Blood, Sand & Gold Page #3

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Jack, habibi.

- Salaam alaikum.

- Alaikum salaam.

Let me get

a good look at you.

I figured it

was only a matter of time

before you came calling.

You've arrived just in time.

There's a sitting room inside

for your wife.

There's only 20

of these in the world.

I won him in a poker

tournament in marrakesh.

Impressive, eh?

Come.

So, how's business?

Business? What business?

Governments are ambushing

any new digs, any findings.

They're suing private companies

for their treasure

because of this new

salvage law.

Well, I guess I got out

at a good time.

Yeah, which is why I'm surprised

you're even back here.

You know ever since that whole

black swan investigation

I haven't bought anything

for my trophy room.

- No one has.

- No one?

Well, there's word of

a gentleman from Hong Kong,

the only one is stupid enough

to pay cash

for black market items.

They say he speaks Japanese.

That's just a rumor.

Enough business. Come.

His name is arrab.

He's an accipiter.

Look at these birds.

Accipiters, they always kill

their prey the same way--

ambush.

You can never be too careful

when dealing with

the sovereign nations

of the world.

I'm throwing a party,

and anyone in who's anyone

this side of the Gulf

will be there.

You must come.

I'm not sure

if that'll be a good idea.

I know your weakness.

- Where do we go next?

- I don't fly.

I'll drive. I ride bikes.

- Of course.

- Are you coming?

I'm fine here.

Well, suit yourself.

I'm so glad my money

is going to good use.

Follow me. There's someone

i want you to meet.

Are you here

to talk history or money?

Because you know

i won't talk about

one of them.

History.

When I first met this young man,

Jack was quite impressive,

both in his research

and in his pursuit

of fellow colleagues.

We're not here to talk about

the past, Charlotte.

We're here to talk

about the future.

The past is

all around us, Jack.

That was always your problem,

both as student

and as an archeologist.

Always the vision,

never the Patience.

Well, I guess

that's why I'm here.

I'm trying to correct that.

So what's the treasure

this time?

We're looking for late

16th century, elizabethan.

I heard rumors about this.

I'm not so

out of the loop, Jack.

Whitman's red books,

top shelf.

I thought your boy

was lost to me.

Because of prison?

Because he forgot

the golden rule of archeology.

The work is about the history,

not the person

who uncovers it.

But Jack was so

easily distracted,

both by fortune and glory.

That can come later.

But you seem to bring

something out in him.

I don't know about that.

Got it.

A column of gold

as far as the eye can see,

minted coins,

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