convinced for years that one of the Eyes of Teshub had to be here. This just confirms it.” She dug through the piles on the floor. While Gabriel held the Star and flashlight steady, she turned up a pencil, a scrap of paper, a protractor and a compass from the pile by the bed. “If I can just figure out these coordinates…” Squatting next to the map, she quickly jotted down notes, muttering to herself and estimating measurements.
A knock at the door made her spring up. She grabbed the map and the Star and rapidly covered them both with the oilcloth. Gabriel approached the door with one hand on the grip of his Colt. He turned the knob and pulled the door open.
Merpati stood in the doorway. She held a tray with a big plate of steaming dumplings on it.
Joyce ran over and took the tray from her. “My god, food.” She grabbed a dumpling and jammed it into her mouth. Her eyelids fluttered.
Gabriel nodded his thanks to Merpati and closed the door after she had left. He turned to Joyce, who was shoving another dumpling into her mouth. “I take it the cult didn’t bother feeding you.”
She shook her head, chewing. “Rainwater and roots,” she said around a mouthful. She swallowed and added,“They didn’t want me to die before the sacrifice, but they didn’t go out of their way to keep me fat and happy either.”
Gabriel picked up a dumpling and bit into it. Warm, salty liquid flowed onto his tongue, flavored by the scraps of pork and scallion nestled inside the dough. Noboru came over and helped himself. It had been a while since they’d eaten, too.
The Star of Arnuwanda lay untouched under the oilcloth until the plate had been emptied. Gabriel wiped his fingers on the sides of his pants and picked it up, turned it this way and that under the light. “It’s quite a find,” he said, finally. “And your figuring out how to use it—it’s impressive, Joyce.”
She walked over to him, a slight swagger to her step. “You don’t know how I used to dream about hearing those words come out of your mouth. When I was fifteen and sixteen and hearing about the things you were doing. When I was twenty or twenty-five, for that matter. The great Gabriel Hunt, impressed.”
“Well, I am. Once we’ve gotten it and you both home, I’ll want your help identifying the three locations—”
“My help ?” She snatched the Star out of his hands. “At home? What are you talking about?”
“I think it’ll be safe for us to sleep here tonight,” Gabriel said, “though we should probably sleep in shifts, in case our faceless ghosts make another attempt.” He looked over at Noboru, who nodded. “Then tomorrow we’ll drive you to the airport, you can take the Foundation’s jet back to the States…”
Joyce was shaking her head. “Who the hell do you think you are? You think you can walk in here and take this away from me?”
“We’re not taking it away from you, we’re sending it back with you—”
“I don’t mean the Star, goddamn it! I mean the find!”
“The find nearly got you killed tonight,” Gabriel said.
“And? How many times have you nearly gotten killed? How would you feel if when it happened some big hero swept in and carried you to ‘safety,’ i.e. the sidelines, while other people finished what you started?”
“Any time someone wants to save my life,” Gabriel said, “that’s fine with me.”
“Sure,” Joyce said. “But you wouldn’t fly home afterwards and leave the rest of the expedition to someone else.”
No, Gabriel said, to himself. But to her he said, “I promised Michael I’d get you home safely.”
“Don’t you think I should have a say in this? Jesus. You’re worse than they are.” She began wrapping the Star up again. “You want to put me in a cage, too. At least the cult respected me enough to try to kill me.”
Noboru stepped forward, put one hand on Gabriel’s arm and one on Joyce’s. “If I may—”
“What?” Joyce snapped.
“I think she’s
A knock at the door made her spring up. She grabbed the map and the Star and rapidly covered them both with the oilcloth. Gabriel approached the door with one hand on the grip of his Colt. He turned the knob and pulled the door open.
Merpati stood in the doorway. She held a tray with a big plate of steaming dumplings on it.
Joyce ran over and took the tray from her. “My god, food.” She grabbed a dumpling and jammed it into her mouth. Her eyelids fluttered.
Gabriel nodded his thanks to Merpati and closed the door after she had left. He turned to Joyce, who was shoving another dumpling into her mouth. “I take it the cult didn’t bother feeding you.”
She shook her head, chewing. “Rainwater and roots,” she said around a mouthful. She swallowed and added,“They didn’t want me to die before the sacrifice, but they didn’t go out of their way to keep me fat and happy either.”
Gabriel picked up a dumpling and bit into it. Warm, salty liquid flowed onto his tongue, flavored by the scraps of pork and scallion nestled inside the dough. Noboru came over and helped himself. It had been a while since they’d eaten, too.
The Star of Arnuwanda lay untouched under the oilcloth until the plate had been emptied. Gabriel wiped his fingers on the sides of his pants and picked it up, turned it this way and that under the light. “It’s quite a find,” he said, finally. “And your figuring out how to use it—it’s impressive, Joyce.”
She walked over to him, a slight swagger to her step. “You don’t know how I used to dream about hearing those words come out of your mouth. When I was fifteen and sixteen and hearing about the things you were doing. When I was twenty or twenty-five, for that matter. The great Gabriel Hunt, impressed.”
“Well, I am. Once we’ve gotten it and you both home, I’ll want your help identifying the three locations—”
“My help ?” She snatched the Star out of his hands. “At home? What are you talking about?”
“I think it’ll be safe for us to sleep here tonight,” Gabriel said, “though we should probably sleep in shifts, in case our faceless ghosts make another attempt.” He looked over at Noboru, who nodded. “Then tomorrow we’ll drive you to the airport, you can take the Foundation’s jet back to the States…”
Joyce was shaking her head. “Who the hell do you think you are? You think you can walk in here and take this away from me?”
“We’re not taking it away from you, we’re sending it back with you—”
“I don’t mean the Star, goddamn it! I mean the find!”
“The find nearly got you killed tonight,” Gabriel said.
“And? How many times have you nearly gotten killed? How would you feel if when it happened some big hero swept in and carried you to ‘safety,’ i.e. the sidelines, while other people finished what you started?”
“Any time someone wants to save my life,” Gabriel said, “that’s fine with me.”
“Sure,” Joyce said. “But you wouldn’t fly home afterwards and leave the rest of the expedition to someone else.”
No, Gabriel said, to himself. But to her he said, “I promised Michael I’d get you home safely.”
“Don’t you think I should have a say in this? Jesus. You’re worse than they are.” She began wrapping the Star up again. “You want to put me in a cage, too. At least the cult respected me enough to try to kill me.”
Noboru stepped forward, put one hand on Gabriel’s arm and one on Joyce’s. “If I may—”
“What?” Joyce snapped.
“I think she’s
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