Indiana Jones and the Death of the Gods-Chap. 1-2 Revised

Posted by IndyAntilles from spider-we014.proxy.aol.com on August 24, 1999 at 19:13:04:

Okay, I'm not sure if any of you are reading this, but it's changed a lot sicne the first posting. If you are reading please tell me, otherwise I won't waste space on this forum. Enjoy!

Chapter One

New York
Late March, 1943

Marcus Brody sat at the steps of the American
Museum of Natural History, reading the morning edition of
the newspaper. It was a gloomy, raining day in New York
City, not to mention cold. Brody would normally be
entertaining his guest, Julian Blake III, archaeologist, but he
was waiting for another.
Within several moments, a cab pulled in front of the
museum, splashing muddy water onto the walk. Brody put
down the paper, folding it into quarters, placing it under his
arm, then opening his umbrella, heading towards the cab.
A man in a brown fedora and tan trenchcoat stepped
out, handing the cab driver his fee, then began walking
towards Brody as the cab pulled away, soaking the manís
feet. The manís right arm was being held in a peculiar
position, as if it was in a sling.
Indiana Jones looked up at Marcus.
ìIndy, did you see this morning paper?î Marcus
said, unfolding the paper. The fronts pages said
AUSTRALIAN GOVERMENT BANISHES AMERICAN
ARCHAEOLOGIST. Below that was the sub heading
AUSTRALIAN PRIME MINISTER SAYS HEíS NOTHING MORE
THAN ìA COMMON GRAVE ROBBERî.
Indy brushed it away with his good arm. ìI didnít
have to see it, Marcus. I was there.î
ìDonít worry, Indy. I have a friend in the senate that
might be of some help in getting those pieces back...î
ìDonít bother. I got what I wanted.î Indy pulled a
piece of cloth from his trenchcoat, slowly unwrapping it. it
was the Rainbow Serpent talisman.
ìThe Rainbow Serpent, one of the most powerful
spirits in aboriginal history. Many explorers were lost to the
dunes, and were driven mad in search of this talisman. It is
rumored to convey the wisdom of the aboriginal spirits unto
itís owner,î Brody said softly, in awe.
ìFrankly, it doesnít seem to work for me.î Indy
handed the talisman over the Brody.
Brody had just one question. ìHow?î
ìI didnít have it with me. I managed to steal it back
from the Japanese.î
ìWhy am I not surprised?î Brody responded. ìItís a
fascinating piece. Easily one of the best in our collection
yet.î
ìThatís great, Marcus. But, If itís not too much
trouble, mind if we go inside? My feet are freezing.î

Brody led Indy into the museum, to allow him a
chance to dry off. Indy was first into Brodyís office, placing
his rain soaked fedora unto the coat rack beside him. The
soft sound of drips could be heard as the excess rain created
a puddle near Brodyís door.
Indy then hung the coat on the rack as well, which
doubled the size of the puddle. Brody, still
preoccupied with the talisman, sat at his desk, carefully
turning the talisman in his hand, studying itís every detail.
Indy already had his shoes and socks off, placing
them next to the heat register.
ìThe museum is in your debt, Indy,î Marcus finally
said.
ìJust consider that payback for that spectacular
failure I had in January,î Indy replied, massaging his feet
while simultaneously placing them in front of the register to
warm them.
ìReally, I think the Ethiopian government has
cooled off by now,î Marcus consoled.
ìI sometimes think that my failures are always much
more interesting than my successes.î
ìIíll get this piece into the Australian exhibit as soon
as all the excitement had died down around here.î
ìExcitement?î Indy looked up.
ìYes, the special Viking exhibit...î
ìYou got it?î Indy asked, a tinge of excitement in
his voice.
ìYes. It opened today... Dr. Blake is scheduled to
unveil it, just as soon as I get down there...î
ìWhy arenít you down there, then? Donít let me
keep you.î
ìWell, you are. Dr. Blake was adamant that you be
there, as well, when he heard you were flying in today.î
ìI would love to go, Marcus, but I donít think I
need the publicity right now,î Indy replied.

ìDr. Jones,î the reporters hounded, ìDr. Jones?î
ìNo comment,î Indy said, pushing his way through
the crowd gathered at the west wing on the second floor,
where Dr. Blake just unveiled the new exhibit.
Marcus dodged the reporters, who werenít
interested in him anyway, and headed for Dr. Blake, leaving
Indy to deal with the press.
ìDr. Jones, what is your reaction to the Australian
govenrments actions?î one man said.
ìNo comment,î Indy said, louder this time, pushing
harder.
ìIs it true that the governor threatened to pull out
your tongue is you ever returned?î Another reported
shouted.
ìNo comment.î Indy hated the press. They were
almost as bad as the Nazis.
ìChalres Lindbergh called you a ëpoor, bumbling
excuse for a professorí. What is your comment?î a woman
asked.
ìNO comment!î Indy yelled, pushing through the
rest of the crowd.
ìDr. Jones,î another woman called out, in a softer
tone, ìwhy arenít you wearing any shoes?î
Indy paused as the group of reporters burst out in
hearty laughter. He looked down at the light blue slippers
that Marcus had borrowed to him. ìNo comment,î Indy
said in a low, angered tone.
Indy ignored to snickering and jokes from the
crowd, and headed towards Marcus. He stood with another
man, who looked like he should rather be a Hollywood
actor than an archaeologist. He had black hair, a neatly
trimmed mustache, a neat white suit, and a woman on each
arm.
Indy had mussed hair, a five oí clock shadow, a
ruffled pin striped suit, part of which was soaked, a arm in a
sling, and light blue slippers. Not the first impression I was
hoping for, Indy thought.
Marcus turned his attention to Indy. ìAh, Indy, let
me introduce Dr. Blake, the archaeologist who brought all
these fine artifacts here.î
Dr. Blake let out a boisterous laugh. ìThe infamous
Dr. Jones,î he laughed, shaking Indyís hand, ìIím terribly
sorry to hear about what happened in Australia,î he said,
ìbut it doesnít look like your doing any better now,î he
chuckled. The women laughed.
Indy remembered how he use to get women like
that, when he was Blakeís age. But who says he still
couldnít?
ìWell, that was a misunderstanding,î Indy smiled.
ìYou havenít changed at all, Dr. Jones,î Blake
mused, ìfrom when I first read your name in the paper.
Your one of the reasons I went into archaeology, Dr.
Jones.î
ìMe?î
ìYes. I always thought archaeology would be such a
boring affair. But your career rarely has a dull moment,î he
chuckled.
ìWell,î Indy smiled, ìitís not always that
adventurous...î
ìYouíre a modest person, Dr. Jones,î Blake
chuckled.
ìPlease, call me Indy,î Indy said.
ìAnd you may call me Jules. So, Indy, what do you
think of this?î Blake asked.
ìItís quite impressive, Jules. A incredible
collection.î
ìThank you. Of course, I suppose you would be
more impressed if you actually had time to explore it, no?î
Indyís face began to turn red. ìWell...ah...î
ìHere, let me give you the Grand Tour,î he smiled.
The women left as he began to move towards one of the
glass cases.
ìAs you can see from much of this, these artifacts
are your run-of-the-mill Norse relics. Nothing special. You
probably see dozens of these on your bad days, correct?î he
chuckled.
ìOf course, I wouldnít be here if this exhibit wasnít
somehow special. And so, without further delay, I present
to you the crowning achievement of both this exhibit, and
my career.î
Blake led him to the largest display case, three times
larger than any other. A guard stood next to it, rifle in hand.
Surprisingly, there was little inside. A large tablet, and some
small colored stones. Other small pieces of rock lay about,
as well.
ìTake a good look, Dr. Jones,î Blake offered.
Indy put on his spectacles, squintign a bit to make
out the markings on the colored stones.
ìOdin, Thor, Balder, Heimdall...and Ulle,î Indy
strained his eyes to see the last one. ìAll part of the Aesir.î
ìCorrect. These seem to be special runes, crafted
from the gods themselves, and each would hold the gods
soul after they died. And here,î Blake pointed to the tablet,
ìit refers to the runes as Soul Runes.î
The tablet was very worn, with very little writing
upon it, and a larger carving of a circle, cut into twelve
pieces, the with the name of a God upon it.
ìWhat is that circular carving represent?î Indy said,
drawing a circle into the air with his hand as he pointed.
ìThat... I am not quite sure about. But it seems that
the Soul Runes are part of a set. Each name the name of a
God of the Aesir upon it. Right now the cryptic stone
mystifies all of us, but Iím confident that my next expedition
will reveal some answers.î
ìNext expedition?î Indy questioned, ìyouíre
returning to Greenland?î
ìYes. Within the week,î Blake replied. ìI just
recieved a large donation this morning, to fund another
trip.î
ìFrom whom?î
Blake laughed. ìThe donor wished to stay
anonymous at the time, but said that Iíll know soon
enough,î Blake continued to grin, ìI seem to get stuck with
the odd ones at times.î
ìIt goes with the territory,î Indy replied.
Blake smiled, then turned to the crowd of reporters
in a frenzy, taking pictures of everything within the exhibit.
Some began hounding Brody, or the other qrchaeologists
that helped with the expedition.
ìWell, it seems that I have company,î Blake said to
Indy. ìI must feed the hungry minds of the press,î he
grinned.
ìI usually just hit them on the nose with their own
newspaper,î Indy replied grimly.
Blake snickered. ìI would hate to cut this short,
Indy, but I trust that this wonít be the last time we meet?î
Blake asked.
ìI doubt it. I have a bad habit of walking back into
peopleís live when least expected.î
ìWell then, this is goodbye, for now. Iíll keep an eye
out for you, Dr. Jones,î Blake shook Indyís hand again.
ìGood luck to you on your next expedition, Dr.
Blake. And watch out-- I find that strange donors are often
hazardous to your health.î

Chapter Two

Barnett College
Three Days Later

ìThe aboriginies had no real religion, although some
may disagree,î Indy began. ìHowever, they had strong
spiritual roots. The aboriginies believed in the Dreamtime,
which refers to ëa beginningí. In this case, the beginning is
the emergence of the first humans. ìThese first humans,
the descendants of the aboriginal tribes, took on spirit form
and created the rocks, the trees, the rivers, the sky, the sun.
Eventually, after the formation of the lands were completed,
the spirits resided in their creations-- the rocks, the trees,
the earth. One of the spirits made his home in the sun, who
watched over the aboriginal tribes.î
One of the students raised his hand.
ìAh, yes... James?î Indy acknowledged.
ìSo the aboriginies believed that a spirit resided in
every rock?î
ìYes...î
ìSo they would considered those rocks sacred?î
ìYes. They were held in the highest regard. Those
who would desecrate a natural object that was thought to
hold a spirit was often faced with death.î
ìIs that why the tribal leader of the Eora has placed
a bounty on your head?î the entire class let out a laugh.
Indy let out a uneasy chuckle. ìIt wasnít because of
desecration of their rocks...î
ìFor the robbery of their tombs then?î
ìIt wasnít robbery. It was archaeology.î
The bell signalling the end of class cut short the
debate.
ìRemember read Schliemann, Chapters 3-5, for
tommorow. And I expect that report on the rituals of
ancient Americans by next Tuesday,î Indy said in a raised
voice as the shuffling of desks and shoes erupted from the
otherwise placid room.
Indy checked his watch. He didnít have another
class for a hour. Collecting his books and locking the door
to Archaeology 101 behind him, he headed towards the
office, checkin gto see if he had any mail, before going to
the lounge for some coffee.
Dodging the clusters of students in the hallways,
Indy headed towards the modest office of Barnett College,
opening the door slightly and peeking his head in.
ìAny mail for me, Rebecca?î
Rebecca, the young secretary of Barnett College,
that every male student and teacher adored, looked up at
Indy.
ìYes, there is, Dr. Jones,î she said, bending over
and disappearign behidn the deck for a moment, before
reappearing with an fair-sized pakage.
Indy opened the door quickly, dropping his books
near it and moving at a quickened pace, taking the package
and checking the return address.
ìAustralia,î he said in a low voice. ìItís about time.î
He tore into the package quickly, as Rebecca looked
on with curiousity.
ìWhat is it?î She asked
Indy said nothing, but he didnít have to. He slowly
pulled a 10 ft. bullwhip from the package, letting the fall
touch the marble floor. Indy let it dangle for a moment,
admiring his whip for a moment, before quickly coiling it
back up. He tossed it on the top of his books, as Rebecca
looked in suprise, shock, and confusion.
The shock escalated as Indy pulled out a .38 caliber
revolver. Rebecca couldnít believe how noncahlant Indy
was about this.
ìDr. Jones!î Rebecca said in a low, stunned voice.
Indy didnít pay attention. ìDoes it still have...?î
Indy murmured, then trailedoff as he opened the chamber.
ìThey confiscated them,î Indy murmured.
ìDr. Jones!î Rebecca said, louder.
ìTheyíre not still in here...î Indy said, turning the
package upside down and shaking it violently.
No bullets emerged.
Instead, ten yellowed, charred pages floated to the
ground.
Both Indy and Rebecca were silent.
Indy put the revolver aside, then carefully picked up
the ancient pages. He slowly flipped through them, looking
over it with a puzzle expression on his face.
ìNorse writings...î he murmured. He turned away,
seemingly in a type of trance, thinking.
After several moments, he looked down at his
watch. He still had fifty-five minutes.
ìDr. Jones?î Rebecca asked.
ìRebecca, hold my calls. If anybody asks, Iím at the
Museum of Natural History. Iíll be back in time for my next
class,î Indy said, knowing that the last part was a lie.
ìWhat?í she asked, but Indy had already gathered
his bullwhip and pistol, slamming the office door behind
him.

ìLook at this Marcus,î Indy said, reading from one
of the yellow pages. ì...soon Beowolf came upon a large
disk, divided into twelve sections. And on each of those
twelve sections was enscribed with the name of one of the
gods of Aesir. And when Beowolf asked what such a large
disk could possibly be used for, Odin replied, ëit is the
Vault of Vanir. The powers of the Vanir have been sealed
inside, away from the hands of the mortals. Only will the
twelve runes of Aesir unlock their powers, releasing them
unto the worlds againí.î
ìItís certainly interesting, Indiana, but I still doubt
itís from the lost pages of Beowolf,î Marcus replied.
ìBut thatís what that drawing on Blakeís tablet is,î
Indy said, pointing at the tablet that Marcus instructed the
guards to bring to his office. ìWhereís Blake?î
ìHe left late last night.î
Indy sighed.
ìI meant to tell you...î
Indy paused, thinking. ìMarcus, I need one of these
Soul Runes,î Indy said, picking up one of the runes from
Marcusí desk.
The guards aimed their rifles at Indy.
ìIndy, I advise you to put that down before they
shoot you,î Marcus murmured.
ìMarcus, this is the only way I can ensure that no
one opens the vault.î
ìVault? Indy...î
ìTrust me, Marcus.î
The guards waited.
Marcus sighed.
ìPut down your arms,î Marcus ordered. The guards
begrudgingly complied. ìif you someone lose of damage
that rune, Indy...î
ìI wonít.î Indy pocketed the rune.
ìShall I nook you a flight to Greenland?î
ìAs soon as possible,î Indy said, grabbing his coat
from the rack.
Indy proceeded briskly down the halls of the
Museum of Natural History, stopping only to look at the
strange wax figure he hadnít noticed before. An odd sort of
man, with a pistol in his hand.
Marcus certainly has an odd taste in figurines, Indy
thought with a shake of his head and a lop sided grin.
Indy walked down the seemingly infinite steps of the
museum, towards his awaiting car. He tossed his briefcase,
filled with the pages and his books, into the back seat, then
opened the trunk of his car.
He produced a weather beaten and charred fedora, a
singed leather coat, and a worn bullwhip. He situated the
fedora carefully on his head, attached the bullwhip to his left
side, and sped off down the street, once again bound for
adventure.

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