Page 65 of Troy Story
“I’ll do my best.” Stuart stood and went over to greet the two men.
“Good morning,” Kerim said. “Looks like you’ve got everything under control.”
Dr. Hughes pointed to his empty trench off in the distance. “Hardly. Why isn’t anyone working there?”
Because they can’t stand you.Stuart forced a bright smile. “I figured we’d wait until you arrived since you’re the one with the vision for that part of the site.”
“True.” Dr. Hughes scanned the area as if seeking someone. “I don’t see the Danforth girl. I thought she was coming back today. Did she decide to stay in the lab? If so, all the better.”
“She’s here, just…” He paused, trying to think of an answer that wouldn’t lead to an explosive rant.
“And where’s Clarissa? What are they up to?”
Before Stuart could answer, Dusty and Clarissa strolled up to the site, smiling triumphantly. Dusty gave them a hearty wave. “We’re back.”
Clarissa walked over to her father, who lounged on his camp chair next to Stuart’s trench. She leaned down and pecked him on the cheek. “Dad, the Germans were so excited about my strudel. I used Grandmother’s recipe.”
“That’s my girl. No one can resist that strudel.”
Setting down her trowel, Hayat turned toward Clarissa. “Did you save any for us?”
“Of course. I baked an extra one.”
By now, all the students were advancing closer, no doubt curious as to what was happening. Dr. Hughes’ booming voice stopped them in their tracks. “What’s going on? Did you just say you brought strudel to the Germans?”
“As a peace offering,” Dusty said. “And we apologized for lying to them earlier.”
Dr. Hughes turned to Stuart in fury. “Did you authorize this?”
Stuart’s spine stiffened, but he kept his voice firm. “I did. Like I said before, I wanted to make peace with the German archaeologists. When my earlier efforts failed, I was pleased Dusty took the initiative.”
“It worked out just fine,” Dusty said. “Dr. Wagner accepted our apology. He’s not angry about any of it. Though he now has a guard posted at the site.”
Clarissa laughed. “Not a full-on security guard. The Germans recruited Mehmet—you know, the one who works at the café?”
“A shame,” Mort said. “I always enjoyed chatting with him during my visits there. Such a friendly chap.”
Though Stuart wouldn’t have admitted it in front of his boss, he was grateful the Germans had someone watching their site. Now he wouldn’t have to worry about Dr. Hughes sneaking over there and causing problems. He smiled at Dusty. “Thanks for making the effort. You, too, Clarissa. Maybe we can have Dr. Wagner’s group come visit our site during one of our morning breaks. In the meantime, let’s get back to work.”
“Sounds good,” Dusty said. “Where do you want me?”
Talk about a loaded question. But Stuart wouldn’t let his mind wander down that path. “You can go back to Kerim’s trench. Clarissa, you can work with me.”
She flashed him a dazzling smile. “Wonderful. I’ll just set this strudel down.”
“Not so fast.” Dr. Hughes blocked her path. “What else did the Germans tell you? If they felt the need to hire a guard, they must have found something of note.”
“I don’t know. I was too busy talking to Leo.” Maneuvering around him, Clarissa walked over to the picnic blankets and set her basket by the coolers.
“We weren’t there to spy,” Dusty said. “So, there’s nothing to report.”
“Don’t take that tone with me,” Dr. Hughes said. “If you can’t show me the proper respect, I’ll send you back to the lab again.”
Taking a deep breath, Stuart addressed his boss, hoping to redirect him. “Sir? Why don’t you pick out a couple of students to help in your trench today? Maybe someone who hasn’t had the chance yet? I’d also like to remind you of our schedule.Everyonegets a break at ten, regardless of where they’re working. It’s to our benefit to keep them hydrated and well-fed.”
“Are you telling me what to do?” Dr. Hughes said.
“This is the schedule we agreed on. It’s in one of the spreadsheets I gave you.”
