She shook her head in a much more violent manner than she should as a lady, but it was imperative she have control over her dig and get that point across. No matter how intimidating he might be.
“I’m sure you’ve heard about the recent spree of dig site sabotage.” She leaned forward. “Bones were intentionally broken at a site in Cañon City last week. And one of my men said someone else covered a partially unearthed set of ribs with mud. The competition is too fierce. I’m sure you understand the necessity of discretion regarding my quarry. The Great Dinosaur Rush is on, and I don’t wish for my findings to get trampled, destroyed, or stolen in the middle of it.” The more she spoke, the more confident she felt. She could do this.
“Yes, yes.” He dipped his chin. His lips formed a thin line, and he angled forward over his desk, leaning his elbows on the embossed desk pad. “Well then, back to your proposal.”
“Yes, sir.” She stiffened.
“I am pleased to offer you an exhibit here at the museum—with your name on it as requested—as soon as we have the complete skeleton in our possession, and it is verified.” He paused. “There is a slight divergence from your proposal though. I must inform you that there is a deadline.”
“Deadline?” She squeaked, then caught herself. Pulling a lacy handkerchief out of her handbag, she coughed behind it. “Apologies,” she murmured. “Please continue.”
“Yes, Miss Jankowski. I do express my regret for this, but it is necessary. The museum owner has insisted.”
At least he appeared a tiny bit apologetic.
Straightening her spine, Martha arched an eyebrow, ignoring the panicked tightening of her chest. How she wished she had inherited her mother’s cool and calm demeanor. Even after all these years of studying under her mother’s tutelage, she found herself unable to be as composed under pressure.But then, no one could compare with Mother. Nothing ever took her by surprise. “Perhaps I could speak to the owner?”
“No, miss.” He released a long sigh. “You see, there’s another team digging with the promise of an intact skeleton of aBrontosaurus—only time will tell if it is the same genus as yours. The owner here believes it is in their best interest for the museum to make it a competition for the two of you. Look at what the competition between Cope and Marsh has done for the field of paleontology.” His grin was all too forced.
Anger flooded her chest. She surged to her feet, eyes narrowed. “And look at how muchdamagethey have done! Need I remind you how many fossils have been lost because of their disgusting rivalry?” Her gloved knuckle rapped the hardwood desk, emphasizing her point.
“Now, now, Miss Jankowski. No need to upset yourself. We don’t need to defame the prominent men of our field. I assure you, our owner has set forth some specific guidelines that will ensure nothing underhanded will take place. But the deadline remains. If you wish to have an exhibit here, those are the terms.” His tone held less exuberance now and more stern scolding.
Martha pressed her lips together, stemming the rest of her argument. With a calming breath, she forced herself back to her seat. “I understand.” She would not lose this opportunity. She offered her most polite smile and stretched out her hand. “I’d like to read over the guidelines.”
He reached into his desk and pulled out a sheet of paper. “They are detailed here.”
She scanned the document and let out a relieved sigh.
Rules for the competition:
No destruction of bones or fossils. The integrity of the dig sites must be upheld at all times.
No trespassing on the property of the other team’s dig. However, the teams are responsible for their own security. Trespassing violations with evidence can be reported to the museum director.
No spying on the other team’s dig.
No poaching members from each other’s dig teams.
Teams cannot be larger than 100 men and hours cannot exceed fifteen work hours in a day.
Campaigns of disinformation or smears of integrity of the other team may not be made in the newspapers.
No attempts to bribe the museum director to accept anything other than an intact dinosaur skeleton.
There will be no make-up days due to weather. The end date of the competition, August twenty-sixth, is firm.
Upon the signing of the contract, the name of the entrant—should they win—will appear on the exhibit of the dinosaur skeleton alongside that of this museum in any given museum of the owner’s choosing.
The winning team will receive $1,500, their picture in papers across America, and recognition of their work in the museum exhibit.
No attempt may be made to directly contact the owner.
Violation of any of these rules will result in the disqualification of the team in violation and a report to the authorities.
Well, the rules outlined a fair competition and consequences for any suspected sabotage. That was something. But a deadline? She bit the inside of her cheek, her mind racing. Rushing wasn’t good in this line of work, which was tedious and could take a lot of time.
But the guidelines did say each team could have up to a hundred workers. That number was enormous compared to what she had.
