Tom didn’t care for the whole metropolis scene; he was more of a rural kind of person. He enjoyed wide open spaces with no noise whatsoever. The only time he ventured into the city was when he was forced to because of school board meetings.
Tom had been on the board for over four years and had not seen much progress in the school in that time. The meetings seemed redundant and evasive and they always seemed to lead back to the same place; dealing with unhappy parents. This had to be Tom’s biggest aversion to the meetings; parents would always asked him questions about how he could better the curriculum for their so-called ‘genius’ sons and daughters. To Tom, it felt ridiculous. All he wanted to do was teach the children the basics; they didn’t need to be history and geography masters. They’re kids for heaven sakes, Thought Tom. They can learn it all in-depth in college, like I did!
Tom shifted on the wall and crossed his arms over his chest, breathing out a heavy sigh and changed his thoughts to better things. Tonight was going to be different than his usual visits to the city. Tonight he was here on his own accord. He had found an old star map buried in the basement of his grandfather’s house. The poor old man had passed away recently from a sudden heart attack and Tom was the only person living within a hundred miles that could actually claim he was related to the old man. Grandpa Hoffman had left nothing of worth behind; he was a washed-up engineer, who had prided himself on fixing old appliances and VCR’s. He hardly ever came out to see the family when he was alive, or the world for that matter. He had become a recluse in his old age.
Tom decided to put the whole house up for auction. But before he could do that he had to make sure everything was clean, that’s when he had found the star map resting on top of an old record player. It seemed like the genuine article; at least it had all the signs of being the genuine article. It had ancient writing on the back and the numbers to coordinate direction.
Tom was here tonight on a mission to authenticate it with some old friends he knew in the city. If the star map was really what it looked like, he would not put it up for auction with the rest of the junk inside the house. Star maps were rare in today’s society and could land a humble man, like himself, into a treasure trove beyond his wildest imagination. There would be people willing to give him half of their livelihood just to take it off his hands, and yet, Tom wasn’t interested in money. He wasn’t even interested in the fame and praise it might bring. He was interested in actually finding the legendary island that it claimed to lead to; the island that had disappeared so long ago from history.
He was looking across the street now at a lively jazz band that was playing in the city park. The tall street lamps were illuminating the pathways and the people as they passed, one person occasionally dropping a coin into an open saxophone case. Tom glanced beyond the band for a moment into a thicket of trees, and for an instant, he thought he saw a glint of light which looked like two red eyes, as if a cat was perched on one of the branches and was watching the evening events, just like Tom was.
“Excuse me, sir! Do you have the time?” said a voice abruptly, bringing Tom back to reality.
Tom came out of his wandering thoughts and looked up. Standing before him was a very tall man with light brown hair and deep green eyes. His lanky frame seemed to shoot skyward, and block out the streetlights as he wore a pinstriped suit with a red tie that came to the middle of his belt buckle, a mild grin crossing his face as he waited patiently for recognition.
“Runt! Is that you? How long have you been standing there?”
Runt pulled out a white handkerchief from his coat pocket. He wiped his pointed nose and cleared his throat.
“Only for a few seconds, Tom; I spotted you as I crossed the street from the park, over there.” He tilted his head slightly in the direction of the Aggerton City Park where Tom had just been staring. “Why are you here so early? You haven’t been waiting long, have you?”
“No, I wasn’t waiting long.” Tom shook his head. “You’re fine. But I’ve been studying a lot lately and I think we need to be more careful with our meetings... If someone were to find out that we have a star map it could be…” he paused and looked around quickly. “Well, it could be bad. Did anyone follow you here?”
Runt smiled at Tom’s nervous behavior and looked around at the busy street behind him. People were shuffling back and forth, meeting with their friends. In the distance, beyond the jazz music coming from the park, could be heard the sound of car horns blearing at reckless taxi drivers and street venders yelling at passerby to buy their merchandise. Nothing looked out of place tonight; everything was how it should be.
“Not that I know of, Tom. As a matter-of-fact, I don’t think anyone knows about the star map you found except for me and a few colleagues at Scar Co. The contract you signed stated that we would be discreet and we intend to keep it that way. The knowledge of the maps existence was only shared with a few trustworthy souls at the company. No one outside of it could possibly know about its existence.”
Tom felt a little better as he said this. He pushed off the wall and straightened up.
“Do you have the map with you now? Do you know if it’s genuine?”
Runt chuckled slightly. He was amused at Tom’s persistence to conduct business with him on the sidewalk.
“I don’t have it on me, Tom. I am having Marten from the research department bring it over to give us the diagnosis on its authenticity. Our department had run extensive testing on it and we’re just now getting the data back. These things take time, as you very well know.”
Tom nodded his head. He understood the reasons for the apparent delay. Scar Co. was a very big company that had hundreds of outlets outside of Aggerton City. They were known worldwide for being the leader in finding ancient artifacts and funding expeditions. Scar Co. probably received well over a thousand requests each year to verify antiques from all over the world. Tom was hoping that tonight they might sponsor his journey to find the ancient Island of Liroic. That is, if the star map was what Tom suspected it to be.
“Does Marten know that we are meeting here at the Sturgeon Cafe? Did you tell him it’s just outside the park on the east side?”
Runt nodded his head.
“I did inform them of the proper meeting place. They should be here really soon. I would suspect within the hour, since that’s what we agreed on.”
Tom looked suddenly reluctant. His didn’t like Runt’s indication of multiple people coming.
“How many people did you inform of our meeting? I thought you said in your letter that is was just Marten that was coming. You said nothing about a group.”
“Oh my! So I did! I am sorry, Tom. I informed only two others, one is Marten Soyer who you already know and the other is Lee Foldings. He is the main docking manager at Scar Co. He helps pack and ship rare goods over the three seas, so you can see how it is imperative to tell both of these men about the maps existence. They would know in time anyway. But they are trustworthy men; have no fear!”
Tom smiled uneasily and walked around the president of Scar Co. He didn’t feel like arguing with him about who he had told. It would be pointless to do so; Runt was a trustworthy man. He wouldn’t tell anyone else about the map unless he had to.
“Okay, let’s get out of the cold then and find a place inside to sit and get warm. My legs are killing me!” Runt laughed cheerfully at Tom’s words. His prior suspicions about Tom waiting had been correct.
“So you have been waiting out here for some time then. Very well,” he said with a smile. “Lead the way, Tom. I think I shall order a nice chamomile tea and get comfortable before the whole meeting takes place. I have had a very busy day and would like to warm up and relax as well.”
The cold from leaning up against the building had seeped through his clothes and chilled his skin. The winters in the city were always frosty, and a hot coffee sounded really good right now. He headed up the stone steps to the green doors of the Sturgeon Cafe. Runt followed closely behind him. They were both careful not to slip on the icy steps as they made there way up the front doors of the café.
* * *
The smell of cinnamon and fresh cream filled the atmosphere in the cozy little building. People were seated all around the room talking and eating pound cake. Their cheery voices seemed to blend together as they laughed and told stories. Tom had always loved coming to the Sturgeon Café because of its pleasant atmosphere. It was like entering a second home. He felt safe here, which was one of the main reasons he chose it as the meeting place for tonight.
“Hello, and welcome to the Sturgeon Café, my name is Ronda, and I will be your hostess for this evening. Would you be liking a bar seat or a floor seat for tonight?” She paused and studied their faces. “Or would you like to order something to go?” A black apron with a green fish printed on its front was tied around her slender waist and she was holding a few plastic menus and\ standing behind a small wooden podium.
“Hello, Ronda. My friend and I would like a private table for four please, if you can spare it.” Tom said, indicating to the already very full cafe.
“It is very busy tonight but we should be able to fit you in.” Ronda smiled. “It usually gets this way after seven. People come in after work for a quick pick-me-up before heading to their homes. It’s like clockwork the way they pour in here, but what can you do?” She said with a slight shrug and looked down at the podium, studying a white piece of paper for a minute.
“We do have one floor seat available. It’s by the window over there. I think it’s the closest thing you’re going to get to privacy in here, sir. Will that work for you?”
Tom looked over to Runt. The business man was looking at all the nostalgic paraphernalia mounted on the red brick walls of the establishment. He had not heard the question asked by the lady. Tom reached over and nudged him.
“Hey, Runt all they have is a window seat. Will that be good for you?”
Runt turned and looked at Tom as if he hadn’t heard him either.
“What was that Tom? I didn’t hear what you just said. I was looking at this antique tricycle over here on the wall, and was wondering how old it was. I had one as a child and thought the world of it. I would ride that thing up and down my neighborhood feeling like I was on top of the world!” Runt said smiling nostalgically. “You just don’t see them anymore. They’ve become very rare.”
Tom looked over to the wall and studied the old red tricycle. It had a shiny brass bell with tassels that stuck out of the handles. It was resting on steel pegs ten feet off the ground. He looked reluctantly back over to Runt. This is what you get when you bring the president of an antique company to a nostalgic café, thought Tom, maybe this wasn’t the best place to meet; too many distractions.
“Oh that’s nice, Runt, but the lady here wants to know if we would like to sit by the window over there. Would that be all right with you?” asked Tom. “We could go somewhere else if not.” Runt smiled at him and looked over to Ronda.
“A window seat will be fine, thank you!”
Tom shook his head at the imagery and chuckled.
“Okay, right this way sir’s” said the hostess. She led them across the boisterous room to a little booth in the front of the café. Tom was careful not to bump into the people sitting at the tables as they went.
When they were seated comfortably on the rustic leather benches of the booth, Ronda spoke up.
“Your server is Dan and he should be right with you. Will you need anything else from me? Anything I can get for you?”
When there was no response, Ronda turned to leave when Runt called out to her.
“Wait just a moment!”
The hostess turned.
“Yes? Did you think of something?”
“I did. We have two other people coming tonight and their names are Lee Foldings and Marten Soyer. Could you direct them to this table when they arrive? They are very good friends of ours and we would like for them to come sit by us.” said Runt politely.
Ronda pulled out a pen and paper from her deep apron pocket. She took off the cap with her teeth and mumbled.
“What did you say their names were again?”
Runt leaned over to her and looked at the notepad.
“Their names are Marten Soyer and Lee Foldings. Marten is spelled with an–”
Runt didn’t have time to finish before someone called out to him from across the cafe. The voice sounded excited and out of breath. Runt shifted in his seat to see who it was that had spoken to him and he spotted the person instantly and smiled. It was Marten!
“Runt old boy... I tried to catch you… before you and Tom… walked in… we were just in the park when we spotted you! We ran like a couple of scared school boys at recess!” panted Marten as he straightened up and took in a deep breath. He lifted a plump hand and brushed off his white polyester suit. He was standing by the front door with Lee, the dock worker Runt had mentioned to Tom earlier. Lee was quite the opposite of Marten – he was thin and lean, with a young, yet rough face. He looked like someone who was used to difficult labor. Marten, on the other hand, was heavy-set, short and carried himself with an air of superiority. Tom had met Marten briefly when he had handed the map over to Scar Co. to be examined, and he had soon discovered that Marten was rather pompous in nature.
“Come over here, and have a seat! We were just telling Ronda about you two. She was going to inform us when you arrived but it doesn’t look like she will have to do that after all,” said Runt cheerfully as he lifted up a hand and waved them over. Ronda put her notepad away and headed back toward the entrance and her podium, a little annoyed.
Marten let out a jocular laugh.
“I hope you were saying good things about me! A man has to keep up with his golden reputation around here! I wouldn’t want any poison to seep into the social waters of life, if you know what I mean!”
Lee rolled his eyes at the overly dramatic wording; Marten was totally putting on an act for the president of Scar Co. He had been kissing up to Runt ever since he had come into the company six years ago and it still hadn’t gotten him anywhere because Marten was still stuck in the research department.
`Marten started forward toward the table where Tom and Runt were seated. His big frame swayed back and forth knocking into the seated costumers as he went along. Customers grunted in protest at the man’s thoughtless action. Lee followed closely behind him, apologizing to all the angry people in Marten’s wake. Runt stood up as they got close, greeting them with a hand shake and a big smile.
Tom was watching quietly as the whole scene unfolded. He was rather disgruntled by Marten’s carelessness.
“Marten, you really should be more considerate of other people!” said Tom rigidly as he came to his feet. “They’re trying to enjoy their food and good company without interruption. Think before you act!”
Marten looked over to him with puzzlement at being chastised, raising his brown eyebrows in protest. He glanced back at all the perturbed people he had jostled on his way over to greet Runt and Tom.
“Oh, they’ll get over it, Tom. A little push never hurt anyone, besides these city cafes are way too small. They need to make them bigger to accommodate the more hefty gentlemen, if you know what I mean.” He said with a jovial laugh that did not spread to his companions. “It’s the café’s fault that they’re angry, not mine. If they want happier customers they need to renovate and maximize!”
Tom let out a frustrated sigh; Marten was always trying to avoid accountability for his actions. When he made a mistake he would merely blame it on the next guy. He was the king of passing the buck around and the sultan of procrastination. It was amazing to think that he had even got the research done on the star map.
“Please, let’s be seated, we have a lot to discuss,” said Runt, changing the subject. He motioned for the booth, and in a few minutes they were all seated. Ronda, who had left at Marten and Lee’s arrival, returned with two more menus for Marten and Lee.
“Your server should be with you in a short moment. If you need anything else from me just give me a call,” said the hostess as she turned and weaved through the crowded restaurant back to her podium. After a few minutes of waiting the server came and collected everyone’s orders. Tom and Lee requested the café coffee, Runt ordered his chamomile tea, and Marten asked for a large steak dinner with a cold malt beer.
After everyone had made their orders, they watched the waiter take the menus and turn to put down their orders with the chef.
“Why, Runt, wherever did you find this humble place? It’s absolutely charming! I would have never guessed a café could be so homey and fun, especially with a name like “sturgeon” in it. I mean isn’t that a deep sea fish? Why would you name it after a deep sea fish? It gives me the impression that this place is a sailor’s establishment, if you know what I mean!” Marten shuddered with disgust as he thought about his own words. The cafés name seemed like some kind of dirty joke. “I don’t like seamen, they’re dirty little buggers. I hear they never wash, or even brush for that matter!”
Lee looked over to him now with astonishment.
“Marten, I’m a sailor, and I am not a dirty little bugger! You need to consider others before you start throwing out opinions like that. For one thing the sturgeon is a very noble fish. It’s a wonderful resource of caviar and meat! Some of the men on my crews used to be fishermen. If they knew what you were saying about sailors, you wouldn’t want to be around to see their reaction!”
Marten fluttered his hand at Lee in disagreement. It was obvious the dock worker couldn’t take a joke at all. Lee was always uptight about his work friends.
“I am sure they wouldn’t get violent with me, Mr. Foldings. If anything I could just hold up a mirror and they would all agree that they looked filthy. I also don’t believe that a sturgeon can be a noble fish either. Just because something produces something good doesn’t make it high class. It’s a fish for heaven’s sake! Its only concerns are eating and staying alive! As a matter-of-fact, I believe I could–” Marten was cut off suddenly by Runt.
“Yes, yes, I’m sure there are both good and bad sides to your argument, Marten, but let’s not do this here gentlemen. Let’s just relax and settle down! It’s been a very long day for all of us, a very long day indeed!” Runt never liked confrontations between friends. It made him sick to his stomach. He always tried to stop the quarrelling before it got out of hand, and most of the time it did when Marten was around. The man didn’t have a sense of social limits or boundaries whatsoever, let alone common courtesy. Lee was on the edge of getting violent with Marten, and the man seemed completely oblivious to it.
“You’re quite right, Runt! Sorry about this shameful display, it won’t happen again, you have my word. But I did mean what I said a few moments ago, about this being a nice little place to eat and talk! You did a great job!” said Marten. “A really fine job!” Runt smiled politely.
“Oh, it wasn’t I who found this place, Marten. It was Tom here who did. So he disserves the praise! Not I.” Marten looked surprised.
“Really!” He turned to Tom. “You have great taste, my boy, and a keen eye for nice cafes! It’s a rare gift to have. I think they call it “the ability to spot greatness’! Yes, that’s it! The ability to spot greatness.” He cleared his throat and smiled.
Tom wanted to laugh at the pompous statement. It sounded completely silly that he should be praised for something so simple as a place to eat. Marten was just trying to get on his good side.
“Thank you Marten… I guess? I used to come to this cafe after my school board meetings in the city. I found it by accident, actually, but I love it still the same.”
“Well, a wonderful accident it was, my boy! You really should start making more accidents if you know what I mean!” said Marten with a wink. “It could prove your success one day. Some people just have that sort of blind luck! They go to bed as poor a dog, and wake up as rich as a king! ”
Lee rolled his eyes. Pretty soon he would have to put on his wading boots to get through all of the garbage being spouted from Marten’s mouth.
“Can we just get on with the meeting already? I need to get back home and sleep. I’ve been hauling wooden crates all day and my back is killing me and I still have to make a few phone calls.”
Tom looked over to him and studied his face. The dock worker truly did look tired and fatigued and he sympathized with him.
“Good idea, Lee!” Tom turned to Marten and whispered. “Did you bring the star map with you? Is it really what it says it is! Can we use it?”
Marten perked up at the hushed question, his mouth developing a sly curve and his teeth began to show as he leaned in.
“Why yes, I do have it with me, Tom. I must say, I think you are going to be pleased with the test results. Everything came back positive!”
Tom’s face lit up with excitement at his words. He felt like shouting till his lungs were sore but he refrained from doing that as he continued.
“So, it’s the real thing then? It’s a star map? I was right all along!”
“Yes, my boy it is, but it’s not just any ordinary star map that can navigate the globe. It’s different from any of the ones that I have seen… It’s, well, really peculiar I would say! It’s got some properties that we have never seen before in anything!”
“How is it different from any other star map? It looked like a regular map to me. What did your testing discover?” asked Runt with wonder in his voice. He was getting into it just like Tom was.
Marten looked around the room cautiously. He reached into his suit coat pocket for the star map.
“Our research department found out a lot of thing that were interesting. First off the map dates back eight-hundred and twenty years ago, back to the time of the old world when the large land mass disappeared.” He said in a whisper. “You know when the nations were fighting with each other. So it’s pretty old, by our dating!”
“What else did you find?” asked Tom impatiently. He was fidgeting his legs up and down with excitement. Marten pulled the map out of his pocket and set it down on the smooth wooden table and it was folded into a neat little square. Ancient lettering could be seen shimmering on its threaded fabric.
“Another thing we found is that the language on the back is different to any other language in our archives at Scar Co. The way the whole thing is structured and punctuated is absolutely amazing. It’s almost a perfect language; or I mean, by our understanding, it’s almost a perfect language. The people who made this star map were very good at saying what needed to be said in just a few words. They express whole thoughts and ideas in a single paragraph using only a few characters! We have been working on just a few – two, maybe three – symbols written on the back and wound up with a whole sentence from it. It truly is amazing!”
“What does the back say?” He lifted a hand and placed it over his mouth so that his words were hidden. “Is it anything important?” Marten shrugged his shoulders slightly.
“The department is really not sure yet, Tom. The back seems quite jumbled in certain areas of its script. But the gist of what we have received is remarkable… Stupendous! It talks about how the island was cursed and a king that must cross the sea for salvation. It’s all very prophetic, but in the end there’s not too much to glean from it, only that someone will return to the island one day to redeem it.”
Runt lifted a hand and rubbed his chin.
“Amazing… Absolutely incredible! What else have you discovered Marten? You spoke of properties? What properties are these?”
Marten nodded his head. He reached into his suit coat pocket again and pulled out a golden lighter. He opened it up and lit it quickly with his thumb. The company watched quietly as the white flame danced back and forth in his hand. He reached out and picked up the star map, his chubby hands trembling as he brought it closer to the flame. Tom could feel his heart sink into the pit of his stomach as he did this. Marten was going to burn their only hope of getting to the island! Runt spoke up quickly as the flame approached the ancient map.
“Marten what are you doing? Stop this at once! That’s our investment you’re playing with!”
“Another interesting thing we found is this,” said Marten pointedly, looking at his companions over the map as he put the flame beneath the map and held it there. Tom’s jaw dropped at the blatant action. His hands shot up from under the table in protest. He reached over for the map quickly. Marten saw Tom coming and retracted his hands so that he could not get to the map. He continued to hold the flame up to the fabric.
“What are you doing!? You’ll burn it!” yelled Tom frantically as he swiped for it again. He was rattling the table now in his attempts to get the map. People sitting in close vicinity began to look over at the display.
Runt was about to interject and stop the whole thing when Marten spoke up.
“It’s not going to burn, Tom. That’s the amazing thing about this particular star map. It’s made of something more resilient than canvas. It’s absolutely indestructible!”
Marten stopped holding the flame under the map and tossed it over to Tom. Tom grabbed it quickly and examined it for any damages. To his utter amazement, Marten was right; the thing was completely intact. There wasn’t even a brown spot where the flame had been dancing on the maps backside!
“Remarkable!” said Runt bending in close for a better look. Tom was rotating the thing now in his hands, feeling the smooth, sturdy cloth.
Lee sat up and suppressed a yawn from his throat. He had gotten bored with the magical display quickly. He spoke up sarcastically.
“That was amazing Marten, simply amazing. You are truly a magician if I ever did see one. Now tell us the secret so that we can go home. Why didn’t the fabric burn?”
Marten ignored Lee’s apparent boredom. Lee had no taste for ancient history or art for that matter. The dock worker was so uncivilized, just like any other seaman in their society.
“Well, Lee, if you are truly dying to know, which I can see that you truly are not,” said Marten, narrowing his eyes at the man for a moment. “The reason the thing didn’t burn is because of the fibers holding it together; they are made up of a super-strong thread that resists aging and everything else under the sun. The thing is indestructible I tell you!”
Tom stopped studying the map in his hands as he glared at Marten for a moment. The relief that had showered him upon realizing that the map was not damaged had left him quite quickly.
“What else did you do to the map? What other tests did you run?”
“Well, we did a lot of thing to the star map. We tried burning it in an oven, we tried shooting it with a gun, and we tried dipping it in harsh chemicals. The thing is absolutely impervious to everything. You’re a lucky man, Tom! Finding that thing like you did in your grandfather’s house. You’re going to be rich!”
But Tom was not as pleased as Marten had expected. He was horrified at what Marten had just told him about the testing. It sounded completely unprofessional. If he had known that company was going to try and destroy the star map he would have never given it out to them. He wondered whether Marten’s realizing the map could not be destroyed had begun as a test or an accident.
“You did all of those things to it? What were you thinking?” said Tom looking over to Runt for an explanation. The president was shaking his head at Marten in frustration.
“Marten, I wanted you to authenticate the star map, not figure out a way to get rid of it! Did you ever once consider the possibility that you might succeed in destroying the thing? Where would we be then? That was a very foolish thing you did! Tom trusted us with this and you go and shoot at it! Our investment… your investment!” Runt spluttered with anger. He was trying to calm himself down; he was typically a peacemaker and a diplomat, but Marten has gone too far. Nevertheless, the last thing they needed was to make a scene in the café.
Marten shrugged his shoulders arrogantly. He was determined not to be the bad guy in this matter. He did what was necessary.
“I can reassure you, Runt, it was done in the most professional way possible. We didn’t leave anything to chance when it came to the testing process. I had my best men study the thing under a microscope for weeks. They studied the fibers, the ink… everything! They then informed me that the fibers that composed the star map were completely impervious to harm. The stuff is lighter and harder than titanium, not to mention it bends like normal linen. It’s weird stuff; it’s like some kind of super blanket!”
Lee laughed sarcastically at the ridiculous comparison.
“Yeah that sounds professional, Marten. A super blanket? What were you thinking, man?”
Tom and Runt were not amused at the choice of words used by Marten, either. He was taking this very lightly.
“So, what does this mean for us now? Are we going to fund this little trip or not? I would like to know before I go home, so I can get started on the supplies,” said Lee dryly. He cracked his neck. “It’s not an easy task to organize and order supplies. It’s a pain in the butt! What with the calling and the moving… So, what’s it going to be?” His light brown eyes shifted back and forth between Runt and Tom. He waited patiently for his answer.
“I think we should give it a try, Runt. All the information lines up. This could prove a very good investment for you and your company!” Tom said and Runt nodded his head.
“I think you’re right, Tom. I’ll do it!” He turned to Lee. “Can you have everything ready to go in a month’s time? I don’t want to delay this trip any longer than we have to. Scar Co. might be renowned for its expertise in finding things, but we’re not the only company that does this kind of work. We have enemies that would do anything to get their hands on this particular map. I don’t want a word of this getting out to anyone. The last thing we need is espionage before the trip! So, the sooner we get out on the sea the better!”
Everyone nodded their heads in agreement. Lee lifted a hand and checked the date on his watch. He whispered as he spoke.
“I think I can do that, Runt. But I will have to delay certain projects we’re working on to get everything in order before the deadline. Will that be a problem, sir?”
“No, I don’t think so. Do what you must to get things ready. I want a ship out of port before the middle of next month arrives. Let’s find this island and claim the fame from it! Scar Co. will go down in history as the first company to set foot on the distant shores of Liroic!”
Marten let out a loud laugh and patted Lee on the back. The dock worker was lunged forward by the powerful blow from the hefty man.
“Then it’s settled. We will leave as soon as everything is ready. I can’t wait for the adventure to begin. Look at me, I am all worked up. Where has that waiter gone off to? Where is my food?”
In a few minutes the server came back holding a tray of their orders in his hands. The company sipped their drinks – all except Marten, who enjoyed his large steak dinner thoroughly – and talked about what needed to be done for the voyage, their voices never rising above a whisper.
* * *
Bob Morgan sat on a wooden stool at the bar across the crowded cafe. He was tapping his finger lightly and grumbling to himself as he stared at the small company seated by the window. He watched as they talked and laughed and drank their drinks.
What are they hiding, thought Bob. Why are you being so secretive? Ruler, Bob’s boss, had heard wind that Scar Company had in their possession an ancient star map. He had sent Bob to trail the employees of the company ever since. So Bob had been following them for weeks, attempting to glean any information that might be useful to his boss’s company – Shark Inc. which just so happened to be Scar Co.’s rival.
Could it be that the star map is real? Oh, yes it most certainly would have to be for this meeting to take place and for them all to be so happy! It’s like they’re celebrating a victory that isn’t their’s. Bob took a long swig of his drink and drained his glass and he stared at the laughing men in the booth. Tom had found it, Runt’s company had confirmed it, and Bob’s boss wanted it. So as far as Bob was concerned, they could celebrate now, but their joy would be short-lived.
“Are you finished with your drink, sir?” an uninterested voice asked from the other side of the table, interrupting Bob’s scheming thoughts. Bob took his eyes off the people seated across the room and looked at the bartender. The man was holding his empty glass, staring at Bob with bored eyes and waiting for an answer.
“Yes, I’m finish with it. I should never have more than a few beers; I wouldn’t want to be known around here as an alcoholic!” He laughed slightly, awkwardly to himself. “After all, I’m walking home!”
The bartender nodded, unamused at the awkward laughter of the man at the bar, and walked over to the stainless steel sink at the other end. Bob regarded him closely for a minute as he washed out the cup he had been drinking out of. He wanted to see if the bartender was going to actually use soap to clean it. Most bars in the city didn’t care about hygiene. They only did a quick rinse with the scrubbers and then it was back on the shelf, which is just what the bartender did.
“Well, it’s time to go!” said Bob picking himself up off the stool and onto his unsteady feet. He lifted his wrist and checked his watch to find that the short hand was on the ten. He reached into his pocket, pulled out a crumpled up twenty and set it on the bar. His legs wobbled a bit as he headed for the door.
“Have a good evening, sir!” said the hostess from behind. Bob ignored her cheery voice and opened the door. He walked down the frozen steps and started into the cold, dark street. When he was a good distance away from the café, he pulled out his cell phone and dialed a number. The speaker rang a few times then someone picked up.
“Hello?” said a very unpleasant voice.
“Hey, boss I have some great news for you,” his words slurred. “The star map that that one guy found is the real thing, I am guessing they will be planning to leave really soon. So, we have to act quickly if we’re going to be the first. We need to organize things. What do you want me to do?”
“I want you to stop them! They must never be allowed to leave the port, and I want that map too… get that map for us! I will call Prune and tell him to start planning for the trip. I want everything to be perfect. No mistakes!”
There was a pause and Bob listened quietly as his boss breathed in and out. Bob’s slightly blurred vision fell back across the street toward the café. In the shadows, next to the trashcans Bob thought he saw two red eyes staring back at him. He gave his head a short, quick shake and looked back to the same spot near the trashcans. The red eyes blinked. Bob was suddenly pulled back to the phone conversation.
“Do you hear me, Bob? No mistakes!!”
“Yes, sir! I hear you. Everything will be taken care of.”
“Good…”
The phone went dead at that moment. Bob placed the device into his pocket and glanced one more time toward the shadows near the café. The red eyes were gone, and Bob was so drunk he probably imagined it anyway. He lifted his hand and yelled for a taxi. He had to pick up some very important supplies before he went home. He was going to make sure Runt’s ship would never leave the port.
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