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The President quickly made his decision。 〃All right； alert the bomber pilots； but tell them not to fire until ordered。 We never know when a miracle might happen and Major Cleary can force his way into the control center and halt the countdown。〃
As General Coburn issued the order； General South muttered under his breath； 〃A miracle is exactly what it will take。〃
Streets ran off the square between buildings that protruded from the ice。 They were not on the massive scale of much later civilizations； but their architectural characteristics were unlike any Pitt and Giordino had ever seen in their travels。 There was no telling how many acres or square miles the city covered。 What they saw was only a fraction of the magnificence that was the Amenes。
Rising up from one end of the square； an immense； richly ornate structure with triangular columns supported a pediment decorated with fleets of ancient ships in relief over a frieze carved with intricate sculptures of animals mingling with people wearing the same dress found on the mummies at St。 Paul Island。 The basic design of the colossal building was unlike any still standing from the ancient world。 It would have been obvious to the eye of an architect that its basic structural form had been passed down through the millennia and copied by later builders of the great temples of Luxor； Athens； and Rome。 The columns； however； were triangular； and looked foreign when pared to the much later round； fluted Doric； Ionic； and Corinthian columns。
A large entrance yawned beyond the columns。 There were no stairs。 The upper levels were reached by gradually sloping ramps。 Spellbound； Pitt and Giordino exited the Snow Cruiser and walked past the columns。 Inside the main chamber； a vast corbeled triangular roof soared above the ice…covered； rock…hewn floor。 In huge niches along the walls were stone statues of what must have been Amenes kings； powerful…looking creations with round eyes and narrow faces carved out of granite rich in quartz that shimmered as they walked past them。 Sculptured heads of men and a few women were set in the floor； staring upward through their thin coating of ice； with Amenes inscriptions engraved above and below them。
In the center of the great chamber； a life…size sculpture of an ancient ship； plete with banks of oars； full sails； and crews； stood on a pedestal。 The sight was nothing less than spectacular。 The sheer artistry； craft； and technical mastery of stone gave it an eerie mystique that mocked modern sculpture。
〃What do you make of it？〃 asked Giordino reverently； as if he were standing in a cathedral。 〃A temple to their gods？〃
〃More likely a mausoleum or a shrine；〃 said Pitt； gesturing at the heads rising from the floor。 〃These look like memorials； perhaps to revered men and women who explored the ancient world and those who were lost at sea。〃
〃It's amazing the roof didn't collapse after the fit's impact or the later accumulation of ice。〃
〃Their builders must have worked under exceptionally high standards that were possible only under a structured culture。〃
They gazed in fascination down a network of windowless corridors whose interior walls were beautifully painted with scenes of spectacular seascapes that began with calm waters and progressed to waves whipped by hurricane furies beating against rocky shorelines。 If modern men and women looked to the heavens for their God； the Amenes had looked to the seas。 Their statuaries were of men and women； not stylized versions of gods。
〃A long…lost race who discovered the world；〃 Giordino said philosophically； 〃And yet there are no artifacts lying around； and no sign of the inhabitants' remains。〃
Pitt nodded at the network of narrow passages carved into the ice。 〃No doubt recovered by the Nazis who discovered it； and later taken by the Wolfs to their museums on board the Ulrich Wolf。〃
〃Doesn't look like they excavated more than ten percent of the city。〃
〃They had more mundane things on their mind；〃 said Pitt sardonically； 〃like hiding Nazi treasures and secret relics； extracting gold from seawater； and planning to destroy the world so they could make it over into their image。〃
〃Too bad we haven't the time to explore the place。〃
〃There's nothing I'd like better than to take the grand tour；〃 said Pitt； shaking off his captivation； 〃but we have twenty…five minutes or less to find the control center。〃
Wishing they could linger； Pitt and Giordino reluctantly turned their backs on the great edifice and hurried back to the square and climbed into the Snow Cruiser。 Still following the tracks left by a Sno…cat； Pitt steered the big cruiser through the heart of the haunting ghost city and rolled it into a tunnel beyond the mausoleum of the Amenes。 Pitt drove less cautiously the closer they came to the mining pound； while Giordino crouched below the instrument panel with his Bushmaster sticking through the shattered middle windshield。
Almost a mile deeper into the tunnel； they rounded a bend and found themselves confronted with an electric auto ing in the opposite direction。 The three startled security guards in the other vehicle； easily recognizable in their black uniforms； stared incredulously at the monster bearing down on them。 The driver panicked and slammed on his brakes； skidding across the ice floor of the tunnel without reducing his speed in the slightest。 The other two guards had a higher regard for self…preservation and leaped from the auto in a futile attempt at prolonging their lives。
There was a series of shrill screeches from shredding and grinding metal as the Snow Cruiser smashed into the electric auto and rolled over it as though it were a tricycle mashed by a garbage truck。 The driver disappeared； along with his crumpled vehicle； under the Cruiser； while the other two guards were crushed against the ice walls of the tunnel by the great tires。 As Pitt stared back in his side…view mirror； he saw only a pile of twisted junk sitting flattened on the floor of the tunnel。
Giordino twisted around in his seat and stared back through the slanted rear window of the control cab。 〃I hope you paid your insurance premiums。〃
〃Only liability and property damage。 I never take out collision。〃
〃You should reconsider。〃
Another two hundred yards through the tunnel； groups of workers in red coveralls were moving wooden crates onto a train of flatbed cars that were connected to a large Sno…cat。 Forklifts were transporting the crates past a thick silver steel door whose mounting bolts led deep into the ice。 The massive door looked like the types that were used in banks to safeguard the contents of their vaults。 A short entryway through the ice led into a spacious cavern。
Two security guards stood stunned at the sight of the gargantuan Snow Cruiser； plunging from what should have been an abandoned tunnel。 They stood transfixed in the glare of the headlights。 Only when Giordino fired a short burst from his Bushmaster through the broken windshield into the forklift did workers and security guards e alive and scramble back into the cavern to save themselves from being mash