own. Did he think that just because he knew Lord Dorset he could take Aubrey’s place? They would have a talk, later. She was Aubrey’s director, not him.
It was already dark down below, and the crew had rigged up an electrical droplight. Hanging over the middle of the site, it gave a harsh light, deepening the shadows, making everything look sharp edged, as though etched in black ink.
Germaine gave a short gasp. They had uncovered a section of the same kind of stones found earlier, and it was clearly a wall. Set at the very edge of the pit, it ran over six feet, disappearing into the undisturbed soil beyond. The rock wall and a wooden structure behind it had crumbled, leaving an opening midway—a wide black hole—at the bottom of the wall. Germaine knelt and gave it a quick scrutiny, her fingers testing the rocks around the opening.
“It looks like the explosion blasted away some stones and an interior wall collapsed,” Conan said, and knelt beside her.
A three-foot section of the timbered wall was partially revealed and gaping open before them was a place where two timbers had come apart. It looked big enough for a person to enter. Germaine tried to see inside. It was pitch dark.
“Give me some light,” she said. But the flashlight was not much help, for just inside the opening, a piece of timber blocked the way. Germaine uttered a sound of dismay.
“I know,” Conan said. “I looked. I’m afraid if we push the timber out of the way it might cause other things to fall.”
Germaine pursed her lips. The compulsion to see what was beyond the fallen timber was overwhelming. She wanted to go in there right now. But that would be foolish. It would be totally dark outside in a few minutes and down here she needed every bit of ambient light available.
“I still think it’s a burial,” she said. “I thought so earlier. And I would guess it’s an important one with this much care taken to protect the burial site. There is no way to tell what that piece of timber was for until we push it out of the way.” She paused and directed the flashlight’s beam into the opening again. “I think it’s just part of a wall enclosing the burial and not a support beam.”
“I want to go in and see.” She stood up, brushing chalk dust off her hands.
Everyone looked at her in varying degrees of concern. Nicholas gave her a strange look, and his eyes tracked her every movement as thought she might suddenly jump up and disappear into the opening.
Conan shook his head. “No. The safest thing to do is slowly dig our way in. I can have Ian and two other shovel bums start on it tomorrow morning. One person slides in a little way and removes whatever rubble is in the way. The other two clear the debris out of the way and pull him out if anything goes wrong.”
Germaine knew that was the safest approach, but, risky or not, she felt possessed by a need to do it herself. “Right. I agree to have two others as backup, but I’m the one who’s going in first.”
Her mouth closed in a tight, firm line. She was stubborn. Aubrey had given her this excavation; it was her chance to secure the high public profile that would follow from making an important archaeological find. The tenured position at the university floated through her mind with all its alluring promise of security and prestige. It would be hers!
Maiden Castle was already an international news item with the explosion and the pagans and Druids demonstrating about ancestors’ rights down in the car park. The media was already in place. As first in, with a light and camera, she would be on all the news programs around the world.
“The opening looks unstable,” Conan said. “Ian has done this sort of excavation before so I think he should go in first. It’s not a job for a woman.”
Not a job for a woman! Germaine felt her heart rate soar. That was the most sexist statement he could have made, and usually guaranteed a blistering response. But this was not the time
It was already dark down below, and the crew had rigged up an electrical droplight. Hanging over the middle of the site, it gave a harsh light, deepening the shadows, making everything look sharp edged, as though etched in black ink.
Germaine gave a short gasp. They had uncovered a section of the same kind of stones found earlier, and it was clearly a wall. Set at the very edge of the pit, it ran over six feet, disappearing into the undisturbed soil beyond. The rock wall and a wooden structure behind it had crumbled, leaving an opening midway—a wide black hole—at the bottom of the wall. Germaine knelt and gave it a quick scrutiny, her fingers testing the rocks around the opening.
“It looks like the explosion blasted away some stones and an interior wall collapsed,” Conan said, and knelt beside her.
A three-foot section of the timbered wall was partially revealed and gaping open before them was a place where two timbers had come apart. It looked big enough for a person to enter. Germaine tried to see inside. It was pitch dark.
“Give me some light,” she said. But the flashlight was not much help, for just inside the opening, a piece of timber blocked the way. Germaine uttered a sound of dismay.
“I know,” Conan said. “I looked. I’m afraid if we push the timber out of the way it might cause other things to fall.”
Germaine pursed her lips. The compulsion to see what was beyond the fallen timber was overwhelming. She wanted to go in there right now. But that would be foolish. It would be totally dark outside in a few minutes and down here she needed every bit of ambient light available.
“I still think it’s a burial,” she said. “I thought so earlier. And I would guess it’s an important one with this much care taken to protect the burial site. There is no way to tell what that piece of timber was for until we push it out of the way.” She paused and directed the flashlight’s beam into the opening again. “I think it’s just part of a wall enclosing the burial and not a support beam.”
“I want to go in and see.” She stood up, brushing chalk dust off her hands.
Everyone looked at her in varying degrees of concern. Nicholas gave her a strange look, and his eyes tracked her every movement as thought she might suddenly jump up and disappear into the opening.
Conan shook his head. “No. The safest thing to do is slowly dig our way in. I can have Ian and two other shovel bums start on it tomorrow morning. One person slides in a little way and removes whatever rubble is in the way. The other two clear the debris out of the way and pull him out if anything goes wrong.”
Germaine knew that was the safest approach, but, risky or not, she felt possessed by a need to do it herself. “Right. I agree to have two others as backup, but I’m the one who’s going in first.”
Her mouth closed in a tight, firm line. She was stubborn. Aubrey had given her this excavation; it was her chance to secure the high public profile that would follow from making an important archaeological find. The tenured position at the university floated through her mind with all its alluring promise of security and prestige. It would be hers!
Maiden Castle was already an international news item with the explosion and the pagans and Druids demonstrating about ancestors’ rights down in the car park. The media was already in place. As first in, with a light and camera, she would be on all the news programs around the world.
“The opening looks unstable,” Conan said. “Ian has done this sort of excavation before so I think he should go in first. It’s not a job for a woman.”
Not a job for a woman! Germaine felt her heart rate soar. That was the most sexist statement he could have made, and usually guaranteed a blistering response. But this was not the time
Similar Books
