[OOC] Romancing the Artifact

[World Traveler]

The flight was mostly uneventful with Brandy sleeping and Devin laboring over the objects in his hand and the journal in his lap. Over and over he seemed to run through every bit of parchment he had copied and every note he had jotted down. Still the answer hadn’t come to him. He had hit plenty of road blocks in past projects, but nothing like the one he was up against now.

In the past road blocks had been usually man made ones. An unsafe country where treasure hunters were less than likely to make it out with all their extremities, or competing groups making more obstacles. This time Devin was against a wall built with the worst sort of blockage. Lack of information and clues. It was hard to imagine where the next clue could be or even begin to understand how daunting the task could be without learning just a little bit more.

Finally the flight was reaching its end and Devin packed everything back up. There was determination in his face, but some amount of defeat in his hands. The small group emptied out of the plane after it had taxied to a hanger. Each said their goodbye with Devin’s earning a threat of death should anything happen to Devin’s new field partner. “Something tells me she can take care of herself…” Devin muttered to himself after shaking Andrews’s hand.

During the few moments he allowed himself a free thought Devin continually returned to musing about Brandy. Her ability to just jump along for the ride was staggering and something he had never encountered before. Put that personality and add the brain she clearly had and he couldn’t map anything out as far as her background or current status other than she was some sort of archeologist.

He had considered asking Andrew about her, but since the moment he had met him the guy seemed interested in throwing dangerous looks Devin’s way making him decide against it. Brandy returned to his side and thought aloud about where their next place would be. She also returned her hair to the pony tail which rallied a boost of moral inside Devin. “Honestly I have no idea.” Devin said. “But I have a long shot that might help point us in the right direction.”

Devin had come to the conclusion that he was finally reaching the end of his own expertise and needed some outside help. Brandy was helpful, but what they needed help with was found only in the dark side of archeology. They needed to talk black market goods and above that black market information. The person Devin wanted to find wasn’t on any invitation lists outside of several prisons around the world.

“Let’s head into town and find a place to call home.” Devin walked with Brandy through the small airport. They went through a short customs check, short enough that they didn’t find Devin’s gun, and on the other side found a taxi to take them into town. Since the political unrest Egypt had seen its tourism plummet to near dire numbers meaning those that did travel to the ancient world were met with rock bottom prices.

With a little cash and some light flirting Devin was able to get two rooms at a middle of the road hotel near the water. The local market square being the main view from their rooms. Devin said a few cryptic things about making a phone call and then a shower. “We also might need some more clothes so let’s meet back in a half hour to do some real shopping.” Looking down at his shirt he noticed the smudge marks were still visible.

After those phone calls and a shower Devin felt like he was back on the right track. He may have had the same clothes on he did when he exited the plane, but his body language and even tone of voice had a bit more a upbeat step. The connections he used to get them a meeting had been available to help and seemed happy to do so. Normally a cause for concern, but he learned that business was slow even in the black market so they were eager to see a customer just like the regular tourist markets.

[Sincerely]

Brandy was slightly worried when he said that they were looking for a long shot. It would be such a disappointment if they came all this way to meet a dead end. From the very beginning, Devin had seemed confident that he was at the end of the trail and every last piece was clicking into place. All she would lose was a couple days of work, and a rather nice jacket. But she had no idea how much time or effort he spent on proving the existence of these letters.

They headed through customs and she was rather surprised to see it so empty. Of course she knew that Egypt's political situation made everyday people wary, but archaeologists were constantly looking at this area as the secret location for some ancient pottery or a missing link in the evolutionary chain. She was disheartened when she realized that her colleagues were giving up on science because of some national issues.

They headed to a hotel and Brandy felt a twinge of jealousy as he got them cheaper rooms by flirting. But she had no idea where it was coming from. Sure, Devin was handsome. Anyone could tell that, but she wasn't about to go and fall in love with the guy. She nodded and agreed to meet up in thirty minutes.

Entering the beautiful room, she opened a window letting the warmth spread through the room. The air conditioning was something dumb that was installed for the tourists. People came here for the sun and then kept their rooms below freezing. She turned off the air conditioning unit in her room and plugged in her phone, before making herself comfortable. She flopped into the bed and let out a sigh. This was way more comfortable than an airplane seat. She was about to close her eyes again but stopped herself from doing so. Now wasn't the time to go back to sleep. Not when they had so much to do.

Climbing off of the bed, she decided to take a cold shower to help her wake up. She redressed in old clothes, but pushed past the disgust with the reminder that they were going shopping in a few minutes. She towel dried the ends of her hair that got caught in the stream when she tried to turn off the shower. She unplugged her phone and packed everything into her bag, before leaving her room and walking next door.

Knocking on the door, she waited outside with her hands on her hips. "C'mon let's go. I want to change into something clean." She said as they headed down to the market square. She walked around browsing the different items available. She finally decided on a pair of black denim shorts with frayed edges and some local band t-shirt that she wore with the sleeves pushed up to her elbows. She also purchased a leather jacket that she folded into her bag for later. She quickly changed out of the old clothes and packed them away as well.

After she found Devin, she bounced up to his side. "Okay, so where are we headed now?" She questioned feeling a lot better in a fresh set of clothes.

[World Traveler]

As the two reached the market Devin found a few choice ATM's walking around. When he and Brandy split up he bumped into a few wealthy expensive watch wearing aristocrat types and relinquished them of their wrists burden. Shortly after that he found a few stalls that would take the watches as credit and before long he was wearing some well-fitting jeans and a plain white shirt with a trim, but effective, coat for the evening. The other watches he planned on using as either a bribe or possibly to get some more ammunition for his 9mm. One clip was hardly enough to rely on if he found himself in a situation where he needed it.

After rejoining with Brandy the question of where to go hung in the air. He wasn't sure if it was Andrews’s threat or his own hesitation that had him wondering if he should bring Brandy along. This struggle was noticed by Brandy who made a face best akin to 'Don't fucking try.' With the silent conversation done Devin began talking. "There is a bar down this road. Bit of a dive, but the place is cleaner than most of the people inside. There is an old...." Devin paused as he debated how to describe the person. "Acquaintance who might be able to help."

The two started to make their way down the road that quickly went from busy local foot traffic to slow somewhat sketchy surroundings. A small light could be seen pointed at a sign that read "The Library" in Arabic and English. The place had long ago been a classic gentleman's restaurant with big dance nights and plenty of liquor and money. Those days were decades past now as the place was mostly run down. Still the bar had a charm that Devin had come to expect from most places he did business.

The two made their way to the bar and after Devin ordered a rusty nail and an old fashion and then looked to Brandy to order her drink. "The other is for our guest." he said as she eyed the two drinks. The two then took their drink and made their way to the back area where there was a large dance floor and then booths where people could expect a level of privacy. They sat there and began to wait. "If anything starts looking off I want you to just follow my lead. Namely duck." Devin said as he sipped his rusty nail.

Shortly after that the booth they were at was met with a large set man who seemed a little over dressed for the place. Perhaps in the past when the dance floor was used he would have fit in, but now he just looked like a wannabe security guard for a politician. He motioned for Devin to get up. Devin didn't see the point and instead just showed his hand. Reaching behind his back he pulled the 9mm out and put it on the table. "No need to show me yours guerrilla." Devin then turned to look around. "Where's Codex?"

"Right here pudding." A woman's voice said. "Seems this little meeting is a double date." The woman speaking stood at about 5'10 feet tall and while she wasn't wearing heels her body seemed to carry itself with a much taller grandeur. "I was surprised to hear from you Devin. Since the last time we met I figured we had a bridge, at best on, fire. Did you get the flowers I sent you? I thought it was the least I could do."

Grabbing his gun and putting it back behind his waist Devin had a sarcastic smile on his face as he shook his head. "The flowers were nice. The prison hospital had a lack of color." Looking over at the woman he saw it best to get down to business. "Codex I want to call in my favor." He held his voice steady and didn't break eye contact.

"Excuse me?" Codex's voice showed some amount of confusion and humor. "As far as favors go I never owe them." You must have me mistaken for some other chump." She then looked over at Brandy and smiled. "I like the new model. Much better than the red head. Though considering how hot she burned I am surprised she didn't turn you off women all together." Codex seemed to flash an all too cocky smile at the two and then started to light a smoke.

"When you get someone shot you owe them. That is how it is in my book and that is how it is in your book." Devin wasn't getting angry, but he was getting restless. The longer they weren't on the same page the better chances this whole meeting had of going south. Normally he would be fine letting Codex play her little games, but considering Egypt was not a place he wanted to be in for long and this bar was likely full of eyes and ears not hospitable he was eager to get moving.

(feel free to control any character. Just realized we are using the OOC for this lol)

[Sincerely]

Brandy looked at him peculiarly as he struggled to come up with the word acquaintance. She shrugged it off and followed him down to the bar. She ordered a gin and tonic, then slid to the inside of the booth. She sipped her drink while they waited. When he mentioned ducking out of the way, he said it so calmly, that it actually alarmed her. Maybe she was in over her head with all this. But before she could change her mind and leave the bar, a bulky man in a suit approached the booth.

Her eyes widened, as she choked back a gasp when she saw Devin's gun. Had he had that on him the whole time or did he get it today? She situated herself further into the corner as a woman, who he called Codex, arrived. She had a regal and commanding air about her. But Brandy didn't doubt her for a second. She seemed like the type of woman who made it to the top by stepping on the necks of others.

When Devin mentioned a prison hospital, she bit down on the inside of her cheek to keep from yelling at him. Why was all of this information being given out now? Why didn't he tell her everything from the start? She angrily took a gulp from her drink. When she felt eyes on her, she looked up and glared at the other woman. She resisted the urge to set her glare on Devin instead at the mention of some redhead.

"Yeah, well all it takes is a special girl to turn that all around." She said swirling her drink in its glass. Codex gave a smirk as she retorted. "Yes, and apparently your bedroom specialties have brought you out of the darkness and into my presence." She said.

Brandy tightened her grip on the glass and forced a smile. "No bedroom tricks were needed. Now you owe him, so just follow through with the favor and we can all be on our way." She said.

Codex returned her gaze to Devin. "I like her, she's got a bit of a bite. Now what do you think I would do for you if I owed you?"

(Lol oh well)

[World Traveler]

Having been holding his breath silently during the two women duel with words Devin was happy to see the conversation moving on. Every time he had to deal with Codex in the past he had always been burned and while this bar had seen a lot of love in the past its new shiny feel was obviously thanks to Codex's patronage. Another file in the long list of reasons women have often been trouble for him. The reason he had ended up in that prison hospital was because he had been arrested for doing a job with some of Codex's men. At the time he thought he was liberating a few pieces of Nazi artworks from a horrible private collection. Turns out he was stealing from a prison warden and the whole job went south real fast.

"You owe me a sit down with The Librarian." Devin said in a stern voice. "The only thing I am missing is original text of Marco Polo's journey. The only person in the world who might know where Rustichello da Pisa original notes and writings are is The Librarian. I know he doesn't deal with people like me, but I thought you might have an invitation." Devin was careful about his word choice when discussing the favor.

While some call him a myth those in the know are always aware of the mysterious collector known as 'The Librarian' He was the mysterious bidder who bought first additions well above their value. He also seemed to have a near unlimited supply of money to purchase these books or pay for the cost in recovering them. What put Devin on edge was almost no one knew who he was. Devin looked back over at Brandy and then over to Codex "Can you help me or not?"

Codex was unreadable while Devin asked for the favor. She then clicked her fingers and the big man in a suit walked over. She whispered in his ear and he pulled a phone out. "One moment dears." She sand and then pulled the phone to her ear after punching in a phone number. During the ringing Devin leaned over to Brandy.

"This is going well." He said and then flashed a smile at her.

Codex began talking to someone on the other side of the line. "Yes I need to speak with him." There was a slight pause. "I have a..." At this point Codex looked at Devin and then Brandy whom she gave a warm smile. "I have a friend who may be in need of your services and archive. No need for an acquisition I believe he just needs a few copies." Devin couldn't make out the other voice or its reply before Codex clicked the phone dead and handed it back to the suit who promptly took it back.

"You will be approached this evening at the ambassadors party being held at the German Consulate. I will get you on the list. You can take my place. I usually find them a complete bore." Codex stood up and looked over at Devin. "Dress appropriately. I am not having you sully my name like you did at the winery." Codex then looked over at Brandy. "I am leaving you in charge. The tickets will be under Brandy Parks. Also make sure you return him in workable condition." Codex's face then turned stern almost threatening. "I don't mind people borrowing my toys, but I don't allow them to be returned broken." With those final words Codex left with the man in the suit following close behind.

"This went a lot better than I thought it would." Devin said after a respectable silence. "Looks like we have some time to prepare before the meeting." Devin went over to the bar and started to pay for the drinks.

"Madam has already paid for you sir." The bartender said as he motioned to the door that Codex left.

[Sincerely]

Brandy sat back and listened as Devin essentially pled his case. When he said that the encounter seemed to be leaning in their favor, she was doubtful. She didn't know what it was but there was something about Codex that made it seem as though even when she was doing you a favor, it was still to her benefit. Watching her carefully, she returned the smile while the girl was on the phone. When she returned to her phone call, it finally dawned on Brandy why she didn't trust her. Her behavior reminded her of the popular girls back in high school.

Now the young archaeologist was by no means a nerd, but she wasn't obsessed with varsity football and didn't care about which actor was caught out on a date with what actress. Since she wasn't even willing to pretend to care, she got bullied because of it. But her torment wasn't limited to demands for lunch money and dirty rumors. Quite the opposite. One of the senior cheerleaders befriended her and hooked her up with a varsity football player. In fact, they dated most of her junior year. Come time for prom, she was dressed to the nines and looking forward to the afterparty more than the promm itself. When all the cheerleaders and football player headed up to the hotel room, they paid someone to keep her back just long enough for the plan to be set in motion.

When she entered the hotel room, they were in the midst of a party and her boyfriend had his tongue down her "best friend's" throat. With a smirk the girl explained the whole trap. Her only reasoning behind it was to teach her that if you weren't with them you were against them. But even when she was on their side, after they'd had their fun with her they stabbed her in the back.

She could see that Codex was capable of that same behavior. Taking a sip from her drink, she listened as the details of the evening were explained. She choked slightly when her full name was used. Brandy tried not to shrink under the vengeful glare that Codex left with.

"That was better than you expected?" She shrieked following him to the bar. "That was...that woman is terrifying! And you've been to prison? How did she even know my full name?" She asked trying to keep her voice at a reasonable level, but failing. She glared at Devin before storming out of the bar.

Standing outside she leaned against the brick wall. She just got exposed to a lot of information way too fast. Pushing her hair out of her face, she took a few deep breaths and tried to regain some composure. Once her breathing was steady, she pulled out her phone to check the balance on her card. If they were going to an ambassador's ball they needed to get some fancy, and sadly expensive, clothes. Glancing at her total, her eyes widened slightly. The museum back in Istanbul had already paid her, and it was a very comforting number. A small smile crossed her lips. At least that was one less thing Brandy had to worry about.

[World Traveler]

Devin was left at the bar as Brandy stomped out into the early afternoon sun. The heat would be sweltering shortly so Devin saw himself already preparing to go out and join her. An awkward look from the bartender made him feel the need to explain. "She is new to the world we live in." The line was stale mostly due to Devin's slightly tired tone. He had just spent the better part of a half hour on high alert and tense. The line might have fallen flat as far as delivery, but the understanding nod he got from the man behind the bar showed just how true the words were.

The world Devin lived in was not one where people spoke highly of your achievements. It was a world were your achievements got you killed if the wrong person found out. One where information wasn't just expensive, but worth your life. Devin loved it and cursed it all in one word. "$h*t." He said as he figured he had lost Brandy as an ally. He wasn't sure why it hit him so hard, but he had a feeling it had to do with his horrible luck in women.

Devin's acceptance over Brandy leaving was short lived as he remembered what Codex had said. The tickets weren't under his name. If he wanted to meet The Librarian he would need to convince Brandy to at least get him through the front door of the party. Rushing out of the bar and looking around he saw that she hadn't made it more than a few paces. He grabbed the phone in hopes he had stopped her from calling a taxi. "Look I need you Brandy. Codex said the tickets are under your name. All I need is for you to get me past the front gate. Then you can use the open bar and walk away."

As far as persuasive arguments went Devin was sure it was one of his worst, but the only other thing he had to offer was a nice night out. "Look I know you got hit with the reality hammer. Happens to everyone. But I can't have you back out now. You don't need me I know that, but as far as owing people goes I will owe you big." Devin pulled the watches out he had stolen earlier. "I went to the ATM and got some money for us to get dolled up. If I can squeeze into the cage called a suit can I get you into a dress? My treat."

[Sincerely]

Brandy looked up as her phone was grabbed from her hands. She was ready to fight off whatever attacker was bold enough to take something from the palms of her hands, but stopped when she saw Devin. She was about to talk when he mentioned walking away, but he just continued. Crossing her arms, she waited for him to finish. Her eyes widened in surprise when he offered to buy her a dress.

"Are you done?" She asked snatching back her phone. "I don't know why you think you can get rid of me so easily." Sighing, she ran her fingers through her hair. "Look, I probably could have handled that a little bit better. But everything I just heard isn't reality, it's shadow in the corner. It's that dark part of the room where the creepy guy lurks. Most people choose to ignore it, but a lucky few don't even know it exists. I...I just feel like I got shoved into that corner." She said softly.

She looked at the watch in his hand. "It's a lot to handle, but I'll get over it. And even though you do owe me," She said with a smirk. "You shouldn't sell your watch, it's pretty nice. It'll look great with your monkey suit tonight." She joked, looping her arm through his. She started walking, not even partially sure where she was going. She just headed in the direction that looked cleaner. "Plus, before you so rudely snatched my phone, I found out I just got paid by my new job. So let me pay for somemthing every once in a while, okay?" She said.

Walking down the sidewalk Brandy spotted a boutique and pulled Devin into the store. They were approached by one of the employees, and she pushed Devin forward. "He needs a suit by tonight. Don't worry about me though, I can find myself a lovely dress." She flashed the woman a smile as Devin was hauled off to a different section.

Clapping her hands together, Brandy turned and looked at the aisles of dresses and started to browse. This was definitely way more fun than being threatened in a bar. Even after her outburst, she wasn't really mad at Devin. If he had told her all this upfront she wouldn't be here. Plus, she wasn't the type to stay angry at someone. Even when they treated her like crap, she wouldn't stay angry forever. Brandy had found out that it just took way too much energy to stay mad. It was easier to just let it all go.

[World Traveler]

The 180 degree turn Brandy made in the matter of one conversation again nearly gave Devin whiplash. Just who was this woman really? She joined along in a chase running away from hired muscle, jumped on a plane to another country, and even stared down Codex. Even if you took the roughest and toughest of those Devin had met in the past none of them came close to competing for biggest surprise, and the redhead was a sharpshooter. Not one to be left behind he joined her as they made their way along the store fronts.

"This isn't my watch." He added as they walked into a store that seemed to catch his date's eye. When they walked in Devin felt more on a leash than he ever had before. She sent him off with a stylist or salesperson and then excused herself to the long selection of dresses that lined almost a third of the store. Nuzzled in the corner back of the building was a small but diverse mens formal section. After a short walk through Devin had worked with the stylist to pick out a few things that worked for him. The pants and suit; however, is where they seemed to butt heads. Devin liked the three button suit while the 'expert' seemed to think a two button would be best.

"If I am allowed to be honest sir a two button is much better suited when standing next to a woman in a gown." The woman was smiling and seemed to have the best intentions. The only problem was she didn't know the whole picture. For Devin the three piece had more room for a weapon. It also was somewhat slimmer which meant the material was likely stronger and would hold better if needed to be used for something other than a coat. Still he felt himself losing after she brought up Brandy.

"Then lets look at your two buttons." He said surrendering to style rather than practical needs. When he was shown the different suits he settled on a more conservative, classic look. Since their goal was to get in and make contact and not make a grand entrance he felt it was the best option. More than once he saw a few eyes from around the store zero in on him so he knew he looked good enough to mingle with. The question was if it was good enough to meet The Librarian.

"Sir I think we have made an excellent choice. You look good enough to take home." The woman was kind enough to offer compliments when she saw Devin start to think or worry. It kept him more in the moment which usually meant he glanced around to see if he could find Brandy. When he couldn't the woman would also catch on and tell him that his partner was busy with her own fashion worries. This made Devin laugh as he could hardly picture Brandy in any situation that made her worry.

"So how will you be paying for this. Would it be cash or credit?" The saleswoman was smiling, but at this point the smile was due to her happiness that a deal had been struck.

"I was hoping that we could barter." Devin said as he saw the women start to frown. Before she began to voice the stores official policy he pulled out two of the watches. The ROLEX symbol and letters could both be seen clear as day. "If possible it would be beneficial to both of us if we find this third option possible. In total Devin's suit cost a somewhat staggering 600 dollars, he had never understood those types of prices for clothes. He figured whatever dress Brandy picked would settle around the same maybe more. No matter what she picked the watch was easily worth over 3 thousands dollars.

"I believe we have reached an acceptable arrangement sir." The woman then went to the back to figure out the cost specifics while Devin waited for his partner to return while he held his suit in clothing bag. The woman also came back and informed Brandy that whatever she picked had already been paid for. Devin looked down at his own watch and saw that they have roughly 4 hours before they needed to leave for the party. The time would be best spent in their hotel room talking things through. Especially since they were both moving into the unknown at this point.

[Sincerely]

Brandy elected to ignore the fact that he said he had stolen the watches. It wouldn't be a benefit to anyone to start explaining the difference between right and wrong. Especially when they were going to be side by side in a few hours. Tension was the last thing Devin needed to get his information.

She continued to sort through the dresses in front of her. While they were all extremely nice, she just didn't think they would make the best impression at a ball. She needed a dress that could help her blend in, but still make it seem like she was trying like most of the money bags in attendance.

Since the store was mostly empty, Brandy started a small pile of dresses she would try on. After about the fourth dress, she was starting to lose hope. She only had one other dress in her pile, and if it didn't fit her exquisitely she wasn't sure what she would do. Changing into the dress she headed out to the raised platform just outside the door. She twisted and turned trying to see the dress from every angle. Just then, she saw the lady she sent Devin off with, tell her that her dress was paid for.

The petite girl turned away to head back to the register, when she did a double take. "Wow, that dress looks incredible on you." She exclaimed. She walked over to a counter and pulled out a dark clothing bag. "When you're done, just put it in here. That way you're boyfriend won't get the full effect until later." She said with a knowing smirk before turning and walking away.

"Oh, no. He's not my..." The sentence faltered as the girl was already well out of earshot for a normal conversation. "Boyfriend." She finished softly to herself. She looked at herself in the mirror before smoothing down the dress. She really did love it. Changing back into her normal clothes, she snagged a pair of heels and made her way to the front, garment bag in hand.

"Thank you so much for you're help." She said to the girl as they left the store. "So where are we going now? Back to the hotel?" She asked adjusting the bag on her arm.

[World Traveler]

Devin and Brandy finished up their final moments in the shop by waving goodbye to the staff and saying their thanks. The two took the long way back to the hotel. The silence was notable, but enjoyed between the two. Instead of each awkwardly trying to break it they spent the walk enjoying each others company as they people watched. Devin had few regrets in his life and he wasn't about to let everything around him stop him from enjoying the moment he was in. A beautiful city rich with history and a beautiful woman rich with strength and surprises. When they reached the hotel he felt it was almost criminal to break the silence.

"I think it is about time to tell you where this little adventure started. You can put your things in your room and meet me in mine when you are ready." He then gave his clothes to the man behind the concierge's desk and informed them that the shop was going to send a person around later to tailor the remaining portions. He then excused himself to his room. Once inside he began laying out all the required documents and tools needed to tell his story. Upon Brandy joining him he smiled and had her sit down.

"The story starts like everyone knows. Marco Polo and his father left on a trip to the far east in 1271." Devin pulled out the compass he had been seen using several times. "During that voyage we already know that he made a hidden stop here in Alexandra. What the letters further showed was that it wasn't his only secret stop." Putting on a some gloves he then unwrapped an old map. "This is a Mongolian map drawn for Marco Polo during his journey to escort a Mongolian princess. Her name was Kököchin. They were supposed to go straight to the city of Baghdad in Persia; however, we know from his dictated book that he visited the city of Sumatra." Devin pointed to the island off the coast of Thailand. "The official reason he gave was to continue a trade negotiation between the two nations; however..." Devin then pulled out several sheets of paper from his journal that had been tucked in like a book mark. He shared them with Brandy.

"Marco Polo clearly talks about the beauty of the island as one that held a terrible burden which he was terrified to carry." Devin tapped at the letters written in historic Italian. "I believe that Marco Polo was somehow involved in an agreement that was reached between the west and the east to hid this terrible burden. The problem is I don't know what it was. I know it was something capable of transport so it has to be something manageable." Devin flipped through several pages in his journal and then stopped at a small map with a line along the coastal waters of India and the Persian Gulf. "

After their ships made port in Sumatra Marco Polo's fleet never once made port at a place with large population. They said this was for the protection of the princess, but that makes no sense. The Mongolian empire was the strongest around having conquered nearly all of the known world. What would a princess have to fear. Even if she was specifically special an assassin would know that the entire world would burn in retribution..." Devin sat down now and was getting excited. "It is because whatever they took from this island was so powerful that they feared it was uncontrollable. "We could be on the verge of finding one of the world's first weapons of mass destruction and whatever it was it was brought back here to Alexandria to contain or hide.

Another letter was pulled out from his bag. This time he did so with great care. "This is an official letter translated from Mongolian and Italian into arabic with the seals of the Roman Catholic church and Genghis Khan. It grants unquestionable travel to and from Alexandria to three people only a year after Marco Polo returned from his journey. "If you look carefully you can see two of the names are..." Devin didn't need to finish as he saw Brandys eyes get wider. The names were "Matteo Polo, the brother of Marco Polo, and Kököchin. The princess Marco Polo was charged with escorting. The two people in Marco Polo's life who knew the entire story of his travels."

Devin sat back and let his supposed trail connect inside Brandy's head. "That alone isn't enough however. The real ticket is the way Marco Polo left secret messages in his letters. Many people knew there were hidden codes within the letters, but what they didn't know was the even deeper secrets his communications hid..." Devin took the compass and then placed it on the large mongolian map. With care he dragged the compass to the middle where the needle started to swing to the north end of the room. "Watch the needle." He said and he then put the needle over Mongolia where the needle started to spin and then pointed towards the city of Sumatra. Devin gave a look to Brandy and then brought the map to Sumatra. At that point the compass swung around again. This time pointing towards Alexandria.

"You want to take a guess as to what happens when I put the compass over Alexandria?" Devin asked, but didn't wait for an answer. As the compass settled on top of Alexandria the needle began to spin in a full circle only instead of resting it continued to spin around and around. "In this case it is circle marks the treasure." Devin smiled as he sat down on his bed. "I have little understanding of what Marco Polo carried, but whatever it was it cost him several ships to transport. Nearly half of his fleet perished, never to be spoken of or mentioned in any text he passed down. The only way historians found out about this was through ship records and even those were difficult to uncover."

All his cards were on the table now, literally, and Devin remained silent as he waited to hear Brandy's perspective on everything he had just shared.

[Sincerely]

The duo returned to their hotel, and Brandy was rather excited to spend her time relaxing before she had to go and start getting dressed for tonight's affair. She was rather surprised when Devin said he was going to explain all the information pertaining to the adventure. During the brief time that she has known him, she didn't take him as the type to lay all his cards out on the table. Of course it makes sense for him to do so. They were in this together. If she can prove to be a valuable asset, then she should get the whole picture.

Carrying her bags up to her room, she hung up her dress and set the shoes on the floor. Taking off her bag, she set it on the bed before heading next door. She knocked on the door and was let in immedeately. She sat down and crossed her legs. As soon as she was settled, he began explaining the whole story. Starting with the information that everyone knew, then adding in different connections he had found on his own.

He pulled out several papers, and Brandy craned her neck to quickly gaze over them. As Devin went further into detail of the dangerous secret Marco Polo was tasked with hiding, she soon found herself kneeling on the bed trying to take in all the information. It was as if a new position would somehow provide her with the perspective to handle this calmly.

When the compass was placed directly over Alexandria, it started to spin wildly. Brandy gasped and let Devin finish explaining. As he was finishing, she moved the compass to the other locations he had shown her. When it was anywhere else, it behaved like a normal compass. As soon as the small object was placed over their current location it began to spin. She moved the compass several times, almost as if she was trying to wait for the trick to wear off. But each time it did the same exact thing.

"I...I can't believe this." Brandy said finally looking up and meeting his eyes. "I mean this, this is really incredible. But what exactly are you trying to prove from all this? Find a weapon that can potentially destroy the world and use it as leverage to get whatever you want? Try to destroy it yourself without it destroying anything else? I mean, what could you possibly want with this thing?" She asked quickly.

It was fairly obvious that she was impressed with all the research and proof Devin laid out in front of her. At this point, Brandy whole-heartedly believed that Marco Polo really had hidden this ancient doomsday device in Alexandria. And she would love to track it down, but not if he was going to do something maniacal with it.

[World Traveler]

Devin gave a long smile as Brandy posed the question of what he was going to do with the artifact when he finally found it. It wasn't a new question. Of the small percentage of people who had listened to him and actually humored the idea that what he was looking for existed all but one had asked the very same question. His answers had always been tailored to the person asking. Sometimes he would promise it to a museum. Others he would promise private ownership. These were usually meant to be promises to get funds or favors made, but through all of it Devin deep down had no idea what he wanted to do if he discovered it.

The whole thing started as a small seed. He found the letters and after his ex girlfriend, a fellow grad student who specialized in ancient translation, found the letters and shared them and their meaning. From there Devin shopped the idea around that there was more to what Polo had achieved and though it mostly fell on deaf ears he found a few interested parties. From there the seed started to grow as hints, clues, and leads began to materialize. Over time his journey cost him a girlfriend, his education track, and more than a few debts.

Even through all of that he never stopped believing he was doing the right thing. Even his old graduate professor agreed; saying that Devin was never meant for the library and labs of the modern Archaeologist. It earned him the nickname Coal Miner as he always returned from trips with dirt and filth covering everything. He had always thought that if he didn't have grass stains on his jeans he hadn't been productive. It was a motto for him at this point and it had giving him treasured memories and plenty of scars. The entire conquest over what many men tried desperately to hide for the world... What was Devin going to do with it??

"I haven't thought that far ahead." Devin said. It was the first time he was completely honest in the answer. It felt good and he smiled again as he stood up. "What I do know is I am following it till the end. Been that way for almost half a year and going to be that way till the world says otherwise." Devin stood up and heard a knock on the door. He hadn't been expecting anyone so his immediate reactions was hesitation. Then he looked through the peep hole and saw a bellhop. In his hands was a small piece of paper.

Devin opened the door and from there took the paper from the bellhop who silently nodded and left the hallway. Inside the paper was two tickets to the evening event. There was also a note. The Librarian will see you. Dinner is first. Remember your date. Devin read the note a few times. "Seems these are the tickets. Figure that is as good a hint as any that we need to get ready." Devin motioned to his suit bag which held his evening clothes. "Meet in the lobby in an hour? Devin asked.