The Second Messiah

Jack put down the magnifying glass. “You went as far as you could go with it tonight. We’ll get expert help to unravel the rest of the parchment. We don’t want to continue and cause damage.”

The professor let out a sigh. “That’s what I thought. All in all, it’s been an astonishing find. The name Jesus Christ is not mentioned once in any of the scrolls and fragments already found over the decades. Yet here it is, clearly legible. You’ve found a truly unique document, Jack. One that may cast significant new light on Jesus himself. You deserve a big pat on the back.” Green slapped Jack’s shoulder heartily.

“Thanks, professor.”

“Most importantly, this find will serve to confirm the very existence of Jesus. That kind of solid evidence is hard to come by outside the Bible. I think this calls for another celebration.”

Green crossed to a scuffed leather trunk by his cot. “The rest of the crew are going to be even more amazed when they hear this news. You’ll join me in a drink? Of course you will.”

Jack finished writing and smiled tiredly. “Mind if I pass, professor? I had quite a few beers already. Tomorrow’s another long day.”

“No way, we can’t let a moment like this pass.” Green grabbed a bottle of Wild Turkey and two glass tumblers from the trunk. “Don’t force me to twist your arm.”

“Maybe just one.” Jack stuffed his notebook in his breast pocket.

Green pulled off the corked top on the Wild Turkey bottle with his teeth, spat it out, and splashed a generous measure into their glasses. “Get that down you. You deserve it, Jack.”

He swallowed a mouthful of liquor. “Thanks.”

“What’s the bet that the parchment’s going to cause a sensation among the scholars? Who knows, it may contain information that challenges or even refutes established traditions, perhaps even something compromising? In fact, I’d like to propose a toast.”

“To what?”

Green smiled, clinked their glasses. “That whatever else this find of yours contains, it knocks their socks off.”

9

A moment later the tent flap opened and a striking young blond woman came in. She looked as if she had Arab blood in her veins with her amber eyes and long black lashes, but everything else about Yasmin Green was westernized. She wore khaki shorts that bared her slim, tanned legs, her shirt tied in a knot above her waist, exposing her smooth belly. She smiled, then said in an American accent, “Aren’t you two going to get some sleep? You must be exhausted, Uncle Donald. You too, Jack.”

Green, still bubbling with excitement, stared back at his niece as if she were mad. “Sleep? Who can rest after this find? Have another drink, Jack.” He splashed more Wild Turkey into their glasses.

“Go easy, professor.”

“Yasmin?”

“Not for me. I’ve just spent the last half-hour picking up empty Heineken cans after the crew. Crew like me, who are not lucky enough to be archaeologists, just mere interested amateurs, always seem to get stuck with the housework.”

She tapped her watch at her uncle. “I know you told me this is the most incredible discovery you’ve ever been involved with, but it’s also well after five A.M. The rest of the crew bedded down hours ago. If you want to be in the full of your health when the Israeli Antiquities Department visits tomorrow, you ought to get to bed.”

Jack finished his drink in one swallow. “Yasmin’s right, professor. I think I’ll hit the hay.”

The professor grinned. “That’s it, chicken out just when a guy’s beginning to enjoy himself.”

Yasmin winked at Jack. “Try and convince my uncle to get to bed, will you? I’m going to finish tidying up and hit the sack. Congratulations again, Jack.” She gave him a final smile as she went out, her blond hair and amber eyes an arresting combination.

Jack watched her figure retreat into the dusk. Green noticed his stare and closed the tent flap. “She’s a good-looking young woman, isn’t she, Jack?”

“She sure is.”

“My brother’s Lebanese wife was always something of a beauty, which explains Yasmin’s looks. The union of the Middle Eastern and the Western can produce quite an exotic mix. And of course, Yasmin’s had the benefit of a Western education, which can make her all the more alluring.” Green gave a tight smile, then knocked back his liquor, put down his glass, and filled it again from the bottle. A sudden, irritated edge crept into his voice. “I’ve always had a soft spot for the opposite sex, as you probably know. Three marriages and a weakness for a pretty woman wearing a short skirt say it all. However, can I give you a friendly word of advice?”

“What’s that, professor?”

“I promised my brother I’d watch over his daughter like a hawk while she was working on the dig.” Green took a gulp of Wild Turkey and made a face, as if the alcohol suddenly tasted nasty. “But maybe I should just tell you the truth and be done with it...” His words trailed away, as if he’d instantly regretted them. “Never mind, forget it.”

“What truth?” Jack asked. “Forget what?”