Chapter Four

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Since yesterday's little sextant incident, I've tried to lay low from the captain. He kept looking at me with shifty eyes - just what I needed. My plan was to figure out where we were going and figure out where I needed to go... and how to get there. I hadn't even began to think about that yet. I had to figure out a way to look at the maps. I needed some bearings on where we were so I could find the second clue of Atlantis, my Father had found the first.

"So where are we going?" I asked Michael. I loved having him as my little travel companion. He was old enough to be of value for information, but young enough to not notice my true intentions.

We were both in the kitchen helping the cook prepare for supper. He was a grumpy old man - or so I assumed. He barely spoke two words to us, so I assumed he wasn't fond of conversation.

"What do you mean?"

I laughed, assuming what I meant was obvious, "Where are we sailing?"

Michael snorted, "If you get one word out of the Captain about that then you'll know more than us."

I dropped my knife I was using to cut the lettuce with in shock, "We don't know where were going? He expects his crew to blindly follow orders without even knowing his plans?"

"What else do we have? We have food, a place to sleep, and promises of treasure. Better than scraping food off of the ground on land," Michael said.

I shrugged, he had a point.

"What's this promise of treasure you speak of?" I grinned.

"Oh, I don't know. All I know is that's where we are sailing. To get treasure. From where? Who knows."

I grimaced. I needed more answers.

***

The riddle has been written and the lock has been found.

All you seek is a ruby as red as the sirens who speak.

I mulled over my Father's scribblings but quickly shut my journal when I heard footsteps. It was still dinner time and I had gobbled up my portions as fast as I could. I quickly hid my journal in the crease of my bunk, put my hat over my head and pretended to be napping.

Whoosh.

I was on the floor in seconds. Someone had flipped my hammock over. I looked up to see pale green eyes peering down at me with a smirk - Gabe.

"Having a little nap were we?" Gabe asked and started to bounce about the room, checking each sailors bunk. As his back was turned I quickly grabbed my journal, stuffed it in my pants and untucked my shirt to cover the bulge.

"Just a short one, sir. Did you need me to do anything?" I asked.

"Oh you don't have to be formal with me. Safe those stuffy words for the Captain," Gabe said and turned back towards me.

"You checking for anything in particular?" I said with a smirk, gesturing to the sailors bunks.

"Not really. Captains orders though, he's always so paranoid. So what's your story, boy?" He asked in a light tone and proceeded to take a seat on the ground.

I stared at him curiously for a second and then joined him on the floor cross legged, "Your a strange first mate," I said.

"You were expecting rotting teeth and a black heart weren't you? Well, I like to defy those unruly expectations," He said with a wave of his arm. He paused, scanned me over twice and said, "Your new to this whole pirate thing aren't you? I bet you were a cabin boy on a merchant ship before. Wanted some more adventure in your life?"

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