Alex Mitchell - The 13th Tablet

She was suddenly brought out of her reverie by a light tap on her shoulder and a familiar voice from the past. She couldn’t quite put her finger on who it belonged to and yet she did recognise it.

‘Hi Mina,’ the voice said quietly again, ‘your parents told me I’d find you here.’

Mina was afraid to turn around. She was frozen to her chair. A few seconds passed before she could summon up her courage. She slowly turned round, raised her eyes and saw her dear friend Liat. Mina had tried contacting her many times since she’d returned from Thailand, but Liat had made it clear she needed time and space, while she recovered from her wounds. Mina thought Liat would never want to speak to her again. She’d suffered greatly at the hands of Oberon’s henchmen in their attempt to make her reveal anything she knew about Mina’s tablet. Another wave of guilt swept over Mina.

As Mina looked at her friend, the fine-tuned speeches she’d prepared in the unlikely case she’d meet her again, all the words of explanation and justification vanished. Tears began to stream down her face. Liat’s face still carried the thin scars of her ordeal. They didn’t make her less attractive. On the contrary, they made her look wiser.

‘Liat, I’m so, so sorry,’ whispered Mina, her gaze dropping to the floor.

Liat stroked her hand, trying to soothe her sobbing friend. Slowly lifted Mina’s chin with her hand and looked into her eyes.

‘It’s over, Mina,’ said Liat softly, by this time also weeping profusely, ‘I forgive you, but this time I want the whole story,’ adding ‘and a cigarette!’

Mina burst out laughing amid her tears. She stood up clumsily and gave Liat a long hug.

‘I can’t believe you’ve taken up smoking!’ said Liat, ‘Miss my-body’s-my-temple!’ she grinned and snitched a cigarette from Mina’s packet.

They sat down and Mina ordered two drinks. Liat watched her friend smile. It was odd, as if all the smiles that had been locked away had been bundled together. She wasn’t far wrong. Mina beamed, unbelievably happy to be reunited with her friend. She also smiled because she knew that this time she could take Liat on a shopping spree in New York — Oberon’s grant money was still being credited to her account every quarter. And last, but certainly not least, Mina smiled because she’d finally be able to properly introduce Liat to Jack that evening.

Alex Mitchell(Dr. Alexandre G. Mitchell) is an Honorary Associated Researcher at the Institute of Archaeology, Oxford University, where he did his D.Phil in Classical Archaeology.

He specialises in ancient Greek material culture. He is fascinated by what made people laugh in the ancient world, especially what it reveals about politics and society. His first book Greek Vase Painting and the Origins of Visual Humour (2009) was published by Cambridge University Press. His current research focuses on the reception of classical myths, statesmen and art in editorial cartoons from the turn of the 20th century to the present day.

As a fiction writer, Alex enjoys sharing his take on history and myth, weaving it into the plot of a fast-paced thriller. His first novel, The 13th Tablet , comes out in paperback on July 2 2012 in the UK, October 2012 in the US (paperback & ebook).

Find more about The 13th Tablet at www.alexmitchellauthor.com