THD: Amulets in the tomb

In The Healer’s Daughters, Elif makes a discovery that could change everything…

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…The skeleton lying on its back was once a wealthy aristocrat, a leading citizen of Pergamon. A bronze box lies on a low marble pedestal near the skeleton’s feet.

Kneeling in front of the box, [Elif] begs for forgiveness. She then lifts the box’s lid, her headlamp shining on the rolls of parchment. When her hand shifts the parchment, the five gold amulets, each worth a fortune, gleam. She picks up the exquisite rendering of Athena. Each line, including the facial features and hands, is precise, close to perfect. Her own work, she fears, isn’t comparable. She squeezes her eyes shut and re-opens them. Still holding the goddess between her thumb and forefinger, she looks about the tomb at the human remains, the rock ceiling, the sealed entrance, the dusty floor.… This amulet, which would seemingly solve her brother’s immediate problem, would create still more grave risks for him and the rest of her family.