Artifacts had gone on an archaeological dig What said Lottie turning to face her great uncle You’ve never heard of Lady Viola The famous treasure hunter The woman who unearthed the Jeweled Skull of Marrakesh She’s in all the newspapers Ah I see I haven’t read a paper since 1918 so I must have missed it said Uncle Bert still admiring the belt buckles However if she’s a trained archaeologist I very much look forward to meeting her Lottie raised her eyebrows and turned 4
back to Lady Viola and the reporters She still couldn’t believe that Uncle Bert had never heard of Lady Viola She was one of Lottie’s heroes She was the daughter of a nobleman and went on daring expeditions to recover lost treasures Her adventures were always in the papers and Lottie had cuttings of every story she could find about her She crept forward to hear what Lady Viola was saying Gentlemen calm down Lady Viola smiled I have returned home to my beloved London as I am on the trail of one of the most 5
elusive items in history I hope the British Museum’s unique library may contain clues to the whereabouts of she paused for dramatic effect the Eagle of the Ninth Legion Lottie gasped She didn’t need Uncle Bert to explain what that was The eagle was the standard which is a statue used as a symbol of the legendary lost Ninth Legion a Roman battalion of ten thousand men who mysteriously went missing when a mist descended on them on the battlefield But that’s just a myth shouted one of the reporters So was the Crystal Crown of Casablanca before I tracked it down said Lady Viola with 6
a wink The reporters laughed Now if you’ll excuse me I have research to do Lottie marveled at the way she elegantly turned and walked away from the crowd So composed So charming she thought Out of my way pip-squeak said Lady Viola as Lottie rushed to hold the door open for her So rude Uncle Bert held out his hand to shake Lady Viola’s but she walked past him without even looking Old man where are the books in this 7
