December 1915
The summit plateau stretched all around, a baking wasteland of stone, with ancient ruins adorning roughly a quarter of the space and rocks of various sizes scattered all around. Selkirk took off his hat to use as a fan, but the sun seemed to redouble in force, and he replaced it, swearing.
"This is some place," he said.
"This is Masada," Rachel told him, "where my people defied the Roman Empire." She sounded very proud; her eyes were bright as she looked around her.
"So you told us," Selkirk said. "I would be a bit happier if you said that they all escaped and lived happily ever after."
"Their sacrifice was one of the foundation stones of our nation," Rachel said.
Selkirk thought of the Turks milling around the foot of the Snake Road. I want no more sacrifices here.
"S
