“You can trade,” the Codex said. “Treasure for favors.”

“Favors?” Scott asked.

“Information, teleportation to locations. Most anything within Abaddon’s power. Primarily remnants, undiscovered or otherwise,” the Codex replied. “It is how the Ninth Legion was summoned by the previous contenders.”

“Could we use it to trade for guns?” Cade asked.

“If Abaddon deems the trade worthy,” the Codex replied.

“Well, what did the Ninth Legion cost?” Cade asked.

“The Ninth Legion cost the entire contents of the Las Cinque Chagas, a Spanish treasure ship that disappeared in 1594. It contained two thousand tons of precious metals and jewels.”

Another dot flashed blue on the map, the farthest point on the long string of dots that marked the Roman expedition’s progress. Clearly, that was what the Romans had been looking for.

“Can we trade it then and there?” Cade asked. “As soon as we find it?”

“Yes,” the Codex replied.

Cade cursed quietly.

“Wait, why is that a problem?” Scott asked. “If we find treasure out there, we won’t have to lug it back to the keep.”

“Correct,” Cade said, his fists balled with frustration. “But that means the Romans didn’t have to either. Any remnant on the map there that had treasure in it was probably traded—gold’s heavy, remember. And if they didn’t know what to do with it, they would have paid some of it to have the rest teleported back. We won’t find any left out there.”

“Oh … right,” Scott replied dejectedly.

A grim silence descended on the group.

“Was there treasure found in the tombs, then?” Cade asked, dejected.

“Unknown,” the Codex replied. “The tombs were only scanned from the exterior.”

Cade looked up, his eyes widening.

“Why?” he asked.

“I cannot answer that question,” the Codex replied.

Cade leaned back, a flutter of hope within his chest. The tombs had been found on the second expedition’s way back to the keep, before they had been chased from their course by the slavers. Perhaps they were in a hurry to return, having found treasure enough already.

“Well, that’s one avenue,” he said after a moment’s pondering. “Tombs mean treasure. Lara Croft taught me that.”

“I’m a Nathan Drake guy myself,” Yoshi said. “But you’re right.”

“Whatever that means,” Grace said, rolling her eyes.

“Weirdos,” Trix said, prodding Yoshi good naturedly.

Cade scratched at his scruffy beard, staring at the map. There were far fewer remnants in the depths of the jungles, for only the second expedition had explored that far.

“What’s left?” he asked the Codex.

“An A-4E Skyhawk attack aircraft loaded with a B43 nuclear weapon fell from the deck of the USS Ticonderoga in 1965. Pilot, plane, and weapon were never found.”

Cade held his breath, but nobody proffered an opinion.

“Anything else?” Amber asked.

“That is all,” the Codex replied.

Cade sighed and rested his chin on his hands. He had to play this right.

“It’s a risk,” he announced after a moment’s thought.

“Duh,” Scott said. “Dino-infested jungles aren’t exactly a walk in the park.”