Free The Sacred Bones by Michael Byrnes Page A

Bersei set down his knife and did the same.
    "Ready?" Bersei asked both of them.
    Donovan nodded and moved to the head of the table.
    The two scientists took position on either side of the box. With fingers hooked underneath the edge of the lid, they squeezed and applied steady upward pressure, gently moving it from side to side to loosen the remaining wax. There was a small pop as the ancient seal gave way, followed by a hiss of escaping gas. Even through their masks they all detected an acrid smell.
    "Probably effluvium," Bersei observed. "By-product of decaying bone."
    The three exchanged glances.
    Donovan swallowed hard, anxiously motioning them to continue.
    They removed the lid in tandem and placed it on the rubber mat.

    13.
    Attached to a rail on the side of the workstation, Charlotte slid over what looked like an oversized desk lamp and swung its retractable arm so that the light was directly over the ossuary's exposed cavity.
    Beneath his surgical mask, Father Patrick Donovan was grinning from ear to ear. Staring back at him from inside the cavity was a neatly stacked pile of human remains. Each bone had a dark, grainy finish resembling carved maple.
    Charlotte was the first to reach out and touch one, running her finger along a femur. "These are in extraordinary shape." She silently wished that her own bones might look so good when her time would come. It almost seemed like a cruel joke that she had been called halfway around the world for this . After all, the one refuge that diverted her thoughts from her horrible prognosis was her work. So much for that.
    Intrigued, Bersei turned sharply to Donovan. "Whose remains are these?"
    "We're not sure." The librarian avoided eye contact. "And that's precisely the reason you've both been selected, to help us reconstruct the skeleton's identity. As I mentioned earlier, the Vatican lacks the professional resources to analyze such a unique artifact. That is why you have both been hired." He touched both his gloved hands down gently on the ossuary's rim and stared down at the contents again. "We have reason to believe that this amazing relic may help us to better understand the historical context of the Bible."
    "In what way exactly?" asked Charlotte. She preferred people to say what they meant.
    Donovan's eyes were frozen to the bones. "We won't know until we can accurately date this specimen, determine the cause of death through forensic analysis, and reconstruct the physical profile."
    Bersei hesitated, sensing the same thing as Charlotte. The priest seemed to be holding back. "Much of the success of understanding antiquities relies on knowing specifics relating to its origin. Isn't there anything you know about how this ossuary was procured? Where it came from perhaps? An archaeological dig?"
    Donovan shook his head and finally glanced up at them and straightened. "We've been provided with little background. You can imagine an acquisition like this has to be approached very cautiously. The price is substantial."
    Charlotte's expression was muddled. Two prominent scientists lured here to validate bones, both having to sign letters of confidentiality. Obviously the Vatican believed the ossuary and its contents were valuable. Why else would they have gone to so much trouble and expense?
    "We'll perform a complete study," Bersei assured him. "A full pathology report. Physical reconstruction. The works." He glanced over at Charlotte.
    "And I'll be wanting to do a carbon dating analysis and draw up a complete genetic profile," she added. "It's a fantastic specimen. From what I can see here, so far it looks like you've made an excellent acquisition. I'm confident the results will be impressive."
    "Excellent," said Donovan, clearly pleased. "Please let me know when you're ready to report your findings. If possible, I'd like to present a preliminary report in the next few days."
    The scientists exchanged glances.
    "That should be fine," Bersei said.
    Donovan stripped off his