Nights at the Museum

Nigkala Tales Pt. 09: Nights at the museum

Book leaning can be fun

Thanks to my editor kenjisato. Also, to LanguageTool. Combined, they put me right. Any problems left all belong to me.

Don't forget to rate the story, and comment on it.

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Within the archaeology community, I was considered an expert of things Sumerian. Very few knew the truth of how I became an expert. I got a message from one of those few, John Maxwell. "Becky Sue, a colleague unearthed a tome written in Akkadian. With your familiarity to its precursor Sumerian, we hope you could help translate it."

I sent a message back, "This tome sounds interesting. I know something of their customs, and may indeed prove helpful. What do you suggest? I have a break in two months, and could spend a few weeks assisting. Where is the tome, or rather where will it be?"

"It is en route to Koç University in Istanbul. They have a good rep for handling artifacts. I must warn you, there is rumor of a curse, as several workers have died in its presence. I'll introduce you to the one in charge of the research." He did, and I was convinced this would be an interesting thing to do. And it would be another feather in my cap of unusual things I have done.

My agent started a rumor I was scouting out locations. I quietly arrived in Istanbul. There, I was met by an archaeology student holding up a cuneiform sign. While many gave him looks, the sign was easily spotted; I had no trouble reading it. It said, "Nigkala the younger." When I approached the student I asked, "Who wrote the sign? I've not been called 'the younger' in a while."

"Ma'am, I was told you would be able to read this. I don't know who wrote it. Anyway, I'm your ride. Shall I get your luggage?" I nodded, and he attempted to lift my duffle bag, leaving the smaller bag for me. My carry-on held my valuables and tablet. "Uhm, ma'am. I'm having difficulty. Your bag is quite heavy."

I saw him struggling with it, so I said, "Put it down. We'll switch bags." I put the smaller bag down. He practically let mine fall. I just leaned over and casually picked it up like it weighed nothing. When I saw his eyes bug out, I hid a smile. "Come, lead me to the car."

Well, it actually was an open-topped military surplus vehicle. I have no idea if it was a car, a truck, or what it might be called. It clearly was well used. I tossed my bag in back, watching the shocks register its weight. He tossed the other bag in back and we both climbed in. I put my carry-on at my feet. He got out a pair of earphones and handed one to me. "It gets too noisy to talk when we travel, so we use these." He started the vehicle, and I saw the wisdom of the earphones. This vehicle was loud and surely in need of a tune-up.

I know we didn't travel in a straight line, or anything close to it. But after an hour or so, we arrived. The whole time, he was telling me about the project and how it would enlighten scholars on this era of history. I could also tell he was trying to figure out if I really had four breasts. It was harder than usual, as the local customs required more modest attire, and I wasn't yet ready to poke that bear. Arriving, I'm sure they heard us, so I wasn't surprised we had a welcoming committee. When the engine was turned off, I returned my headset and picked up my carry-on.

As I got out, one man stepped forward and introduced himself as Dr. Deniz Kaplan. He looked up and said, "John said you were tall. He also recommended your expertise in the Sumerian language. It seems odd to find that in a lay person with work in an unrelated field."

"My work is inspired by history. While the actual product is fiction, I took an interest in the history behind it. With that knowledge, historians like you have less to complain about, which helps in the marketing. It also makes some excerpts suitable for the classroom."

"Yeah. Well, we don't want a lot of undesirable attention, so please be discreet. That said, welcome. Let me show you around. Brian, please take her things to her quarters." I saw Brian flag down two others before they labored to get my stuff out of the vehicle. The doctor led me down a maze of halls and stairs before coming to a large basement area. I had to duck a lot. The area was set out with plenty of room. I saw at least a dozen work areas, several large tables holding artifacts, and plenty of shelf space. He then took me to a small room through a door.

It was obviously his working office, and he immediately went and sat behind the desk, so I sat in one of the other chairs. He began to interview me to verify my expertise. He often reached for a folder and pulled out a picture and asked me to read the text. I recognized a few that I had written, but most were new to me. I think he was rather surprised at the speed with which I read the cuneiform. When I pronounced one fake, he doubted me. So I explained how the text put two locations as being in the same city, when in reality they were in different cities with similar names. I also noted that the cuneiform had symbols from a somewhat later period of time, given the purported age of the object. Lastly, I noted that the writing had very little margin, which would be liable to be broken off. He asked for more details of the locations, and as I described each, he looked them up in his computer and found what I said was true.

"You are indeed an expert. I was already aware of the anachronistic symbols and the margins, but I didn't know about the locations. That you spotted all three in seconds is amazing. It usually takes a minute or two of study, before most experts find even one flaw. Now that I know that you are the real thing, let me show you what we have on the tome." He handed me a tablet after queuing up a slide show. "What you are seeing is the Akkadian tome. It is apparently an inked copy of older tablets. While we are able to read much of what the text says, there are a number of unknown symbols that we don't know what they are. Also, the patterns don't make sense. We are hoping you can assist us."

"I see what you mean. It is clearly encrypted. Can I study this tonight?"

"No need to start right away. Let's get you settled in." With that, he led me out and called for Brian again. "Brian has been assigned as your aide while you are here. Brian, please escort Ms. Tate to her room, and then to the dining hall."

"This way, ma'am." I followed him to my room. It turned out to be a suite, with a huge bed, and a large shower in a separate bathroom. I opened my small bag and pulled out an outfit that I made the last time I was in the Mideast. While not perfect, I figured it would be closer to "normal" and thus acceptable by the locals.

"How much time do we have before dinner?"

"Maybe half an hour."

"That means a rushed shower." I looked over at him, and noticed he was half erect. "You single?" He nodded. "Then please assist me." I then quickly shed my clothes. He was staring in shock. "Hey!" I then looked in his eyes. "Undress and help me shower." I then headed into the shower. I heard him shed his clothes and rush to follow me. Once in the shower, I told him, "Start with my feet and work your way up. I'll start at the top and work my way down."

I had just started on my lower breasts when he paused at my groin. "Don't stop. My vagina needs to be washed also." When he looked up, I looked him in the eye and 'suggested' he finger me while washing. At first, he didn't realize what he was doing, but when I said, "Faster! Faster!" and I began pinching my nipples; he not only realized, but really got into it. When I noticed his erection growing, I reached down to assist his pleasure. "Don't worry, go ahead and come on me. It washes off quickly." It didn't take long before we both came. We separated and rinsed off, then dried off. We both dressed, and I noted we had four minutes to spare.

He seemed to be embarrassed about what had happened, but I prompted him into leading me to dinner, and then into joining his friends at the table. I mentioned that I was new in town, and would love some recommendations of things to do when work was over, and it was time to play. I also took note of what the ladies wore, as I intended to make a few outfits in the current style for here. I subtly directed the conversation so that I could also learn all about those involved in the project.

After dinner, Brian and I went back to my room. "Do you have some secure storage I can use for my valuables?" He looked perplexed. "You know, jewelry and such."

"Oh! I don't know. I'll have to ask."

"I will also need a sturdy table and a window with good sunlight. I brought a solar charger, and a battery operated sewing machine."

"Why?"

"Look at me. You think I can buy clothes off the rack?"

"Oh! Ummm. Sorry."

"I've been making my own clothes for decades, so I'm used to it."

"I will see to it."

"Thanks. Goodnight."

With that, he left, and I closed the door. I unpacked most of my stuff, and got ready for bed. With the room locked, I undressed and lay on the bed. While I closed my eyes, I wasn't trying to sleep just yet. "Queen Inanna, I have a question."

"Yes, daughter?"

"Today, I saw a tome with old writing. It looked Akkadian, but there were differences. It also seems to be encoded somehow. I would like to know your opinion on it."

"Show it to me." I concentrated on recalling the first few pages. "Yes, I see what you mean. Some of those symbols have Egyptian influences, but the encryption is another matter. From what I saw, it looks like the encoding used by magicians. They use the first word on a line to determine if the rest of the line is negated in meaning or not."

"So it might be a grimoire?"

"Yes, but could also be a book of research or a log of events. It was basically used for all their private writing that they didn't want the population to know. What you saw looks like a history of events. But it may have other things later. Let me show you what you need to know to decode it. Sleep, and in the morning, it should be easy, but take things slowly, just in case." I didn't notice falling asleep. In the morning, I woke to a knocking on my door. I got up and opened it to find standing there, three students from last night and Brian.

"Hello?" They stared and said nothing. I quickly realized I forgot to dress. "Oh, sorry. Let me put something on." I closed the door and quickly pulled on a dress I had laid out the day before. Opening the door again, "Let's try again. Hello?"

One of the ladies said, "Hi. We thought to get an early breakfast and spend the morning in town to show you stuff."

"Yes, definitely avoid the heat. Let me finish dressing. Come on in." They followed me in. I sat down and put on my sandals, belt, a small symbol of Inanna, and a pair of daggers that hid in my sleeves. I then added a small backpack and a purse.

"Daggers?" Brian asked.

"Until I have some secure storage, I will protect my valuables. And if someone tries to rob us, well, too bad for them. Don't worry, I already checked in with the police and am okay to carry them."

We left, and I closed and locked the door behind me. There was some discussion about the need for protection, but I reminded them that I was obviously a foreigner, and had expensive jewelry. I also might get mobbed if I got recognized.

"Recognized?" someone asked.

"Yes, recognized. I am trying to stay below the radar, so I can come and go unhindered, and no, I won't tell you why I would be recognized. If you don't know, you can't leak it accidentally." A few sad faces looked back at me. "You can find out easily enough if you look me up, but please don't until I am ready to leave." Soon the talk went to other areas, and we got a quick breakfast.

Soon, we were in a local market and the students were having fun showing me everything. I bought some cloth for making clothes, and some postcards. I had the cloth sent to my room, with the students arranging it. I also paid a lot of attention to how local women dressed and behaved, as I intended to blend in, while here. When we got back, people were waiting for me. I explained my shopping needs and the students' help. Dr. Kaplan, seemed displeased, but without a valid target, so I asked, "Where do you want me to start?"

This successfully distracted him. "Follow me." He led me down to a room on the side of the main hall. Inside, it was dimly lit, with a large table centered along the far wall, and two work areas on the wall with the door. To either side were small bookcases filled with assorted reference books. There was someone else in the room. While he did not give off a 'nerd' feel, I seemed to detect an 'artsy' feel. "This is Sam Patel, he is here creating a hand-drawn copy of the tome. It is slow-going for him, as he has to work with low light since bright lights will likely damage the book. For now, you will work with what he has completed." Pointing to the less cluttered desk, he said, "This is your desk."

"Thank you. I'll get right on it." I waited for Dr. Kaplan to leave before saying, "Hello Sam, I'm Becky Sue."

"Suleyman Patel, but everyone calls me Sam. I specialize in understanding the art of ancient times. Making copies is a side job that pays well."

"I'm here as a language expert, but that is a side job." I smiled, and he returned it. "Do you prefer Suleyman or Sam?"

"If I hear Suleyman, I'll think it is family calling for me. Sam works much better with the international teams I usually work with, so I prefer Sam professionally."

"Sam it is. I saw some photos of the first few pages. Do you know about those?"

"Yeah, they were taken at the dig. But they don't show the full detail. There are watermarks that don't show on the photo, but my copy shows them in fine detail." He walked over to the other desk and pulled two sheets from a folder. Handing them to me, he said, "This one is what you would think is there under prevailing light, but look at the other one. Now you see the additional markings, barely seen. I needed to use low level polarized light to spot them."

"Have you tried other wavelengths like ultraviolet or infra-red?"

"No, do you think something more might be found?"

"I have no reason to suspect it, but if there are hidden or invisible writing, it might be detected that way."

"I'll put in a request and check it."

I sat at my desk and located some scratch paper. Turning on the task lighting, I examined the two drawings Sam gave me. They were clearly made by a copier, so I wasn't worried about keeping them pristine. I put a date, my name, and 'page 1' on the first blank sheet I pulled. I then wrote my notes below. My plan was to first describe the unusual character glyphs, with their derivation and meanings, then my thoughts on the watermarks as hidden information, and lastly to what I understood the message to be. When I ran out of space, I started a new page, incrementing the page number before continuing. I was about to discuss the watermark when Sam asked me to eat lunch with him.

"I'd be glad to join you. Just give me a sec to get a folder for these.... Are there any special precautions to secure these?"

"Not during the workday. This room is locked outside working hours. Dr. Kaplan and his assistant have the only keys."

"Okay. Let's eat." Picking up my backpack, I followed him to the cafeteria, and loaded up my tray.

"What's with the backpack?"

"My valuables. Until I have secure storage, that I control, I'm keeping it close."

Over lunch, we talked about our backgrounds. I avoided mention of my career, but mentioned that my work has allowed me to travel the world. He spoke about a number of places he had been over the years. He asked, "What is your main line of work?"

"I work in a specialized variation of storytelling. But I don't want it known just yet, as it could cause difficulty if people know I am here."

"Legal issues?"

"No. I've said enough for now. Best to drop it." Although he seemed disappointed, our conversation drifted to other things. As we finished lunch, we continued to talk. Once back in our room, he asked, "What have you learned now, about the cover?"

"Well, from the photos I saw, and what your pictures show, I can tell this is a secret book. That is, it is not meant for a wide audience, but rather a specialized one like a master to apprentice. It may be a history, a transcript, magic formulae, or something else. Just what it is, remains to be seen. The watermark is curious, as it seems to alter the nature of a number of the symbols it touches, which in turn changes the meaning of the words. I'm still working that out, as I want to be very careful, and write down all the details. I am sure my work will be looked at by others, and I want to leave nothing to chance."

"Wise move. Can I read what you have, so far?" Rather than say anything, I got out the folder and handed it to him. "Egyptian influence? That explains their oddness." After making some more minor remarks, he returned them. "That is a lot of information to unpack from the cover. I can see why they wanted you. It is all above my head, but I am glad to know it will be decoded. Well, I'm going back to work now. Thanks."

"You're welcome." With that, he returned the folder, and I continued writing. I completed over a dozen pages on that cover. When I asked for the next page, Sam indicated quitting time was near, and that I should hold off until the morning. In the meantime, I could show Dr. Kaplan my work. So, leaving the folder on the desk, I went to the main room to speak with him, only to learn he had left for the day.

I then looked for Brian. Someone called him for me, and soon we met. "I have gone over the first image. Can you let Dr. Kaplan know?"

"Sure."

"Also, any news about secure storage?"

"Yes, they said they would drop something off outside your door."

"Let's take a look." With that, we left to see what was there.

A few minutes later, Brian spoke. "That is a rather large box."

"Well, let's get it into the room and open it." I opened my locked door and Brian went to pull the box in. He got nowhere.

"Let me." I grabbed the handles from him, and carried it into the room. "Close the door, please." I got out one of my knives and pried the box open. Inside was a solid steel chest, maybe fifty pounds. Inside that was nearly a hundred pounds of gravel. There was also a brand-new lock and keys still in the packaging, and a note.

Brian reached for it, and read, "Ms. Tate, we could not get a safe at short notice, nor is such in our budget. We hope this will suffice. Gravel is cheap, and makes it hard to carry the chest from the room. The lock is a high grade one, and the chest is sturdy, meant to survive being carted around in very rough country."

"I think it will do." I looked for a nice place, and decided to place it under my sewing table. I transferred my valuables from the backpack to the chest and locked it. All Brian saw was a bunch of boxes. When I finished, I locked the chest and pushed it under the sewing area. I said, "All done here. Time for dinner. Suggestions? Something casual for now, until I have better clothes."

"What do you mean better clothes?"

"I cannot buy off the rack, but with my sewing kit I can whip something out fairly quick. I might finish my first outfit tomorrow night after dinner."

"Oh." We then talked about where to go and with whom. I wanted to see locals of all stations, so I could emulate them, so we went to a local club that attracted a variety of classes and still offered good food.

I asked Brian to keep up a monologue telling me about the various people we saw, so I could study them. I said little, but watched everything, even things he failed to notice. That night, I cut some of the new cloth I bought, and got through the initial fitting before calling it a night. I then undressed and went to bed, where I meditated on the work I did today.