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Gil led Miles Weston, an archaeologist working for the State of Massachusetts, and Trudy Finan, a state historian, to the spot where he had discovered the gold artifacts. Only a depression in the ground remained. The surrounding area looked undisturbed. “This is where I dug up the artifacts. There is flowing water under the topsoil.”
“Your write-up said you used ground-penetrating radar and a metal detector?” asked Miles.
“Yes, I rigged up a GPR system on a remotely-controlled robot that I had previously used to search for evidence in the mole-people case. According to the powder horn inscription, there was a small stream with turtle stones at its mouth. A sack of artifacts was buried in the streambed, twenty paces from the mouth. The mouth of the stream had shifted because of the culverts under the road, so I had to search for the stream which, as you can see, is now completely underground.”
“Turtle stones?” asked Trudy.
Gil pulled a sample out of his pocket. “It took me a while, but I figured out that what Samuel Stagg called turtle stones are actually gemstones called prehnite. Under flowing water they look kind of like very small turtles.”
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GIL BROUGHT MILES AND Trudy back to the police station. He showed them into an interview room where Karen had set up coffee and doughnuts from Adams Donut Shop. Karen brought in the gold artifacts and set them on the table. Trudy said, “I sent the pictures of these figurines to the Smithsonian for evaluation. They think these are probably Tairano from about 500 AD. The Tairano people were from around the area of Columbia, South America. Hands-on examination would be required to be more specific. The true value, though, is this whole intriguing story about what the gold may have been for, how it was stolen during the Battle of the Great Falls, and the way it was discovered from a powder-horn inscription at Fort William Henry. In our archives, we have a letter of correspondence dated 1676 from the Massachusetts Bay Colony Governor’s office that talked about King Philip offering to a gold tribute in order to solidify the ever-expanding border declared by the colony. The colonists were relentlessly encroaching on Indian villages and hunting grounds. There is no evidence of the tribute actually being exchanged.”
“Wow, these artifacts could really be what that letter is talking about. But, back to the present, I suggested that the artifacts be returned to the Indians. What do you intend to do with them?” asked Gil.
“I’m concerned about the security of these priceless artifacts,” said Trudy. “My plan is to have an expert examine them here, if possible. I’ve proposed a generous grant to an ongoing Native American project which is aimed at preserving the history of the Indians who lived in this area. The local Native Americans are gaining traction to obtain their own space, perhaps a museum. A grant to ensure security of these artifacts would help them to buy a place for a starter museum.”
“That sounds like a great idea,” said Gil.
“Gil, could you show me your GPR robot?” asked Miles. “Maybe I could use one of those. Our GPR units are very cumbersome.”
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LILI WAS IN THE AUDIENCE at the Greenfield High School auditorium. Gil was sitting on stage, dressed casually, along with members of local area Native American tribes, the US Department of Indian Affairs, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and the City of Greenfield. John Fontaine and Shawn Delaney were there, representing Fort William Henry. Paul Gabriel, a member of the Nipmuc tribe, was the main speaker. He was also dressed casually. “On behalf of the Indigenous Americans from this area, I am honored to accept the return of these artifacts from King Philip’s War and the massacre at Peskeompskut. I want to thank the United States Government and the State of Massachusetts for their generous grant that will assure security for these and other precious items that belonged to our ancestors.”
“To my people, King Philip’s War was the beginning of the end of the traditional Indian way of life in New England. The massacre at Peskeompskut remains a deeply painful episode in our history. We are working to preserve knowledge of the rich and complex Indian cultures that existed in this region before European colonization, and to document the regretful events that occurred to end it.”
“I would also like to honor the memory of Kevin Clarion, a young college student of New England history. During his summer job as a curator at Fort William Henry in New York, Kevin researched the powder horn of Samuel Stagg. Stagg had documented his participation in the massacre at Peskeompskut, and his theft of these artifacts from the Indians there. I’d also like to acknowledge the efforts of Gil Novak, a police consultant who was investigating the mysterious tunnels that Kevin Clarion and his friends created to search for these artifacts. With much effort and determination, Gil finally found these lost artifacts. I’d also like to thank Gil for recommending that the artifacts be returned to the Native American community.”
“Gil Novak told me that, when he was a student in Greenfield, the history of colonization was told almost exclusively from the colonists’ point of view. He’d learned very little about the culture of the Indigenous Americans in this area. I’m very pleased to note that this situation has improved somewhat over the years. I’m especially pleased to see a lot of local students here today, attending this ceremony.”
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A REAL ESTATE AGENT had just finished showing Lili and Gil an attractive, moderately-sized house on the outskirts of Greenfield. “So, what do you think?” she asked.
“We’d like to talk in private for a few minutes,” said Gil.
“Of course.”
Gil and Lili went out onto the back deck where they could look at the pool and nice yard that led up to a forested hill. “So, should we make an offer?” he asked.
Lili hesitated. This wasn’t only about buying a house. This was about living together, permanently. “Yes, I think so. What do you think?”
“I’m in.”
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ON A HOT DAY IN EARLY-September, Gil, his son-in-law Mike, and Karen’s husband Jeff, were dripping with sweat as they unloaded the last of Lili’s furniture from the U-Haul truck. Jazz, Ziggy, and Dez were laughing and splashing in the pool, along with Karen’s kids. Lili, Karen, and Julia were sorting dishes to see which of Gil’s and Lili’s would be kept, and which would be donated to charity. Lili got a text message and she turned the television onto MSNBC. “Gil, come quick!” she yelled.
“This is Deborah Penney from MSNBC News in Washington, DC. A congressional investigation has been convened concerning a country-wide militia network being formed over the past several years by a coalition of ultra-conservative members of congress led by Representative Borden Ritchie from Idaho. It’s alleged that, in a series of unrelated bills, land transfers have been made from sixteen states to federal government control under false pretenses. Land-leases and funding were provided to privately-run militia groups in order for them to create fortresses. In a public statement, Representative Ritchie said that the Constitution was written to ensure that the people of this country have sufficient means to defend themselves from a corrupt government.”
“This boggles my mind,” said Karen. “Worse than the militia threat, this whole thing shows that Congress probably doesn’t even know what’s in the bills that they approve.”
“It’s unbelievable that you guys blew the lid on this whole thing,” said Julia. “Wow.”
“We still haven’t caught up with Keith Wyman. I wonder if he’s even still alive,” said Karen. “Our theory is that he was trying to kill anyone who knew details of his underground fortress. There have been similar cases in Tennessee and Illinois.”