watching his face intently for any signs he is doubtful, I see none.
“Are you seri.....” he looks at my face, I have my resolve look on, I hope he can decipher,
“You are?” Spits the Professor, “then we all go!”
“OK, field trippers,” Daniel interjects “before we get too excited, let’s make a fool-proof plan, Stanley!!” He shouts. Never far away Daniels protector as I’ve come to think of him, steps from the shadows, wearing the smart suit of his uniform of course, dark blue, hands clasped behind his back.
“Daniel?” as if standing to attention awaiting orders, military style. Strange I notice, that I never appreciated how upright he is. I’d suspect he was once a Brownie only he’s a man, and they don’t let those in to my knowledge.
“We need to prepare a little group holiday somewhere between Colombia and Peru,” Daniel begins to dress, starting with pants. “The Doc here will give us a map as soon as he’s done translating me.”
“Nigel,” as he offers Stan his hand, Stan just nods affirmative.
“Consider it done Daniel, and can I add?” He has a fatherly tone to his voice, like he’s been waiting for Daniels mysteries to be solved since he was a boy. “I’ll be glad to find out what all this has been about.” Not used to speaking out of turn Daniel encourages him to finish with a smile, “those drawings are a mystery.” He says this looking only at Daniel.
We all assume Stan means the ink drawings on Daniels body.
“Me too Stan, we tell them about the drawings then?” More a fact than question, Stan nods and pulls sheets of very old paper from his inside suit jacket pocket. “These started appearing in my room when I was a kid,” Daniel explains excitedly taking the leaves from Stan’s outstretched hand, “and I think they might belong to this puzzle, but I was too young and my body was still growing to make a good base for a treasure map.”
The professor grabs the sheets from Daniels proffered hand and immediately begins pouring over their contents. “Yes!” He shouts, “We have a start point for our journey, it’s all here.” He shakes leaves of paper in his tight fist. Moving his acoustic guitar aside to get to the shelves behind, he grabs, large rolled map from a rack on the wall and lays I out on the table top. “Yes, we’d need to...” he runs his finger along the surface of the map, following a route, “start about there….” And the volume decreases and he mumbles to himself once more, engrossed. Making several swift and indecipherable notes in his sketchbook, with a few drawings too.
“Our journey?” Says Daniel, watching Nigel making more and more frantic coded notes in his leather bound sketchbook, excited, talking to himself.
“Well yes,” he looks up from the map, “I’m going with you?” He almost pleads to Daniel, “there may be further translations and studies needed.” He points at the map and the sheaths of papers from Daniels childhood, “translation with the pages, on the way, and route markers for example and I’d be there to help.” His eyes pleading, pointing visibly Nigel deflates with exhaustion from holding his breath in anticipation.
Daniel takes his time to reply, “thank you Professor, we’d be grateful for your help, when can you leave?”
This time from Stan, “I can have the plane ready tomorrow afternoon and your house in the region prepared for our coming.” He says, taking his phone from his pocket, I notice that his too, like mine, has an eagle and ship logo screen saver, strange?
“No Stan,” he puts his palm outward in a stop gesture, “don’t warn anyone we’re coming to the house, just in case.” Clearly he reads Christie too.
“This isn't a Dirk Pitt adventure Daniel where the good guys always win and drink tequila afterward.” I say. “This could be very dangerous.” I look over at Stan for reinforcement.
“I’m not asking you to come Tharie, you’ve got commitments,” Daniel answers sweetly.
“You’re not leaving me behind like some desk jokey, I want in, let me text Jinni to do the horses, I’ll tell her I’ll be gone a week and ask her to buy more cat food too.....” I wander away to finish my complicated message. In the background I hear the boys making plans and list of equipment needed. Stan seems to be taking control, Daniel bowing to his drivers’ greater experience, I wonder if he was Special Forces? My imagination again?