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watching. They know we can see that they're following Nancy.
And they don't seem to care.'
    'If their level of competence has
leapt up the scale, we'll have to raise our game too,' exclaimed Jabez. 'These are no bumbling
beelzebubs. Bezejel is all over this. And I still don't know how to
beat her.'
     
     
    Eilat
     
    ‘ Sure.’ Andy jumped
up and followed Nancy into the bedroom. He tried to look as though
he was just heading off for another day of lectures at uni.
Privately he felt as though he’d just won the lottery.
    Martin watched him go while Pete,
who had just realised the misfortune of the letter ‘P’ being so low
down the alphabet, looked forlorn.
    Nancy led Andy to the room she had
chosen. As he entered carrying both their cases she shut the door
behind him.
    ‘ Could you lift
my case onto the chest of drawers?’ she
said breezily, as though talking to a husband she’d been married to
for twenty years.
    ‘ Sure thing,’ said
Andy who was trying not to look at Nancy lest he appear
over-eager.
    For several minutes they worked in
silence, opening drawers and wardrobes and putting clothes on
hangers. Eventually Nancy pushed her empty case under her bed and
stood up and turned towards him. She placed her right foot behind
her left, clasped her hands behind her back and pushed her chest
forward ever so slightly. She waited for him to become aware of
her.
    Andy closed the wardrobe door
where he had hung the last of his shirts and faced her, all of four
feet away. Nancy was smiling invitingly.
    ‘ Oh, er, you’re
there,’ he said shyly.
    Nancy made no move and Andy stood
there awkwardly, waiting for instructions. Both knew who was in
charge.
    ‘ Come closer.’
Nancy.
    Andy found himself taking the two
steps to stand right in front of her. He looked into her eyes and
then placed his left hand on her shoulder and his right hand on her
hip. He moved in for the kiss.
    Nancy stopped him with a finger on his
chest.
    'First, I need a small
favour.'
    'Oh?'
    ' I need
you to drive me somewhere.'
    'Oh? Where?'
    'A kibbutz. Near Jerusalem. In a
few days' time. When I've sorted out a car.'
    'Nancy, Jerusalem's hours
away ,' he spluttered. 'We came past it on
the way here. It must be five hours. Each way. It would mean a
whole day away from the dig. I can't. I'll never get
permission.'
    'That's a shame.'
    'Anyway, can't you drive?'
    'Yes. But not
legally. ' Nancy shrugged. 'Long
story.'
    'Is that…Is that why you invited
me in?' Light dawned in his eyes. 'You asked me if I had a driving
licence. Of course.'
    'There's something you want. And
there's something I need. I think that's a fair exchange, don't
you? ' Nancy was looking up directly into
Andy's eyes, her face just a few inches from his. 'Anyway, won't
you help a maiden in distress? I'm trying to contact a long-lost
relative. Before he dies.'
    'You certainly know how to pull
all the levers, don't you? said Andy, smiling. Then he became
serious again. 'Look, it's not just about getting permission. I
could probably get that. I'm sure the professor will give me a day
off. It's something else. You see, I'm the first in my family to go
to university. We're not educated folk. Quite humble really. I
don't want people to know because it's embarrassing. That's why
it's really important to my mum and dad that I succeed. They
borrowed the money for me to come on this trip. Taking a day off to
drive someone around Israel isn't really respecting them. All that
they've given up for me. I'm sorry.'
    But Nancy held him
fast . She tapped again on his
chest.
    'Supposing,' she said slowly.
'Just supposing, I could arrange for you to have half an hour with
the former Head of Israeli Antiquities. A man who knows more about
archaeology in this country than just about anyone else. On your
own. How would that help your studies?'
    Andy's eyes opened wide. 'That would be incredible. If I could tell my
tutors I'd done that, they'd be impressed. Really impressed. It
would raise my profile