“Now we shall see!” He breathed heavily as his hand gripped the roll of papyrus. “Perhaps this is genuine, and perhaps not.”
After unrolling the parchment, he sat for a full minute studying the first, full sheet through his thick glasses—so intently that one might have said he was trying to read something not written there at all.
Sparky gave Mary a meaningful look.
“Yes,” the big man drew in a deep breath, “this is genuine, and should be of great service to humanity by revealing the real life of those strange beings who lived so long ago. You have been at great pains to bring this to me.”
“He doesn’t know the half of it,” Mary thought, smiling to herself.
“You must allow me to pay you for your trouble,” he went on. “How much do I owe you?”
“Oh! Noth—but nothing.” Mary hated herself for stammering. “But I wish you would look at all the sheets and per—perhaps count them,” she added hesitatingly.
“Very well. I shall do as you say.” The big man’s thumb and finger reached for the first sheet. Sparky half rose in his chair. From outside came a faint sound.
“One,” the big man counted, “two, three, four—”
Mary’s heart fluttered.