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Professor Jacobs and Della walked up a long gravel path toward a grouping of lights in the distance.
Erlick and the soldiers moved ahead of him. He had never traveled so far in this part of New California. He saw hills lined with small bushes and rocks. He heard a buzzing noise, and he instantly thought of the large man-eating bees that inhabited this part of this region.
"Erlick," Jacobs said, "why do we have soldiers with us?"
"The city we are going to is not a reputable place.” Replied Erlick. “It is in fact a pirate’s city. And we don't want you or Della to be robbed or killed."
Jacobs sensed Della was going to say something, and placed a hand on her shoulder before she could. They kept moving along the path; he heard the crunch of his boots on the ground. He couldn't see the buildings from his vantage point, only the high walls of the city, and the clouds of oil and smoke that wafted in the air.
"Della, do you smell that?" he asked.
"Yes, it smells eerily similar to being on board a ship."
He nodded and touched Merlin's Amulet on his chest. The Amulet hung around his neck, attached to a gold chain.
As they walked down a narrow ravine, Professor Jacobs could finally see the tall, foreboding gray wall of the city. It was built from steel and pieces of machinery and large ships all welded and stuck together. He thought he saw people standing on top of the wall, but it was hard to tell due to the sun glaring in his eyes.
They walked for another hour or so. The walls continued to rise up, towering over them. Then he saw the silhouettes of large guns perched on top of the wall, pointing down at them.
"Yo! Why are you here?" boomed a voice from the wall.
Erlick stepped forward. "We are here to see Captain Jostler. He invited us."
For a few tense minutes nobody said anything, but finally a gate in front of them creaked open. They forged ahead, and paused when they spotted somebody stood in the middle of the opened gateway. The man was tall and muscular. When they moved closer to him, Professor Jacobs saw he had a wicked, jagged scar on his neck. He wondered how this man could have survived a cut like that.
"Where is this Professor Jacobs?" the strong man said in an almost musical accent, almost as if he had sung his words. The soldiers parted before him.
"I am Professor Jacobs," Daniel replied, and stammered a little when he said his name.
The big man walked between the soldiers and peered at him. "Aye, my name is Chilton. I'm First Mate to Captain Jostler."
The man turned and looked at Della. "This is the elf? You sure are pretty."
Jacobs said, "We want to go to the Bermuda Triangle."
Chilton stopped looking at Della and stared back at Daniel in surprise. "You don't look crazy or stupid. Why would you want to go there?"
"It is my business."
"Professor," Chilton said, "Captain Jostler will need to know. He will not risk his ship and crew for your secret business."
Erlick interjected. "We need to discuss this in private with your Captain."
"Ah, keep your secrets. I will take you to him."
Chilton walked briskly back through the city gates. Professor Jacobs followed him, with Della moving alongside him. Once they’d all passed through the gates, he heard the creaking of the massive doors closing them in. He didn't like being trapped and playing by somebody else’s rules. He wondered how he had gotten into this mess, and then stared at Della. She smiled at him.
Jacobs expected to see massive buildings before him, but he didn't. Instead, he saw a massive crater dug hundreds of feet down into the earth. Fear gripped him, and he wondered how they would travel inside this crater.
He braved a look into the massive hole. Several floors were dug into the earth, with stores and people milling about them. Then a pointed ship rose from a platform and flew into the sky with a loud sound of engines flaring. The ship was built in an odd design that he didn't recognize. Painted on the side of the ship was a large skull.
Erlick said something under his breath. "Pirate."
Chilton didn't hear him, or at least he didn’t acknowledge that he heard him.
They didn't approach the crater, but moved toward a building where a set of stairs descended into the ground. Jacobs was relieved; he didn't want to travel on an elevator.
The soldiers moved behind him in a long row. Their guns and equipment jangled and made noise as they worked their way down the steps. The walls were close and narrow. The heady scents of oil, engine exhaust, and sweat bombarded him.
"Are you okay, Della?" he asked.
She nodded.
The metal steps echoed beneath their boots as they descended, accompanied by the sound of many people talking. When they neared the floor below, he spotted several men standing at the entrance. They were dressed in black leather and had guns strapped to their backs. They nodded at Chilton as they passed them. The group continued descending another set of stairs.
They stopped at the second floor, and instead of continuing downwards to the next tier, Chilton walked passed another set of guards and into a long corridor. The floor was stone, and clean of dirt and debris. People milled around them. Everybody was carrying some type of weapon or firearm.
"Be careful,” Erlick said to Daniel. “These people are cutthroats, and would kill you for money."
A few people looked at Della as they followed Chilton, his massive figure parting the throngs of people. The professor saw shops built directly into the walls and long white lights were positioned on the ceiling, lending a harsh look to the people and the structures on this floor.
The stench emanating from the people around him made him gag and become a little light-headed. He could tell Della was also being affected by the harsh aromas.
Chilton led them toward an establishment called ‘The Robber Bar’. The guards at the front stopped the soldiers from entering.
Chilton said, "Captain Jostler will only speak to the Professor and the elf."
Erlick was about to protest, but Professor Jacobs stopped him. "Okayay, I agree to that. Erlick, don't worry. Della is with me."
