site?”
“There was a pause. Then Sharma said in a puzzled tone, “Actually, Doctor, I had rather assumed you’d want to remain at the site—see what further excavation might turn up.”
“No, I’m fairly resolved that there is nothing more to find here. I don’t care to have this anomaly, however intriguing, holding up my original schedule.”
Peter was shocked at the man’s willingness to leave the site of such a pivotal discovery. There could be only one reason.
“Doctor, are you concerned about the artifact’s authenticity? We’ve got quite a sizable team preparing to research this. Is there something I should know?”
“Heavens no, of course not! I mean… perhaps we should await your expert’s output and then discuss it further afterwards—sound good?”
“Right,” Peter replied. “Your guest and his escort will be arriving at Nairobi Airport tomorrow morning. A chopper has been arranged from there to you.”
Peter didn’t like the sudden backtracking. Perhaps Rheese had staged this whole thing and was now afraid its high profile would blow up in his face. He was now more anxious than ever to hear what Matt might soon discover. Little did Rheese know, if the object was a hoax, the “expert” would know it instantly—and exactly who was involved.
He leaned back in his chair and pinched his smooth, dimpled chin. “Maggie,” he said, “I’m going to Kenya.”
“Very well—shall I inform Doctor Rheese?”
“Absolutely not.”
9
M ATT PULLED THE CRUMPLED SHEET FROM his duffel bag and laid it over the leather seat in the Gulfstream jet’s passenger cabin, tucking it into the creases and around the armrests. Tuni watched with interest from the adjacent seat. When he was done, he stood up, handed his bag to the pleasant flight attendant, and looked at the seat with satisfaction. He glanced at Tuni and caught her watching.
“Sorry, this probably looks obsessive and freakish—which it no doubt is—but I never get to do this on commercial flights, and it’s really sort of a necessity for me if I want to sleep on the plane.”
Tuni just smiled curtly and returned to her magazine as the pilot popped his head out of the cockpit to address them.
“You two ready to go? We’re all set when you are.”
Matt sat down, then remembered the seat belt.
“Shoot,” he said. “Do I still have to wear my seat belt?”
The pilot smiled earnestly. “Just during takeoff and landing, sir. I’ll let you know as soon as we’re at altitude; then you can do whatever you like. Sound good?”
“Perfect—thanks.”
Matt pulled his shirt down low and clasped the seat belt over it, then looked all around the cabin, feeling a little tingle of excitement. He saw the flight attendant take her seat at the rear and flash him a nice smile.
The pilot leaned over from his seat in the cockpit and said, “We’re going to have to close this door during takeoff, but we’ll open it right back up.”
“Hey, just one question, sir,” Matt interrupted before the door closed. “How much does one of these babies cost?”
“You could step into a nice pre-owned for four-to-five mil.”
Matt frowned and shook his head. “New.”
“This particular model, a G450, would run you about thirty-five. But there are plenty of smaller models just as nice, just shorter range.”
“Hmm… thanks.” The door closed. He would have to wait a year or two.
He made a mental note to ask the pilot his name before leaving. He would get a gift basket, as well. And perhaps a job offer in a few years.
“Was that for my benefit, Matthew?”
“Huh? Oh, no, not at all. I… I should probably tell you something.”
“No need, dear. I already know of your extraordinary wealth.” She said it with a straight face, but there was something in the way she said extraordinary.
“Oh, really? What do you know? What did Meier tell you?”
“Jon didn’t tell me anything. Most everyone at the museum knows of your sunken
“There was a pause. Then Sharma said in a puzzled tone, “Actually, Doctor, I had rather assumed you’d want to remain at the site—see what further excavation might turn up.”
“No, I’m fairly resolved that there is nothing more to find here. I don’t care to have this anomaly, however intriguing, holding up my original schedule.”
Peter was shocked at the man’s willingness to leave the site of such a pivotal discovery. There could be only one reason.
“Doctor, are you concerned about the artifact’s authenticity? We’ve got quite a sizable team preparing to research this. Is there something I should know?”
“Heavens no, of course not! I mean… perhaps we should await your expert’s output and then discuss it further afterwards—sound good?”
“Right,” Peter replied. “Your guest and his escort will be arriving at Nairobi Airport tomorrow morning. A chopper has been arranged from there to you.”
Peter didn’t like the sudden backtracking. Perhaps Rheese had staged this whole thing and was now afraid its high profile would blow up in his face. He was now more anxious than ever to hear what Matt might soon discover. Little did Rheese know, if the object was a hoax, the “expert” would know it instantly—and exactly who was involved.
He leaned back in his chair and pinched his smooth, dimpled chin. “Maggie,” he said, “I’m going to Kenya.”
“Very well—shall I inform Doctor Rheese?”
“Absolutely not.”
9
M ATT PULLED THE CRUMPLED SHEET FROM his duffel bag and laid it over the leather seat in the Gulfstream jet’s passenger cabin, tucking it into the creases and around the armrests. Tuni watched with interest from the adjacent seat. When he was done, he stood up, handed his bag to the pleasant flight attendant, and looked at the seat with satisfaction. He glanced at Tuni and caught her watching.
“Sorry, this probably looks obsessive and freakish—which it no doubt is—but I never get to do this on commercial flights, and it’s really sort of a necessity for me if I want to sleep on the plane.”
Tuni just smiled curtly and returned to her magazine as the pilot popped his head out of the cockpit to address them.
“You two ready to go? We’re all set when you are.”
Matt sat down, then remembered the seat belt.
“Shoot,” he said. “Do I still have to wear my seat belt?”
The pilot smiled earnestly. “Just during takeoff and landing, sir. I’ll let you know as soon as we’re at altitude; then you can do whatever you like. Sound good?”
“Perfect—thanks.”
Matt pulled his shirt down low and clasped the seat belt over it, then looked all around the cabin, feeling a little tingle of excitement. He saw the flight attendant take her seat at the rear and flash him a nice smile.
The pilot leaned over from his seat in the cockpit and said, “We’re going to have to close this door during takeoff, but we’ll open it right back up.”
“Hey, just one question, sir,” Matt interrupted before the door closed. “How much does one of these babies cost?”
“You could step into a nice pre-owned for four-to-five mil.”
Matt frowned and shook his head. “New.”
“This particular model, a G450, would run you about thirty-five. But there are plenty of smaller models just as nice, just shorter range.”
“Hmm… thanks.” The door closed. He would have to wait a year or two.
He made a mental note to ask the pilot his name before leaving. He would get a gift basket, as well. And perhaps a job offer in a few years.
“Was that for my benefit, Matthew?”
“Huh? Oh, no, not at all. I… I should probably tell you something.”
“No need, dear. I already know of your extraordinary wealth.” She said it with a straight face, but there was something in the way she said extraordinary.
“Oh, really? What do you know? What did Meier tell you?”
“Jon didn’t tell me anything. Most everyone at the museum knows of your sunken
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