"That was a real wild adventure in Spain with those blue oranges now that I think about it" Tintin commented to Haddock.
"It was an adventure to remember, good ole Snowy, he saved the day more than once" Haddock commented rubbing his back while Snowy licked his other hand.
"I haven't heard Calculus mention much more about those blue oranges" Tintin mentioned.
"That reminds me we'll have to ask him about that sometime" Haddock wondered himself.
"I have to admit, you really surprised me on the dance floor" Tintin smiled.
"You were quite magnificent yourself landlubber" Haddock returned the compliment.
"I wonder if it's always that boisterous on such nights" Tintin asked.
"Last few times I went it wasn't. It was just the bar, a few tables, and of course the red light" Haddock answered.
"Oh speaking of that… time to discuss that part of the night" Tintin said as his hands quickly began making key strokes.
XXXXXXXXX
After the dance was over we got quite a few stares and compliments. Both the Detectives were simply speechless after seeing both the Captain and I dance. They sat down to join us at our table and both just started clapping without saying a word. I did recognize a couple other faces such as Jolyon Wagg who stopped for a moment to say hello and then out of the corner of my eye I could have sworn I saw Allan and Tom disappear into the room with the red lights. One more face that really surprised me was Piotr Skut. I was simply shocked.
"Good job dancing Tintin, Captain Haddock…" Wagg complimented as he sat down with some other man who was just a bit thinner and younger.
"Thank you Mr. Wagg" Tintin smiled without asking questions.
"What do you want Jolyon?" Haddock asked waiting for him to pop some insurance question.
"Well I said to myself as my friend and I were enjoying a dance that I'd better ask you not say anything to my wife" Jolyon came out with it.
Haddock smiled brightly at Tintin for a second then changed his demeanor a bit.
"Blisterin' Barnacles Mr. Wagg, I thought you were a man of upstanding value!" Haddock looked a bit disappointed at Jolyon.
"Whatever do you mean Captain Haddock?" Jolyon looked a bit perplexed.
"Thunderin' Typhoons, you're two timing your wife with…with this man?!" Haddock pretended to be shocked throwing his hand out towards Jolyon's friend.
"Well what are you and Mr. Tintin doing here?" Jolyon's friend suddenly spoke up.
"We're partners" Haddock showed Jolyon his ring and Tintin followed suit drawing a look of surprise from Jolyon.
Thompson and Thomson both sat quietly watching the drama unfold trying to comprehend what the Captain was up to.
"What do you want?" Jolyon finally asked.
"Nothing, that's it, if I want an insurance policy I'll call you. I get sick to death of all of those Saturday morning calls you randomly make on the weekend waking me up for your silly sales pitches!" Haddock chastised him.
"I don't understand Captain?" Jolyon looked truly confused.
"Stop calling me!" Haddock finally put it simply.
"That's all you want? You don't want a free insurance policy?" Jolyon asked surprised.
Haddock thought for a moment than dismissed the thought, "Na, just stop calling me so early in the morning; and me, Tintin, and the Detectives never saw you here" Haddock finished.
"Good, it's a deal" Jolyon Wagg shook Haddock's hand and then he and his friend disappeared.
Tintin started laughing uncontrollably it seemed, "That was dirty of you Captain, but well played"
The Detectives seem to be bit surprised by the Captain's deceptive attitude.
"I believe you've done that to us a few times" Thompson pointed out.
"Yea, you've been kind of tricky to us like that too you know" Thomson agreed.
"What in Blue blazes are you two talking about?! I've never been tricky with you two, mainly because it wouldn't work, and second I just tell you exactly what I think!" Haddock put plainly.
Tintin again found the Captain's somewhat offensive statements toward the Detectives a bit much but at the same time funny because most of the time the Detectives seem to miss the insulting part thankfully.
It was only a couple moments that another familiar face showed up.
"General Alacazar!" Tintin exclaimed.
"Tintin! Captain Haddock!" The General was just as surprised.
"Fancy seeing you here General" Tintin said in disbelief.
"Tu tambien Niño y Senor Haddock, you two know how to Tango! I'm impressed!" Alcazar wasn't too interested in the obvious questions.
"Oh you saw it?" Tintin asked with more surprise.
"I saw you at first then watched how you two really stole the show amigo!" Alcazar sounded more interested in the fact they even knew Tango at all.
"Do you know how to Tango too?" Haddock asked finally able to respond surprised to see the General his self.
"Of course I do Senor, it's in my blood amigo!" Alcazar said proudly.
"I must go now amigos, maybe next time I show you more Tango eh? Hasta luego amigos!" Alcazar said disappearing into the crowd.
"What an odd man" Haddock regarded him.
Suddenly a young man with a tray brought three more shots of whiskey to the table.
"I didn't order this, I think you got the wrong table" Haddock explained.
"No sir, the bartender pointed you out to me and wanted me to give you a message" he said setting the shots on the table.
"..And!?" Haddock asked anxiously.
"The bartender wanted me to tell you if you're not busy to come see him later" the man nodded and turned away.
Tintin was starting to really become annoyed with that bartender as his face was becoming flushed for a different reason.
"Here's to you Captain!" Thompson said making a toast.
"To our health!" Thomson continued.
"To all of us!" Haddock finished the last toast as the three of them drank their shots of whiskey.
"Well Tintin, I think it's time we go visit the red light room" Haddock declared. Tintin was still fuming over the bartender's audacity.
"Tintin! Come on love, let's go" Haddock said taking Tintin by the arm as Thompson and Thomson took each other by the arm and followed as they finally walked down the long hallway lit by eerie red lights. The corridor was at least twenty meters long of nothing but red lights on each side as a man stood by a doorway obstructed with a long heavy black velvet drape obscuring the view beyond. Mr. Silk stood by the corner watching them and kept his distance and followed.
"Good evening gentleman" the gaunt man replied evenly.
"Evening to you too sir" Haddock nodded as the man pulled back the drapes allowing them to pass into the red room which was more dark with even less light. Tintin really wondered what he would see, even if to him it was a bit foreboding.
"Tintin hold on to my arm" Haddock whispered. Tintin did as he was told as the Detectives followed them in.
It was dark inside and the lights were much dimmer. He could see men walking around stealing glances at them and each other as they walked into a maze like of a chamber. Tintin was startled by a sudden door slamming.
"What was that?" Tintin whispered.
"Just the private rooms, those doors are flimsy" Haddock whispered back.
They continued further into what seemed a long network of twist and turns.
"Thompson, Thomson, what do you think?" Tintin asked turning around only to realize they had lost the Detectives in the series of twists and turns in the dark red room.
"Don't let go of my arm Tintin" Haddock whispered. Tintin could feel Haddock hold on tighter to Tintin.
Tintin could see in the glare of a dim red light in the far corner of the opened room, that random men were kissing and fondling each other and others knelt down doing more explicit things. Tintin cringed at such acts being done even in a dark place like this. Tintin felt someone grab one of his butt cheeks and squeeze it.
"Captain!" Tintin whispered.
"What?" Haddock asked confused.
They continued to walk around the corner until Tintin saw a man had a smaller man against the wall with his pants down while the other you could see he too didn't have any pants on as low grunting could be heard. Again, Tintin this time felt two hands forcefully massage both of his buttocks.
"Captain! What are you doing?" Tintin looked at Haddock blushing which was masked by the feint red light in the room.
"I didn't do anything landlubber, what happened?" Haddock started looking around unable to see anyone in the vicinity near them.
"Someone keeps grabbing my butt" Tintin complained.
"They did!" Haddock's temper was starting to rise again.
Another moan and groan and phrases in Spanish could be heard, and Tintin recognized the voice.
"Alcazar!" Tintin thought but decided to keep his thought to his self for the time being.
"Come on lad, let's move on" Haddock said moving Tintin along keeping his peripheral vision watching the shadows lurking behind.
Suddenly again Tintin felt his butt being touched again and before Tintin could turn around Haddock spun around and punched the fondler in the face knocking him back.
"My word!" a distorted old man's voice said as someone scrambled up from the floor and began running in the opposite direction. Tintin and Haddock could hear more moaning and groaning as well as more doors being opened and shut; and, to Tintin's dismay, he saw younger men possibly as young as seventeen being given money. Tintin felt like he was going to be sick.
"Captain, I really think we should leave this place" Tintin whispered.
"I think yer right landlubber, I'm going to murder someone if we don't get out of here" Haddock whispered back a bit sternly.
It took them a few minutes to find their way out, but eventually they did and both Thompson and Thomson were waiting out there with yet another familiar face. Piotr Skut.
"Piotr! Wow!" Tintin suddenly was shocked yet again.
"Tintin, Captain Haddock, what a place to meet huh?" he looked a bit embarrassed.
"Well, at least we know we're thinking in the same place" Haddock nodded.
"What's it like in there?" Piotr asked a bit curious.
"Go have a look if you like, but it's not for me or Tintin" Haddock concluded.
"You said it Captain" Tintin nodded in disapproval.
A very handsome young blond haired man, a couple of years younger than Tintin, walked up next to Piotr as he put his arm around him.
"Is this your friend?" Haddock asked.
"We just met a couple weeks ago, and someone told us we should come here" Piotr explained.
"What did you see back there?" Piotr asked.
"Well…" Tintin gave an awkward expression.
"Does your friend speak French or English?" Haddock asked noticing how quiet the young man was.
"No, his name is Ira and he is like me from Estonia and only speaks the native tongue, he is a friend of a close friend who thought we should meet" Piotr explained as the young man just smiled shyly.
"Well I don't suggest you take him in there then" Haddock replied then whispered into Piotr's ear as even his one eye seemed to get bigger as Tintin watched.
"Thank you Captain, I think my friend and I will get a bottle of champagne and return back to our hotel" Piotr replied. "By the way, your Tango was very interesting!" Piotr finished as he and Ira walked away.
"Thanks!" Tintin waved good-bye as Piotr and his friend left.
"Well Tintin, Thompson and I are going home" Thomson concluded.
"A bottle of champagne and a fireplace is all we need" Thompson agreed.
"That actually sounds nice" Tintin smiled leaning back against the captain until a screeching voice interrupted them.
"Hello Mr. Captain Haddock, someone told me your name and said you wanted to talk to me" the barender raised his eyebrows agressively.
"Who told you that?!" Haddock shook his head.
"Some old man with a white mustache and glasses… please don't tell me you're with this twit" the tall effeminate bartender rolled his eyes.
"Blisterin' Barnacles! This 'twit' is my partner! That was that Silky man! Next time I see him he's chopped liver!" Haddock thundered.
"Captain let me handle this" Tintin said calmly.
"Get lost sissy" the bartender hissed.
"Sissy?!" Tintin laughed. "You must be joking, have you looked at yourself in the mirror?" Tintin couldn't believe such hypocrisy. The bartender instantly slapped Tintin on the face really hard.
A few people started to observe what happened. Tintin had a huge red hand print on his face.
"Don't you know when to give up you ignorant brat? Class over trash!" the bartender spat.
"If you touch me one more time, I'm going to put you down" Tintin said evenly as his rage began return.
The bartender punched Tintin in the jaw knocking him back slightly. Haddock was about to step in but Thompson and Thomson had faith in Tintin and nodded keeping Haddock back. "Let Tintin take care of this" Thompson whispered.
The bartender came at Tintin with another punch but Tintin easily blocked it and shoved the bartender back and with a swift left hook busted the bartender's nose knocking him out cold.
Tintin rubbed his jaw which was a little sore but he looked down at the bartender and nodded.
"Pathetic…I don't think anything more needs to be said, let's go home Captain" Tintin shook his head.
Security men dressed in suits and dress shirts approached.
"Don't worry, we're leaving" Haddock announced. "I'm sorry Tintin, maybe coming here was a mistake" Haddock apologized.
"No Captain, if anything it opened my eyes bit more" Tintin replied.
The four of them left the club and caught a taxi.
"Would the two of you like to spend the night at Marlinspike with us?" Tintin offered.
"We have champagne" Haddock smiled.
"That does sound good" Thompson considered.
"…and a nice fireplace!" Thomson added.
"We accept" they both responded in unison.
"Good, driver, take us past Moulinsart to the old Marlinspike Hall" Haddock requested.
The rest of the night the Captain, Detectives, and I enjoyed a bottle of champagne. Yes, even I had a little bit, but just a little. I think we had more fun spending time back home drinking some champagne and playing go fish than all of that ugliness which happened at the club with the exception of the dance. Maybe if we decide to return we will only focus on that aspect of the club. The Captain and I of course after we helped the Detectives to the guest room, we shared our passions in wee morning, but that's all I will say about as what we do behind closed doors stays there. I feel romantic relations should be kept private as it is an intimate thing you share with another person special to you.
XXXXXXXXXXX
"Well said landlubber, if someone is ever rude to you like that again you let me know about" Haddock demanded.
"Someone like him wasn't even worth making a fuss over" Tintin shrugged.
I'm hungry now" Haddock said rubbing his belly as Snowy barked in agreement.
"Sounds like my Captain, fine then…" Tintin said putting his typed pages in a manila envelope hiding it in his desk.
"What shall we eat?" Tintin asked.
"I don't know… I was thinking of a German restaurant on the other side of town for? How does Bratwurst sound?" Haddock looked quizzically at Tintin.
"That sounds delicious" Tintin nodded enthusiastically.
"As long as I can have one too!" Snowy barked.
"Fine then, let's go landlubber" Haddock said getting up taking Tintin by the hand, not before grabbing him in his chair and giving him one nice long passionate kiss.
"There's plenty more where that came from" Haddock whispered.
"I sure hope so" Tintin winked as they got up and slowly came out of his room.
"No need to fix lunch for us today Nester" Haddock announced when they got to the bottom of the staircase.
"Ok sir, what about dinner?" Nestor asked.
"We'll be back in time for dinner" Tintin smiled.
Haddock, Tintin, and Snowy drove into Brussels and spent a wonderful afternoon together. There couldn't have been a couple of people any happier.