Twix bangs on the top, as I kick the side edge of the crate. It looks to me like he is driving the nails in further with that rock, but enough banging ought to eventually shatter the wood, so I don’t tell him to stop. In between kicks, I glance at the tower, “Well that’s dumb”.
“Whaddya mean”, Heflam looks at me.
“Nobody builds a structure in the sand on a beach. The water will quickly erode it, if it isn’t washed away in a grand storm. I mean, sand –was- rock, right?” Heflam grunts as he flips over the body of the sailor.
“Unless iss magic”. Twix says. He bangs his rock one more time and stops. “Unless iss MA-GIC” as he turns and stares at the structure. A wild grin infects his face. He suddenly drops the rock, bolts up the steps and attempts to open the door. The lock halts his progress but not his enthusiasm as he alternately tries the handle and just pushing on the wood.
“It’s a magic tower! It is! I know it!!”
I had assumed the sailor was dead. His bloated form reminded me of others I had seen fished out of the river on a regular basis at home. This bloated dead sailor was moving though.
Huh.
Natural bloat, not dead guy bloat.
Heflam slaps his face (none too kindly if you ask me) and the bloated fellow sputters a bit.
Good enough for me.
I again kick the crate… which appears to finally loosen one side!
One more kick on the lip of the crate and it comes open.
Wow.
“Hey guys… look at this” I say.
Just as I am looking up to see their reactions, I see a horrendous site: a violent native assailant coming around the other side of the tower. His appearance is grotesque as he is disheveled, dirty and covered in vomit, sea jetsam and kelp. He is naked with mutilation all over his body and most notably on his genitalia. He is using a guttural incantation of some sort while waving his arms in what appears to be a summoning or spell.
I quickly duck behind the crate and pick up the rock Twix had previously dropped, ready to defend myself.
