This is the eleventh (Part Two) of a series of Six Questions with dedicated searchers of The Secret (A Treasure Hunt) published in 1982 by Byron Preiss. The previous Six Questions of this Secret Treasure Hunt series took a look into a proposed location for a buried Casque of the Treasure Hunt. This one takes a look at a FOUND casque!
There were 12 buried casques of which only two have ever been found. One was found in Cleveland in 2004 by Brian Zinn and Andy Abrams. Previously, MW caught up with Andy. Now, it is time to chat with Brian! Enjoy!
It is known Image 4 matches with Verse 4 leading to the found casque of Cleveland!
- 1Q) When did you first hear about The Secret? Had you participated in other treasure hunts before looking for the Cleveland Casque?
I was in my Sophomore year in college at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, when I was walking through the campus bookstore and The Secret caught my eye. It was right up my alley, because I love puzzles, riddles, games, etc. I immediately purchased it. I had previously purchased and worked on Masquerade, but since the treasure was buried in England, I really did not work too hard on it.
- 2Q) What inspired you to look for the Casque? What was the first clue you found leading to it?
I became obsessed with The Secret immediately after purchasing the book, and started visiting the campus library to go through maps, historical books, etc., trying to crack any of the clues. The Cleveland Image became my favorite to work on, because it had my birthstone, the aquamarine, and because much of the Image hinted to me that the treasure might be buried in Philadelphia – where I was living.
I also noted that Byron Preiss went to Penn as well, so I figured he would be very familiar with the area and could easily bury a casque there. I began visiting an area downtown where I was pretty sure one was buried, because so many things lined up between the Image and a few of the Verses. I continued to work on The Secret in Philadelphia, but never found anything.
I went to law school in Boston, and had packed up The Secret in a box with my books from college. I graduated law school, moved to New Jersey, got married, had kids, and forgot about The Secret. One day, I ran across the box, and the book, and got the fever again. I went online in search of anything about the book, and came across Q4T and Fox, who was wondering the same thing. We started collaborating together with others, and the internet gave us the tools to start figuring out everything.
I googled many things from many Verses, and found some good clues for various treasure sites. One time I googled “Socrates, Pindar, and Apelles,” but nothing came up. One day, maybe about a month later, Johann on Q4T finds a link to the Cleveland Cultural Gardens because some society decided to post the names that were on the wall on the internet.
- 3Q) Would you mind sharing the highlights of your solution?
I think this has pretty much been analyzed to death by many people. Image 4 gets you to the general area of the Cleveland Cultural Gardens. The Cleveland terminal tower is hidden upside-down, the latitude and longitude of Cleveland is contained in the years, the Centaur’s cup is a statue in the garden, and the space under the arch is a combination of the wall and the Italian fountain. The Verse that matches it, Verse 4, contains the phrase “seek the columns,” and also contains specific instructions about 7 steps and a rectangular plot.
- 4Q) What is the most unique thing you found while searching (besides the treasure)- or what did you enjoy most about your search?
It took a while to convince him, but I convinced a co-worker of mine, Andy Abrams, to go with me, by showing him all the evidence that the treasure was really buried in Cleveland, and that it would be a great story to tell our grandchildren if we found it. So off we went on an epic adventure. I think it was a 9-hour car ride each way, and along the way, Andy and I went from friendly co-workers to great friends. I gave Andy a large piece of the casque in a plaque which reads, “Good friends are more difficult to find than buried treasure.” So, I gained a friend for life, and a story to tell my grandchildren. Who could ask for more?
- 5Q) What would you say is the major obstacle preventing successful unearthings of the other Casques? How do you feel the solution for the Cleveland Casque can help in discovering others?
Well, obviously, time is the enemy, and some of the landmarks that are identified in the Images and Verses are gone. It now takes much more researching, because people have to figure out what the treasure sites looked like 40 years ago. I think all of the solutions have similarities, so knowing how one of them was solved can hopefully help in solving others.
- 6Q) Do you have any advice for someone else looking for these treasures, or is there something more you would like to add?
The hunt itself is extremely rewarding, especially if you are accompanied by someone else – friends or family. I enjoy reading other people’s accounts of their hunts, especially when they are having fun doing it – which is most of the time. Happy hunting everyone!
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