Read Online The Triangle and The Mountain: A Bermuda Triangle Adventure by Jake von Alpen - Free Book Online Page B

rooms do you have?”
    “About sixty.”
    “All right, that’s a lot,” said Garth, surprised. “How old
is it?”
    “The foundations were laid three centuries ago but every
generation after that has added something.”
    “Very interesting!” said Grant. “I wonder what kind of
business your family was in three centuries ago.”
    “What do you think?” she asked.
    “Piracy for sure,” he said.
    “And if I told you that you are right, what are you going to
think of me?”
    “I’ll respect you,” he said, not meaning to start a conflict.
    “Good,” she said, “Because our very large house is full of
things that my family had taken from Spanish, French and American ships that
they had captured. Actually, my first forefather who came here was trading in
salt. His children started building ships and they became privateers.”
    “Is that what you call it?”
    “Indeed. It was once an honourable profession and nobody on
Bermuda is ashamed if his forefathers were privateers.”
    “And what does your family do now?”
    “Now they are bankers.”
    “I see.”
    “Which is why you are heading for Bermuda.”
    “How would you know?”
    “I know. You have money and everybody with money heads for
Bermuda, sooner or later.”
    “Why would that apply in my case?”
    “I don’t know as much about banking as my brothers but I
take an interest in jewellery, since we own so many historic pieces. In fact,
I’m training to be a designer. Your golden taps interest me a lot. I’ve
listened to the sound they make when you tick them. They don’t sound or look like
gold plated taps at all. They are solid except for the moving parts. It shows a
certain attitude. I don’t think they are meant to stay in your boat for ever.”
    “Shall I throw you overboard now or later?”
    “Why would you do that? I’ve met many of your type and none
of them wanted to throw me overboard.”
    “What type is that?”
    “People who prefer not have their hard earned money go to
others who do not work so hard.”
    “I thought you said you are not a banker?”
    “My brothers bring them home to us. Of course, you can use
anybody else.”
    “I’ll think about it. I’ve already made some contacts.”
    “But you’ve not made any permanent arrangements yet?”
    “Nothing finalised.”
    Grant studied the bubbles in his glass. He had not considered
getting to second base with this woman yet and it was probably a good thing. He
had a feeling his good luck favoured him once again. Then his eye fell on the
radar screen.
    “Nice talking business with you,” he said, “but look-e-e
here!” He pointed at a spot on the screen.
    “What does it mean?” Madeleine asked.
    “Do you see these solid bands? It means we need to do some
work right now. All along these clouds ahead of us there is activity and it is growing
as we speak. We are bunched in by rain storms. And there is one getting close.”
    “Where is it?”
    “Sneaking up on us from the east. See there, that was lightning.
We have maybe twenty minutes before it strikes us. All hands, prepare the sails
for a squall!”
    “How do I do that?”
    “You just do what I tell you. We reef the mainsail first.
Let’s go!”
    They were still busy when the sun disappeared behind the
clouds that now closed in on them from all sides. Vertical shafts of rain
poured from dark bases in several directions. Thunder rumbled across the waves.
The lightning in the east moved closer. When the squall hit, they were safely
back inside the doghouse. It was a weather tight and hopefully water tight
canopy that sat on top of the companionway stairs. It duplicated some of the
instruments from the cockpit and had its own wheel for steering, much smaller
but easy to use through a system of assisted hydraulics.
    Grant decided on it during the design phase. “I don’t see
why one should get fatigued from exposure,” he said, imagining himself steering
in a regulation sixty knot Cape storm from the open