The Enchantment Read Online Free PDF Page A

slip out of his fingers, taking his dream with it.
    "Yes, Dr. Digby, sell. Why would I make an investment of this size with no hope of turning a profit? I'm a businessperson, not a philanthropist." "But surely you can't mean to profit on history?" "Look, Dr. Digby, this discussion is becoming tiresome. Take my money, or don't take it, it's up to you. But if you take it, there's a price. I get half of whatever you find."
    He squeezed his eyes shut. The image of treasures, thousands of years old, being hacked up and separated like so many parts of a chicken filled his mind. His stomach wrenched at the thought.
    She clicked her jeweled gold pocket watch open. "Now, Dr. Digby."
    "Without your money, I'll never find the city," he mumbled.
    "Dreams have a price, Doctor. That's a lesson I have learned myself. Now, what's your decision?"
    He tried to analyze the situation quickly. What other option did he have? What other choice? Without her money, he was back to the beginning—and it had taken him fifteen years to get this far. The thought of starting over made him feel queasy. Desperate.
    She leaned forward. The muffled thump of her elbows hitting the hardwood caused him to jump slightly.
    Her gaze narrowed, scrutinized him. Amusement flickered through her eyes and then was gone, as if she was pleased by his dilemma. "Well, Digby?" Her words hung heavily in the silent, breath-laden air, and this time there was no mistaking her smile. "What will you do?"
    It was another test, he realized suddenly. A test she
    THE ENCHANTMENT
    27
    wanted him to fail. She wanted him not to take the
    money.
    He smiled at his own deductive powers. It made perfect sense; she was a miser who'd unaccountably been put in the position of spending her money. The only way she could back out of her commitment was if he declined her offer.
    A river of relief rushed through him. Her threat was only that—a threat; a smoke screen to keep him from thinking clearly. She wouldn't do it—not really. Not once she'd seen the treasures, touched them, seen their incredible value to the world. No one could sell the past to the highest bidder, could they?
    The more he thought about it, the more sure he became. Perhaps she even believed she could sell the treasures, but once she'd seen them, touched them, she'd realize her mistake. Cibola and its treasures belonged to the world. Not to any one person.

    "Very well," he said slowly. The moment the words slipped out of his mouth, he felt as if an anvil had been lifted off his shoulders. "I'll take your money."
    "Oh," she answered, and the look on her face told him he'd been right. She'd wanted him to refuse the money. "When will you be leaving?"
    "I don't know. It's all so unexpected. ... A few months, maybe. It will take me a while to make all the arrangements."
    "I'll expect to hear from you before you leave. Good
    luck, Dr. Digby."
    He watched her sail out of the room with the controlled, regal bearing of a lioness. Not once did she look back at him. Larence looked down at the check in his hands. The stark white paper danced in his shaking fingers.

    ^ Kristin Hannah
    Ten thousand dollars.
    There was nothing to stop him now. Nothing The adventure he'd waited a lifetime for had just be-Chapter Three
    Emmaline walked briskly down the gray stone canyon of Broadway, her plain black satin umbrella set at a no-nonsense angle above her severe, backswept coiffure. Rain thumped her umbrella and splattered in huge, icy droplets on the flagstone sidewalk, splashing the toes of her Pebble goat walking shoes. Wind snapped at her thick woolen skirts. Chin up, eyes straight ahead, she strode toward her usual Monday morning destination.
    The morning's dark, rain-heavy air filled her lungs. She inhaled deeply, savoring the familiar scent of New York City's financial district during an early spring shower. She loved this part of the city in the morning; it was so vibrant, so alive.
    Most people felt hemmed in by the towering buildings