Free The Promised One by David Alric Page B

only way in and out before the Suez Canal was built was through the straits of Gibraltar. As for swimming over mountains that Mediterranean dolphins could get to – well, you know the answer to that one, Lucy!’
    She thought for a moment.
    ‘Give me a clue.’
    ‘When you get home look in the Old Testament of the Bible. The Book of Genesis.’
    ‘Don’t be mean, Gramps. I can’t wait till we get home! Give me an easier clue.’
    Grandpa grinned.
    ‘OK, who springs to your mind when you think about somebody who could get animals – lots of different animals – to do what he wanted? And who lived during a period when the waters covered the land so deep that dolphins could swim over mountains?’
    ‘Noah!’ exclaimed Lucy. ‘Of course, he must have been able to do things just the same as I can. How else could he have got the animals to go into the Ark – and not eat each other up during the voyage? No wonder the animals thought the Promised One had arrived! I should really’ve got that one myself, shouldn’t I?’
    ‘Never mind,’ said Grandpa. ‘It’s very difficult to connect what you are hearing in the reality of here and now with stories relating to things that happened thousands of years ago. What I’m totally amazed by is the fact that an ancientlegend that humans have passed down through the ages in the Bible has also been preserved in the animal kingdom solely by word of mouth. It’s all but incredible. Who’s next? This is just like a quiz show!’
    ‘The next sounded very interesting and I’m sure you’ll know the answer. He lived in the lands of sand from which the Brilliant One rises to warm the Middle Salt.’
    ‘So,’ said Grandpa. ‘He lived in the desert lands to the east of the Mediterranean. That narrows it down, but it still covers an awful lot of countries. Did he give any other clues?’
    ‘Well, he said something about a city on a great river in the sand with lots of flowers – oh yes, he said, “trees and flowers such as had never been seen before in those desolate places”.’
    Grandpa strolled along, deep in thought.
    ‘“such as had never been seen”,’ he murmured, ‘Of course!’ His face lit up. ‘The Hanging Gardens of Babylon – one of the Seven Wonders of the World. This was the city built in the middle of the desert on the river Euphrates by a famous king called Nebuchadrezzar. But who on earth …? I’ve got it!’ he said in triumph. ‘It’s Daniel. Have you heard of Daniel?’ He turned to Lucy.
    ‘Do you mean the man in the story of Daniel and the Lions’ Den?’
    ‘Yes,’ said Grandpa. ‘Well done! Nebuchadrezzar had Daniel thrown into a den of lions expecting him to be torn to pieces, but he walked out completely unharmed. The power given to him to do that was presumably thesame power that you’ve been given. There’s no other explanation. Who’s next?’ he asked eagerly. They had come to a bench in a stone shelter facing the sea and they sat down as they talked.
    ‘I can’t believe how well you’re solving these puzzles,’ said Lucy. ‘I wasn’t sure if we’d get any, and now there’s only two to go. They both lived in the land of olives and the great mountain of fire – or something like that – and the first lived in the City of the Seven Hills.’
    ‘The Seven Hills is another name for Rome,’ said Grandpa, ‘and of course the mountain of fire must be the great volcano Vesuvius – we’re talking about Italy.’
    ‘Well, that’s all I know about him,’ said Lucy. ‘Any ideas?’
    ‘None at the moment; let’s leave him and come back to him. Who came last?’
    ‘Now, he’s really mysterious. He talked to lots of animals and – wait for this – he had a ring of fire round his head that stayed there till the day he died.’
    Grandpa fell deep into thought once again.
    ‘I know who this is,’ he said after a few moments, ‘and so do you. But I can see why you didn’t understand the ring of fire. Pictures with