Why, hello. If you thought this post was going to be about Dr. Garlic running indoors with his family, I’m sorry to say the title is a little misleading. In this case, “the family” refers to a group of gangsters (who aren’t even related) that Typhon and Winstrom had a bit of a run-in with.

10.11.15

Well, that was quite unsettling.

Winstrom and I had completed our map of the invasion of the Danes in 1013, and were walking to the library to return 💰 Æthelred the Second’s Ill-Advised Treasure Trove 💎. On our way there, three men in black suits approached us. Two of them pulled guns on us, and the third indicated that we were to follow him to a side alley.

We did so. “Who are you?” I asked.

“No, no no no,” he scoffed, “That’s not how this works. You see, the people with the guns ask the questions here.”

“Then again,” he squinted, “that’s not what we’re here for. We know what you’re looking for, and believe me when I tell you that you’re going to forget you ever heard of it, or you’re going to regret you didn’t.”

He had one of the two others search my bag. “Sir, it’s a book about the treasure! Duke Stinewell’s going to be mighty pleased!”

“Could you not shout that to the whole world? Just take the book.”

“But, sir, that’s a library book.”

“Oh, excuse me, I didn’t realize.” He grabbed the book from the goon, and threw it down the alley. “Do you even know what the word ‘criminal’ means, Frank?”

Frank just blinked.

Rolling his eyes, he said, “It’s a wonder you’re still alive. Well since for some unknown reason you don’t want to steal the library book, it looks like you’re getting another from somewhere else. Oh, and I want it by tomorrow, or you can kiss that fancy desk chair goodbye. Do we understand one another?”

“Yes sir!” said the bewildered Frank.

“What else does he have?”

“Some kind of map.”

“Take it.”

“Hey,” protested Winstrom, “you can’t just tak–”

“On the contrary, kid, I think I just did.”

“Yeah, you tell that loser, Sue!” drawled the unshaven one.

“Sue” spun around and glared at him. “Harvey, you can zip it, or I can start looking up nearby hospitals, find you a real nice one to stay at.”

“Y-yessir,” stammered Harvey.

“Wait, your name is Sue?” Winstrom asked. I froze. What on earth was he thinking?

A long moment passed. The man exhaled sharply.

“Yes,” he said very deliberately, “And what’s it to you?” Winstrom made no answer, likely as petrified as I. “So I thought.”

Sue looked me in the eye. “A word to the wise: Remember what I said, stay out of this, and we won’t be any further trouble to you. You do not want to cross me, pal.”

He motioned to his men, and they left. I collected the library book and Winstrom and I returned it. The two of us are now back in our hotel room, and it’s safe to say both of us are pretty shaken up.

Of course we had taken photos of the map in case anything happened to it, but I find myself questioning if we ought to continue on with our search. Either way we had better figure out just who these gangsters are, and who this “Duke Stinewell” they seem to work for is.

Wow, it would seem the Garlic brothers are on to something after all! Sue and company have me worried though. What do you think, should they abandon this treasure hunt?