Broken Sword II: The Smoking Mirror

Next chapter of my Broken Sword story, enjoy.

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Now onto the story.

Disclaimer: I don't own Broken Sword or its characters.

Seeking Pirate Treasure

GEORGE POV

Nico recovered quickly from her fever, we were able to then find our way back to Quaramonte and escape thanks to Conchita running interference for us. To my relief I learned that Duane and Pearl had left Quaramonte shortly after we escaped on the boat. Once back in Paris we made our plan and began our hunt for the stones. Hence why I was now on a plane, flying over the Caribbean islands. We had decided to split up and look for each stone independently in order to save time. I was going after the Eagle Stone and had traced the pirate Ketch to a remote island in the Caribbean which the plane now landed on. I exited the plane and headed for the tour bus parked nearby, despite being the only passenger the driver seemed pleased. As I was driven to the part of the island that I was seeking I reflected on where I was. With the fortune Ketch had amassed from piracy, he had retired to this place and it was later known as Ketch's Landing. Reaching my destination I exited the beach and made my way through the thicket of trees that separated the Landing from the rest of the island. It didn't take long to work my way through it and stumble out onto the beach, I had made it.

I looked around the beach and noted rather close to me was a canopy of sorts, a framework with sheets offering a roof with some sheets partially covering the back and sides. Under it was a table with some sort of planning document on it, leaning over it was a tall thin fair skinned man with medium length blonde hair tied back, brown eyes and a rather untrustworthy look to him, clad in khaki pants, black shoes and a white button up shirt. As I watched he left the drawing and made his way across the beach to a theodolite that was set up on the beach aimed up at the cliffs by the beach. I realized the man was a surveyor and that there a flight of stone steps leading up from the beach to the top of the cliffs. Up there I could see a white coloured square shaped stone house with a yellow roof, yellow shutters on the window and flagpoles. I wondered if that was Ketch's house. Looking around the beach I noted a fishing net hung over a wooden frame to dry and a jetty coming out from the beach, at the end of which was a small dinghy, in bad need of a coat of paint but spotlessly clean and maintained. Sitting on the jetty fishing was a young boy about eleven or twelve. He was thin, black haired, black eyed and brown skinned, clad in red shorts and a white vest. He was fishing with the intense concentration of someone, who had all the time in the world.

Deciding I better at least be sure of where I was, I approached the shady looking guy who had gone back to his plans.

"Hi, is this Ketch's Landing?"

He looked up at me. "Yeah, that's right."

I decided to keep the conversation going. "You're a surveyor right, Mr…?"

"Bronson." He introduced himself. "And of course I'm a surveyor, why the hell else would I have a theodolite?"

"I dunno, a hobby maybe?" I replied with a shrug.

"Yeah right." He muttered before asking. "So, what are you doing here?"

"I'm searching for an ancient Mayan artefact." I explained, deciding it best to be honest.

He narrowed his eyes. "What is it, some kind of jewel?"

I shook my head. "No, it's obsidian, a black stone with supposedly mystical powers."

"You're nuts." He scoffed.

Shaking my head I reached into my pocket and pulled out the Coyote Stone.

"This is similar to the stone I'm looking for." I explained.

"What makes you think you'll find it here." He queried.

I began to explain. "Because when the stones were stolen in the late seventeenth century-"

"Hold it!" Bronson cried. "The stones have been lost for at least three hundred years?"

"Approximately."

"And you're hoping to find them again. You're nuts." Bronson gasped. "And why here?"

"A wise old Indian Shaman told me he saw the stones in a vision-" I began.

Bronson's expression turned derisive again. "Ha-ha, that's rich. Listen I've got work to do."

Seeing his lack of interest, I changed the subject.

He mentioned work so I figured to talk about that.

"What are doing with the theodolite?"

"Surveying the old house." He said, gesturing up to it. "I've got big plans for this place."

"Oh yeah?"

"You bet." Bronson remarked cheerfully. "Take a look around, what do you see?"

That was a no brainer with the natural beauty of the place. "Paradise."

"I see, opportunity. This place is ripe for development." Bronson countered.

I shook my head. "I like it just the way it is."

He smirked. "That's where we differ, you see Mr. Stobbart, I'm what you might call...a man of vision. I see a great future for Ketch's landing and it all starts here, with that house?"

I felt uneasy about that, maybe just because of how sleazy this guy looked.

"How do you survey a house like that?" I asked.

"I put a target reflector on the end of one of the flagpoles up there." He explained. "I sight it on from various locations through the theodolite, record the angles along the baseline and triangulate them to give me the exact positioning of the target, understand?"

I didn't, not at all. "Why the end of the flagpole, wouldn't it be better...on the corner of a wall or something?"

"Are you a surveyor?"

"No, my degree's in law." I replied quickly.

He smirked. "Then shut up."

With that he ended the conversation and made his way back to the theodolite. Still feeling uneasy I decided to talk to the boy later and headed up the stairs to check out the house.

Reaching the top of the cliff I found the house was two story and looked rather old but still grand. There was a bush growing up the height of it between the two sets of windows, downstairs and upstairs. I could see the flagpole on the left had the marker on it that Bronson mentioned. Next to the house was a sturdy extendable ladder and on the other side was a small table with chairs and a parasol. Behind that was a large tree with a large root going along the ground and a branch growing out if it with a suggestive U formed by the branches. I noticed also a white cat, a rather mangy fleabag I felt, busily torturing a red ball. Seated at the table were two grey haired, dark eyed old women, skin tanned by the tropics sun. One was thin with a long blue skirt and white blouse, hair tied in a bun and a severe look on her face. The other was plump and far more friendly looking, wearing a red long dress and had her hair tied in short pig tails. They were enjoying afternoon tea together and looked up to acknowledge my presence before going back to it. I thought for a moment and then, deciding to try and be ingratiating, I approached the cat.

"Hi puss, wanna play?"

I knelt down to pick up the ball but the cat suddenly lashed out and I leapt back.

"Hey cat, watch where you're putting those claws." I snapped.

So much for that, I wasn't going to suffer further laceration by the cats claws and instead turned my attention to the two old ladies.

I approached them and greeted them politely.

"Hello there. My name is George Stobbart."

They both turned to me, the thin one speaking.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Stobbart. Would you care for tea?"

"No thank you, ma'am." I replied politely. "I don't like tea."

I pondered for a moment, wondering about my questions, then made up my mind.

"So, what can you tell me about Captain Ketch?"

The thin woman grinned. "More than you can tell me about your great-great grandfather, no doubt."

That's when it struck me. "You're his descendents?"

"Yes, I am Frost Ketch." She replied, gesturing to the other woman. "This is Mina. Now, you asked about Captain Ketch. Well, Frederick Ketch was born in Dorset, England in the reign of King Henry the VIII. His family were undistinguished farmers, but young Ketch decided to go to sea."

Mina then spoke up. "We have plenty of seamen in family Mr. Stobbart."

I quirked an eyebrow at the choice of words, and Frost sent Mina a glare worthy of her name.

I then gently prodded. "You were telling me about Captain Ketch, do go on."

"Oh yes." Frost continued. "He sailed under Hawkins."

"Jim Hawkins?" I couldn't help myself.

Frost didn't even react while correcting me. "John Hawkins, one of the greatest traders of the Elizabethan age."

Okay, that made more sense.

Frost then continued.

"In 1568, Ketch was serving aboard the Jesus Hawkins flag ship, they sailed from England to Africa and across the wide Atlantic to these very islands, trading." She paused and then sighed. "But Ketch was never to see the shores of England again."

"How come Ketch never made it home?" I asked.

Frost sniffed. "Because the Spaniards sank the Jesus in an act of treachery."

"What happened to Ketch, was he killed?" I queried.

"Oh no, he got away, and came to this island, to this very house." Frost explained.

Mina then chimed in. "The Frederick Ketch Memorial Museum."

"So this is the place Bronson is surveying then?" I realized.

"That's right." Frost replied. "The intention is to prepare the museum for the new century. Mr. Bronson has kindly agreed to undertake the refurbishment at a reasonable price. He understands the importance of a sense of history."

Funny, that's not the impression I got of Bronson at all.

"He also understands spherical geometry."

Frost growled. "Mina."

"Well he does." She insisted."

"So, the house is closed then?" I asked worriedly. "I came a long way to visit this place."

"I'm sorry it's not possible." Frost said firmly.

With a sigh I realized I wasn't going to just get in. I'd need to do something more.

I needed to figure more out anyway and after asking more questions about Ketch and learning from them that he apparently wasn't a pirate but a privateer and had been executed by the local governor for his wealth, I asked about the cat and found out they were indeed very attached to the cat, that could be useful but for now I had no other options but to head back down the stairs and head down to the jetty.

I walked over to the boy who looked up from the fishing and smiled.

"You wanna buy some fish?"

I shook my head. "No thanks, I don't like fish, what's your name?"

"Rio, it means river." He said. "What about you?"

"George, it means...uh, well, it's just a name." I replied and then asked. "No school today?"

"No sir."

"What about your education?" I wondered.

He grinned. "I can fish, sail and swim. I've been looking after myself since I was six and I'm bi-lingual."

I was amazed. "Aren't you a little overqualified for a beach bum?"

"Well you know there's a lot of completion." Rio joked. "Saw you talking to Bronson earlier. You know he's a crook."

"I got that impression and heard about his plans with the old ladies." I replied. "I get the feeling he's trying to cheat those sweet vulnerable old ladies."

"That's a little unfair isn't it?" Rio said warily.

I grinned. "Okay, he's trying to cheat those seriously demented poisonous old ladies."

Rio chuckled at that but he gave me a good idea. If I could get a look at Bronson's plans and find out what he was really after, it might work to my advantage. But as for how to do that, I wasn't sure. Saying farewell to Rio I began to make my way back to the beach.

When I reached it I was surprised to see Bronson waving me over. I approached and he spoke.

"Hey, fish boy giving you any trouble?"

I was startled. "No, he's a fine kid."

"Yeah right, he's a little troublemaker, socked me in the back of my skull with some fish and goes around calling me a crook." Bronson snapped.

I bit my lip but then considered other topics.

"What can you tell me about the old ladies?"

"Who, the Ketch sisters?" He replied before laughing. "One of them is crazy as a coot, the other will turn you to stone if you're not careful."

I suppressed a laugh at that but then asked. "Can I take a look at your plans?"

"Hell no, what interest would they be to you?" He cut me off, glaring.

I grimaced, no good, I even tried an excuse, playing up like I really admired surveyors but he didn't buy it. I'd need another way and so I headed back up to the house and, after considering for a moment I went to talk to the old ladies again. I admit I thought about using their affection for the cat to my advantage, catnapping the little monster till they let me in. But it wasn't my style and I was sure I could use it another way.

"Say, I've been talking to Rio, the fisher boy-" I began.

Frost glared at me. "I'll thank you not to mention that wretch in my presence."

"I uh...I gather you don't have much time for him then?" I queried. "Why?"

"Well, once, he and Emily-"

"Be quiet this instant Mina." Frost snapped.

That gave me yet another opening.

I began to ask about Emily, learning that she was a relative of theirs, that her parents were killed in a typhoon and so they took upon themselves to raise her. But that was about all they would give out and got angry when I asked further. I decided however that I now had enough to use a diversionary tactic to try and get the old ladies to leave so I could work out a way to deal with Bronson.

So I began my plan. "I thought I saw a young girl down on the beach."

"What, you must be mistaken." Frost replied sharply.

Mina gasped too. "He must be mistaken, mustn't he Frost?"

"I'm sure I'm not. A young girl and that young fisher boy." I explained.

"Woe betide you if your lying to us, Mr. Stobbart, heaven help you." Frost replied firmly.

With that they both stood up and began making their way across to the stairs and headed down them. Now I had the run of the area. I had to admit that I was still not sure exactly how to do this but I had a feeling that if I could get rid of Bronson's theodolite target, I could get him out of the way long enough to get at his plans. Trying the ladder I found it extended easily and reached up to the flagpole, but I couldn't move it along to the one with the target since the bush was in the way. I'd need to do something else. I looked down at the cat and its ball and then an idea struck me but I needed a few more things and I knew exactly where to start.

I hurried back down to Rio and got his attention.

"Did you see the sisters go by here?" I asked.

He nodded. "Yeah, they looked madder than ever so I hide until they gone by."

I grimaced. "Good idea, they thought you were playing with Emily, boy were they steamed."

"Emily?" He gasped, looking horrified but then composed himself. "You're madder than them."

"Uh anyway, I need a fish Rio." I told him.

This led to a little debate until finally I was able to convince him to catch a fish for me by offering him the tequila worm which he used as bait. The first attempt didn't go so well as he only fished up half a rusting bicycle frame but I did find something useful there, an old rubber inner tube. Luckily I got the fish on the second try and I took it, it was wet and slimy and decidedly dead. But it would work for my plan, it was rather odd but it could work out. I returned up the house and climbed the ladder to the bare flagpole. I took out the inner tube and fixed one end to the pole and let it hang down. I then descended the ladder and tied the tail of the fish to it so it hung off the ground and to my relief it worked, the cat abandoned the ball and walked over to watch the fish intently. This was what I was after and I hurried over and pocketed the ball. I then went back up the ladder and retrieved the inner tube before tossing down the fish for the cat to chow on. I then climbed down the ladder and approached the U shaped branch in the tree, this was it.

I set up the inner tube between the two branches, put the ball in the makeshift catapult, took aim and fired. It was a lucky shot but I did it, the ball knocked the target clean off the flagpole. I then stepped away and looked down to see a confused Bronson come storming up the steps.

"What the hell is going on here!?" He complained.

"Hi Bronson, nice to see you too." I greeted him with a smirk.

He glared. "You again, you been screwing around with my theodolite target, where is it? Dammit I had to climb out the window to put that one on, now I'll have to do it again."

"Not this time." I told him. "The house is locked up and the sisters aren't here."

"Hells Teeth." He snarled. "I'll have to put the spare target on the other flagpole. A whole morning's work, wasted. I'm gonna fix all this and then I'm gonna fix you, you hear."

"Yeah?" I responded. "Fine, I'll be waiting."

I then watched as he climbed up the ladder and actually onto the flagpole and took my chance. I lowered the ladder and set it aside and Bronson cried out, overbalanced and was soon dangling from the flagpole, holding onto it tightly. After joking with him and ignoring his threats I picked up the spare target he dropped and made my way back down to the beach. I decided it might be useful to me so I took Bronson's theodolite too. I then checked the plans and saw, to my disgust that he wasn't refurbishing the museum at all, he planned to turn it into a luxury, five story pirate themed hotel. Taking the plans I noted movement up the stairs again and went to check it out.

I returned to see Bronson still on the flagpole and the sisters back and at their table.

"You there!" Frost cried out. "Why is Mr. Bronson hanging from that flagpole?"

"He climbed up there of his own accord." I explained.

She shook her head. "Well help, quickly, before he falls."

I shook my head in turn and pulled out the plans, laying them out in front of the sisters.

"Here, Bronson's plans."

Frost looked at them with a peering expression. "This means nothing to me."

"She's not wearing her reading glasses." Mina explained.

"Ah wait." Frost burst out. "I see now, I see it all too clearly."

She saw what I had seen and now she and Mina were irate and went to tell off Bronson and, to my relief, after politely requesting them to do so, Mina unlocked the door and I was allowed into the museum. I hurried inside, leaving Bronson to their mercy as my search for the Eagle Stone continued.

End of chapter, hope you enjoyed it, read and review please.