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The craft bristled with so many spears it resembled the back of a porcupine The weapons were in the hands, ofwhat looked like

football helled back along the side of the ship There were twenty-five rowers, whichthose on the side not visible What appeared to be a row of shields hung off the rail She used the huures to estimate the approximate size of the craft at more than one hundred feet

Moving along the frieze she saw more warships and what appeared to be merchant vessels with fewer soldiers, the decks croith rectangular shapes that could have been boxes for goods Men she assu on lines to trim the sail In contrast to the helear The motifs were varied, but this was clearly a flotilla ofescorted by armed protectors

Chi watched her walk around the building, an aleam in his dark eyes, and she realized he never intended to show her carvings of marine life He wanted her to see the ship scene She stopped at one ship and shook her head On the bow of the boat was a carving of an animal

"Dr Chi, doesn't this look like a horse to you?"

"You asked me to show you sea life"

"Have you dated this?"

He stepped forward and ran his finger along the inscribed border

"These carved faces are actually nulyphics that are carved here, these ships were pictured about a hundred and fifty years BC"

"If that date is even remotely correct, how could this ship be carved with a horse's head? Horses didn't arrive until the fifteen hundreds when the Spanish brought them in"

"Yes, it is certainly a puzzle, isn't it?"

Ga at a dia froure of a man

"What on earth is this?" she said

"I'od when I first saw it, but it's none I recognize This is a great deal to absorb all at once Are you hungry? We can coain"

"Yes, fine," Ga herself away fro around in her head like a swarm of bees