Therefore, Jesus was the son of God.
"I like a man with dimples," said Liz as they waited for the computer to print the results of the test.
"Very funny."
"Really. I saw how you struggled when I was about to get crushed by the gun carriage. How heroic that you would mar your handsomeness for me."
Liz kissed the scabs on his cheeks.
"The salvage man has a better story to tell his grandkids," said Wyatt. "His scars are through his palms and feet. Lucky for him—and for us—that his wife had a roast in the oven and went looking for him when he stayed too long at work.
He could have bled to death."
The lab tech gave them a sign the printout was imminent.
Wyatt phoned Rutger in Germany.
"Well?" Rutger answered.
"It's coming. Liz wants a word with you."
Wyatt passed her the cell.
"How gracious of you to cut me in for a third of the Judas book," Liz said.
"Fair's fair," Rutger replied. "Wyatt and I are friends because we both know the other is fair."
Liz passed back the phone.
Wyatt's heart was pounding with excitement. Not every historian gets to be a hinge of history. The Old Testament survived for millennia until Darwin hammered the nail of evolution into the coffin of fundamentalism.
So long, original sin.
Now, the Judas relics could be the final nail in the coffin of the New Testament.
If Jesus was betrayed by his own DNA, that would be the ultimate Judas kiss.
So long, salvation through Christ.
"Here it comes," Wyatt said.
The geneticist reached for the DNA profile as it emerged from the printer.
"Well?" asked the rational historian.
"My God," said the scientist.
AUTHOR'S NOTE
This is a work of fiction. The plot and characters are products of the author's imagination. Where real persons, places, incidents, institutions, and such have been incorporated to create the illusion of authenticity, they are used fictitiously.
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Table of Contents
GOLGOTHA
NIGHT FIGHTER
DESCENT FROM THE CROSS
WYATT ROOK
LEGION OF CHRIST
WARRIORS OF THE NIGHT
WITCHHUNT
TOP SECRET
JUDAS CHAIR
THIRTY PIECES OF SILVER
THE GREAT ESCAPE
CRUSADERS
GRAVEDIGGERS
SKELETON CREW
INQUISITION
IMPOSSIBLE CRIME
LOCKED ROOM
HAMMERHEAD
HARD LANDING
RELICS
U-BOAT
JUDAS KISS
HOLY GRAIL
JUDAS GOAT
TIGHT SQUEEZE
TOBRUK
DEVIL'S ADVOCATE
SEA WOLVES
TICK-TOCK
HACELDAMA
JUDAS WINDOW
JUDAS PUZZLE
NO PARACHUTE
TRUE CROSS
BRONZE MICE BOWL
LAMENTATION
EXORCIST
SNEAKY
TIN CAN
SCAVENGER HUNT
WITCHCRAZE
HOLYROODHOUSE
SALVAGE YARD
I AM LEGION
EUCHARIST
AUTHOR'S NOTE
Crucified Page 27