The man in Western dress gave another command in Arabic, and one man took a firm hold on Nordhausen, pulling his arms behind his back while the other patted him down in a cursory search. Once satisfied that he was not armed, the leader nodded and the Bedu guards released the professor, stepping back to either side, guns still at the ready.
“Who are you?” The leader said tersely, and the impatience in his tone of voice was obvious.
“I’m a professor of history and archeology. We’re out here on a dig, you see, and we were landing supplies for our team.”
“That is a lie!” The man’s assertion was so cold and sharp that the warning was implicit. “Another lie and I will have my guards do a more thorough search. You spent an hour burying the cache you dropped, and I would guess it is not something you wished to share with the RJAF, or anyone else, for that matter. What were you carrying?”
The man’s tone convinced Nordhausen that he had better leave off his little ruse and come clean. It would be a simple enough matter for these men to go and unearth his treasure. Besides, Paul was waiting for him in the dark of the cave. He decided to let out with the truth, and he told the man about his Ammonite.
“What I said was true,” he began. “To a point, that is. I am a history professor, and I was working with a dig crew some miles east. We discovered an interesting fossil, and I was moving it to a safer location for study. That’s all.”
“Interesting fossil? You mean valuable, yes?”
“It was an Ammonite, if you must know.”
“Ammonite? What is that? A mineral?”
“No. It was an ancient sea creature—dating back many millions of years. A real museum piece, in fact.”
“Only you do not work for a museum—am I correct?”
The man was going to peel the onion one way or another. There was no point in coloring the truth with him. “No,” he admitted. “I was recovering the find for personal reasons. I’m a bit of a collector.”
“Ah, then you were not simply moving it to a safer location for study.” The man’s tone had a mocking edge to it now. “It is illegal to collect such things—for personal reasons. You were thinking to steal it, then. You are a bit of a thief as well, I see. That is why you waved at me like a monkey when you leapt from your helicopter. Yes? The RJAF was on to you and you thought to cover your escape somehow. How very clever! This Ammonite must be worth a great deal of money to take such a risk.”
Robert gave the man a blank stare. “Yes, yes, it’s all true.” He was still thinking of poor Paul, but he wanted to get this conversation to civil ground before he brought him into this. “All except the money. I may have been taking the fossil out without permits but I’m no thief as you suggest. I had no intention of selling my find. Why, I would never dream of such a thing! If you must know, I was planning to mount it on the wall of my office. After all, the thing was mine. I discovered it you see, and I put a great deal of time an effort into the recovery. I’m sure things can be worked out to everyone’s satisfaction and, if the Jordanian government wants restitution, I would be happy to comply.”
“How gracious of you.” Robert’s questioner did not sound accommodating. “You are an American, from the sound of things. Americans are not welcome here, as you must know. They have been stealing from us long enough. I can tell you of many other things they take from this land without permits—like all Westerners. You think all this is here for your pleasure, eh?” He gestured broadly to the sweeping expanse of the Wadi valley, barely visible through the winding fissure behind him. “And the Arabs are just quaint little people of the desert who must be amenable to your every desire.” The man’s eyes narrowed above a thin, brown nose. “Where is your friend?” The question was pointed, with just a bit of anger sharpening the words.
“My friend? Why, he’s waiting for me in the cave. We were going to make camp and we were looking for water.”
The man seemed very unhappy with this revelation. “In this cave?” He seemed to stare past Robert, squinting into the throat of the cave. “Is he armed?”
“Armed?” Nordhausen figured the man was worried that Paul had them in his gun sights. “Well, we did have a pistol with us, but I wouldn’t be concerned. Paul’s not the sort to do anything foolish.”
“Oh? Yet he is in your company, yes? He is an accomplice, is he not? Call him! And you had best hope that he is as prudent as you believe.”
“By what right do you go about ordering strangers, sir?” Robert mustered a little indignation, his mood rankling with the temper of this man.
“You would prefer that I send my men in to search for him? They may not be so gentle in that event.”
Nordhausen waved the men off and called out, his voice receding to an echo in the cave, but there was no answer. “Oh, come now, Paul. Don’t be difficult here.” Robert looked at the group leader with a shrug. “I left him just a moment ago,” he explained, “but, as you can see, I have the flashlight, and it is very dark inside. Perhaps he has lost his way. Why, I was stumbling on dead ends even with the advantage of the light. I’m sure he can hear us. Give him a moment.”
The leader was not convinced. “He hears but does not speak.” He snapped his fingers again, flicking his wrist at one of the Bedu guards. The bearded man stepped past Robert, obviously intent of searching Paul out.
“Now see here—“ Nordhausen was justifiably concerned. He had dragged Paul into this mess and he felt bad enough already. Paul was taking it all with his usual good humor and even temperedness, but the thought that these men would drag his friend out like a scoundrel kindled a protective instinct in him. “There’s no need to be uncivilized about this now. We were just seeking shelter from the sun, and water.”
“Water is a precious commodity in the desert,” said the leader. “These caves are very special to us. They belong to the Bedu who live in this valley. It is not wise to enter a man’s home unbidden, or to drink from his water without permission. Yet you Americans would not understand that, would you?”
“Oh, come now? You’re saying this cave is someone’s home? Why, it’s completely empty—no sign of habitation at all. Surely you would not deny a man shelter and water in a desert like this? Spare me your bruised Arabic pride. If you think we have wronged you, say so plainly and decide what you’re going to do about it.” The professor was recovering a measure of his own pride now, and he was tired of being questioned like a schoolboy by this man. “Otherwise you can take your men and leave the two of us alone here, if you will. We’ll find our way to Akaba on our own if you refuse to help us.”
The leader tensed as Nordhausen spoke, clearly annoyed. He cocked his head to one side, as though suddenly perplexed. Then he stepped closer, resolved, and to Nordhausen’s surprise he delivered a hard slap to the side of the professor’s face. “That is for the insult,” he said bruskly. The other man flashed Nordhausen a toothy smile, a look a pleasure plain on his gnarled face.
“Leave the two of you alone, you say? Do I think you have wronged me? A thief comes to my homeland and thinks to take me for a fool. And he enters a place where it is death to come unbidden. Do I think you have wronged me? Well I will let you in on a little secret, my American friend. You will regret this day, because now I must decide what to do about this intrusion. And may Allah lay his hand upon me, for I do not feel merciful with beggars and thieves.”