Free The Testimonium by Lewis Ben Smith Page B

document that was fused to it carefully. Stabilizing and preserving ancient manuscripts was tricky work, but the unique circumstances of this find had made the work a good bit easier. Normally, ancient, desiccated papyrus had to be carefully rehydrated and unrolled before it could be read, but this piece had been left flat, and the weight of the stone dust over the centuries had pressed it deep into the waxy, lacquered surface of the table, which had impregnated the porous sheet with its waterproof coating—most likely a combination of beeswax and paraffin. His task was a matter of removing the most stubbornly clinging dust and grime from the surface of the paper, then coating it with a sealant to keep contaminants out and preserve the ancient writing permanently.
    He took a sterilized cotton pad, moistened it slightly, and began gently blotting the ancient papyrus surface. It was a slow process, but he was surprised at how readily the accumulated stone dust adhered to the cotton. The spiky scribbles on the document became clearer and darker as he slowly worked over it.
    “Whatever happens, we will have to read it where it lies,” a calm voice interjected, interrupting his concentration. He had been so absorbed in the work that he had not heard the lab door open and close, but there stood Isabella and a tall young man in khakis. The American accent—somewhere in the South, by the sound of it—made him pretty sure who was speaking.
    “Ah, you must be Dr. Parker,” the priest said, turning and placing the cotton on the table before holding out his hand. “I am Duncan MacDonald, humble priest and renowned historian!”
    Josh laughed. “Are you sure it’s not the other way around?” he replied. “It is an honor to meet you. Your field manual on document preservation has a permanent place in my travel kit.” The priest nodded at this acknowledgment of his work, and Josh went on. “Looks like this papyrus has solidly adhered to the tabletop,” he commented. “Certainly makes the preservation easier, but I doubt we will ever be able to remove it—the thing would wind up like poor old King Tut!”
    MacDonald nodded in agreement. It was not generally known outside the archeological community, but when Howard Carter opened the sarcophagus of Tutankhamen in 1924, he had found the mummy of the boy king completely fused to the bottom of the coffin. Apparently the burial had been somewhat rushed and the fluids used in the mummification process had not completely dried by the time the young Pharaoh was placed in his sarcophagus. Unwilling to try to dissolve the ancient unguents that had glued the boy king to his wooden coffin, the archeologists had simply torn the mummy apart, removing it in several pieces. MacDonald shuddered as he envisioned the precious manuscript crumbling to pieces as they tried to remove it from the tabletop where it had rested for twenty centuries.
    “Have you thought about how to do carbon dating?” asked Josh.
    “Yes, I have considered it,” said MacDonald. “I tested one corner of the manuscript to see if it would move at all, and saw that it did nothing but start crumbling. Since that tiny corner is already loosened, it can be easily removed and sent to the main lab in Rome for testing. But the first priority is to finish cleaning and then read and photograph the manuscript. I am about two-thirds done.”
    “Very good,” said Josh. “I will get my things settled, and then come back in a bit and see if I can be of any help.”
    Dr. Sforza led him outside. “Your tent will be over there by Dr. Rossini’s,” she said. “Once things are more settled up here, we will probably rent rooms at the small hotel in Capri village, but for now I want us all to stay on-site. Speaking of Giuseppe, I need to introduce you to him and to the other members of the team. Follow me!”
    Over the next hour, Josh got to meet and visit with the other two archeologists. He found that he warmed to Dr. Apriceno