CRO-MAGNON by Robert Stimson Read Free Book Online Page B

which is more than you can say for old bones.”
    “ Even your own kind are deserting Out-of-Africa,” he said. “Alan Templeton performed an extensive genetic analysis and found that the African migration began two million years ago. Vinayak Eswaran codified the waves of demic diffusion. And genetic markers suggest that at least the last wave, consisting of anatomically modern humans, interbred with the existing Neanderthals.
    Blaine sniffed. “A lot of us don’t go along. Templeton made questionable assumptions. And Eswaran just showed how diffusion might proceed if everything was just right. I got Peter Golub, in his spare time, to go over the—”
    “ With instructions to find something wrong, no doubt.”
    “ As I said before, there’s very little sign of Neanderthal genes in modern people,” Blaine said. “And the trace they do exhibit dates from at least sixty thousand years ago, before they diverged too much for interbreeding.”
    “ You mean you haven’t found any significant trace yet. After millennia of assimilation, that’s not surprising. And by the way, you’ll notice that I didn’t advocate a pure multiregional evolution hypothesis. I believe the geneticists are correct that humans developed in Africa and then spread. Hell, even us bone guys, as you call us, accept that.”
    Another sniff. “What you were expounding at Albuquerque certainly sounded like MRE.”
    “ I just don’t believe that the newcomers wiped out the Neanderthals,” Calder said. “I think demic diffusion did take place and the two peoples interbred. Like Gunter Brauer and Fred Smith, I take an intermediate position. You wronged me when you stuck me with a pure MRE label.”
    “ You weren’t kind to me either, likening me to an astrologer.”
    “ Maybe now we’ll now find out who’s closer to the truth,” he said.
    “ That’ll be me.”
    He leaned across the middle seat and stuck out his hand. “How about a truce, while we see what’s in the cave?”
    Blaine gave his hand a quick shake, her grip firm. “Done.”
    Calder felt the plane tilt, and looked out the crazed window. Below was a vast darkness. Far aslant, he could see the lights of towns strung along what must be the northern branch of the old silk route between China and Europe. Central Asia had been a wild place then, he knew, plagued by conquerors, plunderers, and constant turmoil.
    Judging by recent developments, that condition hadn’t changed much in the last few thousand years. And as far as plunderers went, he suspected he might be working for one. If there was actually anything to plunder.
     
    #
     
    Their passports and visas were confiscated at Dushanbe airport. After what seemed to Blaine a long time, the papers were returned and a guard armed with an assault rifle led them along a dark walkway.
    At the baggage terminal a robust man in his thirties stepped away from the conveyor and intercepted them. Beneath a buzz cut he was hard-faced. Dead gray eyes flicked over Calder and lingered on Blaine. She backed a step, hating herself for showing unease.
    The man continued to inspect her. “Ian Calder and Caitlin Blaine?” His voice sounded hoarse, as if he’d once been karate-chopped.
    Great, Blaine thought. She’d been pulled away from her project at a critical time to investigate a fossil Neanderthal, and now the real thing was checking her out. She wondered whether the perusal was professional or personal. Since the failure of her brief marriage to another geneticist, she’d immersed herself in her project. Although men often made advances, they usually backed off upon learning she was a workaholic Ph.D.
    Beside her, Calder said, “Yes, that’s us.”
    He stuck out his hand. Blaine watched the man ignore it.
    “ Teague,” he said. “Facilitator for Salomon Industries. I got a cab.”
    Something struck an off-key chord in Blaine’s mind. She searched her memory, but couldn’t pin it down. She remembered from her old-country grandmother