An Startling Discovery
by Damon Stone
Eryn was more than a little put-off. It was true she had managed to talk her way into the expedition, but she hadn't lied about her age. Now she was sitting in a sparse room back in town having been asked to "retire" from the dig site. The interview by Eramus Manor had been quick but thorough. He smiled so kindly when he was done. She thought she had passed whatever test he had, but not more than ten minutes had passed when the professor had said that she was to pack and head into town. She would be on the next flight back to the States.
She stared at the jade head sitting on her wobbly desk. She had dozens of pages of notes and sketches on the "questionable object," so named because it defied classification. Eryn rubbed her tired eyes. She was going to need glasses soon. Stifling a yawn, she decided she would sleep on it. Maybe a refreshed mind would bring a new perspective. She crawled on to the bed and placed the head on her pillow and stared into its eyes until she drifted off.
Eryn woke with a start. She was still staring into the eyes of the head. The loud knocking that had awoke her sounded again. A voice called out loudly, first in Spanish and then in perfect, if heavily accented English.
"Open the door Miss Cochwyn, it's the police." Eryn quickly ordered her thoughts. She had taken the head without permission but she hadn't had a chance to catalogue it before she had been kicked off site. They couldn't possibly be here about that.
"Yes?" she asked as she opened the door.
"We need you to come with us. There has been... an accident at the dig site. I'm afraid there were no survivors." Eryn stumbled back from the door, her mind reeling. Eryn had no idea what kind of accident could have taken the lives of the entire team. Unless they had run afoul of some smugglers.
She grabbed her shoulder-bag, stuffing her notes and the head inside, and followed the two officers. They must be brothers, she thought absently. Matching panama hats, dark vests, and watch chains. Twins. Her mind was latching on to anything it could to keep from dealing with the news.
The bodies were laid out as if they had been struck down in the middle of work. Her eyes wandered. She didn't want to focus on the white sheets covering what had been her colleagues. From the tent she watched red rose petal dancing in the wind, tumbling and bouncing from sheet to sheet. Something clicked inside and Eryn reached into her bag and pulled out the head. She turned it and rolled it in her hand following a twisting and spiraling engraved line that her mind had not fully recognized during her earlier examinations. What had been a nonsensical jumble of words started to form a coherent sentence.
"Miss Cochwyn? I'm sorry that you had to be brought here." Eryn turned to see Eramus Manor standing a few feet away. He stood straight and tall. His skin had a healthy glow to it and his black hair shined in the setting sun. Something was wrong about all of this. He had looked so old and tired this morning.
"I belonged to the same social club as your father. His death was a loss to us all." There was an intensity to his gaze. "If you ever need anything, please remember the Order. Your father was an important man to us. I would never be able to forgive myself if you had come to any harm here." With that he turned on his heel and walked away.
Confused, Eryn returned her attention to the jade head. The glyphs spelled out something phonetically, but not in the Mayan languages she knew. Eryn sounded them out loud.
"Pr es hamu. Mnden tartozk Er'nrawr?" What or who was Er'nrawr? With the dig being shut down it was a question she might never answer.
