The Last Odyssey (Sigma Force #15) - James Rollins Page 0,155

true locations of the mythic islands and ports of Homer’s Odyssey ended up falling along the line between the African tectonic plate and its Eurasian neighbor to the north. Does this mean anything? If you read this novel, you know it does.

Okay, that’s enough of history and ancient science. Let’s address a few locations.

Iceland

Maria and Kowalski do spend a bit of time soaking in hot water before they find themselves in real hot water. I was lucky enough to spend an afternoon enjoying the Blue Lagoon’s Retreat. To honor that, I tried to be as accurate as possible, but then again, I did have a few of those green banana/rum concoctions, so go check out the place yourself. I suggest you read The Last Odyssey there. On a minor note, the United States does operate a group of P-8 Poseidon jets out of Iceland to aid in tracking and hunting submarines. And considering this novel delves into Greek history and Sea People, how could I not feature military planes named after the Greek god of the oceans?

Helheim Glacier and Greenland

Most of the details and specifics of this part of the novel are true, from the Red House hotel in Tasiilaq to the dynamics and threat to Greenland’s glaciers. While I’ve never personally rappelled into one of those frozen whirlpools called a moulin, I did consult a caving buddy who did. After his harrowing story, I’d rather take my chances with a fiery bull. On to one final bit of serendipity. I knew from the start of this book that I was going to freeze an ancient dhow in a Greenland glacier, in a book about the hunt for the true location of mythic Tartarus, the Greek Underworld. And what is one of Greenland’s largest glaciers, one of its most threatened? That’s Helheim Glacier, named after the Nordic “World of the Dead.” So, take what you will from that true detail.

Turkish Underground Cities

Elena and Kowalski are briefly imprisoned in an ancient subterranean Turkish city. I based that description on a real site, the Derinkuyu Underground City. Now, while I don’t believe there is such a lost metropolis within a stone’s throw of Troy, archaeologists have, in fact, discovered more than two hundred troglodyte-cave cities throughout Turkey—so why not one on the outskirts of Troy?

Castel Gandolfo

My Italian publisher was kind enough to invite me to speak in the small village of Velletri, outside of Rome. It’s a village with a long literary history. If you ever go there, eat at Casale della Regina. You will thank me. Velletri is also a short hop to Castel Gandolfo, and I was able to do a tour of the pope’s summer palace. It was that visit that convinced me to include it in this novel—so, please accept my apologies for blowing it up. Again, based on that visit, I tried to make the descriptions as accurate as possible. A few fun facts. The palace is indeed built atop the ancient ruins of Emperor Domitian’s villa. The summer palace has a long and rich astronomical history, including the new and old observatories, and a great museum pertaining to astronomy. The story of the “Pope’s Children” is also historically accurate. As to the Holy Scrinium, the original traveling library of the popes, it truly did exist and was said to hold rare treasures going back to the founding of Christendom. Does it still exist? Is it located in ancient Roman vaults beneath Castel Gandolfo? Unfortunately, that was not part of my tour.

Sardinia

The Italian island of Sardinia has a rich archaeological past, which I touched upon in this story. The details of the Noro Stone and the Giants of Mont’e Prama are accurate, though some of my speculations regarding them are born of my own imagination. The ancient nuraghe fortifications and buildings are real, as are their ties to Daedalus, who is indeed said to have resided on the island after he fled from King Minos—and why those ancient ruins were called daidaleia by the Greeks.

Morocco

Moving south to Africa, Morocco is fascinating both geologically and historically. The convergent boundary between the African and Eurasian tectonic plates does run straight through the country and gave rise to the Atlas mountain range. One of its main exports is indeed phosphate rock, one of the chief ingredients for making Greek Fire. Also, their phosphate deposits are rich in uranium. It is estimated that the phosphate rock in Morocco holds twice the amount of uranium as the rest of the world. So, if you want to make potent Greek Fire, build your foundry in the Atlas Mountains.

Finally, let’s discuss the end of the world.

Apocalyptic Cults

I’m fascinated by all the ways various cultures view the end of the world. Especially in regard to the visions that are common among them. Of course, the Apocalypti—a confederation of cults, both religious and otherwise, whose goal is to trigger Armageddon by any means necessary—is purely of my own imagination. That said, it is worrisome that there appears to be a growing zealous view that not only are the end-times near—but that we should do everything politically and militarily possible to make sure it happens in our lifetime. That trend is growing in support both across the Islamic world and among Western nations. So, while the Apocalypti cult is fiction, their existential threat is real.

I love this world—this wondrous gift to humanity—so let’s not be so quick to burn it down. Of course, I’ve been blowing up UNESCO world heritage sites for more than twenty years; therefore, I might not be the best advocate for this position.

There you have it. I hope you enjoyed this latest Sigma adventure. As you might suspect, there is much more to come. But for now, we’ll let Gray and company recuperate, have a few drinks, and spend some quality time with their families.

Because that’s what I’m going to do—and you should, too.

Acknowledgments

It’s said that Homer once wrote, “The journey is the thing.” And the path from idea to published novel is its own rocky road. My odyssey in finishing this book was made all the easier through the help of an esteemed (and patient) cadre of first readers, reviewers, and cheerleaders. Collectively known as the Warped Spacers, they include Chris Crowe, Lee Garrett, Matt Bishop, Matt Orr, Leonard Little, Judy Prey, Caroline Williams, John Vester, and Amy Rogers. And a special thanks to Steve Prey for the Arctic map. But I also have to single out David Sylvian for making me look good across the digital universe. And Cherei McCarter, who has shared with me a bevy of intriguing concepts and curiosities, several of which are found in these pages. And William Craig Reed for his valuable help with submarine warfare hardware. Of course, none of this would happen without an astounding team of industry professionals whom I defy anyone to surpass. To everyone at William Morrow, thank you for always having my back, especially Liate Stehlik, Danielle Bartlett, Kaitlin Harri, Josh Marwell, Richard Aquan, and Ana Maria Allessi. Last, of course, a special acknowledgment to the people instrumental to all levels of production: my esteemed editor, Lyssa Keusch, and her industrious colleague Mireya Chiriboga; and for all their hard work, my agents, Russ Galen and Danny Baror (along with his daughter Heather Baror). And as always, I must stress that any and all errors of fact or detail in this book, of which hopefully there are not too many, fall squarely on my own shoulders.