Reckless | Tintin

" Three clues which only a true Haddock would be capable of solving."

" Company! Halt!"

" I'm Lieutenant Delcourt, welcome Afghar outpost," the man leading Tintin and Ana through said outpost said.

" Thank you, Lieutenant, we owe you our lives," Tintin said gratefully.

" Did you by any chance find our friend?" Ana asked the Lieutenant." The other man we were traveling with?"

" Yes, but he's not in good shape I'm afraid, he's still suffering the effects of acute dehydration, he's quite delirious, why don't we pay him a visit?" Delcourt suggested, stopping outside of the room where they were keeping Haddock before opening the door so that Tintin and Ana could see their friend.

" Ah! Haddock! You're awake!" the lieutenant said as they entered the room to see the captain sitting upright in bed." Good! I have some visitors for you!"

" Captain," both Tintin and Ana greeted the man simultaneously.

" Hello! I think you've got the wrong room."

Tintin and Ana exchanged a look before Tintin stepped forward." Captain, it's Tintin, and Ana, our plane crashed in the desert, don't you remember?"

" Plane? No, no, I'm a navel man myself, I never fly if I can help it." He turned towards Lieutenant Delcourt." They've got me confused with someone else. What is this peculiar liquid?" he held up a glass of water." There's no bouquet, it's completely transparent-"

" Why it's water!" Delcourt said, sounding surprised the captain didn't recognize it.

" What will they think of next?"

" We suspect he has a concussion," the lieutenant explained to Ana and Tintin." Heatstroke, delirium."

" Well technically speaking he's sober," Ana spoke, sharing her knowledge yet again." This man's a heavy drinker, as should be apparent from his lack of recognizing water, we were only wandering through the desert for less than a day and in that amount of time he wasn't doing too difficult of work so it'd be highly unlikely he could be still suffering from the effects of Heatstroke and there was nothing he hit his head on in that amount of time ruling out a concussion as well."

" Now, Captain," Tintin said, taking the glass of water from Haddock's hand." Out in the desert-"

" Desert?"

" Yes, you were talking about Sir Francis-"

" Sir who?"

" Sir Francis! And you were telling us about what happened on The Unicorn-"

" The Unicorn!"

" Yes!"

Haddock smiled to himself." The stuff that dreams are made of. Wee children's dreams."

" No! The ship! Oh please try to remember Captain! Lives are at risk!"

Unknown to all of them, Snowy had run into the other room and grabbed a bottle of alcohol spirits before placing it on the circular tray by Haddock's bedside and spinning it around after he reached for the glass of water again. The captain took a long drink before deeply breathing out and suddenly remembering the entire tale with a sudden gasp.

Tintin and Ana both stood up straight before Ana calmly spoke to the Lieutenant." I suggest stepping back for a minute or so."

" He's snapped!" Delcourt yelled as Haddock sat up straighter before getting up, clutching his throat.

" Everybody out of the room!" Tintin told the others quickly as Ana doubled back to grab Snowy, having noticed the poor dog was cowering where he stood. Once Tintin had ushered everyone else out he grabbed Ana's free hand and pulled her behind him into the room adjacent to the one Haddock had been in.

Right before the door closed the Captain leaped off his bed before breaking through the wooden door and punching two of the men stationed at the outpost in the face, he grabbed Delcourt's sword, yelling into the empty space," SHOW YOURSELF RED RACKHAM!"

He ran onto the desk, continuing his madness." If it's a fight you want! You've met your match!"

" A fight with who!?" Tintin asked, standing protectively in front of Ana.

" To the death! Red Rackham."

" You..."

" Captain, what is it?" Tintin asked, exchanging a glance with Ana.

" How could I be so blind?"

" What on earth are you speaking of Captain?" Ana asked, sounding immensely concerned.

" This isn't just about the scrolls... or the treasure that went down with the ship... It's me... It's me he's after!... He wants vengeance... Hurry Tintin! Ana! We're out of time!" He grabbed them both by their shoulders before dragging them towards the window and shoving them both out of it before jumping himself as they all landed in a pile of hay.

" It's not over," Haddock continued." It was never over!"

" I don't understand! Who's after your blood?"

" Sakharine."

" Sakharine? Why?"

" He's Red Rackham's descendant! He needs to finish it!"

" That's why he did it..." Tintin said in realization.

" Did what?"

" Sank his own ship. Sir Francis sent that treasure to the bottom of the sea. He would be damned before he let Red Rackham have it-"

" And he was."

" - but he couldn't let it lie."

" No!"

" He would've left behind a clue, three different clues wrapped in a riddle which concealed a secret," Ana said, continuing where Tintin left off." Three clues which only a true Haddock would be capable of solving."

" What secret?"

" The location... to one of the greatest sunken treasures in all history..."

" The wreak of The Unicorn... he means to steal it. The third scroll! Billions of blue blistering barnacles! I swear, as the last of the Haddocks, I'll find that treasure before him."

Tintin spat into his hand before offering it to Haddock to shake." To Baggar."

" To Baggar."