Chapter 19: A Secret Tour of Ancient Treasure
[Spoiler alert: This page contains detailed plot and character information for Chapter 19 of Badlands. Proceed only if you’ve read this far or don’t mind knowing what happens.]
Summary
On a quiet Sunday, Skip Kelly anxiously waits for Edison Nash at the Institute’s parking lot. Nash arrives twenty minutes late in a conspicuous two-toned 1960 Ford F-100, and Skip worries about being seen. The two enter the collections building; Skip avoids recording Nash’s name in the visitor log to dodge questions. They move through the open storage areas, where Nash is awestruck by the museum’s vast trove of prehistoric and historic Pueblo pottery. His excitement peaks when he views the lithic artifacts—spearpoints, fetishes, pendants—and especially a case of paired white quartz lightning stones. Though none are the rare green prasiolite type found with the murdered woman, Nash covets even the museum’s examples and muses about opening the locked cases. As they examine the stones, Nash puzzles aloud over why the victim might have been carrying lightning stones in the desert, suggesting she used them to light her way at night. He then plants the seed of a private investigation, hinting that the FBI knows nothing about archaeology and that the two of them should look into the mystery themselves. Skip, caught between professional caution and growing fascination, listens.
Key Events
- Skip arrives early and watches nervously for Nash, who appears in his vintage truck.
- Nash expresses lingering resentment that the Institute once rejected his donated artifacts, calling archaeologists former “grave robbers.”
- Skip leads Nash through the pottery and lithics collections, bending the rules on a Sunday.
- Nash openly lusts after the lightning stones on display but is told the cases are locked and alarmed.
- Nash floats a theory that the dead woman used lightning stones for illumination in the dark.
- Nash proposes that he and Skip conduct their own investigation, dismissing the FBI’s competence.
Character Development
- Skip Kelly: Though proud of his workplace, he’s anxious about ethical boundaries. He rationalizes the secret tour by telling himself he could claim the FBI sanctioned it, showing his willingness to skirt rules when persuaded—a potential liability going forward.
- Edison Nash: His grudge against the Institute reveals a long-simmering sense of being wronged by institutional authority. His immediate, almost possessive fascination with the lightning stones and his quick pivot to planning an amateur investigation signal a man who sees rules as obstacles and who views himself as more capable than official agents.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
- Contested Provenance and Archaeological Ethics: Nash’s diatribe about archaeologists as “nastiest looters” exposes the hypocrisies in collecting history. The Institute’s rejection of his pieces hangs over the visit, framing the tension between private passion and institutional gatekeeping.
- The Allure of Forbidden Access: The Sunday tour, the unlogged entry, and the locked cases underscore the thrill of seeing what is normally off-limits—and foreshadow the danger of crossing that line.
- Lightstones as Mystery and Temptation: The lightning stones symbolize both the enigma of the dead woman’s last moments and the covetousness they inspire. Nash’s longing to test them physically (to “knock them together”) underlines a practical, experimental approach that may lead him into risky territory.
- Amateur vs. Official Investigation: Nash’s scorn for the FBI sets up a classic tension between grassroots intuition and bureaucratic procedure, hinting that the truth will be pursued outside formal channels.
Why This Chapter Matters
Chapter 19 functions as the ignition point for the novel’s central amateur investigation. It solidifies the alliance between Skip and Nash, moving their relationship from casual acquaintances to co-conspirators. The secret tour not only showcases the world of high-stakes artifact collecting but also establishes Nash’s character as a rule-breaker with a personal grudge, rich knowledge, and dangerous impulsiveness. The logistics of the break-in are not yet discussed, but the groundwork is laid: two men, alone with invaluable ancient objects, now fantasize about solving a murder that the authorities cannot. The chapter also introduces a plausible theory about the lightning stones’ purpose—illumination—that will thread through later discoveries.
Study Questions and Answers
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Why does Skip decide not to log Nash’s name in the visitors’ book?
Skip knows the tour falls in a gray area—Nash has no official credentials—and he wants to avoid leaving a paper trail. He relies on the fact that security video is rarely reviewed unless a crime occurs, revealing his willingness to take small risks when prodded by a persuasive personality. -
How does Nash’s remark about archaeologists being “the nastiest looters and grave robbers of all time” reflect his attitude toward institutional authority?
The comment dismisses the Institute’s moral high ground and justifies his own collecting. It shows he views all artifact acquisition as essentially the same—everyone is a looter—so modern rules are hypocritical. This mindset makes him inclined to ignore laws and handle evidence personally. -
Why is the absence of green prasiolite lightning stones in the Institute’s collection significant?
The white quartz stones are common, but the green variety carried by the murder victim is rare and highly prized. Their absence here emphasizes the uniqueness of the two stones Nash already owns and hints that her stones may have been the target of theft or desire—perhaps a motive for her death.