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Tuesday's Rubies
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Tuesday's Rubies
by CB Potts
Torquere Press
Copyright ©2006 by CB Potts
First published in www.torquerepress.com, 2006
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Tuesday's Rubies
by CB Potts
Saturday
Albany, New York, United States
"What've you got there?" Sean asked, stopping to pour
himself a cup of coffee before sitting down. "Big, fat book
contract?"
I looked up at him and smiled, the sight of his long frame
folded carefully into my tiny kitchen more of a pick-me-up
than any cup of java could ever be.
"No. It's from the University of Seoul." The heavy ivory
pages fluttered to the table. "They want me to come lecture
on those new South American jade deposits."
"Mmm. That's probably a pretty prestigious gig."
"It is."
"And profitable, no doubt."
"I'm not complaining." Honesty forced me to glance at the
figure printed on the offer. "You probably would, though."
Sean chuckled. "I always complain. So you've decided to
take the plunge, then? Going to throw yourself back into
academia?"
"You've got something better for me than life in an ivory
tower?"
He smiled, a Cheshire curl distorting the careful cut of his
black goatee. "Might."
"Tell me." That twinkle in his eye always signaled
adventure, and patience has never been my best attribute.
"Rubies." Sean lifted his hips out of his chair just high
enough to fish a small stone from his pocket. It glistened on
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Tuesday's Rubies
by CB Potts
the table between us, a rough scarlet gem. "Afghani rubies,
to be exact."
"Where did you get this?" The stone looked even better
through the loupe—no visible occlusions, a consistent color—
and it was large enough to pay for three or four Seoul
lectures.
"Really, Matt. I did say Afghani rubies, didn't I?" He tapped
one long finger against his perfect forehead. "Obviously it
came from Afghanistan."
"And it got to you how?"
"Secrets, secrets, baby. Are you in or not?"
I looked at him—the man I'd followed to South Africa for
the diamonds, to Kenya for the opals, and to the pits of South
America for carnelians you wouldn't believe. I'd done great
work with him. Our trips led to journal articles in every
lapidary and geology journal this side of Mars, two teaching
gigs, a textbook, and one popular non-fiction text.
But truth be told, I would have followed Sean if he was
planning an expedition to Kmart to explore the intricacies of
women's hairstyling products. All he had to do was flash
those Irish brown eyes and smile, and he had me, crooked
right around his finger.
That's probably why I didn't mind if a sizeable chunk of our
finds went into Sean's pocket. I kept the scientifically
interesting stones, he kept the financially interesting ones.
And if the two values were in competition? Well, I never
could deny Sean anything.
"Sounds like fun." I smiled. "When do we leave?"
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Tuesday's Rubies
by CB Potts
"Tomorrow, if you're willing." Sean's smile was brilliant. "I
got a guy lined up over there to help us out. His name's
Parker Donovan. We'll meet up in Turkey. He's ex-military,
stayed behind to make some dough after his tour."
"I didn't know you could do that in Afghanistan." I tapped
the folded newspaper lying on the table. "Things are a little ...
hectic over there right now."
"They are," Sean countered. "But journalists get to go
everywhere. So do their assistants."
"Mmm." I raised an eyebrow. "Who am I writing for this
time?"
"The Alabama Amateur Geologist ."
"You really think that customs officials are going to believe
that I'm willing to risk my life for the Alabama Amateur
Geologist magazine?"
"Newsletter, actually."
"Even better. I'm supposed to fly around the world, into a
war zone, to write for a wanna-be's newsletter?"
"Scientists are crazy," Sean mused, "Writers doubly so."
He picked up the ruby and turned it over in his fingers.
"Pretty stone, ain't it?" His eyes met mine, held them. "You
know I need you to help me find the rest of them. I'll be there
with you. I won't let anything bad happen."
"And what if something bad does happen? What if it
happens to you?"
"Then Parker'll be there.
That wasn't what I meant at all, but I nodded my head as
if my concerns were assuaged.
"So we're all set."
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