Chapter #8:
The four of us stood outside of Ben's dad's house anxiously waiting for him to come and open the door. It did not take him long. He looked a little something like Ben though, you know, older. We had obviously disturbed Mr. Gates from some good quality relaxing since he was wearing a robe. He peered out at us in shock.
"Dad," Ben said in an upbeat voice by way of greeting. Mr. Gates looked over Ben and Abigail, both still wearing their formal cloths. I waved but decided against saying anything.
"Where's the party?" he asked.
"Uh, well," Ben began, "uh… I'm in a little trouble."
"A tiny little problem," I rolled my eyes.
"Is she pregnant?" he asked looking at Abigail.
"Well if she is," Ben responded not missing a beat, "are you going to leave the woman carrying your grandchild standing out in the cold?"
"I look pregnant?" Abigail asked Riley and I. Riley shook his head mutely. I looked Abigail over. Despite the harrowing events of the night she still looked gorgeous. Some of that, I guessed looking at my own ratty jeans and wrinkled tee-shirt, might have to do with the beautiful gown. There was also the fact that not a hair was out of place. Why do some woman get all the luck?
"Yep," I nodded.
"Maggie be nice," Ben muttered.
Looking reluctant Mr. Gates motioned us all inside. As we came in Mr. Gates pulled Ben aside.
"This better not be about that dumb treasure," he hissed. I could practically hear Ben gulp.
"If you want we still have that duct tape," I suggested. Sure Ben's dad seemed nice enough, but I had really been hoping to get to tie someone up with duct tape, if only to be able to say that I had.
"I'll let you know," Ben answered darkly looking at his dad.
"Well," Mr. Gates said, "have a seat. Make yourselves comfortable."
"Do you have any food?" I asked as I sat down on a comfortable chair and stretched my legs.
"There's some pizza," he answered, "it's still warm I think."
"Oh bless you kind sir," I cried grabbing a piece and stuffing it in my mouth. Best to eat now, before Ben broke the bad news to his dad any we were all thrown out into the street.
"Dad," Ben said, "I need the Silence Dogood Letters." There was a slight pause while Mr. Gates looked at his son with speechless horror. "Yeah," Ben sighed, "it's about the treasure."
"And he dragged you three into this nonsense?" Mr. Gates asked turning on the three of us.
"Literally," Abigail answered dryly.
"I volunteered," Riley admitted sheepishly.
"Me too," I mumbled through a mouth full of delicious pizza. Unfortunetly it came out sounding a bit like: 'EE Eww' so I wasn't sure if I was understood. I think Mr. Gates managed to get the gist of it though.
"Well unvolunteer," he snapped, "before you waste your life." Little did he know that I had already been wasting my life before volunteering so no big deal.
"Knock it off Dad," Ben sighed.
"Sure, sure," Mr. Gates continued bitterly, "I know. I'm the family kook. I have a job, a house, health insurance." Riley sat down next to me and grabbed a slice of pizza of his own. "At least I had your mother, for however short a time. At least I had you. What do you have? Him?" Mr. Gates motioned to Riley who looked a little disconcerted.
"Look," Ben said in a tired voice, "if you just give us the letters, we're gone."
"With something to wash this pizza down we'll be gone even faster," I added. I was ignored and thus had to content myself with another slice of pizza.
"You disappoint me Ben," Mr. Gates said.
"Well maybe that's the real Gates' Family legacy," Ben countered angrily, "sons who disappoint their fathers."
"That's a low blow," I commented. "Aren't we trying to get him to help us?"
"Get out," Mr. Gates said quietly, "take your troubles with you." I wondered if he would mind if I took the rest of the pizza as well. Ben, however, refused to back down.
"I found the Charlotte," he told his dad. This got his father's attention.
"The Charlotte?" His dad asked after a pause. "You mean she was a ship?"
"Yeah," Ben answered, "she was beautiful. It was amazing Dad." I guessed that you had to be a member of the Gates Family to fully appreciate it since it had not sounded like an amazing experience based on Ben and Riley's descriptions. A little too much threat of death for my tastes.
"And the treasure?" Mr. Gates asked.
"No," Ben replied looking slightly defensive, "no. But we found another clue that led us here." But this had been the wrong thing to say. Ben's Dad turned away looking bitter once more.
"Yeah," he scoffed, "and that'll lead you to another clue. And that's all you'll ever find, is another clue. Don't you get it Ben? I finally figured it out." This confused me and I said so.
"If you have the whole thing figured out then why are we still searching for the treasure?" I asked. "Why aren't we rich already?"
"The legend," Mr. Gates continued, "says that the treasure was buried to keep it from the British. But what really happened was the legend was invented to keep the British occupied searching for buried treasure. The treasure is a myth."
"That sucks," I muttered softly, "we made ourselves wanted fugitives all for nothing." I think that Riley was the only person who could hear me.
"I refuse to believe that," Ben told his dad calmly.
"Someone's in denial," I said in a sing-song voice. Everyone in the room turned to me, but apparently no one could come up with something to say in reply.
"Well," Mr. Gates said turning back to his son, "you can believe what you want, you're a grown person."
"I think I'll believe in Narnia," I said thoughtfully.
"You scare me," Riley said shaking his head.
"What am I doing?" Ben's Dad grumbled. "Do what you want Ben, do what you want."
"He's probably right," Abigail said interrupting the father son debate, "you don't even know if there is another clue."
"Well I can think of a way where we could find out," Ben answered, "and we can find out right now."
"A séance with the Founding Fathers!" I cried happily.
"I was thinking we would just examine the document," Ben told me.
"My idea was more fun," I sighed.
