The Second Messiah by Glenn Meade Read Free Book Online Page A

dusk. Green noticed his stare and closed the tent flap. “She’s a good-looking young woman, isn’t she, Jack?”
    “She sure is.”
    “My brother’s Lebanese wife was always something of a beauty, which explains Yasmin’s looks. The union of the Middle Eastern and the Western can produce quite an exotic mix. And of course, Yasmin’s had the benefit of a Western education, which can make her all the more alluring.” Green gave a tight smile, then knocked back his liquor, put down his glass, and filled it again from the bottle. A sudden, irritated edge crept into his voice. “I’ve always had a soft spot for the opposite sex, as you probably know. Three marriages and a weakness for a pretty woman wearing a short skirt say it all. However, can I give you a friendly word of advice?”
    “What’s that, professor?”
    “I promised my brother I’d watch over his daughter like a hawk while she was working on the dig.” Green took a gulp of Wild Turkey and made a face, as if the alcohol suddenly tasted nasty. “But maybe I should just tell you the truth and be done with it …” His words trailed away, as if he’d instantly regretted them. “Never mind, forget it.”
    “What truth?” Jack asked. “Forget what?”
    Green appeared embarrassed. “I guess what I’m trying to say is that most of the guys working on this site are a bunch of skirt-chasers. Me included. Not that I’d be inclined to count you among them, Jack. I’ve known you too long a time to suggest that.”
    “Thanks for the vote of confidence, but I have my moments.”
    Green smiled weakly. “Haven’t we all where women are concerned? But I don’t want Yasmin being taken advantage of in any way. You understand?”
    “Yasmin’s what … twenty-five, professor? I’d have thought she was old enough to make up her own mind about whatever it is she wants.”
    “Well, sure, but—”
    Jack put down his glass, too tired to take it any further. “Why don’t you cork that bottle until another day and get some rest, professor? Me, I think I’ll take a walk to clear my head before I turn in.”
    Green sounded a little drunk as he slapped a hand on Jack’s shoulder. “Okay, but I wanted to say well done, Jack. I know your parents would have been proud. It’s just a pity they’re not here to witness this moment. It’s hard to believe it’s twenty years since they’ve gone. I still miss them.”
    “We both do.”
    Green’s hand fell away. “Good night, Jack.”
    “Good night, sir.” Jack pulled back the tent flap but Green’s voice stopped him.
    “By the way, I guess you’ve been too busy to hear the news?”
    Jack looked back. “What news?”
    Green drained his glass. “The American priest who worked at Qumran at the time your folks died.”
    Jack nodded. “John Becket. What about him?”
    “He’s got himself elected pope.”

10

    IN THE BEGINNING, there was only darkness and then God created light.
    As the sun’s blush peeked above the horizon, Jack climbed up a rocky slope, his solitary figure silhouetted against the dawn’s orange glow. He was thinking of those ancient words, how they seemed so appropriate to the moment.
    But since he was feeling a buzz after drinking Wild Turkey, those other words of a stand-up comic he’d once heard in New York also came to mind: In the beginning there was nothing, and then God created light. There was still nothing but you could see it a lot better.
    That always made him crack a smile. When he reached the top of the slope, he paused to stare at the view of the Judean desert toward Jordan and get his breath. His chest pounded, not from exertion but the exhilaration that sped through his veins.
    The rising sun was lost behind the mountains of Edom. Jack shivered. The desert air was still cold after the night and he looked out at rust-colored rock and parched stony mountains, Bedouin camps in the distance, dotted with camel and goatherds. Past a palm-fringed wadi, he saw that a ring of