Rating: T
Pirate's in Schooner Bay
Part 1
June 1975
It was a warm sunny Saturday when Jonathan got home from a baseball game
with some exciting news in hand. When he got to the house he was greeted
in the hallway by Martha, who immediately noticed Jonathan's furious
facial expression.
"What has happened, Jonathan?" she wanted to know.
"I'll tell you what has happened, Martha." the boy answered. "Although I
think the rest of the family should hear it, too."
"Very well," came Martha's response. "Your mother and Candy are in the
living room. But I don't know where the Captain is. I haven't heard nor
seen him for a week, Jonathan. Wonder where he could be?"
"Now that you speak of him, I haven't seen or heard him either for few
days. Maybe he has another meeting with the spectral fraternity without
telling me or someone else has kidnapped him?" Jonathan was a little bit
worried.
"Oh, come on, Jonathan, why should someone kidnap a ghost like the
Captain? I'm sure he is alright. I think he will pop in when you begin
telling your news, whatever that may be!" Martha tried to calm the boy
down. "Why do you think something happened to him?"
"I have a very bad feeling, that's all. Ever since I heard what Claymore
has done." The lad spoke darkly and mysteriously.
Suddenly, Martha got goose bumps as Jonathan mentioned Claymore's name.
Now she was thinking. 'What has this man started to make Jonathan
suddenly so worried about Captain Gregg? If he has done something bad,
I'll slam him in the face myself!'
Martha and the boy entered the living room to find Mrs. Muir and Candy
working on something together. Carolyn looked up when she heard the
footsteps of two people coming into the room and immediately noticing
that something was wrong.
"What's the matter?" she asked. "I can tell by the look on both your
faces that something is bothering you two. What is it? Tell me."
"It's Jonathan who has some news to tell us about Claymore." Martha
answered before Jonathan could do it.
"Jonathan brought news about Claymore home? What news? I hope it's
that Mr. Gregg has left town for ever and we have Gull Cottage to
ourselves." Candy was a little leery, too, when she looked up from her
work. "But the look on your face, little brother, tells me that that
isn't the case. I hope you aren't going to tell us you've heard that we
have lost our wonderful Captain Gregg through his nephew's fault for
ever! Please, not that news." Candy was close to tears now.
"Candy, I doubt that's the news your brother wants to tells us. I
hope!" Now Carolyn had a single tear in her eyes too. She, too, didn't
want to think that she had maybe lost her beloved Daniel for ever. Like
the rest of the family, she hadn't seen him for a couple of days.
Now it was Jonathan telling the news he had gotten. "No, Mom, that's not
the news I wanted to tell all of you. But maybe it has something to do
with the fact that none of us has heard or seen the Captain for a couple
of days. I'll start from the beginning. First, after the baseball game,
I heard some adults talking about Claymore Gregg."
"Claymore!" Carolyn and Candy cried at the same time. "Mom, we should
have known that Mr. Gregg has something to do with the Captain's
disappearance." Candy continued.
"Please, can I continue with the story I've heard?" the boy said very
nervously because he wanted to finally tell his news.
"Of course, little brother." Candy said, when she noticed her brother's
agitation. "Please, tell us what you heard."
"Ok, now to my news. First, I heard that Mr. Gregg got a very
interesting phone call two weeks ago. There was a man on the phone who
asked Claymore if he had an empty house in Schooner Bay for him so he
could rent it. And Claymore said: 'Maybe YES'. After Claymore had said
that, the man gave him the price he intended to pay as rent so Claymore
couldn't resist that offer."
"And what did the man say he wanted to pay?" Carolyn asked curiously.
"You all won't believe what the man said for an amount. He intended to
pay Mr. Gregg $20,000 for the rent."
"$20,000 for rent!" all three cried unbelieving at the same time. And
Candy continued. "I think I know what Mr. Gregg answered. But say it,
Jonathan."
Jonathan continued. "In his avarice, he couldn't resist this horrendous
financial offer, so he agreed and didn't asked any further questions.
And then he asked the stranger to come as soon as possible to Schooner
Bay and sign the lease. And, of course, he should bring the money with
him."
Before Jonathan could continue, he was interrupted by Martha. "Typical
Claymore, he never can resist such big offers." Now Martha was
completely in stride. "Sorry, I didn't want to interrupt you, Jonathan,
but I couldn't help myself. Who told all this about Claymore? Do you
know that, Jonathan? There had to be someone in Claymore's office who
heard the whole conversation on the phone. And now that we speak of that
stranger, you didn't mention the man's name, Jonathan. I'm sure he told
Claymore his name so that pennypincher could write the full name into
the lease."
"Yes, Martha, I do know who said all these things about Mr. Gregg. It
was Mr. Peevey who mentioned the phone call to the adults who were still
there after the game. And then the people asked Mr. Peevey if he knew
the stranger's name who wanted to invade our town. Mr. Peevey said:
'YES', and then told them the name. After Mr. Peevey had said the name,
the discussion was well under way. No one liked that Claymore had
invited a mysterious stranger to stay here in our town. All had a very
bad feeling about that stranger. That discussion gave me such a fright
that I came home as fast as I could."
"ED!" Martha burst out and she understood why Jonathan was so
frightened. "Why didn't he tell me anything about Claymore's mysterious
phone call the last time I had a chat with him? Now wait!" Ms Grant was
in full rage now. "Don't be too tight on the torture, please tell us who
that man is."
"Okay, if you let me finish my story, I'll tell who invaded our sleepy
town."
"Say it!" Martha was very curious now and still angry with Ed Peevey.
"It's a scientist, his name is Melvyn Rocheford and he moved three days
ago into the empty cottage near Mr. Hampton's. Since his moving here, he
has never shown himself to anyone in the town except Claymore. I have a
very bad feeling about that scientist." Jonathan was very nervous again.
After Jonathan mentioned the stranger's name, Carolyn was close to an
outburst of rage, but she stopped herself. "Jonathan, are you sure
that's the stranger's name you heard?" his mother wanted to know.
"Yes, that's the man's name." came the boy's prompt answer.
And Martha continued. "Mrs. Muir, that worried look on your face tells
me that you know that man. Right?
"Oh yes, Martha, I do. About five weeks ago, I read some strange things
about him in some scientist magazine. Can't remember the name of the
magazine any more, but I know I read the article when I was at the
hairdresser's. To my regret, I can't remember the whole article exactly
but it wasn't good things I read about him. The only line I remember was
something about a time machine."
"Time machine!" Jonathan, Candy and Martha cried with fright.
"Mommy!" Candy yelled, very scared now because she was remembering the
movie 'THE TIME MACHINE' which had been on TV a short time ago. Now she
saw again these horrible creatures which called themselves 'MORLOCKS'
before her eyes.
At the same time in the other cottage, Melvyn, the scientist, had built
up the last of the equipment for his time machine. Now he began to
adjust the machine to a particular date to offer a certain pirate and
his men the possibility of coming to the 20th century and pouncing upon
Schooner Bay and in that case making an revenge on a certain sea captain.
Melvyn was grinning devilishly at that thought. His ancestor, Fat
Philippe the Pirate, would finally have the opportunity to practice his
revenge on Captain Daniel Gregg. And it gave Melvyn obvious pleasure
that he had succeeded in luring the spirit of Captain Gregg away from
Gull Cottage with a very brilliant plan. That stupid Claymore Gregg fit
in with his plan perfectly. Somehow, the scientist had find out about
Claymore's avarice and about the fact that the spirit of Captain Gregg
still haunted his former home in Schooner Bay. So everything was running
according to his plan.
In the early morning of the following day, he planned to start his
experiment and he was very sure this time experiment would turn out
well. And his malicious laughter resounded through the whole house.
The children didn't get much sleep that following night, especially
Candy who again and again saw the horrible 'MORLOCKS' in front of her
eyes with the Captain very helpless in their talons. Every time they
awoke, both children called for the Captain but he didn't come.
Carolyn and Martha fared the same. Carolyn missed Daniel desperately.
The thought of the stranger didn't let rest her any more. She feared
that this man certainly had something to do with Daniel's disappearance.
She began thinking aloud. "Why is this scientist here and what did he
want from Daniel? It's always Claymore's fault, why is he always
grasping after money? If I were a man, I would break him apart, bone by
bone." Now she sounded like her beloved Daniel. "Oh, Daniel, where are
you? Please come back to us, to me." she called into the empty space but
didn't get any answer. She couldn't even cry because she was so furious
with Claymore. At this time, Carolyn did not yet suspect how right she
was with her assumption and that she herself was in the greatest danger.
Towards three o'clock on Sunday morning, she fell into a restless sleep.
Suddenly, by a terrible deafening noise, at eight o'clock on Sunday
morning, Martha, Mrs Muir and the children were very roughly pulled out
of their restless night's sleep. The other inhabitants of Schooner Bay
also were torn very roughly out of their quiet sleep by this dreadful noise.