Birthright Read Online Free PDF

photos, absently handed the camera up to Lana. “We’ll need to do some shovel tests over the site, do stratigraphy—”
    â€œThat’s studying the strata, the layers of deposits in the ground. I’ve been cramming,” Lana added.
    â€œGood for you. Anyway, no reason not to see what’s right here.” Callie took a small hand trowel out of her pack and slithered down into the six-foot hole.
    She began to dig, slowly, methodically while Lana stood above, swatting at gnats and wondering what she was supposed to do.
    She’d expected an older woman, someone weathered and dedicated and full of fascinating stories. Someone who’d offer unrestricted support. What she had was a young, attractive woman who appeared to be disinterested, even cynical, about the area’s current battle.
    â€œUm. Do you often locate sites like this? Through serendipity.”
    â€œMmm-hmm. Accidental discovery’s one way. Naturalcauses—say, an earthquake—are another. Or surveys, aerial photography, subsurface detections. Lots of scientific ways to pinpoint a site. But serendipity’s as good as any.”
    â€œSo this isn’t that unusual.”
    Callie stopped long enough to glance up. “If you’re hoping to generate enough interest to keep the big, bad developer away, the method of finding the site isn’t going to give you a very long run. The more we expand civilization, build cities, the more often we find remnants of other civilizations underneath.”
    â€œBut if the site itself is of significant scientific interest, I’ll get my long run.”
    â€œMost likely.” Callie went back to slow, careful digging.
    â€œAren’t you going to bring in a team? I understood from my conversation with Dr. Greenbaum—”
    â€œTeams take money, which equals grants, which equals paperwork. That’s Leo’s deal. Dolan’s footing the bill, at the moment, for the prelim and the lab work.” She didn’t bother to look up. “You figure he’ll spring for a full team, the equipment, the housing, the lab fees for a formal dig?”
    â€œNo.” Lana let out a breath. “No, I don’t. It wouldn’t be in his best interest. We have some funds, and we’re working on gathering more.”
    â€œI just drove through part of your town, Ms. Campbell. My guess is you couldn’t come up with enough to bring in more than a few college students with shovels and clipboards.”
    Annoyance creased Lana’s brow. “I’d think someone in your profession would be willing, even eager, to focus your time and energy on something like this, to work as hard as possible to keep this from being destroyed.”
    â€œI didn’t say I wasn’t. Give me the camera.”
    Impatient now, Lana edged closer, felt her sandals slide into dirt. “All I’m asking is that you—Oh God, is that another bone? Is that—”
    â€œAdult femur,” Callie said, and none of the excitement that was churning in her blood was reflected in her voice. She took the camera, snapped shots from different angles.
    â€œAre you going to take it into the lab?”
    â€œNo. It stays. I take it out of this wet ground, it’ll dry out. I need proper containers before I excavate bone. But I’m taking this.” Delicately, Callie removed a flat, pointed stone from the damp wall of dirt. “Give me a hand up.”
    Wincing only a little, Lana reached down and clasped Callie’s filthy hand with her own. “What is it?”
    â€œSpear point.” She crouched again, took a bag out of her pack and sealed the stone, labeled it. “I didn’t know much about this area a couple of days ago. Nothing about the geological history. But I’m a fast learner, too.”
    She wiped her hands on the thighs of her jeans, straightened up. “Rhyolite. There was plenty of it in these hills. And