As a trained archaeologist, Brendan knew that he probably would be able to oversee the excavation. The site would have to be made known to the state. But not quite yet. Brendan had to think about his next move. He had to plan carefully. He was very good at that.
His fellow divers were not as excited about the site. An initial inspection showed them that it really didn’t contain anything valuable. The ship had hauled goods for trade that would have brought in a very high profit at the time, but were worth little now.
Brendan decided that one more dive was needed. A winter dive. It was dangerous at that time of year, but Cliff Island had far fewer people on it in the winter. All of the seasonal cottages would be closed up tight. He and his crew could get down to the wreck and bring up a few things ‘off the record.’ Then he would officially announce the find, register it, and start the actual ‘boring archaeology bit’ as he called it.
They had pulled up a couple of crates with porcelain dishes when Brendan found something which was potentially of great value that the others had missed. He had located a crate of bottles and they appeared to be full of wine. He had replaced the bottle that he had pulled out quickly. No one else had seen them. The others would find out eventually, but he wanted to learn as much as he could before they did. It would give him an advantage, and Brendan certainly knew how to make good use of an advantage.
With his dry suit off and jeans, heavy socks, boots, sweater, jacket… all of the other layers needed to brave the freezing air now on, Brendan turned to his crewmate. “So, Alan looks like not much.”
“Yeah,” Alan replied. “Some of the cargo was packed well though. Could be unbroken porcelain dishes and such. Collectors like that stuff. Could get some bucks for that.”
Technically, anything as old as this wreck found in coastal waters belonged to the government. But Brendan and his colleagues had to make a living. They helped themselves to a few things first before announcing any new find. When it was time to sell the items, “I found it in grandma’s attic,” was always an excellent provenance.
Brendan was careful to be sure that the pieces they helped themselves to were more commonplace; nothing of great value or significance could be taken outright. It wasn’t that he cared about their place in history, he just didn’t want to get caught.
“True. Worth bringing those few crates up I suppose.” Brendan said. “I’ll have to set up a grid and record some things too, once we’re done getting our share. Have to keep the authorities happy.” As soon as he made the wreck known, funding would come in to analyze it. He’d never had much of a problem with that. It was bread and butter money for him and his colleagues. Enough to pay the regular bills, but not much extra.
The archaeological part was tedious work. He hoped that a PhD candidate would step forward to take on the project. They almost always did. Then Brendan could move on to the next search.
“What about that wine?”
Brendan froze, then frowned. He hadn’t realized that Alan had seen it. “Must have turned by now. Can’t keep even the best of that stuff for more than half a century or so, I think,” Brendan lied. “That wine has to be at least 150 years old down there.” He shrugged. “The bottles themselves might have some value. Worth bringing up I guess.” He motioned toward the boat’s bridge overhead. “You coming up?” he asked, trying to change the subject as quickly as possible. It worked.
“Nah,” Alan responded. “Too crowded up there. I think I’ll just take a short nap. We’ve got probably half an hour or so before we’re back in, yeah?” He didn’t wait for an answer. He was already adjusting the life preservers to create a reasonably comfortable bed.
Brendan chuckled to himself. Alan always had been the lazy one.
If you would like to read more of the Dulcie Chambers Museum Mysteries, please visit the author’s website (kerryjcharles.com) for more information or request copies at your local bookstore or library. Ebook versions are also available from major suppliers online.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Kerry J Charles has worked as a researcher, writer, and editor for NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC, the Smithsonian Institution, Harvard University and several major textbook publishers. She holds four degrees including a Master’s in Geospatial Engineering and a Master’s in Art History from Harvard University. She has carried out research in many of the world's art museums as a freelance writer and scholar.
A swimmer, scuba diver, golfer, and boating enthusiast, Charles enjoys seeing the world from above and below sea level as well as from the tee box. Her life experiences inspire her writing and she is always seeking out new travels and adventures. She returned to her roots in coastal Maine while writing the Dulcie Chambers Museum Mysteries.
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