CHAPTER 33 (PART - B) end of chapter 33


Chester woke up that morning just about an hour after sunrise with the help of his granddaughter already up making noises in the other room. He sat up and yawned looking out the window. He put on his housecoat over his pajamas and stepped out of his room. Enzo slept peacefully on the sofa covered in a long orange blanket. Kevin was already up with Elizabeth in the kitchen enjoying a morning tea as Elizabeth was cooking breakfast for everyone.

“Mornin’ dad” Elizabeth greeted her father.
“Mornin’ to you too lass” Chester said taking a seat on a stool by their counter in the kitchen.
“You’re up early” Kevin commented.
“So are you? Isn’t today your relaxation holiday?” Chester was surprised to see Kevin stirring about. “Tis indeed, we thought about going for a boat ride this later this morning” Kevin continued.
“A boat ride?” Chester said yawning again as Elizabeth set a cup of fresh hot tea in front of him.
“Yes, don’t get to spend much time otherwise with the family so today is our family day” Kevin explained. “Plus I have four free tickets” Kevin picked up the four tickets on the counter.
“Yes dad, we thought Rachel might enjoy getting out of the house” Elizabeth added.
“Sounds like fun” Chester nodded.
“Would you like to come too?” Elizabeth smiled.
“Well… I have to get back on my ship Monday… a break from the sea is good for you…” Chester trailed off taking a sip of his tea.
“I see…then you want to stay and rest?” Elizabeth asked.
“…but I came to spend time with all of you, can’t do that if I’m here and all of you are down there” Chester thought out loud.
“Then you will go with us?” Elizabeth smiled.
“Uh…why not?” Chester finally smiled back. Rachel could be heard shouting and making noise in the bedroom. "...but what about Rachel? You only have four tickets?" Chester shrugged.
"Oh, I'm sure we can handle that" Kevin nodded.


“Great! I still need to get Rachel ready she’s been up for almost an hour already!” Elizabeth exclaimed.
“Well take your time, I still got to get my youngest sailor up” Chester joked.
Kevin and Elizabeth glanced at Enzo still able to sleep soundly.
“It’s amazing how well he sleeps through my daughters antics” Elizabeth commented.
“He’s enjoying the luxury of sleeping in. Once we get back on the ship he won’t have it. He’s up by five thirty in the morning preparing to do his early rounds on the ship” Chester glanced back at him.

“You want to leave him here? He can stay if he likes” Kevin shrugged.
“Don’t know, let me ask him” Chester said walking over to the sofa.
“Enzo…” Chester said gently shaking his shoulder. “Ezno…” he repeated.
After a minute, Enzo slowly began to open his eyes. “Yes captain”
“The family is going on a boat ride to get the granddaughter out of the house” Chester told him.
“Are we going?” Enzo asked quietly.
“It’s up to you lad, are still sleepy? We’re going to leave in about thirty minutes; but, if you want something to eat you better get up now” Chester suggested.
“Aye Captain…” Enzo said lazily turning over stretching on the sofa.
“Eggs and ham with some biscuits is all we have Enzo” Elizabeth replied.
“It’s smells great…just five minutes more please,” Enzo lied there comfortably yawning trying to wake up.
“So that’s a yes?” Kevin laughed.
“Si signore, bravo” Enzo answered jokingly back in his native language.
Kevin looked slightly confused.
“That was a yes” Chester returned back to his stool helping his self to some breakfast.
“Let me go and finish getting Rachel ready…better hurry up Enzo before father and Kevin eat everything” Elizabeth warned. “Father! You said you wanted to call Marlinspike this morning” Elizabeth reminded him quickly.

“That’s right!” Chester said with his mouth full. He got up and walked to the phone.
“Now what’s the number?” Chester thought out loud to himself. “Here we go!” he said dialing the number.
The phone rang and rang, but still, no answer.
“Now this is getting stranger…” Chester commented hanging up the phone and trying again. His persistence was not rewarded, still no one answered.
“Maybe they are still asleep?” Kevin suggested.
“Maybe Haddock or Calculus, but not Nestor or Tintin…both of them rise with the crack of dawn” Chester said with slight concern.

“Aw…they are grown men, what could possibly happen?” Kevin shrugged.
“Don’t say that… anything at any given time can go wrong” Chester waved his finger.
Enzo finally got up and disappeared into the bathroom.
“I’m sure they’re fine Captain, some of the extraordinary tales you’ve shared with us would lead me to believe that they could handle any obstacle blocking their way” Kevin replied confidently.
“Perhaps you’re right; I’ll call them again when we return home from the boat ride” Chester nodded.
“There’s no point in worrying yourself, let’s go and enjoy ourselves…we’ll stop at a pub on the way back and have a couple ales” Kevin smiled trying to get Chester to stop worrying.
“Fair enough…Hurry Enzo or there will be nothing left to eat!” Chester shouted.

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That morning when the phone rang, Nestor had just walked out the door to go to the hospital to check on Haddock and Tintin; and afterwards pick the professor up from the airport. He still needed to go to the animal hospital and pick up Snowy and Cocoa by noon. Nestor began a busy day quite early while Chester and his family were already down by the bay in town to catch a ferry. The day was only slightly foggy at first but the sun protruded through the misty skies beginning to clear out the fog. Rachel was more than a bit boisterous that day as she randomly screamed at passing strangers.

“Rachel!” Elizabeth scolded her.
“Mo-ma!” Rachel yelled back.
“Shhhh!!” Elizabeth said as they waited to board the ferry.
“She’s full of energy today” Enzo commented.
“Yes, and unusually a lot today for that matter” Elizabeth agreed.
“So where is this ferry taking us?” Enzo asked.
“Actually, just up to Port Glasgow and back, it’s a day ride with food and a band, should be a lot of fun” Kevin replied enthusiastically.
“Well this could be interesting” Enzo smiled.
“I hope you like bagpipes” Chester laughed.
“I think they sound so majestic!” Enzo admired.
“Those pipes mean a lot to us” Kevin agreed.
“They were used during wartime” Chester countered.
“That was a long time ago” Kevin dismissed his claim.

“Come on everyone they’re boarding now!” Elizabeth rushed them on.
There were two averaged size groups of people getting on the ferry. No more than about seventy people were boarding for the day fare which meant it wouldn’t be that overcrowded. There were tourists mainly from France and America on board the ferry who were predominantly older. There was only another small family with children as they were directed into the main hall on the ferry which was where the food was served. There was also a nicely set up stage for the band to play.

“I didn’t realize it was going to be this kind of ferry ride” Chester commented.
“Oh yes father, Kevin was able to get us free tickets from where he worked, otherwise this would be a bit out of our price range” Elizabeth replied. Since Chester or Enzo didn’t have to pay anything for their tickets, they were content with whatever kind of ride it was. An announcer had a microphone on stage and began to speak.

“Welcome aboard Water Piper, we’ll be serving brunch in an hour, and lunch at one O’clock. We will be cruising to the Port of Glasgow and slowly make our way back. We will have ‘The Lochies” performing for us at half past eleven. We will return to Glasgow at three O’clock. We hope you enjoy yourself and thank you for cruising with us today” the announcer finished. Chester could not stop thinking about Haddock and Tintin and decided on way or another he was going to at least let them know he was trying to reach them.

The band was a three man band that played a variety of folk tunes and popular songs. Just before lunch Chester stepped out on to the main deck to have a look at the port to see if he could see his ship and to smoke his pipe a little to thinks about how he was going to communicate. “Could you watch Rachel for a minute, I’m going to go check on dad” Elizabeth said getting up from the table. Kevin and Enzo nodded and were really enjoying the band and Rachel was doing a little dance entertaining the tables around them.
Elizabeth stepped out on the deck as Chester had his back watching the port intently.
“Is everything ok dad?” Elizabeth asked.
“As far as I know… but that’s the problem…I don’t know…” Chester said taking a long puff.

“Oh dad there's your ship!” Elizabeth pointed trying to take his mind off whatever was troubling him.
“ Yea, that’s the Sirius…I’ve had her a long time” Chester nodded thoughtfully noticing that a few crew members were doing maintenance.
“I haven’t been on there since I was fifteen, at least not ridden it… if you don’t count my brief visit last year” Elizabeth chuckled.
“Blimey! How time flies, you’ve grown into a fine young lady. Soon Rachel will be the young curious girl you were” Chester laughed.
“Dad, isn’t that the Peary from your story when Uncle Haddock and his friend were racing to the Arctic?” Elizabeth asked seeing the name.
“You got a good eye girl and a good memory, you’re right…I’d almost forgotten about that!“ Chester nodded.
“I wonder what they’re doing here?” Elizabeth wondered.
“Who knows… maybe picking up or unloading cargo?” Chester guessed. As they cruised a bit further they noticed a bigger ship.
“Dad! Look at that ghastly looking ship!” Elizabeth said gawking at the dark looking ship with its name painted in a bloody red color.

“The Sea Serpent…a fitting name for a monstrosity, but it looks like it's well designed” Chester commented on its other aspects.
“Why is the ship painted all black and so many ghastly things on it like those gargoyles?” Elizabeth said noticing two of the statues perched on one side of the ship.
“Who knows…there are some quirky ship owners these days…let’s go get some lunch I’m starving” Chester said putting a hand on his daughter’s shoulder.
“No argument there” Elizabeth laughed.

XXXXXXXXX

Gaspar was on the deck yelling and shouting at crew members hoisting cargo carelessly until he could hear music in the distance.
“You slackers better not drop that crate or I’ll have your hides!” he waved his fist menacingly.
"Captain Gaspar where's that music coming from?" a crewman asked unable to see the passenger ship.
"Don't worry about that, do your job!" Gaspar ordered.
Finally out of curiosity he grabbed a pair of binoculars he had and glanced at the source of the music then noticed Captain Chester with some young woman.
“What’s this?” Gaspar thought to himself. He saw the young woman point to their ship and make a disgusted face while Chester shrugged his shoulders taking a puff on his pipe.
“Making fun of my ship will ya!?” he laughed wickedly.
“So he’s here, which means…” Gaspar was thinking quietly when a loud impact on the deck broke his concentration.
“Captain! One of the crate bottoms fell out” a crew member shouted.
Gaspar looked up at the crane holding the crate and that was what had happened.
“Well don’t just stand there you lazy blokes, clean up the damn mess!” Gaspar ordered.

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