Part 2 (2/2)
”We're a muslim nation. People have high morals here. ”
” Call mr . T oval. He's your boss, right? tell him about th e carpet. ”
”T hat's true, but . . .” Amesh considered . ”M aybe we shoul d call your father. ”
” Why?” I did not want to call my dad. He would never le t me study it. He would hand it in immediately .
”He's well respected. He'll know what to do,” Amesh said . I shrugged. ”You can do that if you want, but I have t o warn you, my father's an engineer. He doesn't like to get involve d in administrative affairs. He'll probably give the carpet to mrs . S teward, and she's not even a muslim.”
Amesh looked as if I had just punched him in the gut .
”I don't want some rich American stealing it,” he swore . I was sympathetic. ”the carpet would probably make he r super-rich.”
Amesh stopped and studied me. ”Do you really think it' s worth a lot of money? ”
”I f it's been buried beneath this desert for thousands o f years-then yes, it's worth a fortune. Look at it; it's in perfect shape.”
Amesh looked puzzled. ”How can it be so old an d look so new? ”
”T he dry sand mummified it . T hat doesn't just happen t o dead bodies . I f it was buried deep enough to escape the rain, t hen I'm not surprised it kept its original colors. ”
”B ut you dug it up near the surface. ”
”I dug it up after tons of heavy machinery brought it t o the surface. Amesh, for all we know, it was buried near the bottom of the pit. ”
”I see what you're saying.” He frowned, worried. ”But if w e try to smuggle it out of here-that would be like stealing.” i t would not be like like stealing; it would stealing; it would be be stealing, but I didn't bother to point that out to him. ” I don't plan to keep it,” I said, not sure if I was being 100 percent honest. ” I just wan t to check it out, you know, back at the hotel. ” stealing, but I didn't bother to point that out to him. ” I don't plan to keep it,” I said, not sure if I was being 100 percent honest. ” I just wan t to check it out, you know, back at the hotel. ”
” Why?”
I reached down and touched it . I t was incredible. Already, i n the short time we had talked, it had begun to dry. ”there' s something strange about it . I t feels almost magnetic.”
Amesh reached down and touched it . ”I don't feel anything. ”
”T hat's because you're tired and you've been workin g all day.”
He wiped his sweat away again. ”Okay, what's your plan? ”
”I 'll call another taxi and leave the site . I'll wait for you o n the other side of that sand dune we saw when we drove up. ”
”S o you want me to sneak it past the guards? ”
” Yes. ”
”T hey're not going to let me take a carpet out of here. ”
”N o. But they will let you take a nicely wrapped Fede x package out of here. ”
”I s that your secret plan? ”
” Yes. And it's a good one. ”
”T hat's what you think . I don't know if we have a Fede x box that can hold something this big. ”
”I t doesn't have to be an official Fedex box. Just put lot s of Fedex stickers on it. Heck, you're their number one gofer .
You're always running around with packages. Do you forge t how we met? ”
”I usually deliver smaller packages. ”
” Like the guards care . T hey see you every day . T hey'll tak e one look at you and wave you through. Also, remember, you'r e l eaving the job site, not trying to enter . S ecurity is tighter on th e way in than on the way out. ”
” Who told you that? ”
”N o one! it just makes sense.”
Amesh considered. ”We can ride back to your hote l together? ”
”A s long as you can get out of work. ”
”I can make up some excuse.” the logic of my plan wa s slowly changing his mind, but Amesh continued to stress. He began to pace back and forth. He was starting to make me ner vous .
”I f I get caught, it'll be my life on the line, not yours,” he said .
”I doubt they'll take you out and shoot you.”
He glanced back toward the pit. A shadow crossed his face .
When he spoke next, his voice was frightened. ”they could .
Arab countries are more strict than Western countries. You hav e no idea.” t he change in him was dramatic. He looked scared . I t made me wonder, just a tiny bit, if I was being reckless .
”I f you get caught, I'll tell them it was my idea,” I said .
He shook his head. ”You say that now . . . ”
”I mean what I say . T hat's one thing you've got to lear n about me. ”
”I f I get it out of here, then I'll own a bigger piece.”
Boy, did my blood boil then, in two seconds flat .
”Gimme a break! I'm the one who found it!” I yelled .
”You found it by chance . I t doesn't belong to you. You'r e not even from this country. You're . . . ”
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