Read The Admiral's Mark (Short Story) for Free Online

others. Columbus himself only added to the mystery, as he barely spoke of himself during his lifetime and the few mentions he did make were not consistent.”
    “Maybe he had a reason to keep things confused.”
    “That he did, Herr Malone. Truly, he did. But that reason is not important to our present situation. What is relevant is the book.”
    He decided to stop playing games. “Why did you kill Scott Brown?”
    “I suspected there was a connection. I appreciate your directness, so I will answer your question. Mr. Brown stole from me.”
    “And what did he steal?”
    “The book you bought. I had it in my possession, then Mr. Brown decided to take it, collecting the finder’s fee offered by its owner for its return.”
    “So you stole it first?”
    “The way of the world, as I am sure you understand. I had employed Herr Brown’s services as an intermediary, to secure the book, but he decided on another course.”
    “Not out of character.”
    “Indeed. But fatal this time.”
    “So you killed him. Or, should I say, your associate killed him.”
    “There are consequences to risks taken. I was aware of Herr Brown’s past. I do not do business with people I do not know. But I thought the fee being paid to him for his services would be enough. Sadly, I was wrong.”
    “He had a wife.”
    “Then she should thank me. Being married to someone so inherently dishonest could not have been pleasant.”
    He agreed, but Ginger had loved the idiot. And this arrogant ass’s indifference was, like Schwartz’s earlier, pissing him off.
    “I have spent the better part of my adult life studying Christopher Columbus,” Simon said. “I consider myself well versed in his peculiarities—”
    “And the purpose of such a seemingly worthwhile endeavor?”
    He saw Simon did not appreciate the rebuke. “Again, not something that is relevant to our current dealings.”
    Simon stepped to the edge of the walk, near one of the low-voltage lights, and bent down. Malone watched as something was drawn in the soft sand.

    The same strange letter combination from Scott’s letter to Ginger.
    “This is the mark of the Admiral,” Simon said. “The way Columbus would sometimes sign his name. Odd, wouldn’t you say?”
    To say the least.
    Simon stood. “Interesting that the man would not use his given, Christian name.”
    He wondered why that would matter.
    “Instead he sketches out these letters. To this day, no one knows what he meant by it. There are many interpretations, none of them persuasive. Some say it’s a combination of Greek and Latin. Others say Hebrew. One thing we do know: He wished his heirs, after his death, to continue to use this triangular arrangement of letters as
their
signature.”
    “What does this have to do with anything?”
    “Everything. The book you bought contains the mark of the Admiral. Open your package and I will show you.”
    That he could not do, since the book was long gone.
    Simon stared at him. “Your trick in the bathroom fooled no one.”
    He wasn’t going to be bluffed that easily.
    Simon raised a hand and gestured. The man called Rócha appeared down the path and walked their way.
    Holding the book from the auction.
    A way of alarm swept through Malone.
    Simon seemed to enjoy the moment and said, “I have Yann Dubois.” Rócha handed the book to Simon. “He is my prisoner, and will remain there until you do something for me.”
    Simon opened the old volume. “By and large these words are worthless. But there is one page that is not.” He seemed to find what he was looking for. “Here.”
    Malone saw a smooth cut at the edge nearest the binding, where a page had been surgically removed.
    “On this missing folio was the mark of the Admiral and a message from Columbus. When I first found the book I saw it, but was not afforded the opportunity to translate the page. The writing is in Old Castilian, a language that only a few today can adequately understand. Unfortunately, Herr Brown