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The Great Serpent Mound was situated atop a plateau among the rolling hills and lush forests of rural Adams County, Ohio. From its curled tail, the four foot high monument wound its way through a manicured carpet of green, its sinuous coils doubling back on one another again and again until it reached the oval head, a quarter of a mile away. Maddock and Bones strode along the path that encircled the monument, taking in the scene.
“I thought it would be bigger,” Maddock said.
“That’s what my sister said the first time you two hooked up.”
Maddock rolled his eyes. He and Bones’ sister, Angel, had been engaged, but they were no longer together. The thought didn’t exactly pain him, but it felt wrong, like ghost pain from a lost limb. He shook his head and focused on the Serpent Mound. The sight was impressive, but he’d always envisioned something taller, like the Indian mounds of the southeast.
“It’s actually the largest serpent effigy in the world.” A woman in a park ranger uniform approached. She was short, with fair skin and big, cornflower blue eyes. She wore her blonde, almost white, hair in a single braid. Maddock guessed her to be in her late twenties. She was also exactly the person they were looking for.
“I’m Pari,” she said.
“I’m Maddock, this is Bones.”
Pari flashed a bright smile. “I’m guessing those are not your actual first names?”
“No. Dane and Uriah.”
Bones let out a grunt. He didn’t care for his name.
“Dane and Uriah,” Pari tapped her chin thoughtfully. “I think I’d go with a different name, too. Just kidding,” she added hastily, reaching out and touching Maddock’s forearm.
“No worries,” Maddock said.
“Pari, that is a beautiful name,” Bones said, shouldering his way past Maddock. “What does it mean?”
“It’s an Indian name. It means beauty.” She glanced away as she spoke.
“Aptly named. Your mother must have had the gift of prophecy.”
Maddock let out a laugh that his fake cough didn’t quite cover.
“No. It just means my mother was superficial as hell.” She took a step to the side and focused her attention on Maddock. “How can I help the two of you?”
“What else can you tell us about the mound?” Given the touchy subject he and Bones planned to broach, it was probably best to give the ranger a chance to warm to them first. It would help if Bones stopped hitting on her.
“Well, it’s over thirteen hundred feet long. The height varies, ranging from roughly four to five feet. Based on recent radiocarbon analysis, it’s estimated that the mound dates to 321 BCE, one year after the death of Aristotle.”
“What’s up with the shape of its head?” Bones asked, pointing at the large oval up ahead of them.
“It’s an unusual design,” Pari agreed. “Some say the oval represents an enlarged eye while others believe it’s something being swallowed by the jaws of the serpent.”
“Which side do you come down on?” Maddock asked.
“A lidar scan of the mound was done a few years ago. The resulting image looks, to me, like a serpent swallowing an egg. You can actually see it inside the visitor’s center.”
Maddock assured her they would check it out. As they continued talking, Pari warmed to her subject. She filled them in on a variety of details. Unlike other mounds in the area, Serpent Mound concealed neither graves nor artifacts, suggesting that it was constructed for an atypical purpose.
“The layout of the mound actually matches up with the constellation Draco. The first curve below the head aligns with the star Thuban, which was used as the ‘north pole star’ during the time the mound was built. This suggests it might be some sort of compass, pointing toward true north.”
“That’s cool,” Bones said. “You know, the Egyptians built the pyramids to align with Orion’s belt.”
“I did know that,” she said. “Egyptology is sort of my hobby.”
“That’s actually the reason we’re here,” Maddock said, “although we really were interested in the mound. We’re investigating a legend regarding ancient Egyptians reaching the Americas. Specifically, this part of the country.”
“We’re not nutjobs,” Bones said. “A friend of yours sent us.”
Pari blanched, then cleared her throat. “Kelli sent you?”
Maddock frowned, wondering if he’d misheard her. “Nelli. She said you two are related.”
Her posture relaxed and she let out the breath she’d been holding. “Just checking. You’re not the first to pay me a visit today. The other guys were, I don’t know, sketchy.”
“What did they look like?” Maddock asked.
“One had big sideburns, like late 70’s Elvis. The other was kind of thick set, wore a suit,” Pari rolled her eyes, “and no tie. Top buttons undone, gold necklace, smoker. Total douche. Anyway, Nelli had texted to let me know she’d sent a couple of people my way, but she didn’t describe who would be coming, except...” She paused in midsentence.
“Except what?” Bones asked, grinning.
“Nothing. I misspoke.” Her crimson cheeks told a different story. She looked around. “Follow me.” She led them a short distance away from the mound, out into an open space, just far enough to be out of earshot of any visitors walking the path around the Great Serpent. “Sorry if I’m acting weird, but those guys who came buy have me feeling a little out of sorts.”
“It’s not a problem,” Maddock said. “We’re just grateful you’re willing to talk to us.”
“I don’t know how much I can really help you. It’s not like I can tell you anything definitive. It’s more a legend that’s been passed down in my family.”
“That’s cool,” Bones said. “We prefer legends that haven’t been spread all over the internet. That way, if there’s something legit there, it’s less likely to have been discovered.”
Pari nodded. “The story passed down to me is that one of my many-greats grandfathers discovered a treasure somewhere on our family’s land. He wasn’t sure what, exactly it was, except that it appeared to be ancient and from another part of the world. This was a long time ago and he had no expertise in such things. But he gathered a few items before something spooked him.”
“What was it?” Maddock asked.
“All he ever said was there was an evil spirit down there.”
Maddock slowly nodded. As evidence went, the story was paper thin.
“What makes you think the treasure might have been Egyptian?” he asked.
“A piece of it was passed down to me by my Aunt Ruth.” Pari unbuttoned the top button of her shirt, and drew out a gold pendant on a leather thong. Maddock recognized it at once.
“An ankh!” The cross shape with a loop at the top was an ancient Egyptian symbol of life.
“I’ve had it examine by an Egyptologist who believes it’s authentic, but he’s not certain about the crystal.” She flipped the ankh around to reveal a pale blue crystal embedded in the center, between the arms. “This thing is weird, too. It totally jacks up my cellphone if I hold it too close. And it does something weird with light.”
Maddock glanced at Bones, thinking the two of them already knew what Pari was about to tell them.
“I know it makes no sense, but if you expose it to even a small amount of light, the crystal seems to take the light in and amplify it. I can take it into a pitch-black room, strike a match in front of the crystal, hold it for a few seconds, and the crystal glows like a flashlight and keeps glowing for several minutes. I can show you right now, if you like.”
“We believe you,” Maddock said. “In fact, we’ve actually seen a few crystals like this before.”
“Seriously? Where?”
Maddock knew that it probably wouldn’t be a good idea to start talking about Atlanteans, so he opted for a version of the truth. “In some ancient world sites. They’re exceedingly rare, and as I’m sure you know, their properties are so... otherworldly that reputable scientists wouldn’t want to risk their reputations by discussing their findings.”
Pari let out a long, slow breath, her posture visibly relaxed. “You have no idea how good it feels to be able to talk about this and have someone believe me who isn’t a stoner or a new age hippie.”
“And that was found on your family’s property?” Bones asked.
“That’s the way the story goes. Officially the location was kept secret, but my Aunt Ruth hinted that it was passed down through the generations.” She shrugged.
“Would it be possible for us to speak with your aunt?” Maddock asked.
Pari hesitated, then nodded. “Nelli said you’re good guys, and that you stood up for an elderly couple who was being harassed. Right now, I think Aunt Ruth could do with somebody standing up for her.”
“What do you mean?” Bones asked.
“It’s actually about the treasure. Certain members of the family think she’s concealing the secret and they’re making life miserable for her. I’ve told them to leave her alone, which is pretty much the full extend of what I’m able to do.”
“We’ll certainly do our best,” Maddock said.
“Only if you’re sure you don’t mind dipping your toe into turbulent waters. These guys have a reputation as local bullies, but you two look like you can handle yourselves.”
Bones flashed a broad grin. “Are they rednecks? Please say they’re rednecks.”