Chapter 58 (Part - B)


“Hey wait up!” Yates shouted at the Captain.
“Pick up your feet then!” Haddock replied as he maintained his stride.
“Why are ya so ready ta get back out ta sea after all we’ve been through?” Ballard complained.
“If you don’t want to come, you can stay…” was all Haddock would respond to that question.
“What about me boat?” Ballard pressed.
Haddock stopped short right as they reached the bottom of the gangway of the Sirius.

“I will compensate you when I finish my business, until then you will just have to wait” Haddock said then took a long huff on his pipe and continued up the gangway. Haddock spotted Chester fairly quickly and walked up to his side without saying a word.
“So I see you’re still alive…I’m glad” Chester said quietly not even looking up as he gave the signal for the crane operator to pull out the next piece of cargo.
“What do you mean I’m still alive?” Haddock asked a bit confused.

“I had heard over the radio that a fishing boat banged up against a merchant ship and sank last night...I feared the worse. They didn’t say whether they survived or not” Chester finished.
“You don’t think something like that would do ole Captain Haddock in did ya? Ya know me better than that!” Haddock nearly laughed.
Chester abruptly turned around looking behind him with one hand in his pocket regarding Ballard and Yates suspiciously as they joined them.
“Who are they?” Chester’s eyes darted back to Haddock.
“These two worked under me for a few years on my old ship the Karaboudjan.

Ballard, Yates, meet Captain Chester of the Sirius” Haddock said crudely introducing them.
“Sir” both Ballard and Yates nodded.
“So who was responsible for the fishing boat going down?” Chester looked at all three of them checking back on his crew every few moments.
“I don’t think that’s important…” Haddock nodded.
“It was me! OK?!” Ballard barked.
“Calm down! It’s none of my business anyways…” Chester shut him down quickly.
“Thunderin’ typhoons! Can you help us?” Haddock asked bit flustered.
“I’ll take you where you need to go as long as it doesn’t mean taking my ship off course” Chester said succinctly.

“Where you going next?” Haddock asked.
“New York City” Chester said turning around looking at his clipboard.
“Follow me to the bridge” Chester said making direct eye contact with Haddock.
“Do you two mind waiting here?” Haddock asked knowing Chester wanted to talk privately.
“Fine…” Ballard shrugged while Yates was already walking around the deck busy with his own thoughts.
Chester closed the door behind them as they walked over to the window looking out over the ship. Cocoa found herself a corner and decided to take a nap.
“How’s Enzo?” Haddock immediately asked as soon as they were alone.
Chester was quiet for a moment as he put his clipboard down.

“He’s alive…barely…it’s a miracle…” Chester started loudly then ended his sentence with a whisper.
“That’s good to hear” Haddock nodded.
“Listen, I’m not blaming you for what happened to him, my daughter, or my son-in-law…” Chester paused.
“Blisterin’ barnacles! Your daughter and son-in-law?!” Haddock acted a bit surprised.

“Don’t act surprised Haddock, you were there. Kevin has to use a crutch for now, and my daughter got walloped across the face a good time by that monster” Chester seemed detached.
“Well I knew their injuries weren’t life threatening…” Haddock explained.
“Still… it just gives me more reasons why that bloody son of a bitch should pay if we come across him again” Chester emphasized.
“That devil! I don’t blame you” Haddock nodded.
“Are those two to be trusted?” Chester asked Haddock seriously.
“I don’t think they have anything to do with that group…a bit obnoxious, crazy and unruly at times; but I don’t think it’s anything to get too alarmed over” Haddock said stroking his beard.

At that moment Professor Calculus and Lucille returned.
“That didn’t take too long” Chester said to the Professor.
“I did what I needed to do” the Professor said.
“Apparently they had a breach in security at the hospital” Lucille interjected.
“What do you mean?” Haddock narrowed his eyes.
“Somehow I think they were looking for this yellow cube. Show them Professor” Lucille told him.
The Professor showed them the small stone cube with yellow markings on it.
“What’s this have to do with everything going on?” Chester shook his head a bit confused.

“This is a very light stone, yet it doesn’t have any characteristics of any stone I’ve ever seen” the Professor said turning it around.
“I have a feeling these stones are the key to everything” Lucille replied.
“It looks like nothing more than some painted stone” Haddock commented.
“Do you mind if I run some tests on it?” the Professor asked Lucille.
“Science seems to be your department Professor” Lucille bowed.
The Professor takes the stone and leaves the bridge.
“A little cubic stone is the reason why The All Seeing Eye is after Tintin?” Chester asked in almost disbelief.

“We don’t know that for sure” Haddock shook his head.
“But my husband had a similar stone, but was about four times bigger, and it had green markings instead of yellow” Lucille clarified. Cocoa stood up and stretched trotting over to Lucille’s side.
“Ok, I need to finish unloading…I have just under ten more pieces to unload. If you will make yourselves comfortable and you can tell me what has happened up to this point once we set off” Chester stopped them returning back out on the deck.