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The St Michel now standing in the little village just outside Paris dated back to the sixteenth century; the crypt in the old ruins they noorked so laboriously to probe and restore predated the new church by three or four hundred years The as treacherous, but they had shored up the area enough to allow tourists to pay extra francs to coravation of the professor leaning over their shoulders, directing the tedious and back-breaking labor, there were the curious stopping to ask questions every other nore; he pretended he spoke no English The French werebecause the professor would pause to speak with the far too roughly; they e coffins that had survived for centuries

Jean-Luc stared over at Brent and rolled his eyes as a young wo woman A beautiful one, with a se of the area, and the church Ah her words were curious and knowledgeable, there was also a friendly charm to the very sound of her voice It was not lost on the professor The old man was not without a lascivious nature; he would hold the young wo so that she could see better, and so that he could get his bony hands on her young flesh

Brent didn’t see the young wo the area in which they worked, which connected to the underbelly of the new church through a maze of vaults and corridors, many of which had housed the bones of the noble dead This area, some distance from the new foundations, was different in its style and decor

Typical Gothic arches created both support and architectural features, but the walls and crypts were decorated with a strange coe crosses, in various rave sites, but were joined by , they had just come to an obstruction He knew it, and the A woave Jean-Luc his undivided attention He gave a little shake of his head, indicating that they should not tell the professor just what point they had reached

Jean-Luc grinned The Aht be laden with precious jewels and adorned in gold Let the professor have his accolades They would take the riches

But the American frowned, and Jean-Luc frowned as well What was Brent planning?

The young wo the Aht with a shrug The woantly, sensually built with full curves and a slis Large, luminous eyes, and a perfectly fashioned face Smooth flesh Professor Dubois was as wrinkled as a prune and as wild looking as an electrocuted Pekinese The American worker was a tall race of hten each time he used a tool His features marked him as somewhere between twenty-five and thirty-five, while his eyes were that strange green-gold color and his hair, neatly long, almost to his shoulders, frequently tied, was a dark sable Rich, probably teht ence and riches, but when it came to a man hom to find pleasure, they tended to hunt out a man with physical power Ani the electric beauty of his countrywo deeper now, but ht have come upon

Jean-Luc had sirave, to which the young lady was giving her sharp attention while casuallyconversation with the professor

"Professor," Brent said suddenly and i on his shovel

"What is it?" Dubois demanded

The Aain in the "

"Not so late We shouldn’t stop I have studied the old records We rave you seek, you’ll want experts in here to et the professionals you will need at this tirave robbers by night If we start again by , you will have ample time to do your discovery justice It is nearly seven We have already worked hours overti lady out, and shut down for the evening"

"Oh, I have overstayed!" the young woive ive you? Not at all, reater attention to the woman

She wore jeans and a sweater and handsome black loafers, now covered with the dust fro, but worn very well, hugging the form that had so drawn the professor’s interest Her hair was a sandy blond, long, but drawn back in a shtened the fine sculpture of her features Her eyes, deepened by the ht and shadow, appeared to be almost turquoise, the color of the sea off the French coast They were never going to get the professor to let this o Jean-Luc could al so si as he could

"Shall I see our guest out?" Brent asked bluntly He stared coolly at the woman "She needs to be out"

"Yes, of course, she must be seen safely out, but youlady out," Dubois said "My dear, if you will?"

"Oh, please, don’t worry, I can ued I’ll be back, if I may?"

"Please, you are so very welcome, Miss " Dubois said

"Marceau Genevieve Marceau, Professor And thank you, you’ve been so kind"

"A French name But you’re an American"

"Of French descent And I’m fao alone The flooring is tricky And despite the lightswell, it gets late, and though we are underground, it seeht has come"

"I am absolutely fine I will see you then, Professor Thank you so very much" She shook the professor’s hand The professor was loath to let go of her hand She ers, and repeated, "I’m fine Please!" She started out then, quickly, determined to exit on her own The professor looked after her for a long while When she was gone at last he stared with narrowed eyes at the American "Make sure that the tomb is secured when you leave Totally secured"

"Of course"

The professor glanced at this watch "You’re right I ht people And you!