Emerson nodded. “You were close. Meriwether Lewis had come across the missing half of the mine map in his travels. He had assumed that it was for a western location. He realized his mistake, and was trying to get it to Jefferson when he was murdered by those who wished to keep the mine a secret. Zeb carried the missing piece to Monticello. With the full map in his possession, Jefferson found the mine, and the tablets. He left the map in the mine. Like Solomon, he decided the tablets were best kept out of sight, and formed an organization to ensure this was the case.”

“The Artichoke Society you said didn’t exist?” Angela said.

“As a member of the society, I’m sworn to secrecy. The original Artichokes consisted of some of the country’s founders. As they aged, they recruited new members to take their place. You might be surprised at the names of current members.”

Austin gave a shake of his head. “I’m not surprised at anything having to do with the subject,” he said. “What happened to the tablets?”

“Jefferson formed a work party that included my ancestor Zeb,” Emerson said. “They found the mine and brought the tablets back here.”

“To Monticello?” Angela said. She glanced around as if the tablets were in plain sight.

Emerson tapped the floor with his shoe. “Under our feet. Preserved in a secret room.”

There was a stunned silence, broken when Trout asked, “Do you think the world will ever be made aware of their existence?”

“That’s up to the Artichokes,” Emerson said. “Maybe future members of the society will decide the time is ripe.”

Nickerson said, “We’re always looking for new members. Anyone on your team would be welcome.”

“Thanks, but we’re away a lot,” Austin said. “But I know someone who would bring youth and intelligence to your group.”

He glanced at Angela, who had wandered off, and was staring at the floor as if she could see through it.

A smile crossed Nickerson’s face.

“Yes. Thank you for the suggestion. And for all your help. I hope it wasn’t inconvenient.”

Austin glanced around at the members of his team. “Not at all. We enjoyed ourselves, didn’t we?”

Paul Trout blinked his eyes a few times. Keeping a poker face, he said, “I can’t wait to write ‘What I Did on My Vacation.’”

NUMA 7 - The Navigator

Epilogue

AUSTIN HAULED IN THE MAINSHEET on his catboat, keeping the big sail tight to the wind, while Carina handled the tiller. She pointed the wide bow toward a turquoise research vessel anchored near a Chesapeake Bay island. As the sailboat came up on the vessel, she made a quick turn into the wind, and the sailboat plowed to a stop.

“Nicely done!” Austin said.

“Thanks. I owe it to my teacher.”