I need to know where a person could get one.” “Well, I’ve told you, there aren’t any museums in the vicinity. Exham is a remote town; who needs museums here?” No museums, Lydia thought. No beam hewers. “Except, of course,” Fredrick continued, “the artifacts owned by the college.” Lydia stared. “You mean there’s a museum here? On campus?” “No, but there are exhibits. The archaeology department sponsors several digs per year. Several battles of the Revolution were fought nearby, and early colony settlements were scattered all over Exham. We’ve got more musket barrels, bent bayonets, and crushed powder horns than you can shake a stick at.” “Fine,” Lydia said. “But do you have any beam hewers?” “Why, of course,” Fredrick answered. Lydia wanted to shout the next question into his face, but she managed to calm herself. “Why didn’t you tell me that before?” “You specifically asked me about independent museums, not college archaeological properties.”
