Broken Sword II: The Smoking Mirror

Chapter 17 of my Broken Sword story, enjoy.

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Now onto the story.

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


Emily

GEORGE POV

Entering the museum I was stunned, the whole main room had been decorated to resemble the interior of a sailing ship, it was disturbingly effective. Directly to my left was a small desk with a decorative albeit fragile model of a sailing ship on it, hanging from a chain on the roof next to it was a rather large brass lantern with a circular base. Below that in a recess of the desk, leaning on a pedestal was a logbook with spidery writing over the open pages. Next to the desk and below the window was a battered old sea chest.

'Wow, must be from Ketch's ship, just look at it, tells a long story of all those maritime adventures, filled to the prim with precious loot, diamonds, emeralds, rubies and doubloons…' I reflected before admitting. 'On the other hand it might have held spare blankets.'

Next to it was a large wooden stand upon which was a ship's sea chart. In the middle of the room was a large rectangular desk which had a strangely cut recessed area on top, next to it a pen holder and inkwell. The inkwell was strangely wide and the holder had one of those old quill feather pens in it. There was a slightly raised area, accessed by a couple of ship steps that usually led up to the bridge of a ship. On it I saw a ship's wheel, bell and a large portrait. Back on the first level, next to the corner of the raised area was an old wooden barrel, likely from Ketch's ship. On the wall next to the portrait was the last thing of interest, a mount with a rather sharp looking pirate's cutlass on it.

I let out a low whistle and considered for a moment what to do as I walked around, checking things out. I should have known better when I stuck my hand in the water barrel and got bit by something. I had briefly contemplated the cutlass but left it alone. I checked the bell and wheel and flashed back to my pirate childhood fantasies.

'Man, this is all incredible stuff, but I need to find any clues, anything at all…' I reminded myself.

As I thought this I checked the portrait, it was a portrait of a man whom I assumed was Captain Ketch, his steely blue eyes were notably unsettling, I noted the small plaque on the bottom which read Captain Frederick Ketch, 1570. Around his neck was a cross.

'Must've been a part time pirate.' I mused.

With that I turned away and went down the steps to the floor and looked around some more and then my gaze landed on the logbook which I began to reach.

"March 20th." I read before narrowing my eyes. "Fixteen hundred and feventy fix? Engaged...frigate of Fan Falvodor?"

It was garbage, I guess being a pirate didn't require too many academy qualifications. But as I read I was able to pick up a few things.

It seemed Ketch got wind of the approach of English ships, it seemed the local governor didn't share his predecessor's views about Ketch's activities are were out for his blood.

"Sailed to that place where I made secure my fortune." I continued to read. "I returned, safe in the knowledge that the governor would not discover that which I had hidden, for 'tis it not writ that 'Tis easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle."

Okay, that was messed up, but pushing it to the back of my mind I checked the desk again and that's when I noticed a few things that stood out at once. I hurried over to the chart, picked it up and carried it to the desk where I managed to get it to fit exactly into the recess on the desk. Not only that but the lantern fit exactly into the inkwell too, casting a light across the map. The shadow of the feather pen fell onto the map and that's when I began to realise now I needed something else, something that would fit in the pen holder and send the right shadow across the desk to most likely show where the treasure, most likely the Eagle Stone, was hidden. I took the feather and pocketed it, maybe I'd find another use for it but the holder was needed for something else. Now I needed to figure out my next step.

There was only one thing I hadn't checked. I approached the sea chest and tried to open it, it seemed stuck but when I tried the second time it burst open and I gasped as a girl leapt out.

"Surprise." She cried.

She clambered out and skipped over to the desk. She was clad in a T-shirt and overalls, black shoes and had blonde hair in two pigtails, fair skin with freckles on her face and rather familiar steely blue eyes.

"What the, who are you?" I asked in shock.

"I'm Emily."

"What were you doing in there, Emily?" I asked, realizing this was the girl that the sisters and Rio had spoken off strangely.

"Hiding." She explained simply. "What are you doing here?"

"Uh, Grown-ups stuff."

"Grown-ups, pff, I'm never going to grow up, I'm not." She replied with a scoff.

Okay, unsettling but not exactly unexpected for a kid.

"You shouldn't be here." She said rather casually. "What's your name?"

"I'm George."

She grinned and replied casually. "Pleased to meet you, Jaws."

"George." I corrected her.

"Jaws?" She fired back, head tilted, confused.

"Jeez."

She glared. "Make your mind up."

Trying to find some means to distract her I asked.

"Why don't you go and play with Rio?"

"I'm not allowed." Emily remarked sourly.

"How come?" I asked.

Emily snorted. "Because Aunt Frost said I'm not allowed out of the house, that's why Mr. Nosey Beak."

"Too bad." I replied with a shrug.

I couldn't help but be unsettled by those eyes and also noticed the cross she was wearing around her neck, it was identical to the one in the portrait.

Now it all came together, that had to be it, the cross was the key. If I could get it and slot it into the pen holder, I was sure its shadow would show where to go. But for now, I needed to win Emily's trust.

"You know, that Rio's a smart kid, he helped me outwit some slimy architect called Bronson." I commented.

"Rio is clever." Emily replied happily. "He can spit ever so far too."

Continuing on that subject I queried. "Why don't you ask your other aunt if you can play with Rio?"

"Aunt Mina's cuckoo. Aunt Frost says so." Emily giggled. "She said that when the Lord handed out common sense, Aunt Mina was off getting double portions of chin."

I pondered and then asked. "What can you tell me about Captain Ketch?"

"That's him on the wall, in the picture." She replied immediately.

"Yeah, scary looking guy, huh?" I commented.

She smiled proudly. "He was my great-great-great-great grandfather."

I bit my lip, now realising why the unsettling eyes seemed so familiar.

"Yeah...you have his eyes." I finally noticed.

Finally I decided to just ask.

"That cross you're wearing Emily."

"It's my lucky Jesus cross" She explained.

I continued. "It's just like the one that Captain Ketch wore."

"Yeah?"

"Can I borrow it?" I asked.

"No."

I grimaced, no luck, maybe I could convince her to part with it somehow.

Thinking for a moment I asked.

"What would you trade for that cross Emily?"

"A puppy." She replied at once.

"Well, I don't happen to have a puppy in my pocket right now." I sighed. "Can you think of anything else you'd like to trade?"

She shrugged. "Don't know."

So much for that but I let it go and bid her farewell for now and, excusing myself, I left the museum and got back outside into the sunshine. I thought for a moment, trying to figure out how to piece everything together and it was clear that everything hinged on me getting that cross. I needed to figure out how to get it, but as I thought more about it I realised there was someone how could help me, Rio. I made my way down to the jetty and approached Rio who looked up to me and smiled.

"Hey Rio, say...what do you give to a small irritating girl who asks about everything?" I asked.

He looked confused for a second but then smiled again and replied. "Try a conch, delicate colours, interesting shape and when you put it to your ear, you can hear the sea."

"How come?"

He laughed. "Usually because you're standing right next to it."

I laughed. "Cool, have you got one?"

"Yeah, but I promised it to my sister." Rio explained. "She's well vexed with me."

I asked carefully. "How come your sister is mad at you?"

"Well, last night, when I get home with our supper, she went wild. Rio, she said, how come all you ever catch is puffa fish, I sick of puffa fish. What I want is tiger fish, so don't come home till you catch one boy." He explained then sighed. "Don't see how I'm gonna catch no tiger fish, all I got is a fishing pole and a worm."

I bit my lip, wondering if this was my opening, maybe this could work in my favour.

Hoping against hope that this was the moment, I asked.

"What do you need to catch a tiger fish?"

"One of them real fancy flies like the rich fishermen use." Rio told me.

That's when I had an idea, I excused myself and made my way back up to the museum, but didn't go inside. I pulled out the quill feather. I knew just what I could use to help Rio make a fly and how to do it. I held out the feather to the cat who naturally lashed out with his claws and shredded it into a blizzard of small pieces, I gathered them up and made my way back to Rio.

"Hey, Rio, here." I said. "This is just what you need to make a fly."

He took the feathers and grinned. "Thanks, let's hope them tiger fish hungry. A deal's a deal, here's the conch."

He hands the conch over to me and I pocket it and thank him. I then made my way all the way back to the museum, Emily was still inside, standing by the desk and humming to herself. I approached her and asked.

"Why don't you go and play?"

"Aunt Frost told me, stay out of mischief." She replied.

I quirked an eyebrow. "That doesn't mean you have to stay indoors, does it? On a beautiful day like today?"

"There's a storm coming."

"Aw nuts, you can't possibly tell that." I shot back.

"Can to." She said quickly. "I can see the whole world from that window."

I shook my head but decided not to push it.

I instead decided to push for the cross.

"Here, I've got a conch, would you like it?" I asked, showing her.

She narrowed her eyes. "Dunno, Aunt Frost said not to take presents from strange men."

"I'm not a strange man." I protested.

"Then why are you called Jaws?" She fired back, scoffing. "Jaws, that's a stupid name."

"I'm not called-" I tried to explain but my patience had worn thin. "Look, conch, pretty, swap for cross, yes or no."

"Ummm."

I shook my head. "Right, this thing is going out the window."

"Okay." She said quickly. "We'll do swapsies."

With that she handed me the cross as I gave her the conch. Satisfied I made my way back around to the map and looked down, it was, as expected, a map of this island and all the surrounding islands to the north-east. The way the lantern was positioned would send the shadow of whatever was in the pen holder in that direction. I slid the cross in and it fit perfectly, casting a shadow of the cross over the map. After dealing with Emily's inane questioning about it I focused on the shadow, it fell exactly on a small unnamed island, shaped like a skull.

"That must be it, Ketch's treasure island."

"Uh-oh." Emily blurted out, catching my attention. "That's Zombie Island, it's a bad place."

"No kidding, well, bad place or not, that's my next port of call." I replied.

"Can I come too?"

"The hell you can." I blurted out in shock,

Emily sighed. "I never get to leave the house."

But she then cheered up again and leaned against the desk humming to herself as I left.

There was only one way I was going to get to that zombie island and so I made my way back down to the jetty to where Rio and his boat were. Rio looked up as I approached and I bit my lip.

Finally I just asked. "Um, could you take me to...Zombie Island?"

His response was not what I expected. "In this weather, you're mad man."

"The rain will keep the zombies indoors." I quipped before hesitating then asking. "Uh, just say I did meet a zombie, what would you do?"

Rio smiled again. "There ain't no zombies on Zombie Island, least, not anymore, it's uninhabited."

"Good." I replied, before realising exactly what he said. "What do you mean, not anymore?"

"You still want to go?"

"I guess." I replied.

"Well, I ain't had no luck with them tiger fish." Rio remarked before joking. "And with the mood my sister is in, I'd be safer with the zombies."

With that he pulled up his rod and threw it into the boat as we both clambered on board, he unfurled the sail and sat down and soon we were sailing away from the jetty. I looked back in time to see Frost and Mina walking over, waving us goodbye while Mina used a cutlass to poke Bronson in the back, making him walk until he fell over the edge of the jetty. Laughing at this I settled in for the boat ride to Zombie Island, now one step closer to the Eagle Stone.

XXXXX

With Rio parking his boat by the beach I leapt off into the water. It came up to my waist but I didn't mind and waded ashore, shaking the excess off my shoes and allowing the hot Caribbean sun to dry me off. I looked around the small beach, blocked off from the rest of the island by a sheer cliff. A rock outcrop was the only feature on the cliff face.

'So, this is Zombie Island...somehow I was expecting something more sinister.' I mused before turning back to Rio. "C'mon Rio, let's find that treasure."

"No thanks, I staying right here." He replied, voice shaking.

I shook my head. "Oh come on, you said yourself there was no zombies left."

"Yeah." Rio agreed. "But that was when there was a big pile of sea water between me and this place. All me have now is this little bit between the boat and the shore and I'm hanging onto it."

I shook my head, not wanting to push the issue and instead began looking for ways to up the cliff. It was clear I needed to go deeper into the island after all.

The problem was the cliff was too steep to climb without handholds and I couldn't find any at my level. Looking up at the outcrop I could see there were handholds higher up, but I'd need to get onto the outcrop to reach them. Something that I couldn't do due to how high it was. I pondered for a moment, trying to figure out how to get up there, my gaze falling on Rio's boat, full of fishing nets and tackle.

Then it was like a lightbulb went off in my head. "Hey Rio, can I borrow your net?"

"Yeah man, no problem." He agreed as he picked it up and tossed it to me. "You planning on catching some fish?"

Catching it I smirked. "Nope, I'm after a big rock."

Rio looked confused so I demonstrated, I threw the net up and it caught the outcropping perfectly, with part of it hanging down low enough for me to grab and use as a makeshift rope.

"Well, here I go." I said at last. "Wish me luck Rio."

"Good luck George, watch out for the walking dead." He replied.

Smiling a little at that I used the net and clambered up. Pulling it up and pocketing it once I was up I began to climb the cliff, now I was getting somewhere.


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