The adventures of Tintin, Malory and Snowy.

The Calculus Affair. (2)

Moths.

No One POV:

Hat.

Professor Calculus gasped slightly in surprise when his hat fell over his eyes, unaware at all that the cause of it was a stray bullet going through and through it with a very silent swoosh.

So he moved his hat while continuing his walk.

Back at Marlinspike, though, there was no calmness at that.

Malory POV:

"That sounded like a gunshot!" Tintin said, "Outside!"

"Thundering Typhoons! Cuthbert!" Captain cried.

Without a moment of hesitation, we all rushed outside with flashlights and sweaters on.

"Professor!" Tintin called out as we walked along the trail.

"We know you can't hear us but please try!" I called out as well. I moved my flashlight around, hoping to see something in the bushes. When I didn't and moved it back to the trail ahead, it fell on Professor Calculus approaching us calmly, "Professor!"

"Is everything alright?" Tintin asked once we met.

"No, I promise you, not a single drop." Professor obliviously replied, pointing up at his umbrella.

But our attention went to something alarming above that was not the umbrella.

"Allow me, Professor." I asked, taking off his hat and turned it to show them what I saw.

"Oh, a hole!" Professor said, taking his hat from me and looking at it for a second before placing it on his head again without much thought, "Terrible the moths this year!"

"Those were some precisive moths!" I said. When Professor Calculus passed us, we saw another hole in the back of the hat that was perfectly aligned with the one at the front, maybe a centimeter higher.

"It really was a gunshot." Tintin concluded at the sight.

"Who's the scoundrel who would-" Captain's disbelief was cut off when Snowy suddenly started barking not too far from us.

"Snowy must've found something!"

"More like someone! look!" I pointed forward, where my flashlight fell on Snowy standing by a body.

"Thundering Typhoons! Is he..."

"No. He's alive." Tintin confirmed by feeling the man's pulse in his wrist. I inspected the man all over to see if there were any wounds but I spotted something else.

"Gun." By the man's hand lay a gun. Captain picked it up and I opened it, "One bullet missing."

"We'd better contact the police." Tintin stated.

"I'll take care of it." Captain told us, tucking the gun inside his handkerchief and then in his pocket as evidence before taking off after Calculus back to Marlinspike.

"I'll go make sure the Professor is back at Marlinspike safely." I told Tintin, standing up.

"Okay, take Snowy with you and be careful. I'll stay here with him."

"Alright but be careful as well." I asked before getting Snowy to join me.

No One POV:

Once they disappeared, the man started groaning, waking up.

"You'll be alright." Tintin promised, taking off his jacket and folding it to create a makeshift pillow to place under the man's head. The movement seemed to have waken him up completely and he stared up at the boy in confusion.