3/12/2009
50
Aegypt: The Plug
“You won’t believe it, but
this morning a piece of the shoring came loose and crashed into the
carving of that temple you and I had been studying so carefully
yesterday.” He paused for breath. “I was busy cursing out
the fool who put the framing together so poorly when I noticed
a thin tracery around the edges of the inscription. The
jolt of the wooden beam was enough to dislodge some mortar
from the wall. I looked more closely, and it became obvious
that a fine line of mortar had been used to conceal the edges of
what, at first, looked like building stones. But the mortar wasn’t
just concealing the seams of the building stones. It is stone all
right, but it’s not a building stone. With
a gentle force, I was able to move the
entire block a few millimeters inward.” He paused
dramatically. “I think we’ve discovered a plug or a doorway.
Williams and Parrain are holding back the natives. They’re all
champing at the bit to open the thing, but I don’t want the
carving damaged any more than it has been. I thought your presence
would bring about a modicum of control.”