Читать книгу The Exodus Quest - Will Adams - Страница 17

‘Well?’ said Griffin. ‘Won’t you tell us why you’re here?’

‘I was offered an artefact in Alexandria this morning,’ replied Knox. ‘The seller said it was from an excavation south of Mariut.’

‘You shouldn’t believe what those people tell you. Anything for a sale.’

‘Yes,’ agreed Knox.

Griffin’s eyes narrowed. ‘What kind of artefact exactly?’

‘A storage-jar lid.’

‘A storage-jar lid? You came all this way for a storage-jar lid?’

‘We came all this way because we think antiquities theft is a serious matter,’ said Omar.

‘Yes, of course,’ nodded Griffin, suitably chastened. ‘But you must realize there used to be a substantial pottery industry out here. They made jars to transport grain and wine all around the Mediterranean, you know. Good wine, too. Strabo commended it highly. So did Horace and Virgil. They even found some amphorae of it off Marseilles, would you believe? Walk along the old lake-front here, you’ll find great heaps of ancient pottery fragments. Anyone could have picked up your lid from one of them. It didn’t have to come from an excavation.’

‘This lid wasn’t broken,’ said Knox. ‘Besides, it was … unusual.’

‘Unusual?’ said Griffin, shading his eyes from the sun. ‘In what way?’

‘What exactly is this site?’ asked Omar.

‘An old farm. Of no great interest, believe me.’

‘Really?’ frowned Knox. ‘Then why excavate here?’

‘This is primarily a training excavation. It gives our students the chance to experience life on a real dig.’

‘What did they farm here?’

‘All kinds of things. Grain. Vines. Beans. Madder. Papyrus. You know.’

‘On limestone bedrock?’

‘This is where they lived. Their fields were on all sides.’

‘And the people?’

Griffin scratched beneath his collar, beginning to feel the pressure. ‘Like I say. This was an old farm. They were old farmers.’

‘What era?’

Griffin glanced at Peterson, but found no help. ‘We’ve found artefacts from the Nineteenth Dynasty on. But mostly Graeco-Roman. Nothing later than the early fifth century AD. A couple of coins from 413 or 414, something like that. There seems to have been a fire around that time. Luckily for us.’

Knox nodded. A good blaze would put a carbonized shell over a site, protecting it from the worst ravages of time and weather. ‘The Christian riots?’ he suggested.

‘Why would Christians burn down a farm?’

‘Why indeed?’ agreed Knox.

‘Perhaps you could give us the tour,’ suggested Omar into the ensuing silence. ‘Show us what you’ve been finding.’

‘Of course. Of course. Any time. Just make an appointment with Claire.’

‘Claire?’

‘Our administrator. She speaks Arabic, you know.’

‘That’s good,’ said Omar. ‘Because I can barely speak a word of English myself.’

Griffin had the grace to blush. ‘I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it that way. It was just if you had one of your people make the appointment for you.’

‘Can’t we speak to her now?’

‘I’m afraid she’s not on site. And this season may not be easy. Rush of work. So much to do. So little time.’ He waved vaguely at the desert behind him, as though they could see for themselves. But of course they could see nothing.

‘We wouldn’t get in your way,’ said Knox.

‘I think I’m the best judge of that, don’t you?’

‘No,’ said Omar tersely. ‘I think I’m the best judge.’

‘We report to Cairo, not you,’ said Peterson, speaking for the first time. ‘I’m not quite clear what your jurisdiction here is.’

‘Do you have an SCA representative here?’ asked Omar.

‘Of course,’ nodded Griffin. ‘Abdel Lateef.’

‘May I speak with him?’

‘Ah. He’s in Cairo today.’

‘Tomorrow, then?’

‘I’m not sure when he’ll be back.’

Knox and Omar shared a glance. The SCA representative was supposed to be on site full time. ‘You have an Egyptian crew, I assume. May I speak with your reis?’

‘By all means,’ said Peterson. ‘Just show us your authorization.’ He waited a moment for Omar to produce it, then shook his head in theatrical disappointment. ‘No? Well do come back when you have it.’

‘But I’m head of the Supreme Council in Alexandria,’ protested Omar.

‘Interim head,’ retorted Peterson. ‘Drive safely, now.’ And he turned his back on them and strode away, leaving Griffin to hurry after him.