CHAPTER 25 (PART - A)



Haddock and Tintin walked in Marlinspike and sat their luggage down taking a deep breath closing their eyes. The high ceilings, ornate walls, and the grand stairway were welcoming sites.
“We’re home!” Haddock yelled happily.
“Finally!” Tintin said as Haddock pulled Tintin to him for a nice quick kiss on the lips.

“Master Haddock! Master Tintin!” Nestor came downstairs dressed in his usual butler outfit.
“Nestor! It’s good to see ya!” Haddock said expressively.
“The professor has been awfully worried about you, I have dinner started and should be ready in an hour” Nestor announced as he greeted them at the bottom of the stairs.
“It’s almost six O’clock, where’s the professor?” Tintin asked curiously.
“He’s busy in his lab, I will ring him and let him know you’re here” Nestor said walking into the parlor.

“Ok, we’re going to take our things upstairs and get settled back in for now” Haddock said picking up his suitcase nodding for Tintin to follow him. Tintin ran to his room and quickly began unpacking. Haddock took a couple articles out returning them to a drawer and dumped the rest of the clothes in the dirty basket when Tintin came to his door.

Haddock walked up to him locking the door behind Tintin as he led him to the bed.
“I just couldn’t wait to get you home” Haddock confessed taking Tintin into his lap gazing in his peaceful green eyes.
“You dirty old man” Tintin laughed.
“Dirty?! Blisterin’ Barnacles lad! There’s nothing dirty about our love!” Haddock continued to gaze into Tintin’s eyes.
“That’s not what I meant!” Tintin said playfully rubbing noses with Haddock affectionately.
“Then why am I dirty landlubber?” Haddock kissed him once on the lips.
“Dirty means desiring in our case” Tintin winked.
“So you’re dirty too my boy” Haddock lifted Tintin’s chin for a passionate kiss. They savored a whiskey flavored passionate smooch.
“I don’t know what I would ever do without you lad” Haddock smiled.
“I never knew that you and I would be together like this… but I wouldn’t have it any other way Captain Archie” Tintin said mischievously gazing into the captain’s ice blue eyes.
“It’s so amazing lad, we still talk like a newly wed couple and we’ve been together almost five years now” Haddock chuckled.
“I just wished others could understand” Tintin sighed.
“Listen lad, it doesn’t matter what the world thinks of us, it’s none of their business first off. Nothing they can say or do will tear us apart mon petit” Haddock’s poetic side began to show.
“Mon dieu!” Tintin whispered as Haddock and he drew closer for another passionate kiss until a loud knocking at the door disturbed their intimate moment.

“Captain? Tintin? Are you here?” Professor Calculus said excitedly.
“Thunderin’ Typhoons!” Haddock grunted under his breath.
“Sorry captain” Tintin shrugged quickly kissing him on the lips one last time.
“We finish this later tonight mon amour!” Haddock replied with a devilish look.
“You dirty old man!” Tintin whispered lovingly to him.
“You’ll find out just how dirty I can be ya little naughty siren!” Haddock whispered back threateningly as they quickly regained their composure.
“Captain? Tintin?” Professor Calculus said a bit louder.
“We hear ya—ya squeaking jack in the box!” Haddock returned to his usual grouchy self.
“Coming Professor!” Tintin said innocently.
Tintin opened the door and stepped out into the hallway as Haddock slowly lumbered up behind.
“I’m so glad that both of you are back safely! Goodness! According to the detectives, there is a horrifying cult tailing you around” Calculus replied.
“You don’t say!” Haddock said clasping the professor’s shoulder leading him downstairs.
“Why yes captain… you and Tintin just took off without a word and…” Calculus was cut off.
“We left you a letter Cuthbert!” Haddock shook his head in disagreement.
“I know but…all of this talk of cults and murders…” Calculus continued.
“What murders?!” Tintin suddenly jumped in as they reached the bottom of the stairs.
“Why Thompson and Thomson went to London to investigate four murders near the city harbor” Calculus explained.
“Who was murdered?” Tintin demanded.
“Why, four youths, but so far I hear it’s more gang related violence” Calculus explained.

“Throwing their lives away for a life of crime, tis a sad world we live in” Haddock sighed and looked up when they heard frantic scratching at the front door.
“Oh, I need to let Snowy and Cocoa back in” Tintin looked up forgetting that his dogs were outside busy roaming the grounds.
“Cocoa? Who’s Cocoa?” Calculus asked confused.
“Meet our newest member of the family” Tintin said ironically as the cat was sitting on the arm of the staircase and in ran Snowy and Cocoa. As soon as Cocoa saw the cat she instantly ran after it. The cat hissed ferociously, but Snowy came right behind her as the cat squealed quickly upstairs disappearing into one of the rooms. Calculus only got a quick glance at her before they disappeared.

“Snowy! Cocoa!” Tintin shouted.
After a moment Snowy and Cocoa slowly returned.
“Professor, I’d like to introduce, Cocoa!” he said picking her up as she licked his face with Snowy at his feet wagging his small tail.
“Cocoa! Where did you find him?” Calculus adjusted his glasses.
“Actually professor, it’s a she, and Snowy found her and brought her back to Captain Chester’s sister’s house one evening” Tintin explained.
“Remarkable!” Calculus said scratching her behind her ears as she quickly began licking his hands.
“Adorable!” Calculus smiled. “Speaking of which Tintin I’ve perfected Snowy’s and the cat’s food dispenser” he remembered.
“Oh you did? Congratulations professor!” Tintin nodded.
“I had to do a little rewiring of the circuits but I think it’s safe to say it works ninety-nine percent efficiently” Calculus declared.
“That smells good!” Haddock said feeling his stomach growling.
“Yes, I agree captain, I’m starving too!” Tintin agreed as they led Calculus into the dining hall seeing how Nestor had already set the table elegantly as always. The captain took his usual seat as Tintin sat to his right and Calculus to his left. It wasn’t long until Nestor came out with a big pot of beef stew filling each big bowl with two ladle fulls.

“What about us Snowy?” Cocoa whined licking her lips.
“Come on Cocoa, our food is in the kitchen” Snowy hung his head as he led her into the kitchen.
Snowy led Cocoa to his bowl, and as usual, it was the same slop, he only got the premium food every other couple days. Nestor rotated it around which Snowy would only eat it when he was really hungry. Cocoa looked at it then Snowy.
“Aren’t you going to eat it?” she asked quizzically.
“You eat all you want first, I’ll eat what’s left” Snowy whined.
Cocoa took a few bites and glanced back at Snowy, “I’ve had worse” she nodded and continued to eat.
“Enjoy it, it’s not my favorite” Snowy sat quietly beside her.
“Oh Nestor, did you see our newest member of the family?” Tintin asked as Nestor finished doling out the portions of the stew then setting it on a small holder on the table.
“No, but I thought I saw a small light brown dog dash off into the kitchen…” Nestor replied taking a seat next to Calculus.

Each of them began to slowly savor their stew and eat before further conversing. Tintin enjoyed it when everyone in the house ate together. Most of the time, Nestor ate alone or would join Professor Calculus in his lab. Haddock and Tintin were both not glad to hear about the news in London, but the detectives going out there to investigate without any back up really bothered Tintin. It made him wonder what else was going on.

“This is really good Nestor!” Haddock nodded after devouring half of his bowl in almost less than two minutes.
“I agree, I love the spicy flavor you added” Calculus nodded.
“It kind of reminds me of Alyssa’s stew but just a touch different” Tintin added.
“Why thank you gentlemen” Nestor smiled.
“We did have a minor incident while you two were gone, but Nestor and I sent them on their way” Calculus laughed.
“Really?” Tintin replied concerned and somewhat amused.
“Yes, the Professor here is a clever one… it was quite shocking I assure you” Nestor said with a dry sense of humor.
Tintin and Haddock only stared blankly.
“Oh that was only a simple high voltage charged battery to the metallic door handle” Calculus explained.
“Oh, that is clever” Tintin said impressed trying to picture Calculus and Nestor together in a fix. Haddock thought the idea was almost a bit absurd but still amusing.

“So about what’s been happening…” Haddock paused to take a deep breath. He and Tintin explained what all had been happening and about Tintin’s twin brother. They also mentioned the information they received in Antwerp at one of Chester’s favorite pubs.

“That is simply amazing! The fact that you could have a twin brother?!” Calculus said intrigued.
“The mentioning of Allan somehow doesn’t surprise me, I’m willing to bet he has something to do with this cult” Calculus commented.
"I feel pretty confident that Allan is not the mastermind behind this whole operation" Tintin interjected.
"Of course not landlubber, he was one of my lackeys...cunning and treacherous yes, but masterminding and intellectual? Not so much" Haddock commented.

“We’re pretty sure as well about that, but now that we know about what’s going on in London and for INTERPOL to send my bosses over there just doesn’t sit right with me. I have a bad feeling about all of this” Tintin admitted his concerns.
“It’s you they’re after Tintin” Calculus warned him.
“But why?” Tintin asked unable to come up with a rational answer.
“Your guess is as good as mine young man” Calculus shrugged.
“I have to find out, even if it means putting me in harm’s way. I cannot allow Thompson and Thomson to face trouble as big as this alone” Tintin declared.

“Tintin, for all we know it could just be a handful of crazy thugs with some parlor tricks” Haddock shrugged. “Yea we did encounter Chester’s old crazy first mate, but how harmful could he be? They had hired American sailors to attack us, and the other incidents were completely unrelated” Haddock tried analyzing it all.

“That may be true captain, but you’re not saying that we abandon them are you?” Tintin looked at the captain with a bit of dismay.
“No, but they asked me to keep you safe Tintin, that’s not keeping you safe if I take you or allow you into harm’s way… I can go without you and help them” Haddock suggested.
“No captain, if you go, I go too…I won’t hear another word of that” Tintin strongly disagreed.

“Oh, that reminds me, the whole reason I wanted to see you two again” Calculus lit up.
Tintin and Haddock looked at Calculus in surprise. Then they glanced at Nestor as he seemed to already know giving them a slight smile.
“What could you possibly have to show us Cuthbert?” Haddock became suddenly curious.
“I have been working on some gizmos and gadgets that would come in handy during your perilous travels” Calculus explained.
“Oh really professor?” Tintin’s interest grew exponentially secretly hoping it wasn’t anything like his recent dog food timed feeder.
“Oh yes! You can put that doubt of yours to rest young man! I promise, both of you will be quite amazed!” Calculus nodded with a sparkle in his eye as he took a sip of his tea.
Nestor smiled again in agreement. Haddock and Tintin were both struck like children waiting to unwrap a Christmas gift trying to guess its contents.
“No more about it until we finish dinner” Calculus nodded.
“Oh that’s right! I brought some of Captain Chester’s sister’s scones in a small sack… I’ll be right back…” Tintin said dashing off to get them.
“He is right, they are quite delicious” Haddock agreed.

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