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Book: Kathlyn Trent, Marcus Burton 01 - Valley of the Shadow by Kathryn Le Veque
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Authors: Kathryn Le Veque
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or Dennis standing silent vigil over the scraping and sifting. Marcus had joined them at some point after she left him. She hadn’t seen him since.
Kathlyn had removed the white clothing she had slept in last night, showered, and changed into heavy khaki denim shorts, a white tank top, and her trademark battered duster. Those big heavy boots were on her feet, like military boots, but it was the only thing she was comfortable with traipsing around in a desert filled with scorpions and snakes. Her hair was pulled into a braid that draped down over one shoulder.
"They've been digging there for three seasons," she said, pushing her Lennon-like sunglasses back up on the bridge of her sweaty nose. "I've got to be very careful how I approach this so Burton doesn't look like a fool."
Juliana wriggled her eyebrows at Mark, but spoke to Kathlyn. "I guess last night really changed you mind about him, huh?"
Kathlyn shot her a dirty look. "I told you what happened."
Juliana held up the palm of her hand for Mark, who high-fived her. "Guess the girl took my advice about sleeping with him. Does wonders to soothe the savage beast."
"Oh, shut up," Kathlyn muttered. "I didn't have sex with him."
"Sure you didn't." Juliana put her index finger in a hole created with the index finger and thumb of her other hand, mimicking sexual intercourse. Mark giggled like a girl.
"Enough, you two," Kathlyn snapped. She turned away from the sight of the distant project, her eyes drawn the scores of tourists arriving by the busload to tour the Valley of the Kings. "I've been trying to figure out all morning how to tell him he's digging in the wrong place. Where the hell are Otis and Ed? They were meeting with McGrath this morning trying to get permission to gain depth and soil samples of the slope."
"Why didn't you meet with McGrath?" Juliana asked.
"I want Otis and Ed to convince him from a purely scientific point of view that it's necessary. Besides, last time I saw McGrath, I was waking him from a dead sleep and screaming at him. I wasn't exactly the most rational creature."
"Embarrassed to face him?"
"Something like that."
As if on cue, two figures crossed the pebble-strewn road toward them. Andy and Larry, the doctoral students, were swathed like characters out of Lawrence of Arabia. They were both so fair that the sun was wreaking havoc on their skin, even through their clothing. Andy held up a sunburned hand in greeting while Larry sat down and mopped his forehead.
"All hail, mighty archaeologists," Andy said. "I bring news from the world of science."
"What?" Kathlyn demanded.
Andy pulled off his turban, revealing his bushy auburn hair. "Dison and Cutro convinced McGrath that they needed to take core samples of that slope. McGrath is on to us, I'm afraid. He's going to tell Dr. Burton what you're up to."
Kathlyn shrugged. "There's not much I can do about that. Are we going to get the equipment we requested?"
"Yep,” Andy nodded triumphantly. “Oil equipment; you know, those big core samplers they use to determine the feasibility of oil in soil samples.” Andy jabbed a thumb towards the east. "Hell, Saudi Arabia is just over the hill. McGrath is having it shipped out today from an American company in Riyadh. He was on the phone with them when I left but it'll take three days to get here."
"Three days!" Kathlyn exclaimed softly. "We can't wait three days."
"No choice, great leader. If you want to find out what's under that slope before that time, then you'll need to start digging yourself."
"We can't do it by ourselves," Kathlyn watched the diggers in the distance, the great cloud of dust rising above the hilltops. "We need Burton and his crew. By the way, did Debra Jo get through to the SCA and the Department of Monuments and Ministries?”
“She did.”
“And?”
“I’m told that your petition to dig in the east Valley of the Kings is being considered and should be granted by tomorrow, considering who you are. The SCA
Kathlyn had removed the white clothing she had slept in last night, showered, and changed into heavy khaki denim shorts, a white tank top, and her trademark battered duster. Those big heavy boots were on her feet, like military boots, but it was the only thing she was comfortable with traipsing around in a desert filled with scorpions and snakes. Her hair was pulled into a braid that draped down over one shoulder.
"They've been digging there for three seasons," she said, pushing her Lennon-like sunglasses back up on the bridge of her sweaty nose. "I've got to be very careful how I approach this so Burton doesn't look like a fool."
Juliana wriggled her eyebrows at Mark, but spoke to Kathlyn. "I guess last night really changed you mind about him, huh?"
Kathlyn shot her a dirty look. "I told you what happened."
Juliana held up the palm of her hand for Mark, who high-fived her. "Guess the girl took my advice about sleeping with him. Does wonders to soothe the savage beast."
"Oh, shut up," Kathlyn muttered. "I didn't have sex with him."
"Sure you didn't." Juliana put her index finger in a hole created with the index finger and thumb of her other hand, mimicking sexual intercourse. Mark giggled like a girl.
"Enough, you two," Kathlyn snapped. She turned away from the sight of the distant project, her eyes drawn the scores of tourists arriving by the busload to tour the Valley of the Kings. "I've been trying to figure out all morning how to tell him he's digging in the wrong place. Where the hell are Otis and Ed? They were meeting with McGrath this morning trying to get permission to gain depth and soil samples of the slope."
"Why didn't you meet with McGrath?" Juliana asked.
"I want Otis and Ed to convince him from a purely scientific point of view that it's necessary. Besides, last time I saw McGrath, I was waking him from a dead sleep and screaming at him. I wasn't exactly the most rational creature."
"Embarrassed to face him?"
"Something like that."
As if on cue, two figures crossed the pebble-strewn road toward them. Andy and Larry, the doctoral students, were swathed like characters out of Lawrence of Arabia. They were both so fair that the sun was wreaking havoc on their skin, even through their clothing. Andy held up a sunburned hand in greeting while Larry sat down and mopped his forehead.
"All hail, mighty archaeologists," Andy said. "I bring news from the world of science."
"What?" Kathlyn demanded.
Andy pulled off his turban, revealing his bushy auburn hair. "Dison and Cutro convinced McGrath that they needed to take core samples of that slope. McGrath is on to us, I'm afraid. He's going to tell Dr. Burton what you're up to."
Kathlyn shrugged. "There's not much I can do about that. Are we going to get the equipment we requested?"
"Yep,” Andy nodded triumphantly. “Oil equipment; you know, those big core samplers they use to determine the feasibility of oil in soil samples.” Andy jabbed a thumb towards the east. "Hell, Saudi Arabia is just over the hill. McGrath is having it shipped out today from an American company in Riyadh. He was on the phone with them when I left but it'll take three days to get here."
"Three days!" Kathlyn exclaimed softly. "We can't wait three days."
"No choice, great leader. If you want to find out what's under that slope before that time, then you'll need to start digging yourself."
"We can't do it by ourselves," Kathlyn watched the diggers in the distance, the great cloud of dust rising above the hilltops. "We need Burton and his crew. By the way, did Debra Jo get through to the SCA and the Department of Monuments and Ministries?”
“She did.”
“And?”
“I’m told that your petition to dig in the east Valley of the Kings is being considered and should be granted by tomorrow, considering who you are. The SCA
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