It had been 4 years since the treasure of Captain Flint had been found on that wretched island, but for everyone involved it felt like an eternity. Retirement, while a sparkling and exciting prospect at first, became dull and dreary.

Alexander Smollett was languishing in his house, dreaming of his past glory days and wishing he was back at the helm, spitting away his orders at the menfolk aboard.

David Livesey was just as tired of the lifestyle that retirement had offered him. His brain needed something to keep busy, so he had ended up taking the odd medical commission here and there, despite his wealth and employment status. Or lack thereof.

Squire John Trelawney had become so wretchedly bored that he had begun to collect random objects and his home was filled to the brim with artefacts from all over. The stranger, the better. This was also where he had met his current fancy. A man named Elias Granger, a collector on paper, but more of an underhanded pickpocket and small-time cat burglar if truth was to be told.

Ben Gunn had all but vanished. No trace of him was to be found, but it was assumed that he was happy somewhere, partaking in his cheese-based hobbies.

Jim was possibly the most fortunate of the lot. Since he had returned with a sum of the treasure, he had helped his mother return the Admiral Benbow Inn to its former glory. No, perhaps even better than before. The Inn was heaving with activity and was always filled with laughter, merriment and the occasional soldier, or sailor. But the sign above the door made it extremely clear that pirates were NOT welcome. Not at all.

Jim had decided long ago that he would never return to the island again to retrieve the remnants of gold that he believed to still be there. He was content in his lot at the Inn, helping his mother and attending the guests. It was not a glittering profession, nor was it as exciting as the prospect of using the money to collect artefacts, but he was extremely satisfied and content. He would move for no man. Or so he told himself.

Elias Granger had been visiting Trelawney, as was usually the custom for a Tuesday evening. He had exited the front door, a slight flush to his cheeks and his hair somewhat dishevelled. As he took a number of steps down the street, he passed Livesey and gave a slight nod in acknowledgement, which was returned with grace and gratitude from the ever-smiling man.

Livesey knocked on the door and waited for the doors to open, before he stomped his way inside and made his way up to the lounge where he knew that his friend the Squire would be.

As the door heaved open, Trelawney raised his head with a cheeky smile, and it almost caught David off guard. He let out a long and almost, melodious laugh as he waved a hand. “I say, my good fellow, what has you so enthused this evening?”

Usually, the man was very happy after one of Elias’ visits, but this time he was extra pleased with himself and Livesey needed to know why. Trelawney’s whims often had a habit of dragging him into them, so he needed to be aware of any potential dangers of that cheeky grin.

“I have just come into possession of something that might interest you.” The Squire was almost bouncing with excitement as he placed the small, neatly wrapped package on the table in front of him.

“Oh no, not one of your rude little carvings again. I told you, Trelawney, once you’ve seen one, you’ve seen them a-“ Livesey was cut off by his friend, who raised a hand to silence the Doctor and his smile, somehow, grew wider over his plump face. “This is not one of those. This is something entirely different.”

“Good. If I saw one more phallic pieces of jasper, I swore I was going to move to Jamaica.”

“Shh! Take a look!” The Squire slowly slid the package towards Livesey, who slowly reached for it with his gloved hands. After delicately fingering the string free of it’s knot, he unfurled the hessian and stared at the contents in silence for a moment. Trelawney almost held his breath waiting for a reaction from the large man in front of him.

“It’s a rock.”

“Not just any rock!”

“Yes, it’s schist!”

“Language, Livesey, tsk tsk!”

Livesey let out a laugh that almost shook the walls. “No, no, Trelawney. Schist. The rock. A medium-grained metamorphic rock!”

“Well, regardless of what it is, it’s very important.”

“Oh? How so?” Livesey turned the rock in his hand, holding it between his forefinger and thumb, before looking at it from underneath and above. “It looks rather ordinary to me.”

“That’s what they want you to think!”

He lowered the rock and blinked curiously at Trelawney. “Pardon me? Who is ‘they’?”

The Squire leaned half across the table, his feet raising from the floor and wiggling in an almost comical manner as he whispered as if the very walls had ears. “Captain Barnaby!”

David knew who Captain Barnaby was. He was part of many children’s games and the subject of many a fantastical tale. He was a pirate who had reputedly left treasure in a secret location and had set up a very secret and hard to follow trail to find it. Only those in the know, who were very brave, or with nothing left to lose could stand to find the treasure.

The usual grinning countenance of the Doctor faded into an almost alien expression of distrust and his voice lowered in tone.

“John.”

Trelawney batted him away dismissively with a groan. “Don’t call me by my first name like that! I know what you are thinking! But this legend could have basis in fact! Just look at Flint’s trove, that was real and we found it!”

“Even if it was real, there were several occasions in our last venture in which we almost came to a grizzly end. All of us.”

“Yes, that is true, but surely you…” He thrust out a finger at the Doctor and wiggled it accusingly. “Surely you of all people can’t tell me that you wouldn’t be just a LITTLE interested in this.”

Livesey rolled his eyes, his smile returning once again. “OK, Trelawney, let’s hear about your little rock friend.”

Satisfied that he was now listening and taking him seriously, the Squire plopped back down on his rear end with a smile, took the rock and pointed to it. “This particular type of rock can be found in a number of places. But, there is a location where there is only a small amount of it.”

“Go on.”

Trelawney reached for the small piece of parchment that had lined the hessian parcel and handed it to Livesey, who proceeded to examine it carefully.

“I see. So, this location has what exactly?” He wanted him to spell it out exactly, because to his ears it almost sounded as if he was about to burst out of his front door and hop on a ship that very moment.

“The next clue!”

Another wry laugh left Livesey’s lips. “So, why don’t you hire someone to go and see? How about that Granger fellow you see every Tuesday?”

“He’s the one who got this schist in the first place.”

“Tut tut, Squire. And you told me about my language.”

A moment of silence passed between the two, before they each erupted with laughter.

“Oh Livesey, just think! We could find this lost treasure like we did before!”

“Are you not rich enough? Are we all not rich enough?”

“Livesey, I am NEVER rich enough, but that’s entirely besides the point. It’s not about the gold. It’s about the adventure! It’s about all four of us, Jim, Smollett, you and I setting off on a grand adventure once again!”

“Hah, I highly doubt that you would be able to convince Smollett to join us, or Jim for that matter. Last I saw, the dear boy was very content at the Benbow Inn taking care of his customers.”

“Tosh! Once we explain it to them I have no doubt in my mind that they will leap at the chance for another adventure, by jove!”

The Squire gesticulated so enthusiastically that he knocked over a goblet of wine and it rolled onto the floor. Livesey’s eyes followed it and never left it as he suddenly realised what had been said. “Pardon me? We? I do hope you mean the royal we.”

“Heaven’s David! Of course I want you to help me with this. They wouldn’t listen to just me alone, would they? Your words hold weight. Jim trusts you.”

“There you go using first names.” Livesey’s eyes snapped back to his friend and a brow slowly raised. “And that is precisely what concerns me. Jim does trust me and I would hate to lead him astray or into danger when he is doing so well now.”

“Nonsense. He’s still young. This is what young people live for! Let us find out, shall we?” With that, Trelawney hopped to his feet and began marching his way to the door. “That is, if you are so convinced he will say no.”

“I guarantee it!”

“How about we wager that?”

“Trelawney, gambling is a slippery slope, you know.” Livesey got to his feet and stomped his way over, before shaking the man’s hand. “Deal.”

“Good man. Let us make haste!”

The pair bolted down the stairs and to the foyer, almost giving the staff a heart attack with their urgency.

“My carriage at once!” The Squire raised a finger triumphantly, if a little melodramatic.

Livesey chimed in to attempt to soften the request. “If you would be so kind.”

It didn’t take them long to hitch the horses to the carriage and bring it around and the two men climbed aboard, Trelawney clutching the rock and parchment, an almost childishly excited expression on his face.

“So, about our wager. I was thinking one thousand pounds should Jim accept!”

“Good gracious,” laughed Livesey, “That’s extravagant of you.”

“Scared you will lose?”

“Not at all, I’m actually more scared that you will be crying into your teacup later due to losing some money to me when I prove you wrong.” The Doctor reclined, a smug sort of grin on his face as he watched Trelawney’s face drop into a petulant frown. “You’ll see! I’ll make you eat your hat!”

“Now now, a monetary wager is fine by my, there’s no need to bring my poor hat into it.” Livesey patted his headgear with a hand. “Besides, I simply couldn’t do that to my poor digestion.”

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It didn’t take them too long to arrive at the Admiral Benbow Inn and once they pulled up, they exited the carriage and Livesey opened the door to the inn with one hand, while the other gestured for the Squire to enter.

Inside, the place was bustling with guests, all sat around laughing and enjoying the fireplace. Jim was no doubt tending the bar area in the adjoining room and so they opened the door and stepped in. The buzz of the room was almost disorienting, and Trelawney grasped hold of Livesey’s coat to keep himself from falling over.

Jim was indeed at the bar, filling up mugs for the guests and wiping with his cloth. He had matured rather strikingly over the 4 years that had past and he had blossomed into a fine-looking young man.

His mother was the first to notice the two men in the doorway and came swooping over. “Squire! Doctor! What brings you here on this fine evening?”

The pair lowered their hat and gave a small, respectful bow to the woman, before Trelawney piped up in response to her question. “We are here to speak to Jim. We have-“

Livesey elbowed him sharply in the side of the head. Had the man been taller, he would have hit his ribs, but since he wasn’t, the head would have to do. “OOCH!” There was no sense in revealing everything to Jim's mother, after all, she could be instantly worried and throw them out. Even if that lost Trelawney the thousand pounds, it was not worth breaking trust.

“Oh, I do beg your pardon, my old friend, it’s just so terribly cramped inside this doorframe!”

“Oh!” Jim’s mother instantly took hold of their sleeves and dragged them towards a corner where a table was free. “I do apologise, I should have at least offered you a seat and a drink first!”

As the pair sat, they waved a hand at her dismissively, before she turned and walked to the bar to sort some drinks for them both. She returned quickly and paced them down in front of them. “Jim said he will only be a short while. As soon as he serves the three customers he has he will be right with you!” She smiled kindly and turned to serve the next customer who had flagged her over.

“Lovely lady,” Commented Trelawney.

“Quite.”

“I say, Livesey?”

“Yes?”

“Why is it that you never married?”

The Doctor was mid-sip of his drink when the Squire asked and he all but choked on it, spraying it back into his mug. After he hammered on his chest with his fist a few times to clear his airways of the liquid, he shot his companion such a stare that was enough to scare the spines off of a cactus.

“I’m simply asking! Why, you could do a lot worse…”

“You cannot be suggesting what I think you are suggesting.”

The Squire’s eyebrows did a suggestive dance across his forehead. “Why not go see if she is free for courting? A man such as yourself shouldn’t be a bachelor all of his life, hm?”

The mere suggestion sent an absolute blaze through Livesey’s blood to the point that his skin was as red as beets and he had to attempt to hide his face behind his hat for fear of combusting on the spot. “Why not go and see if Jim is ready to talk?”

Trelawney was about to rise from his seat when Jim came strolling over, adjusted his glasses and smiled at the pair happily. “Oh, it’s so good to see you both!” It was then he noted Livesey’s condition. “Doctor, are you OK?”

“Perfectly fine, my boy! Simply a momentary flash of heat, nothing more!” He placed his hat in his lap and gestured to the spare seat in front of them.

Jim sat down and sniffed. “So, what can I do for you tonight? My mother said you wished to speak to me.”

“Yes, we have something we…” Livesey was cut off by Trelawney, who was now bouncing in his seat like a puppy waiting for a ball to be thrown.