The Viking Seal

CHAPTER 18 - Some Came Prepared

The day began with the electric motor hauling in the sea anchor and when the group appeared in the lounge, dressed and ready for breakfast, the boat was already within a few hundred yards of the coast.

"Jeez, look at that terrain! You'd have to be a mountain climber." Arnold found his place at the table and hastily dug into the warm toast and fruit juice.

"Inside some of those small bays and inlets it must be riddled with caves and crevices." Stone said.

"It is." Arvil plopped another plate of fresh toast on the table. "Captain thinks we should start exploring some of them in the outboard. You'd be surprised what it's like when you get alee of the ocean inside those bays. Lots of reindeer moss and lichens, some sheep laurel, blueberry, and snakehead."

"Snakehead? Sounds delightful."

"Up on the plateau there's a variety of white and black spruce, balsam fir, birch, red pine, and aspen. Everything's in smaller quantities than on the island of course."

"Can we all get in the outboard?" Melanie asked.

"No way. That's up to you folks. The Captain and I just run this boat."

"Quit scarin' the people, Arvil and get out and lower the tender. Make sure the tank's full and the jackets and oars are stashed securely." Captain Eddie swayed into the lounge, holding his coffee mug away from his coat. "Ten minutes to the inlet. Thirty minutes to look around and fifteen back. We move further north forty-five minutes after you cast off."

"What if we need more time?" Gretta complained.

"Doubt you will in there. This is just to confirm we covered all the possibilities. Frankly, if there's anything to find, I think it will be further up the coast. The larger bays. Any sailor worth his salt would seek those out first after crossing the Labrador Sea—and that includes your Vikings."

****

"How are you gonna match anything on that map with that out there?" Arnold strained to follow the contours of the coast as they slapped across the water toward the inlet. A cold spray stung his cheeks and he spit the salty taste from his mouth.

"We just have to use our best judgment and the little information we have. I'm confident we can get a sense of the place mentioned in the poem and match it somewhat to the map."

"You think the piece the others have would tell us more?"

"I don't know. If it did, I don't think they'd bother with us." Gretta was studying the coast through binoculars and she made some negative sounds as she handed them to Stone.

"I don't think we even have to go in here, it's nothing like my image of what we're looking for." He handed the glasses back and waved to Arvil to turn about.

****

Kenny returned with the six-seater Zodiac and a face a foot long until he saw Moira and Parker loading some things onto a newer, racier looking motor launch. He tied up behind them and clambered onto the dock, nodding and smiling as he walked the length of the new vessel.

"This is more like it." He called up to Moira, who just stared back. "Can we hang the Zodiac on the rear lifts or are you going to tow it?"

"Tow it. Make sure it's sea ready, Kenny. Get the motor up and covered and lock down the oars and storage bins."

"Aye, aye."

"I'll give you aye, aye," she said after his retreating figure.

"Everything's stored and tied down, we can shove off any time you say." Parker frowned darkly across the heaving grey water of the Atlantic. "I don't see why we have to follow them in a boat. Kenny's right, we could check on them from the helicopter. Besides, I thought it was the map bit we were after."

Moira turned and faced him, her mouth opening in a snarl but her cell phone rang and she held the glare for a moment, and then answered.

"Moira, we have a partial translation of the runic symbols on our portion of the map. Of most significant importance is a reference to some kind of seal that established a claim on the land. If this is true it could be worth millions.

"Now according to the experts there is a reference to a small river canyon in an inlet guarded by twin islands. We've examined the coast on some of the oldest maps we could find, and the consensus is that we should be looking at Hawke Harbour or Port Hope Simpson. Somewhere in that area. It might be prudent to watch our friends from the sky and see first where they choose to invest their time."

Moira glanced at the map she had opened on her thigh and held the location with a long, blue painted fingernail. "By the way, did you get the new boat?"

"I'm on it now. Much better, Wayne." She folded the map and tossed it to Parker. "Fine, we'll monitor them from the air." She closed the phone and looked at Parker. "Got your wish there, matey . . . for now."

"It's the smart way, Moira."

She laughed and opened the pouch on her hip, removing a copy of the map section and spreading in front of them on the aft storage bin. Get Kenny up here, we should all look at this together.

****

Moira explained the information her father had passed to her about the symbols and then showed them the current map of the coast, indicating where they would be concentrating their search unless the congress crew discovered something first.

"You think they have any writing on their piece?" Kenny asked.

"Hard to say, although the space on the left looks too big to be just a separation of words. It's that little bit of line at the top that interests me. I think they have an indication of the route that was taken and possibly the stops along the coast."

"Shall I get the car?"

"Yes, Kenny, that would be perfect."

He traded confused, wary looks with Parker and then peeled off to get the car.

"Are we going up now?" Parker asked.

"You and Kenny go, I've got some things I want to do here first. Be back before five."

"What's at five?"

"Dinner." Moira put away the copy of the map and started down the ramp to the dock.

Parker watched her go, the little hairs on his neck quivering.