"Alright, then." Melinda smiles. "I'll go pack now, you book a flight on one of those cheap European airlines." She turns and head to the top floor of the field office, where her bedroom is, and unless Miriam wants to go take a peek, there's nothing of interest until the professor comes back down.
Palermo Del Roggia, Italy
A few hours later, Melinda and her student are driving a rented jeep through the Sicilian countryside. "Argh, damn it..." She curses, as the GPS begins to flicker, and dies. "I don't remember how to get to the site. Let's stop and ask for directions." Stopping the car in an idyllic little hamlet, she gets out.
"Excuse me, do you speak English?" She approaches an elderly man, who nods. "A little, madam. How may I help?" He gives the two women a friendly smile. "We're looking for directions. There's an old Roman ruin not that far from here, do you know where it is?"
The moment Melinda talks about the ruin, the man's face drops, and the young archaeologist sees a hint of fear. "Hm? No, you don't want to go there." He shakes his head vigorously. "No, no." He shakes his head as Melinda tries to ask again. "Err, no Inglese." The old guy lamely tries to pretend that he doesn't know English. "Scusi, signora." He heads into a doorway, closing the door behind him. "Weird." Melinda speaks softly to herself. "Does anyone speak English?" She calls out, only for the crowd to ignore her.
"Ahem..." The professor faces Miriam. "Mind searching for someone who can speak English and doesn't want to run away? If not, see if you can buy a map. I'll be working on the GPS."