Pausing at the door, Jack asked Sana to hold his end of the ossuary as he put the key in the lock.

“I like the fact that we can lock up,” Shawn said.

“There are lockable lockers inside as well,” Jack said as they entered the room.

He and Shawn set the ossuary down on the large center table.

“My goodness,” Sana exclaimed. She looked through the glazed door into the gowning room and then through the door beyond, to the laboratory itself. “I can see a brand new Applied Biosystems three thousand one hundred XL from here. This is terrific.”

They all took off their coats and other outerwear and stowed it all in the lockers, except for Shawn’s backpack. He put that on the table next to the ossuary.

“The time has finally arrived,” Shawn exclaimed, eagerly rubbing his hands together and eyeing the ossuary. “I can’t believe I’ve been able to keep my hands off this thing for four days. It’s all your fault, Sana, dear.”

“You’ll be thanking me to no end if we can salvage some mitochondrial DNA,” Sana said. “It will add a whole new dimension to this discovery.”

Shawn zipped open his backpack and pulled out an extension cord and a hair dryer, then a small hammer and chisel.

“How about we all gown up and put on hats and latex gloves,” Sana suggested. “I don’t want to leave even the slightest chance of DNA contamination.”

“Fine with me,” Shawn said, glancing at Jack.

“Absolutely,” Jack said. “But first you guys have to sign the indemnity waiver.”

After the husband and wife signed all the legal papers absolving the OCME from any damages on every front known to man, the three went into the gowning room with ever-increasing anticipation.

“When I first thought about going into archaeology, this is the kind of experience, of significantly adding to history, I thought would be a routine event,” Shawn said, pulling on his gown. “Unfortunately, it is not, so now I’m enjoying every second of it.”

“In molecular biology, we have experiences like this all the time,” Sana said, snapping on her gloves.

“Really?” Shawn questioned.

“I’m joking,” Sana said. “Come on, you guys! Both of you know that science is a slow, plodding affair with only very rare eureka moments. I have to confess, I’ve never before felt this excited in my career, not even close.”

When all three were gowned, gloved, hooded, and masked, Shawn pushed back into the outer room. Plugging in the hair dryer, he turned it on high. Using it like a blowtorch, he directed the hot air at the caramel-colored wax-filled groove between the ossuary’s side and its top. The wax eventually softened enough for him to insert the chisel. After a few taps with the hammer, the chisel hit rock.