Into the Unknown
Having graduated from Hogwarts, Max Paige now works with a professional private investigator/ghost hunter in
Inverness, Scotland while living on Ghost Island...
Inverness, Scotland while living on Ghost Island...
Not So Fast
We were looking down a long tunnel under the Forbidden Forest. I’d just survived an attack from Devil’s Snare, and my boss had apparated beside me to make sure eI was okay. We’d both lit our wands and now had extra light filling the tunnel.
“I guess we start walking,” I said to James, and he nodded in agreement.
The tunnel was wide enough and high enough that we could walk through it easily. There was nothing on the dirt walls and no more dangerous hazards yet.
Suddenly, a wizard appeared out of nowhere, right in front of us! We grabbed our wands tighter, just in case, and James stood between me and the stranger. But then I realized that this was no stranger!
“Uncle Josiah!” I ran to hug my uncle that I had not seen since he’d been arrested at my birthday party nine years ago.
“Geez, boy! You’ve got to stop growing!” Josiah grinned as he stood back and looked me over. Then he turned to my boss and said, “James! Long time no see! You’ve been keeping my kid here safe?”
“As long as there’s no Devil’s Snare to try and kill him,” James chuckled and went to shake Josiah’s hand. “Nice touch on that, by the way.”
“Yeah, well… I couldn’t let these kids find us that easily,” Josiah smirked. “We’ve had to keep Legion’s operations underground. Literally.”
“You’ve been meeting here this entire time?” I stared at my uncle in shock.
“What better place for a hideout than under a forest that scares even the most-skilled wizards?” Josiah grinned, making me roll my eyes. But I couldn’t help being amused at their savviness.
“Are we the only ones down here?” I asked, looking around the tunnel.
“For now, yes,” Josiah nodded. “Max, by now you’ve figured out that the treasures on Ghost Island come from the destroyed ship of Charles Stuart from England?”
“Well, yeah… I’m pretty sure.”
“The Knights weren’t the only ones to bury treasure on Ghost Island,” Josiah declared.
“Wait, what?” I blinked at him and looked over at James. “You knew about this?”
“I knew he had news, but I didn’t know what the news was,” James insisted.
“So who else came to the island? And how many treasures are there?” I asked.
“I believe there are three. Legend states that a Spanish Conquistador named Francisco Pizarro was told he could have a whole room full of gold if he saved the Incan King Atahualpa.”
“So what happened?” James asked.
“Pizarro decided he’d have the king killed instead. The king’s general was on his way to bring the gold to Pizarro when he learned what happened. So he sent porters with the gold all over the place. Potentially, on Ghost Island.”
“Woah… So you’re saying that there’s a Templar treasure, an Incan treasure, and what else?”
“The most fascinating theory of all,” grinned Josiah. “The manuscript of Shakespeare, by Francis Bacon.”
Three theories, three treasures, and no direction. I knew things had just become more complicated.
“I guess we start walking,” I said to James, and he nodded in agreement.
The tunnel was wide enough and high enough that we could walk through it easily. There was nothing on the dirt walls and no more dangerous hazards yet.
Suddenly, a wizard appeared out of nowhere, right in front of us! We grabbed our wands tighter, just in case, and James stood between me and the stranger. But then I realized that this was no stranger!
“Uncle Josiah!” I ran to hug my uncle that I had not seen since he’d been arrested at my birthday party nine years ago.
“Geez, boy! You’ve got to stop growing!” Josiah grinned as he stood back and looked me over. Then he turned to my boss and said, “James! Long time no see! You’ve been keeping my kid here safe?”
“As long as there’s no Devil’s Snare to try and kill him,” James chuckled and went to shake Josiah’s hand. “Nice touch on that, by the way.”
“Yeah, well… I couldn’t let these kids find us that easily,” Josiah smirked. “We’ve had to keep Legion’s operations underground. Literally.”
“You’ve been meeting here this entire time?” I stared at my uncle in shock.
“What better place for a hideout than under a forest that scares even the most-skilled wizards?” Josiah grinned, making me roll my eyes. But I couldn’t help being amused at their savviness.
“Are we the only ones down here?” I asked, looking around the tunnel.
“For now, yes,” Josiah nodded. “Max, by now you’ve figured out that the treasures on Ghost Island come from the destroyed ship of Charles Stuart from England?”
“Well, yeah… I’m pretty sure.”
“The Knights weren’t the only ones to bury treasure on Ghost Island,” Josiah declared.
“Wait, what?” I blinked at him and looked over at James. “You knew about this?”
“I knew he had news, but I didn’t know what the news was,” James insisted.
“So who else came to the island? And how many treasures are there?” I asked.
“I believe there are three. Legend states that a Spanish Conquistador named Francisco Pizarro was told he could have a whole room full of gold if he saved the Incan King Atahualpa.”
“So what happened?” James asked.
“Pizarro decided he’d have the king killed instead. The king’s general was on his way to bring the gold to Pizarro when he learned what happened. So he sent porters with the gold all over the place. Potentially, on Ghost Island.”
“Woah… So you’re saying that there’s a Templar treasure, an Incan treasure, and what else?”
“The most fascinating theory of all,” grinned Josiah. “The manuscript of Shakespeare, by Francis Bacon.”
Three theories, three treasures, and no direction. I knew things had just become more complicated.
