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〃No grails？ No veils？ No holy mangers？〃
Nikos grinned。 〃My search is for the instruments of torture and death。 They have terms for those； too。Ex stipite affixionis refers to the whipping post。 The crown of thorns is calledCoronse spinse。
〃The thornbush still grows in the hills of Israel and Lebanon。 Botanists have identified it asZizyphus bulgaris lam； a bush that grows to twenty feet。 Its thorns appear in pairs。 What we call a crown was probably a cap that fitted over the entire top of the head。 Supposedly the one used for Jesus held sixty or seventy thorns。 After it was rediscovered by Constantine's mother； most of the thorns were broken off and given as relics。 She gave them out like candy； and they were handed down through the generations。 History records that the emperor Justinian gave one thorn to Germanus； bishop of Paris； in 565。 Mary； Queen of Scots； gave some to an earl。 Eight thorns resided in the Oviedo Cathedral until the Spanish Civil War。 Only five thorns survived the destruction。〃 Nikos lowered his voice。 〃And I own two of them。〃
The Egyptian tried arranging these clues。 Nikos had some system here； and the system was his answer。 But it eluded him。 Nikos wanted his batch of sacred art and the tidbits of martyrdom to reach back to the beginning。 Maybe that's all there was to it； the antiquarian's urge toward oldness or a prototype。
Nikos continued the tour； pointing at this or that relic。 One he had obtained from a British mando who stole it from a cathedral during his tour of duty in Northern Ireland。 Another came from a museum in Berlin immediately after the Wall fell。 He had a number of bones looted from an Armenian church in Jerusalem following the terrible Dead Sea Rift earthquake。 Several more pieces had been pilfered from the famous Year Zero collection。 Disasters and man…made schisms had furnished his collection。
The Egyptian began to notice other aspects of the collection。 All of the containers had been opened。 Their contents had been loosely returned to the hollow interiors； like the hank of hair； or else laid beside the container。 Dozens of ampules and capsules of different…colored glass had been cut open； then placed upon small squares of surgical gauze。 They looked like rare cocoons。 Behind every domo stood a small rack of test tubes with red or yellow or blue plastic stoppers； each labelled with lab tags。 Nestled in their bellies were fragments of bone； wood； hair； dust； or splinters。
The Egyptian gave up trying to guess Nikos's purpose。 〃I don't understand；〃 he said。 〃You have cultivated an impressive knowledge about early Christianity。 You have gathered together artifacts that are 2000 years old。 But then you tear them to pieces。〃 He picked up a gold and crystal container； and the opening in the back gaped like a wound。 A sudden flash of recognition jolted him。 〃Wait。 You mean to say。。。。〃
〃Yes；〃 said Nikos。 〃I am hunting Jesus。〃
The Egyptian coughed。 He was astonished。 Exhilarated。 He shivered with the cold。 The audacity。 Only Nikos。 〃Christ is your prey？〃
Nikos shook his finger。 〃Not Christ；〃 he said。 〃Jesus。〃
〃The same thing。〃
〃Not at all。 Christ is faith。 Jesus is history。 I mean to excavate through two thousand years of superstitions and myth and religious baubles and to find his evidence。〃
〃Is such a thing possible？〃
〃People claimed Troy was a myth。 That Agamemnon and Nestor were mere fictions。 No longer。〃
〃But they left ruins and gold。 What could be left of a peasant who。。。。〃 The Egyptian stopped himself。 〃Blood；〃 he murmured。
〃Yes；〃 said Nikos。 〃The DNA of God。〃
As the Egyptian looked around the refrigerated reliquary； the brazen undertaking came rushing together。 The artifacts； the blood traces； the labs。 He was thrilled by the challenge Nikos had set； and felt himself tumbling into the mystery。 A thousand questions crowded in。
〃One must be careful；〃 Nikos pronounced。 〃Jesus is a trickster。 He has hidden himself behind thousands of years of storytellers。 I demand hard proof。〃
Nikos paused and took down a primitive tin with early Christian etchings on the outside。 〃This was one of my first purchases。 It was very exciting；〃 he said； lifting the lid。 A small； crude cross…perhaps two inches high…set on the bottom。 〃The preliminary tests suggested it might have e from the true Cross。 The wood was dated to the first century。 Further it was a type of pine that only grows at 1；000 feet above sea level。 It has traces of blood； see？ The genotype was Levantine。 Semitic。 Unfortunately it came from a woman。 Unless Jesus had breasts and a womb。。。and a double X sex chromosome。。。my little souvenir was a fake。 It taught me a lesson； though。 The road is long。〃
〃But how will you ever recognize the blood evidence even if you find it？〃
〃Didn't you know？〃 Nikos said。 〃Jesus was blood type AB。〃
〃Now you're joking。〃
Nikos kept a straight face。 〃In the eighth century； so the story goes； in the monastery of St。 Longinus； named for the Roman soldier who pierced Jesus with a lance； the wine and Host became actual blood and flesh。 The blood congealed into five pellets。 The circle of flesh dried into a thin disc。 In 1970； two professors of human anatomy were allowed to analyze the relics。 Their conclusion？ The disc of flesh was striated muscle tissue from the wall of a human heart。 The blood was type AB。〃 He paused。 A grin erupted。 〃Of course； the professors were Italian。〃
〃And so my question stands；〃 said the Egyptian。 〃Even if you find the blood of Jesus on a splinter of wood； how will you know it is true？〃
〃I won't know；〃 Nikos said more somberly。 〃But at least I will know if it is false。〃
The Egyptian was baffled all over again。 〃Why not call it all false and be done with it？ Let the faithful have their visions and miracles。 Why mutilate these ornaments？〃
〃Surely a man of science understands；〃 Nikos answered him。 〃Desecration is knowledge。 Doubt is faith。〃
〃Yes； if one is looking for the center of the universe or the structure of an atom。〃
〃And so I am； my friend。〃
〃But you said it yourself。 Even if you find what you're looking for； you'll never know if it is true。〃
〃And yet I will have touched it； even if I didn't know it。〃
The Egyptian wasn't sure what to make of that。 Here was a rational man。 He was filled with worldly skepticism； but seeking some hidden moment。 〃You contradict yourself；〃 he said to Nikos。
The Egyptian knew he should have expected something like this。 He tried to recall his Homer； or was it Tennyson？ Odysseus sets off with an oar across one shoulder。 He leaves upon a quest with no end。 He looked at Nikos。 After a minute； the Egyptian said； 〃I'm cold。〃
〃Ah；〃 said Nikos； angry at his own bad manners。 〃Forgive me。〃
On their way out of the chamber； Nikos paused beside a small wooden crate by the door。 〃A new acquisition arrived two days ago。 Very old。 Very exciting。 I took one look and decided to wait before trying to dissect it。 It might interest you。 Would you care to help me？ In the outer room； where it's warm。〃
The Egyptian was touched by the generosity。 He held the door while Nikos carried the crate。 The last rays of sunlight felt glorious。 Nikos placed the crate on a table at the far end of the windows。 He turned on a lamp and they each sat in chairs。 A drawer held his tools and specimen kit。 The Egyptian remarked on the pleteness of his outfit。
Together they carefully lifted out a fourteen…inch silver and gold cross with a hollow interior。 Nikos sprayed off the dust with an aerosol can for cleaning camera lenses； then lay the cross on a white foam sheet。 〃It es from a Serb church in Kosovo looted by the KLA。 Their asking price was 1。8 million U。S。 My agent countered with 125；000 and they grabbed it。 They had no idea its real worth。 I didn't either。〃
〃It looks magnificent；〃 mented the Egyptian。
Nikos appraised it more coldly； making notes on a legal pad。 Each arm of the cross； front and back； displayed a different holy man in early Byzantine design。 They were two…dimensional； verging on cartoons with halos of silver。 But the figures stood out against the gold background； their incised lines filled with niello； a black enamel。 Judging by the artwork； Nikos guessed its date at 300C。E 。 He was unimpressed。 〃Let's hope the contents are at least two centuries older than that；〃 he said。
Unlike many of the other artifacts； this one had no little window through which to see the enclosed relic。 The Egyptian weighed it in his hands and determined the cross was clearly hollow。 〃What if there is nothing inside？〃 he asked。
Nikos laid down his pencil。 〃Then we will have our dinner that much sooner；〃 he said cheerfully。 He swivelled a magnifying lens over the artifact。 〃Now；〃 he spoke to it； 〃how do we enter your labyrinth？〃
He turned the cross over several times。 In the center of the back； a blot of red seal wax carried a bishop's imprint。 Nikos did not recognize the imprint。 He took several photos with a small camera； then pried away the wax in chunks。 Underneath； the surface was blank。
〃You can never tell where the door to the house might be；〃 he said。 〃Oftentimes thedomo is hinged on one side； or the top lifts off or a hidden lid is nested into the surface。 Others simply have a hollow bui