Page 61 of Stone
Chapter 32
Deportation
Garenthstared in confusion atKellingas the man tried to explain the best he could what was going to happen.
“You are not allowed here without proper authority. They’re going to send you back to Egypt.”
He glanced around the room with its austere furnishings and two frowning men who acted like officials. They had been escorted into this room soon afterthey had arrived at the building where the supreme commanders worked. Here, he had been grilled about how he’d managed to get into the country. Dr.Kellingwas also questioned. From the dour men’s tones, it sounded as if they blamed him forGarenthbeing here.
“I tried to tell them all that documentation was lost, but they’re not believing me.”
“That is because there was no documentation,”Garenthremarked.
Kellingmanaged a rueful grin. “You are correct, but you know they wouldn’t believe me if I told them the truth.”
Garenthhad to admit the professor was correct. “Are we to be flogged for our indiscretions?”
The professor gasped. “Flogged? No! No, they don’t flog illegal aliens. They deport them.”
A third man entered the room and spoke to one of the two officials.Kellinginterpreted. “That key I told you about? The one the intruder had with him? It belongs to the museum curator. They’re going over to the museum now to discuss it with her. It should prove interesting what develops.”
“The man who tried to hurt Brielle, will he be punished?”
“Yes. He will be incarcerated and convicted for what he did. They also believe he has lost the ability to use that handagain.”Kellingpatted him on the shoulder. “I can’t begin to thank you enough for what you did to protect Brielle. Her mother, my sister, was a single woman raising two girls on her own. I never married, and I always thought of them as my own daughters. I helped Georgia raise Brielle and Tanner ever since they were in grade school. I was thrilled when Brielle decided to get her degree in ancienthistory, so I helped her to get the job at the museum and made her my assistant. I have hopes that one day she’ll end up joining me in the field.”
Garenthstared at his hands where they lay in his lap. “Did you tell those men about the mother idol?”
“I told them that the intruder broke into the museum and stole several artifacts. I didn’t tell them you recovered them, and that I have themsafely hidden away.”
“But the man who shot me while I obtained them—”
“Would have told the police that a creature that looked like a gargoyle took them. But I doubthe said anything at all. That would also implicate the person you took them from of theft.”
“Someone knows I took back the mother idol.”
“Someone knows agargoyletook back the mother idol. That gargoyle no longer exists.”
They heard a sound coming from outside the room. There was a scuffle of some sort going on down the hallway. A moment later,Garenthsaw Brielle come from the other direction. She glanced through the clear wall as she walked by, along with another uniformed guard.
He sat up straighter. She appeared as if she’d been crying.
“What’s wrong?”Kellingquestioned.
“Brielle. She is weeping.”
The older man gave a nod. “She probably knows now that you’re going to be sent to detention and deported.”
Garenthturned to the man. “I need to let you know I have feelings for her. She has become very precious to me.”
“I’ve gathered as much,”Kellingsoftly admitted. “I believe she has developed feelings for you, too.”
Garenthcontinued to stare out through the clear walls, hoping to catchanother glimpse of her. “Where are they taking her?”
“Probably back to her apartment.”
“She will not have to face any punishment for her actions?”
“Garenth, she was the victim. We don’t punish victims in this era.”
