that led up to the door that was their goal. Tintin followed, still not quite able to believe that Haddock had forgotten
everything
.
He couldn’t give up so quickly. “Well, is there somebody else in your family?” he asked. “Maybe they would know.”
“Sir Francis had three sons,” Haddock said. “All but my bloodline failed. I am the last of the Haddocks.”
Here is a possibility
, Tintin mused, thinking of the poem from the parchment. A thin one, but it was all he had. “Did you say
three
sons?”
They got to the bottom of the stairwell just as a search party entered the stairwell on the floor above. Haddock, Tintin, and Snowy ducked under the stairs and froze as the sailors passed. Snowy couldn’t help himself. He let out a small whimper after they were gone. Tintin patted him on the head to soothe him.
Haddock came out, looked around, and started up the stairs. Tintin and Snowy followed.
Three sons
, Tintin was thinking . . . and just like that, he had it.
“I know what Sakharine’s looking for!” he said in a too-loud whisper just as they reached the top of the stairs.
Haddock whirled to shut him up. “What are you raving about?”
“It was written on the scroll,” Tintin said. “
Three brothers joined. Three Unicorns in company sailing in the noonday sun will speak
.”
Amazed, Haddock just gaped at Tintin for a long moment. Then he said, “Really?”
“Sir Francis didn’t make two models of the
Unicorn
. He made three! Three ships for three sons!” Tintin felt a rush of excitement at solving this part of the puzzle.
Haddock appeared to feel it, too. “Excellent!” he said, and headed off down the corridor with a new spring in his step.
“Sakharine’s after the third model ship,” Tintin said.
They reached a door and Haddock tried it. It wouldn’t open. “Barnacles!” Haddock swore. “Someone’s locked the door!” He stood there, apparently at a loss for what to do next.
Tintin wanted to talk about the three models, but Captain Haddock’s mind was elsewhere. What a frustrating man he was! “Is there a . . . key?” Tintin suggested.
“Key!” Haddock said. “Yes! Now that would be the problem.”
Again he led Tintin through the convoluted mid-decks of the
Karaboudjan
, and again they hid and dodged search parties. After a few minutes they arrived at a door just like the locked door at the other end of the ship, but this one was open just a crack. Haddock pushed it slowly and carefully. His body language told Tintin that they must remain absolutely silent.
The two of them peered into the room beyond the door, Snowy also taking a look and sniffing the air. It was dark and the sounds of snoring were Tintin’s first indication of where they were. His eyes adjusted to the gloom, and he saw a motley group of sailors sleeping, sprawled in hammocks and bunks and on the floor.
“Mr. Jaggerman,” Haddock whispered. “Top bunk in the center. Keeper of the keys. Careful, mind; he’s a restless sleeper on account of the tragic loss of his eyelids.”
“He lost his eyelids?” Tintin said. How was he going to sneak up on a man with no eyelids?
“Aye,” Haddock said. “Now that was a card game to remember.” For a moment he was lost in thought. Then he shook himself out of his reverie. “I’d do this myself, Tintin, but you’ve a lighter tread and less chance of waking the boys.”
Tintin was not at all convinced. “Are you sure this is a good idea?”
“You’ve nothing to worry about,” Haddock said.
The ship began to roll as Tintin squatted to give Snowy a little scratch under the chin and tell him to stay put. The ship must have been entering rougher seas again.
What luck
, Tintin thought.
Just as I have to tiptoe among sleeping sailors to lift a set of keys from a man with no eyelids, the floor starts to move. I might as well have stayed tied up in the hold!
But there was not much choice, so he set off down the narrow aisle between the rows of bunks and
everything
.
He couldn’t give up so quickly. “Well, is there somebody else in your family?” he asked. “Maybe they would know.”
“Sir Francis had three sons,” Haddock said. “All but my bloodline failed. I am the last of the Haddocks.”
Here is a possibility
, Tintin mused, thinking of the poem from the parchment. A thin one, but it was all he had. “Did you say
three
sons?”
They got to the bottom of the stairwell just as a search party entered the stairwell on the floor above. Haddock, Tintin, and Snowy ducked under the stairs and froze as the sailors passed. Snowy couldn’t help himself. He let out a small whimper after they were gone. Tintin patted him on the head to soothe him.
Haddock came out, looked around, and started up the stairs. Tintin and Snowy followed.
Three sons
, Tintin was thinking . . . and just like that, he had it.
“I know what Sakharine’s looking for!” he said in a too-loud whisper just as they reached the top of the stairs.
Haddock whirled to shut him up. “What are you raving about?”
“It was written on the scroll,” Tintin said. “
Three brothers joined. Three Unicorns in company sailing in the noonday sun will speak
.”
Amazed, Haddock just gaped at Tintin for a long moment. Then he said, “Really?”
“Sir Francis didn’t make two models of the
Unicorn
. He made three! Three ships for three sons!” Tintin felt a rush of excitement at solving this part of the puzzle.
Haddock appeared to feel it, too. “Excellent!” he said, and headed off down the corridor with a new spring in his step.
“Sakharine’s after the third model ship,” Tintin said.
They reached a door and Haddock tried it. It wouldn’t open. “Barnacles!” Haddock swore. “Someone’s locked the door!” He stood there, apparently at a loss for what to do next.
Tintin wanted to talk about the three models, but Captain Haddock’s mind was elsewhere. What a frustrating man he was! “Is there a . . . key?” Tintin suggested.
“Key!” Haddock said. “Yes! Now that would be the problem.”
Again he led Tintin through the convoluted mid-decks of the
Karaboudjan
, and again they hid and dodged search parties. After a few minutes they arrived at a door just like the locked door at the other end of the ship, but this one was open just a crack. Haddock pushed it slowly and carefully. His body language told Tintin that they must remain absolutely silent.
The two of them peered into the room beyond the door, Snowy also taking a look and sniffing the air. It was dark and the sounds of snoring were Tintin’s first indication of where they were. His eyes adjusted to the gloom, and he saw a motley group of sailors sleeping, sprawled in hammocks and bunks and on the floor.
“Mr. Jaggerman,” Haddock whispered. “Top bunk in the center. Keeper of the keys. Careful, mind; he’s a restless sleeper on account of the tragic loss of his eyelids.”
“He lost his eyelids?” Tintin said. How was he going to sneak up on a man with no eyelids?
“Aye,” Haddock said. “Now that was a card game to remember.” For a moment he was lost in thought. Then he shook himself out of his reverie. “I’d do this myself, Tintin, but you’ve a lighter tread and less chance of waking the boys.”
Tintin was not at all convinced. “Are you sure this is a good idea?”
“You’ve nothing to worry about,” Haddock said.
The ship began to roll as Tintin squatted to give Snowy a little scratch under the chin and tell him to stay put. The ship must have been entering rougher seas again.
What luck
, Tintin thought.
Just as I have to tiptoe among sleeping sailors to lift a set of keys from a man with no eyelids, the floor starts to move. I might as well have stayed tied up in the hold!
But there was not much choice, so he set off down the narrow aisle between the rows of bunks and
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