Camelot ’ s Reckoning by Caleb Kelly
Chapter 1
The moist ground beneath his knees provided a nice cushion as Oliver carefully raked mounds of dirt away from the excavation site . With each shovel-full of the dark silt , he hoped he would finally uncover something that would make his lifelong dream a reality . Years of being a laughingstock with his peers had soiled his reputation as an archeologist . Perhaps today will be the day I can laugh in their faces , for once .
“ Mr . Lockheart , it has been nearly four days . There ’ s nothing here .”
“ It has to be here ,” Oliver replied to Jeremy Roth , one of the three archeology students on loan from the University of Texas . Oliver threw his garden shovel into the dirt and sat on his haunches . He raised his head and wiped the grimy sweat from his face with the back of his hand . “ All the clues sent us here . There ’ s no doubt about it .”
For his entire life , Oliver had only one desire : to become an archeologist . The thought of history covered by eons of dirt , mud , and decay fascinated him more than anything above ground . When he graduated from Greenville High School , he packed his bags , said goodbye to his family , and moved to Austin , Texas where he got his degree and began his long-sought-after career . He wanted more than anything to find the one artifact that had escaped unearthing since first mentioned in the ninth century .
“ I think it is time to accept that Excalibur is a myth , Mr . Lockheart .” The barrel-chested student placed his hand on
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