Chasing the Star Garden: The Airship Racing Chronicles (Volume 1) Read online

  Celeste guided the boat toward the rocks, all of us looking intently for any sign of a cave or anything else.

  “Let me drop anchor here,” Celeste said as we came within several feet from the rocks. “I don’t want to risk damaging the boat. We can swim over,” she said. Sal nodded in agreement while I looked at both of them like they’d lost their minds. They didn’t seem to notice.

  Once she had the ship anchored, Celeste began pulling off her boots, and Sal tied his hair back and pulled off his shirt. I sat perfectly still, gripping the rail of the boat as sea spray splashed over its side.

  “Lily?” Sal asked. His forehead furrowed with confusion.

  “I’ll stay and mind the boat,” I said.

  Celeste and Sal both looked questioningly at me.

  “Are you all right?” he asked.

  I nodded. “Fantastic. I’ll just stay here and mind the boat,” I said again. I could feel that all the blood had drained from my face.

  Sal peered deeply at me. “Very good. We’ll take a look.”

  “Be careful swimming near the rocks. Don’t get pulled under,” I told them both.

  Celeste nodded, and with a jump, she splashed into the water and started swimming toward the stones. Sal slipped off the side of the boat and followed her. A few moments later, they appeared on the rocks, helping one another get a handhold. The rocks were much larger up close, perhaps twice the size of a man. I looked at the rocks, taking in the surroundings, as I sat on the rocking boat. I pulled out Sal’s spyglass and examined the shoreline. In general, the coast had high cliffs, but I did spy one small cove nestled into the curvature of the land. There was a small, private beach.

  “I don’t see anything,” Celeste called.

  “No, me either,” Sal answered.

  “It’s all stone. Just wet, slippery stone. You see any carvings? Anything? They might be faded from erosion,” Celeste called. She sounded exasperated.

  “Not yet,” Sal answered. “Maybe there is something under the water. Look for a chain or something leading below,” Sal called to her.

  I gazed up at the fingers. Professor Herzog was right. The Aphrodite’s fingers did seem to waggle, almost like she was waving toward the shoreline. I then noticed that one of the fingers was bent lower than the others, more lateral to the ocean. Given all the fingers seemed to be pointing, just in different directions, I didn’t think much of it at first. But then I realized that the lowest and most lateral finger was, in fact, the ring finger of a left hand. I lifted the spyglass and looked. Following the line of the finger, it seemed like it was pointing directly to the small, hidden cove.

  “Sal?” I called.

  “Nothing yet, Lily. Are you all right over there?”

  I took a deep breath, reached down, and grabbed Celeste’s satchel. From inside, I removed the kaleidoscope. Getting my balance as best I could, I stood, aligned myself with the finger, and aimed the kaleidoscope toward the shoreline.

  “Sal?”

  “Lily? Everything okay?” he called from the other side of the rocks.

  “You and Celeste should come back to the boat.”

  “Why? What’s wrong?” Celeste called.

  I smiled. “Nothing. It’s just… well… I know where to find the Aphrodite.”

  In the kaleidoscope’s colored glass, clear as day, was the image of the Aphrodite of Knidos.

  Chapter 27

  The small boat made a soft scraping sound as it hit the sandy shoreline of the beach. We jumped into the startlingly warm, topaz blue water and pulled the boat onto the shore.

  The cove turned out to be even more secluded than it had initially seemed. The rocky shoreline formed a crescent shape, secluding and protecting the view of the much of the beach from the sea. As we stood on the beach, it became clear that this was a perfect hiding spot. Where, exactly, the Aphrodite was hidden remained to be found. Sal, Celeste, and I scoured the small beach for any sign of the Aphrodite. I panned the kaleidoscope around but was treated only to colors.

  We spread out to scan the cove. I must have been looking for at least fifteen minutes when Celeste finally called out: “Here! Here!”

  She was standing in one of the most secluded spots on the cove near the cliff wall. There, the cliff was open, just a crack. If you knelt, you could just see the sky on the other side. Above the narrow slit, however, was a carving. It was not large and time had worn it down, but carved into the rocks above the crevice was a swan with an anemone flower in its beak.

  “I’m confused,” Celeste said. “Is she buried in the sand? Under the water?”

  Sal waded in and examined the rocks. Waist deep in the water, he stood in the middle of the inverted v-shaped opening. He turned and smiled at Celeste. Grabbing hold of the rocks, he pulled himself up out of the water and disappeared into the sea wall. He looked back out with a grin. “A cave.”

  Without another word, Celeste went after him.

  I looked at the water. It wasn’t that deep, maybe only thigh high. I followed behind them.

  The cave was very narrow but passable. We crawled through the cavern deeper into the cliff side. It seemed to me the cavern turned to the right with the shape of the crescent moon. Soon it grew very dark.

  “Watch your step. I can see some light up ahead,” Sal called from the front.

  I reached out for handholds, afraid I would feel the squishy body of a bat or worse. The stones were wet and grimy. The sharp smell of seaweed and earth filled the place, and the cave floor was jagged and slick. More than once I scraped my leg on the rocks. Before me, I heard Celeste struggling, but she never complained. Perhaps she had not even noticed. The passage, while rough, was short. Light began to filter in from the other side.

  “My Lily?” Sal called back to me. “Are you all right? Almost there.”

  Sal was the first to emerge. I saw Celeste struggle out of the cave before me. Finally dragging myself over the damp rocks and out of the cave, I emerged into what can only be described as a natural cathedral.

  Inside the cliff was a massive cave that was maybe thirty feet in height. Small openings, from which seabirds flew in and out, let light into the place. The cave floor, sandy on the bottom, was submerged in just a few inches of clear water. Vines with small purple flowers grew everywhere, their cheery faces turning toward the sun, their scent perfuming the place. In the middle of this natural house of worship, on a pedestal adorned with seashells, sat the Aphrodite of Knidos. Sunlight slanting in through cliff side crevices bathed the goddess in the golden light of Apollo. The sun’s rays mixed with a thin coat of crystalline dust that had fallen on the statue. She glimmered gold. The sight was breathtaking.

  Celeste took two steps toward the sculpture then fell on her knees and burst into tears.

  I came up behind Sal and took his hand.

  We all stood in awe, not of what Praxiteles had made—though the rarity and delicacy his sculpture was without equal,-but of what that moment meant to each of us. This was what the Dilettante did not understand. It wasn’t what the sculpture showed us of herself, or of Praxiteles, that made her so important. It was what we saw through her that mattered. Through her, I saw hope. I squeezed Sal’s hand.

  After a few moments, we approached the sculpture. With a disconnected eye, you could see it was a divine work of art. Why Praxiteles had made the sculpture was unknown, but there was something special about it. Energy seemed to pulse from it. I’d felt the same thing in the shrine of Asclepius.

  Celeste reached out and touched the naked toes of the goddess. I heard her murmur under her breath. When she removed her hand, I noticed that her fingers had lifted off the golden dust. White marble, almost translucent in color, was revealed.

  “How did they get her in here?” I wondered aloud.

  Sal, who had a strange, faraway look his eyes, seemed to pull himself back from beyond. “The cave entrance is wide enough for her but not practical,” he said.

  “How about from above? Maybe they widened
one of the crevice openings and lowered her in,” I suggested.

  “That could very well be. And even if that is not how they brought her in, certainly that could be a way to get her out.”

  I frowned. “The Bacchus is not strong enough to lift marble. Even if we modify the gear shaft to pull her, it can’t be done from aloft. It would destroy Roni’s ship. Maybe Profess-”

  “We can lift her. She’s not heavy. The Bacchus will be able to lift her out,” Celeste said. Her voice sounded thin.

  “Didn’t you hear what I just said? A piece of marble that siz-”

  “She’s just a woman. She weighs no more than you or I,” Celeste corrected, her eyes locked on the face of the Aphrodite.

  I looked at Sal. This is exactly the kind of zealot-like behavior I feared I’d get from Celeste.

  “Celeste, we don’t have time for this. If you want to get her moved, we need to get help.”

  She shook her head and looked at Sal. “You understand? You feel it too, don’t you? You feel it. Just try. Let’s see if we can lift her. It will work.”

  Sal looked up at the Aphrodite. I suddenly started to feel like a person left out on a joke. I watched Sal’s face as he considered. He had a strange look in his eyes.

  I looked up at the statue. The face shined with great luminescence. For just a brief moment, my vision seemed to double. It was almost like the statue had vibrated. I closed my eyes, trying to clear the blurry vision, then opened them again.

  “Stand back, my Lily,” Sal said and walked behind the Aphrodite. “Come. You’ll need to help,” he called to Celeste.

  Had the two of them lost their minds? I was about to tell them so when Sal wrapped arms around the waist of the sculpture, and with a slight heave, moved her from her pedestal. He stepped backward, slowly setting her onto the sandy floor of the cave. Celeste took the Goddess’ arm and steadied her.

  I realized then that they were not seeing what I was seeing. What I was seeing was impossible. Or, she was not made of marble. Or, something else was going on, and I had not been invited to the party.

  “We’ll need to go back and get the Bacchus,” Celeste said then, dusting her hands off on her wet trousers.

  I opened my mouth to speak then closed it again.

  Sal nodded. “We will pull her out from above. I’ll harness her in and get her lifted using the gear assembly. It will work. Does that sound all right to you, Lily?” Sal asked.

  What could I say? “Of course, my love.”

  Sal smiled. “All right. Let’s head back.”

  We turned back to the cave opening when suddenly we realized the water around the edges of the cave was significantly higher and that the entrance to the cave was almost entirely submerged.

  “Tide must have come in,” Celeste said.

  “It’s not a far swim. Looks like we’ll have some air at the top of the cave for another minute or so,” Sal added.

  Celeste nodded and headed into the mouth of the cave. Moments later, without another thought, she disappeared under the water.

  Sal turned and looked at me.

  I had not moved an inch. I stared at the water.

  “What’s wrong?”

  I stood frozen.

  “It’s not far. Use the cave walls to guide you. I’ll be right in front of you. You just need a little nerve, something you always have in abundance,” he said with a wink. He reached out for my hand. I stood still.

  I couldn’t do it.

  “Lily?” Sal said, confused.

  After a moment, I said, “Go ahead. I’m coming.”

  Sal looked worried. “The longer you wait, the higher the water will get. I promise you, I’ll be right in front of you.”

  Sal took my hand and led me into the water. As we neared the cave, the water inched high and higher: first to my waist, then to my torso. When it reached up to my neck, we stopped.

  “Remember, the cave bends a little to the left. Pull on your goggles,” he said, pulling them from my pocket, shaking out the water, and handing them to me. “That will help you see. Use your legs to guide you and take a deep breath.” With that, Sal dove under the water.

  I uttered a faint “wait,” but he was already gone. I pulled my goggles on. I was deep in the cave. The light from Aphrodite’s chamber glimmered faintly behind me. My hands started to tingle as the water began to rise toward my earlobes. I felt the tears coming, and my chest started to hurt. The water seeped into my ears. I could do it. I didn’t have to be broken. I could do it.

  I took a deep breath and plunged under the water. The feeling of being completely submerged alarmed me so severely that I felt a sharp pain in my chest. I braced myself against it and pushed off into the darkness, feeling the cave walls with my fingers, pushing myself along with my feet.

  Further and further I pushed. I opened my eyes. The water was pitch black. I pushed forward, my chest beginning to burn. I expected to see light at any moment. I started to panic. What if I didn’t make it? What if the water finally got me? I pushed forward again, still not reaching the end of the cave. I needed air. I had to breathe. Then, in the water before me, I saw a face. At first I could only make out feminine features: it was a woman with alabaster skin. She was swimming toward me. I stopped. My chest screamed for air. Then, I thought I saw light. Golden light illuminated the dark waves. Sunlight slanted into the water, and I found myself face to face with Nicolette. Her hair moved wildly around her. She reached out, took my hand, and pulled me forward. She led me toward the sunlight. Smiling at me, she pulled me by both of my hands then pushed me toward the surface of the water.

  I broke through the surface with a gasp. Celeste pulled me out of the water. I sputtered, half choking.

  “Oh my god, Lily. Why didn’t you tell us you can’t swim,” Celeste scolded, leading me to the sandy beach.

  Sal pulled off my goggles, pushed my hair away from my face, and sat me down on the warm sand.

  I coughed hard, getting the last of the water out of my lungs.

  “I didn’t understand. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry,” Sal said, pressing me against his chest.

  I nodded, waving my hand dismissively at them, and caught my breath. “It’s okay. I’m okay now,” I said, and I meant it.

  In silence, the three of us sailed back to Knidos. Sal kept his arm protectively around me. Celeste looked radiant. I stuck my hand over the side of the boat and let my fingertips glide along the water’s surface. Nicolette. I closed my eyes and felt the wind on me. Nicolette. What had I seen? In the end, it didn’t matter. My aching heart felt like it had been soothed. My sister. Nicolette. I closed my eyes and relished the experience.

  Before I knew it, we had returned to the harbor at Knidos. I think we were all relieved to find it just as empty as we had left it. I shook myself from my dreamy thoughts and tried to focus.

  “We cannot delay,” Celeste said when we had anchored the sailboat. “There is no telling when the Dilettante will return. Sal, do you think you can make the harness tonight?”

  He nodded. “I must start now. I was working on a project for Lily that I can modify.”

  “What kind of project?” I asked.

  “You saw the roll of silk?”

  I nodded.

  “Based on a model by Da Vinci, I have been working on a kind of parachute such as Lenormand and Blanchard have used, but this one will be harnessed around the chest like a vest. It is a prototype, but it seems quite effective. I have the harness completed. I can modify it just a bit and use it and a pulley system to lift her onto the ship.”

  As usual, I was amazed, but then I remembered something: “We did promise the Prof-” I began, but Celeste cut me off.

  “We really must act quickly. I can’t bear the thought of the statue alone in that cave,” Celeste said.

  “Well, she has been alone in there for hundreds of years. I think she can wait until we finish a pint.”

  Celeste frowned.

  “My Lily, take the professor his ale and o
ur thanks. Celeste and I will get the ship ready.”

  While I wasn’t wild about the plan, I agreed. The Bacchus had several stoneware jars of ale in stock. They weren’t exactly cold, but I suspected the Professor would not mind either way.

  I wound my way back to the Professor’s tents where I found the Ottoman workers packing a mule cart with the Professor’s boxes.

  “Are you leaving?” I asked them, confused.

  It was clear something was afoot. After discussing the matter for a few minutes, they led me inside Professor Herzog’s tent. Inside, Professor Herzog was laid out on his cot. His skin had already started to turn ashy. I sat on his bedside. His eyes had been closed. I opened one of the jars, toasted the man, and took a drink. Setting the jar down, I sighed and took his cold hand. There was a shadow of a smile on his lips, and the aura of a fulfilled life emanated from him. I closed my eyes and prayed his Apollo would bless his path. I hoped that I would be lucky enough to die so satisfied.

  Chapter 28

  We sailed from Knidos and travelled the coast until we reached the cove where the Aphrodite lay hidden.

  “Are you sure it’s strong enough to hold you?” I asked as Sal pulled on the harness. We had reconfigured the Bacchus’ gears to be used as a makeshift pulley.

  “It can hold two grown men,” Sal said, pulling on the straps. “It is woven metal and leather. Don’t worry.” He then tied a rope to a hook on the front of the harness, working it until it was tight. He had extra straps, hooks, and clasps in a bag belted around his waist. Nervous, I bent and looked the rope over. I didn’t know where Celeste had found it, but it was very high quality, strong enough to carry marble.

  Sal motioned to the galleyman. The man removed the pins that held a hatch door under the gondola closed. The door swung open. A breeze from the sea blew in, making the ship rock.