Setting after "Prisoners of the Sun"
"It's very simple" said Haddock.
"I'm not sure, Captain."
"Well, you who know. But don't be afraid to accept it, you're already used to the mansion!" said the older man before saying goodbye and leaving. The two friends were in a cafe in the city, Tintin still remained in that white metal chair with his mineral water to drink, the boy was thinking.
When the Captain bought Marlinspike Hall thanks to money borrowed from the professor, Haddock invited them both to move in with him, the scientist didn't make much of a fuss, while Tintin, despite having helped with the move and the paperwork, didn't want to leave his apartment. , but I was always very happy to visit and spend a few days there, I even had my own room. But now Haddock repeated the same invitation. Should he accept?
You see, Tintin was able to manage very well on his own and had lived alone for a long time, so he was in doubt whether he would lose some of his autonomy: Going out into the world, investigating clues without explaining to someone at home. Another neighboring thought in his mind was that he didn't want to worry the Captain: Going out into the world, investigating clues and returning only three days later, with dirty clothes and wrists with rope scratches, could worry him, even though the sailor and him had already gone on some adventures together (Behind that star, the whole unicorn and treasure thing and most recently the trip to Peru), when the other person is far away, it's different.
"Come on, Snowy", the young man drank the water, got up and walked to his apartment with a small bag in his hand.
When he unlocked his door and entered, he glanced at his red armchairs and the book he had forgotten there the night before. The boy put the bag aside, took off his coat, fed his faithful dog and picked up the book to put it in its place: In the office.
The office had several books, there was that book about the Arumbaias , "Journey to the Americas". Two editions of " Robinson Crusoe" by journalist and writer Daniel Defoe . Next door, "Treasure Island" by Robert Louis Stevenson, a magnificent illustrated copy that he found on the market. And of course, lots and lots of bound articles by French investigative journalist and writer Albert London, the man was fantastic! He had traveled to southeastern Europe, the USSR, Asia, French Guiana, Palestine, denounced the conditions in the French Congo, ok, Tintin learned a little from him.
Once out of his thoughts, the young man placed the ink ribbons he had bought for the typewriter in the drawer and placed the day's newspaper on the wooden table, next to the magnifying glass. I was still thinking.
A quarter of an hour later, in the hall, the captain was sitting in one armchair and the professor in another, they were reading the same newspaper of the day.
"Look, Calculus" said the captain "Investigative journalist is found dead on a train journey. It is suspected that he discovered a cartel and was about to report it."
The man stopped for a moment, put down the newspaper and took the pipe out of his mouth. "Tintin gets into a lot of situations like this, doesn't he!?"
His countenance had changed, smoke from his pipe escaping through his mouth as he breathed with slight difficulty. He shook his head, pushing away a thought and went back to reading, an advertisement for a play that would soon be on show.
"Captain!" shouted the Professor. "See the horror," he read: "Investigative journalist is found dead on a train journey. He is suspected of having discovered a cartel and was about to report it."
"I already read that!"
"I must admit that for a moment I feared it might be our young friend, Tintin."
The Captain remained quiet.
The next day, Tintin had many things to do: First would be his exercise routine, then a shower. Then feed your dog, spread the tablecloth and prepare coffee and only then, go out and possibly bump into something suspicious that would take you on an international adventure, as usual. But today that didn't happen.
As soon as he finished his coffee and placed his yellow cup in the sink, the boy locked the door and went to the library. He had to return a book about the Inca Empire, beautiful binding , pages 7 and 8 slightly wrinkled. Nothing in the path was worthy of suspicion and possible investigation, at least he didn't notice it. When he was a little thoughtful, he had the involuntary act of knocking on things, poles, doors, this time it was a telephone booth.
Meanwhile, in rural Brussels, the professor was studying something about sound, about sound waves. Haddock don't understand the subject, but he would be pleased if it helped his colleague's deafness! Walking around the property, with the birds chirping and the fresh morning air, the sailor was happy for the tranquility, in part this was due to Tintin, he who had taken him from his - although Haddock hated to admit it - damn freighter and restored him to respectability.
The man did not intend to invite him again, but he would be very happy if he could repay the boy and having him around was always pleasant. Tintin was too calm and sober for a young man, and Haddock was too energetic for an old man, it was a good balance.
"Captain," said the butler, when Haddock arrived home. Nestor was in his usual uniform, but he was wearing gloves, which indicated that he was arranging the flower pots, he was pointing inside "You have a phone call."
The boss went up the stairs, hoping he wasn't from the Society of Sober Sailors, let's just say his exit wasn't very good. He didn't want it to be a mistake with the butcher either!
"Hello who is?"
"Hello, Captain. It's Tintin, how are you?"
"Ah, I'm doing well, my boy! I thought I was..."
"I have decided to accept, Captain."
"What?"
"The invitation to live in the Hall"
The sailor was surprised, changed his phone and adjusted his plaid vest.
"If the proposal is still available"
"But of course it is!" he said in a worried tone and wanted to make it clear.
"What made you change your mind?"
Tintin didn't want to admit it, or perhaps it wasn't natural for him to think of saying such a thing, but he liked the idea of having a friend, or two, around. So he just said:
"Well, I really enjoy your company and the professor's company, naturally. And Snowy will be happy to have almost a park to walk around in" he joked. "Listen, I don't have much to take, I promise I won't cause any trouble. Returning the apartment won't be difficult."
"Listen, lad: Why don't we talk in person? There's a play coming out, I think you'd like it."
"Sounds like a good idea. I'm not in any case anyway"
The two friends would go out together more often, whether on walks, going to the theater or cinema. Tintin always paid for his own things, in case you heard anything! But what harm could there be in two (three actually) single men living together? No one had a problem with this, just as no one had a problem seeing a young man handling all kinds of vehicles and hunting bad guys around the world, sometimes it didn't even seem like they lived in the real world.
But the real question was that Haddock was content to have his best friend under his roof permanently, I mean, in this world, who else cared about him? Who would the hospital call if the boy was in the emergency room? He lived alone! He had no other friends! The detectives could visit and even bring flowers, but those stooges wouldn't act enough! All the criminals also knew his address, announcing it in the newspaper was not very wise. No, the boy deserved to have a calm, safe and comfortable place to return from his... investigative trips. That's what Captain Archibald Haddock thought!
This chapter was basically to make fun of this TintinXHaddok story, which no matter the angle or time, is just a NO. Why do you have to couple everything that moves? And although it's not to my liking either, the captain and the professor seem more ""plausible"".
As we know, we don't know much about Tintin, when exactly did he move to Moulinsart...ah...Marlinspike Hall? So I imagined a little something in this void. I also took the liberty of imagining what books are on the reporter's shelf, Albert Londres makes sense, you can look for them.