Cave of Discovery

CHAPTER 10 - WHAT'S IT WORTH?

  Daniel studied the cross lying on the table between them. "Okay, so you see this monk, and he gives you a cross."

  "He didn't give it to me," Jason said. "He dropped it."

  "You're sure it wasn't someone dressed up like a monk?"

  Jason smirked. "Maybe it was one of the ghosts Silas talked about."

  Daniel looked dubious. "You think you saw a ghost?"

  "I was joking. I don't know what I saw. He talked to me, I have his cross, and he disappeared. What do you think it was?"

  "Could have been an actor from the dinner theatre where Katie works sometimes."

  "But that doesn't explain how he disappeared so quickly. And it doesn't explain the freezing cold in my fingers and leg."

  Daniel stared at the floor for a long time before looking up. "Okay. We know the boy you saw looks like Silas. The Indian girl looks like someone in town, and now you've had an encounter with a monk."

  Jason stiffened. "I didn't make it all up. You didn't see them, but I do have the cross."

  Daniel said, "I don't know if they're ghosts, or time travelers, or aliens from outer space. Whatever. It's obvious you're seeing something. Let's go back and see if anyone shows up when I'm there with you."

  Jason relaxed. "Deal."

  "In the meantime where do we go to get it appraised?"

  "Turtle Island Shop. Bradley said to see someone named Standing Bear."

  "Standing Bear," Daniel repeated. He squeezed his eyes tight and pressed his lips together. Then his face brightened. "Isn't that the name on the plaque?" Jason looked blank. "You know, the one who donated the map."

  "Oh, yeah," Jason said. "The guy from the university."

  "Guess that's how Bradley knows him."

  "It's also the shop where the girl disappeared."

  "Let's go," Daniel said.

  Jason picked up the cross. "Maybe this time you'll see the girl instead of me."

  Jason approached the store with apprehension. He wanted to know about the cross, but didn't want to give it up. Daniel pulled the carved door open and motioned for Jason to go inside. The heavy door thumped closed behind them, and the elderly man looked up from behind the jewelry counter. Jason noticed the bust of the conquistador was no longer in the case. Maybe someone had bought it.

  "Can I help you boys?"

  "Bradley?" Jason began. He paused when he realized he didn't know Bradley's last name. He turned to ask Daniel, but he was gone. When he scanned the room trying to find him, he spotted the ceramic conquistador. It was perched on the center piece of a circular rack of dresses. And there was Daniel, slowing spinning the rack. What was he doing? He turned back. The man raised his eyebrows in a question.

  "Um?Bradley. From the museum." He cleared his throat and started over. "Bradley told us to talk to Standing Bear."

  The man smiled. "Ah, yes. That would be me."

  Jason fumbled at the string around his neck and slid it over his head. "He thought maybe you could tell us if this is worth anything."

  Standing Bear caressed the wood and fingered the beads. He looked up. "Where did this come from?" His voice was low and the smile had faded.

  Jason swallowed. All kinds of answers flew through his head, but he was held by those penetrating eyes and decided to tell the truth. "In Haunted Cave."

  Standing Bear laid the cross on the counter. He sat down on a stool and dropped his hands in his lap. "There are many unexplained things about Haunted Cave. My people call it The Place of Visions. I have been there many times with Victor Smith."

  Jason pulled the cross closer to him. "You are friends with Mr. Smith?"

  "For a time we searched together. I for the artifacts of my people. He for treasure."

  "Who are your people?"

  "Cherokee. But I was not referring to the whole Cherokee nation, just a small portion. Long ago, when my family's group knew they were going to be moved to a reservation, they buried a portion of their wealth. They planned to come back someday and reclaim it. I have traced it to this area, but I have not yet been able to discover where it is hidden."

  "Did you use the map in the library?"

  "The McPherson treasure map." He smiled. "McPherson was part Cherokee you know. He sent the map to my great grandfather, and it was handed down to me."

  "The map doesn't lead to the treasure?"

  "At one time I thought the map held the key. But now I think that it only spoke of the silver treasure that Silas found."

  "He claims to have seen McPherson in the cave," Jason said. "He said he saw him bury the silver coins."

  "The cave has strange influences on people. Few who go there often are unaffected."

  Jason hesitated. "Have you seen anything or - anyone there?"

  Standing Bear was silent for a long moment. "I've seen many things there," he finally said.

  "Did Mr. Smith ever find his treasure?"

  "I do not think he found what he sought." He pointed at the cross. "I will need to examine it closely, and that will take some time. Will you leave it with me?"

  "When should I come back?"

  "Give me a couple days."

  Jason turned and almost tripped over Daniel.

  "Ready?" Daniel said.

  Bluegrass music played from the speakers as they stepped out into the heat. The tantalizing smell of roasting meat came from the pit beef stand up the block.

  "How long were you right behind me? Did you hear Standing Bear's story?" Jason asked.

  "Yep. Did you get a receipt?"

  Jason felt his stomach tighten. "Nooo?"

  "No?"

  "No. And where you?" he demanded. "You left me there alone. I looked around and you were over there looking at dresses! Did you find anything that fit?"

  "Very funny. I was checking to see if any of them would fit your mystery girl. You remember. The one in the cave?"

  "Oh. What did you find?"

  "There were plenty of authentic deerskin dresses there."

  "So you think anyone could have bought one and wore it to the cave?"

  "Well, not just anyone. They had pretty hefty price tags. It would have to be a rich someone."

  "And they had to be able to disappear. Don't forget that part."

  "I saw something else. The door to the back room was open and guess who was back there?"

  Jason gave him an exasperated look.

  Daniel grinned, obviously enjoying the suspense. "A girl - with long dark hair. If she's the same one as the girl in the cave, there must be a back entrance. Make sense?"

  Jason said, "Yeah that would explain it. But there is that deep pool."

  "So we'll take more light and check it out. Let's get something to eat."

  Although they ate pit beef sandwiches, fudge, ice cream and dinner, they still wanted something to munch on that evening. Jason was rummaging through their room when Daniel returned with a bag of cheese crackers and sodas.

  "What are you looking for?" Daniel said.

  "The library book. I left it on the nightstand."

  Daniel set down the food and pulled out his half opened dresser drawer. "Well it's not in here, but I guess you know that since you made a mess of my socks."

  "What are you talking about? I didn't go through your stuff."

  "Well someone did. The drawer was open and look." He pointed to the contents. The socks were no longer in neat rows sorted by color. Now they were all jumbled together.

  "Looks normal to me," Jason said. "Maybe your mom is trying to help you overcome your neatnik phobia. Hey, there it is."

  He dived over the drawer and rescued the book where it was caught halfway between the dresser and the wall. While smoothing out the cover, he noticed the curtain moving. He jerked the curtain back. The window was not quite shut, and a warm breeze drifted in.

  "Did you leave the window open?"

  "Not me."

  Jason shut the window and went back to his bed. As he propped up the pillows somethi
ng fluttered to the floor. It was his bookmark. He picked it up and looked at Daniel.

  "I think someone's been here going through things."

  "Spidy!" they both said together and raced to the closet. Daniel pulled down the toy and popped off the bottom. The coin fell out into Jason's hand.

  "So who do you think was in here?" Jason said as he replaced the coin.

  "It wasn't Mom," Daniel said, and put the toy back on the shelf. "The family doesn't get room service, so it wasn't the maid. Maybe it was one of your ghosts from the cave."

  "That's creepy," he said. "I think it was someone real."

  "The map!" They both said together and ran back to the closet. There in the corner was the map from the gift shop. The other one was gone.

  "Are you sure you left them both there?" Daniel said.

  "I'm positive."

  "Silas!" Daniel said.

  "Smith!" Jason said.

  They discussed it for a long time before crawling into bed, but didn't come to any agreement. Silence finally fell over the room, but Jason didn't sleep well that night.