Dead Past

Diane’s desk with several sheets of paper in her hand and a large box under her arm.
    “We have a researcher who says he is going to petition the Egyptian government to ask for the return of our mummy if we don’t allow him access,” said Kendel.
    Diane sighed. “That’s a new tact.”
    “I’ll write a letter to the legal affairs department of his university,” Kendel said. “Maybe they have some influence on him.”
    Diane nodded.
    “I’ll also see if he’s tried this with other institutions.”
    “Do that,” said Diane.
    “I wouldn’t worry,” said Kendel.
    “I’m not,” said Diane. “Lately I’ve had people threatening worse.”
    Kendel smiled. “I guess you have. By the way, Whitney Lester’s starting her management training today.”
    “I hope she learns something,” said Diane, eying the box. “What else do we have?”
    “Mike sent you a gift. He wanted me to give it to you in person.” Kendel handed Diane the box.
    Mike was the curator for the geology collection at the museum and her caving partner, and he had on more than one occasion suggested that he would like to be more.
    Diane smiled. “What is it? Do you know?” She weighed the box in her hands. “It’s heavy.”
    “It is,” said Kendel. “Open it.” Kendel sat back smiling. “It’s something you’ll like.”
    Diane cut the tape on the box. Inside was filled with Styrofoam peanuts. She stood and put her hands down in the box, spilling the peanuts all over her desk. She found a roundish object wrapped in bubble wrap. She pulled it out and cut off the wrapping.
    “Oh, my,” said Diane, “this is lovely. You’re right, I do like it. I love it.”
    She turned it around in her hand and looked at it. It was something Diane had wanted for a long time—a crystal skull carved out of quartz.

Chapter 28

    Diane set the skull on her desk under a lamp and watched the light play off the surfaces. She placed her fingertips on the top of the skull and caressed it. It was as smooth as glass. The sutures etched into its surface were perfect. It was a beautiful piece. She opened the card that came with it.
If you look into its eyes you will be
transported away.
I miss our caving.
—Mike.
    Another thing she and Mike had in common was a love of science fiction. In particular, they both liked Stargate-SG1 . His note referred to an episode in that series. He was right. Staring into the eyes, she was transported.
    “Aren’t you tempted just a little?” asked Kendel.
    Diane was startled out of her reverie. Kendel’s voice abruptly transported her back from wherever she was.
    “Tempted?” Diane asked.
    “Mike.”
    “I’m seeing someone that I like very much. Mike is younger than I, and he works for me.”
    “That wasn’t what I asked,” said Kendel.
    Diane smiled at her. “That is all the answer you’re going to get.”
    “Well, I’d be tempted. And I’m dating a great guy whom I like very much. Just one of Mike’s crooked smiles in my direction and I’d melt.”
    “I like the skull,” said Diane, evading any talk of Mike and his crooked smile. “Did you help him find it?”
    “I did. It wasn’t easy finding one that nice and that large, but I managed,” she said.
    Diane imagined she did manage. Kendel was the best at finding things.
    “I understand you’ve been visited by headhunters,” said Diane.
    Kendel had not tried to hide the fact that other museums had contacted her. Diane knew it would happen. She had been lucky to hire Kendel. Now that other museums were seeing her work, Diane knew they would be interested in her.
    Kendel nodded. “Still have my head.” She grinned. “The Illinoisan and the Smithsonian are looking for upper management.”
    “Kendel, you are well qualified for a director’s position. I don’t want you to stay here out of a sense of loyalty if something good comes your way.”
    Kendel shook her head. “They weren’t looking for a director.”
    “Even so, those are big museums.”
    “The thing I liked about RiverTrail from the beginning was the quality of the collections and the physical facilities. The collections here may be small, but they are good and the potential for this museum to grow is tremendous. You have the space and the resources. That’s not true of other museums.”
    Diane agreed. Good quality space is something they had in abundance, and they had strong financial resources.
    “I can make a substantial contribution to a museum like this one,”