Crown's Vengeance, The (36 page)
Read Crown's Vengeance, The Online
Authors: Andrew Clawson
Tags: #Mystery; Thriller & Suspense, #Mystery, #Historical, #Thrillers & Suspense, #Crime, #Heist, #Financial, #Spies & Politics, #Conspiracies, #Thrillers
The man’s affinity for his newly refurbished playhouse was legendary.
“Of course, my dear. It appears that everything is in order, so if you will excuse me, I’ll quiet the teeming masses.”
Back ramrod straight, the diminutive director slid past her and out to the podium. “Ladies and gentleman, your attention please.”
Silence descended as Dr. Bowes consulted his notes
“The University of Pennsylvania History Department is proud to bring you this presentation. A trove of documents was recently uncovered on the estate of Alexander Hamilton, the first Secretary of the Treasury and one of our most illustrious founding fathers. Amongst these treasures was a piece that revealed previously unknown information about the life of Hamilton. Please join me in welcoming Dr. Erika Carr.”
Applause filled the air when she walked on stage.
Erika glanced over the crowd before her eyes locked onto Parker, who sat front and center. He laid his head on one hand, feigning sleep.
Why she put up with him was a mystery.
“Thank you.”
She began with the history of piratical activity in the early eighteenth century, touching on the exploits of Black Bart and Henry Morgan, just two of the many seafaring raiders who plied their trade at the time. Erika then detailed how piracy had fallen as quickly as it had flourished, for then as now the disruption of international trade brought swift retribution from aggrieved governments. These buccaneers, however, had not simply faded over time. Many had left their mark, literally and figuratively, which was one of the main reasons so many interested people were sitting here today.
Behind her, a massive digital image of Hamilton’s map flashed onto a towering screen.
“The map behind me was found during a recent renovation of Hamilton Grange National Memorial, the only home Alexander Hamilton ever owned.”
Erika explained that the map depicted a section of North Carolina coastline and seemed to focus on the town of Beaufort, a well-known pirates haven around 1700. Though she could have lectured on the area’s colorful history at length, these people weren’t here for that. And Erika wasn’t going to disappoint.
Her voice became heavy with intrigue. “To begin, I’d like to talk about the poem. If you direct your attention to the area above the Eastern Atlantic, you’ll find a handwritten passage.”
She knew everyone had already been studying the script that hovered just off the coastline, black letters written in stilted, halting script.
On the slender road black as night, follow the beacons of alabaster light.
Tread lightly through the watery door, lest the Blackened spirit raise his fiery sword.
Inside the starboard flame, opposite four cubits depth, rests a pillaged truth for the cotton man’s death.
Her words reverberated through the cool air.
“On the surface, utter nonsense, perhaps the ramblings of a lost soul. Yet, this phrase meant something to somebody. It was important enough to write down. The question is what, and why?” Erika may have been an academic, but she knew how to put on a show.
“Now, I must remind you that what I’m about to share is inconclusive. The study of this fascinating piece of American history has only begun, and it would be reckless to assume that Hamilton’s map will divulge its secrets so quickly.”
And like that, they were hooked.
“At first, I was confused by the lines. No real structure is present, nothing concrete to begin interpreting the message. It appears that this paragraph may have been written during the eighteenth century. As such, it should be viewed through the prism of someone living at the time. Taken one way, they appear to be a set of directions.”
Heads bobbed, a wave rippling across the sea of humanity.
“From where or to what, who knows? What we can tell is that the author is pointing us toward more than one source of white light.”
Beacons of alabaster light
was highlighted with a click.
“A traveler following this path would find himself on or near a body of water.” Another click and
the watery door
was in bold. “Which may be hazardous to his health.”
Blackened spirit raise his fiery sword
demanded their attention, and s
tarboard
jumped off the screen.
“Now we learn something about our mysterious author. He or she has been exposed to life at sea, or at least to the jargon used by sailors throughout the world.”
“Also, we see that in order to understand the demise of the cotton man, we must look to a place
opposite four cubits depth
. A cubit is about eighteen inches, so the final stop on our journey is six feet in one direction from a flame toward the starboard, or right, side. Now, what might an adventurer find at the end of this mysterious journey? I have no idea. If he were lucky, though, there might be a chest of buried treasure at his feet.”
Silence followed her words.
“As to the author’s intent, we may never know. Thank you for joining me today.”
With applause filling the air, one man in the audience sat motionless, his eyes locked on the screen. He’d traveled a thousand miles to attend this lecture. Only when he’d glimpsed the passage Dr. Carr had just read did he finally believe.
As Dr. Carr concluded her presentation, his thoughts drifted back several days, to when he’d first learned of the map’s existence.
Victor Burl had been standing on his private beach, feet buried in hot sand. The fourth-generation CEO of an oil and gas exploration firm, Burl was one of the richest men in the Bahamas. Like his father before him, Victor lived in Nassau year round, the island paradise his personal playground. As he stood, staring at the pristine Atlantic waves, clad in only a pair of linen pants, his latest girlfriend waved from the sprawling deck that fronted his estate, her crimson hair sparkling in the sunlight.
A phone was held to his ear.
“Are you certain?”
“Yes,” the man replied. “The description matches perfectly. Dr. Erika Carr has the map, and is presenting on it in two days time.”
There was no question. Victor would be there.
“Secure a ticket. And set up a meeting with Dr. Carr. I don’t care what it costs.”
“I’ll have the jet ready to depart tomorrow, sir.”
His assistant clicked off, leaving Victor alone with his thoughts.
In that instant, Burl knew he would do whatever it took to secure the map.
His family had been searching for this map for generations. He’d lost hope, fearing the map had been lost, when like a lightning bolt from the heavens it had appeared, here at the University of Pennsylvania.
Applause jolted Victor from his reverie. The audience began to depart, but his gaze never left Dr. Erika Carr, still standing at the lectern.
That map belonged to him.
Today, he would retake his property, no matter the cost.
About the Author
Andrew Clawson lives in Pittsburgh, where he spends his free time reading, writing, and entertaining a rescued black cat who loves to cause trouble.
Please visit his website:
http://andrewclawson.com
, and please sign up for his newsletter to receive all kinds of interesting things including advance chapters and free downloads.
He can also be found on Facebook.
Andrew Clawson is also the author of
A Patriot’s Betrayal
and
Dark Tides Rising
, details of which you can find on his website.
Table of Contents
Praise for A Patriot’s Betrayal
Praise for The Crowns Vengeance