Ethen Coal and the Legend of the Blood Horn

By Joshua Roberts

Ethen Coal is an ambitious young archaeologist who lands what he considers the opportunity of a lifetime. Before he embarks on his journey, he is reunited with two childhood friends, Sam and Anastasia. They agree to help him on his dangerous expedition, searching for what some consider to be nothing more than a myth called the Blood Horn.

Shortly after the three friends set out for this treasure, they are confronted with dangers beyond their wildest imaginations. They stumble upon the likes of dragons, pirates, and even mermaids as misfortunes overtake them. Luckily, a strangerwho claims to be from another worldsaves their lives. And the adventure has only just begun.

The further the search goes, the more Ethen suspects that the Blood Horn is not of this world and that someone will do anything to keep him from finding it. With the support of Sam and Anastasia, he fearlessly embarks on an undertaking full of danger, magic, and some living myths only to discover that what he seeks is so much more than what he imagined.

• Language: English
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Release date: Jan 20, 2018
• ISBN: 9781532033223

Joshua Roberts

Joshua is a character designer/illustrator and holds a bachelor's of fine arts, specializing in animation, from Savannah College of Art and Design. He's had an affinity for art since he was a small child, drawing his favorite cartoons and eventually creating his own. He has worked for studios such as Steve Harvey Global, Chaz Bottoms Animation, and more. For information regarding character design or illustrations, contact [e-mail] or visit www.drawnoutjosh.com.

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1

How It All Got Started

A young boy named Ethen Coal lived in a small town in Georgia, where he had two best friends: Samuel Edwards, whom everyone called Sam, and Anastasia Thornton, whom everyone called Ana. Sam was a big kid for his age and looked older than he was. Sam was also a tough kid; he never cried or complained about anything. Ethen and Sam were ten years old. Ana was one year older and had blonde hair and the greenest eyes Ethen had ever seen. She was a sweet girl but also had quite a temper and sometimes a short fuse. However, hanging around with Ethen and Sam was enough to make anybody have a temper with a short fuse. There were not a lot of girls in the neighborhood, so Ana hung out mostly with Ethen and Sam. All of their parents were close friends, and they had cookouts and spent a lot of time together, so Ethen, Ana, and Sam were close. They did almost everything together. They were always finding something to do and never wanted to stay indoors; they were always doing something outdoors.

One spring day, after school, they were playing in a little patch of evergreen forest near their neighborhood. It was a beautiful afternoon; the dogwood trees and the flowers were blooming, birds were singing, and the afternoon sunshine was sneaking through the forest. There was a nice breeze blowing the smell of the honeysuckle in their faces—and what a lovely smell it was! They were on their own little treasure hunt, digging around in a place where Ethen’s dad had told them about people finding all kinds of old stuff over the years. He’d told them to look for two big oak trees, each with a huge limb that grew toward the other. The limbs crossed, forming an X. He’d said, Under those limbs, between the trees, is a good place to start. As they say, X marks the spot!

It was late in the afternoon, and the sun was fading behind the beautiful, tall Georgia pine trees. The sunset was breathtaking, but they didn’t notice. However, the setting of the sun did remind them that it was about time for dinner, and Ethen knew his mom would be calling him soon. They were digging with what Ethen’s dad called a foxhole shovel. His dad had told him once that there was all sorts of stuff under the ground from the old days and they might have to dig deep to find something. If they did find something, he’d said, they should keep looking because there could be more treasure farther down. They took turns digging because digging around all the roots from the giant oak trees was a lot of work. They were laughing, joking, and having a good time.

They had dug down about a foot or so, when they shoveled out some dirt and Ethen saw something roll from the dirt mound. He jumped up, ran over to it, reached down, and picked it up. He excitedly said, Hey, guys, check this out!

Ana and Sam jumped to their feet and went to see what Ethen had found. Ana said, It looks like a miniature treasure chest!

Sam said, Oh, how cool!

The object was about three inches wide and three inches high and was made out of wood, but strangely, the wood was not rotted at all. It had markings and designs all over it. They shook it and could hear something inside. They tried to open it, but it seemed impossible to do with just their bare hands. Ethen said, Let’s put it down. We’ll open it with some of my dad’s tools. He did say if we found something to keep looking because there might be more stuff deeper down!

They put the box down and began to dig deeper in the hole. As they were digging deeper, Ana said, I can’t wait to find out what’s in the box! It was like waiting to open presents at Christmastime. They dug another foot or so, when they hit something hard. At first, they thought it was a root or something, so they kept tapping it. Then, by the sound, they knew they’d hit some kind of metal. They all began digging faster and faster because they knew it was getting late and time to go home. They dug and dug, passing the shovel back and forth. They saw that the object was pretty big, but they still didn’t know what they had found. Then they stopped for a moment to catch their breath and ask each other what they thought it was.

Suddenly, they heard a voice in the distance yell, Ethen!

Ethen knew it was his mom calling him for dinner. Ethen said, My mom’s calling, so I’d better get home.

Ana said, Let’s just come back in the morning to finish digging it up since tomorrow is Saturday and we don’t have school. I’m ready for a bath anyway. I’m so dirty! They all agreed, and Ana added, What about the box?

Sam said, You found it first, Ethen, so you take it with you.

Then each one ran home with excitement. They couldn’t wait for tomorrow to arrive.

When Ethen got home, he told his dad what they had done and showed him the box he had found. Ethen’s dad smiled, took the box, and looked it over. Then he said, Son, this is pretty awesome, but it doesn’t look very old.

Ethen excitedly said, But there is something in there!

His dad said, Yeah, I will see what I can find out about it for you. I think the real old stuff is what you are trying to dig up. If it’s deeper, that means it’s been there longer, so therefore, it’s older.

Ethen asked his dad what he thought it could be. His dad said, There’s a lot of old stuff in that area from the Civil War, as well as a bunch of Indian arrowheads and flint, pottery, and old plows from farmers—all sorts of things. There’s really no telling what it could be.

His dad’s response made their discovery an even bigger mystery for Ethen. He thought about it as he ate dinner and then headed off to bed. He lay there tossing and turning, thinking about what his dad had said and wondering with excitement what they were digging up. He knew the buried object wasn’t an Indian arrowhead or flint, pottery, or anything like that because of the size of it and the sound it had made when they tapped on it. He thought, Well, maybe it could be something from the Civil War, but what? After a while, he finally managed to fall asleep.

The next morning, about daylight, as the sun’s rays were peeking through his blinds, the sound of someone knocking at the front door woke him. Ethen jumped out bed and headed toward the door, but his mom got there first because she was already up. Ethen’s dad had to work that Saturday, so his mom had gotten up early to pack his dad’s lunch. Ethen’s mom opened the door to see who was there. Ethen ran over, looked out the door, and saw Ana and Sam. They were standing there excited and ready to go, which was strange because Ana had always said she wasn’t a morning person. Sam said, Come on, Ethen! Get dressed, and let’s go!

Ethen ran to his room, hurriedly got dressed, and took off toward the door. His mom said, Ethen, no breakfast?

He stopped and said, I don’t have time, Mom!

Where are you going? she asked.

The woods to finish digging up our mystery treasure! he replied. Is that okay?

She laughed and said, Yes, but each one of you be careful.

We will, he replied. Thanks, Mom! Then out of the house he ran to meet up with Ana and Sam.

Ana said, Should we open the box we found yesterday first?

Ethen said, No, my dad has it, and he said he was going to find out more about it. So they grabbed some of the gardening tools his mom used in her flower beds and then headed for the forest.

When they got to the place where they had found the object, they discovered that the hole was filled with water, as it had rained the night before. Ethen said, I didn’t even hear it raining last night!

They stood there staring at the hole for a minute, wondering what they were going to do. Sam said, I saw some old coffee cans around here yesterday. Maybe we can use them to dip the water out.

Ethen said, Yeah, we could. Let’s scatter out and look for them.

They went around looking for the cans Sam had seen the day before. Only a minute later, Sam yelled, Here they are! But there are only two.

Ana said, All I see is an old cup. I can use this.

Using the cans and cup they had found, they dipped for what seemed like half a day, but it was only about thirty minutes. They got all the water out of the hole and started to dig away more dirt. The dirt had turned into mud, and the more they dug, the more the soil seemed to fall in. After a while, they finally could see about a foot of the mysterious object. They kept digging and got all the mud from around it, and then they noticed the object was imbedded in some hard Georgia clay. However, by that time, it had started to rain again. Ana said, I don’t mind getting wet, but if the lightning comes, I’m gone! You two are on your own!

Ethen said, We almost have it. Let’s all three get down in here and pick up on it!

They all grabbed it and pulled up as hard as they could. It wouldn’t budge. Ana said, Get the shovel, and we’ll pry up on it. They grabbed the shovel and started to pry. Ana said, It’s moving!

Then something broke loose. It was about the size of a bowling ball but just a little smaller. They set it outside the hole, and Ethen said, It’s heavy!

They started digging some more as Sam said, I wonder if there are more like this one.

Ethen said, I thought it was one big object, but apparently, there are several.

By then, they were all covered in mud. They kept digging, broke more objects loose, and set each one of them outside the hole. Ana said, I’m so muddy. I’m ready for another bath!

Ethen said, You’re getting one from the rain as we speak!

Ana shrugged and said, Yeah, but I don’t seem to be getting clean!

The rain was helping them out by washing the objects off so that they could see them better. There were five of the round objects and something else shaped like a big horseshoe. Ana said, What is that horseshoe thing?

I’m not sure, Sam replied. By that time, the rain had quit, and they were standing there soaked and covered in mud, trying to figure out what they had found. But most of all, they were trying to figure out how they were going to get the objects home.

Ana said, Ethen, what about that old red wagon of yours? Can’t we use that?

Ethen said, Yeah, that’s a good idea! What would we do without you, Ana? She was always the smart one who figured things out, making it easier on them.

Ethen ran home and got the old wagon he had received for Christmas a few years before. He hurried back to Ana and Sam with it. They put all of the objects in the wagon and started pulling it home. The tires squeaked as they went along, and they were proud of themselves for what they had done. As they were pulling the wagon up to Ethen’s house, some of the kids in the neighborhood saw them and came over to see what was going on. Brad, who was a bully and the leader of his little gang, as he called it, came over with his group of bullies and said, What are you staring at that old piece-of-junk wagon for? Is that what you call fun? They all started laughing and making fun of Ethen, Ana, and Sam.

Ethen said, No, we just found something cool that we dug up.

Brad said, It looks like you found nothing but a rusty pile of metal and a bunch of mud! They laughed again.

Sam said, Brad, you don’t have anything better to do today than make fun of us?

Ana said, Yeah, Brad, don’t you have to be practicing how to get in more trouble than you did yesterday?

Brad said, Shut your mouth, girl!

Ana said, Make me!

Sam said, Yeah, make her!

It got quiet for a few seconds, and then Brad said, Come on, guys. Let’s go and let these losers play with their wagon and rusty pile of metal. They walked away laughing.

Brad and his gang were probably scared of Sam. As long as Sam was with Ethen and Ana, they wouldn’t mess with them. It wasn’t because Sam would beat them up if they looked at him wrong—Sam was gentle and polite. However, he was bigger, and they were intimidated by him. Nobody messed with Ana as long as Sam and Ethen were around.

Anyway, they didn’t care what Brad or his buddies thought. They were proud of what they had accomplished, because they’d done it together. They all went home, changed clothes, and then waited on Ethen’s dad to get home from work to help them figure out what they had found, because Ethen’s dad knew a lot about history and old stuff.

After lunch, Ethen’s dad finally got home, and they showed him the cool stuff they had found. He looked at them and said, I’m not sure what they are just yet. Let’s clean them up some.

He went to the garage, reached in a cabinet, grabbed a bottle of something, and said, This is used to clean up stuff like what you three have here. He poured some of it over the objects and scrubbed them with some wire brushes. After about twenty or thirty minutes of cleaning, he stepped back and looked for a moment.

Sam said, Mr. Coal, what do you think they are?

He said, You guys have found what look to me like cannonballs.

Excited, they all said, Really?

He said, Yeah, I believe so. The U-shaped thing, I’m not sure. But I have a friend, Mr. Mosely, who would know. He runs the little antique shop down the road. Let’s take it to him and find out. I believe he’s home now, because he said he was closing the antique shop at twelve o’clock today.

So they loaded up in Ethen’s dad’s red F-150 truck. It was an older truck, but to them, it was like new, because they didn’t have a lot of money, and Ethen’s dad took good care of the truck. They put the cannonballs in the back of the truck and went down the road to an elderly man’s house. He looked to be about seventy or so, and he was nice and knew his stuff when it came to antiques. He looked over the objects and asked, Where’d you find them?

They told him where and all about how they’d found them. He kept looking at them and said, Wow, kids, you have found yourselves cannonballs from the Civil War! He was just as excited as they were about these objects that looked like piles of rust and corrosion. He explained about the cannonballs to them; they were for twelve-pounder cannons, meaning the cannonballs weighed twelve pounds. He said, When cannonballs are found, most of the time, people find only one. It’s rare to find five like this in one spot. Wow!

Ana asked, What is this horseshoe-looking thing?

He said, Those are tongs. They are for picking up and carrying the cannonballs around. To find those all together—amazing!

The kids were blown away that they’d found something so cool. Mr. Mosely asked them if they wanted to sell the cannonballs to him for his antique shop. Ethen looked at Ana and Sam, and they knew what they all were thinking. Ethen said, Mr. Mosley, if you will let us come by the antique shop sometimes and will teach us all you can about anything to do with history and antiques, then you can have them, sir.

Mr. Mosely put his hand on his chin and thought for a few seconds. Then he grinned and said, You’ve got a deal!

From that moment on, Ethen, Sam, and Ana knew what they wanted to do when they grew up.

For years after that, as often as they could, Sam, Ana, and Ethen would go talk to Mr. Mosely and learn all they could. A few years later, Ana’s parents moved to South Carolina, where her dad got a new job. Ana became interested in boys and got caught up in dating. She would call Ethen and Sam at least once a week and talk for an hour or so, and then, one day, the calls stopped. Ethen and Sam figured her boyfriend didn’t like her talking to two other boys, even just friends.

Ethen and Sam missed Ana a lot. They missed all the times they’d had together, but they knew they were growing up, and things were going to change.

Then, one day at school, a pretty brown-eyed girl named Alicia batted her eyes at Sam, and that was pretty much the end of him. He didn’t come around much anymore. Ethen was too focused on a career to worry about dating just yet. Besides, he knew the right girl would come along someday. His parents had taught him to be patient, and his faith was strong.

Sam got married right after high school and moved up around Seattle. Ethen didn’t hear from him much. The last he’d heard, Sam’s marriage wasn’t doing well. Ethen hated to hear that, because Sam was such a good guy.

After Ethen graduated from high school, he went on to college for four years and got a degree in archaeology. Then he went back for two years and got his master’s because his heart was in digging in the dirt, exploring, and finding things left behind by the past. He was trying to make a name for himself and be the best he could be while doing what he loved. He was still living in Georgia and traveled a lot, doing work where he could. At twenty-six, he was still waiting for the right girl to come along but mostly studying and working hard. He was an average-sized guy with light blue eyes and light brown hair, and he did a lot of jogging and tried to stay in shape. He studied all the time, reading and grasping every bit of knowledge he could about the line of work he was in. He knew that one day it would pay off, because his parents had raised him to believe that no matter what he did, he should learn all he could and give it his best and then be patient and have faith, because one day his work would pay off.

One day, out of the blue, he got a call from Sam, which was a shock because he hadn’t heard from him in a few years. The two of them talked for two hours or so. Sam said he was working for a local company rebuilding computers. He said he had a two-year-old little girl named Lila, but he and his wife were separated at the time. Ethen could tell by his voice that Sam was hurting. Ethen felt sorry for him and told him to keep the faith and stay positive, because everything would work out.

Sam said, I’m doing my best with it. Then he added, My mom told me that Ana’s mom called her and said Ana got a degree in history and is living in Phoenix.

Ethen said, Phoenix!

Yeah, they gave me her number, so I’m trying to get in touch with her now. I really want us three to get together sometime.

Ethen said, Sounds good to me, but Ana’s got to be married and settled with kids and all by now, right?

Sam said, I will get back in touch with you when I find out something.

After Sam hung up, Ethen thought back to all the fun times he’d had with Sam and Ana—like the time they’d found the cannonballs—when they hadn’t had a care in the world. He thought, It’s funny how things change before you know it!

A week went by, and he didn’t hear from Sam. Then, one day, finally, Ethen got a call from Sam.

Sam said, I got in touch with Ana. She said she has had it rough for a while, but through it all, she managed to get her degree. I told her that you and I wanted the three of us to get together to catch up on everything, since we haven’t seen each other in a long time. She said, ‘I have really missed you and Ethen so much over the years. I have a lot to talk about, so just let me know the date and place, and I will be there.’ Sam gave Ethen a time and place and asked, Is that okay with you, Ethen?

Ethen said, Perfect!

The place Sam had picked was Ethen’s house. Ethen still lived in Georgia, and Sam thought it would be good for everyone to get back to Georgia for a few days, where they’d grown up.

Okay, send me your address, I will let Ana know, and we will see you there, Sam replied, and he hung up the phone.

Ethen was excited to see his two best friends from childhood, whom he hadn’t seen in quite a few years. The last time he’d seen Sam had been six years ago, but he hadn’t seen Ana in more than a dozen years.

Ethen was still standing strong in his faith and looking for that big break in his career. He wasn’t where he wanted to be with his work; he was still looking for a big find that would get his name out there and give him better opportunities to uncover some of the world’s greatest mysteries. He was trying to decide what field of work he really wanted to pursue. He had already done a little bit of work with dinosaur fossils, but he was now doing some excavating on some Creek Indian sites, because he had a love of Native American history. Ethen loved what he did, but like everybody in his or her career, he wanted to be and do the best. He wanted to do something great not only for himself but also for the people. He knew he was fresh in his career and had a lot to learn, but he also knew he had to keep believing in his abilities.

Little did Ethen know that his life was about to change forever.

2

The Call

T he day Sam and Ana were to arrive, Ethen got up early and went for a jog. He came back home, showered, ate breakfast, and then went into his small office to do some studying. Before he could start studying, his cell phone rang. It was an unknown caller, but he answered the call anyway, which was something he never did. A voice on the other end asked, Am I speaking with Mr. Coal?

Ethen said, Yes, sir.

The man said, I wonder if I could take a little bit of your time to talk to you.

Ethen replied, Yes, sir, go right ahead.

The man said, My name is Arthur Bailey. I have some information and a job that I think is right up your alley.

Okay. I can’t wait to hear it.

Mr. Bailey said, I have a collection I think you will like. I have some of the world’s rarest artifacts, and a lot of them I have donated to museums all over the world. I would like you to go find something for me. You were highly recommended by Dr. Peter Tally. I need someone with your ambition to do what it takes to find lost artifacts such as this one, because to go after this thing will not be easy.

Ethen was curious. What is it you want me to find, and what kind of job is this?

Mr. Bailey said, Let’s just say this is not a normal job for an archaeologist. This will be the adventure of a lifetime. I will explain everything when you arrive at my house. He gave Ethen his address in upstate New York and said there was no time to waste. And don’t worry about money. Believe me, it will be worth it for you to go after this. Oh, and keep it to yourself!

After speaking with Mr. Bailey, Ethen was excited but also stunned. He wondered why Dr. Tally had recommended him. He wasn’t an expert, and he’d only worked with Dr. Tally for a few weeks up in Montana, digging for dinosaur fossils, and didn’t really know him well. There are a lot more qualified people in my field of work than me, Ethen thought. But Ethen was grateful for this chance and for Dr. Tally recommending him. It reassured him that hard work, patience, and faith always paid off. Ethen was so excited that he just sat around for the next hour, thinking about what Mr. Bailey had said and wondering what he wanted Ethen to go after. Ethen thought, This really could be my big break!

As he was sitting there, he got to thinking about Sam and Ana and how great it would be for all three of them to go after whatever Mr. Bailey wanted. He looked at the clock and said, It’s almost time for them to arrive. I wonder if they will even be interested. Then he heard a knock.

Ethen got up, cleared his throat, nervously walked toward the door, and slowly opened it. A man was standing in front of him. He was about six foot four and had a smile on his face. His hair was a little darker brown than Ethen had remembered, and he was wearing a Seattle Seahawks hat. The little mustache he’d had the last time Ethen saw him was gone. Ethen said, That hat should have another kind of bird on it around here!

They laughed as Sam grabbed Ethen and started hugging him, and for a moment, Ethen knew what it must have been like to get grabbed by a bear. Ethen thought, Sam hasn’t lost any of his strength—that’s for sure! Ethen said, Sam, it’s so good to see you again!

Sam replied, Ethen, it has been too long. Way too long!

As they finish hugging, Ethen looked behind Sam and saw a woman standing there with long blonde hair and the prettiest smile Ethen had ever seen. Her beautiful green eyes were the color of the needles on a Georgia pine in the summertime, and they were starting to glass up from the tears she was trying to hold back. Ethen said, Ana, is it really you? Ethen grabbed her, and they hugged for what seemed like two minutes. Ethen said, It is so good to see y’all! All of us together again at last!

Sam jokingly said, I see that you still have a little bit of that southern accent going on there!

Ethen laughed and said, Let’s go inside. We have so much to talk about.

They went inside to the living room and sat down. Ethen said, Who wants to go first?

Ana said, I will. It will do me some good to get some of this off my chest. She talked about how she’d worked anywhere she could get a job for years and how she’d always been in a relationship that went nowhere and never could seem to get one to work. She said, I’m done with guys and dating, so I just focused on a career for a while and got my degree in history. I’m trying to get a job teaching at a local school where I’m living. I spend a lot of time in libraries and courthouses, reading everything I can. I’m obsessed with breaking codes and any kind of lost artifacts—anything like that. I guess you could say it’s a hobby of mine that keeps my mind occupied. She didn’t have a lot to say about her personal life, because it seemed she’d had a tough time.

Sam said, I’ll go next. As you both know, I got married early, right out of high school, and we moved to Seattle, where some of Alicia’s family was. Marriage was great for a while, but we tried to have kids for years and couldn’t. I think that complicated things. I’ve worked for a computer place for five years now. I program and repair them. People say I’m the biggest computer nerd they have ever seen—literally! Not bragging, but I’m pretty good with technology now. It’s a long way from what I wanted to do.

Ethen said, It’s never too late, Sam.

You’re right, he replied. Anyway, two years ago, we had a baby girl named Lila. We were so excited and grateful because we had tried for so long. She is my world! Everything was good for a while, and then we had some more trouble and separated. So I’m doing the best I can right now. But enough about us. What about you, Ethen?

Ethen told them a little about what had gone on in his life, but he couldn’t wait to tell them about Mr. Bailey, so he said, I have something I would like to talk to you two about.

Let’s hear it, Sam replied.

I have an opportunity to do something in my life that sounds huge and life changing. There’s a man who wants me to go after an artifact, but he will not tell me what it is until I meet with him. He says he has a collection of some of the world’s rarest artifacts and donates some of them to museums all over the world. Ethen paused and then said, I would like both of you to go with me.

They sat there silently for a moment. Finally, Ana spoke up. I haven’t heard if I got that job yet, so … Yeah. You know what? Yeah, I will go!

Sam was quiet. Ethen said, Sam I know you are having problems at home and have a job and a family, so I understand if you can’t go.

Sam said, Well, I do have vacation time that I could take. I think it would be good to get away for a week and do something with my two best friends I haven’t seen in what seems like forever. And the way it sounds, we will be doing something that we’ve always wanted to do since we were kids. Alicia and Lila are visiting her mom for the next two weeks, so I’m in.

They went to town to eat dinner at a local steakhouse, and as they sat there eating their meals, they talked about all the fun stuff they’d done together as kids. They couldn’t wait to get started on the trip they were going on. Then Sam said, Hey, Ethen, you remember that little box we found when we dug up the cannonballs? Did your dad ever figure out what it was or what was in it?

Ethen furrowed his brow. You know, I have no clue. I had forgotten about that. About a week after we found it, I asked my dad about it, and he said I would find out later. I need to ask him about that.

Sam said, Your dad knew most everything about anything from history. It was like the man had lived through those times. Did he just sit around and read or something?

No, not really that I can remember. I’m not sure how he knew all those things, and now that I think about it, he told us where to look almost like he knew that stuff was there.

They finished their meals, and when they were through talking, they went back to Ethen’s house. Ethen said, It’s getting late, and we’ll need to get an early start in the morning. Y’all can just crash here instead of a hotel, but I only have one spare bedroom.

Sam looked at Ana and said, You take it. I’ll sleep on the couch. So Ana took the spare bedroom.

The next morning, they woke up and packed their clothes and whatever else they thought they would need in the rental car Sam and Ana had driven from the airport to Ethen’s house. They were driving because Ethen was afraid of flying. Ethen drove wherever he went, and if he couldn’t get somewhere by car, he went by boat.

They put the address in the GPS, and off they went to Mr. Bailey’s home in upstate New York. They left at about ten o’clock that morning, but they’d only made it a few miles, when Ethen said, I called my parents this morning to let them know what I was doing, but I couldn’t get an answer, so I’m going to stop at their house for a minute if that’s okay.

Ana said, I would love to see them. It’s been so long!

They turned into a concrete driveway and pulled up to a little house with a lot of colorful flowers filling the yard. Ana said, Ethen, your mom always did enjoy her flowers!

They got out, walked to the front door, and knocked. They waited, but no one came. Ethen unlocked the door and said, Let’s go in and see what’s going on. Their car is here.

They walked in, and Ethen began to call out and search the house for them. Sam said, Wow, Ethen, your dad still does the house decorating, I see.

Ethen said, Why do you say that?

The house is filled with your dad’s old antiques.

Ethen said, Yeah, I guess they were a little backward; Dad decorated the house, and Mom decorated the yard.

Ana laughed and then said, You think they are okay? She had a concerned look on her face.

Yeah, I’m sure they’re fine. They usually go for walks, so that’s probably where they are.

Ana said, Come to think of it, I couldn’t get ahold of my parents yesterday.

Sam said, Just the other day, I told my mom we were meeting back up again, because she had been encouraging it for a while now and had insisted I make sure Ana went with me when I came back to visit. She told me that our parents have stayed in contact with each other this whole time.

Ethen said, What? Why didn’t they ever tell us?

Sam said, I don’t know.

Ana said, Yeah, that seems weird.

Sam said, Let me call them. He called but got voice mail.

Ana said, Let me try mine again. Ana too got voice mail.

Ethen said, I’m sure they are fine. We left voice mails for them, so let’s continue on our trip, and hopefully they will call us back soon. Nothing seems to be out of place. If we haven’t heard anything in the next day or so, we will call the law, but I think everything will be fine.

As they were walking out, Sam spotted a picture on a small table by the front door. He stopped and picked it up. Hey, Ethen, when was this taken?

Oh, that. Like a couple months ago. Why?

Your parents must have inherited some good genes like mine. It doesn’t look like they have aged a day!

Well, they do take care of themselves.

Ana said, People ask me all the time if my mom is my sister. I just hope that if I ever have any kids, people will ask my daughter the same thing! They laughed and went out the door.

They got back on the road, and Ethen said, Why do you think our parents kept in touch after all these years and never told us about it?

Sam said, That’s something I’ve been trying to figure out ever since she said it.

Ana said, You didn’t ask her why?

Sam said, Yeah, but she just said, ‘You will know in due time, Son.’ Whatever that means.

They arrived at their destination the next day at about eight o’clock in the morning. It was a long ride from Georgia to upstate New York. They took turns driving, so they weren’t too tired. Instead of getting a hotel room and sleeping there, they took turns catching naps whenever they weren’t driving. Ethen thought, It’s times like these that I wish I wasn’t afraid of flying! I’ve heard you can get the best sleep of your life on an airplane, and as tired as I am, I sure could have used it.

3

Now, That’s a Mansion!

T hey pulled up to a big gate with huge stone columns on each side. On top of each one was a replica of an oil well made out of iron, and arching between them was a sign: Bailey’s Nilarko Estate. Ethen said, Wow, Mr. Bailey must be a wealthy man.

Sam said, Yeah, I figured that by the oil wells on the columns. He must have made his fortune in the oil business.

Ana said, I thought all those guys were in Texas.

Ethen said, "I wonder what Nilarko means."

As they pulled up closer, they saw a white-haired man sitting in a little office at the gate. They eased up, and he asked, Can I help you?

Ethen said, We’re here to see Mr. Bailey.

Do you have an appointment?

Yes, sir.

Your name, please?

Ethen Coal.

All right, just drive up to the front of the house, and someone will meet you there.

Ethen said, Thank you, sir, and drove up to the enormous mansion. The trees were all uniform and beautiful down the sides of the driveway. Some of them were kinds they had never seen before. The grass was bright green and looked like the grass on a baseball field. The place looked like a picture out of a magazine. The mansion sat on a high, rolling grassy hill with a beautiful forest right behind it. To the left of it was a big lake with an island in the middle that had a pretty little house on it. Actually, it wasn’t little, but compared to Mr. Bailey’s mansion, it looked little. The place was a dream.

Ethen said, I hope Mr. Bailey is up so we don’t wake him. I would hate to upset the man who is offering me the job of a lifetime.

Sam said, Wow, what a mansion. I would hate to know I had to pay that electric bill!

Ana replied, Electric bill! Can you imagine cleaning that thing?

Ethen said, If I had the money that it looks like he has, I wouldn’t worry about the electric bill or cleaning. I imagine he’s got servants at this place.

As they drove up to the front of the mansion, they drove around a huge water fountain with statues of all sorts of creatures around it. Sam said, What kind of creatures are those?

Ethen said, I don’t know. Nothing that I’ve ever seen.

Ana said, Look. There’s a man waiting on us. I wonder if he is this Mr. Bailey.

A man was standing on the steps. They stopped and got out, and the man said, Welcome! I will take you to Mr. Bailey. Follow me, please.

Ethen, Ana, and Sam followed him through the huge front door. As they walked in, Ana said, This place is enormous and beautiful! It was kind of dark, as there weren’t many lights on, and it actually looked a little spooky. Before Ethen could say so, Ana added, Now this place is starting to get a little creepy.

Sam said, I was thinking the same thing. I’ve seen movies like this. They take people to places like this and torture them. I’m not feeling so good about this anymore!

Ana said, Yeah, and they keep you locked up in the basement. Ethen, I’m kind of having second thoughts about this now.

Ethen said, Shh! Calm down. You two watch too many movies. And, Sam, as big as you are, you would probably change their mind!

As they walked down a long hallway of marble floors so shiny they looked like mirrors, Ethen noticed different weapons and artifacts on the walls. Sam said, See? I told you. Look at all the torture devices!

Ethen said, Those are just very old weapons of some kind. I told you he was a collector of this kind of stuff.

Ana said, Um, for a hobby or for other reasons?

Ethen laughed. You two are killing me.

They were amazed at all the artifacts hanging on the walls. Some were sitting on pedestals in glass cases. They seemed to be everywhere. Sam said, I wonder where all this stuff came from.

Ana said, Ethen is the archaeologist; ask him.

Ethen said, Some of this stuff, I’ve never seen anything like it.

They kept walking, and then something caught Ethen’s eye as they went by a room with glass doors. When they stopped, they saw that the room was full of weapons, including swords, knives, axes, and bows of all shapes and sizes. Sam said, Wow. Now, this is awesome!

Ethen said, "Awesome doesn’t even begin to describe it."

Ana said, Look at that sword hanging there with the blade that has a sparkle to it. I can’t see the handle very well, but it looks like it’s made of gold. Whatever it is, it’s pretty—that’s for sure!

Ethen said, I wonder what kind of metal that’s made out of.

They kept going until their guide stopped at a door on their right. The man opened the door and said, Right in here.

They walked into a room filled with sunlight, and it took them a second to focus after being in the dark, shadowy halls of the enormous mansion. They had walked into a huge library with the most books they had ever seen in one place, especially someone’s house. Over by the window was an elderly man with a long gray goatee and glasses that sat on the end of his nose. He was sitting in an antique high-backed red velvet chair at a table. The man said, I was only expecting one. Why are there three of you?

Um, well, sir—I take it you are Mr. Bailey? said Ethen.

Yes, obviously, and I presume you are Mr. Coal?

Yes, sir, said Ethen. Mr. Bailey didn’t seem as nice as he’d been on the phone. However, Ethen had surprised him by bringing two more people he wasn’t expecting.

Who do you have with you? he asked.

Ethen said, These are my friends Sam and Ana. I would like their help with this job that you have for me.

Mr. Bailey said, I thought I told you to keep it to yourself. And what makes you think they can help you with what I have?

Well, sir, Sam, although he doesn’t look like it, is an expert in technology, and Ana can hang with the best of them with the knowledge of history, so I think she will be a good help at breaking codes or anything like that—if it’s needed, that is.

Mr. Bailey said, Oh yes, as a matter of fact, you will be breaking codes—and doing everything else you can imagine, including fighting for your very lives!

They looked at each other strangely, and Ethen said, Sir, what kind of artifact do you want us to find?

We will get to that later. Let’s talk more about your help here. What makes you think you will need a computer nerd and some woman who apparently likes to read books? Besides, I think it will be too tough for a woman anyway.

Ethen turned a little toward Ana and saw that the short fuse he remembered had lit. She looked at Ethen, and the look on her face showed that the short fuse had reached the dynamite.

She blurted out, Ethen, I came to help you, not to get judged by this old—

Ethen grabbed her and put his hand over her mouth. He whispered in her ear, Ana, patience. Calm down. Please let me handle this. He let her go and said, Sir, by this place and what I’ve heard so far, you didn’t call me to come dig oysters up and find pearls on the coastline. You must have something very important. And with all due respect, sir, you don’t know anything about them. I think I will need their help, and I will not do this without them.

Mr. Bailey just sat there for a few seconds, and then a smile came across his face. He said, Young lady, the fire that you have is exactly what will be needed on this adventure! Come sit, and let’s talk.

Sam said, "I was beginning to not like this guy so much, but I’ve got to say, I love the way he used the word adventure. That sounds so awesome!"

Ana said, Sam, a few minutes ago, you thought he was bringing us here to torture us!

Sam replied, Well, you thought he was going to lock us up in the basement!

Ethen said, Will you two knock it off?

They walked over to the table where Mr. Bailey was sitting and sat down. He said, Welcome to Bailey’s Nilarko Estate.

Ethen said, "If you don’t mind me asking, sir, what does the word Nilarko mean?"

He smiled. Let’s just say that’s an old friend I will be reunited with soon.

Ethen thought, Okay, that makes no sense at all.

Mr. Bailey said, It took you long enough to get here.

Ethen said, Well, I’m afraid of flying, so we drove here.

Drove! No wonder it took so long. Your fear of flying will be a problem.

How, sir? Ethen asked.

Where you will be going, you cannot drive to get there.

Where is it you want us to go?

You will be going deep into the Caribbean.

At once, all of them said, The Caribbean!

Ethen said, What is it down there you want?

I have connections all over the world, and some maps and clues to this artifact’s location have just been discovered. I have been informed of where the man who has it is. I contacted him and made an offer he couldn’t refuse, so he will be waiting on you when you get there.

What is the artifact? Ethen asked.

Let me just tell you about the legend of it so you can take it all in.

4

The Legend of the Blood Horn

"In 1743, there was a young twenty-two-year-old pirate captain named Rufus Stunner, a.k.a. the Fighting Youngster. He earned the name because he always wanted to be engaged in battle, and he took every ship he crossed paths with. It was rare to see a captain at his age with such