"Then why?"
"Because others are looking for it."
I studied him closely, "Are you saying that if nobody was looking for it then you wouldn't be either."
"Yes."
"I don't understand?"
He studied me for a moment and then sighed as if giving up on something. "Such a treasure, if it's what it's fabled to be, wouldn't be a good thing in anybody's hands."
"Then why are you…." I stopped, stunned as realization came to me. "You don't want the treasure, you want to destroy it!"
"Correct, but to do that, first I have to find it."
I looked down at the table, "But I don't want the treasure destroyed. It could do a lot of good things." I said softly.
His fingers tilted my chin up. "No doubt you would use it for good, but do you really think the world would let you keep it, only to give it away?"
"I could hire someone, someone like you."
Flint looked down ruefully. "I appreciate your vote of confidence honey, but there are limits as to what I and those I work with can do. This whole thing has gotten out of hand. Every player in the world is making a play at this one and given how many resources have been thrown into finding the treasure, one or several of them are eventually going to find it. And they aren't going to let either you or me stand in their way of getting a blank check to solve all of their fiscal worries."
He was probably right. It wasn't just the treasure that I didn't want destroyed; I could actually live with the destruction of the treasure. What I most of all didn't want to see was the proud remnants of my people destroyed and gone forever. I had been hoping one day to build a museum with the treasure so the world could see.
"I'm not ready to see it all destroyed. I respect you for what you want to do and I know you were hoping I would help you. But I'm sorry, I can't."
He nodded understandably, "Oh well." was all he said as he went on eating.
"I'm really not going to tell you."
"I got the message; now eat your food before it gets cold."
"You're not mad at me?"
"Why would I be mad at you? You're only trying to protect your heritage. I can understand that."
"You're still going to take me with you?" I asked hesitantly.
"Yes, but if you don't start eating your food I'm going to sit you on my lap and force feed you myself."
Later that evening we reached the airport and I was surprised to learn that we weren't taking a main flight liner. Flint had a private jet and, other than the pilots, we were the only passengers.