LITMIR.BIZ

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how a people lived day by day. But I’m a true romantic. I find the living more interesting than the dead, even the long-dead, and I prefer magic to reality. I don’t care what they used to skin their kill. I want to know how they prepared for the hunt. I want to learn the rituals and hear the songs.” He shrugged. “As I’m frequently reminded, religion and magic have their place, but a good knife in the hands of a skilled hunter can keep a family alive for the winter.”

      Chloe studied the honed cutting edges. “But religion feeds them as well—their souls rather than their bodies. That has to count for something.”

      “Exactly.”

      Arizona beamed at her as if she were a rather dull student who had finally come up with the right answer. She barely noticed, being too busy wondering where on earth that thought had come from. She was way too pragmatic to be concerned about the state of anyone’s soul.

      “I’m glad you see my point,” he told her. “However, there are a few people I can’t seem to convince. They’re much more into the physical than the spiritual. We need to go through here.”

      He led the way into a brightly lit alcove. There was a closed door at the far end. He knocked once. Another security guard stepped out. “Yes, Dr. Smith?”

      “Jimmy, I made arrangements to show Ms. Wright the gem collection. You ready to unlock the cases for me?”

      The guard, a young man of Chloe’s age, nodded seriously. “Yes, sir. Let me get the keys and disable the alarm.”

      When he disappeared back into the room, Arizona winked at her. “Jimmy is in charge of the gems. He’s very proud of that. He’ll be accompanying us. With him around, we can unlock the cases and you can actually touch the stones.”

      “I’d like that.” She stared at him. “How long have you been in town?”

      “A couple of days. Why?”

      “You seem to know everyone’s name. Or is that just a habit with security guards?”

      “I told you. I’m interested in the living.”

      Jimmy joined them, cutting off any further chance for conversation. He led the way to the last room. The walls were plain black. Tall glass cases formed a staggered line down the center. Spotlights illuminated their precious cargo.

      Arizona nodded at the first case. “We’ll start at this end and work our way down.” As Jimmy unlocked the case, Arizona sighed heavily. “I found them, but do they trust me with them now?”

      “Sorry, sir,” Jimmy said without cracking a smile. “I’m following the rules.”

      Chloe moved close to the display. The door opened and Arizona reached inside to pick up a huge pink stone. It was the size of an orange, with an irregular shape. He held it with a reverence that made her nervous about taking it from him when he offered it to her.

      “This will heal you,” he said. “Arthritis, stomach trouble, anything internal. I don’t think it would work on a broken bone, although I could be wrong. Some of the incantations were written down. We’ve found pieces on tablets and animal hides. The tribe is obscure. The language is tough. Not related to other Indian tribes in the area. I don’t have any of the incantations with me, so just think good thoughts while you hold it and hope for the best.”

      She took the stone from him. It was heavier than it looked. The top was bumpy, but the bottom was smooth and fit perfectly into the palm of her hand. She studied the way the light glinted off the facets.

      “They didn’t find the stone this way, did they?” she asked.

      “No. It’s been cut. There are definite markings. That’s one of the mysteries. The tools we found aren’t strong enough or sharp enough to have done this, so how did it happen?”

      She handed him back the stone. “Do you have a theory?”

      “Of course. But you’re going to have to come to my lecture series to hear what it is.”

      He put the stone back in the case, waited until Jimmy locked it, then moved to the next exhibit.

      There were stunning gems used in religious ceremonies, more healing stones, some of undetermined purpose. Arizona talked about them all, as if they were well-loved friends. When they were at the last case, he removed a huge diamond nestled in a flower-shaped bed of gold. The object was so heavy, she had to use both hands to hold it.

      “Close your eyes,” Arizona instructed. “Focus on the stone.”

      Chloe did as he requested. Instantly, the diamond began to glow. She frowned. That was impossible. For one thing, she had her eyes closed. How could she know if something was glowing or not? For another, she didn’t believe in the mystical. But she could feel the heat and would have sworn she saw the light.

      “This is a loving stone,” he said. “It would have been used in ancient weddings to bind a couple together.”

      Instantly she could see the cave, the two of them entwined on their bed of straw. Which was crazy, right?

      As the image filled her brain, the stone definitely brightened. Chloe stiffened and opened her eyes. She stared at the diamond. Nothing about it had changed. It wasn’t glowing at all, and now that she was paying attention, there really wasn’t any heat.

      Arizona took the stone from her and returned it to Jimmy. After thanking the guard, he led her out of the exhibit hall. There was a small garden behind the building. Stone benches surrounded an inverted fountain.

      Still confused by what had happened, she settled on one of the benches. He took a seat next to her.

      “What did you think?” he asked.

      “It’s very impressive. I can see why you enjoy your work and why you have such a following. You’ve brought a great find to national attention.”

      He dismissed the compliment with a wave. “I haven’t done anything that special. I followed a few clues, refused to give up when other people did, but I’m no hero. There are a lot of great scholars out there. I’m just some guy interested in pretty rocks and religious icons.”

      “You’re selling yourself a little short, aren’t you?”

      “Not really. When I met Joseph Campbell I was so impressed, I couldn’t talk. He was my idol. I don’t say that lightly. I’ve met many impressive people, but he was the best.”

      Interesting. She made a mental note. That information could add some depth and human interest to her story. “Are there any important people you haven’t met yet who intrigue you?”

      His smile was slow and lazy. It should have warned her. He relaxed back in the bench. “Yesterday I would have said yes, because until yesterday I hadn’t met you.”

      It was a line, she reminded herself. But it was a good one. “Not bad.”

      His smile didn’t fade, but something dark and dangerous crept into his expression. “I wasn’t kidding, Chloe. I know you felt it, too. The energy when you were holding the diamond. Did the stone glow when you closed your eyes? That’s supposed to be significant.”

      She tried swallowing, but her throat was too tight. When coughing didn’t clear it, she decided to ignore both the sensation and the question. She opened her briefcase and pulled out a small handheld tape recorder.

      “I’d like to ask you a few questions,” she said.

      He eyed the machine. “Obviously we’re on the record.”

      “We have been all morning.”

      His gaze sharpened. “Really? That surprises me.” He crossed his ankle over his opposite knee. “Ask away.”

      The sun was warm, but the heat filling her body came from the inside. There was something about him, about his relaxed posture. She angled away from him, but even so, the bench was suddenly too small. She felt confined

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