Three Investigators - The Curse of the Mysterious Traveler, page 2
With this free spirit and attitude of cooperation and sharing, a local art fair was inevitable. For as long as Jupe, Pete, and Bob
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could remember, there had always been an art fair each summer at the small fairgrounds not far from the salvage yard. This festive event was a boon for area businesses, as tourists and artists alike came from miles around to take part in the exciting week-long celebration.
The artists the boys liked the best were the Gypsies. Each year the sound of clip-clopping horse hooves could be heard clattering up the main thoroughfare of Main Street. Tourists and long-time residents alike would invariably line the sidewalks to watch the small parade of eccentric characters. Women with large hoop ear-rings and brightly colored scarves drove huge covered wagons up the street, while men walked alongside playing fiddles, singing songs, and juggling everything from fresh fruit to gleaming daggers.
Many of the same Gypsies came back every year, but there were always new faces, too. Titus Jones was particularly fond of the troupe, as he had spent time in his youth with a traveling carnival working as a calliope player. He would always be the first to welcome the Gypsies to town, opening his yard just for them and allowing them to take whatever items they needed for repairs on their wagons free of charge. A proud and honest clan, the Gypsies always insisted on paying for their necessities.
This summer looked to be the biggest ever for the art fair. The whole town was abuzz with excited chatter for the upcoming festivities. The Gypsies, who always seemed to know instinctively when to arrive, had clattered into town with their biggest caravan yet. When they reached the fairgrounds, they began to work busi-ly at obtaining the proper vending licenses from Rocky Beach’s town hall, and setting up their wagons in their designated spots among the other artists’ booths.
It was with some surprise then, when the local leaders of the Gypsy council arrived at the gates of the Jones Salvage Yard and asked for Jupiter Jones instead of Titus! Wondering what kind of
16 The Curse of the Mysterious Traveler trouble the boys were in, Aunt Mathilda sent Hans and Konrad, the two blond Bavarian brothers who worked as handymen at the yard, off to find Jupiter while she bustled across the way to the Joneses’ small white house to prepare sandwiches and lemonade for the Gypsy guests.
The boys were where they could usually be found on a typical summer day – in Jupe’s workshop, fiddling with a fresh batch of miscellaneous junk that only needed minor repairs to make it suitable, sellable merchandise.
“Jupe,” said Konrad, “people here to see you.”
“Yup,” Hans agreed, “the Gypsies, they ask for you.”
Jupiter looked up from the small transistor radio he was sol-dering. “The Gypsies want to talk to me?”
“Yah,” Hans nodded, “they ask to speak to young Jones, who finds all that is missing.”
Jupe looked at Bob and Pete in wonder and then followed the two brothers to the front of the yard. Standing by the small cabin that served as the yard’s office were three Gypsy men: two powerfully built young men and one elderly man who looked as old as time, but who still possessed a fire in his eyes that suggested he was capable of much more than he seemed. The older man, dressed in a billowing white shirt, old fashioned button trousers that stopped just below the knee, and purple stockings that matched the scarf covering his head, stepped forward when the boys arrived and bowed low before them.
Showing great respect for their visitors, the boys silently bowed in return. The elder Gypsy clasped his hands before him and smiled warmly. When he spoke, his voice held a thick accent, but his words came out strong and clear.
“You are young Jones, ward of Titus Jones – friend of Gypsies everywhere, yes?”
Jupiter nodded his head. “Yes, sir. I am Jupiter Jones, and these are my colleagues, Bob Andrews and Pete Crenshaw.”
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The old Gypsy greeted the boys and turned to the two men who accompanied him. They were dressed in similar attire, and looked so much alike that Jupiter guessed they were twins. “I am Gregorio, and these are my grandsons: Viktor and Carlos.
Anything which shall be discussed before Gregorio, shall be said before them as well. I am the soul of our family, and they are the heart, the arms, and legs. What is mine shall one day be theirs.
Now then, is there a private retreat we can adjourn to where we may discuss private matters?”
Jupiter directed them to the small office just as Aunt Mathilda returned with a plate of thick ham sandwiches and a pitcher of iced lemonade.
“A thousand thanks, kind lady,” said Viktor, smiling happily at Aunt Mathilda.
“Blessings and good fortune to your family,” Carlos added.
“A meal as beautiful as the one who prepared it!”
Blushing, Aunt Mathilda fussed about filling their glasses and passing out napkins; then hurried out the door, still smiling broadly. The boys watched in wonder as the three Gypsies tucked napkins into their shirts and placed them carefully across their knees, and then began dining with the table manners of royal aristocrats!
When they had completely emptied their plates and stacked them neatly on the center of the desk, the old man named Gregorio lit a fragrant pipe and peered at Jupiter through the cloud of smoke.
“And now we talk,” he said gravely. “I have been told by your uncle that you three lads seek the truth to many of life’s myster-ies.”
“Yes, sir,” Jupiter answered. “My partners and I are detectives. We’ve solved some cases that have baffled many adults.
Our motto is: ‘We Investigate Anything.’” He dug in his shirt pocket and produced two oversized business cards, handing them to the old man. “Our credentials.”
The elder Gypsy took the cards in his gnarled hands and stud-
18 The Curse of the Mysterious Traveler ied them intently. The first card read:
THE THREE INVESTIGATORS
“We Investigate Anything”
? ? ?
First Investigator…….……..…..Jupiter Jones
Second Investigator……..…..Peter Crenshaw
Records & Research...................Bob Andrews The second card was given to each of the boys by Rocky Beach’s Chief of Police, Sam Reynolds. It was a sign of appreci-ation and respect for all the help The Three Investigators had given him on various cases. It read:
This certifies that the bearer is a Volunteer Junior Assistant Deputy cooperating with
the police force of Rocky Beach. Any assistance given him will be appreciated.
(Signed) Samuel Reynolds
Chief of Police
Gregorio passed the cards to his grandsons and smiled.
“All is well,” he said quietly. “I can see you are strong-willed boys. You are wise for your age – for you have selected the inter-rogation mark as your sign. Many would think you question your abilities by placing this on your card. I see it as a challenge. You seek out life’s puzzles, and in doing so help out the less fortunate.
Most importantly, you are held in high regard by the elders in your community. In fact, it was your Chief who sent us to you. We seek something of great value, and you are the finders of all that is missing.”
“Our services are currently engaged by another client,” Jupiter explained, “but we’d be willing to make an exception in your
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case. Perhaps you can begin by telling us what it is that has been lost?”
Gregorio blew a veil of smoke before him and leaned in close to the boys. “Not lost,” he said bitterly. “Stolen! An ancient amulet of great power. Kept in our family for generations –
passed on from one elder to the next. It holds a great secret. A riddle with an answer that has remained hidden for over fifteen years!”
The wise Gypsy was nearly quivering with rage. His voice came out in a harsh rasp. “That of which I speak is of paramount importance to our family – our history! It would be a crushing blow to our way of life if it is not recovered. I speak of the monkey’s paw!”
20 The Curse of the Mysterious Traveler Chapter Four
The Paw Is Mine!
THE THREE INVESTIGATORS gaped at each other in surprise.
For the second time in as many days, someone had laid claim to the mysterious monkey’s paw!
“Pardon me, sir,” Bob said slowly, “but did you say ‘monkey’s paw?’”
Gregorio the Gypsy nodded his head and thumped a fist to his chest. “A sacred relic of great power. Given to me by my father, and his father before him. A talisman of our family since time out of mind. It has brought us good fortune and kept us healthy – and delivered omens of ill-will when certain parties have conspired against us.”
“Gee, mister, we’ve…” Pete began. He was cut off by a kick to his ankle from Jupiter. “Ow! What was that for?”
The First Investigator’s eyes darted over the tall boy’s shoulder. Pete and Bob both whirled toward the office door and gasped.
The mysterious traveler stood in the doorway!
He was once more dressed completely in white, the scarlet fez perched atop his head. His piercing blue eyes seemed kindled by an insane rage!
“So, you have come to steal the paw?” he seethed.
Carlos and Viktor immediately stood up and stepped in front of the old man. They crossed their powerful arms over their chests and waited for Gregorio to speak, all the while watching the traveler like he was a dangerous viper.
“You accuse us of stealing?” the old man asked in surprise. He chuckled and then began laughing wildly, his laughter finally sub-siding into a grating cough.
Being laughed at seemed to infuriate the traveler even more.
His swarthy features became flushed and his hands clenched and
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unclenched spasmodically.
“How – How dare you laugh at me! Do you know who I am?
I am Jujab, Duke of Lapathia, killer of spies! I have smuggled in the most dangerous bazaars of Istanbul. I have stolen treasures from the most sacred tombs of Cairo. I have looked death in the face and laughed, old man. And I am the rightful owner of the monkey’s paw!”
The Three Investigators watched with trepidation as Gregorio stepped past his grandsons and pointed a twisted finger at Jujab.
“You are nothing – insignificant.” The old man turned to Jupiter.
“This man has stolen that of which we speak. Our first night in town, as we are setting up camp, his men slink into my tent.
Viktor happens upon the thieves, but it is too late – they have already found the paw. There is a scuffle. A man with a long scar pulls a knife and attacks Viktor. There is much blood.
As if to illustrate the point, Viktor pulled up the corner of his shirt to reveal a large bandage on his side.
Gregorio turned a gnarled finger to Jujab. “The devils slash their way out of the tent with thier knives! Viktor and Carlos give chase, only to see them enter a fine Rolls Royce automobile with this man waiting at the door! It speeds away into the night.”
The old man squared his shoulders and jutted his jaw out proudly. “And now he has the paw. But it is useless to him. He does not know what secrets it holds in its grasp. It is but a trifle, a mere trinket. The secret will only be revealed to those with pure Gypsy blood in their veins!”
Jujab took a step forward, his teeth bared.
“The paw is mine!”
Jupiter gulped as the Gypsy twins raised their fists in a defen-sive posture. It was up to him to defuse the situation before it turned ugly!
“We’ll get the paw for you, Mr. Jujab,” he said quickly. “We don’t want any trouble!”
22 The Curse of the Mysterious Traveler
“Ah – the boy sees reason,” Jujab said in a mocking voice.
“Bring it to me at once!”
“Jupe!” Bob cried. “Don’t do it!”
“He stole it from the Gypsies!” Pete added.
Jupiter pinched his bottom lip and scowled. He looked helplessly at Gregorio.
“We have no proof that you were in possession of the paw first, sir. After all, Jujab did bring it to us. Perhaps if I return it to him, you can work out some kind of deal.”
After a long pause, Gregorio finally sighed and nodded his head. “Difficult as it is, we must honor your decision, young Jones. It is the will of the paw. It has begun to work its magic – I have felt it in my bones for many moons now.”
The old man stood up and pointed two fingers at the mysterious traveler in a hex sign. “The paw is about to reveal something.
But mark my words, stranger; with every wish there comes a curse!”
Jujab scoffed at the old Gypsy, and then whirled on Jupiter.
“The paw!” he growled.
“Yes, sir,” Jupiter choked. “It won’t take me but a minute to fetch it.” He looked at Bob and Pete with a grim expression. “Stay here, fellows. I’ll be right back.”
The stocky boy stepped out of the small office and trotted through the towering piles of salvage to his workshop. Once there, he opened a large oak door, still in its frame, which leaned against a big pile of granite blocks – the key was hidden in plain sight amid a box of other rusty keys. This was Easy Three.
Hunching over, he passed through a large iron boiler from an old steam engine, and then through the round side door of Headquarters.
When he clicked on the light that hung over the desk, Jupiter paused at a length of stove-pipe that hung from the ceiling in the middle of Headquarters. This was the See-All – a crude but effi-
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cient periscope that he had rigged up so the boys could see out of the buried mobile home trailer. He made a mental note to remind Pete to bring the periscope down when not in use. The last thing they needed was Aunt Mathilda seeing it sticking above the piles of junk and deciding to throw it out!
He pulled the contraption down then stepped quickly over to the desk. Reaching underneath, he felt for the hidden drawer and pulled it open. Suddenly his heart skipped a beat. His hand scrab-bled about, feeling frantically for the monkey’s paw.
It was gone!
24 The Curse of the Mysterious Traveler Chapter Five
The Curse of Jujab
JUPITER’S HEART RACED. He ran his hand over every square inch of the secret drawer. The paw had simply vanished without a trace! He thought of Jujab and shivered. Surely the mysterious traveler wouldn’t try anything rash with the burly Carlos and Viktor on hand. But they couldn’t stay forever. What would happen when they left? Jupiter couldn’t be sure.
He snapped off the light and let himself out through Easy Three, his mind racing a million miles an hour. He trudged slowly up to the salvage yard’s office, trying to think of some kind of plan. He decided, finally, that the only thing to do was to tell the truth and hope for the best.
When he reached the front of the yard, everyone was waiting in the driveway just inside the large front gates. They turned and looked at him expectantly.
“Well?” Jujab hissed icily. “I believe you have something that belongs to me.”
Jupe cleared his throat and licked his lips nervously. “Well, uh
– you see…” he began.
The tassel on Jujab’s fez fell in front of his eyes. He swiped it away and glowered at Jupiter.
“What is it, boy? Spit it out! Do you have the paw or not?”
“That’s just it,” Jupiter moaned, “its gone!”
There was a terrible moment of silence, and then everyone started talking at once.
“Gone? What do you mean gone?” cried Bob and Pete. “We just had it a moment ago!”
“What is the meaning of this?” snarled Jujab. He suddenly pulled a wicked looking dagger out of his jacket. The golden blade had several curves and ended in a very sharp point. He
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directed the vicious weapon toward Jupiter. “I’m warning you, boy; don’t play games with me! Now hand over the paw, or do I have to get it myself?”
Just then, Hans and Konrad appeared from the back of the yard. They took one look at the crowd of people gathered at the front gates and immediately came to Jupiter’s side.
“Everything hokay here, Jupe?” asked Hans.
Konrad caught sight of Jujab’s dagger and frowned. “This man, he give you trouble. You want I should break him over my knee?”
“That’s okay, Konrad,” Jupiter replied. “I think Mr. Jujab was just leaving.”
Jujab’s black eyes darted about from one person to the next.
Realizing he was outnumbered, the mysterious traveler tucked his knife back inside his jacket and backed away.
“You will regret this, boy! All of you! I shall return to claim what is mine – mark my words! But before I depart I shall leave you with what the Lapathian’s call a shiver, but you will know it as a curse!”
The man named Jujab closed his eyes and raised his hands to the sky. His voice rang out in a horrible moan that made Pete and Bob’s hair stand on end.
“I summon the vanquished demons of the earth, wind, fire, and sea. I beckon the great spirit Gort! I summon the blackness from the four corners! Hear me – hear me as I invoke your terrible curse! Klaatu, Baradda, Nikto!”
He balled his right hand up and then brought his arm forward as if he were throwing a baseball. Bob and Pete ducked, half expecting another dagger to come shooting from inside his sleeve.
But Jupiter stood his ground, his face blank as if lost in thought.
“If you are lucky, you will live to regret the curse of Jujab,” the mysterious traveler hissed, backing away toward the large front gates. “When you have suffered enough pain and torment, bring
26 The Curse of the Mysterious Traveler
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me the paw and the curse shall be lifted. Remember – I see all!”
The group watched in silence as Jujab disappeared around the corner of the fence. Finally, Hans whistled lowly.
“That man, he’s crazy I think, Jupe.”
“Yah,” Konrad agreed, nodding emphatically and twirling a finger beside his blond head. “If he comes back, I call the police, you bet!”
