There had been much debate and controversy concerning the legend of Atlantis. Its location was as much a mystery as its existence. Varying theories put the lost civilization in Cuba, Central America, the Yucatan, Crete, Antarctica or the South Pacific, Sardinia, Bolivia, and finally the Azores.  If one followed the works of Edgar Cayce, the Azores were the last remaining vestiges of Poseidia, the last of the sunken remains of Atlantis.  It was claimed that Plato’s Timaeus and Critias placed Atlantis west of the Pillars of Hercules and that the pre-ice age Azores fit the bill for the great Atlantean empire that extended its authority throughout the ancient world from Europe to India and to the Americas.  It was said that a line of fallen angels, the Nephilim, created a race of pre-humans as slaves.  These creatures interbred with Adam and Eve, and the new gene pool and subsequent DNA combinations created modern man.  The offspring of the fallen were said to be evil, and great battles occurred between the varying races.  The two trees in the Garden of Eden, the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil and the Tree of Life were said to represent the two strains of DNA that compete for dominance over the earth.  The seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent had therefore become surrogate fighters in the war between God and those who opposed Him.  Much of the early fighting was said to have taken place in Atlantis, which included not only the island continent, but also its worldwide empire.  This, some speculated, was why so many myths and symbols were shared among highly divergent cultures that supposedly had no ancient contact.  With vast technological resources, the Atlanteans may have surpassed that of modern civilizations; a theory that flew in the face of modern man’s ego and its archeologists. Yet one idea remained fact:  Several secret societies referred to Mount Pico of the Azores in many of their rituals.  These same societies claimed knowledge of the lost Atlantis. Pico Island was the second largest in the Azores.  A part of Portugal, Mount Pico was actually the tallest mountain in that nation and reached over 8,000 feet.  Its population of just over 240,000 was predominantly Catholic.  Until 1534, the Azores fell under the jurisdiction of the Grand Prior of the Order of Christ.  Andrew once again found himself in the belly of the beast.  He began to think that Mantrella was indeed twisted.  But, he considered, perhaps the old purloined letter trick was a valid means of hiding, especially in the modern age of techno-spying.  After all, who could believe where they finally found Bin Laden?   The Azores are an island group located off the western coast of Portugal. Mount Pico and Pico Island Valley View and Night View of the Azores   Caldera Crater, Lagao do Capitao, Hot Springs