The Lost Treasures Of Mansa Musa (Vidit Mahajan)

The Lost Treasures of Mansa Musa

A Rick & Faye Adventure

A Novel by Vidit Mahajan

Synopsis:

New Yorker, Faye Carter, is a housewife with two children and a geographer husband who is always travelling for work. She is nervous about taking a vacation to the island of Azores, in the middle of the Atlantic, not only because she has never travelled outside the US, but also because she is never too far away from her kids.

 

On reaching the Azores, she finds the peaceful and quaint island to her liking. Her mood takes an uplift, when Rick, her husband, suggests an escapade to a hot spring. An earthquake hits right at the time when things are steaming up and a stranger arrives.

 

Faye learns that her deceiving husband who had brought her to Azores on the pretext of a vacation, had used her to enter the country safely. Rick’s employer, she learns, is an alleged miscreant whose activities are being monitored by the Portuguese government. Her husband, due to his allegiances, is also being monitored. She is pissed at Rick for getting her involved as well.

 

Manuel Braganza is the descendant of the last king of Portugal, she later learns, and is in a race with the Spaniards to hunt for the lost treasures of the richest of the Mali emperors and the wealthiest man in the history of the world, Mansa Musa.

 

Muhammed ibn Qu, Mansa Musa’s predecessor, who after realising that all of Mali’s gold had been mined and the empire was heading into a phase where its riches and its wealth would deteriorate, launched an expedition to hunt for the mythical ‘lands of Gold’, lying to the west of Mali. Confident that the ‘lands of Gold’ exist, he himself led an armada of two thousand ships, leaving behind the reins of his kingdom to his adolescent son, under the guidance of his childhood friend Mansa Musa. Mansa Musa, after realising that there was no gold, murdered the entire royal family and seized the throne. Nothing was known of Muhammed’s expedition.

 

Twelve years later, Musa intercepted a letter from Muhammed, meant for his son, giving him the directions to these ‘lands of Gold’. Musa, along with his loyalists left Mali in hunt for Muhammed and the magnificent treasures that he had spoken about. Alas, neither did he find Muhammed nor the gateway to the mystical lands. Instead, he was taken prisoner and eventually killed by an ancestor of Manuel Braganza.

 

On the bottom of Lagoa Azul, after subsequent bombings on the location that Rick had discovered through studying terrain maps, the bed caved, revealing a gateway as described by Muhammed in his letter to his son. Using submarine cars, which Manuel has procured, the four of them, Rick, Faye, Manuel and his aide, Ruski, enter the gateway.

 

On their journey through the hollow depths, Faye also learns that the Azores are a landmass that disintegrated from South America thousands of years ago and floated north. The seven cities of gold, which were then a continuous landmass, had come to be the islands of Azores. Essentially, they had found the cities of gold.

 

As they navigate through the underwater caves, Manuel proves his ingenuity by lighting up the cave with the help of ‘glow’ stones. As they go further, they encounter a monster never seen before, whose roars cause tides of their own. They circumvent the monster, injuring it in the process, and rush forward.

 

Further ahead, they are caught in an electromagnetic vortex which disables all their communication and the submarine’s functions and hurls them deeper into the depths of the ocean. One by one each of them lose consciousness, to be awakened only amidst a freefall from the sky. Rick and Faye, eject in time. Manuel and Ruski have also survived, but their transport hasn’t.

 

The four of them find themselves on a different land altogether where they are surrounded by oceans of molten gold. They come across a deserted settlement. While meandering, they are hit with burning golden rain, from which they barely escape.

 

The inhabitants of this strange land rescue them and take them to their holdout, where they are greeted by the men and women speaking Bambara, the Malyan tongue.

 

Deducting that they are the spawn of the men that had accompanied Muhammed on his expedition, they ask them about the gold and their land. Ambition takes over Manuel and in his rage, he kills the leader of the inhabitants. Threatening to shoot one and all, he forces them to take them to the vaults and dungeons of gold. When Rick argues, Manuel threatens him too.

 

The inhabitants do as they are told and once they enter a vault, at the opportune moment, Faye and Rick escape, trapping Manuel inside. With the help of Muhammed’s texts and the translation from the inhabitants, Rick and Faye find their way home, with a sweet reward for their pains.

Chapter 1Touch down in Azores

The aeroplane’s wheels skidded on the ground, bouncing on the airstrip, once, twice, thrice. Faye lost count. She retched, fighting a losing battle against the airline’s unsavoury meal that wanted to be set free.

“I do not know what I hate more. The food or the fact that I am tumbling in a sealed metal container tied to my seat.”

Rick ignored her. Not for the first time on this confining journey.

“My stomach feels woozy. I knew I should have carried Meclizine. Thanks a lot, Rick.”

He shrugged. Still quiet.

“Oh, for the sake of your, about to boke, wife! Say something! I swear I am going to hit you.”

“Please honey,” he sighed. “You are making a scene.” Victory.

Faye looked around at the eyes staring at her, smiled at them with menace, and turned back to her husband.

“Why can’t you be a normal spouse and watch football and drink beer at home? Why bring us all the way here, to a place which isn’t even on the atlas? And away from the kids too. So very far away.”

The plane ground to a halt with a jerk and Faye was propelled forwards. Her hair was a mess. She glided them back and shifted in her seat, taking off the restraints. Rick put an arm across her and pulled her to him with his giant, unrelenting hands. He was a foot taller than her and at least twice as wide. She did not resist. He kissed her on the temple, brushing against some of her hair.

“At least one vacation in fifteen years. That is the vow that I made. I am a man of my word.” He laughed.

Announcements were made. The PA system on the flight relayed the pilot’s thanks. Hopes were expressed, to serve again. Faye was already standing at the doors, waiting to alight.

 

They descended from the plane onto the airstrip. The sunlight hit her tired face. She squinted her eyes in obvious discomfort. Rick had still not descended. She looked around while she waited. The transparent blue oceans surrounding her and the vastness of the verdant horizon to her right left her gaping. A gale of wind mussed her already frizzy hair. She closed her eyes. The delightful sounds of the island had already made her forget her dizzying voyage. The medley that warm sunlight and chilly air playing on her skin enraptured her.

“Welcome to the Azores,” Rick said, from behind her. “First impressions?”

Faye opened her eyes and without looking at her husband said, “The airstrip is cute.”

“Cute?” he said. “I will take ‘cute’. Do I feel the winds change? Has my goddess been pleased?”

“Hold onto your horses, mister. Too soon to make a judgement.”

Rick held her hand and kissed it with his gentle lips.

 

He did not waste any time getting through the airport formalities. Faye waited back while Rick tussled with the less-than-competent Portuguese man at the Hertz counter. When it looked like Rick would not be able to get through to him quite that easily, Faye called home. Hillary answered her Facetime as soon as it rang, wearing her overworn and faded jacket and a scarf around her neck

 

“Is the heater not working?”

 

“Aunt Nellie is taking us out for dinner Mom,” she replied.

 

“Luke, you are going to freeze out there wearing just those shorts. Wear something that covers those lanky legs of yours.” Hillary shouted. She was looking away from the screen.

 

“Is everything all right there?”

 

“Everything’s cool here. Please stop worrying. I am almost an adult. And if that was not enough, Aunt Nellie is taking outrageous steps to ensure that we are comfortable.”

 

“Don’t grow too fast. Seeing you like this, I feel old.”

 

“You are old. Have fun while you can. We have to go. Aunt Nellie says hi.’’ she said, blowing a kiss before disconnecting the call.

 

Rick hurried over to her in that instant and hoisted their bags onto the roller.

“Are the kids okay?” He asked.

Faye nodded.

“Why do you look so dismal?”

“Are we too old already?”

Rick thought before answering. “We can grow older.”

Faye chortled.

 

Rick had been handed a grey Subaru hatchback which he was told was more than appropriate to tour around the island. They made their way out of the parking lot and into the city of Ponta Delgada.

 

“So,” Faye began, “am I worthy enough to know where we are headed? I made it through the harrowing flight. Or do you still want to hold onto your secrets and mysteries?”

 

Rick chuckled. “Not without your constant complaints. I was afraid of being poisoned.”

 

Faye wanted to argue. More often than not, Rick was apathetic to her needs and feelings. She decided to stay calm.

 

“We are headed out to Sete Cidades, love. For the next week, it’s just you and me surrounded by these wonderful landscapes in the middle of the Atlantic,” he said.

 

“I don’t know what Se-t-te Ceede-s is, but it sounds amazing. Thank you.”

 

The smooth roads and oceanic views accompanied them as they crossed the city of Ponta Delgada. The buildings were stubby. No high risers. The walls of these short structures were painted in bright, vivid colours, pleasing to the eyes. Paving stones proliferated the roads, painting an elegant vista. Mosaics and signages with azulejos enamoured the stone walls. The footpaths were distinctly marked for pedestrians though there was no one around. Unlike New York, where the honking of horns resounded through the streets and the smoke-filled air was not complained about, Azores was tranquil and pure.

 

Faye gasped as they ascended the slopes exiting the city. Oceans spread across for a million miles and more to the left and forests covered the other side. She popped open the window and let the rushing air hit her. The scent of a thousand flowering lilies filled her senses. She inhaled deeply, taking in the untainted, heavenly spectacles. The glass never went back up. When Rick pulled over, Faye jerked, rising from her mesmerising dreaminess.

 

Their rooms overlooked a lake punched into a crater, surrounded by luxuriant green plains. Faye yawned, stretching her arms above her head, looking out at the miraculous water body.

 

“Are you tired?” Rick asked.

 

Without letting her eyes waver from the window, Faye said, “Depends on what you have in mind.”

 

He leaped towards her and embraced her from behind, holding her as close as possible.

 

“I was thinking we could go for an excursion. To the hot springs.”

 

“Oh! But I didn’t carry my swimsuit genius,” she replied.

 

Rick answered back playfully, “Suffice it to say that swimsuits are not a mandatory rule here.”

 

Faye smiled, turning red.

 

“Are you sure? I don’t want to be embarrassed in front of wide-eyed, voyeuristic locals.”

 

“Come on. Let’s go.” Rick ran ahead.

 

They drove down the hill from their hotel with Rick driving in earnest. Faye, meanwhile, was looking straight ahead. The views weren’t as thrilling as before. Rick parked the car. She could see the spring. Its waters gleamed in the fragmented sunlight that found its way through the gaps in the canopy. They jumped out of the car not bothering to check whether the doors were locked. The soft grassy mud captured her footprints as a way of remembering her. She bent down to touch the water and hurtled back.

 

“It’s hot.” She commented.

The nippy air titillated her. The anticipation was damning. Rick had stripped down and entered the water.

 

Faye took her time stepping out of her clothes. Once she did, she started to shiver. She provocatively moved her body, but even to her, her movements felt awkward. Her hips shook a little as a result of her apprehension. The warmth of embarrassment flourished on her face but she found him gawking. She turned around, facing the other way, teasing him further.

 

When Faye hunched to yank off her underwear, she felt the earth tremor. For an instant she stood still, hugging herself. Before she could react, the ground beneath her shuddered and uprooted, throwing her back into the spring. She flailed her hands on the surface, splashing water. She clutched at the air but her hands came up empty. Finally, she felt the rough large hands of her husband stabilise her and wrest her to safety.

 

Faye wiped off her tuft of jet-black wet hair from her face. She cleared out the water from her eyes, searching for Rick. She found him. He was looking past her towards their car. She turned around and saw a man, taller than Rick and much more muscular, getting out of a large black van. He had parked right next to their Subaru. He did not rush but rather ambled toward them. Standing right at the edge of the spring, he was peering at her with unsettling eyes.

 

“The detonation was to happen next week,” Rick said, breaking his stare.

 

Faye flipped around to look at her husband. The fear of drowning in the shallow spring was replaced with astonishment.

 

“Time to earn your fee, Doctor,” he remarked. “The gateway to the treasure has been found.”