Read Online The Curse by Harold Robbins - Free Book Online Page A

him the same thing.
    â€œYou already knew that it would come down to an opinion based upon a quick examination,” I said.
    â€œYes, I confess I did. The other experts I spoke to made the same conclusion. With so little time, complete reliance would have to be on the instincts of the person making the examination. As you pointed out, the gut reaction of what the expert sees and feels.
    â€œWhich is why I am particularly interested in hiring you. No one I spoke to had any actual field experience with antiquities as you did working at archaeological sites. And in this case, because the scarab has never had the intense scrutiny by experts that all the other Tut pieces have had, there is nothing to compare it with.”
    I wanted to get across to him that if there was nothing to compare it with, and no time to take tests, there was no guarantee of success.
    â€œModern reproductions are often so good that it’s not uncommon for experts to come up with different opinions as to whether an object is genuine—and that’s after subjecting it to scientific tests. It’s not uncommon for pieces to be declared genuine and revealed to be a fraud years later,” I told him.
    â€œI’m aware of that. Which is why I have come to you. Most art professionals learned their trade from books and working in museums. You have actually done fieldwork and that impressed me. Not only was the object stolen from a dig, but it’s been kept in seclusion over the years rather than being exposed to different environments.”
    He paused and leaned toward me across the table. “I have great faith in my own powers of judging people and situations. My gut, as you put it, is telling me you would be the right person to take on a mystery that began nearly a century ago.”
    And my gut right now was telling me to get up and walk away.
    Not all the pieces were connecting, especially the ones about returning the scarab to Egypt in secret and the Egyptian government not being involved in either the attempt to return it or coming up with the money to ransom it.
    Even though my gut was telling me to walk away, my brain was screaming that I needed the money and it was the only game in town at the moment.
    â€œSo you want me to authenticate the scarab before the ransom money changes hands,” I said.
    â€œTrue.”
    â€œAnd every other expert you talked to turned you down.”
    He smiled and folded his hands together. “You’re right again. No one is eager to assist me.”
    â€œFrankly, Mr. Kaseem, there are easier ways of making money than getting involved with a gang of art thieves. The scarab isn’t going to come with a stamp of approval on it proving that it came from Tut’s tomb. It’s not something you can glance at or even spend an hour examining and be sure it’s genuine.
    â€œIt’s almost impossible to authenticate a piece without having precise information about it and even then three experts may come up with three different opinions.”
    He started to say something and I talked past him.
    â€œThe examination is going to take place in secret without the expert even knowing where they’re at. If it turns out it isn’t the real scarab, or the expert is unsure or needs more time to examine it, the person could likely get their throat slit. Sometimes the expert gets killed just because they saw too much even when an exchange is arranged.”
    I didn’t add that the only person dumb enough to consider such a thing would have to be broke and desperate. Someone like me.
    â€œI understand completely,” he said. “Even though I spoke to a number of experts in Europe, I did not attempt to retain any of them because they all expressed the same concerns you have. I came to New York because your name kept popping up as a person with unique qualifications.”
    â€œWhat happened to the three names you got from the Met?” I threw back his lie with