The Navigator (NUMA Files 7)

“Mr. Austin is with the National Underwater and Marine Agency. He prefers to stay out of the limelight, but he is responsible for saving my life, the ship, and the long-lost Iraqi artifacts. One of the hijackers shot him. He was only wounded, thank goodness.”

“Austin sounds like a remarkable gentleman,” Baltazar said. “How did he come to be on board the vessel?”

“Pure accident. He was on another ship that happened to be nearby when he heard an SOS.”

“Remarkable. I would like to meet him some time so I can thank him.”

“I would be glad to arrange it.”

“I am amazed that you were able to recover so many of the Iraqi antiquities. How did you do it?”

Carina thought about the countless informants she had cultivated, the bribes she had given freely, and the reluctant government officials she had wheedled without mercy until they gave in to her demands simply to be rid of her.

“It’s a long story,” she said with a shrug. “Much of my success is simply an accident of birth. I have roots in Europe and Africa, which eased my ability to make contacts on both continents.”

“African, you say? Your father was Italian, I take it?”

She nodded. “My grandfather too. He was with Mussolini’s army when it invaded Ethiopia, which was where he met my grandmother. My mother never knew his name, only that her father was Italian. When she moved to Italy, where I was born, she gave her maiden name, Mekada, an Italian twist.”

“Mekada? That’s a lovely name.”

“Thank you. I understand it’s not uncommon in Ethiopia.”

Baltazar paused in thought for a moment before speaking again. “Tell me, Miss Mechadi, what are your immediate plans?”

“I’m going to be busy organizing the tour. The artifacts are at the Smithsonian under guard. I’ll be providing provenance data and background information that can be used with the exhibits. I’ve lined up meetings with people who have offered their help. Tomorrow, I’m going to Virginia to see Jon Benson, a National Geographic photographer who was present at the excavation of a statue known as the Navigator. Perhaps you can drop by and see the statue and the other pieces in the collection.”

“That sounds like a fine idea. I’m a bit of a novice about archaeology, I’ll admit, but I own a few pieces. All legal, I might add. I’d be happy to show them to you over lunch or dinner.”

“I’d like that, Mr. Baltazar.”

“Splendid. Call the foundation when you have some free time. They will have my schedule.”

They shook hands, and Baltazar stopped to say his good-nights to the ambassador and several other embassy officials. Carina turned to go back into the reception room and encountered Saxon. He had a bemused smile on his face.

“I saw you chatting with Mr. Baltazar,” he said.

“Mr. Baltazar is the main reason I came to the reception. He’s quite charming.”

“Do you know the source of the money he has been handing out?”

“Only that he owns mining companies.”

“That’s right, as far as it goes. Baltazar is the head of a mineral cartel that includes the biggest gold-mining conglomerate in the world. He’s quite controversial. His companies have been accused of destroying the environment and messing up the poor locals in half a dozen countries. What many people don’t know is that he owns one of the biggest private security companies in the world. Mercenaries for hire.”

Carina had come across the unfavorable reports on Baltazar when she researched his background, but she had been so eager for the foundation’s help that she downplayed their significance. “What I do know is that he’s been extremely generous when it comes to the Iraqi museum.”

“I see. Blood money doesn’t matter when it comes to the greater good, and all that.”

“I don’t need to be lectured on ethics,” Carina said, her eyes blazing.

Saxon felt the heat of her words. “No, you don’t. Again, you have my apologies. I actually wanted to talk to you about the recovered antiquities, in particular a statue called the Navigator.”

Carina wondered if Saxon had overheard her conversation with Baltazar, but she realized he had been out of earshot. “You know about the statue?”

He nodded. “I know that it’s a bronze, nearly life-sized, that was excavated decades ago in Syria. It portrays a mariner, and is thought to b

e Phoenician, but there are doubts, which is why the statue was consigned to the basement of the BaghdadMuseum. It languished there for years, until thieves stole the statue during the American invasion in 2003. Its whereabouts since then had been unknown, until you found it recently with a group of other stolen antiquities.”