The ride into town was a splendid one thanks to Nestor's incredible driving skills. It was a cool evening while Snowy sat on the Professor's lap in the front seat happily. The Captain had his window down smoking his pipe while he had his other arm tightly wrapped around me clenching me to him keeping me from getting too cold. The smoke really didn't bother me since he began smoking different tobacco with different aromas, but the wind definitely nipped at my nose. Looking at the countryside at night was different than it was during the day. Speckled lights here and there and once your eyes adjusted to the night skys, you could appreciate it with a different perception. The city was bustling when we arrived and I have to admit, once we arrived at our destination I was a bit apprehensive at first...
"A little?!" Haddock laughed.
"Ok, I was apprehensive" Tintin corrected.
"Mm huh, that sounds about right" Haddock smiled contently reading over Tintin's shoulder.
XXXXXXXXX
"This is it Nestor! I hope you and the Professor enjoy some scientific discussion and coffee" Haddock smiled as Nestor stopped the car.
"I'm sure it will be a most spectacular evening" Nestor replied dryly.
"You will enjoy it Nestor, I can tell you're an intellectual" Calculus laughed knowing it to be the truth.
"I don't see anything…are you sure we're at the right place Captain?" Tintin asked looking around.
"You gentlemen be gentlemen now and have a good safe time!" Calculus said waving as Snowy barked sitting on the Professor's lap.
"Would you like me to come pick you up at a later time?" Nestor asked.
"Na, I'm not sure when we will leave so we'll get cab back home" Haddock nodded.
"Very well sir, please do take care" Nestor waved as he drove off.
"Captain, I don't see where the place is?" Tintin repeated looking around.
There were a couple groups of people walking by as they were out for their late evening stroll.
"Shhh… we got to be discreet landlubber, this place is not supposed to exist" Haddock whispered.
"Oh" Tintin nodded waiting for Haddock to lead the way.
Haddock and Tintin walked a little ways down an alley until they found a building with a light and a staircase leading in with a thuggish man standing by the door as two young gentlemen approached and spoke for a minute. Some money changed hands and he opened the door and let them in.
"This looks a bit dodgy Captain" Tintin didn't feel so right about it.
"I've been here three times before lad, it's safe, it's been here a long time…" Haddock explained.
"I never knew they existed" Tintin whispered in surprise.
"It's only known by word of mouth lad, and best let me talk to the door man" Haddock said leading Tintin over to the door.
"May I help you?" the door man said a bit rudely.
"It's me ole Haddock" the Captain whispered.
The door man looked at him a bit suspiciously for a moment then his demeanor changed.
"Is that really you Haddock?" he said with his muscles bulging in his white tank top.
"Yes" Haddock nodded.
The doorman almost started laughing. "I've never seen you so decked out, you're not going soft on me now are ya?"
"Thunderin' Typhoons! Of course not you blithering buffoon! Now let us in" Haddock blurted out.
"Good! That's the Captain I know! Hehehehe!" the door man opened the door padding Haddock on the back.
"That's nice boy you got there with you Haddock, where did you dig that one up?" the door man commented as they were walking inside.
"Don't worry about that!" Haddock replied.
The doorman eyed Tintin with a creepy demeanor which made Tintin uncomfortable; and, even more so when he walked by the doorman and he rubbed Tintin's back and began to go lower quickly. Tintin instantly moved away from him following Haddock up a large flight of stairs.
"You better take good care of that boy Haddock… plenty of us would be more than willing hehehehe!" his voice echoed eerily up the stairway before he closed the door behind them.
The stairway was covered with gritty black rubber and the sound of each step seemed to echo. The only light came from the top of the flight of stairs which was red. Up another bunch of stairs they climbed until they finally reached another door with a feint red light outside.
"I don't know how I feel about this place Captain" Tintin finally voiced his concern some more.
"It's all part of the cover lad, they have to watch raids" Haddock explained as he walked up to the door and rang a buzzer.
Tintin walked next to him as Haddock put his arm protectively around him.
After a minute someone finally answered the door. A tall thin man wearing a pair of glasses and long grey suit stood before them.
"Gentlemen?" he said almost eloquently.
"We're here to enjoy a night out" Haddock answered as the guy was just as tall as he was.
The man scrutinized them a bit but saw Haddock had his arm around Tintin, then he nodded letting them in. When they walked in, Tintin could not believe his eyes. It was an old Baroque style house that must have belonged to a nobleman in times gone by. The high ceilings and the walls were ornate with gold trimming and statues in the corners of little cupid and Greek Gods in the Grecian style works of art. All of the statues were male of course. There were classic paintings on the walls and mirrors in gold trim everywhere.
Corinthian columns were placed in intervals throughout the place as there was a ballroom area where they had string quartet with a grand piano playing in a corner and a bar set up on the up a spiral stairway that led to a bar area where people were drinking. A few ornate crystal chandeliers hung from the painted ceiling illuminating the place with a great radiance. Tintin could see the there was another room that was not nearly as well lit but could not see for it was down a long corridor lit with a red light.
The people looked fairly normal until Tintin noticed there were men kissing men as well as a couple of women who were with other men or other women. He noticed there weren't very many women. There had to be at least well over a hundred people in the big hall.
"So what do you think now landlubber?" Haddock pulling him close and felt Tintin wasn't comfortable with people seeing himself and the Captain display their affection publicly.
XXXXXXXXXXX
I definitely felt awkward displaying my private life to lots of people I did not know, for I am well known in the town of Brussells. The Captain on the other hand didn't seem to feel any shame at all...
"Oh you were nervous for sure lad!" Haddock commented.
"Tell me about it, the last thing I wanted was for the two of us to be lynched" Tintin admitted.
"I wished you would have told me about what that idiotic doorman did to you! I would have cleaned his clock that nasty pervert!" Haddock said a bit perturbed.
"Calm down Captain!" Tintin laughed.
"I'm sorry… continue" Haddock said as Snowy whined but stopped when Haddock returned to scratching behind Snowy's ears.
XXXXXXXXXX
The rest of the evening, things became more interesting in many different ways...
"Just follow me lad, it will be ok" Haddock urged Tintin to follow him as he could tell how nervous he was.
They walked over to the drawing area where there were multiple sofas and different groups of people smoking, drinking, and carrying on. There were a couple of tables where there were various snacks placed on the table like fruits and nuts. Tintin kept looking at everyone scared he was going to recognize someone. He noticed everyone was eying him just as he was them. Suddenly of all people Tintin saw a couple of familiar faces, then he quickly hid behind the captain.
"What's wrong Tintin?" Haddock asked with concern.
"It's Thompson and Thomson! My bosses… I can't let them see me here, it would ruin my image they have of me" Tintin said nervously.
"Wait a minute, it is them! That's not a surprise! We alreaday knew about long before they knew about us!" Haddock chuckled while taking out his pipe lighting it as he noticed Thompson plant a kiss on Thomson's cheek.
Tintin looked again and noticed another familiar face of all people, Mr. Silk!
"Whoa! Wait a minute! What are the Detectives doing talking to that pickpocket!?" Tintin replied flabbergasted.
"Why that wallet snatching, thieving scoundrel! What's he doing here!?" Haddock exclaimed walking up to the Detectives.
"Captain! Don't!" Tintin tried to get Haddock not to leave him standing there but it was too late as the Detectives had already looked their way noticing both of them.
"Tintin!" "TinTin!" both Thomson and Thompson shouted in amazement.
Tintin buried his face in his hands in embarrassment.
"Come on over here lad!" Haddock motioned.
Tintin hung his head down and joined them a bit embarrassed and astonished to see Mr. Silk.
"When did they let you out?" Haddock sneered at Mr. Silk.
"I got out two years ago thank you!" Mr. Silk said snobbishly.
"All I got ta say to you is if ya try to take my wallet you'll be saying hello to my guided missiles here! Understand!" Haddock said a bit threateningly.
"I won't stand for your threats! I'll go get security if you have a problem!" Mr. Silk retorted.
Thompson and Thomson ran in front of the Captain and Mr. Silk trying to calm them both down.
"Now now Captain, Mr. Silk is a reformed man" Thompson replied.
"Yea, you see I still have my wallet" Thomson said taking out his wallet showing the Captain.
Haddock still look distrustfully at Mr. Silk but reluctantly nodded. "Fine" he agreed.
"You see now, we're all here to have a good time!" Thompson reasoned.
"Yea, so let's have a good time already!" Thomson smiled trying to lighten the mood.
"Have you truly learned your lesson?" Tintin asked Mr. Silk suspiciously.
"I have, five years in jail is not a pleasant time young man. So what brings a fine young gentleman out here tonight?" he asked curiously.
"He's with ME!" Haddock growled.
Mr. Silk looked a bit surprised. First he looked at Haddock then Tintin and back to Haddock and cocked an eyebrow adjusting his glasses.
"Is this true?" Mr. Silk looked at Tintin surprised.
"Of course it's true you astrogoth!" Haddock spat.
"My word you savage! You should try learning a bit of conversational etiquette Captain Hammock!" Mr. Silk sneered back.
"That's HADDOCK! Are you friends with Castafiore or something?!" Haddock was boiling.
"Come on Captain, let's move on… I want to see the rest of the place now" Tintin said taking Haddock's arm leading him away from Mr. Silk.
"We do apologize Mr. Silk, we're going to join them" Thompson nodded.
"Yea hopefully you're night is better, keep up your good work" Thomson complemented.
"By the way Tintin, you've got a cute arse!" Mr. Silk winked at Tintin as he turned around.
Captain Haddock had all he could stand of the man and ran towards him to attack but luckily for Mr. Silk Thompson, Thomson, and Tintin grabbed Captain Haddock dragging him away while onlookers watched in amusement.
"Captain Haddock, you've got to control that temper of yours, you'll get us all thrown out" Thompson whispered flanking Haddock holding one arm.
"Precisely, Mr. Silk does have some influence here even if he is on parole" Thomson replied flanking the other side grabbing Haddock's other arm.
"Yea Captain, don't worry, I wouldn't have anything to do with such an old decrepit man like him" Tintin spoke words of calming which was music to Haddock's ears.
XXXXXXXX
At the time, it was a bit awkward for the Captain to be acting so protective over me. Looking back, there was a part of me that really thought it was funny and a part of me enjoyed it and found it almost a bit heartwarming. A bit too mushy I guess for man? Mr. Silk seemed to be a wildcard that usually had very subtle ways about going after what he wanted, but not that night...ugh!
"Blisterin barnacles! Oh I would have boxed his ears!" Haddock laughed.
"It's funny now, but Mr. Silk still has pull around this town believe it or not" Tintin replied.
"He would have deserved it" Haddock nodded.
"Well at least he didn't try to steal our wallets again" Tintin rationalized.
"Yea, but he was trying to be a bit forward with you and I didn't appreciate it" Haddock reasoned.
"Trust me Captain, if Mr. Silk would have done anything inappropriately I would have put him in his place that moment" Tintin winked.
"That's my boy!" Haddock laughed rubbing Tintin's head.
Tintin straightened his hair back.
"Sorry lad" Haddock apologized.
"It's ok Captain, you're the only one I'd let get away with that" he smiled.
"Well here's where things get interesting. Continue with the story lad" Haddock prompted him.
