The Great Captain Alex Gregory

Meeting Captain Gregory

When I first met Alex, I was in a bind. Looking for answers that no one had, feeling adrift and lost, until someone pointed me his way.

"Never asked a question he couldn't answer. Might take some time, mind you, but he won't give up 'til he's got an answer for ya," The old man nodded to me, tapping his glass on the bar twice. The amber liquid reflected the dingy light in the small pub. At the time, we were the only patrons there, but I'd never really seen it full. I'd thanked him and paid my tab, walking out into the gray afternoon. A few blocks down and almost hidden in an alley, there was a sign.

'Captain Alexander Gregory'

Below that, in smaller print:

'Inquirer Extraordinaire'

The door was old, but solid mahogany, with a gold knob. Since there was no doorbell I could see, or knocker, I was forced to turn the handle and poke my head inside.

"Hello? Captain? Anyone home?" I shouted. The anteroom was small and dusty. It was also empty. I frowned and stepped further in, closing the door quietly. In one corner, there was a small purple tassel hanging from the ceiling. A sign was taped to the wall beside it. Crossing over, I read the tiny print. 'Pull for audience.' Audience? Was this guy famous? Royalty? But I pulled the tassel. What sounded like small bells rang somewhere inside the apartment, followed by footsteps. I looked up and followed the sound of whoever was moving around above me. Slowly, they tracked to where the stairs disappeared, then echoed in the stairwell. I backed up a polite distance and waited.

Shiny black shoes entered my view first, followed by gray slacks, a white shirt underneath a gray vest, and finally a face. Well, not a face, but a skull. I swallowed my surprise and put on a friendly smile. I held out a hand.

"Good afternoon, My name is Ellie Sandce. I was told you were the man to ask tough questions," I introduced myself. The skeleton kept his hands in his pockets, empty eyes staring at me. Awkwardly, I lowered my hand.

"And whom, my I ask, pointed you my way?" He asked, jaw moving. Despite not having a tongue or lips, every word was carefully enunciated and clear. I cleared my throat and tugged at my sleeve, trying to keep myself from stuttering.

"An old man at the pub down the street. 'Last Stop', I think it was called," I answered. I didn't feel uncomfortable, per sae, but there was something different about the skeleton before me, aside from the obvious.

"Hmm, skinny, drinking something cheap? Cap like mine, perhaps?" He reached up and tilted the skull cap sitting atop his head with a gloved hand. I nodded.

"Yes, sir," I quickly added. Abruptly, his demeanor shifted, becoming less politely intimidating and more amicably cheerful.

"Well in that case, welcome! I am Captain Alexander Gregory, but you may call me Alex, or Captain Gregory if you want. Please follow me," The skeleton bowed at the waist, sweeping an arm out before waving me on. Captain Gregory started up the stairs, whistling a happy melody. I started, a little shocked at the abrupt change, but followed. The stairwell was small, only big enough for one to climb at a time, and empty. There were no pictures on the red wall paper. The banister was solid but old, worn by many hands over a long time. Everything about this place seemed...aged. Not timeless, but not fleeting. More...continuing, if I had to put it into words. I was shaken out of my musings by Captain Gregory pulling a ring of keys from his pocket and unlocking a door. It sat across from only one other door in the short hall, but what interested me was that Captain Gregory had locked his door when he'd come down to see me. We hadn't been more than two minuets maybe, so why lock it?

"Please have a seat," The captain swung the door open, revealing a study, "And would you like something to drink? A sniff of something?" He offered, walking toward a small table. Several glass tumblers stood ready, all half-filled with different kinds of alcohol. I shook my head, sitting in the surprisingly plush lounge chair. Captain Gregory nodded, pouring himself a glass. I ran a hand through my hair, trying to gather my thoughts. Glancing around, I took in the room.

It was bigger than I had expected. From the foyer and stairwell, I had expected a similarly cramped room. Maybe a few cobwebs in the ceiling corners. But instead, the study was comfortably spacious, filled with bookcases, a huge cherry wood desk, wooden swivel chair, and the dry bar. Captain Gregory took a seat and folded his hands, eye sockets trained on me.

"I am sorry about the questioning downstairs, but there are a few not too friendly folks that know me. Sometimes they send in innocuous people to try to lower my guard," Captain Gregory apologized. I pulled at my sleeve cuff, giving him a smile.

"It's alright," What kind of man was Captain Gregory? First the interrogation, then the locked study, and now enemies? I swallowed and tried to believe this wasn't a mistake. Captain Gregory might be a skeleton, and an intimidating one, but I was here on business. Surely he wasn't going to harm me. Besides, if he did, I had my knife. Captain Gregory sipped his drink and leaned forward slightly.

"So tell me, what is it that you've come to ask me?"