The Tenth Saint Read Online Free PDF Page A

the better part of a year. Then I hung out in Addis with some local skull diggers for a couple of months. We traveled up here for the hell of it. You know, sightseeing.”
    “Really? That surprises me. There’s a deep connection between the ancient Aksumites and the people of Arabia. I should think that would be of interest to you, Dr. Madigan.”
    “It is. But it wasn’t at the time. And for God’s sake, call me Danny.”
    “Very well.” She nodded toward one of the porters, a slight African with bare feet and a loose white gauze turban. “Soto will show you to your quarters. When you get settled, come meet me in the lab so I can brief you on our status.”
    He flashed a confident smile. “You’re the boss, lady.”

    Daniel turned up at the lab an hour later. Sarah was annoyed he’d taken the time to shower and change into a clean army-green T-shirt. In his place, she would have dropped her bags on the bed and left the room before the door had time to close. He hadn’t bothered to shave, though, leaving the dark stubble on his jawline.
    “So UNESCO hired you to consult with us.” She made no special effort to hide her reservations about the whole affair.
    “It’s more like I was on my way back to the States from Saudi Arabia and they asked me to stop by, since I was in the area and all.”
    “You make it sound like a social visit.”
    “We can think of it that way if you’d like.” He studied her pensively. “You don’t seem real happy to see me.”
    “Why do you say that?”
    “Don’t know. The fact that you are standing there with your arms and legs crossed. Your defensive tone of voice. The lightning bolts in your eyes.”
    She dismissed his suspicions with a scoff. “You’re quite wrong.”
    “Am I?”
    Sarah uncrossed her arms. She was not in the mood for a spar. “How much have you been told about our expedition?”
    “Let’s see. You’ve been here five months, twelve days. You have been taking ground-penetrating radar and electrotomographic readings, which indicate that there is a vast chamber, likely funerary, deep beneath the surface of the eastern stelae field. Your dig has uncovered some small objects—metal items, spearheads, coins, lithic fragments, that sort of thing—but you have not yet located an entrance. And because of that, a lot of people are getting antsy. Is that pretty much the size of it?”
    “Pretty much.” She walked to the table on which the objects were arranged for measurement and recording. “We have dated these to the fourth, fifth, and sixth centuries. Before Aksum’s demise. We are assuming the necropolis beneath the eastern field is of the same period. The fact that it is so vast and deep suggests it could be the burial ground of royalty or the wealthy ruling classes, so it could be a rather exciting find.”
    “So what’s the plan?”
    “We dig every day. Start before dawn, work until it gets too hot, take a break for lunch, and finish around dusk. I’ve got a crew on the site now. They’re making quite good progress.”
    “And you?”
    “I usually dig with them. But today I have to slip away for a couple of hours. Have to go into town for a few things.”
    “I can go with you.”
    “No, no, really, do stay here and familiarize yourself with the project.”
    “Whatever you want. I’ll be on my way, then.” At the door, he turned around. “By the way, how did you get that nasty gash on your arm?”
    “Accident. I”—she stumbled on her words— “scraped it on some rocks.” Not a lie but not the whole truth either. He was the last person she would talk to about her encounter at the cliffs of Dabra Damo.
    From the doorway, she watched Daniel get into the Land Cruiser and drive toward the dig site. When she was sure he was out of view, she grabbed her backpack, locked up the lab, and jumped into her jeep.

    It had become a daily routine, this afternoon jaunt to the cliffs. She’d spent the first few mornings in town recruiting hands to