The Adventurers

Chapter 38

The boat rocked gently at its mooring in the harbour of Sao Paulo. A forest of waving masts and flags filled their view across the water and the colours dazzled each time the sun peeked through the clouds. On board, Sax sat on a small chair at stern with Chessery leaning on the rail beside him.

Jed was surrounded by Krena and Luna, both tending him with overt motherly affection. His leg wound turned out to be more drama than danger and even after the twelve day trip from where they fought with Trask, he was still restrained from anything requiring its use.

They watched as Sam and Archimedes strolled down the dock toward the waiting taxi stand, pausing every few yards to turn and wave. It was like they needed the reassurance that they were going but the others were there just in case.

The air blessed them with a cool breeze and it carried the sound of music from somewhere down the dock. The trip had brought them closer together, particularly after the attack, and by the time they reached Sao Paulo they had fashioned a plan agreeable to all.

Archimede's boat was towed, selling its contents as they went and finally the boat itself, fetching a tidy sum for Archimedes and enough for refuelling on the way at one of the more commercial missions. He and Sam were flying back to the States to meet with the lawyers of InterSky and the insurance company.

Archimedes was in line for a handsome bonus once the lawsuit was settled and with the signed affidavits from the others, executed by a firm in Sao Paulo, Sam would be awarded his back pay and a considerable compensation from InterSky for returning the proof for their claim.

The next step was for Sam and Archimedes to assemble a legitimate group of archeologists and various academic representatives to form a research party to travel back to the lost city. Sax and Chessery would be part of the team and would meet the others in Sao Paulo when they arrived. Jed opted for a domestic existence in the city with Krena and left with mixed feelings once again.

"You're going to miss him aren't you?"

"Been together for a while and through a lot so yeah, I guess I will."

"He really fell for Krena hard."

"That he did. She's a lovely woman." He stretched and winced slightly at the tightness in his healing wound. "What's more surprising to me is your sudden attack of philanthropy I can't believe Chessery Blanchert is actually willing to share something as huge as the treasure we saw, particularly when it was your father's map that found it."

"I guess I saw what it was doing to everyone who knew about it and realized that having it all just wasn't worth it. I made that mistake a long time ago... wanting everything."

"Maybe having it at all isn't worth it. After all it does belong to that tribe in the lost city"

She looked off across the harbour, the breeze drifting her hair over her face; sadness seemed to engulf her features and she sighed heavily.

"Sam did what we should have done and then just forgotten the whole thing. He pocketed enough to live like a real Sky God for the rest of his days."

She smiled and wiped the errant strands from her cheek. "It was never really about the treasure. Sax."

At that moment he realized that after all the years of sparring, all the betrayals and manoeuvring, this woman was so deep under his skin he couldn't shake her... nor did he really want to. Chessery Blanchert planted her torch in his heart the very first time he saw her and to this day it still burned with the same intensity.

"Maybe not all of it anyway" He pulled her down to his lap and after a few seconds staring into one another's eyes, he kissed her firmly and deeply.

When they broke apart she looked at him and bestowed her dazzling smile. "I suppose we'll need to find proper accommodations until the others get organized and come back down."

"Well we can't very well stay on the boat; the church have representatives down here already looking into what happened. I think it would be prudent if we just left it to them."

"Finding a nice place down here could be expensive." She curled his hair around a finger.

"I think I've got that problem covered "

"Really? How?"

Sax slipped a hand into his pocket and withdrew three impressive, uncut diamonds and held them up for her to see.

Compliments of an unaware Sam." She leaned her head back and laughed aloud, her fingers dipping into the breast pocket of her jacket and emerging with a small handful of her of her own.

"He's going to wonder what happened to his haul."

"We'l1 let him stay in our villa." Sax squeezed her waist and she kissed him hard again before they both broke apart, convulsed with laughter.

THE END