strata curved inward.
‘You observe,’ Clift said, now using his voice of icy calm. ‘The second grave. There are two significant differences compared with our first discovery. In this case, the skeleton is of a female. And she lies with a wooden stake through what was her heart.’
‘I’m sure your beautiful young daughter-in-law would tell you that you know nothing about human nature, Joe,’ Clift said, as they walked through the building. ‘I can’t keep this secret. I’m bursting with it. There’s the scientific aspect, and that’s predominant. This is something that is going to cause shock waves. It’ll be hotly contested. I’m in for the Spanish Inquisition and I know it. I also know I can defend my case.
‘But there’s more to it than that. You’ve had plenty of publicity in your time, what with your association with Victor Frankenstein and Mary Shelley and all that. I also want publicity. I want recognition, as every man does, if he’s honest. Publicity will give me the funding I require.
‘Millions of dollars are needed. Millions. The whole Iron Hills area must be torn apart. We’ve got a new civilization to explore – beyond our dreams. Imagine, civilization started here, in the USA, long before apes came out of the African jungles!’
‘Yes, and when this hits the media, you’re going to have the whole universe invading your pitch. You’re not going to be able to work. The site will be ruined. And I won’t be able to chase that phantom train.’
‘That’s where you can help. If your organization will back me, I want you to get an army of security personnel down at Old John straight away.’
‘Do you want a bed for the night? I’ll ring Mina, if she isn’t twenty thousand feet up.’
‘I’ll ring her, Joe, thanks. And Joe – thanks a million. I know you’ll be in the hot seat too. One day, I’ll return this favour.’
They shook hands.
Joe said, ‘Mina will take care of you. I may be a little hard to contact, just for a while.’
‘How’s that?’
‘Never mind. Up guards and at ’em, Bernie. Shake the world! I’m on your side.’
The great green-and-white waves of the Pacific came curling into Hilo Bay, Hawaii. The foam scattered in the sunlight, the water lost its power, crawled up the volcanic sands, sank down again, and miraculously revived, to make another assault on the beaches.
Larry and Kylie came out of the ocean shaking the water from their hair.
‘I just know something is wrong, Larry. Please let’s get back to the hotel,’ she said.
‘Nothing’s wrong, sweetie. Forget your intuitions. It’s something you ate. How can anything be wrong? We’ve only been down on the beach an hour.’
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