C H A P T E R
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T
he temple had been sealed for centuries, locking its treasures inside. When it was opened, what mysteries would be discovered? While Teo picketed the horses nearby, Ana stood at the temple’s base and gazed up at its unfathomable heights. A lingering sense of trepidation disturbed her—not fear of mortal danger, but fear her world was about to change forever. Perhaps that’s a good thing, she reasoned. “Ready?” Teofil held up his ax. “Not yet.” Ana knelt on the overgrown brick plaza before the temple’s entrance. She lifted her eyes to the sky and held out her hands, palms upward, in the Chiveisian posture of prayer. “God of the Ancients! We beseech thee to do us no harm for entering thy holy place. We would learn of thy wisdom. Let it be so.” Teo shifted his feet and sighed—somewhat cynically, Ana thought. “You aren’t religious, Captain?” “I do what’s required. Or at least I did. I’ve recently become an atheist.” Ana was disappointed by Teo’s nonchalant attitude. “Don’t you want to know the god whose temple is so beautiful?” Her tone sounded more confrontational than she had intended. “Actually, I’m just as anxious as you to get inside the building, but for different reasons. You seek personal devotion, Anastasia, and I find that very sweet.” Teo’s expression was honest. “But as for me, I want to know about religion. I’ve come to believe it’s something a scholar should seek.” 167
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