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‘There will,’ says Ruth, firmly. Luckily, there are plenty of sites in Norfolk.
‘You’re the best, Dr Galloway,’ says Eileen, with tears in her eyes.
Ruth feels buoyed up by the support but, deep down, she can’t escape a sinking feeling that her department is doomed.
Chapter 12
Back in her office, Ruth finds another email from Leo Ballard.
I’m unwilling to let the native hue of resolution be sicklied o’er with the pale cast of thought. Why not meet tomorrow, at Grime’s Graves? I’ve been persona non grata at the site for some time now but the current custodian is well disposed. Do you fancy a stroll amongst the dead? Ring me if so.
There’s a mobile phone number underneath.
Is Leo Ballard trying to sound as sinister as possible? thinks Ruth. A stroll amongst the dead.And what does the first sentence even mean? She thinks it’s a mangled Shakespeare quote but is unwilling to give Ballard the satisfaction of googling it or asking Shona. On the other hand, she doesn’t have any teaching on Wednesdays and she would like to see Grime’s Graves again. She’s also interested to know why Ballard, once such an expert on the flint mines, has been unwelcome at the site for the past twenty years.
She can’t face phoning, so she sends an email suggesting that they meet at the Exhibition Building at nine thirty. After the emotion of the department meeting, she fancies a morning away from the university. David has sent several messages suggesting ‘a council of war’. Ruth knows that she should meet with her colleagues but she can’t help suspecting that David, for one, is rather enjoying being in battle mode. Ruth is just steeling herself to call him when her internal phone rings. It’s Prisha, her PA.
‘Sorry, Ruth, but Anglia TV are outside. They want to interview you.’
There’s nothing Ruth wants less than to appear on the local news, but she knows it’s her duty to put the department’s case. She switches her phone onto selfie mode and winces at her reflection. Her hair, newly washed that morning, now looks greasy because she has run her hands through it so many times. Her nose is pink, and she seems to have acquired new shadows under her eyes. Oh well, it’s what she says that matters. She’s wearing her work clothes, black trousers and a loose white shirt, but, in a desk drawer, she finds a red scarf. She drapes that round her neck and hopes for the best.
The first person she sees is Shona, who is deep in conversation with David. In the light of Shona’s comments about David, this makes Ruth feel even more nervous.
‘Is that what you’re wearing?’ is Shona’s first, surely rhetorical, question.
‘You look great,’ says David.
Shona comes over and rearranges the scarf, flicking one end over her shoulder in a way that reminds Ruth of illustrations ofThe Little Prince.
‘Remember to smile.’
The interviewer explains that, because of Covid, they are using a special extendable microphone. A furry object appears under Ruth’s nose.
‘Dr Galloway. What’s your reaction to the proposed closure of the archaeology department?’
‘I’m shocked,’ says Ruth. ‘The executive board didn’t consult us, and we only learnt about the decision via social media.’ She wonders if she sounds completely out of touch, like a judge asking, ‘What, pray, is a tweet?’ She soldiers on. ‘The archaeology department at UNN is one of the best in the country. We’re going to fight this short-sighted and ignorant decision.’ She pauses. ‘Short-sighted’ is good, ‘ignorant’ less so. She doesn’t want to sound like an intellectual snob. Like Leo Ballard. Et al.
‘Why is archaeology important in this day and age?’ asks the reporter.
‘Archaeology is the study of ordinary people,’ says Ruth. ‘Everyday people,’ she corrects herself. ‘It’s not about kings and queens. It’s about real people living their lives. Farming, baking, mining. When we examine artefacts– see a fingerprint preserved on a Bronze Age tool or a dog’s pawprint on a Roman tile– we are linked to their lives. Norfolk has the oldest human footprints outside Africa. They were found in Happisburgh. Eight hundred thousand years old. Almost a million years old. It’s archaeologists who have helped us to understand them.’
When she finishes a cheer goes up in the background and a banner appears from the upper windows of the Natural Science block.
Save UNN Arch. Dr Ruth Rocks.
Ruth hopes the camera doesn’t catch her wiping her eyes.
When she arrives at Cathbad’s house, Kate and Michael are watching her on television. Ruth averts her eyes from the giant figure on the screen, red nose matching red scarf.
When the interview is finished, the camera pans to the banner hanging from the windows. Kate and Michael both cheer.
‘That’s wonderful,’ says Cathbad. ‘Shows the strength of feeling amongst the students. They’re a good bunch at UNN.’
‘I know,’ says Ruth. ‘I’ve been really touched by their support. The meeting was packed today. But I can’t stop thinking about Sheffield. They put up a hell of a fight and were still closed down.’
‘Did someone do your make-up before you went on TV?’ asks Kate.
‘No,’ says Ruth. ‘I wasn’t wearing make-up.’
