The Adventurer

to be interrupted in the middle of writing.
    "Look, if I've caught you at an awkward moment, I could come back later," she offered.
    "Good idea. How much later?"
    "In a couple of hours, say?"
    The edge of his mouth lifted faintly. The hint of amusement vanished almost instantly. "Forget it. Might as well get this over and done. I get the feeling you're the persistent type. Tell me why you've suddenly decided to go treasure hunting, Ms. Fleetwood."
    "It's time," Sarah said simply.
    "What do you mean, it's time?"
    "I just have a feeling about it."
    "How long have you known about the legend of the Flowers?"
    "Almost a year. The story has been handed down through the women of my family for years but no one ever paid much attention to it. When my aunt died a year ago, however, she left the map to me."
    Gideon didn't move but there was a new intensity in his eyes. "What map?"
    "The map Emelina Fleetwood made. You mentioned it in your letter, remember? You said you doubted its existence, but it's quite real. My aunt had it most of her life until she willed it to me." Sarah reached for her purse and started scrabbling about inside. "I made a dozen copies and put the original in a safe-deposit box. I brought one of the copies with me." She hauled out a clear plastic envelope that protected a sheet of paper with a crude sketch and some words written on it.
    Gideon reached for the envelope with the first show of genuine curiosity he had yet exhibited. He frowned over the cryptic drawing. "Treasure maps are a dime a dozen. Someone's always claiming to have one or trying to sell one. Ninety-nine point nine percent of them are fake. What makes you think this one is genuine?"
    "My aunt once had the map analyzed by a lab to make sure the paper at least dated from the right period. It did."
    "That doesn't mean the map is genuine or even that it was ever meant to lead anyone to the Flowers. It could have been drawn for any number of reasons."
    "It's the real thing."
    Gideon's head came up, his eyes brilliant. "You sound very sure of that."
    "I am. I have a feeling about it."
And I've also got a feeling about you, Gideon Trace, but we'll get to that eventually
.
    "Even if it's genuine, what makes you think you'll be the Fleetwood to find it?"
    "I've got a—"
    "A feeling. Right. Do you get these feelings often, Ms. Fleetwood?"
    "Often enough to know I should pay attention when one hits." There was a soft meow from the floor. Sarah looked down as Ellora jumped lightly into her lap and proceeded to curl up.
    "I think I should point out that I don't do the kind of consulting work you're looking for," Gideon stated, his gaze on Sarah's hand as she stroked his cat.
    "I know you're in the business of publishing
Cache
, but I thought you might be interested in this project. Right up your alley. It's such a fascinating legend. Think what a great article it would make for your magazine."
    "I've heard plenty of other tales just as fascinating, if not more so. Few of them ever lead to a real find. The most anyone ever actually uncovers is an old bit of rusted metal or a button or a stray rifle ball. Treasure hunting is just a hobby for most people. No one gets rich. Believe me, there's more money in publishing
Cache
than there is in actually hunting for the goodies."
    "Well, I'm going to give this a whirl and I really think you should consider coming along with me, Gideon."
    He blinked. "Me? Why?" Then he quickly held up a palm to forestall her answer. "Wait, don't tell me. You've got a feeling, right?"
    "Right," she said, delighted he understood. "Now, how soon can we leave? I've got enough stuff packed in my car to last for a couple of weeks. I figure if you're not particularly busy on an issue of the magazine, we could take off tomorrow morning."
    He stared at her. "Just like that? Are you out of your mind? You don't even know me. I could be a mass murderer, as far as you're concerned."
    "Don't be ridiculous. I feel like I've known you for months. Ever since I got your first letter, in fact."
    Gideon looked slightly stunned. "You're either incredibly naive of amazingly foolish. You shouldn't be allowed out except on a leash."
    "I promise you, I'm neither particularly naive nor foolish. I know what I'm doing. I usually do."
    "You're serious about this, aren't you? You materialize out of thin air on my doorstep, wave an old map in my face and expect me to immediately sign on for the duration of your idiotic expedition?"
    "I like to think of it