CHAPTER 3 (PART B[end of chapter 3])


Tintin and Haddock looked a bit concerned. “Regretting your decision now?” Chester asked flatly taking a long drink just as their food arrived.
“Here you go good sirs” Caleb said putting four platters down on the table with a bottle of malt vinegar in the center. “Caleb, come here” Chester motioned as Caleb leaned forward. Chester began to whisper something in his ear and the young man nodded and quickly walked away.

“What did you tell him?” Tintin looked a bit confused.
“I’m alerting my networks to keep their eyes open and trust me, any stranger that acts out of the norm within a certain radius of my home will rouse alarm” Chester said slyly.
“Now my friends, eat, drink, and be merry!” he replied laughing in a mock kingly fashion. Haddock and Tintin looked a bit worried still.
“You’re here, they know the danger and so do the police, and if you were followed we will find out soon enough. We’ll leave in the morning, my yacht should be ready for us first thing tomorrow” Chester finished. Haddock and Tintin shrugged their shoulders and did their best to put their faith in their friends. Snowy playfully nipped Tintin’s shoe, “I’m sorry Snowy here you go” he said tossing a couple of filets to his pet. Tintin was really hungry too, as he ravenously devoured his food.

“Slow down laddie, enjoy your food” Haddock shot Tintin a concerned glance.
“You can get more if you’re still hungry” Chester reminded him. Chester waved his hand as Caleb was running around the pub with a middle-aged woman deftly carrying platter after platter out of the kitchen.
“Wow, she’s fast!” Tintin noticed her.
“That’s Caleb’s mother, his father is an early retiring sailor, owns this place” Chester informed.
“So who will be travelling with us? Where would we be going?” Tinin asked casually.
“He is a young Italian sailor who has been sailing on the Sirius since he was fifteen, he’s nineteen now. I send money to his family in Livorno for his work. He’s trustworthy” Chester informed.
“Ultimately, I’m going to go to Glasgow, but first stop will be in Colchester, my sister and her husband live there” Chester continued taking out his small pouch of tobacco and a pipe.
“I will stay for a couple of days then cast off to Glasgow. I must return by next week as my cargo will be ready to ship off on the Sirius” he concluded striking a match lighting his pipe. He took out a small nautical map and showed Haddock pointing from where they were to their destination.
“So we port at Harwich Ferry then?” he faced the map his way.
“Exactly, if we don’t have any problems, we will catch a few fish to take to my sister then port by dusk” he nodded.


After a couple of minutes, Caleb had another round of ale for the group. “Thank you good lad, remember to thank your mom and dad for me” he whispered to him.
Caleb nodded, “Anything for friends” he smiled as he dashed off to another table.
“Wow you really are well connected here” Tintin was impressed.
“I have a couple residences, but alas, I am not a wealthy man like my good friend Haddock!” he laughed.
“What wealth? A manor, a cargo ship, a couple of cars, and some hidden—well you know what I mean” Haddock replied missing the underlying meaning of Chester’s statement.
“That’s not what I meant…” Chester shook his head. Haddock thought for a moment as Tintin gave him a silly grin. “Oh! That! I am a very lucky man!” Haddock admitted finally understanding Chester.
“Another toast, to longevity and happiness and more in the thereafter” Chester said almost with a poetic sense. “Cheers!” Tintin and Haddock raised their glasses high.



The evening came and twilight gave way to a gentle starry night. Marlinspike Hall was quiet and not many lights were on. The two Russian men were watching the hall carefully. All they could hear was the occasional piano music. “Is that someone playing?” one of the Russians asked the other. The taller guy seemed almost shocked that his accomplice would even ask such a thing.

“Who cares?!” he whispered harshly. They were both dressed in their robed outfits with their masks, waiting for some sign or signal to raid the hall.
“I hope Lento gets here fast, I’m getting nervous” the tall guy ranted.
“I say we go get a closer look” the short guy suggested.
“Are you the boss?” the tall guy shot back.
“Well no but--all of this doing nothing isn’t helping” he justified. The tall guy was going to fire back but he realized that he too felt the same way.
“It’s nine O’clock, I say we at least get a closer look” the shorter guy pressured.
“Fine, but only looking” the tall guy agreed not sure even he agreed with his own conditions. They stealthily jumped down from the tree they were in and quietly approached the manor.


Sitting by the fireplace sat the Professor and Nestor sipping cups of hot tea listening to Chopin’s Revolutionary Etude. Professor Calculus seemed to be swaying in his seat just as Nestor was admiring the finger work that it took to execute the piece as well as this pianist had done.

“I haven’t listened to this in a long time” Calculus admitted.
“It’s splendid indeed” Nestor smiled tapping his fingers on his knee.
“I may have to take a trip to Vienna now just so I can relive that memory…and perhaps run into Madame Castafiore” Calculus smiled.
“I’ve been a couple times” Nestor nodded.
“Oh what did you see?” Calculus continued surprisingly with the help of his hearing aid.
“Mostly Mozart sir, his Piano Concerto No. 20 in D minor” Nestor was exact. Calculus nodded thoughtfully really not being a true connoisseur of classical music.
“This feels strange sitting in the Captain’s and Tintin’s seat” Calculus said staring into the fire. Nestor nodded taking a sip of his tea.
“I just hope their safe, especially after that attack” Calculus replied somberly.
“I’m perfectly sure both the masters can look after one another quite well” Nestor pointed out.
“You know what Nestor? When they come back, we’re all going to go to Vienna and see one of Mozart’s best pieces” Calculus said taking a sip of tea.
“Might I suggest the Magic Flute?” Nestor said just as the cat cried and hissed jumping out of the window running under Nestor’s seat.

The album continued on to the Prelude in E minor as Nestor and Calculus glanced back quickly then nodded to each other not moving an inch. Nestor sat by the phone as Calculus nodded.
“We need police at Marlinspike Hall please” Nestor announced on the phone.
“Thank you sir” he hung up listening carefully as Calculus slowly glanced to the window. Only a small crack through the drapes was the only view outside which the piano obstructed.


“Tintin could you get my glasses for me” Calculus yelled. There was a tense silence but only the eerie Prelude in the background until a zapping electrical sound broke the eerie silence and a bright flash was seen out of both the corner of their eyes. Nestor and Calculus looked toward the door and another moment passed until again, another jolt disturbed the eerie Prelude as it climaxed with an accented flash. Nestor and Calculus walked slowly to the front door armed with simple weapons. As they walked to the door Nestor carried a flashlight that was like a baton. Nestor noticed the professor had his umbrella. They could hear quiet muffled curses behind the door. Calculus took out a small box from the closet nearby which had several chains of firecrackers with and a couple books of matches. Nestor nodded already understanding. They each crept to a window on opposite sides of the front door each peeping out to see two shapes still recovering literally from shock. Nestor listened quietly, then felt the old revolver he had in his coat pocket just for such an occasion hoping he wouldn’t have to use it.


“What the Hell?!” the short man exclaimed as his body was racked with pain.
“They must know…we’re here…” the tall guy replied with labored breathing.
"Somehow they got the door handles connected to something electrical!" the short guy surmised. Slowly recovering after a few minutes, they took out their guns ready to burst in the manor, but were taken by surprise yet again. A string of what sounded like multiple gunshots going off in rapid succession sent them flying away from the manor diving for cover.
“They got some serious arsenal” the short guy replied in amazement. They waited for more shots to succeed, but none came.
“They are playing us for fools!” the tall man began to realize, but the lights at the end of the gate lit up as a siren began to go off far in the distance.
“The police are coming! I knew I shouldn’t have listened to you!” the tall guy slugged the short guy.
“Idiot!” he glared at him but they didn’t have time to argue so they disappeared back to the camp site. When they returned, the third guy was waiting impatiently for them.
“You fools! Both of you!” he yelled at them.
“The police are coming! Hurry! Grab everything, we got to go!” the third guy began gathering the equipment rolling his possessions up putting them on the back of his motorbike. They quickly pulled down the tent, “What’s the news?” the short guy asked.
“They tricked us! They aren’t even here!” the third continued as they could hear the continued police sirens.
“We heard someone shout Tintin’s name!” the short guy explained.
“I told you guys to keep your distance and not to move too close to the manor, the professor and that butler tricked you!” he declared.
“We should go back and murder them!” the tall guys said angrily.

“We don’t have time for that, the police will be there in less than a minute! The boss says Tintin was spotted in Brussels at the train station with his dog and that stupid sea captain” the third guy expounded as they finished loading up. The other two guys were dumbfounded as they quickly pushed their bikes quietly until they were far away enough that no one would notice them and disappeared into the night.

__________________