When I pointed that out, Meyer became quite angry. His face reddened. “Your stupidity endangered my family?” he asked Colonel Griffin. “Sir, I am a lawyer of considerable note and I think you might be hearing from me in court. Your men seem to be blundering through this land without taking the time to understand it and the consequences could have been disastrous. If not for Sir Edwin and James, my family—”
“Meyer.” Rose reached out and grabbed her husband’s hand. “He’s with Titan Amalgamated. They’re the biggest corporate concern in the country. They have armies of lawyers, they’re pals with the president and they’ll bury us if you give them the chance.” Her voice was low, but we could all hear it. “And this isn’t the place. Not when we are on vacation. Not with Nathan around.”
“Better listen to your wife, Whipple.” Griffin let his hand fall to his side. It landed on the submachine gun. “You ain’t the kind of man to pick a fight with a guy like me.” He leaned down on his mount and the hint of a smile emerged below his moustache. “Now, stand aside and let us ride on by. I don’t have the time to waste on your whining. Unless there’s any other questions?” He looked up at me.
He was daring me to make a move. Perhaps I even considered it. I had seen the horrors of war, back in the trenches. I did not want to bring that to Acheron Island — not to the land my father discovered. Besides, Nathan and Rose were present. I had no wish to alarm them.
But there was something I was wondering about. “Why the heavy weapons?” I asked. “And the army? The dinosaurs are dangerous, but you don’t need that kind of firepower.”
“There’s the Ape Men.” Colonel Griffin’s eyes flashed to James. “Those savages are a constant threat.”
Nathan raised his voice. “But, s-sir, aren’t most of their clans and tribes friendly?” The little fellow seemed as nervous as I felt, and he held tightly to Max.
“Sure, kid – right until they catch you and eat you.” Griffin pulled his hadrosaur back onto the path. “And trust those idiots in the China Marines at the garrison in Victoria City? Titan Amalgamated isn’t that stupid. They hired Argus and Argus is the best.” He touched the brim of his hat to us as his hadrosaur trotted onto the trail. “Nice meeting you folks. Maybe I’ll see you in Victoria City. Stop by Titan’s new offices and say hello.” He raised his voice. “Move out!” he ordered. “Double time!”
The whole column continued their march down the trail. Their boots rose and fell in even patterns and they marched right past us. Colonel Griffin rode along with them, not even looking back. Dust rose from their falling boots and before I knew it, the entire column of Argus infantrymen was gone. They left footprints on the muddy trail, so it seemed like some giant centipede had just rolled back. Dust rose in the distance.
Meyer Whipple balled his hands into fists. “My golly!” he snarled. “The nerve of that brute! Why, he practically threatened to shoot us all, right there! And I half believe he might do it too, if he thought he could get away with it.”
“He wouldn’t do that, Papa?” Nathan asked. “Would he?”
“He’s one of those private detectives who do security work for the big companies, son,” Meyer explained. “There isn’t much he wouldn’t do. Strike-breaking, union busting, intimidation, beatings, murder – I bet Colonel Griffin’s had a hand in all of them.” He sighed. “I’m sorry. This is our vacation in paradise. I shouldn’t ruin it with a sulky attitude.”
“It’s perfectly understandable, sir,” I said, with a slight smile. “Now, I suggest we return to Victoria City. I think you’ve had enough excitement for the day.”
We began to head down the trail, and all of us were quiet – except for Max, who chirped expectantly at the passing pterosaurs and occasional lizard crawling through the underbrush. I was quite shaken by my encounter with Colonel Griffin and the men of the Argus Detective Agency. I could hold my own against a pack of ravenous raptors, but a brutish man of Griffin’s ilk? That was a different story. Furthermore, the appearance of a small, private army of heavily armed men – working under the control of some great American industrial company – seemed similarly foreboding.
I cared deeply for Acheron Island. Its discovery was the greatest triumph of my father’s life and though he was gone, the island remained. Acheron Island was the last truly wild spot in the world, with mystery enough remaining. In that regard, it was the only place for me, just as it was the only space for its dinosaur residents. And now, it appeared to be changing in a way that I couldn’t possibly control.
Such changes unnerved me. These dinosaurs, prehistoric beasts and pristine wilderness had survived millennia and were unchanged — but God only knew what was in store for them next.
Soon enough, we reached the trail’s end and entered a little outpost on the road to Victoria City. James had brought us there in his own automobile and we piled in for the return trip. It may seem odd that James owned an automobile and operated it with all the proficiency of the dedicated driver, but my friend greatly enjoyed his sturdy, dark black Studebaker roadster and was skilled in its use. James slipped behind the wheel, set a pair of driving goggles over his eyes, and started the engine. I took the passenger seat, while the Whipples clustered together in the back.
We sped down the dirt road to Victoria City and it gave way to dark pavement as we neared the town’s walls. The steel gates rolled back and James drove us inside. Victoria City was a sprawling coastal settlement, with a character that seemed unique in the world. We drove past downtown skyscrapers of luxury hotels and posh coastal resorts, bordering wide avenues and streets lined with palm trees, along with swanky jazz clubs and upscale restaurants. That neighborhood was called the Scales, so named because my father shot an armored anklyosaur in that general area soon after his arrival. Now it was the wealthiest of Victoria City’s districts.
James swerved his auto through the traffic, weaving around the long lines of other automobiles, heavy sauropods with luxury howdahs perched on their broad backs, and the occasional triceratops towing along a cart. There were rickshaws too, pulled by the growing population of refugees from the wars in Asia and Europe who served the wealthy tourists. They had their own neighborhood, a dismal shantytown known as the Shallows for its weakness to floods, but the wealthy residents of Victoria City rarely saw the place.
Nathan Whipple pressed his face to the glass, watching each dinosaur and skyscraper pass in silent awe. It was the same childlike wonder that I had when I first arrived in Acheron Island and my father showed me all the strange and beautiful sights.
I turned to look at Nathan. “It is a wonderful place, isn’t it?” I asked.
“Oh, yes, sir,” Nathan agreed. Max was sitting in his lap, snoozing peacefully. The triceratops was tired from the day’s journey. “We’ll have to go back to America soon, when the summer ends. We have a cabin, a little estate I guess, in New Jersey in the woods, so Max can stay there and grow up, but it won’t be the same as this.” He scratched behind Max’s frill. “But we’ll come back, Sir Edwin. I’m sure of that.”
“And the vacation’s far from over, dear heart.” Rose pointed down the road. “Turn a right here, James. The Prehistoric Grand is right by the beach.”
James knew the location of the Prehistoric Grand well, but he said nothing and dutifully turned the wheel. The road stretched away from the city and reached out to border the gentle sweep of coast. Perched at the edge of this road was the Prehistoric Grand, a palatial towering hotel resembling the tiers of a wedding cake. It stood between a wide yellow beach before the sea and a strip of carefully cultivated jungle tame enough to be a garden. Trimmed topiary dinosaurs, bleached skeletons and Grecian statues stood around the entrance, with two crossed mammoth tusks above the door.
“We’re here,” James said, bringing his car to a stop before the entrance. A Chinese valet in a white tuxedo moved over to take the car. James did not move and glared at the approaching Chinaman, stopping him in his tracks. “Should we see them inside?” he asked me.
“Of course.” I hopped out and opened the door for them, extending my hand to help Rose and Nathan onto the pavement. James stepped out as well, allowing the valet to take his automobile with a look that promised vengeance if it was damaged in the slightest.
We walked down to the double doors and towards the lobby. I stayed next to Meyer. “I realize this outing may have been a bit too, well, treacherous for your liking, but I promise that if you choose to hire us again, I can provide a much more pleasant trip.”
“No need to apologize. It’s not your fault about the raptors, Sir Edwin,” Meyer replied, with a quick laugh. “Besides, Nathan adores your company. Tell you what — I’ll give you a ring in a day or so, when we’re ready for another outing. I think something by the seashore would be nice. Maybe we can go fishing on the Phlegethon Coast, if you think there won’t be any chance of us running into pirates.”
It wasn’t quite an idle joke. Pirates – as well as smugglers and poachers – infested some of the southern coastal areas. Acheron Island was the perfect base for raids on the rich trade routes of the South China Sea and the dinosaurs were a fortune for those willing to capture and smuggle them out.
But I smiled and shook Meyer’s hand when we entered the cavernous lobby. It was a great white chamber, with marble floors and thick slabs of desks in the corners. Golden elevator doors waited in the far wall, while a number of leafy, potted plants gave the room the appearance of a contained jungle. Guests and employees of the hotel – all Chinese in white tuxedoes – moved about on the day’s business.
“Of course,” I said, as we stopped before the elevator doors. “I will ensure your safety. You have my word.” I looked over his shoulder and stared at the other guests who were walking to and fro in the lobby. My eyes locked on someone. She was stepping out from the elevator, her arm wrapped around a fellow in a blue suit and straw boater’s hat, and with a parasol under her arm that matched her white dress. I knew instantly who she was. “Would you excuse me for a moment?” I asked, and stepped away from them.
I crossed the lobby and moved towards the woman. “Catherine?” I raised my voice. “Catherine, is that you?”
My younger sister stopped in her tracks. “Edwin?” she asked, and then broke away from the man holding her arm. She hurried to my side. “Edwin, what are you doing here? Webster and I were planning on arriving at your apartment tonight as a surprise, but I think that’s spoiled now. Why are you at our hotel?”
Catherine Crowe was very dear to me – but she could be frightfully annoying at times. She shared my dark brown hair, worn in a simple and elegant bun. She was a slim girl, with an upturned nose and very bright, clear eyes. My father did not believe it was her place to join him on our expeditions. He and I visited Acheron Island together. She remained at our estate in England.
“I’m dropping off some of my clients,” I replied. “What are you doing on Acheron Island?”
“Well, I came to visit you.” She turned to the man who had arrived with her. The fellow now hurried to join us. “And dear Webster wanted to visit the island as well. It for our studies, you understand. Mine is paleontology and his is anthropology.” She looked from me to Webster. “And I wanted to introduce you to Webster. I think I’ll do that now. Edwin, this is Webster Belknap. I believe he is the man I am going to marry.”
“What?” I couldn’t believe what I had heard. “Marry?”
Webster exchanged a glance with Catherine. He had black hair, split neatly down the middle, and round spectacles. His blue checkered suit and vest was neatly folded, and he tucked his bowler hat under his arm when he addressed me. He fidgeted slightly, like he was a light-legged herbivore, about to run from a bigger predator. “I would like to wed your sister, Mr. Crowe,” he said, each word leaving his lips with difficulty. “I love her, sir. I deeply love her and I—”
“I don’t doubt it,” I replied. “But it all seems rather sudden.” I turned to my sister. “What would father—”
“What does it matter what he would think?” Catherine asked. “And what does it matter what you think, Edwin? Do you think I need your permission?”
I did not know what to say. I loved Catherine, with all of my heart. But she had always remained somewhat far away, as someone to be provided for. Now she wished to start her own life. She was changing and I did not quite know how to respond. Luckily, James seemed to notice my plight. He and the Whipples walked over and James nodded to Catherine.
“Hello, Catherine,” he said. “You look well.”
“So do you, James.” Catherine extended a hand to him. “Webster, this is James. I told you about him, remember?”
“Yes. The civilized Ape Man.” Webster stared at James in sudden awe, like my friend had sprouted wings or a third eye. “Egad, James, I’ve longed to interview you, ever since Catherine told me about your presence. You seem to be the most amazing specimen – fellow, I mean – and the mind boggles when I think of everything I can learn about you – and from you!”
“It boggles?” James asked, raising an eyebrow. He seemed more amused than offended by Webster’s buffoonish manner.
I decided to introduce the Whipples. If nothing else, it would end the awkwardness between James and Webster Belknap. “Catherine, this is Meyer Whipple, and his wife Rose and their son Nathan.” I turned to the Whipples. “This is my sister, Catherine and her friend, Webster.”
Rose gave Catherine her best smile. She was all grace. “It is a rare pleasure to meet you, Miss Crowe,” Rose said. “Your brother has been like a brother to us, almost, with his excellent services as a guide and friend.”
“He saved us from raptors today,” Nathan added. He still held the sleeping Max. “He’s a hero.”
“You almost got them fed to raptors?” Catherine glared at me. “You should know better, Edwin. I’m sure father taught you that. And I know very well how dangerous raptors are. It’s one of the topics of a paper I presented. Perhaps I’ll let you read it. You may learn something.”
“I’m sure I would,” I replied evenly.
But before any of us had a chance to respond, I became aware that someone else had joined our little circle. He had slipped in like he belonged there, standing between Rose and Meyer Whipple so that he looked down at Nathan. He was a tall man, completely bald, wearing a lime green suit, vest and matching bowtie. A diamond stick pin twinkled in his lapel and he seemed to be constantly smiling, like his face could assume no other shape.
His eyes darted to me. “Hello there,” he said, his voice a pleasant chattering. “I’m Cornelius Carroon. You must be Sir Edwin. I’m with Titan Amalgamated.” He glided over to stand in front of me. “Now, I understand your father discovered this marvelous place? Is that right? You must be extremely proud to have such an auspicious forebear.”
“I’m sorry, Mr. Carroon, but this really isn’t the time.” I tried to be as polite as possible. “You see, I just got reacquainted with my sister and—”
“Now, I understand you had the displeasure of meeting Colonel Montgomery Griffin on the trail earlier this afternoon,” Carroon continued. “He might have been a little rude. That’s understandable. The colonel is a rude person, and he’s suited for the rude task he has. But the owner of Titan feels a little bad about what had happened.” He reached into his coat. “He sent me to give you a token of his respect and admiration.” Carroon pulled out a small stack of white tickets. “There’s a little formal gathering at the Thunder Lizard Lounge – and all of you are invited.”
Before I could stop him, Carroon slid a ticket into my lapel pocket. He did the same to Meyer, Webster and then handed one to Catherine and Rose. He finally took his last ticket and pressed it into Nathan’s hands. “Now, I do certainly hope you attend. And so does the owner of Titan Amalgamated, my wonderful employer, Selwyn Slade.” He offered no ticket to James.
Catherine noticed it. “You have none for James?”
“Your Ape Man servant would have no place at a fancy dinner.” Carro
on grinned widely at James. “Would you, my boy? No, he’d be more comfortable waiting outside. Or squatting in some jungle.” He let out a little cackle at his joke before James or I could respond. “Well, can I count on your attendance? I certainly hope so. I must go now, no time to chat I’m afraid. Business is a cruel task master and he doesn’t care for long breaks, with even the most pleasant of company.” Carroon stepped back and slipped away, like he had never been there.
I stared at my ticket. The Thunder Lizard Lounge was the finest jazz club and music hall on Acheron Island. It was a thoroughly modern, American establishment, which had but recently opened. The dinner was for tonight. I looked up at Catherine. “Should we go?”
“Well, Webster and I will – despite Mr. Carroon’s rudeness towards James.” Catherine tucked the ticket into her purse. She nodded to James. “You should have struck him, you know,” she said. “You’d be well within your right.”
James looked back at her. His smile was faint. “I was considering it,” he explained. “But this did not seem the place for a fight.”
“That is a wise decision, perhaps,” Catherine agreed. “I’ve heard of Titan Amalgamated and Selwyn Slade. He fills up the papers in the United States and he seems to be the most interesting sort of person – though he’s also a shrewd and ruthless tycoon of the highest order. I wouldn’t miss a chance to see him in the flesh for all the world. And if you’re there, so much the better. We can use the opportunity to talk about things.” She extended her parasol, making it snap open over her head. “Let’s go take the air, Webster.”
They strolled outside, leaving us alone in the lobby. “It was nice meeting you, Miss Crowe!” Nathan called after her.
I watched Catherine and Webster go, still unsure what to say – or what I thought of the matter in general. I looked back at James and the Whipples. “Do you think I should go to this little event?” I asked.
The Stein & Candle Detective Agency, Vol. 1: American Nightmares (The Stein & Candle Detective Agency #1) Page 28