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striking. Whilst Erik was perfect in every way, Paul’s hair was a bit too long and his glasses were outdated and thick but she found his smile irresistible. In spite of the minimising effect of his thick spectacles, she knew that Paul had attractive brown eyes which now glittered with excitement. She noticed that Paul was several inches shorter than Erik, making him look like a midget in comparison but Emma was still shorter than Paul. It was just that Erik was so very tall. Emma was delighted and excited. She couldn’t wait to find out what was hidden in that mysterious space. Paul seemed pleased as well but reluctantly so. His smile was hesitant and didn’t reach his eyes.
    When they didn’t say anything Erik continued. “At least this way we may get to an answer without having to risk damaging the old building. I think this is a very good solution for everyone!”
    Paul was unconvinced: “I suppose the only draw-back would be if we didn’t find anything immediately obvious and the artefact was hidden in a place where the camera wasn’t able to reach. All I’m saying is that we might miss something but I guess you’re right; it is a good compromise.”
    They were all quiet for a little less than a minute, each in their own thoughts. Emma could not help thinking about Tutankhamun’s curse and whether drilling a hole into the secret space would upset angry spirits or eject some form of poisonous old chemical but she knew of course she was being silly. It was just that being there in the middle of nowhere with the never-ending woods and fields all around, the mystical deep dark lake, and with that old stone building lurking there as an abandoned ghost house she could understand why locals became superstitious. She appreciated Paul was probably right in their assumption that the curse had been laboriously circulated to drive out unwanted intruders. Part of her wondered whether they would find anything. Maybe all they would recover would be a skeleton of a young girl who had died six hundred years ago. She was angry with herself for doubting Paul and for being so negative. She decided it was better to believe in it and be on Paul’s side than to share her negativity with the others. In any event, she was extremely relieved that they were finally getting somewhere. They might be on their way to the discovery of a lifetime, she thought to herself.
    “Why don’t we celebrate by taking a long walk and I will show you something I think you’ll like!” Erik suggested.
    “That’s the strangest way of celebrating I’ve ever heard but it sounds like a good idea”, Emma laughed.
    Paul agreed: “Yes, it would be nice to take a walk to clear the mind and let the news sink in. We might be on our way to a great discovery people! Hopefully in two days time we will know whether we are right!” At that moment Emma looked at Paul and once again thought about the antagonising romantic feelings she had had for him. It was probably because of his enthusiasm for his work, his optimism and ability to drive through his ideas and make things happen, she decided. Emma was ten years his junior but in her mind this was barely noticeable. Sometimes whilst lecturing he was like a child; animated about his topic and almost jumping for joy if someone happened to ask him a particularly interesting question. She was flattered that he had decided to make her his confidant about his passion to decipher Linear A and his belief in her ability to help him. She was hoping that he would come out of this whole tablet-affair with his academic reputation still intact. As a young professor at a respected university he still had to work very hard to keep on top of his game. By stating that he was sure that the space in the wall was hiding something of interest he had put his reputation on the line. What if they were wrong – would it be her fault? She was the one who had come up with the idea to search for the tablet in the first place.
    During these