Solomon's Gold

CHAPTER 6

Selena had Friedman on the phone. She told him what was written on the scroll.

"This is hard to believe," he said. "You are sure of the translation?"

"Yes. It's accurate."

"The implications are staggering."

"How would you like to go looking for the tomb?" Selena said. "Perhaps mount an expedition?"

"Are you serious? I'd like nothing better, but I don't have the funding for that."

"You don't need to worry about money. I can arrange funding, whatever is needed. I wasn't thinking of a full-blown expedition at the moment. More like an initial exploration. Your expertise will help."

"What about the authorities? If we do find something, we'd need permission to do any digging or to remove anything that we find."

Selena thought about how much to tell him. Friedman didn't know she worked for Elizabeth, or anything about the Project.

"There won't be any problem with the authorities. I have excellent connections in the Middle East. Besides, all we're doing is looking. If we need to set up an archaeological dig, there's plenty of time for that. For now, let's keep it simple. Just us and some people I know who can act as protection if we need it."

"You think we might need protection?"

"Absolutely," Selena said. "That part of the world isn't safe right now. There are jihadists in the Egyptian Sinai and Jordan. Sometimes they cross into Israel and cause trouble. Beersheba and the immediate area should be safe enough, but we may end up far out in the desert. The scroll does talk about the Wilderness of Zin and following in the footsteps of Moses."

"I see your point," Friedman said. "How soon do you want to leave?"

"As soon as possible. I can arrange private transportation and supplies. We can pick you up in New York."

"It sounds as though you've done this before."

"I have, although not quite like this. My uncle left me money and I like to travel."

It was true, as far as it went. Friedman didn't need to know that travel for Selena usually meant dropping in from twenty thousand feet on people who wanted to kill her.

"I can be ready in two days," Friedman said.

"Wonderful, Alan. I'll get things ready on this end and expect to see you soon."

"I want to take Miriam with us. She'll be invaluable for note taking and making sure things go smoothly for us."

"Miriam?"

"My personal assistant."

"I don't see why that should be a problem," Selena said. "Two days is enough time to organize what we need at this end. Call me when you're ready and we'll pick you up at Kennedy."

"I look forward to it," Friedman said.

After he'd finished his conversation with Selena, Friedman called Miriam into his office.

Miriam Golding was pushing thirty, but looked five years younger. She was tall and dark-haired, with a prominent chin and sharp nose. Her dark eyes gave her an enigmatic look, as if more than one person was looking out from behind them. Her lightly toned skin revealed her Middle Eastern heritage. She was dressed in a plain skirt that came down to her knees and a white, long sleeved blouse.

"Miriam, we're going to Israel in a few days. If you need a little time off to shop for anything, let me know when you'd like to do that. We might be there for a few weeks."

"Israel, Director? Does this have anything to do with that scroll?"

Friedman told her what Selena had discovered.

"Doctor Connor has offered to fund an exploratory trip to determine if a full expedition is warranted."

"She must be a generous woman," Miriam said.

"She's an old friend, and absolutely brilliant with ancient languages. In any event, we could both do with a break. Josh can keep an eye on everything while we're gone."

Joshua Eisner was the deputy director of the museum.

"Where will we be in Israel?" Miriam asked.

"We'll be visiting Beersheba first. After that, we'll be heading into the desert, following the route of the Exodus."

"I've always wanted to see that part of the world," Miriam said.