The Land That Worshiped Women: Minoan Time Traveler

RUSS NICHOLSON and EMILY LANDRY fly to Heraklion, Crete, to help wealthy Greek widow ATHANA MARINATOS study the ancient Minoans. The day they arrive, the murdered body of Athana’s friend YTN is discovered stuffed into a burial urn in a Heraklion Museum.

The police think art-reproductions dealer GEORGE DAFAMAKIS is the killer, but Russ and Emily suspect Museum guards DIOGENES and EIRENE. The tourist ED POWERS warns Emily and Russ to stay away from Athana. Since they now mistrust her, Athana tells Russ and Emily the truth: she’s an ancient Minoan from 1450 BC, where POTNI, leader of the warlike Mycenaeans, has just conquered her people. Emily and Russ don’t believe her, so she whisks them forward in time a few hours.

Russ convinces Athana to take them back to 1450 BC. Once there a Minoan “soother” puts him into a “waking dream” and Russ almost dies. Mycenaeans chase Athana and Emily through the fabled Palace of Knossos, and the three only narrowly escape back to the 21st century.

Athana tells Russ and Emily her real reason for asking them to Crete: to help her warn the world about the 4000 BC origin of “starvation culture,” an ugly way of life that sprang up after massive climate change devastated one-third of the earth’s land surface.