“You’re American?” the man continued.
She nodded.
“Thank goodness. I can get by in French, but anything more complicated than ordering a coffee gives me a headache.”
His smile gave her a little thrill. An attractive woman, she had grown weary of fending off the almost predatory advances of Louvre staffers who seemed intent on reinforcing the stereotype of the amorous Frenchman, but somehow she didn’t quite feel so ambivalent about a flirtatious exchange with a fellow American-a very attractive and evidently intelligent one at that.
“Your accent,” she said, trying to break a little more ice. “There’s a bit of Russian there, if I’m not mistaken?”
For just a second, the man’s beautiful eyes seemed to darken, but the smile did not falter. “Very perceptive. You’re the first person to catch that. As a matter of fact, you’re right. I was born in Saint Petersburg, but my parents emigrated to the United States when I was very young. I must have picked it up from them.”
“Oh, it’s barely noticeable. I’m good at catching accents.” Worried that she was only exacerbating the evident faux pas, Julia tried to navigate to a different subject. “Are you vacationing in Paris?”
He shook his head. “I’m here for work. But I couldn’t pass up a chance to see the Buddhas. My father saw them when he was in the army-the Soviet Army. Three years he served in Afghanistan. He told me all about them and was deeply troubled by their destruction.”
She noted that his speech seemed more halting, his accent more pronounced, as if both the unexpected revelation of his origin and the subsequent reminiscence had left him a little shaken. “That’s remarkable. I would have loved to have seen them before…” She waved a hand toward the fragments. “Your father must have a unique appreciation for history.”
“Yes, and he raised me to have the same appreciation. How does the old saying go? ‘Those who don’t know history are destined to repeat it.’”
“Edmund Burke.” She nodded. “That’s sort of the unofficial slogan for historians, and a lesson that we still can’t seem to get right. We seem to keep making the same mistakes over and over again.”
“As my father is fond of pointing out.” The man’s eyes turned to the display. “Afghanistan, for example. It has been called ‘the place where empires go to die.’ Invaders may conquer her armies, but the effort of trying to possess the country is too costly. It destroyed the Soviet Union, but now, only a few decades later, we Americans think our adventure there will end differently.”
Julia registered the emphasis he placed on “we Americans,” and wondered again if she had somehow inadvertently offended him with her observation about his origins. She wished desperately that she could rewind the encounter and start over, especially since he seemed to share her passion for history. Before she could formulate a response, she glimpsed the familiar figure of Mr. Carutius entering the gallery. She offered a rueful smile. “I’m terribly sorry, but my boss just walked in and I should get to work. But the museum closes just before ten, and I’m not doing anything after…”
She let her voice trail off hopefully. Technically, Carutius wasn’t really her boss-she worked for the Global Heritage Commission, an agency adjunct to UNESCO-but inasmuch as he was the chief representative for the private organization that was bankrolling the exhibition, she was pretty much at his beck and call. Carutius was an odd fellow and very hands-on when it came to the nuts and bolts of managing the exhibit. He and his organization had conceived of the idea of taking the fragments of the Buddhas on tour. They had, through generous contributions to Afghanistan’s cultural ministry-an agency that existed as little more than a bureaucratic appointment and a way for the corrupt and barely functional government of the beleaguered nation to apportion money received from international aid payments-arranged permission for the shattered remains of the statues to be taken out of the country.
The man matched her smile. “Unfortunately, I have a late business meeting and will be unavailable tonight.”
Her mind grappled with his reply. Unfortunately? What did that mean? Was he trying to let her down gently, or was he interested in…? “A pity. Another time perhaps. I would really love-” She almost faltered. Love? Coming on strong, aren’t you Julia — “to sit down and…you know, talk about history a little more.”
“I would like that. And I know where to find you.”
“I just realized, I never asked your name.”
The smile did not waver. “Trevor.”
She raised a curious eyebrow, but before she could inquire, he continued: “Not the name my parents gave me when I was born, of course. They changed it when we came to the United States.”
Julia nodded in understanding and decided not to press further. “A pleasure to meet you, Trevor. I hope to see you again.” She winced inwardly. God, I sound so desperate.
But Trevor’s smile seemed sincere and when he shook her hand again, it was with the same gentle firmness as at their first meeting, which she took as a good sign. She sighed as he strode from the gallery, then composed herself and went over to where Carutius was rummaging in the large equipment case he had brought in.
Though dressed in an immaculate and expensive Brooks Brothers suit, the tall rugged Carutius, with his curly mop of hair and bushy beard, looked more like an escapee from a biker gang than either a researcher or a financier-Julia wasn’t exactly sure which he really was. He glanced up as she approached. “Dr. Preston. I’m glad you’re still here. I need to perform some radiometric dating tests on the fragments. We’ll need to close the exhibit early tonight.”
The man delivered the words with casual indifference, as if he had asked for nothing more complicated than the time of day. Two thoughts immediately raced through Julia’s head.
First, why on earth did Carutius want to close the exhibit on a Friday evening, one of the museum’s busiest times? How was she supposed to explain to the staff that the much-publicized headlining exhibition, which admittedly had not drawn as much attention as might be hoped, would have to be shut down with no advance notice? If it were anyone but Carutius making the demand, she would have laughed at the very idea.
The second thought was regret that Trevor-or whatever his real name was-had a previous appointment, because now it seemed her evening was free.
“I see,” she answered slowly, not seeing at all.
“I’ve already spoken to the museum director and made all the necessary arrangements,” he continued.
Julia felt some relief at that news, and her curiosity gradually got the better of her disappointment. “Do you need any help? What exactly are you hoping to establish with radiometric dating?”
“That won’t be necessary. Take the night off.”
“The fragments are under the protection of the GHC and we’re responsible for their safety. Any requests for testing should go through my office.”
“My tests shouldn’t pose any risk to the fragments. Quite the opposite, actually.” He folded his arms across his chest and although he was smiling, there was no humor in his eyes.
Despite the implicit finality, Julia couldn’t just let it go. “I really would like to know what you’re testing for.”
“It is a personal project and lies at the very heart of my interest in preserving the Buddhas. Something I’ve been working on for years. I’m sorry, but that’s all I can tell you.” He loosed one arm and gestured to the exit. “Good night, Dr. Preston.”
7
Timur Suvorov replayed his conversation with Dr. Julia Preston-the curator knew him only as “Trevor”-in his head as he stalked through the corridors of the Louvre, and wondered where he had slipped up. His instructors at the cultural immersion training facility had praised him for his pitch perfect English and his command of American dialect, but she had picked up on his true heritage after hearing him say only a few words.