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Sandecker shrugged off Wismer's words. "We've taken the project this far. I see no reason why we can't see it through to the end."
"I'm sorry, Admiral," said the President slowly, "but I'm taking the project out of your hands and turning it over to the Pentagon."
Sandecker was stunned. "The military!" he blurted. "Whose harebrained idea was that?"
An embarrassed look came into the President's eyes. Then they flicked to Wismer for an instant. "It makes no difference who conceived the new plan. The decision is mine."
"I don't think you understand, Jim," said the Senator quietly. "What you stumbled upon goes far beyond mere archaeology. The knowledge under that hill could very well reshape our Middle East foreign policy for decades to come."
"Reason enough why we have to approach this thing as if it was a highly secret intelligence operation," said Wismer. "We must keep the discovery classified until all documents are thoroughly examined and their data analyzed."
"That could take twenty or even a hundred years, depending on the number and condition of the scrolls after underground storage for sixteen hundred years," Sandecker protested.
"If that's what it takes. . . ." The President shrugged.
The steward brought the Admiral's fruit bowl and glass of milk, but Sandecker had lost his appetite.
"In other words, you need time to add up the value of the windfall,"
Sandecker said acidly. "Then negotiate political bargains for the ancient charts showing the locations of lost mineral and oil deposits around the Mediterranean. If Alexander hasn't turned to dust, his bones will be traded to the Greek government toward renewed leases for our naval bases. All this before the America
n people find out you've given away the store."
"We cannot afford to go public," Schiller explained patiently. "Not until we're prepared to move. You fail to realize the tremendous foreign policy advantages you've laid in the government's lap. We can't simply throw them away in the name of public curiosity about historic objects."
"I'm not naive, gentlemen," said Sandecker. "But I do confess to being a sentimental old patriot who believes the people deserve better from their government than they receive. The treasures from the Library of Alexandria do not belong to a few politicians to barter away. They belong to all America by right of possession."
Sandecker didn't wait for them to answer. He took a quick swallow of milk, then retrieved a newspaper out of his briefcase and casually tossed it on the center of the table.
"Because everyone is so wrapped up with the big picture, your aides missed a small item from Reuters wire service that was carried in most of the newspapers around the world. Here's a copy of a St. Louis paper I picked up at the car-rental agency. I circled the piece on page three."
Wismer picked up the folded paper, opened it and turned to the page indicated by Sandecker. He read the heading aloud, and then began the text.
"Romans land in Texas?
"According to top-level administration sources in Washington, the search for a vast underground depository of ancient relics from the famed Library of Alexandria, Egypt, has ended a few hundred meters north of the Rio Grande River in Roma, Texas. Artifacts found over the years by a Mr. Samuel Trinity have been acknowledged as authentic by archaeologists.
"The search began with the discovery of a Roman merchant ship, dated from the fourth century A.D., in the ice of Greenland '
Wismer stopped, his face reddening with anger. "A leak! A goddamned leak!"
"But how . . . who?" wondered Nichols in shock.
"Top-level administration sources," Sandecker repeated. "That can only mean the White House." He looked at the President, then at Nichols.
"Probably a disgruntled aide one of your supervisors either passed over for promotion or sacked."
Schiller looked glumly at the President. "A thousand people will be swarming over the place. I suggest you order out a military force to secure the area."
"Julius is right, Mr. President," said Nichols. "Treasure hunters will dig those hills to pieces if they're not stopped."
The President nodded. "Alright, Dale. Open a Wx to General Metcalf of the Joint Chiefs."
Nichols quickly left the table and entered the study, which was manned by Secret Service and White House communications technicians.
"I strongly advise we clamp a lid on the entire operation said Wismer tensely. "We should also spread a story that the discovery is a hoax."
"Not a good idea, Mr. President," counseled Schiller wisely. "Your predecessors found out the hard way; it doesn't pay to lie to the American people. The news media would smell a coverup and chew you to bits."
