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Authors: Jayne Ann Krentz
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to his. Ellora flitted about with an air of delicate concern. The silver-gray cat hung around Sarah, tangling herself up between Sarah's feet and asking to be picked up and held.
When Sarah obligingly lifted Ellora into her arms, the cat purred.
"I think she wants to come along," Sarah announced.
"That's all we'd need. A couple of cats to keep track of while we're traipsing around the Cascades. Forget it. The cats are just fine staying here by themselves."
Sarah held the cat up so she could look Ellora straight in the eye. "Hear that? You have to stay behind. But we'll miss you."
There was a low, grumbling cat roar from the top step. Sarah glanced over and saw Machu looking more cold-eyed than ever. "You, too, Machu. You take good care of Ellora while we're gone."
Machu Picchu looked away, his ears low on his broad head, tail moving in a slow, restless arc.
"He hasn't got the most charismatic personality in the world," Gideon said, "but you can count on old Machu. He'll do a good job of taking care of Ellora and watching over the place, won't you, pal?" Gideon scratched the oversized cat briefly behind the ears. Machu tolerated the caress in stony silence.
"When you're that big, you don't have to be charming, I suppose," Sarah said with a small smile.
"Does that logic apply to human males or just to cats?" Gideon asked.
"Just to cats." Sarah made a production out of checking the back seat of her car. "I guess that's everything," she said a little uneasily as she realized she was about to be cooped up with Gideon for several hours.
"Don't lose your nerve now." Gideon calmly locked his front door.
"I wasn't losing my nerve."
"Having second thoughts?"
"A few."
"Don't worry. Something tells me you're going to like the treasure-hunting business. It's tailor-made for bright-eyed, gullible types like you."
Sarah paid him no attention as she patted Ellora one last time. "Goodbye, Ellora. Don't let that beast push you around too much."
Ellora purred more loudly, looking not the least bit concerned about being bullied by Machu Picchu. When Sarah put her down she trotted over to the steps and bounded up to station herself beside the big cat. Machu unbent so far as to touch noses with her in greeting. Then his big tail curved around her neat hindquarters. Ellora looked shamelessly smug.
"Are you sure they'll be all right?"
"They'll be fine. Stop looking for an excuse to delay things. We've got a long drive ahead of us."
Sarah slid into the front seat and adjusted her seat belt. "I have to tell you, Gideon, that your sudden enthusiasm for this venture is making me nervous. What changed your mind? Did you decide the map and the legend are real, after all?"
"I figure it's worth a shot." He swung the car out onto the narrow highway. He was silent for a minute or two before he said, "Couple of things you ought to know about treasure hunting, Sarah."
"And you're going to tell me what I should know, right?"
"Right."
"I've told you, I don't like being lectured."
"You came to me for advice. I intend to earn my share of the loot."
"
If
we find it."
"I thought you were already sure we would." He gave her a fleeting, mildly derisive glance.
She ignored that. The truth was, she was almost certain they would find the Flowers. The problem now was what might happen when they did. "All right, expert. Tell me the couple of things I ought to know about the treasure-hunting business."
"The most important thing is that we don't make a public production out of it. The less attention we attract, the better, especially if we do get lucky."
"Why?"
"Use your head, Sarah. If we do find the Flowers, we're talking about a tidy little fortune in gemstones. People have killed for less, believe me."
That shocked her. "Good grief, I never thought of that."
"Somehow that doesn't surprise me."
"I can't believe we'd attract the attention of a killer."
"That's the worst possible case. It's far more likely we'd attract the interest of other
When Sarah obligingly lifted Ellora into her arms, the cat purred.
"I think she wants to come along," Sarah announced.
"That's all we'd need. A couple of cats to keep track of while we're traipsing around the Cascades. Forget it. The cats are just fine staying here by themselves."
Sarah held the cat up so she could look Ellora straight in the eye. "Hear that? You have to stay behind. But we'll miss you."
There was a low, grumbling cat roar from the top step. Sarah glanced over and saw Machu looking more cold-eyed than ever. "You, too, Machu. You take good care of Ellora while we're gone."
Machu Picchu looked away, his ears low on his broad head, tail moving in a slow, restless arc.
"He hasn't got the most charismatic personality in the world," Gideon said, "but you can count on old Machu. He'll do a good job of taking care of Ellora and watching over the place, won't you, pal?" Gideon scratched the oversized cat briefly behind the ears. Machu tolerated the caress in stony silence.
"When you're that big, you don't have to be charming, I suppose," Sarah said with a small smile.
"Does that logic apply to human males or just to cats?" Gideon asked.
"Just to cats." Sarah made a production out of checking the back seat of her car. "I guess that's everything," she said a little uneasily as she realized she was about to be cooped up with Gideon for several hours.
"Don't lose your nerve now." Gideon calmly locked his front door.
"I wasn't losing my nerve."
"Having second thoughts?"
"A few."
"Don't worry. Something tells me you're going to like the treasure-hunting business. It's tailor-made for bright-eyed, gullible types like you."
Sarah paid him no attention as she patted Ellora one last time. "Goodbye, Ellora. Don't let that beast push you around too much."
Ellora purred more loudly, looking not the least bit concerned about being bullied by Machu Picchu. When Sarah put her down she trotted over to the steps and bounded up to station herself beside the big cat. Machu unbent so far as to touch noses with her in greeting. Then his big tail curved around her neat hindquarters. Ellora looked shamelessly smug.
"Are you sure they'll be all right?"
"They'll be fine. Stop looking for an excuse to delay things. We've got a long drive ahead of us."
Sarah slid into the front seat and adjusted her seat belt. "I have to tell you, Gideon, that your sudden enthusiasm for this venture is making me nervous. What changed your mind? Did you decide the map and the legend are real, after all?"
"I figure it's worth a shot." He swung the car out onto the narrow highway. He was silent for a minute or two before he said, "Couple of things you ought to know about treasure hunting, Sarah."
"And you're going to tell me what I should know, right?"
"Right."
"I've told you, I don't like being lectured."
"You came to me for advice. I intend to earn my share of the loot."
"
If
we find it."
"I thought you were already sure we would." He gave her a fleeting, mildly derisive glance.
She ignored that. The truth was, she was almost certain they would find the Flowers. The problem now was what might happen when they did. "All right, expert. Tell me the couple of things I ought to know about the treasure-hunting business."
"The most important thing is that we don't make a public production out of it. The less attention we attract, the better, especially if we do get lucky."
"Why?"
"Use your head, Sarah. If we do find the Flowers, we're talking about a tidy little fortune in gemstones. People have killed for less, believe me."
That shocked her. "Good grief, I never thought of that."
"Somehow that doesn't surprise me."
"I can't believe we'd attract the attention of a killer."
"That's the worst possible case. It's far more likely we'd attract the interest of other
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