Read The Repentant Demon Trilogy Book 1: The Demon Calumnius for Free Online Page A

to find evidence of Jonah,” he grasped immediately.  “That is exactly my interest as well, though Manasseh's rule in Elkosh, near present-day Mosul in Iraq, is fascinating.  Mosul is out of the question, with all the danger there.  I'm so afraid that if the Syrians discover tablets or reliefs not flattering to their nation, they will destroy them before the world can know.  I want to see them with my own eyes before that happens.  A prophet who appears on the beach from the guts of a whale convinces them to repent, then runs to the hills to watch their demise, since he didn't believe in their repentance.  He was convinced they were such an evil people that they had to have been insincere and that God would have known it.  Someone like that would have merited some sort of mention in their writings.”
    Oh yes , sighed Calumnius, the Assyrians—my favorite people, the ones who tore out tongues and skinned people alive.  They ripped people’s limbs apart while they still lived, disemboweled them and ate the livers of their victims while they watched.
    “Most are excavating to find the gold and treasures in ancient Nineveh,” said Abigail. “We would have been the only two looking to prove the existence of Jonah.  I agree that this man would have been mentioned somewhere in the historical record.  Here he was, a Judean sent to warn them about the coming destruction of their city—a man whose skin had turned wrinkled and white due to his journey inside the air hole of a whale.  The Bible actually states that they listened and believed him because of his appearance on the beach when the whale vomited him up.  He must have been quite a spectacle.”
    “Abigail, I must confess,” Doug admitted with humor, “I wouldn't mind seeing the treasures as well.  If those roads and walls and gates, as well as the temples and idols, were uncovered, the whole writings of Nahum would be validated before the world.”
    “Too bad all those subdivisions have been built on top of most of it.” Abigail laughed.
    “You know, I have a secret to share,” he whispered, as if anyone in that coffee shop were interested in their conversation anyway. “I go on these expeditions for half the amount the others pay.”
    Abigail's ears perked intently, renewing her hope that she might not only go to Iraq, but that she could go with a fascinating, handsome new companion.
    “How?” she exclaimed.  “I hope you're going to tell me your secrets, and I hope it's not illegal or dangerous.”
    “There might be some danger—for a beautiful woman over there, anyway,” he said with charm, “not that you don't know about that already, I'm sure.  Even within a group, it's never safe in that region for any females.”
    She nodded in agreement and in acknowledgment that she had experienced the conditions of which he spoke.
    He continued.  “I don't sign up with the university-sponsored expeditions.  There are places to stay that are cheaper.  The governments there know how to gouge the Westerners big time.  The accommodations they pick are no better than the cheapest budget motel you can find in the United States, but they charge almost what the first class ones ask.  The university sponsors pay the price because they aren't comfortable with the bartering system, something these people have done since ancient times.  If you don't argue about the price, they consider you stupid—or Western, which might not be exclusive traits in their book.”
    “But what about the credits?” asked Abigail. “Not that I need them.  I've already gotten all the degrees I plan to get,” she said thoughtfully.  “I see.  You don't need the credits either.”
    “There are ways to do that too, if it's important,” he answered quickly.  “If you work with them, and you are of reasonably good assistance in the digs, one of the professors can sign you up for an independent study credit, and you can just pay the tuition later when you get back