The Pirate & The Adventurer & The Cowboy

millions into projects aimed at locating sunken ships and lost gold mines." He picked up her tea bag and dropped it into a cup. Then he poured boiling water over it. When he was finished he poured water over the instant coffee in his own cup. Every movement was economical and controlled. It was the kind of motion that indicated underlying strength and power.

    "I'm not suggesting we attempt a major expedition to find a sunken treasure ship. I'm only after Emelina Fleetwood's Flowers. And I've got a map. What could be simpler?"

    Gideon shook his head in disgust as he carried the cups over to the table and sat down across from her. "Listen carefully, Ms. Fleetwood, while I spell out a few facts of life. Treasure hunting is almost never successful. At least not today. A hundred, two hundred years ago it was still possible for an amateur to stumble across something like the temple caves of Ellora or a forgotten pharaoh's tomb. Today, the only people who get that kind of thrill are professional archaeologists and even for them, the thrills are few and far between."

    "I'm only trying to find a few pairs of earrings, not a lost civilization."

    "Then that puts you in the ranks of the hobbyists. You'd be better off buying yourself a metal detector and heading for the beach to hunt for lost change."

    "You're really determined to be difficult about this, aren't you?"

    "I'm attempting to give you a realistic picture of what you're contemplating."

    "Where's your spirit of adventure? You must have a genuine interest in treasure hunting or you would never have started a publication like
Cache
. Don't you feel the lure of the lost treasure? The excitement of the search? The lust for a dazzling fortune in lost gems?"

    Gideon's eyes glittered briefly behind harrowed lids. "I try to focus my lust on more accessible objects."

    Sarah blinked and then smiled. "Are you trying to frighten me, by any chance?"

    He sighed. "I get the feeling that would be difficult."

    "Impossible," she said crisply.

    He watched apprehensively as she yanked the tea bag out of her cup, squeezed it quickly between thumb and forefinger and glanced around for a place to toss it. When she showed signs of hurling it across the room into the sink, Gideon moved.

    "Here, I'll take that." Gideon plucked the tea bag from her fingers and got to his feet. He went over to the sink, opened a cupboard door underneath and carefully dropped the dripping tea bag into a trash bin. Then he came back to the table and sat down again.

    "Everybody's afraid of something, Ms. Fleetwood."

    "True. And I'm no exception to the rule. But I'm not afraid of you."

    "Because you've got a feeling about me?"

    "Right."

    "You know something, Ms. Fleetwood?"

    "Call me Sarah. What?"

    "You're one very bizarre female."

    "Yes, I know," Sarah admitted humbly. "My friends have often told me that."

    "Wise friends. Have they attempted to diagnose your condition?"

    "They say my problem is that I tend to think sideways. As I said, what do they know? Now, about our project."

    "Already it's
our
project?"

    "I've been thinking of it as our project right from the moment the idea occurred to me."

    "When was that fateful moment?"

    "I believe I was in the shower at the time. I get many of my best ideas in the shower, you know."

    "No, I didn't know." Gideon looked unwillingly fascinated.

    "At any rate, I suddenly knew that it was time to look for the Fleetwood earrings and that I was the one to search for them. I got out of the shower, put on a robe and walked out into the living room. Your latest letter with the research data on salvage operations that I needed for
Glitter Quest
was on my desk. I glanced at it and immediately knew I wanted you to help me in my search."

    "This is amazing."

    "Isn't it, though? I expect it will be a lot of fun, too. And very educational?"

    "Educational?"

    "Sure. The material you sent me on treasure hunting for
Glitter Quest
was extremely interesting, but rather academic, if you know what I mean. This way I'll have a chance to learn about the process of a real-life treasure hunt from the ground up, so to speak."

    Gideon sipped his instant coffee. "What if I tell you I'm not free at the moment to take off for two weeks?"

    "Well, I could come back at a later date, I suppose."

    "How much later?"

    "Tomorrow?"

    "Or the next day, maybe? Never mind. It's obvious you're not going to go away for good."

    "I really could postpone this for a while if it was