1 Chapter 1

Department of Linguistics, Harvard University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

A 30-year-old man burst into the dean's office, yelling, "Why on earth did you choose HER to go on this trip? Of all the people you could've sent, you sent Amber?"

Dean Adamson looked up from a document, "What do you mean 'of all people'? She is clearly the most qualified. " he frowned, "Are you against my decision, Professor Smith?"

Smith snorted, "Of course I'm against it! How in the world is SHE qualified? She's a bonafide quack. Going on about lost languages no one has even heard of. Saying that the Tower of Babel actually existed. Everyone knows that it's just a metaphor."

Sneering, he continued, "But not Amber. No sir, to her it's history. Too much time reading fantasy books that she then quotes in class, like they are based on fact. If you ask me, she deserves to be committed, not rewarded by sending her on an expedition."

Dean Adamson sighed, "Unfortunately for you, there is significant evidence that this new finding may be about that very 'metaphor.' And, frankly, Amber is the only person in our entire field of study that is even close to being qualified"

"What?" Smith squawked, dumbfounded.

The dean shrugged, "How it came to be in a cave almost 300 miles away from the actual remains of Babylon and Tower of Babel? No one knows. But I guess that's why we are studying this site so intently. It's a mystery"

Brrring...brrring...brrrrrring...

The phone started ringing and Smith reluctantly left the office.

As he walked down to his classroom, he mumbled to himself, "I still don't think that Amber was the best choice. I can think of a dozen others that would have done a lot better than anything she could possibly do." He brightened, "I know what I can do about it."

He walked vigorously out of the Linguistics building and went straight to his apartment.

——————

Erbil International Airport, Zagros, Erbil, Iraq

Amber Harriet's heart raced as she watched the ground approach when her flight finally descended onto the runway. She couldn't wait to start proving that what she knew was true was actually real.

Grabbing her bag from the overhead bin, she made her way off the plane for her extended stay near Shanidar Cave where she was sent to study some newly discovered writings within the cavern.

Finally there was possibly physical evidence of everything her mom had told her and her brother when they were kids.

THing was, it was so convincing because she spoke as if she had really been there. But Amber knew that was for the sake of the tale her mom wove for their youthful imaginations.

It was all Amber had left to remember her mother by since she disappeared when she was nine.

After she found her bag in the chaos of an international baggage claim area, she looked for her ride. She found him standing near the doors closest to the carousel she got her bags from.

She studied him as she walked towards him. He was garbed in a traditional thawb complete with shmakh and aygal. He reminded her of her brother, James, who she was separated from when her mom vanished. They had the same look of strength about them.

He clearly wasn't just a driver. She briefly wondered about why they felt the need for more muscle.

"Peace be with you," she said in Arabic when she stopped in front of him.

He looked at her, saying, "And Peace be unto you. You are Amber Harriet?"

"Yes," she smiled.

"Do you have everything?"

"Yup."

"Let's go," he turned, grabbed her biggest bag, and he followed him into the stifling summer heat.

Little did she know she was in for a wild ride.