sheâd been poring over the inventory Alistair had written. âI suppose I might have kicked up a bit, opening the crates.â
âSo, is it as wonderful as you thought it would be?â Vitaâs eyes gleamed in the overhead light.
âWhat? Yes. I suppose.â Daria stood and stretched. âIâve only gotten through a few crates, but judging from what Iâve seen so far, it was a spectacular find.â
âHow can you be so calm?â Vita frowned and peeked inside an open crate.
âIf I let my emotions take over right now, I wonât be able to do my job.â Daria smiled and uncovered the platter. âThanks a million for bringing this, by the way.â
âDr. B. was afraid youâd get caught up in your work and forget to eat.â
âDr. B. was right about that.â
âSo is there anything you can show me?â Vita touched the paper wrappings in the crate hopefully.
âSure.â Daria took a bite of sandwich, then got up and walked to the crate. She took out the object Vita had been poking. âThis was a ceremonial goblet. See the figures here? The woman with the wings and the eagle talons for feet? This is Ereshkigal. She was the goddess around whom the culture in Shandihar was built. There were no minor goddesses, orâheaven forbidâgods. This was strictly a matriarchal society. Women ruled. And the most powerful women in Shandihar were the high priestesses of Ereshkigal.â
âWhatâs that in her hand?â Vita took a closer look.
âThatâs a human head,â Daria told her. âWith its tongue cut out. See how the mouth is empty?â
âOh, Good Lord! Thatâs just gross.â Vita backed away from it. âWhy did they put that on the cup?â
âEreshkigal ruled the afterworld. Her followers believed that when you died, you came before the gates that separated heaven from hell. In each hand, you brought an offering to the goddess. And you would stand at the gate and tell of all the good deeds you had performed while you were alive.â Daria set the goblet on the desk and picked up her sandwich and took another bite. âThe punishment for any transgression was to cut off the hands of the offender. Because if he showed up at the gate without an offering, he would not be admitted. Likewise, if he failed to tell of his good deeds, he would not get past the gate. So people who broke the law, or displeased the goddess or her priestesses, were punished by having their hands cut off, or their tongue cut out. Or both, if theyâd been really bad.â
âNo thirty to sixty days plus probation?â
Daria shook her head. âNot in Ereshkigalâs world.â
âGuess the rate of recidivism was pretty low.â
âGood point.â
âOkay, then. Guess Iâll head on back to the office.â Vita paused in the doorway. âDoesnât this place give you the creeps?â
âNo, why?â Daria frowned.
âNo reason, I guess,â Vita muttered as she left the room. She stuck her head back in and said, âDr. B. said to let us know if you need anything.â
âWill do. Thanks.â
Daria rewrapped the goblet and placed it back in the crate, upon which sheâd drawn a large number one. On the inventory sheets, sheâd located each object sheâd found in the crate, and marked it with a number one to designate where it could be found. She moved through crates two, three, and four, and by the end of the evening, her heart was beating so fast she was afraid it would beat out of her chest. Not because of what sheâd found, but because of what she hadnât found.
She worked through most of the night, and into the morning. Louise had stopped by with a box holding some dinner, but Daria had not uncovered it. By ten the following morning, Daria was exhausted and shaking with dread. Telling herself she needed to open every crate before
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