The Dig Read Online Free Page B

yet, the project checking account gets refreshed.
    Scanning his list of known species discovered in Kenya, Rheese decided on an early Cretaceous encephalopod’s spinal disc. He smiled at the thought that many of his “finds” threw scientists so far off base that he had already caused permanent damage to humanity’s understanding of recorded history. A marine creature discovered in an area known to have been well above sea level for the past billion years? Well, obviously someone made a mistake somewhere. Maybe those paleogeographers would just have to redraw their maps of Pangaea. So what if it was completely off? Of course, his shenanigans were immensely destructive, but how much of his life had he wasted digging up the past for the sake of science? Meaningless, all .
    There was a light rap on his trailer door.
    “Yes,” he said cheerily.
    Enzi opened the door and popped his head in.
    “The tarps are secure, Professor, and it look like rain easing up a little for rest of the night. Okay I send home Chui and Zuzuwi?”
    Rheese leaned back and peered outside through the door. The tarps did look well set. The men had strung a few together and weighted the corners along the top to form a blue triangular umbrella that would keep the corner dry.
    “Very well, Enzi. You planning on going back to camp as well, then?”
    Enzi tried not to appear distracted by the doctor’s good spirits.
    “Oh, no, sah. I would not leave you here alone. I stay in equipment trailer with sleeping bag. No problem, sah.”
    “Good man, Enzi. Send them back. Next time, though, you can go yourself, too—just leave me a few men for security. Let them squat it in the trailer, eh?”
    Enzi responded with the usual nod and quick, practiced smile, then closed the door behind him. Rheese could hear him speaking to the two men outside in Swahili. He didn’t speak a lick of it, but he knew they spoke ill of him behind his back. Who wouldn’t? And besides, it kept their morale up to have a common antagonist. The thought of letting Enzi sleep in one of the empty beds in his RV flashed through his mind for a second, but he didn’t actually consider offering.
    He rolled himself back to his laptop and started a new e-mail to send to Jimmy Moon back in London. He copied and pasted the container ID number from his spreadsheet into the message, then suddenly cocked his head to the side.
    What was that outside? It sounded like the distant crack of a falling tree. He had heard that distinctive sound just over a month ago, when the trees were being cleared from this site. It was like several snaps, building in volume ahead of one very large crack, followed by several smaller ones at the end. He had thrilled at the power of the earthshaking thud when the bigger ones hit the ground.
    There! Another one, closer. Now he could hear Enzi and the other two, talking in hushed voices. He stood up and cracked the door open. All three stood a short distance away, staring into the forest blackness to the northeast. One of them whispered something, and Enzi shushed him. Rheese opened the door some more and peered out in the direction they were staring. Their eyes all remained fixed on the tarped corner where Kanu had found the strange object. Rheese noticed that the usual din of chirping insects had ceased entirely.
    “What is it?” He whispered to Enzi, who stood nearest the trailer.
    “They good Christians, Professor,” Enzi whispered. “They think we disturb the devil. We open gateway to hell.”
    The earth shook for a few more seconds, sending Zuzuwi running for the Jeep. More cracking, but this time it was clearly from the woods—heavy crashing, so that the ground shook continuously.
    Zuzuwi shouted something from the Jeep, and Chui yelled back at him.
    “Tembo, Che! Tembo!”
    Rheese’s stomach tightened as he stumbled down the steps. Enzi ran away toward the equipment trailer.
    “What is it, Enzi?” Rheese shouted to his back, unsure if he should follow.