The Sunstone Brooch : Time Travel Romance Katherine Logan (no david read aloud TXT) 📖

David growled at Austin. “Don’t ask Jack. He’ll agree with Kenz.”

“Can we talk about these drawings?” Ensley asked. “There are historians and specialists who could date and explain what’s going on here. I edited a manuscript about the antiquities trade, and I could contact the author. I’m sure he could give me the names of experts.”

“That’d be too dangerous for the family,” David said. “I believe these petroglyphs and pictographs tell the story of who created the brooches and the source of the magic. Some of it we already know, but there’s more here that we don’t. If we brought in experts, the Illuminati might find out what we’re up to.”

“That’s a terrifying thought,” Ensley whispered.

“Why do you suppose the artist put a brooch at the far end of the wall?” Kenzie asked. “It looks like all the slots around the door in the cave. But why just one?”

“Why don’t we insert a brooch and see what happens?” Austin suggested.

“Elliott took Ensley’s away from me, or you could use that one, which seems appropriate since it started all of this,” Paul said.

“I have the diamond,” David said. “But that might be premature. One of these pictographs might explain its purpose. Suppose Ensley’s theory about a door that allows travelers to move from one place to another on the same day without going through the vortex is correct. Then we might all end up on a fast train to Chicago or the Badlands and a run-in with the Illuminati.”

“Nobody wants that,” Kenzie said.

“Aaaaa-MEN,” Austin said.

“This might be an anteroom like the pyramids with rooms behind walls or even below ground,” Paul said. “I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s at least one more room here. Electrical resistivity tomography measures the shapes and distances under the ground. That’s how they discovered tunnels in pyramids. If we had that technology, we could find out.”

“Then we’ll get the equipment when we go home,” David said.

“How do you know about all that?” Ensley asked.

“I read an article in National Geographic about the Teotihuacán Pyramid of the Moon. They discovered a tunnel using electrical resistivity tomography, but the purpose of the tunnel was unclear. There’s evidence the inhabitants of Teotihuacán used the pyramid for rituals, including human sacrifices.”

Ensley grimaced. “That’s just gruesome.”

“Since it looks like we’ll have to wait until we get home to find out more, what are our next steps here?” Kenzie asked. “Hon, do you want to put your brooch into the petroglyph?”

“Let’s do the survey and then decide if we want to try that.” David just wanted to get the hell out of there, but knowing Kenzie, she wouldn’t leave until she satisfied her curiosity.

“Kenzie, why don’t ye and Paul take the right side. Sean and I will survey the left.”

It took two hours to get all the measurements, photographs, and videos, and if they were going to put the brooch into the petroglyph, it had to be now.

“If you want any help writing a program to analyze the data, I’m your man,” Paul said.

“I’d appreciate the help,” David said. “I’ve heard about yer expertise, but I think Elliott and Meredith want to leave for Bhutan as soon as we get back, and if ye’re going with them, ye won’t have time.”

“I’ll have time during the flight to write some code. Send the data in an email, and I’ll do what I can.”

Sean slapped David on the shoulder. “I’m sorry I’ll never know the results of yer study or understand what all this means.”

“Come home with us,” Kenzie said. “We’d love to have you and Lyle Ann come to the future for as long as you want to stay.”

“That’s a tempting offer,” Sean said. “I’ll mention it to Lyle Ann.”

David returned to the back wall to take a last look at the pictographs. His rising panic was clouding his mind, and he had to get out of there.

Kenzie joined him at the wall. “Are you okay?”

“Sure. Let’s just get this done.”

“Then tell me… What’s the story here?”

“There’s a map of Jarlshof and Scotland. To the right are the Scandinavian countries. Several Viking ships are sailing from there to Jarlshof, and other ships are sailing from Scotland during the Middle Ages. Those pictographs represent the Celts, and we know they were devoted to magical practices.” He somehow rattled off most of the descriptions in a single breath.

She gave him a critical look. “If you want to leave the cave, I’ll go with you.”

“I just want some fresh air. Ye stay here while I go stand by the entrance for a minute.” He left Kenzie, Austin, Ensley, and Sean at the wall and Paul walking another grid.

Paul stopped as he walked by. “You okay, David?”

“Why does everybody keep asking me that?” David growled. “I’m fine! I want to stand back from the wall and get a different perspective.”

“I don’t like closed spaces, either, so I imagine the walls are blacked-out windows that I can crash through and get out of here in an instant.”

“Does it work?”

Paul shrugged. “No. But I try.”

David fisted his hands, trying to contain the energy building in his gut to an explosive level. “Next time ye offer advice, offer some that’ll work.”

Paul stepped back, arms raised. “Man, I’m not messing with you. Just trying to be helpful.”

David brushed past him and crouched at the entrance while he took gulps of fresh air, but that only made his need to get the hell out of there stronger. He forced himself to watch and listen and stay engaged.

“Does anybody have an opinion about why these drawings are in a cave on MacKlenna Farm?” Austin asked.

Nobody offered one.

“If my grandfather knew about this,” Sean said, “then it explains why he wanted the land and convinced Virginia’s governor to give him the grant.”

“So the cave was here, and Erik finagled a way for the MacKlennas to own the land? Is that what you’re saying?”

“Since both my grandfather and father are dead, we’ll never know.”

“It makes sense to me,”