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"I haven't either," agreed Yaeger "That's why I hesitated to mention it"

"Must be seepage from the water in the Gulf," said Pitt

Gunn nodded "The only logical answer"

Pitt looked up at Yaeger "You couldn't find any reference to landmarks?"

"Sorry, I struck out For a while there I entertained hopes the deht hold a key to the location of the cave," answered Yaeger "The knots on that particular coil seenify a measurement of distance I have the impression it indicates a nu from the demon to the cave But the copper strands had deteriorated, and Brunhilda couldn't reconstruct a coherent "

"What sort of demon?" asked Sandecker

"I don't have the slightest idea"

"A signpost leading to the treasure maybe?" mused Gunn

"Or a sinister deity to scare off thieves," suggested Pitt

Sandecker rapped his cigar on the lip of a glass cup, knocking off along ash "A sound theory if the elements and vandals haven't taken their toll over four hundred years, leaving a sculpture that can't be distinguished from an ordinary rock"

"To su of rock or pinnacle on an island in the Sea of Cortez with a stone carving of a demon on top of it"

"A generalization," Yaeger said, sitting down at the table "But that pretty well sulean out of the quipu"

Gunn reht and checked for sht can restore the deteriorated coils?"

"I'll ask hier

"He'll be diligently laboring over them within the hour," Sandecker assured him