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EMERY WAS SKEPTICAL.
the man had just denied them entry to the lighthouse, but once he found out it had something to do with the royal merchant he was welcoming them with open arms? it didn't make any sense to the girl. however, she wasn't going to leave john b alone on his deathbed, so she trailed behind her best friend through the door to where the lighthouse and out onto the balcony.
"i know more- watch your step there- abojt the royal merchant than anyone else in kildare county." the ranger said, emery stepping cautiously to avoid the sports where the floor had rusted through and fallen off.
"holy shit." john b whispered.
"c'mon." the ranger urged. "now the merchant disappeared in the graveyard of the atlantic in 1829." the man told the kids.
"with four hundred million." john b added.
"correct." the man replied gruffly. "you're a bit of a merchanteer yourself, huh?"
"uh... something like that." john b trailed off.
"well come with me." the man said. "i wanna show you something."
"his tone of voice makes me uneasy." emery breathed into john b's ear.
i've been working 30 years up here and the views never changed until two days ago. the point's almost gone now. now, the trick to knowin' where the merchant is-" john b grabbed emery's hand as they crossed over a particularly large hole in the balcony- "is knowin' whether she was on the north end or the south end of the eye of the storm. now, most experts believe that she was on the south end. now, she's on the south end, the bands from the hurricane would've pushed her back out to sea."
emery looked at the man, whos eyes were wide and wild. he looked like he was on harder drugs than rafe cameron.
"but i don't believe that." he said, getting closer to john b, who emery stepped up next to and grabbed his hand again. "uh-uh. i think she was on the north end of the eye. which means the bands would've pushed her..."
"closer to shore." john b finished.
"that's right." the ranger confirmed. "now by my calculations... the royal merchant... is abojt ten miles thataway." the man said, pointing off into the distance towards the water. "come on, come on." he said when john b stopped to shoot emery a skeptical glance.
