Page 24 of In Doubt

Professor Weaver is talking to a pair of students in one of the shallower trenches, a flask of water in her hand, that she pauses to drink.

With another deep inhale, I march towards her, fixing a smile on my face.

“Professor Weaver, Jake found something.” He did. It is his find. I’m not taking credit from him, even if he is a giant dickhead.

The professor’s eyes widen with excitement and she’s practically jogging in the direction of the trench before I can say another word. I follow her, finding Jake sitting on the edge of the trench when we arrive, his long legs dangling into the hole.

I thought he’d still be attempting to dig up this treasure on his own, but he clearly hasn’t touched it since I left.

His shoulders are slumped and I avoid his eye as Professor Weaver addresses him.

“What is it?” she asks, slightly breathless.

“We’re not sure. Looks New Kingdom, about so big.” He holds out his hands to indicate the size, then points to the spot where the find lies half exposed.

The professor scrambles straight down into the hole, dropping on her knees and bending her face right up close to the treasure, inspecting it closely.

“Yes, I’d agree with that assessment. The detailing looks like it’s from that era.” She blows gently across the object’s surface. “Congratulations, Mr Grantham. This is a superb find.”

“It was a joint effort. Miss Martinelli and I found it together.” My gaze flicks to his, but he isn’t looking my way.

“Well in that case, congratulations Giorgie. Can you run along and find Professor Lichenstein? He’ll need to see this immediately. Jake jump back down here and help me remove more of the sand.”

I shift my weight to start walking away. Disappointment spreading through my body.

“I’ll go.” Jake jumps to his feet. “Do you need a hand down?” he mumbles to the ground and not me.

“No,” I tell him, dropping to my bottom and sliding down in a haphazard method. When I look up, he’s already gone.

* * *

Jake is right, as soon as the more senior archaeologists arrive, we’re pushed to one side, resigned to watch from the side lines. We don’t talk to one another, keeping a good foot between us as we sit huddled in the shade. Instead, we listen to the excited chatter of the more senior researchers and my indignation grows. They could’ve let us help or included us more. They could even have left us to lift the find from the ground ourselves. But it seems the engravings and pictures on the artefact are causing much excitement.

We crane our necks, catching glimpses of figures dancing across the decorated surface.

Eventually we’re ushered away and slump back to the main tent.

“They could’ve at least let us stay and watch,” I mumble.

“It’s a cut throat profession,” Jake answers pointedly, as if that explains the rudeness and unfairness of it. “Everyone wants to grab the accolade and the prize for themselves.”

“It shouldn’t be.” I fold my arms across my chest. “More is always achieved through cooperation and teamwork.”

“I don’t think that’s true,” he says quietly as if he’s feeling his way around me. To be honest, I’m doing the same. I still feel unsettled from the incident earlier. “Some of the biggest breakthroughs in science and technology have come about in war time, when mankind was literally competing to stay alive.”

“And pulling together, working together, to defeat the enemy.”

“Hmmm,” he says, his gaze flicking over my face.

There he goes again dismissing my opinion.

“You alphas, you think everything is about competition, and beating the other guy. Being on top and screwing everyone else.” My frustration with our dismissal leaks into my words.

“There you go again with your damn opinions on alphas. I live in a pack, Giorgie. I literally compromise and cooperate every day. I’m in the fucking rugby team. That’s all about working as a team.”

“And competing for your spot on the team,” I insist, although I’m a little less sure of my argument.

“And what have you been doing this whole year? Competing against me for the spot on Weaver’s team!” He huffs through his nose, and picks up his pace, ducking inside the tent, and slumping down on a chair.