Paulilatino, Sardinia
10:58 P.M.
The well temple was located at the sanctuary of Santa Cristina, near the town of Paulilatino. It derived its name from the church of Santa Cristina built in the eleventh century, adjacent to the temple.
It was located an hour’s drive south of the tomb, closer to Sardinia’s eastern coast. Again, they stopped a distance away, scanning the site with their binoculars to make certain no one was there before they drew closer. They still parked a half mile away in case they needed to make a quick escape without being detected.
As they approached the temple, Adrian could make out the greater extent of the site, even in the dark. It included the well temple, a nuraghe, the medieval church, and homes for pilgrims that were still used to this day.
Once they got close to the exterior of the well temple, Adrian let out a low gasp of awe. It was one thing for Elias to describe it, but to see it in person was simply breathtaking.
The well temple was set in a temenos, a sacred enclosure, built in the shape of a lock. From her vantage point, she could see the triangular staircase that descended downward toward the well, giving the effect of a reverse staircase as one descended. She stopped to take it in for a moment; the temple looked sacred in the moonlight. She could imagine the ancient Sardinians’ reverence as they came here to worship.
Zacharias remained outside the temple as a lookout as Adrian and the others entered and descended the staircase, using flashlights to guide their way. The steps led to a subterranean room, where an opening in the ceiling allowed moonlight to spill in. The pool at the bottom was a still active spring that Elias told them the Sardinians had purposefully built this temple around.
“It’s something, isn’t it?” Elias said. “There are theories that in additional to a temple, it was an astronomical observatory. The sun shines directly into the staircase leading down into the well during the equinoxes.”
Adrian took in the sharp geometric shapes of the temple, which suggested harmony. Everything in the temple seemed purposeful in design. Her thoughts turned to the peak sanctuaries on Crete, and her theory that they’d served as directional waypoints.
“Which direction does the temple face?” she asked Elias.
“I believe it faces east,” he replied.
“If the peak sanctuaries on Crete were directional way points, what if the well temples—or the nuraghes—were as well?” she asked.
Dmitris stepped forward, taking a tablet out of his bag. “We’ve already plotted out the nuraghes and well temples all over the island. My expert also suspected they were important.”
He tapped a button on the tablet and handed it to her. Adrian studied it; on the screen was a map of the island with digital dots that indicated the well temples and nuraghes.
Nick, Myia, and Elias stepped forward, looking over her shoulder at the map. At first glance, they appeared scattered haphazardly all over the island, but as Adrian studied the general direction the well temples faced . . . they all appeared to point east.
“Elias, what’s east of here?” she asked, her heart hammering.
Before Elias could respond, Zacharias raced down the stairs, his face white with panic.
“There are about a half-dozen SUVs in the distance—coming this way,” he said. “We have to get out of here. Now.”