by Summer Lee
Cranston narrowed his eyes. He appeared as if he was a different person. “Of course I’m okay. I’m just glad that you’re finally doing something constructive with your life, Daniel.”
“You sound like my dad.” Daniel couldn’t shake the feeling that something was now off. His gut told him to be extremely careful. “So, Alan! Are you telling me everything I should know about this trip? I mean, is there some little detail you’re leaving out?”
“No-o!” the older man answered sharply, with his eyes solidly on the envelope.
Daniel studied the older man’s face. He didn’t take his eyes off of him until he had the manila envelope in his own hands. He then opened the flap and pulled out a stack of papers. There were pictures from just about every angle of the Shroud of Turin on display in the Cathedral of Turin. He noticed that it was encased is some sort of glass. He then looked over the papers which happened to show the itinerary of the positioning of the security and what type of system the Cathedral had to protect the shroud.
“What the...?” Daniel felt anxiety and was momentarily at a loss for words.
“What’s the problem?”
“I’m not stupid, Alan! This looks like plans to steal the Shroud of Turin! There are floor plans and guard locations, as well as pictures of the shroud from every possible angle! What’s going on, Alan?”
Cranston remained abnormally calm. “It’s information on the shroud. That’s all it is. You don’t think you can just walk in and start doing research on this artifact. Do you? You have to act like you know something about the very thing that you want to do research on. How would it look if you walked in and told the powers that be that you want to perform your psychological research on something you know nothing about? They would laugh you back to the States.”
Daniel thought about it. It made sense. He had to know something about the shroud. “How do you know I don’t know anything about it?”
“Ha-ha.” Cranston laughed. “What do you know about the Shroud of Turin, Daniel? Please, tell me.” His sarcasm did not go unnoticed.
Daniel still had his phone open in his lap. He glared at Cranston and cleared his throat. “I know that it is supposed to be the cloth that was laid over Jesus when he was buried, and that it has an impression of his face on it.” He glanced down at his phone. “I’ve read about a fire in 1532 that could have greatly affected the venality content of lignite in all parts of the shroud equally. The unscorched parts of the folded cloth could not have become very hot. The cloth’s center would not have heated at all in the time available. The rapid change in color from black to white at the margins of the scorches illustrates this fact.”
Alan looked at the phone and laughed. “Close the phone.”
Daniel searched his mind for any other piece of information that would not make him look like a fool in front of Cranston. He dismissed everything he saw in the movies. He closed the phone and looked Alan in the face.
“What next?” Cranston waited for Daniel to respond, until he realized that the young man was not speaking. He said, “Do you know what STURP is?”
“What is it?”
“What did the popes have to say about the shroud and which ones said it? These are some of the many things that you will need to know before they will let you get close to the shroud.”
The frustration came over Daniel, because he knew Cranston was right on just about everything. “That’s what this girl is for. Right? She knows all of that stuff, so I’m in the clear.”
“In the clear?” Cranston said, with a mocking tone. “Far from it. You were here when I told you that she is not there for you. She will have her own agenda with the shroud. You are on your own with the research part of it once you get there. Although you are a smart one. The only way I could possibly see otherwise, is if you somehow managed to convince her that it would be in her best interest to help you out. I guess you could try to do that.”
Daniel knew that he was extremely good at getting people to do what he wanted. He saw the same traits for the first time in Cranston. He didn’t know whether to admire him or be cautious of him. He decided to do both. “So Alan, you’re basically telling me to do whatever it takes to get my research done.”
“I’m sorry if that’s what you got out of what I said, Daniel. I merely suggested that you utilize your strengths to accomplish something that you’ve never tried before. Don’t limit yourself by what society has said you can’t do, but by what you know in your heart you can do.”
Daniel started to laugh at his realization. “Psych major, Alan?”
Cranston smirked. “Birds of a feather, Daniel. Not to change the subject, but I really do wish you all the best on your new path and what I would assume to be your greatest adventure to date.”
“You’re building this up a lot, Alan. It’s almost as if you have something to gain by my going on this trip. If I didn’t know better, I’d say you were setting me up for something. I just haven’t figured out what, yet.”
Cranston’s smile faded, as he grabbed the papers and pictures and placed them in one of the desk drawers. “If that’s how feel, Daniel, then perhaps you should forget it. You can go crawling back to your parents and beg them to put you back on the payroll, or you can go to Italy and come back with something to show them and yourself. This is your choice. I keep telling you that. I do need to know soon though. As I told you, your potential traveling companion is waiting.”
“I already said I was in, Alan.”
“Yes, you did, but you also appeared torn between the truth and some kind of fantasy that you were creating.” The smile returned to Cranston’s face. “I’ll make the arrangements then. I will call you when I have the gate and departure time. Make sure you’re at Fresno Yosemite International Airport at least two hours before departure. She will meet you at the gate.”
Daniel narrowed his eyes at Cranston. “What does she look like? How will I know who she is?”
“You can’t miss her,” Cranston responded. “She will be the only Native American female at that gate.”
“That’s pretty vague, chief. Why aren’t you telling me what I need to know?” Daniel was becoming unnerved again.
Cranston leaned close to the younger man and placed one hand on his shoulder. “Daniel. When going on a new path, the greatest thrill is one of self-discovery. Explore this bold new world of yours, young man! Sometimes getting there is half the fun.”
Daniel felt like he was going around in circles, so he decided to end it. “Good. I’ll wait for your phone call. Make sure you call me with enough time.” He looked toward the drawer where Cranston put the papers. “I take it I don’t get that stuff to help me.”
“I take it that you would have just thrown it away, after you left this office, Daniel.”
Daniel laughed. “Yeah. You’re right. Well, it looks like Italy, here I come.”
Little did Daniel DiBenedetto know that he was walking right into the middle of a shroud controversy.
TWO
The young lady stood with her arms folded in front of her, as she waited patiently for the loading of her flight to begin.
She didn’t mind the wait. It gave her time to reflect on everything that had led her to that moment. She smiled, as she remembered how hard she worked studying the historical significance of her first biblical artifact.
The Gauntlets of Samson.
She had gotten special permission form the Turkish government to explore the area where Noah’s Ark had reportedly been sighted. No one else could get that clearance, no matter how hard they tried. Her being Cherokee Indian probably helped her cause, in her eyes. She was also a historian, not an archeologist. That may have given her an extra edge.
She had done all the research needed on the shroud, but to see the burial covering in person was something special for her.
She stood proud, not as a representative of her heritage, but someone who was going to get to add the Shroud of Turin to her resume. She was the first American Indi
an to have gotten that far in her research, but she didn’t want to be remembered that way.
She was tired of people referring to her as the first female American this, or the first Native American that. She wanted to be known for her work, not her race or gender. That was a tough hurdle to overcome, but overcome it she would. She had her mother’s determination and her father’s stubbornness.
She proved at an early age that she was independent and smart enough to make her own path in the world. Her embracing of the modern world upset many of her family. She didn’t denounce the traditional ways, but she felt she had to reinvent herself to stay at the top of the pack.
Her parents supported her decisions and loved that she had a mind of her own. They never doubted her success, in spite what the naysayers said.
She stood proudly dressed in her chestnut-colored Ugg boots, blue jeans, and the tan colored oversized tunic that hung down almost to her knees. Her dark brown eyes were framed by her light brown hair, with one long braid that reached down to her waist. She wore a silver charm bracelet that had charms representing her entire family.
She never took it off. Ever.
She smiled at the thought of not having anyone sitting beside her on the plane. The thought of just being lost in her thoughts the entire time, had a calming effect on her. She didn’t even try to get anyone to go with her, in spite of the fact that her grant included an extra ticket.
“Hey!” A male voice came from beside her.
She jumped, startled her out of her thoughts.
“Are you an American Indian? You sure look like it to me.”
“What?” Her mouth dropped and her eyes widened, as she turned toward the well-groomed young man glaring at her, with a huge carry-on bag over his shoulder. She took a step backward. Raising her eyebrows, she said, “I’m sorry! What did you say?”
He sighed and looked around, as if he might have been mistaken. “Look. You have the tan and you’re almost dressed like... a modern Native American. I guess. Are you or aren’t you? I don’t have time to wait until you close your mouth.”
“You’re rude.” She looked away. Her shock turned to a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach. She would not let anyone break her calm.
“Please,” he begged.
She grinned. “I am Cherokee, unless you were looking for a specific Native American other than Cherokee.” The sarcasm flowed easily as she studied him. He practically towered over her 5’3” frame, but she was not intimidated.
He laughed. “Okay, okay! I didn’t mean to ruffle your feathers, chief.” He realized what he had just called a Native American woman and felt embarrassed. “I’m not a racist or anything. Honest. I call everyone chief.”
She took one step back from the annoying intruder. “Do you have a point to make, or is this just something you do to complete strangers at airports?”
He looked at her, as if she was the one making a spectacle of herself. “I’m just trying to find my ride to Italy! I don’t want to get into a war or anything! Are you going to Italy? I was told to meet a female Native American here, so that I can hitch a ride to Turin, Italy. If you’re not her, then I’ll leave you alone.”
That would normally have been her opportunity to give him the brush off and tell that she was going somewhere else, but she couldn’t lie. That was instilled in her by her mother. No matter what the circumstance, don’t lie. Even to strangers.
She could just say nothing and he would leave, but she became curious as to who told him to meet her there. She had to know. “Who told you about me?”
“Alan Cranston,” he replied, nonchalantly. “You should know him, if you’re the person he was talking about. Are you the person he was talking about?”
She grimaced. “You sure talk a lot for a male. Yes, I know him. Why would he send you here, without informing me about it first?”
He shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that he kept telling that I had to make my own way or something like that.”
“You have to make your own way at my expense,” she responded, in disgust. “I have a right to know what is going on!” She was letting herself get angry and she would have none of that.
She took in several deep breaths and then said, “I assume that I am supposed to lug you around all over Italy with me. Is that it?”
He laughed. “Hah! Yeah, right! Ha ha!”
“Are you to be my assistant then?”
“No, of course not. He said that you would help me with my research. He insinuated that takes precedence over your stuff.”
“Oh-h.” There was rage in her tone of voice. She narrowed her eyes at him, knowing full well that Cranston would have never said that. She wasn’t sure what the young man’s game was, but it would have been easy to just call Cranston and confirm her new traveling companion’s story. She decided to just let it play out. “What’s your name?”
“Daniel. Daniel DiBenedetto. Pleased to meet you... uh...”
She gritted her teeth, as she said, “Magena Night-cloud. Some call me Magenta. Actually, you can if you like.”
Daniel looked confused. “Muh-geh-na? Wow. No wonder you want to be called Magenta. Magenta, it is. Can I call you Mags?”
She shook her head adamantly. “I would prefer you didn’t. My name is sacred and means Coming Moon, in case you’re interested.”
He shrugged. “Not really, but thanks for the extra info.”
The speaker overhead came on. They both looked up, as the voice on the intercom announced the boarding of their flight.
“Passport?” she said disparagingly.
Daniel pulled it out from his back pocket and smiled.
She forced a smile and decided to make a mental note to let her frustration out on Cranston at a later date. “As much as I feel I’m going to regret saying this... let’s board.”
THREE
As the plane touched down in their final destination of Turin, Magena decided to quickly email Alan Cranston on her iPad:
Greetings from Italy, Dr. Cranston!
The pilot told us that the weather is a beautiful 65 degrees with absolutely no wind. How’s that for perfect? The flight was really quiet and uneventful. That was also perfect.
You know how I hate unpleasant surprises.
There was this obnoxious person sitting next to me, who wouldn’t stop complaining about traveling coach. I have a feeling he’ll be following me around in Turin.
I sure hope he doesn’t get in the way of my research. It would be a shame if he got lost... or something.
Anyway, thanks for all of your communication. I can’t wait to find out what happens next!
Very sincerely,
M. Night-cloud.
She smiled as she clicked send. Putting her iPad in her fanny pack, she prepared for the plane to come to a complete stop.
***
“I get that you don’t like me,” Daniel said, quietly and with a touch of frustration. “I can tell that you don’t care to get to know me. That’s cool. Actually, I don’t really want to know you either. I think I know all I need to know about you. I do know that Italy can be confusing, if you don’t have someone with you who knows the ins and outs of a foreign land. There are perils that you could never dream of.”
She narrowed her eyes at him, with a look of disgust. “You really do talk more than a woman does! Has anyone ever told you that?”
Daniel refused to make eye contact with her. “Sometimes. It’s funny about that though. I said the same thing to Alan.”
“Your lack of respect for Dr. Cranston’s position, if nothing else, is infuriating,” she huffed, as she noticed the plane was still and the flight attendant was making her announcements. “It’s time to go get our luggage, Mr. DiBenedetto.”
She unbuckled her seat belt and stood up to get her carry-on bag from the overhead compartment. She smirked at Daniel and proceeded to exit the plane with the rest of the passengers.
He stood up slowly, looked out of one
of the window portals, then walked quietly behind Magena. “Where are we headed next?”
Magena sighed. Without turning around she said, “We’re going to the terminal, so that we can get our luggage. From there, we will wait for the shuttle to take us to the Jet Hotel, where we have two separate rooms. Fortunately for you, the rooms were included with the ticket. I was expecting an empty room next to me...”
“Adjoining rooms?” he interrupted, while laughing. “You’re just not going to get away from me. Are you?”
“I can wish.”
“I only brought one small bag with enough clothes for about three days. I figured we wouldn’t be here any longer than that.”
Magena giggled, as she shook her head. “Did you even bother to find out how long we were actually going to be in Italy?”
“No.” He stopped short before leaving the plane. “How long are we going to be here?”
“Great time to ask that,” she replied, with a sufficient amount of sarcasm. “I don’t know about you, but I’m going to be here at least two months.”
“No!” Daniel needed to know more about the shroud. As he was waiting for the line to move so he could exit the plane, he took his phone out again. Clicking on his Internet, he googled “The Shroud of Turin” again. He read that researchers had cut a piece from the Shroud to test it. It was just a thin 7x1 cm sliver of linen that was used for carbon dating. That was all that was needed.
He read, “These tests were carried out in the University of Padua laboratories. They were conducted by professors from various Italian universities, led by an Italian professor of mechanical and thermal measurement at the University of Padua’s engineering faculty. A report of the findings was published in a journal in July 2013.” Daniel would need to know more about that.
The 15-and-a-half hour trip to Turin, Italy had been abnormally quiet. Even though there were two scheduled stops, Daniel tried his hardest to strike up several conversations, but when they boarded the plane in Fresno, she made it clear that she preferred that they each kept to themselves. Magena remained evasive all day. She did not appear to have the need to repeat herself.
