The Temple Mount Code Read Free Page A

charcoal black threaded through the shoulder-length mop. He was talking quickly to a group of fellow archaeologists. Spotting Lourds coming over, Hu waved at him to join them.
    ‘For those of you who haven’t had the great fortune to previously meet my colleague, this is the world-renowned Thomas Lourds, Professor of Linguistics at Harvard, and the hero of the Jiahu dig, after his exploits of last night.’
    The introduction embarrassed Lourds, but he’d learned to endure the attention. His translation of Bedroom Pursuits, a journal regarding the amorous adventures of a merchant in the fourth century, had garnered praise and damnation, depending on who voiced the opinion. However, the discovery of Atlantis had served him up into the public eye in a way he was still trying to deal with.
    He shook hands all the way around, called by name the men and women he knew, and was introduced to those he didn’t know.
    The conversation quickly turned to questions directed at Lourds, but he held up his hands to deflect them. ‘Ladies and gentlemen, I’d be only too glad to entertain you at our tent tonight if Professor Hu is all right with that – ’
    Hu nodded happily.
    ‘In the meantime, I need to borrow Professor Hu.’
    Good-byes were quickly said, and Hu fell into step with Lourds and Gloria.
    ‘Sorry.’ The professor looked a little embarrassed. ‘I didn’t mean to be away for so long, but I just got to talking.’
    ‘Not a problem.’ Lourds clapped the man on the shoulder and smiled. ‘If I hadn’t found something, I wouldn’t have bothered you.’
    Gloria looked surprised. She took a quick step in front of Lourds and put a hand on his chest. ‘Wait. You found something? And you didn’t mention it?’
    ‘I didn’t. I felt Professor Hu should see it first. And if the object turns out to be worthwhile, I don’t want to disturb it until we can get a cameraman to record the event.’
    ‘What object?’ Professor Hu waved to one of the two-person film crews that had tagged along with the archaeological team.
    The two-person crew, an Asian man and a young woman, broke free from shooting footage of the open graves and unhurriedly walked over. The young woman, Baozhai, seemed serious and intent, overdressed for the weather in long khakis and an olive drab button-up over a white tank, but she would look good on film. The guy carrying the camera wore a Green Lantern T-shirt, cargo shorts, and red Chuck Taylors. His hair fell down into his face.
    ‘Hey, dude, what up?’ He held up a hand for Lourds to high-five.
    Lourds returned the high five and smiled. Jimmy Woo might have been born and bred Chinese, but he mainlined twenty-first-century American pop culture.
    ‘Professor Lourds has some filming he’d like you to do.’ Professor Hu waved the film team forward.
    ‘Cool. What’d you find?’ Jimmy resettled the camera over his shoulder.
    ‘Show you in a minute.’ Lourds headed for the grave.
    Once more, Lourds squatted at the edge of the grave and stared down at the skeletal remains. At his direction, Jimmy took video footage of the grave and its grisly inhabitant.
    ‘Now, Thomas, what did you find?’ Professor Hu waved Jimmy and Baozhai away.
    Carefully, Lourds reached down through the dead man’s empty rib cage. After so many thousands of years, the bones were fragile and easy to destroy.
    A smooth stone lay on the ground to one side of the spine. Lourds touched it with his fingertips, rocked it slightly, then redoubled his efforts to scissor his fingers and remain steady. With the stone caught between his fingers, Lourds withdrew his hand. He sat and crossed his legs, totally involved with his prize.
    ‘What is it?’ Hu knelt and peered closely, sliding his reading glasses on as he examined the stone.
    ‘I don’t quite know.’
    ‘Then how do you know it’s anything at all?’ Gloria sounded a trifle put out.
    ‘Because this stone is smooth.’ Lourds twisted it in his fingers, showing off the