctor's offices are closed at this hour. Also, if you go to the emergency room, you will wait for hours. I think your best bet is the clinic."

Lisa called Cliff from her cell phone while she and Matt were waiting at the clinic. She explained to him what had happened at Matt's school.

"I'm sorry to hear that. Is he alright now?"

"We are waiting to see the doctor."

"Call me when you get home."

"I will."

Cliff thought that Lisa was a very unusual woman. Generally, Cliff was annoyed with women much like Professor Henry Higgins in the play My Fair Lady. To quote the lyrics, "I'd be equally as willing for a dentist to be drilling than to ever let a woman in my life."

Strangely, Cliff enjoyed Lisa's company. Unlike most women, she didn't go on shopping sprees, she didn't collect shoes like Imelda Marcos and most importantly she wasn't a spendthrift. Cliff knew that being a single mother was tough, but he admired her for her strength.

Later that evening Lisa called. She reported that Matt didn't have any internal injuries. He would be sore but that was all.

Mrs. Meade was angry about the incident. She called all three of the boy's parents into her office. Luke's parents were Mr. and Mrs. Allen. Mike's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Daley and Tim's parents, Mr. and Mrs. O'Brien sat across from Mrs. Meade.

"I am very concerned about Matt Sheridan. Your sons picked on him because he is handicapped. In the future, they are to leave Matt alone. I am going to suspend all three of your sons from school for a week. Should there be any repeat episodes of this behavior I will expel them from school permanently."

"Don't you think that this a very harsh sentence?", said Mrs. Allen.

"Not at all," replied Mrs. Meade. "Your sons kicked Matt when he was lying on the ground. Matt could have suffered very serious internal injuries. Also, I want all of Matt's possessions to be returned to him right away. Your sons took all of his things. I especially want Matt's watch returned. That watch was a Christmas gift from his grandfather."

The next day was a Saturday and Cliff observed Matt playing basketball in his yard. He had a pronounced limp and ran slowly. He seemed to have difficulty making baskets. Cliff went over to give the boy a hand.

"Hi! How are you doing?"

"Pretty good. I'm trying to improve my score. Next year, I want to be on the basketball team the boys that I go to school with are forming."

"I played basketball in college. Would you like me to help you?"

"O.K. I'm not very good right now, but, if I practice I hope I'll get better."

"Let me teach you how to shoot baskets. When you get better, I'll teach you how to shoot from the outside."

Cliff and Matt spent the afternoon playing basketball. When dinnertime came, Lisa came outside and invited Cliff to dinner. Lisa served Cliff's favorite: sirloin steak with homemade potato salad. After dinner they all watched television. When Matt went to bed, Lisa invited Cliff to stay for coffee.

"This coffee is delicious unlike the sludge they serve in the university's cafeteria. As a matter of fact, I must tell you a funny story. Last week they had free coffee in the cafeteria for the annual coffee tasting day. So I teased Professor Gayton, the Geology professor by saying that I hoped he didn't think that we were actually going to get a decent cup of coffee. I said 'Oh naïve one we're either going to get a different brand of sludge or keep the brand of sludge we currently have.' Lodge is an excellent university but the food in the cafeteria is horrible." He paused a moment then he said hesitantly, "What happened to Matt's leg?"

"Matt was born with osteonecrosis which means that the bone cells in that left hip died. He has had several surgeries over the years but he still limps badly."

(Continues...)

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Excerpted from The Hidden Chamber in the Great Sphinx by Linda A. Cadose Copyright © 2012 by Linda A. Cadose. Excerpted by permission of AuthorHouse. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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