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y； they could turn as hard as flint when he was angry or tense。 A police detective； good at providing accurate descriptions； would have described Charles Zolar； legal name Charles Oxley； as a con man who did not look like a con man。
His brothers； Joseph Zolar and Cyrus Sarason； opened the door and stepped from the room to affectionately embrace him。
〃Congratulations；〃 said Sarason； 〃a remarkable triumph of subterfuge。〃
Zolar nodded。 〃Our father couldn't have planned a smoother theft。 You've done the family proud。〃
〃Praise indeed；〃 Oxley said； smiling。 〃You don't know how happy I am to finally deliver the mummy to a safe place。〃
〃Are you certain no one saw you remove it from Rummel's building or followed you across the country？〃 asked Sarason。
Oxley stared at him。 〃You insult my capabilities； brother。 I took all the required precautions and drove to Galveston during daylight business hours over secondary roads。 I was especially careful not to break any traffic laws。 Trust me when I say I wasn't followed。〃
〃Pay no heed to Cyrus；〃 said Zolar； smiling。 〃He tends to be paranoid when it es to covering our tracks。〃
〃We've e too far to make a mistake now；〃 Sarason said in a low voice。
Oxley peered behind his brothers into the reaches of the vast storage room。 〃Are the glyph experts here？〃
Sarason nodded。 〃A professor of anthropology from Harvard； who has made pre…Columbian ideographic symbols his life's work； and his wife； who handles the puter end of their decoding program。 Henry and Micki Moore。〃
Do they know where they are？〃
Zolar shook his head。 〃They've been wearing blindfolds and listening to cassette players ever since our agents picked them up in a limo at their condo in Boston。 After they were airborne in a chartered jet； the pilot was instructed to circle around for two hours before flying to Galveston。 They were brought here from the airport in a soundproof delivery truck。 It's safe to say they haven't seen or heard a thing。〃
〃So for all they know； they're in a research laboratory somewhere in California or Oregon？〃
〃That's the impression laid on them during the flight；〃 replied Sarason。
〃They must have asked questions？〃
〃At first；〃 answered Zolar。 〃But when our agents informed them they would receive two hundred and fifty thousand dollars in cash for decoding an artifact； the Moores promised their full cooperation。 They also promised to keep their lips sealed。〃
〃And you trust them？〃 Oxley asked dubiously。
Sarason smiled malevolently。 〃Of course not。〃
Oxley didn't have to read minds to know that Henry and Micki Moore would soon be names on a tombstone。 〃No sense in wasting more time； brothers；〃 he said。 〃Where do you want General Naymlap's mummy？〃
Sarason gestured ‘toward one section of the underground facility。 〃We've partitioned a special room。 I'll show you the way while brother Joseph escorts our experts。〃 He hesitated； pulled three black ski masks from his coat pocket and flipped one to Oxley。 〃Put that on； we don't want them to see our faces。〃
〃Why bother？ They won't live to identify us。〃
〃To intimidate them。〃
〃A little extreme； but I guess you have a point。〃
While Zolar guided the Moores to the enclosed room； Oxley and Sarason carefully removed the golden mummy from the container and laid it on a table covered with several layers of velvet padding。 The room had been furnished with a small kitchen； beds； and a bathroom。 A large desk was set with note and sketch pads and several magnifying glasses with varied degrees of magnification。 There was also a puter terminal with a laser printer loaded with the proper software。 An array of overhead spotlights was positioned to accent the images engraved on the golden body suit。
When the Moores entered the room； their headsets and blindfolds were removed。
〃I trust you were not too unfortable；〃 said Zolar courteously。
The Moores blinked under the bright lights and rubbed their eyes。 Henry Moore looked and acted the role of an Ivy League professor。 He was aging gracefully with a slim body； a full head of shaggy gray hair； and the plexion of a teenage boy。 Dressed in a tweed jacket with leather patches on the sleeves； he wore his school tie knotted under the collar of a dark green cotton shirt。 As an added touch he sported a small white carnation in his lapel。
Micki Moore was a good fifteen years younger than her husband。 Like him； she had a slender figure； almost as thin as the seventies era fashion model she had once been。 Her skin was on the dark side and the high； rounded cheekbones suggested American Indian genes somewhere in her ancestry。 She was a good…looking woman； beautifully poised； with an elegance and regal bearing that made her stand out at university cocktail and dinner parties。 Her gray eyes focused and then darted from one masked brother to another before ing to rest on the Golden Body Suit of Tiapollo。
〃A truly magnificent piece of work；〃 she said softly。 〃You never fully described what it was you wanted my husband and me to decipher。〃
〃We apologize for the melodramatic precautions；〃 Zolar said sincerely。 〃But as you can see； this Inca artifact is priceless； and until it is fully examined by experts such as you； we do not wish word of its existence to reach certain people who might attempt to steal it。〃
Henry Moore ignored the brothers and rushed to the table。 He took a pair of reading glasses from a case in his breast pocket； slid them over his nose and peered closely at the glyphs on one arm of the suit。 〃Remarkable detail；〃 he said admiringly。 〃Except for textiles and a few pieces of pottery； this is the most extensive display of iconography I've ever seen produced on any object from the Late Horizon era。〃
〃Do you see any problem in deciphering the images？〃 asked Zolar。
〃It will be a labor of love；〃 said Moore； without taking his eyes from the golden suit。 〃But Rome wasn't built in a day。 It will be a slow process。〃
Sarason was impatient。 〃We need answers as soon as possible。〃
〃You can't rush me；〃 Moore said indignantly。 〃Not if you want an accurate version of what the images tell us。〃
〃He's right；〃 said Oxley。 〃We can't afford faulty data。〃
〃The Moores are being well paid for their efforts；〃 Sarason said sternly。 〃Misinterpretations will cancel all payment。〃
Anger rising； Moore snapped； 〃Misinterpretations indeed！ You're lucky my wife and I accepted your proposal。 One look at what's on the table； and we're aware of the reasons behind your juvenile hocus…pocus games。 Running around with masks over your faces as if you were holding up a bank。 Total and utter nonsense。〃
〃What are you saying？〃 Sarason demanded。
〃Any historian worth his salt knows the Golden Body Suit of Tiapollo was stolen from Spain in the nineteen twenties and never recovered。〃
〃How do you know this isn't another one that was recently discovered？〃
Moore pointed to the first image of a panel that traveled from the left shoulder to the hand。 〃The symbol of a great warrior； a Chachapoyan general known as Naymlap who served the great Inca ruler Huascar。 Legend claims he stood as high as any modern star basketball player and had blond hair； blue eyes； and fair skin。 Judging from the size of the golden suit and my knowledge of its history； there is no doubt that this is Naymlap's mummy。〃
Sarason moved close to the anthropologist。 〃You and your wife just do your job； no mistakes； no more lectures。〃
Zolar quickly stepped in to defuse what was rapidly developing into a nasty confrontation。 〃Please excuse my associate； Dr。 Moore。 I apologize for his rude behavior； but I think you understand that we're all a little excited about finding the golden suit。 You're quite right。 This is Naymlap's mummy。〃
〃How did you e by it？〃 asked Moore。
〃I can't say； but I will promise you that it is going back to Spain as soon as it has been fully studied by experts such as you and your wife。〃
A canny smile curled Moore's lips。 〃Very scrupulous of you； whatever your name is； to send it back to its rightful owners。 But not before my wife and I decode the instructions leading to Huascar's treasure。〃
Oxley muttered something unintelligible under his breath as Sarason stepped toward Moore。 But Zolar stretched out an arm and held him back。 〃You see through our masquerade。〃
〃I do。〃
〃Shall I assume you wish to make a counterproposal； Dr。 Moore？〃
Moore glanced at his wife。 She looked strangely withdrawn。 Then he turned to Zolar。 〃If our expertise leads you to the treasure； I don't think a twenty percent share is out of line。〃
The brothers stared at one another for several moments； considering。 Oxley and Zolar couldn't see Sarason's face behind the ski mask but they could see their brother's eyes blaze with fury。
Zolar nodded。 〃Considering the potential for incredible riches； I do believe Dr。 Moore is being quite generous。〃
〃I agree；〃 said Oxley。 〃All things considered； the good professor's offer is not exorbitant。〃 He held out his hand。 〃You and Mrs。 Moore have a deal。 If we find the treasure； your share is twenty percent。〃
Moore shook hands。 He turned to his wife and smiled