Sullivan's Island Magazine April 2018

18 www.SullivansIslandMagazine.com | www.SullivansIslandHomes.com The Lost Secret of Byron Preiss Signs Point to Sullivan’s Is land by James Vachowski T here’s a secret treasure hidden somewhere in Charleston, buried just 3 feet beneath the ground. It’s gone undiscovered for more than 35 years, silently waiting for someone to piece together the clues. In 1982, fantasy author Byron Preiss published “The Secret: A Treasure Hunt.” The book, ostensibly a tale of Old World faeries’ immigration to the Americas, was actually a unique genre of puzzle known as an “armchair treasure hunt.” Preiss had traveled across America the year before, armed with a 6-foot shovel, on a mission to bury 12 ceramic casques in locations known only to him. His book contained a series of cryptic paintings and verses which, when paired properly together, could guide his readers to the secret locations. From there, one would only have to dig up the casques to claim a precious gemstone prize. Sounds simple enough, right? The first casque was unearthed in Chicago, only a few months after the book’s release. From there, more than 20 years passed before the next casque showed up, discovered in Cleveland in 2004, just before Preiss was killed in a tragic automobile accident. But even though the location of the remaining casques was lost after his death, Preiss’ widow has stated that she has all the gems and would issue rewards for any found casques. Over 35 years later, the hunt is still on. I first learned about “The Secret” in 2017, which makes me a mere rookie among the book’s dedicated community. When I heard that one of these treasures was thought to be buried in Charleston, my pulse quickened as I set about researching the clues. That small map in the mask’s forehead? It’s an overhead view of the Charleston