The Boudicca Parchments

Chapter 77

“And you think that the answer is at Masada?” asked Helen, as they sat together at the breakfast table.

“That’s the only place it can be,” Daniel replied. “We know from the Temple Mount Parchment that when Bar Giora emerged from below ground and was captured by the Romans, he gave his wife, and the rest of the group, strict instructions to make their way to Masada. We know that Eleazer Ben Yair was his right hand man and we know that Ben Yair made it back to Masada. So we must assume that Lanosea did too.”

“But what do you expect to find there? Masada has been thoroughly excavated.”

“Actually it hasn’t. The north and west have, but the southern part somewhat less. And the eastern part not at all. There was an unwritten agreement among archaeologists not to excavate everything, but to leave some things to future generations.”

“But you can’t just start digging there.”

“I’m not going to dig. But we can look.”

“And what do you expect to find?

“I don’t know. I guess that’s the fun of looking.”

After Daniel had explained to Helen and his father, Bernie, about their adventures, both in England and in the Old City, they had taken turns in the shower and Bernie had supplied them both with a change of clothes, although in the case of Ted, the legs and sleeves were a bit short because of the height difference.

Now they were tucking into a hearty breakfast at Chez Klein, including smoked salmon, pickled herring, fried eggs, Emek cheese (similar to Edam or Gouda), rye bread, mini-Chala — the best bread rolls Ted had ever tasted — and fresh salad that really was a salad, not just soggy lettuce, comprising a mixture of tomatoes, cucumber, green peppers and radishes. You couldn’t fault the Kleins (senior) when it came to hospitality.

“Are you sure you’re not just going to get yourselves arrested?” asked Helen.

“Or worse,” added Bernie.

Even though Daniel was in his forties, his father still spoke to him as if he were a child, or at best a teenager.

“We’ll be careful,” said Daniel.

Ted was listening in silence… and amusement.

“I still don’t see what you can hope to find,” said Helen.

Earlier on, she had surprised both of them by telling them that she had been part of the Hebrew University team that had helped the Vatican Library with the restoration of the waterlogged Domus Aurea Parchment.

“We might not find anything. But I think that after everything we’ve been through so far, it’s worth a try. At minimum I’ll be able to ask the information people there some questions that might help us further. Maybe with the results we’ve already got we might be able to persuade the Antiquities Authority to allow a new dig. Ted here has a formidable reputation as an archaeologist and I like to think I have some cache as linguist.”

“I wouldn’t place too much confidence in the Antiquities Authority,” said Helen.

Her sister, Irene, had clashed with the Antiquities Authority over their handling of the Dead Sea Scrolls, and effectively fallen out with them.

“If we want to get a license to dig, we don ‘t really have any choice. In the meantime, a quick visit to Masada might enable us to fill in some gaps so that when we put out case, it stands on rock solid ground — ‘scuse the pun.”

“Well in that case we’d better go online after breakfast and check out the bus times to Masada.”

“Ah,” said Daniel, awkwardly, looking at his father. “That’s what I wanted to talk to you about. I was wondering if you might lend us the car.”

Bernie, flicked his head in Helen’s direction, keeping his eyes on Daniel.

“You’ll have to ask the lady of the house,” he added, by way of explanation.

Daniel looked at Helen, not quite sure how to phrase the question, given that she had already heard it.

She smiled, amused at his awkwardness.

“All right,” she said. “But just make sure you bring it back in one piece.”