Greek Gods Return: Wealth Disparity Solution

GREEK GODS RETURN:

WEALTH DISPARITY SOLUTION

by Henry Arthur

Copyright 2016

with all rights reserved to Henry Arthur

Smashwords Edition

Reader comments, pro and con, will help me improve the novels which I hope to write in a series with the characters I have learned to love. Tweets to me @HenryArthurAuth are welcomed. Thanks for spending your time with some of my thoughts.

NOW ON TO THE NOVEL!

Table of Contents

Terrorists Attack Death of Ashton

Papyrus Puzzle

Genesis per Apollo

Street Karate

Flight to Istanbul

Mt, Ida

The Lead Key

Strangers in The Digs

Chromosome Shields

Power Plans

Bring On the Guns

Trip to Gaza

Updating the Greek Gods

Waltz on Rings of Saturn

Testimony of Ariel

Fly Me to The Moon

Revenge Of Ariel

Athena and Zeus Respond

Gods Solution to Wealth Disparity

Gods Visit Washington DC

Apollo’s Speech to Congress

Investment in Education

Destroying the Nukes

Aftermath

Acknowledgements

Terrorists Attack Death of Ashton

While the American archeologist team had enjoyed the conversation and the meal of lamb, egg-plant and sweet Turkish coffee, a handful of people had approached Sergeant Ali Mirota in his position behind the Sheik. One, with a stern face and long ebony-black beard, said to the sergeant, I am Ossama Keogan and I was told you will help us do our work for Allah. Perhaps we can send these blasphemers to Allah in their huts after dinner? There is a full squad of soldiers around this building and they appear loyal to the Sheik. It may be best to wait until these blasphemers are in bed.

Mirota nodded, eyeing the group with Keogan. The half dozen men were mostly young, but, with surprise, should be able to perform the task that would please Allah.

This group waited, blending into the background of workers in the hut and had stood listening to the discussion at the table of the Sheik. The discussion about Greek gods caused increasing agitation in the group by Mirota. Finally, a young man who appeared barely in his teens could take no more.

Gods, he screamed, pulling a long bladed knife from under his clothing, You dare talk of gods? There is no God but Allah! Infidels, vile invaders of the holy lands, you must die!

The Sheik arose, as did Darrin and Josh to face the group now charging at them from the end of the table nearest the Sheik. Darrin could see that Megan, Josh and Professor Ashton were up too.

Sergeant, disarm that fanatic! said the Sheik firmly.

Instead, the newly assigned sergeant backed away a couple steps and pulling his pistol pointed it at the Sheik. Satan has corrupted you! You sit and smile at infidels! You are a traitor to Turkey and an abomination to Allah. Die! Allah Akbar! he shouted.

Benches toppled as those employed as diggers and the archeologists pushed away from the tables and tried to rush at the group of terrorists. In the turmoil, the young man who had first pulled a knife sliced it at the Sheik, stepping towards him.

Darrin moved quickly towards the man and was able to partly interpose his bulk between the Sheik and this madman. He caught the man’s arm and quickly broke it across his knee but not before the knife blade had sliced across the abdomen of the Sheik. A shot rang out from Ali Mirota. Professor Ashton doubled over and falling forward, unconscious and unable to raise his arms to block the fall, hit the floor face first with his nose being mashed flat by the fall. Blood stained his shirt, near his heart.

There was a melee then as part of the group with the knife man tried to smash Darrin and Josh to the ground. Darrin and Megan flashed among them, kicking in knees and groins, stamping on the arches of any foot that a zealot set near to them and spearing fanatics in the throat with their hands, all tricks learned at the Street Karate gym. Bending like slender willows in the wind to avoid knife thrusts, the two were like the centers of tornadoes, yet, the group of fanatics, knifes dropping from suddenly nerveless hands after kicks to elbows, pulled other knifes and attacked with little pause. Luckily, they obviously had no special training with the weapon, or forgot the training under stress, and often brought their thrusts down from over their heads, leaving them open to those trained in martial arts.

During the wild melee, the Sheik, knifed at the start of it, slumped to the ground, moaning in his pain, red blood spreading over his abdomen. While professor Morgan finally reached him, he was unable to stanch the blood flowing from the wound, having no bandages and his tea-shirt being too small to wrap around the huge stomach of the old man. Finally, after a very long three minutes, the doors at both ends of the hut slammed open fully and before the archeologists, and the diggers and cooks who had rushed to help the Sheik and his guests, could be brought down by the fanatics, a squad of at least ten of the Turkish soldiers who had been outside the tent, rushed in.

The soldiers all loved the Sheik and were more than ready to fight to protect him. To them the terrorists were simply a bunch of crazed and dangerous fools. Gunfire thundered, seeming as loud as cannons in the small space, as the soldiers rushed toward the Sheik. The squad soon disabled many of the knife wielders by shots in the body or by hitting them on the head with their rifle butts. The terrorists managed to wound or kill three soldiers in a short period while Darrin watched.

Then Darrin saw Ali Mirota heading, with his pistol held in front of him, toward the Sheik, pistol whipping cooks and waiters who surrounded their leader as he lay there bleeding. Darrin headed to block him and when he was within three feet did a whirling move that brought the gun-man within a two foot circle of the gunman. Quickly he reached to grab Mirota’s pistol hand and the elbow of the gun arm to break the elbow. As he did this, a loud cracking sound following his hit, one of the crew of terrorists sliced his knife toward the juncture of Darrin's neck and shoulder. The knife hit the edge of the brim of his hemp hat, which he had proudly worn to the dinner, it being a gift from Megan, and the knife caromed off the hat, down to the muscle of his shoulder. Blood spurted out and Megan who had been watching Darrin and following him into the action in the area of the Sheik, shouted: No, oh God, no, not Darrin.

Twisting and turning through the crowd composed of assassins, cooks and servants, she quickly reached the man who had cut Darrin. Once in position to do so, she grabbed his outstretched arm, levered his wrist over her knee, and with a quick blow broke bones and made the man drop the knife. She then whirled to smash an elbow into his temple at which the man collapsed. A corporal from the squad that had come to the Quonset, knelt down by Darrin and calmly shot the traitor Mirota as the traitorous sergeant tried to get away.

With all the assassins down, there was an impromptu celebration starting after one cook proudly waved a frying pan over the man he had downed. The whole battle was over in less than five minutes, but in that short time Professor Ashton had been killed, the Sheik had a terrible stomach wound and was losing blood, a knife had been sliced into Darrin’s left shoulder and six assassins, who believed they did Allah's work, were dead while the two surviving fanatics suffered broken bones or worse. Darrin hoped Apollo would not see the havoc humans still seemed to indulge in. Still, he reflected, it was self-defense or defense of innocents except on the part of the fanatics.

Josh pulled the Sheik/s head into his lap and, shouted: Medic, Medic! A soldier came quickly and placed gauze and tape over the wound. While he did this, another soldier called for an ambulance on his mobile phone and soon, the shrill call of an approaching ambulance siren filled the area outside the yurt. One soldier guarded each of the two doors and the rest of the squad took up positions around the Sheik.

Darrin, had been so affected by adrenaline and concern for Megan that he could not feel the pain of his wound. He had been on full alert, looking all about for other dangers to the Sheik or Megan, while the soldiers had come to their aid.

After Mirota was shot, Darrin enfolded Megan in his arms to protect her as she, at the same time, tried to bandage his wound. Suddenly Darrin collapsed, weak from loss of blood. Megan dropped to her knees to hold him to her. She cried and rocked back and forth while she cradled him in her arms. In her grief and concern, as she felt the blood soaking his T-shirt from the shoulder all the way down to his waist would surely lead to his death, she crooned: Don’t die, ah my love, she crooned, Don’t die. We have just found each other.

Darrin tried to reassure her but somehow could not get words to come, so he smiled at her and then gave in to the weakness stealing over him and slept.

Another ambulance arrived and medics rushed in to treat victims with priority for the gravely injured Sheik. The medics quickly applied gauze and bandages to the Sheik and finally, at Megan’s insistence, to Darrin. Containers of blood were, after matching, hooked up to the Sheik and to Darrin to try to make up for their loss of blood.

With the Sheik and Darrin bundled into one ambulance, Professor Ashton being declared dead on the scene so that nothing could be done for him, Megan and Josh followed the ambulance to the hospital in the Sheik’s car, Anake driving while tears ran down his cheeks. Ah, the poor Sheik, my friend, my friend. he lamented. Megan sat in an unbelieving silence. She was torn between sorrow and concern for the Sheik but her mind was constantly torn from that concern, and any interest in her surroundings by a cyclone of concern for Darrin It was a nightmare, how could such a strong wonderful young man be attacked by people who did not even know him? Darrin, Darrin, my Darrin be well, be well., ran over and over in her mind.

Finally, the drive to the hospital in Canaakale taking, even at ambulance speeds, nearly forty-five minutes, they reached the hospital and the Sheik, whose bloody shirt emphasized the injury he had received, was taken by a swarm of respectful attendants. After what seemed an interminable wait, a couple nurses brought a cart for Darrin who was quickly wheeled through the glass doors of the emergency room. The three of them, Professor Morgan, Megan, and Anake were barred from following the stretchers out of the emergency waiting room and had to wait for over an hour for anyone to talk to them.

Will they be all right soon? Megan asked the doctor who had finally come out of the emergency room.

The Sheik has a serious wound! was the response. I cannot tell you more. You are not family and not any government official whom I must, or even can. tell of his personal condition. You are a foreigner! If he gets out of shock he may permit me to tell you more but I will not tell you unless he instructs me to.

What of Darrin? Megan asked. We were going to get married. Will he survive?

The doctor seemed to be ignoring Megan, a foreigner and mere woman so Josh spoke up: I am professor Josh Morgan and with the Sheik and Darrin Gatto that you are treating. We are working on an important find for the Turkish government. How are they? It is important to your government that I know.

The young doctor considered the words of Josh very carefully. If there was government involved, and with Sheik Alibar being injured that possibility seemed certain, he decided he would be a little flexible.

This Darrin Gatto was lucky to have the blade glance off his shoulder blade and no really significant damage was done. Some blood was lost and the blade shaved off a strip of flesh, very small, but he can work again in a day or so. He can actually leave the hospital in a few hours.

The Sheik, he paused, carefully considering his words, perhaps will be better in a week or two. He is not a young man and this wound was very serious for such an older man. Still, no major organ was damaged. He is receiving blood now. Infection is a concern with stomach wounds and he will have a full course of antibiotics.

Soon a hospital official came and asked that they leave if they had no family member in the hospital as some might deem them infidels and want to attack them and even the staff of the hospital if they remained. The release of Darrin was expedited; it being deemed safer to have him released than lying in the hospital.

On that unwelcoming and frightened note from the doctors, they left, unsure of whether Sheik Alibar, their friend and mentor would be back with them soon or not. Darrin needed support from both Josh and Megan, seeming to move in a stupor and to fall asleep instantly when he was finally tucked into the car, his legs being lifted up and put on the floor by Josh. The ride back to the digs was very silent, everyone keeping quiet so Darrin could rest and each preoccupied by thoughts about the attack and those hurt.Would the area be safe now? Megan wondered to herself.

At the digs, police were still everywhere, almost four hours after the incident. It seemed the workmen had melted away, back to their homes, avoiding the danger from fanatics and from the possibility of the police identifying them with those who had attacked the Sheik. So, except for the police and the soldiers the Sheik had arranged for the camp and who had survived, the three Americans were alone. They decided all they could do was keep in touch with the hospital authorities, sure that when the Sheik recovered he would want to talk to them. All agreed that he would want them to go continue the contact with the strangers who had appeared so strangely soon after they had solved the radiation and shield puzzle posed by the hieroglyphs. The medics had slathered antibiotics on gauze and plastered it on Darrin and then placed his left arm in a sling to reduce stress on his left shoulder and the wound there. They also gave him narcotics to keep the pain down. This treatment enabled Darrin to endure the ride back to the camp with his right arm around Megan which was a comfort to each of them. He was so tired from the ordeal and loss of blood that he was in a light slumber during the trip back to their camp and fell into a deep sleep as soon as he was lying on his bunk.

Josh decided that safety required they all be together so he had some of the troops bring in his and Megan's bunks and bedding, and had them help rig a blanket as a separator between her bunk and the others in the yurt so she could have some privacy. While this was done, and long after Josh had dropped off in exhausted slumber, Megan sat up next to Darrin’s bunk, intently watching him breathing , wondering how such a terrible thing could actually happen to peaceful archaeologists."

In his sleep Darrin was dreaming of the time prior to the attack. .

****

The typical college dorm room had little furniture. A narrow computer desk with a wooden chair plus a bunk bed filled most of the area. The old stove, sink, dishwasher, and a small refrigerator had also come with the room. A micro-wave oven had been added to the other furniture over three years ago by the current resident shortly after he rented the room.

On the desk is a copy of the ‘Iliad’, lying face down at the page last read. Next to it is a copy of a reference book, ‘The Oxford Companion to Classical Civilizations’. There is a large lump under the blanket on the bed. A young man is sound asleep.

The click of the radio-alarm is almost inaudible, but before the music starts to swell and fill the small apartment, the sleeping man automatically clicks it off. After a minute he swept the sheet and light blanket aside and rolled onto the floor. He immediately started doing sit-ups on the thin, gray carpet covering the floor. Finishing fifty, he did a headstand. Finally, Darrin flipped back onto his feet, landing near the stove. There he tossed some fresh grounds into a filter, turned and placed it in the coffee maker and turned it on.

He pulled on his trusty jeans, grabbed a towel, got the mini-travel bag holding his toothbrush, paste, and shaving things. Hurrying, he turned slightly so he could move through the doorway into the hallway. In the dorm bath for men, he went to the first sink, all of them empty with the end of the Spring Semester emptying most of the dorm. Running his hand over the stubble on his long jaw, he smoothed liquid soap over the whiskers and quickly removed the offending whiskers with what he had dubbed his eraser, the razor that went so smoothly over his face.

That done, the reason for the empty bathroom sank in. School was out for practically everyone. He was actually going to graduate. Finally!

Better yet, his favorite teacher had said he might actually get him on the college's dig in Turkey. In any event, Professor Morgan had promised at least a month of employment translating scrolls that had been sent from that site. He was to start today!

Back in his room he grabbed a cup of the steaming coffee and, after letting it cool a little, savored the flavor and impact of the first cup of the day.

He checked the clock and found that he had over half an hour yet. With coffee taken care of, he turned on a burner of the electric stove, placed a small iron frying pan on to heat up after putting some olive oil and a slight bit of butter in it. He pushed a couple slices of multi-grain bread into the toaster, and then grabbed three eggs from a carton in the refrigerator. He cracked the shells and dropped the eggs carefully into the pan. He hated shells in his eggs and yolks that broke before he poked them with his fork on his plate. They sizzled and when he judged them to be a perfect golden brown, turned them before the yolks could get hard, sprinkled on a little salt and pepper, and in a flash of movement removed them to a plate. Then he got the toast, which had popped up, and spread some unsalted butter on the two golden slices. He placed his plate, plus a fork and spoon, on the table next to the sofa bed and reached the couple feet to the coffee pot to pour a cup. From the fridge he lifted a quart container of pink grapefruit juice and poured a glass. He preferred its slightly tart taste to the sugary sweetness of most store-bought orange juice.

In a few minutes he had downed the meal, flushed the sticky egg yolk off the plate with a rush of water from the spigot in his small sink, and put the dishes in the dishwasher under the sink. That done, he decided he better get moving to meet someone named Megan at the library where the scrolls they were to translate were housed.

Pulling on a shirt that was in pretty fair condition, he checked his appearance in the full length mirror hanging on the door which reflected his frame. At six foot two he was at about the average for the young men in his class at college, but his shoulders were very broad. Darrin laughs at the reflection, remembering that his friends had called him a barrel on feet when he turned thirteen. Now he saw a much bigger barrel in the mirror. There was very slight tapering between his shoulders and hips but the flesh was all solid and hard, like a fire-plug they said. His arms were huge, his forearms as large as the lower legs of most of his friends. He grinned at his reflection and thought, I am definitely not proportioned like a winner of the Olympics but, at least I look like I can dig up a monument or two.

Satisfied that his appearance was fit for the world, clean if not stylish, he rushed downstairs to the dorm door and went outside.

****

As Darrin approached the library he spotted a slender girl near the door. She was turned towards him with the morning sun behind her creating a golden helmet surrounding her head. Like an angel with a halo, he thought and smiled. She was neither unusually tall nor short; maybe an inch or two under six feet, but her lines were totally unlike a fireplug, more like a goddess, he thought with a grin. As he got closer he could make out her pale complexion, with a couple small freckles high on each cheekbone. Two adorable dimples adorned her cheeks, maybe an inch from the uplifted corners of her full lips. She caught sight of him, smiled and turned to push the bell next to the door. It was early for use of the library by most students.

After Darrin climbed the library steps, this vision turned to Darrin, held out a slender hand and said: Hi, I am Megan. I bet that you are Darrin. Professor Morgan told me all about you. It is nice to have someone else with me while we translate the scrolls for him. Maybe we can help each other!

Darrin was able to release her slender hand and mumble, Hi, I am glad to meet you.

Just then the library door opened.

Well, said the librarian, Mrs. Torres, I am glad to see that two of my favorite library denizens have met. Megan, I missed you since you have been in Turkey and Darrin, I want to congratulate you for graduating at the top of your class. Professor Morgan was bragging about you both as his best students ever. I expect you will both want to get back into your cave of books on archeology from what professor Morgan said.

Thanks Angela, said Megan. It is nice to see you again too. We especially want to see the new additions the Professor talked about.

Follow me, said Mrs. Torres, pulling the door frame wide enough for Darrin who entered on the heels of Megan.

The library spread out about sixty feet from the check out desk to windows, which were wide and high, each about twelve feet by six feet, on the far side. Tables sided with chairs stood along each side, all heavy, golden oak, the chairs without cushions on the seats or their backs, filled the expanse, all resting their solid legs on large, highly polished, gray granite slabs.

The group turned to the right from the door and walked briskly toward the end of the main room. At each end were heavy doors leading to specialty areas, accessible only with help from the librarian. The heavy arches surrounding the doors gave a cave-like appearance to the entries. Above the heavy door to their familiar destination was a placard with Ancient History & Archeology printed in a large, very black, font on it.

Quickly Mrs. Torres unlocked the door and led Megan and Darrin inside the room. She went to a special cabinet, unlocked it, and left it open.

This cabinet has documents that were sent to Professor Morgan from the site you were on in Turkey, Megan. Everything in it is under special security and cannot be removed from this room. Only those with permission from Professor Morgan can even look at any of its contents. You two should be proud that he is willing to have you see them first. His class has taken all of his time since these got here back in February so you can help him out by translating it. I think the material was carbon-dated before it got here but am not sure. You can ask the Professor.

She smiled at the two of them. If you need something else, and before you leave, could you let me know on the intercom? I’ll have to lock you in per the rules. Umm, I will take my lunch in the library so I will be around if you need me. You already know that I will hurry to let you out after you call. You have been here before.

Thanks! Darrin and Megan both said, their voices almost in chorus. They watched in a comfortable silence as the door to the cave was locked as it had been so often for each of them separately in the past. Then they each carefully took a scroll from the cabinet and, setting across from each other, each, after a friendly glance at the other, started to read. They both felt a duty to spend their time on work when they were being paid and they both enjoyed the challenge of interpretation of the scrolls in the company of someone each somehow just knew they would like.

Well, to work. said Darrin with a smile at Megan. I am eager to have you tell me all about the digs but since the Professor will want to briefed on what the scrolls say, I’ll save my questions.

I will tell you all about it, either at lunch or after., said Megan returning his smile.

Both opened their scrolls and got to work.

Papyrus Puzzle

The scroll felt surprisingly strong to Darrin who had not previously been privileged to read from source material. It resisted unfolding, tending to curl back inwards to obscure the hieroglyphs carefully stroked onto it. Unlike modern high sulfur paper, which becomes brittle and breaks up upon exposure just decades after printing, the ancient scroll was, if fragile, still strong enough to hold together for decades.

Are we looking for anything in particular? Darrin asked.

Megan responded with a smile for Darrin, "No, we are just to find whatever we think might be useful in uncovering the mysteries of a site that may be from the