Troy Story by Carla Luna

Author:Carla Luna
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Moon Manor Press

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

In the three weeks he’d been working at Troy, Stuart had never visited the café. Though Mort had offered to treat him to a cold drink or a spot of tea, Stuart had always turned him down. Unlike the others, he needed to be present on-site as much as possible. So it was ironic that the one time he popped into the café, Mort wasn’t around to make good on his promise. He and Clarissa had taken a few days off to go on a bus tour that included Ephesus, Aphrodisias, and Hierapolis—ancient sites that were worth a visit but too far from Troy for a day trip.

Fighting back a yawn, Stuart cursed himself for sleeping through his alarm. Normally, he didn’t need one, but he always set it just in case. Today, he’d woken so late that he’d missed the chance for a quick cup of coffee. He’d thought he could last until the morning break, but no such luck. By eight, he was battling a wicked caffeine headache.

When the barista set down Stuart’s cappuccino, he inhaled the scent gratefully. He went to add a packet of sugar and almost bumped into Dr. Wagner. Stuart hadn’t seen him in over two weeks—not since the stone-faced director had barged onto the site to accuse Dr. Hughes of spying. Since then, there hadn’t been any interaction between the two groups.

What harm could there be in extending an offer of friendship? Stuart smiled at Dr. Wagner. “Good morning. I’m Stuart Carlson from the University of Boston.”

Dr. Wagner gave a curt nod. “One of the Americans.”

“We’re not that bad. I know you and Dr. Hughes have a troubled history, but the rest of us are just trying to do our jobs.”

“I take it you’re still searching for that cemetery?”

“Dr. Hughes is. But the real focus of our project is the Late Bronze Age settlement in the lower city. We’re hoping to learn more about the population and add to our knowledge of Troy’s history. Isn’t that what these excavations are about?”

Dr. Wagner sniffed. “For us, definitely. And for you, maybe. But not so for your boss. All he cares about is making headlines, hoping everyone forgets his past sins.”

Stuart couldn’t argue with a statement like that. He backed away. “Sorry. I was just trying to be friendly. Anytime you want to visit our site, feel free. We’ve got nothing to hide.”

Feeling awkward, he turned to leave, only to have the older man stop him with a question. “You wouldn’t be related to Dr. Samuel Carlson, would you?”

Though Stuart’s father was nowhere near as important as Dusty’s parents, he’d made a name for himself as an archaeologist before retiring from fieldwork and moving to Southern California to work for the Getty Villa. “He’s my father. Do you know him?”

“I heard him speak at a conference in Berlin years ago with Dr. Louisa Danforth. Their project in Egypt was impressive.”

“It was. I was fortunate to spend a lot of my childhood there.” Stuart waited, curious to see where the conversation would lead.

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