The Moche Warrior
Page 26
Other than that, I can only report that, like so many objects stolen from Peru, the peanut has not been found. On the plus side, the ‘pocalypse has yet to take place.
There is one other incident, I suppose, that I should relate. Shortly after I got home, I went over to Moira’s, and sat at her kitchen table having a coffee. I had a sense of someone else in the house, I’m not sure why.
“We were terribly worried about you,” Moira said, patting my hand, “and we’re so glad you’re home.”
There was something in the way she said it, a faint emphasis, perhaps, on the “we.” “Who’s we?” I asked, but I knew, even as the words came out of my mouth, that this was going to be one of those moments in life.
She hesitated. “We,” she said finally. “Clive. We is Clive and I.”
So there it was. My best friend and my ex-husband.
The choice was clear. Stay mad at Clive and lose a really good friend, or swallow my pride and keep one. For a few seconds you could have heard the proverbial pin drop.
“That’s nice,” I said at last. Some days, to borrow a phrase, you just have to go with the flow.
They are, when I think about it, perfect for each other, and for some reason I can’t explain, it’s taken a great weight off me. I feel my life is full of infinite possibilities now, in terms of love, yes, but also everything else.
There is one other bonus. It will be interesting to see whether Clive will have more staying power than Moira’s former boyfriends, but I think he might. Should their relationship work out so well that they decide to get married, I won’t have to go shopping for a wedding present. I have it already. A small jade snuff bottle. Something I picked up at an auction one time.
Acknowledgments
In the writing of this book, I am indebted to many people for their assistance with the research and their support, particularly Dr. Andrew Nelson, Chris Nelson, Neal Ferris, Manina Jones, Susie Wilson, Celia Fairclough, Jim Polk, and, as always, my sister, Cheryl.
Those readers interested in seeing and learning more about the real Moche warrior should seek out the book Royal Tombs of Sipan by Walter Alva and Christopher B. Donnan.
Lyn Hamilton (1944-2009) wrote 11 archaeological mystery novels featuring feisty antiques dealer Lara McClintoch. Lyn loved travelling the world and learning about ancient cultures. Both passions are woven into her novels. She lived in Toronto, Canada, and worked in public relations and public service, with a focus on culture and heritage. The Moche Warrior, first published in 1999, is the second the acclaimed mystery series starring Lara McClintoch, a winning antiquities dealer whose business takes her to the far corners of the world.
The Lara McClintoch series:
The Xibalba Murders (1997)
The Maltese Goddess (1998)
The Moche Warrior (1999)
The Celtic Riddle (2000)
The African Quest (2001)
The Etruscan Chimera (2002)
The Thai Amulet (2003)
The Magyar Venus (2004)
The Moai Murders (2005)
The Orkney Scroll (2006)
The Chinese Alchemist (2007)