Of Biblical Proportions (4/11) Part 2 June 1999 I The soft buzzing brought Methos suddenly out of a sound sleep. Reality was slow to kick in. He stayed still, gathering his wits, listening carefully, but there were no sounds outside his tent. Dispelling the memories of his time in Alexandria, he slowly sat up, unzipped the flap and gathered his tools. The moon was a crescent upon the night sky. Stars twinkled, beckoning him out into the sand. He stepped carefully out, carrying the shovel. His head darted back and forth, listening and looking for anyone else who might be awake and observing him. Satisfied that he was alone, he took a random path in the direction of his cache. Luckily, it was situated far enough away that his digging shouldn't be heard. He might even get the stuff into his car without anyone the wiser. It took over an hour to find the old wine cask he had used to store the writings. It was too big to carry, so he withdrew all the scrolls. Their brittle condition made handling them difficult, but he had little choice. He'd have to see about preserving them later, after he got back to Paris. Excitement warred with caution as he replaced the barrel and refilled the hole with sand. Again treading silently, he crept to his car and opened the trunk. Inside he had a large portfolio case with sleeves of plastic. He unrolled the scrolls and slid the delicate calfskin and parchment within the protective wrapper. Hiding the ancient writings inside the portfolio case, he zippered it back up and silently returned to his tent. The next morning he was up early, beating most of the younger students to the mess tent. He listened carefully to the conversations around him and paid close attention to body language, but he couldn't discern anything accusatory. Kevin Dunn and his friend Toby Nelen were the first to join Methos for breakfast. Now that he had rescued his belongings from the desert sand and pilfering fingers, he felt like a large weight had been lifted off his shoulders so he decided to stay a few more days and give them the benefit of his expertise. As Methos consumed his breakfast, he was disconcerted to see Hawass' assistant, Slimy Sammy, walk in with Julia Harami. Of all the people to meet up with on a dig, one of the last he would have expected was the Watchers' Middle Eastern librarian. Didn't she know that someone had to do the research before she could read it in a book? With any luck he could slip out of the tent before she caught sight of him and begin a game of twenty questions. As Methos stood up, Slimy Sammy saw him and walked immediately over to him. Julia hesitantly followed. Methos began to relax. She didn't want to talk to him. "Good morning, Dr. Farid." Then he nodded to Julia, acknowledging her presence. "This is Dr. Harami, an expert--" "In most things," Methos interrupted, with an innocent smile. "An expert on ancient civilizations," Samir Farid continued as if Methos hadn't spoken. "I am taking her around so she can get a feel for this place. I'm sure there are things *she* can discover that remain hidden from our understanding." Methos refrained from laughing, but couldn't help a quick glance at Dr. Harami to see how she was taking his arrogance. She refused to meet his look. "What would you like me to work on this morning?" the Immortal asked. "There is an enclosure with glyphs on the walls. Why don't you photograph and sketch the small pictures, adding any translation you might be able to achieve. Take the rest of the day," Dr. Farid added magnanimously, handing him a digital camera. "Whatever you can't decipher, Julia and I will take a look at this evening." Methos gave them a sardonic smile. "I'll try not to disappoint you." Julia shifted from foot to foot, her eyes still refusing to meet his. "Come, Julia," Samir commanded. "Let me show you the brewer's." "Yes, Dr. Harami," Methos added his two cents. "Pay particular attention to the abode; beer has always been near and dear to my heart." Her startled eyes rose and connected with his. He nodded and then strode out of the tent toward his day's assignment. The enclosure was only a fraction of what it had been. Walls had crumbled, sun and wind disintegrating the glyphs into obscurity. Methos felt sad that so much of their lives had been erased by time. As the camera clicked, he decided to give the archeologists enough words that they would be able to work out the true meaning. Maybe it was time for the modern age to realize that slaves were not the creators of Egypt's magnificence, but rather free citizens. It took him only an hour to photograph to walls and copy the inscriptions, but it took the better part of the afternoon to decide exactly what glyphs to interpret. He couldn't be too exact; they might question his insights. Sitting on the ground with his back against the wall, he labored with pencil and paper. "How are you doing?" a quiet voice inquired. Methos looked up to find Julia Harami peering down at him. "I didn't expect you to seek me out. You acted rather uncomfortable this morning." "I was. Samir was being an ass." "Showing off in front of you?" "Possibly." "Or showing yourself off to me?" "That, too," she agreed. Now that she had his attention, the good doctor seemed lost for words. What did she want? A slow smile crossed his face. "Are you here to write a paper on this dig? Are you looking for some inside information?" She looked like a deer caught in front of a pair of headlights. "Um, ah, no, I'm not writing anything about this place." "That's too bad. I've enjoyed your other papers. The ones your wrote on the Four Horsemen were brilliant. I believe you and Amy Zoll received a commendation from the Watchers on your excellent research." She paled and took several steps backwards. "You read them?" "Of course I did. The topic was near and dear to my heart, how could I ignore it when someone puts so much time and effort into capturing the essence of what they--we-- were." He smiled again, as she retreated a few more steps, clearly seeing a threat in his words. "I'll leave you to your work." She turned to leave, but hesitated. "Are you being accurate in the translations?" He admired her bravery when she was clearly scared. "I may not write everything, but what I *am* transcribing is the undiluted truth." "Thank you." Then she scurried away. Methos listened as her footsteps receded in the distance. He surprisingly enjoyed toying with her as much as with Amy Zoll. Both women were easily made nervous, but their inherent curiosity triumphed over their fear. Getting back to work, he scribbled down some more words. It took him another hour to finish it to his satisfaction. When he finally stood, his legs were cramped and he limped a few steps to get the kinks out of them. Gathering the camera and notes, Methos wandered over to where his new friend Kevin was photographing a newly excavated room. "Is there a place where we're supposed to download these pictures?" Methos asked. "Just give the camera and notes to Dr. Hawass and he'll do it tonight and give the camera back tomorrow morning." Methos watched for a minute as Kevin took his pictures. When the student was finished they both went to get some dinner. The Immortal waited with bated breath all evening for the head of the dig to personally seek him out after looking at his translations, but it was Samir that confronted him. Julia Harami was not at his side. "Good evening, Dr. Farid. Where is your friend?" "She had to leave. A friend of hers was flying in from Paris." Methos smiled at the news. Obviously Amy Zoll was on her way to check him out. He was glad that he had already rescued his belongings. It would have been difficult with two Watchers watching his every move. "Will Dr. Harami bring her friend to the dig?" Slimy Sammy gave an impatient snort. "I am here to discuss your work today. I understand you gave the camera and notes to Dr. Hawass. You were instructed to give them to me." Methos thought back. Had Slimy Sammy said so? He didn't remember. "I'm sorry. Would you like me to go retrieve them?" "No, but tomorrow, please don't bother the boss with your scratchings. It is my job to collect the data."