The Secret Of The Cathars (2011) by Michael Hillier Read Free Book Online Page B

to be any problems.”
    “ No, but we have to be careful.” He straightened up. “I’ll also put the word out for some labourers to help with humping and to push barrows to do the backfilling. I expect you’ll want to keep an eye on those guys to make sure there aren’t any finds in the spoil heaps which we might have missed.”
    “ I’m not too worried about that,” she said. “I can’t believe there’s anything important in that pile of rubble.”
    Jolyon took a satisfied breath. “In that case we’ll abandon this trench as of now, if you agree. Gaston will be delighted. It’s been a real struggle to keep him digging. He doesn’t like being ‘down in a hole below ground’ as he puts it. I’ve been promising him some better action in the near future.”
    “ He’s not really a cerebral archaeologist.”
    “ No, but tomorrow we’ll start to clear the residential area. That’s what he’s been waiting for. It will be easiest if we start from the top and work down.”
    She put her head on one side. “Be careful, Jo. It’s exposed up there.”
    “ We’ve got it all safely roped up.”
    “ I know. But make sure that you’re wearing safety harnesses and see that they’re properly clipped on all the time - both of you. I don’t want any free climbing just to reach something that you couldn’t get to when you were connected to a safety rope.”
    “ Don’t worry. We’ll be careful. And don’t forget this is Gaston’s special area of expertise. It’s what we hired him for, if you remember.”
    “ It’s not Gaston I’m worried about. I know that he can look after himself. It’s you that I’m not so sure about. You know that these series of ours wouldn’t be the same without you in the background. I rely on you far too much.”
    “ I’ve said I’ll be careful.” He patted her shoulder. “Wait until I tell Gaston about the new plans. He’ll be delighted to be up in the fresh air again. Mind you - so will I.”
    She smiled at his sudden new-found enthusiasm.
    “ I suggest, Jackie, that we start on the eastern end first. That area’s mainly masked by trees so it’s unlikely to excite too much comment from the locals. We’ll do a stretch about fifty metres long by ten metres wide, then work our way down from the ridge in parallel strips. Within a few days we should have the labourers available to help with moving the larger rocks and accretions of rubble.”
    She was carried along by his enthusiasm as he chattered. This was the excited young Andre as she remembered him. He’d been getting more dismal and morose as the entrance trench went deeper without any significant finds. Now he was being released on to the main site.
    “ I’ve also been intending to talk to you about that journalist who showed up the other day,” said Jacqueline. “What was she called? Cesar something - unusual name.”
    “ I know who you mean. She left me her card. I have it here somewhere.” He scrabbled around in his various pockets and produced it after a prolonged search. He peered at it. “Here we are - Cesar Renoir.”
    “ That’s it.”
    “ A Lyons address and phone number.”
    “ Do you think she’s likely to go public about our excavations here?”
    He shook his head. “Not according to what she told me. She didn’t seem that interested in what we were actually doing. She claims she’s a freelance. She’s got this job for the summer. She’s producing a guide book about the more obscure Cathar castles. She says her research has turned up precious little about le Bezu - just a few historical references and several local legends about the place. She seemed to be saying that she’d be grateful for any information we could give her.”
    “ Who are her employers?”
    “ According to this it’s the Languedoc newspaper group in Toulouse. They seem to have given her a free hand to go wherever she fancies.”
    “ She should have plenty of locations to look at. There must be dozens of Cathar