Yo all thanks for all your support, in reviewing this fan-fic. I have tried to take all of your feedback into account and amongst other things I tried to provide you with longer chapters, I think the page count is up to 14 with this new chapter (that's handwritten not typed). Suggestions on where to go with the story are taken into account but unfortunately not all will be able to become part of the story itself, please continue sending suggestions by all means and I will do all I can do weave them into the story. So finally, here is Chapter 5.
Thanks again
Jonny 5
NB. Please note that my stories do no checking or viewing before it is published on the website. So basically tell me if something does not run quite right or if there is are grammar mistakes.
Chapter 5: Priceless Secrets GonzalesGonzales walked the streets north of the dock alone. It had been several hours since him and his 'crew' had landed in the island town. Geriva itself was turning out to be more advanced or civilised, or something like along those lines, than any other city Gonzales had ever seen. The pavements were paved with stone (not cobbled) and were as clean as they would be if it had been paved barely hours before.
"This city certainly is different" he thought
As he turned the corner into another street he noticed a shop that looked promising. A very herby smell hit him as he entered, that was probably a result of all the herbs and incenses that were lining the shelves.
Many kinds of plants and medicines were stacked all over the walls almost all of them in jars or boxes of some sort. There were so many medicines in fact, that no part of any of the walls were visible.
Gonzales looked around the shelves at the various creams and ointments and plants. One caught his eye and he decided to investigate.
"Can-a-bis" he read out loud to himself, and at this he took off the lid and took a deep breath. This action filled his lungs with a powder, and brought on a fit of coughing. He instinctively put the jar at arms length and stared at the floor (now turning a lovely shade of lavender) through watering eyes.
"May I help you?" came a female voice from behind him
"What the hell is that stuff?" he said and passed the jar to the person behind him, who took it and screwed the lid back on.
"Cannabis, it should be illegal" was the reply
"You're telling me!"
"Don't worry you didn't inhale much the effects should wear off in a minute. You must be new around here, is there anything you need?"
"Well you see I …" It was at this point that Gonzales felt well enough to turn and look at the vice behind him. What he saw caught him off guard. Either that cannabis was having a worse effect on him than he thought or he was seeing angels flying around the shopkeeper's head.
"I, I, I, I,"
"You look like a sailor, we have some medicines that you may find useful over here." She was the single most beautiful thing Gonzales had ever seen.
"I, I, I, I," His eyes, still watering form the Cannabis, created a haze around her, like those you get in sitcoms
"Is there any thing you want?"
"I, I, I,"
"Sir are you ok?"
"I, erm yeah fine, uh just the cannabis. Ah, erm, what did I come for? Ah yes, I am a sailor, we erm I need some supplies for my ship."
"Yes of course, we er have a kind of package for sailors, that you may be interested in."
"That sounds fine… Say you wouldn't know where I can get large amounts of wood, do you?"
"Well as a matter of fact my father owns a chain of businesses, including this shop and a timber company, I'll get you the address."
Gonzales felt uplifted at this news. If he could elongate the stay here and to get her father to supply them with wood then he could probably see her more often. After talking over the counter for an hour with her, he found out that she was called Malum, that she was 21 (younger than Gonzales if you don't remember), and that her father used to be a Blue Rogue. Malum on the other hand was seemed very interested in Gonzales' lifestyle, friends, and relationships (a good sign).
After an hour Gonzales tore himself form the shop after explaining that he ought to go help his friends repair the ship and that he still had some errands to do.
"Be sure to check the package when you get a chance" called Malum from the store entrance.
"Package? Oh Package yes, yes of course thank you." And at that Gonzales walked around the corner.
PedroSeveral hours later, Pedro had just finished eating the biggest meal of his life at a nice restaurant when he bumped into Gonzales.
"Yo Gonzo, any luck?
"What, oh yeah actually I have got some medical supplies, found a place where we can get wood and I am just about to follow up on where to buy large amounts of food for the journey."
"Not bad, not bad.. Well the sun is beginning to set and it sounds like you have everything under control so I'll just mosey on back to the ship then, its almost dinner time."
Gonzales looked at the restaurant.
"Didn't you just have something to eat?"
"Just a light snack"
"There's no food left in he buffet"
"That sign was challenging me!" Pedro waved at a very confused Gonzales and headed back to the ship.
Gonzales stared at the sign* for 5 minutes, then entered the restaurant.
Pedro wandered the now emptying streets back to the dock. Day had long turned to night by the time he got there. He had decided to surprise Izmael and Babham by sneaking up on them. He entered through the back door and crept from barrel to crate, slowly advancing up to the pair. The warm glow of a fire got closer and closer until…
"Why on Arcadia did you tell them about this place?" came Izmaels voice
Pedro stopped and dove behind a stack of crates.
"I'm not sure," replied Babham's
"We may as well have killed ourselves there and then"
"They wont kill us"
"They will if that madman comes here again, what was his name?"
"Abe Gillst"
"Abe Gillst. We're here riskin' our necks for a piece of paper that we are probably going to be killed for just trying keeping it to ourselves anyway."
"It's old"
"So what? I don't care if it's the parchment that the first king of Nasr wrote the laws of his land on."
"It will make us richer than we can ever imagine"
The use of the phrase 'richer than we can ever imagine' caught Pedro's attention. He decided that this was as good as time as any to show himself.
"What is it?" He asked the two as he casually walked out from behind the crates.
Izmael and Babham turned a ghostly white.
"Eh?" One of them managed to stammer, eventually.
"Simple enough question, what is this piece of paper you are talking about?" repeated Pedro.
Izmael looked at Babham for help.
"Tell him" said Babham obviously stressed and annoyed at this development.
"Well it's… a map"
"A map?"
"Yes"
"To where?"
"Ever heard of Daccat?"
Gonzales
Gonzales left the restaurant half an hour later. He hadn't eaten much due to the butterflies still in his stomach leftover from his meeting with Malum earlier. He decided to take a walk to think over things, make a new plan. His thoughts shot from one place to another, every time invaded by one thing, one person.
Malum the girl from the shop. His mind shot back to the shop, creating new happier endings to that meeting. All shattered by reality. Gonzales' heart sunk, and he wandered the glum, empty streets alone.
Eventually Gonzales came across a park and he decided to sit on a park bench for a while, to think more clearly. He wandered for a while along the gravelled paths and finally sat down on a bench under a tree. He stared at the lake sprawled out in front of him.
The fresh air heightened his spirits a bit, but he was still glum. It was then that he remembered her last words to him as he left the shop.
"Be sure to check your package"
Why would she say that? No shopkeeper has ever said anything like that. What did it mean? He opened the package in a hurry, adrenaline pumped through his veins.
Thumbling madly at the box, he finally managed to open it. 2 notes were immediately visible. One was a receipt, the other was a note and it had his name on it.
Gonzales,
I finish my shift at half past nine, meet me under the only oak tree opposite the lake at 10 o'clock.
Malum,
XXX
Gonzales suddenly became aware of his surroundings. Opposite was a lake, above him were the sprawling branches of a giant oak tree. He looked around desperately and ran to use the waters edge to use the lake as a mirror. Just as he was tidying up his appearance the Town bell began to ring. Gonzales counted under his breath.
1…
2…
3…
4…
5…
6…
7…
8…
9…
10…
"Hi there,"
A splash could be heard from all over the park.
* Which read 'all you can eat!'