‘Perhaps you should ask for a boot up your arse,’ the Englishman snapped. ‘Nina, are you out of your bloody mind? Fifty grand! That’s like giving him Macy’s college fund!’

‘I don’t think you appreciate just how much an Ivy League education costs . . .’ But she was already wavering. Eddie was right: without the financial backing of the university or her former employer, the International Heritage Agency, she would effectively be taking money from her family to indulge her archaeological curiosity.

The thought of Macy swayed her. ‘No, you’re right,’ she admitted. ‘That was a dumb idea. I think younger me took over for a moment. Sorry, Mr Krämer, but I’ve changed my mind.’

The sailor was taken aback. ‘If you do not buy it now, I will sell it to someone else,’ he insisted.

‘And then you’ll try to stiff them too? Dangerous business.’

‘Yeah,’ Eddie rumbled. ‘You might try it on someone who isn’t as nice as us.’

‘I can get the money,’ Cheng insisted. He raised his phone. ‘I will call now—’

Nina put her hand over it. ‘Cheng, no. We should leave.’

He looked at her in surprise. ‘But the key – it could prove my theory!’

She had already had similar thoughts: the artefact could be new evidence of a civilisation that long pre-dated humanity. But that was a can of worms she was unsure she wanted to reopen – and besides, a little voice at the back of her mind warned that Krämer was full of shit. ‘It might, or it might not,’ she told the Chinese youth. ‘But this guy, this thief, is just out to rip you off. I don’t believe there are any other buyers at all. Maybe we should set the price – and it’ll be a damn sight less than fifty thousand euros.’

‘Easy way to find out,’ said Eddie. ‘We’ll go and see how long it takes him to call us back.’

‘No, I can get the money,’ said Cheng. ‘I want to—’

‘Mr Hui,’ Nina said firmly. ‘Do you want to pass my class?’

‘Yes, but—’

‘Then do what I tell you! Remember what I said about young people not listening to older people with the experience to know what the hell they’re talking about? This is one of those times. Come on. We’re going.’

He huffed, summoning the courage to challenge her. ‘No, no. You can’t make me!’

She almost laughed. ‘Wow, it’s like Macy came with us!’

‘She might not be able to make you,’ said Eddie. ‘But I can.’ While the Yorkshireman was fairly stocky, he was still taller than Cheng, and he moved closer to loom over him.

‘Cheng,’ said Nina, ‘let’s go. Now.’ She closed his bag, then started for the door. The young man reluctantly followed, Eddie behind him.