Generations of Treasure
Nicholas stared longingly out the window of the old pub. The Dockside Pub had been his home for as long as he could remember, and the owner, his father, had kept him there for safety. Outside the walls of the pub, life was much harder and more dangerous. Thieves and murderers lurked in the shadow and the light.
" Nicholas, trust no one but those in your circle of loved ones." His father, Jim, always told him.
The advice had saved Nicholas on a number of occasions in his 15 years of life, and he fully intended it to continue to help him. Pirates were always in and out of the pub, there to drink, and then leave for their ship of horrors.
Although Nicholas had no intention of joining these cutthroats, he still dreamed of the adventures that they would have on the open sea. He dreamed of lost islands with buried treasure and having to fight off barbarians and cannibals to get it.
" Nicholas, step away from the window. You never know who's watching from a distance. Now go serve that lady over in the corner." Jim interrupted.
Picking up a tray, Nicholas walked to the table his father had pointed to. The lady sitting there looked up at him, her braided blonde hair draped over her shoulder.
" What can I get you this evening, miss?" Nicholas asked.
" My, aren't we quick to serve?" she replied, slight venom of sarcasm bleeding through her words.
" Pardon, Ma'am?"
" I only got here moments ago, and here you are."
" Yes, well, it is on of our busier nights."
" I wouldn't expect a cabin boy to wait moments to serve to his captain's whims, so I don't expect you to do it here."
" Ma'am, you are keeping me from serving you and that keeps a cabin boy longer."
" Oh my, aren't we clever? Quick thinking, I like quick thinkers. They never fall into traps, never make hasty decisions. Two of your finest ales. I'm expecting company."
Nicholas said nothing and went to the kitchen. Instead of going to the better ales, he went to the cheaper ones. She's going to get what everyone else is having. She can expect company all she wants, she's an equal in this pub. Nicholas thought.
" What's she doing here anyway? Women have no place in a pub like this." Nicholas murmured to himself.
He gathered the ale and returned to the table. To his surprise, a hooded man was sitting across the table from her. Any conversation that they were having ended abruptly.
" Here you are, ma'am. Sir, is there anything I can get you?" Nicholas asked as he set down the drinks.
" He is as slow as the old cabin boy. That's why I got rid of him so fast." The man snickered.
" Excuse me, sir, but you just got here. I am here to serve, but I am not going to be waiting for you on the dock as you get off of your ship to give you ale!" Nicholas burst out.
Nicholas could feel the man's eyes barring into him. He could see the smile curling on the woman's face and the expectant sparkle in her eyes. The man laughed and then pulled Nicholas into a chair beside him.
" You were right, Gold! This lad has a vicious tongue and that is what we need! He thinks a lot like his father did when I knew him!" The man laughed, the hood still covering his face.
" Gold?" Nicholas asked.
" Nickname I've had since I was a babe. You gave it to my, Silver." The woman replied.
" Silver?! That means you are—"
" Shh! You want the whole pub knowing I'm here? I'm wanted by many scoundrels in this town and I don't want to get caught!" The man hissed.
" Boy, what's your name?" Gold asked.
" Nicholas. How do you know my father?"
" Went on an adventure with him when he was just a lad, no older than you! Went looking for buried treasure, we did! He was just a cabin boy then. Jim Hawkins was one of the honest ones, he was."
A silent look passed from Silver to Gold. They both nodded and Nicholas stood up and went into the kitchen. He knew they needed to talk and he disappeared when he was sure. Once he was gone, Gold broke the silence.
" He knows too much about you, Silver. You should never have mentioned Jim Hawkins. He will go to his father now!" Gold said.
" Then there are two ways to get rid of him." Silver replied.
" We can't kill him, he has so much potential!"
" So that leaves option two."
" How will we do it?"
" You persuade, I'll drug him. It's that easy."
They waited for Nicholas to revisit the table. It didn't take too long before he reappeared from the kitchen. Nicholas sat down in his seat.
" Listen, Nicholas, you must be tired of this place. Every livelong day spent here, serving drunkards that you can't trust. How would you like to go on adventures? See places no one has ever seen?" Gold asked.
Silver was putting a sleeping powder into his cup while Gold was distracting the boy.
" I know what you want. You want to go to lost islands, fight off barbarians and cannibals for buried treasure. Come with us, find the treasure with us!" Gold finished.
Nicholas was shocked. She knew what he was dreaming about! She knew, when no one else did!
" First, a drink! Can't think on an empty system, can we?" Silver proposed.
" But I don't have a drink." Nicholas said, trying to avoid it.
" Nonsense, you can drink from my glass!"
Unsure of what he was being told, Nicholas was suspicious of the pair. He was sure that Silver had poisoned the ale or something.
" Oh, I see. You think that I'm trying to poison you. Well, if it will make you feel better, I'll drink from it first!" Silver laughed, putting the drink to his lips.
Silver was slick, a quick thinker, smart as they come, and Nicholas knew this. But the evidence was right in front of him. Silver wasn't trying to poison him, otherwise he wouldn't have drunk from his cup.
Nicholas took the cup and took a big gulp of the ale inside.
" So, what do you say? Sail with us, Nicholas. You will find more adventure out there than you ever will in here." Gold said in a sweet tone.
The world around Nicholas started to spin, all the voices in the pub swirled into one voice. The voice was telling him to go, to leave with these pirates and never come back. Then, everything went silent and black.