Legends of the Map: Unlocking the Secrets

By Margaret Ann Malloy

It’s been ten years since world-famous explorer Professor Peterson went missing. When his granddaughters and their new friends discover his ancient journal, they stumble into an unexpected world of adventure. Each new clue they discover could bring them closer to solving the mystery surrounding their grandfather’s strange disappearan

• Language: English
• Publisher: Rebecca Labau
• Release date: Dec 16, 2016
• ISBN: 9780998326504

Book preview

Chapter 1

The Museum Takes it All

Sophie and Ruby did not want to help go through their grandfather’s old things.

Especially not Sophie.

Tomorrow was her twelfth birthday, a fact that she would like everyone to forget. She had more important things on her mind.

Tomorrow was also the opening day of her grandfather’s exposition at the Brookmoore University Museum, a fact that her mother would like to forget.

To Sophie, it seemed like her mother had given up hope of ever finding Grandfather. It felt like she wanted to get the museum opening done with so that she could forget all about him. But Sophie couldn’t forget her grandfather. She couldn’t stop thinking about him. The museum opening had awakened her curiosity and made her feel like the connection between them wasn’t fading with time, only growing stronger.

Look at this one, Sophie. This little sphinx looks like you, Ruby said to her older sister. The girls sat in their grandfather’s living room. They were carefully wrapping and packing Grandfather’s tiny stone statues into boxes and crates filled with straw. Ruby held up a small statue that had a lion’s body, bird’s wings and a woman’s head. She even has your long brown hair and big blue eyes.

Very funny, Sophie said. Five minutes ago, you said I looked like that little beetle—I’m not sure which is better!

Their mother, with clipboard and pencil in hand, listed each item and labeled each crate as it was sealed up. The crates were all marked with Brookmoore University Museum in large letters.

Hey, Ruby! Sophie called out. Here’s your little twin. She held up a small seated cat. She looks about eight years old and her headdress is shaped just like your head! See? Short bangs and brown pigtails.

Let’s try more packing and less teasing, girls, Laura, their mother, said.

The museum expo marks 10 years since their grandfather, Walter Peterson, went missing. He was a history professor in the town’s university and a great explorer. Their mother had spent the last 10 years fighting to protect his precious artifacts. Up until now, she kept them safe in his home in Brookmoore, hoping he might one day return. The university finally won the fight and now said the artifacts belonged to them. With that, it seemed like their mother gave up.

The girls and their mother looked up at the sound of a knock. An older gentleman poked his head inside the front door, which they had left open.

Hello, anyone home? he said, wiping his shoes on the entry rug and removing his hat. Ms. Peterson? It’s Leonard Gagsby, he said, and continued walking further into the house.

Laura recognized the director of the Brookmoore University Museum and stood up. She set down the clipboard and wiped the dust from her hands onto her pants. She would have usually greeted someone with a handshake, but she had never liked Mr. Gagsby. Now she liked him even less for taking her father’s things to the museum.

Laura simply asked, What are you here for, Gagsby? It was no surprise to Mr. Gagsby that the old professor’s daughter was unfriendly with him. He knew that she had never liked him.

Before he could answer, Sophie jumped to her feet and said, You have no right to take all of this. She glared at Mr. Gagsby, surprised by her own courage and the sudden feeling she might cry. She did not want to cry in front of him.

Now, Miss Peterson, I presume, Mr. Gagsby began, turning toward Sophie. The university paid for all of your grandfather’s expeditions and the judge says that makes all of this ours.

He waved a folded paper from the court that officially gave the university ownership of it all.

Ruby piped up, It’s only yours until he comes back.

Anything that stays here will be stolen property. It belongs to the museum, Mr. Gagsby said. His eyes scanned the bookshelves, as if he was looking for something. I’m just here to make sure it all gets to the museum on time.

Laura scowled at him and said, It was no secret that my father kept a few things from his museum work.

Kept? sneered Gagsby. "You mean stole."

He didn’t steal any- Laura was interrupted by two men from a moving company walking up to the open front door. They were wearing grey coveralls with the words, We can move anything! written across the front.

Right on time, Mr. Gagsby said to the movers.

Sophie and Ruby left the tiny stone statues and walked over to stand alongside their mother.

On time for what? Laura asked.

Ignoring her, Mr. Gagsby said, It’s right out back. He pointed to the large stone obelisk in the backyard.

Everyone turned to see where he was pointing. Through the windows at the back of the house, they could see the tall obelisk in the center of the big backyard. It looked like a giant sewing needle pointing up to the sky in the morning sunlight. The obelisk was at least 12 feet tall and made of solid white marble. Its four sides were covered with mysterious stories, carved in hieroglyphs. The pyramid-shaped point at the top was smooth white marble, with no markings on it at all.

You’re not seriously going to take the obelisk, the girls’ mother said.

That was a gift to my grandfather! Sophie blurted out.

The girls knew the story of the obelisk well. Early in his career, Professor Walter Peterson had received the beautiful monument as a gift. He had worked with a team