Milano
A llegra made her way down the familiar hallway to the Vice Chancellor’s office. It had been over fifteen years since Antonio Rosselli’s brutal murder but she still missed her kind-hearted mentor dreadfully. She knew Rosselli had been on the cusp of revealing the secrets contained in the Omega Scroll and that Cardinal Petroni was somehow involved. Allegra and Giovanni were more determined than ever to uncover what was in the Omega Scroll, but other than storming the vaults of the Vatican it seemed there was little they could do. That was about to change.
‘You wanted to see me, Professor Gamberini?’ Allegra asked at the door of the Vice Chancellor’s office.
‘Come in, Allegra. Have a seat.’
Professor Gamberini was immaculately groomed from his fine dark hair to his tailored pinstriped suit and polished black leather shoes. He was the antithesis of Antonio Rosselli yet his gentle and open manner reminded her, painfully, of her beloved Professor. Gamberini had taken over the role of mentor, encouraging Allegra to continue with her scientific discoveries, and he was diligently fostering her growing international reputation.
‘Have you ever been to Jerusalem?’ Professor Gamberini asked, coming straight to the point.
Allegra’s heart skipped a beat and she immediately thought of Giovanni. She had been thrilled when he had been promoted to archbishop two years ago, and it had given her some small satisfaction to learn that their nemesis, Cardinal Petroni, had furiously opposed the promotion but had been overruled.
‘No, why do you ask?’ she replied, uncertain of what was coming next.
‘One of the great cities of the world,’ Professor Gamberini observed. ‘The Hebrew University there is offering two interesting new scholarships in archaeology, the Medina Scholarships, a sabbatical for up to four years of research and study of the Dead Sea Scrolls. One for an Israeli scholar, and one for an exchange scholar from overseas. What do you think?’
‘Who, me?’ Allegra replied, wondering if her quest for the Omega Scroll might be taking a new turn.
Professor Gamberini looked around his office. ‘There’s no one else in the room,’ he said with a smile. ‘The chair of the selection panel is an Israeli archaeologist, Professor Kaufmann. He was an old friend of Professor Rosselli and suggested your name be put forward. I think you will like him. You’ve studied Hebrew, I understand.’
‘I took it as an option when I was an undergraduate, but that was years ago. When is the selection panel, Professor? I will need to prepare.’ Already Allegra’s mind was racing ahead.
‘They’ve already selected the Israeli scholar, a Dr David Kaufmann. Professor Kaufmann’s son, so naturally enough the Professor stood aside from the panel for that one. I’m familiar with David’s work and he’s a very successful archaeologist in his own right, and very single too,’ he added mischievously. ‘In your case, Yossi Kaufmann and I have already spoken.’
‘I don’t understand, Professor Kaufmann and I have never met,’ Allegra replied, ignoring his remark on the marital status of the Israeli academic. Allegra had buried the prospect of a relationship with a man a long time ago, and it was not something she was ready to consider.
‘Your name came up in conversation during my last trip to Israel. He was very interested in your research on DNA and the Dead Sea Scrolls. I’ve taken the liberty of sending him a copy of your doctoral thesis and he will use that to evaluate your candidacy. I’ve already raised the issue with the academic board here and they’re prepared to give you leave for up to four years if you’re successful. Access to the Dead Sea Scrolls held in the Shrine of the Book Museum is guaranteed but for some reason there seems to be considerable opposition to any access to those housed in the Rockefeller Museum. A Monsignor Lonergan on the staff of the museum is kicking up quite a fuss. The usual academic jealousy I expect but that shouldn’t bother you too much, assuming you’re successful, of course,’ he added with a warm smile.
Allegra left the Vice Chancellor’s office with her mind in a whirl. Jerusalem, Bethlehem and the Holy Land. Who knows, her search for the Omega Scroll could continue more closely there. Giovanni would have all the contacts, she thought, then she pulled herself together.
‘Get a grip, girl!’ she said to herself. ‘They don’t give scholarships for study of the Dead Sea Scrolls to Italian scientists.’