Sorry for the delay!!!! I have an enormous amount of work to do for college at the time being…But don't worry, I am not forgetting you! I hope you'll enjoy this third chapter. The next one will be the last for this story! I'm looking forward to reading your comment and criticism, if you have some time to spare.
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Never before had Mr. Harcourt wanted so badly to just disappear. And according to the panic-stricken faces his colleagues displayed, they did not think otherwise. First Atlantis, now Milo James Thatch, what next? Judgment's Day??? Too much was just too much. Fenton Q. Harcourt allowed himself to observe carefully the grandson of Thaddeus Thatch. Something did not seem right: it was neither the blue toga he was wearing nor the different tattoos he had been marked with. It was neither his obviously calm countenance –though it was quite a change indeed, if compared to the nerd he knew- nor the crystal glowing around his neck. It was the fact that Milo looked precisely like –safe the muscles he had apparently built up- what he had looked like when Fenton had seen him for the last time, years ago. It seemed like Time itself held no sway over him at all.
Oh, don't be ridiculous, Fenton! This is impossible! And yet…
The members of the Board scarcely noticed the chuckles that floated in the air. Milo was quite proud of the trick he just played on his former employers. But he knew the best had still not happened. The King of Atlantis tightened his grip over the Shepherd's Journal. He took a deep breath as if in hopes to gather enough courage and patience to deal with the revenge he had never hoped for and began to walk with great determination towards Mr. Harcourt. No words were spoken when they faced each other. Slowly, Milo extended his right hand and let a smile spread across his face.
"Hello, Mr. Harcourt. How are you doing?"
Fenton Q. Harcourt looked with incredulous bulging eyes to the tall young man who had addressed him. He stared disgustedly to the palm he was expected to grasp and shake and something like a little voice in his mind violently urged him not to do so. What on earth was Thatch thinking?!? That he, Fenton Q. Harcourt, the old and respectable Director of the prestigious Smithsonian Institute would consider an insignificant linguist - who was wearing a toga – as his equal, if not his superior?
No way, Thatch! Never!
"Now listen to me, Milo! Stop this ridiculous masquerade and I shall forgive you for having disappeared like you did and for having deserted the Smithsonian Institute, not to mention your job!"
The next thing Mr. Harcourt knew was that several spears were pointing at his throat. Kida herself would have threatened him if Milo had not previously ordered her to remain near the throne. Milo retrieved the hand he had extended, ordered the guards to lower their spears and merely smiled.
"I beg your pardon? It seems you have not realised whom you are talking to, Mr. Harcourt. You think I should apologize to you?"
"For God's sake, Milo, you are dead!"
The words, though idiotic beyond measure, had escaped his mouth before he could stop them.
"Am I?" Milo laughed softly and looked at his wife. "Did you hear that, Kida? I am dead!"
"Looking good." She answered, giggling, and pushed several bangs of her silvery hair out of her beautiful face. The King of Atlantis returned his attention to the members of the Board.
"Well then, forgive me for being alive, I can see you are disappointed but, hey, you cannot have whatever you want, can you? It's a shame, really. Of course, I could have told you that there was a book called the Shepherd's Journal- Milo lifted the journal in front of his chest to emphasize his point- which led directly to the Lost Empire of Atlantis and that that book was in Iceland but somehow I think you would not have believed me."
"But of course I would have believed you, Milo, no, we would have believed you if only you had given us a mere piece of evidence that the path leading to Atlantis could be found!"
The members of the Board all nodded in agreement while Milo's face hardened. Kida, who had stood up, saw him turn his back on Mr. Harcourt and gaze somewhere out in the distance. She could have sworn Milo was shaking with anger and disbelief. The King's voice, when he spoke again, was incredibly soft, as it was normally, but Kida perceived a note of deep sarcasm in his tone that she had never heard before.
"A piece of evidence, Mr. Harcourt? A piece of evidence? I had plenty! Unfortunately, if I am not mistaken, the Smithsonian Institute does not fund expeditions dealing with legends, folklore or fairy-tales like Atlantis, does it?"
Fenton Q. Harcourt froze instantly. Those were the exact words he had used when he and his colleagues had turned the linguist and cartographer down.
"And', Milo added, "Fortunately there are some people who are ready to believe that legends are always based on facts. I am sure you have noticed Mr. Whitmore's presence here. Maybe you would like to hear what he has to say about Atlantis?"
"Well, if I had the time –
"You have plenty of time, Mr Harcourt. Mr. Whitmore, will you please let his Radiance know why you agreed to fund the expedition?"
The old millionaire smiled. He knew perfectly well why the King of Atlantis requested that. Now was the moment to clear Thaddeus's name once and for all, and he felt an infinite gratitude towards Milo for allowing him to do so.
"As a matter of fact, I funded this expedition in order to keep my word. Thaddeus Thatch was the greatest man and friend I ever get the chance to know. He was a real explorer, one of those who are capable to follow their dreams and to make other people believe in them if only they tried. Thaddeus even helped you, Mr. Harcourt, in furnishing the Smithsonian Institute unique masterpieces of art he had found during his numerous expeditions. As long as his reputation served your purposes, you were glad to have him by your side. Of course, his wildest hope was to find the Lost Empire of Atlantis. He never doubted its existence. Never. And, I must say he succeeded in making me believe it too. But you, Fenton, you and all the buffoons you have come here with, you were cruel to him and scoffed at him whenever he dared to try to prove you Atlantis's existence. He fell into a deep depression, you are aware of that I reckon, which led him directly to his grave. And if it wasn't enough, in spite of all the qualities he proved to have inherited from Thaddeus, you turned Milo Thatch down as well. By that time I already had the Shepherd's Journal in my possession and the expedition to find Atlantis was ready to start. You see, Thaddeus found the Journal in Iceland. I had funded that expedition too. So, when you refused purely and simply to listen to Thaddeus's grandson, I knew the time had come for him to follow in his grandfather's footsteps. Milo agreed without hesitation. Though many people died on their way to Atlantis, Milo eventually succeeded to find it. But the boy refused to come back on the surface, and he made me promise to guard the precious secret of Atlantis until the times were right. I always keep my promises. And thus I made all arrangements to make the world firmly believe Atlantis was indeed nothing but a myth. I did not mind, for I had honoured my friend's memory."
For the second time since they had arrived in Atlantis, the members of the Board felt like they had been screwed. Silence fell, heavy and uncomfortable. Milo took advantage of it.
"I suggest you apologize, Mr. Harcourt, and all of you, gentlemen. Now."
"Listen, Milo, I don't apologize to the dead! I do not care if your damned grandfather was right or wrong, he was not capable to prove anything about Atlantis! And I won't apologize to you either! If you believe we have come here to bow before you, you who used to watch over a boiler, you are completely and utterly wrong!"
This was the last straw for Kida. Mr. Harcourt let out a terrified shriek when he saw her spear cleave through the air and pierce his bowler hat with a deadly precision. She joined Milo's side quickly, and had her eyes been guns, Fenton knew he would be dead by now.
"One more word like that", she warned, snarling, "And you shall know how Atlanteans warriors are trained to kill people as arrogant as you!"
"Your highness," Fenton growled, though still shaken by her behaviour, "I am afraid you have no concern in this matter."
"Perhaps not in this particular matter, but I have every right to make sure you will respect Milo as he deserves it!"
"And may I ask why?"
"You may not! But I will answer you nonetheless! Because-
But Kida never get to finish her sentence since Milo had, without warning, gathered her into his arms and was kissing her passionately. Her eyes widened in surprise, but she soon closed them, wrapped her arms around his shoulders and returned the kiss, not caring one bit about the countless witnesses who were staring at them. The kiss was unusual: though she could undoubtedly and thoroughly feel his love for her in it, it tasted sour and sweet. She sensed Milo needed to be reassured about something, thus tried her best to provide him with the love he was seeking. When he pulled back, she heard him murmur the three words she worshipped almost as much as the Mother Crystal, and she repeated them softly, all of her wrath having vanished during the kiss. Milo kept his forehead close to hers for some time, hanging on to the moment, then turned again towards the members of the Board. For the third time, they were left speechless. The scholar smirked. Now was the moment to give the coup de grace.
"You will apologize, Mr. Harcourt, whether you like it or not. And you are in no position to speak to my wife like that."
"I do not take orders from you, Milo Thatch!"
Kida saw quite a change occur in Milo. His entire body had become tense; his fists were clenched as were his teeth, his breathing grew hoarser and hoarser, and his eyes, his gentle, soft brown eyes she gazed into so often were bulging with vivid anger, the darkest look seeping upon his normally innocent face. All his being radiated pure fury. Suddenly Kida saw a Milo she was not familiar with, distinguished the volcano that was sleeping beneath his always-gentle temper and which was ready to erupt without mercy. The Milo who had defeated Rourke.
"You may not obey to Milo Thatch, Mr. Harcourt", the scholar muttered under his breath, "but", he added, pausing for dramatic effect while he passed by the whole group and climbed up the three steps that led to the throne, "YOU WILL OBEY TO THE KING OF ATLANTIS!!!"
The crowd gasped, and Kida was no exception. Never, never before had Milo used his rank to make himself respected. Never had he shouted like that to anyone. The Queen of Atlantis stared at her husband incredulously. He was handsome when he was angry. The way he was standing in front of the throne, tall, proud, furious and filled with dignity conferred him a magnificent radiance she had sometimes observed in her own father. And Kida, for the first time in her many-centuries-long life, really acknowledged that the burden of royalty wasn't only hers to bear any longer. She bowed reverently to her King, the gathering imitating her immediately.
The members of the Board had not moved an inch, and Mr. Fenton Q. Harcourt was left speechless. There was no way round this situation. How could it be possible? How could Milo Thatch, the nervous linguist and boiler attendant, the nerd, have transformed into this strong, determined man, and into a powerful king, above all?!?
"Here is the deal, Mr. Harcourt: you and your friends over there will apologize to my people, my wife, my grandfather, not to mention my Royal Advisor Magoreshehb, and I shall let you go in peace. No, don't interrupt me, I am not finished! Once you are back to Washington D.C., you will present a public apology to my grandfather's name. Now that Atlantis has risen from the depths of the ocean, the Smithsonian Institute will need a new section dedicated to it, will it not? Name it after my grandfather's and I will both provide you with the information you need - for you do not want to flush your career down the toilet, do you? - and forgive you for all the trouble you have caused."
"No way!"
"Very well. We shall try again tomorrow. For the time being, you are grounded in Atlantis."
Milo sighed and motioned for the royal guards to circle the members of the Board.
"Arrest them, but do not harm them. Bring them back to their ship, and make sure they cannot leave without my agreement."
"Yes, your highness!" the guards answered with one voice.
"Oh, and, Mr. Harcourt?" Milo, added with a hint a palpable irony in his voice.
"What now?"
The King of Atlantis tossed him a silvery coin. The very same coin Fenton Harcourt had himself tossed him after having turned him down.
"Take a trolley to the Potomac and jump in. Maybe the cold water will clear your head."