Part Two

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When he came to the next morning, Haddock found himself in his own bed. Even with the curtains darkening the room he could tell that he was under the covers and wearing his light blue pajamas. His head ached.

Thundering typhoons, was I just having a nightmare?

Then he realized, in the very back of his throat, he could detect the faint but distinctive taste of vomit. He turned white at the revelation.

The lad really was changing in front of me last night. Blistering barnacles, the one night that I don't have a drink before going to sleep and I have to see that!...

He buried his face into his hands. If he was drunk, maybe he could accept it as just that—a horrible, terrible dream. But instead, he was completely sober when he kicked open that door. Maybe not exactly right in the head, but that was the emotions talking, not any liquor.

He had no clear idea of what Tintin's final form was or what it looked like exactly. But from the looks of it, it appeared to be a canine of some sorts. Werewolf legends constantly filled his head as a boy, and even when he was teeny tiny he believed nothing of them. The concept of a man transforming into a wolf just sounded so silly. Now, he wasn't so sure what to think. It wasn't everyday that you saw your best friend turning into a bloody canine in front of your eyes, after all.

When Haddock finally got the energy to get ready for the day, werewolves was on the mind of another inhabitant of Marlinspike Hall.

Calculus giggled as he read the newspaper.

"What's so funny, professor?" Tintin asked.

"There has been another werewolf sighting at a farm, it appears. The farmer claims that it stole one of his lambs. Can't you believe it, a twentieth century newspaper reporting that a fairy tale figure is stalking man and beast alike? You would think that the newspaper would hire more educated folks to write more serious stories than this backwards hogwash! Am I correct with that deduction, Tintin?"

"Yes, complete hogwash! And that is that with this topic!"

Haddock, who sat across from Calculus, sipped some coffee. "You never know, Cuthbert. Gorillas were supposed to be legend for years and now we know that they're as real as the noses on our faces."

He heard Tintin gulp.

"Don't you tell me that you believe in that childish stuff, Captain! You surely can't be serious!"

"I've seen some weird things in my life, lad. Things that most would say are impossible or just don't plain exist…"

Calculus seemed to not hear a word either one said. "Most certainly mass hysteria, I'm positive! Yes, mass hysteria, and this newspaper is feeding into it! This should fade out soon, or I shall write a letter of complaint to the editor of this rubbish newspaper! Something like this is so amusing for only so long…"

Haddock watched Tintin to see his reaction.

Tintin pulled at his shirt collar. "I-I hope it ends soon too."

The reporter looked at his half finished eggs and grape jam smothered toast. "You know what? I feel that I need to take a nap right now."

"But you probably haven't been up for even half an hour!" Haddock retorted.

"I don't care," Tintin mumbled. "I need some alone time…"

Haddock got up and began following Tintin out of the kitchen. Before he could leave the room Nestor stood in front of the entrance.

"Nestor! Let me through!"

"I am sorry, Master Haddock, but Master Tintin has just requested a moment of solitude."

"Blistering-!" Haddock inhaled and exhaled deeply thrice. At a calmer tone of voice he explained, "Look, I'm very concerned about Tintin, Nestor. The lad hasn't been himself lately. I just want to know what's exactly going on. If anyone can get to him, it would be me. "

Even when he sighed, the butler's expression never seemed to change. "Alright, Master Haddock. But if Master Tintin chews you up over this, I am not responsible."

I really hope that he doesn't literally chew me up, he thought with a cold sweat as he watched for that confounded broken step.

He lightly knocked on Tintin's door when he arrived at his destination.

"I am not in the mood for visitors."

"Tintin, please let me in."

"I'd rather not. It smells like vomit in here, Captain. It won't come out no matter what I do."

"How about you let me help you with that, lad? I did make that mess after all."

"… What?" Tintin nervously laughed. "No you didn't! Snowy coughed up something last night!"

"Blistering barnacles, don't play dumb with me! I may not be as smart as you, but I'm not a dimwit! I remember most of last night pretty clearly. I vomited all over your carpet before fainting. It was you that dragged me into my bed, wasn't it?"

Tintin cracked the door ajar. His crayon red face stared at his friend. "You remember last night? Blast it, my memory spell didn't work at all!"

"Spell?"

Tintin slapped his forehead and grunted. "Ugh! Why have I been so stupid around you lately?" He gulped. "Just promise that you won't tell this to anyone else. Can I trust you, Captain?"

Haddock detected a pain in his stomach, but his thirst for knowledge was more intense.

"Of course you can trust me! I thought that I was your best friend, Tintin!"

The ashamed look on the boy's face intensified the stomach pain. He pushed the door further open to grant him access, and then locked the door.

Tintin sat on the side of his bed. He turned even redder when Haddock sat to his right. Snowy walked over to the duo, whimpering.

"Tintin, I have a question to ask you… Are you the werewolf that Cuthbert was talking about downstairs?"

The reporter's voice came just above a whisper. "No, I'm not…"

"Then why—"

"I'm not a werewolf, Captain. I'm a sorcerer."

"A sorcerer, huh?"

"Yes. I can transform however I wish, though I have to do so at least once so my skills don't get rusty. I mean, imagine if the rest of my body was of a dog, but my head was still human? Usually I become a briard, because that's the alternate form I'm most used to. But the transformations are usually very painful. Now you know why I've been having all of those stomach pains, huh?

"That 'nip' I was making for Snowy? It was a potion to intensely dull the pain during the process."

The captain emitted a guffaw.

"Captain?"

He laughed again. "I'm sorry, lad! I just thought that you were plotting to kill me last night!"

"Kill you?" His heart panged. Why would I ever want to kill the person that brings me the most happiness I've felt since… "I would never even dream of murdering you, Captain!"

"I know now, lad. It was just a crazy thought that burrowed into my head last night. Though I have to say… wouldn't that potion had killed you? Or do you just happen to have an iron stomach?"

"Captain…" He finally faced his friend. His eyes possessed that piercingly serious spark that made Haddock aware that something was up. "I can't die."

Haddock's eyes finally blew up to incredulous proportions. "Can't die? Absolutely no way whatsoever?"

"At least, not by most means. I know sorcerers that have lived since modern man first came to be. Unless a death spell is cast upon one of us, we can get severely injured but will live to see the next day."

"How do you know this?"

Tintin had been teary-eyed since he began his confession, but the dams finally broke. He covered his face and attempted to stop crying.

Good job at striking a nerve Archie, Haddock thought.

"We… Can stop… If we want."

He uncovered his face. "No, no! You asked, so I will finish answering your question! I'm just so broken up because my parents were killed by a dark sorcerer a long time ago. He would have got Snowy and me if my father didn't tell me to hide before he confronted him. I saw the whole thing…"

"Blistering barnacles," Haddock said. "How old were you? Five? Ten? Fifteen?"

"Seventy. I'm two hundred and ten now."

"Seventy?" He looked at Tintin, then Snowy. "Are you telling me, Tintin that Snowy is also—"

"I'm just as surprised as you are, Captain. When I changed him—"

"Wait, changed him?"

"Well, you see… Snowy used to be a human. I accidentally turned him into a dog just before my parents were murdered. Pére couldn't find a spell to change him back, so he's been my pet ever since. I thought that he would just live out a normal wire fox terrier's life expectancy, but he's healthier than ever." He smiled at the dog. "And I'm so glad that he's still alive, because he's the only family I will have forev—"

"Tintin? Why are you looking at me like that? I don't like it?"

"Captain… You consider Snowy and me family, right?"

What is that boy leading to? "Yes, I do…"

Tintin twiddled his fingers. "Would you… Like me to…"

"No!"

Tintin was the surprised one now. "No?"

"Blistering barnacles, no! You are not turning me into a dog to keep me alive forever, Tintin!"

"Why not?" His tone resembled that of a confused child. "I thought we were family! How could you say no?"

"I… Just don't think that it's such a good idea! And no offense to Snowy, but I think that I would absolutely hate being a dog: flea baths, shots, being neutered… Why didn't you ask Chang to join you when you had the chance, lad?"

"Because he got a family of his own. "

"And what about Snowy? Didn't he have a family too?"

"It was a miracle in disguise that his father abused him. I already still feel a tinge of guilt from the accident, but at least in Snowy's case, the family he had wouldn't miss him. Chang's family is full of good people. If I did such a selfish thing to Chang, I would have to seal myself away because the guilt would always haunt me."

"…Oh. Then why do you want me to join you?"

"Captain, I…" He stuttered. His heartbeat quickened. "Captain, there's something about you that just makes me so happy. My determination has caused me to overcome and learn so many things on my own, but with you around I'm more determined than ever to reach my goals. Ever since I met you, I've never wanted to leave your side. Even though we both have habits that peeve us, we still have a strong bond at the end of the day. I accept yours because they contribute to making you your own unique person.

"… And I just… love that about you." He stared into the captain's bright blue eyes, and a conclusion came to his mind.

"Oh my, so that's what I've been feeling! I know why I have those feelings about you, Captain! I love you."

Tintin looked down, cursed, covered his face in shame, began weeping again. Haddock peeked at the boy's crotch for the first time. At the very least, the lad was obviously sexually attracted to him. Him, an old seadog whose only sexual experiences with women were those in the sex industry.

"Is this… The first time you've ever felt these feelings for anyone, Tintin?"

"Yes." Haddock could tell it was sincere.

"Don't be ashamed about it, lad. I love you too, just… Not in that way. You remind me so much of when I was your age, so hopeful and bright and the what not. I don't want you to turn into a drunken, ornery, pathetic salty dog like I am now. I do think of you as family, Tintin—as my son. But I doubt that I'll ever replace your real father, especially with those feelings you have for me.

"You know what? To tell you the truth, I do want to join you, Tintin. You know, be in your family forever. But just… Not yet. I may be the last of the Haddocks, but I'm sure that if I disappeared just now everyone will be mighty suspicious of you. I'll tell you when I'm ready."

Tintin still possessed a childish look to him. "Promise? You promise?"

Haddock smiled. "I promise."

Haddock turned beet red as he kept staring at Tintin's bulge. "You know what? I'll just leave you to um, take care of that however you want. I'll be in the study if you need me."

Haddock closed the door behind him. His head hurt, but at least he now knew the absolute truth. And at least the study would be quiet enough for him to fully break down all the information he just injested.

"Captain!"

He stopped. "Yes, Tintin?"

"I'm not the werewolf, but there really is one around. It's Cutts the butcher. He gets a lot of his lamb by sneaking into farms at night."

"Huh. That's… disturbingly fitting. Now if only we could get Cuthbert to believe that little tidbit…"