Read Online Alien's Concubine, The by Kaitlyn O'Connor - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Kaitlyn O'Connor
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Not that the helicopter
itself was any reason for dismay. That had been part of the plan.
They were to remain to airlift the remains out of the jungle once
they had been recovered.
The people the helicopter disgorged
when the engine was cut were another matter.
Gaby knew Dr. Sheffield had been
involved in a good deal of wrangling over the find with the local
government regarding his plan to remove it from the country for
further studies, but he’d indicated that he’d gotten his way. The
government official, minister of antiquities, and anthropologist
who emerged were completely unexpected, and totally unwelcome,
guests.
They seemed to be laboring under the
impression that they would be receiving the mummy Dr. Sheffield
expected to discover, and any and all valuables discovered buried
with him.
Dr. Sheffield’s rage was only
surpassed by Dr. Oldman’s. Though both men managed to contain their
spleen admirably, it was a sullen group that made their way into
the temple and along the corridor that had been discovered leading
to the chamber and finally gathered there to watch the proceedings.
Gaby followed up the rear, wondering if she would even have the
opportunity to see the remains let alone study them.
She hadn’t been inside the temple in
weeks, not since the day after her accident, but she found she
wasn’t at all surprised to discover that even the corridor leading
to the chamber was as richly detailed with mosaic depictions of the
history of the race that had built the pyramid as the chamber
itself. The place was a marvel in and of itself. The only aspect
more amazing than the artistry and craftsmanship of the structure
and art was the fact that it looked virtually untouched by time. If
it hadn’t been so breathtaking in detail and design she might have
wondered if the entire thing was simply an elaborate hoax, but
modern man, quite simply, was not capable of producing anything
approaching the temple and no one with the money to build such an
edifice would have been insane enough to invest it in such an
elaborate hoax.
When they arrived at last in the
chamber, Gaby saw that a support framework had been constructed
over and around the altar, or crypt—she was not going to accept
that it was a crypt until she saw with her own eyes that it
actually was one—to carefully remove the slab of stone that sealed
it.
No one was prepared for what they
found when the slab was finally removed. They quickly discovered,
though, that it did not merely rest on top as they’d originally
supposed. The stone had been cemented to the base with some sort of
mortar that was surprisingly resistant to time and they had had to
wait while tools were brought in to chip it away and break the
seal. Almost more stunning than finding that the slab was cemented
to the base was the discovery once the seal had been broken that
the crypt was a perfect vacuum.
It sucked air in an audible whoosh
when the seal was finally broken and the slab lifted. Gaby felt her
skin prickle all over when she heard the sound, like a giant
inhalation of breath. One glance at the other observers was enough
to assure her that she was not alone. Everyone in the room
exchanged uneasy glances.
It still took an effort to refrain
from surging forward as the stone slowly rose upward and then was
walked sideways and lowered to the chamber floor. No one else
resisted. The rest of the archeology team and the government
representatives stampeded forward, jostling each other for a
position that would allow them to look inside as Dr. Sheffield
illuminated the interior.
A collective gasp of awe rose from the
group staring down into the cavity revealed. Drawn by their
reaction, Gaby moved forward and tried to peer over the shoulders
blocking her view, but she saw fairly quickly that it was a waste
of effort. Short of shoving someone out of the way, she could see
very little beyond the glint of light on bright metal.
It was still enough.
Stunned as she was, she knew it
itself was any reason for dismay. That had been part of the plan.
They were to remain to airlift the remains out of the jungle once
they had been recovered.
The people the helicopter disgorged
when the engine was cut were another matter.
Gaby knew Dr. Sheffield had been
involved in a good deal of wrangling over the find with the local
government regarding his plan to remove it from the country for
further studies, but he’d indicated that he’d gotten his way. The
government official, minister of antiquities, and anthropologist
who emerged were completely unexpected, and totally unwelcome,
guests.
They seemed to be laboring under the
impression that they would be receiving the mummy Dr. Sheffield
expected to discover, and any and all valuables discovered buried
with him.
Dr. Sheffield’s rage was only
surpassed by Dr. Oldman’s. Though both men managed to contain their
spleen admirably, it was a sullen group that made their way into
the temple and along the corridor that had been discovered leading
to the chamber and finally gathered there to watch the proceedings.
Gaby followed up the rear, wondering if she would even have the
opportunity to see the remains let alone study them.
She hadn’t been inside the temple in
weeks, not since the day after her accident, but she found she
wasn’t at all surprised to discover that even the corridor leading
to the chamber was as richly detailed with mosaic depictions of the
history of the race that had built the pyramid as the chamber
itself. The place was a marvel in and of itself. The only aspect
more amazing than the artistry and craftsmanship of the structure
and art was the fact that it looked virtually untouched by time. If
it hadn’t been so breathtaking in detail and design she might have
wondered if the entire thing was simply an elaborate hoax, but
modern man, quite simply, was not capable of producing anything
approaching the temple and no one with the money to build such an
edifice would have been insane enough to invest it in such an
elaborate hoax.
When they arrived at last in the
chamber, Gaby saw that a support framework had been constructed
over and around the altar, or crypt—she was not going to accept
that it was a crypt until she saw with her own eyes that it
actually was one—to carefully remove the slab of stone that sealed
it.
No one was prepared for what they
found when the slab was finally removed. They quickly discovered,
though, that it did not merely rest on top as they’d originally
supposed. The stone had been cemented to the base with some sort of
mortar that was surprisingly resistant to time and they had had to
wait while tools were brought in to chip it away and break the
seal. Almost more stunning than finding that the slab was cemented
to the base was the discovery once the seal had been broken that
the crypt was a perfect vacuum.
It sucked air in an audible whoosh
when the seal was finally broken and the slab lifted. Gaby felt her
skin prickle all over when she heard the sound, like a giant
inhalation of breath. One glance at the other observers was enough
to assure her that she was not alone. Everyone in the room
exchanged uneasy glances.
It still took an effort to refrain
from surging forward as the stone slowly rose upward and then was
walked sideways and lowered to the chamber floor. No one else
resisted. The rest of the archeology team and the government
representatives stampeded forward, jostling each other for a
position that would allow them to look inside as Dr. Sheffield
illuminated the interior.
A collective gasp of awe rose from the
group staring down into the cavity revealed. Drawn by their
reaction, Gaby moved forward and tried to peer over the shoulders
blocking her view, but she saw fairly quickly that it was a waste
of effort. Short of shoving someone out of the way, she could see
very little beyond the glint of light on bright metal.
It was still enough.
Stunned as she was, she knew it
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