said.
“You’ve got spare cabins, haven’t you?”
“Of course. I’ll radio the captain. You can join us for a cruise on the Indian Ocean.”
Costas peered skeptically at Hiebermeyer. “How are your sea legs? We might hit the monsoon.”
“My sea legs are fine.” Hiebermeyer looked pointedly at Jack. “It’s his I’m worried about.”
“That hasn’t happened for years,” Jack said defensively. “Not since we were kids, Maurice. And that was a sailing dinghy. One that you built. Very badly.”
Aysha looked wide-eyed at Jack, the hint of a smile on her lips. “I am hearing this right? The famous Jack Howard gets seasick?”
“He calls it the Nelson touch,” Costas said. “Lord Nelson, England’s greatest admiral. Sick as a dog every time he put out to sea.”
“I do not get seasick,” Jack said. “I just empathize with my heroes.”
“Well, that’s good,” Hiebermeyer said. “Because with what I’ve got here in this case, you won’t be having much time to stare at the horizon. Are you really taking us to Arikamedu?”
“Where?” Costas peered at Jack suspiciously. “You’ve got that look.”
Jack cleared his throat. “Where the Romans who sailed from here landed in southeast India. It’s an amazing site. Roman pottery in India. The Archaeological Survey of India are planning a new excavation. I’m official advisor for their underwater unit, and I promised to look in when Seaquest II was next in the Indian Ocean. Maurice and Aysha have never been there, and it seems crazy not to give them the chance if they’re going to be aboard with us anyway. I’ve already called our contact at Arikamedu and prepped him. He can’t wait to see us.”
“I thought we were going to test my new submersible off Hawaii,” Costas grumbled. “And find a beach. And prop up a nice little palm-fronded bar.”
“Just a small diversion first,” Jack said.
Costas stared at him. “Yeah. Right. A diversion.”
Jack looked at the carving of the dancing female spirit, then at the sherd with the Tamil graffito. Ramaya . He put it back down carefully on the table, and glanced up at the others. “Well, if you’re ready, I think we’re good to go. The sooner we do, the sooner we find out what it is you’ve got in that case.”
Hiebermeyer picked up the case. Jack and Costas each shouldered a rucksack lying ready by the tent, and Aysha took a briefcase and a smaller bag. They waved back at the group in the trench and began to walk down the slope toward the helicopter. Hiebermeyer seemed lost in thought again, but suddenly stopped, put the case down and peered at Jack. “I just remembered. Talking about the dinghy reminded me. And then going to southern India. You’ve got family history out there, haven’t you? Your great-great grandfather, wasn’t it, the soldier? Something he found in the jungle, back in the nineteenth century. You used to go on about it when we were at school. How you’d love to get out there. As I recall it was somewhere in Tamil Nadu, the Eastern Ghats. If you’re at Arikamedu, you won’t be that far off.”
Jack stared intently at Hiebermeyer. “I’ve always wanted to see if I could find out more. You’re right. I’m passionate about it. This is too good an opportunity to miss. It’d be a small diversion, a day or two. I think I can set it up with the Survey of India. And there’s a connection with the Romans, I’m sure of it. I’ve got a gut instinct.”
“Uh-oh,” Costas said, stopping beside them. “Not just a diversion. A gut instinct. That’s serious.”
Jack grinned, then dumped the rucksack and reached into his own bag and extracted a small brown envelope. He took Hiebermeyer’s hand, held it palm-up and gently tipped out the gold coin. Aysha gasped, and Hiebermeyer held the coin up, the sun glinting dazzlingly off the image of the emperor. “I guessed you’d found something like this, Jack. You were leaving a trail of hints. I do know you pretty
“You’ve got spare cabins, haven’t you?”
“Of course. I’ll radio the captain. You can join us for a cruise on the Indian Ocean.”
Costas peered skeptically at Hiebermeyer. “How are your sea legs? We might hit the monsoon.”
“My sea legs are fine.” Hiebermeyer looked pointedly at Jack. “It’s his I’m worried about.”
“That hasn’t happened for years,” Jack said defensively. “Not since we were kids, Maurice. And that was a sailing dinghy. One that you built. Very badly.”
Aysha looked wide-eyed at Jack, the hint of a smile on her lips. “I am hearing this right? The famous Jack Howard gets seasick?”
“He calls it the Nelson touch,” Costas said. “Lord Nelson, England’s greatest admiral. Sick as a dog every time he put out to sea.”
“I do not get seasick,” Jack said. “I just empathize with my heroes.”
“Well, that’s good,” Hiebermeyer said. “Because with what I’ve got here in this case, you won’t be having much time to stare at the horizon. Are you really taking us to Arikamedu?”
“Where?” Costas peered at Jack suspiciously. “You’ve got that look.”
Jack cleared his throat. “Where the Romans who sailed from here landed in southeast India. It’s an amazing site. Roman pottery in India. The Archaeological Survey of India are planning a new excavation. I’m official advisor for their underwater unit, and I promised to look in when Seaquest II was next in the Indian Ocean. Maurice and Aysha have never been there, and it seems crazy not to give them the chance if they’re going to be aboard with us anyway. I’ve already called our contact at Arikamedu and prepped him. He can’t wait to see us.”
“I thought we were going to test my new submersible off Hawaii,” Costas grumbled. “And find a beach. And prop up a nice little palm-fronded bar.”
“Just a small diversion first,” Jack said.
Costas stared at him. “Yeah. Right. A diversion.”
Jack looked at the carving of the dancing female spirit, then at the sherd with the Tamil graffito. Ramaya . He put it back down carefully on the table, and glanced up at the others. “Well, if you’re ready, I think we’re good to go. The sooner we do, the sooner we find out what it is you’ve got in that case.”
Hiebermeyer picked up the case. Jack and Costas each shouldered a rucksack lying ready by the tent, and Aysha took a briefcase and a smaller bag. They waved back at the group in the trench and began to walk down the slope toward the helicopter. Hiebermeyer seemed lost in thought again, but suddenly stopped, put the case down and peered at Jack. “I just remembered. Talking about the dinghy reminded me. And then going to southern India. You’ve got family history out there, haven’t you? Your great-great grandfather, wasn’t it, the soldier? Something he found in the jungle, back in the nineteenth century. You used to go on about it when we were at school. How you’d love to get out there. As I recall it was somewhere in Tamil Nadu, the Eastern Ghats. If you’re at Arikamedu, you won’t be that far off.”
Jack stared intently at Hiebermeyer. “I’ve always wanted to see if I could find out more. You’re right. I’m passionate about it. This is too good an opportunity to miss. It’d be a small diversion, a day or two. I think I can set it up with the Survey of India. And there’s a connection with the Romans, I’m sure of it. I’ve got a gut instinct.”
“Uh-oh,” Costas said, stopping beside them. “Not just a diversion. A gut instinct. That’s serious.”
Jack grinned, then dumped the rucksack and reached into his own bag and extracted a small brown envelope. He took Hiebermeyer’s hand, held it palm-up and gently tipped out the gold coin. Aysha gasped, and Hiebermeyer held the coin up, the sun glinting dazzlingly off the image of the emperor. “I guessed you’d found something like this, Jack. You were leaving a trail of hints. I do know you pretty
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