Page 15 of Troy Story
* * *
Dr. Hughes’behavior was even more unbearable than Stuart had expected. Boasting, talking over people, pushing their questions aside. But for all his braggadocio, his behavior reeked of desperation. Like he didn’t want anyone to forget how important he was, despite his ten-year exile from Troy.
Had Dr. Fiorelli not realized how low Dr. Hughes had sunk? Or had she and the rest of the department been too easily swayed by Mort’s donation?
To compound Stuart’s anxiety, Dusty and Emilia had been gossiping and giggling like a couple of tweens. Emilia had been a part of the crew during that disastrous summer in Greece when Shelby had left him feeling miserable. After he’d retreated into himself, Dusty had bonded with Emilia, and they’d stayed in touch ever since. Though Dusty had gotten up to plenty of shenanigans on her own, she was more likely to embrace her wild side when Emilia was around.
Was that what Emilia was doing now? Telling Dusty to go after Kerim?
Stuart cleared the thought from his head. Now wasn’t the time to get distracted, not after he’d offended his boss by starting the site tour without him.
As they rounded the boardwalk, they passed the South Gate, which had once served as the southern entranceway into the Trojan citadel. Below the walkway were four trenches cut into the earth, currently under excavation by a large team of German archaeologists from the University of Tübingen. Stuart had reviewed their site reports before coming to Turkey, only to learn that their lead archaeologist, Dr. Friedrich Wagner, was the professor Hughes had clashed with ten years ago.
Though the area was roped off and displayed signs forbidding public access, Dr. Hughes stepped off the boardwalk, pushed past the ropes, and motioned for the others to follow. As they clambered down to join him, Dr. Wagner walked over to them. Tall, blond, and muscular, with high cheekbones and piercing blue eyes, he gave off an unquestionable air of authority.
Frowning, he addressed Dr. Hughes in English. “So, they finally let you back here, did they?”
“It’s where I belong,” Dr. Hughes said. “If it weren’t for you, I could have been working here for the last ten years. You had to go crying to the Turks.”
“For good reason. You’re lucky you didn’t end up in prison.”
Dr. Hughes stiffened. “How dare you? My offense was hardly worth the fuss you caused.”
Stuart wished he could find out what his boss had done to merit expulsion. Maybe if he could get on Dr. Wagner’s good side, the German dig director would fill him in.
Kerim placed his hands out, as though trying to placate a couple of children. “No quarreling, please. We’re starting a new chapter this season.”
“Just stay away from our excavation,” Dr. Hughes said to his German rival. “We’re going to find the lost cemetery of Troy, and when we do, you’ll wish you were a part of it.”
“Good luck with that,” Dr. Wagner said. “No one’s found any evidence yet, other than a few skeletons.”
“Enough,” Kerim said. “We’re working toward a common goal, for the good of Turkish history.”
Stuart had to admire the guy. It couldn’t be easy coming between two academics with giant egos.
After scowling at his nemesis for another minute, Dr. Hughes gave a dismissive wave of his hand and instructed the group to return to the boardwalk.
While Stuart didn’t want to overstep his position, he didn’t like the thought of antagonizing the Germans. Once the others had gone on ahead, he addressed his boss quietly. “Sir? Should I instruct our team to steer clear of the Germans’ site? Since we’re not digging near each other, there’s no need for us to cross paths.”
It was to their advantage that the boardwalk surrounding Troy made a complete circle. Though both teams would head out in the morning from the north end, where the café and parking lot were located, the Americans could reach their site by heading west along the boardwalk. This way, they could avoid the Germans, who were digging near the southeast perimeter.
Dr. Hughes regarded him with contempt. “Where’s your backbone? Do you think I’d ever let a man like Wagner intimidate me?”
“I just thought—”
“We have the full run of Troy. Understand? The only reason to bypass the Germans is because their excavations are unlikely to produce anything of significance.”
With that, he strode on ahead. Feeling dejected, Stuart trailed behind, suddenly overcome by a wave of fatigue. Clarissa hung back to wait for him. When he caught up to her, she placed her hand on his arm. “Sorry about Dr. Hughes. My dad’s admired him for years, but I wasn’t impressed with his behavior.”
“Thanks, but I should have waited for him before starting the site tour.”
“And make us sit around the field house for hours? You did the right thing. I’ll bet everyone’s wishingyouwere the dig director.”
Up close, he caught the faint hint of lavender. Her shampoo? Whatever it was, the scent had a calming effect. When she squeezed his arm, he wondered if she was trying to convey more than sympathy, but he dismissed the thought. In all likelihood, she was just being nice.
After they’d viewed the ruins situated along the boardwalk, Kerim suggested they check out the area they’d be excavating, which was known as the lower city of Troy. Unlike the rest of the site, it wasn’t visible from the boardwalk and was closed to tourists.
“Let’s wait,” Dr. Hughes said. “We’ll get to see the lower city tomorrow when we start digging. For now, we could all use a break.”
