Page 9 of Stone
Kellingwinced. “Okay. I’ll be right there.” He turned to look at his niece. “Sorryto cut this short, Brie.”
“Don’t worry about it. Just give me a head’s up when you ship the little idol so I can be on the lookout for it.”
“Will do. Thanks.”
“And tell Arnie hi for me.”
“Okay. ‘Bye!”
“Goodbye. I love you!”
The call ended before she’d finished, but that didn’t bother her. It was another typicalday for those whose life’s work were left to chance and the whims of Mother Nature. Besides, she had a new challenge practically on its way to her.
Pulling up the picture she’d taken of the idol on her phone when her uncle had shown it to her, she sent it to her work inbox. From there she threw it up on the big wall screen in her office. Picking up the wireless mouse, she got upfrom her chair and studied the object until Cassidy stuck her head through the door.
“Hey! You coming to this meeting or not?”
“I’m coming.” Dropping the mouse onto her desk, she grabbed her file folder to accompany her aide to the meeting.
Cassidy gestured toward the display. “What’s that?”
“My next project,” Brielle answered with a grin,and closed the door behind them.
* * *
KellingfollowedIrmineoutside to find the workers trying to dig out the large statue for the umpteenth time. He murmured an expletive. “How many cave-ins does this make? Seven?”
“Eight by my count, but who’s really counting?”
“I told Brielle the old Egyptian gods seemed determined for that statue to remain buried. I was only joking, butnow I’m beginning to think it might not be too far from the truth.”
“Well, if it’ll help any, we got permission today from the government to ship that little idol to the States,”Irminetold him.
“Thank the old gods for small favors,”Kellinglightly jested. “How about the big one? Any word back on it?”
“Not yet. More than likely they’re going to send a representative out to inspect itfirst before they give their okay.”
“Yeah, that’s what I figured they’d do, too. Well, let’s get the little one packaged up and sent out tomorrow.”
“I already have it well-wrapped and boxed,” the assistant assured him. “I’ll drive it into the city first thing in the morning.”
Kellingeyed the huge depression that was now bigger than a football field. Somewhere down there was the gargoyle-likestatue. If it ended up being the kind of find he was hoping it was, the historic repercussions would be enormous.
But first, they had to get the damn thing out of there, and that wasn’t going to be an easy job. Not by a long shot.
