by Geonn Cannon
“I can’t do my job alone.”
“Then we can be partners.”
Trafalgar stared at her. “I beg your pardon?”
Dorothy shrugged and moved toward the fireplace. “I’ve grown weary of constantly seeking patrons and working with students and weekend adventurers. In a perfect world I would fund my own expeditions, but I can’t afford to bankroll ten or twelve people. I could, however, bankroll one other person who was worth ten or twelve people all by herself. We’ve proven we can work well together, even if we don’t always agree.”
“You’re serious.”
Dorothy smiled. “Of course I’m serious. I just think it would be a tremendous waste if you simply packed up and found new work.” She furrowed her brow. “Ah. Unless you already had something else arranged, in which case--”
“No, nothing else.” Trafalgar was looking at the carpet. “I must say this is entirely unexpected, Lady Boone. I would feel marginally safer if I was around to make sure you stayed out of trouble.”
Dorothy laughed. “Whatever lies you need to tell yourself. You could of course keep your own clients, your contacts and collections would be your own. We would simply collaborate when necessary.” She walked closer. “The simple truth is that we are both very good at what we do, but we’re even better together. We faced the Minotaur together and we won! What can’t we do if we put our minds to it?”
Trafalgar raised an eyebrow and nodded slowly. “Necessity often creates strange bedfellows. Very well. Perhaps on a trial basis, we could see if we can refrain from murdering one another for a few weeks.”
“There’s actually a case you could help me with. I put the client off until I was fully healed, but if you’re willing to operate in my stead...?”
Trafalgar considered the offer. “Yes. I would be willing to take a look at it.”
“Excellent. Stay here. I’ll be right back.”
Dorothy went upstairs, wondering what she had just done while finding herself excited at the prospect of working with Trafalgar. She went into her private office where she had left details of the prospective assignment, a job that could take them as far away as Chile if Trafalgar was willing to literally lend her a hand. A half-finished map of Knossos was sitting on the desk awaiting her return, but it would have to wait even longer now.
As she crossed the room she paused and went to the bookshelf where her latest memento was displayed. The piece of the Minotaur’s horn that had broken off, which had then served as the means through which she negotiated their truce, had been sanded, waxed, and mounted on a piece of marble. She touched the smooth curve of the horn and remembered the pain and fear she’d been in when she first picked it up.
Strange bedfellows indeed, she thought. She took her notes from the desk and switched off the lamp as she left the office, trotting downstairs to share the information with her new partner.
About the Author
Geonn Cannon lives in Oklahoma. He is the author of several novels, including the Riley Parra series which is currently being produced as a webseries for Tello Films, and an official Stargate SG-1 tie-in novel. Information about his other novels and an archive of free stories can be found online at geonncannon.com.
Table of Contents
Prologue 1899
Ethiopia 1899
Chapter One 1919
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Epilogue Six weeks later
About the Author