PTP Chapter 9 - The Spy and the Fool
by Claartje

Horatio tried to swallow the big lump in his throat.
"...on your head" was what de Jourquin said. He thought
about the guillotine. "Sir, I must say, I rather like
my head, we have grown very attached over the years."
Horatio told de Jourquin in return. "Please give me
some time to think about your offer." He needed a way
to get out of this trap. That was a good word for it;
trap. Become a spy, or die.

"Of course sir, a day will be given you to think about
it. Tomorrow I demand an answer." De Jourquin said.
"You can go now."

***
Meanwhile on board the Indy, Archie had his hands
full on all the work that needed to be done. He had
made a list of missing members of the crew. So far
there were twelve missing, including Horatio, and
seven injured, including the captain. The repairs were
making good progress however, which made the
circumstances a little better. He was now on his way
to Dr. Hepplewhite, because he had called for archie.

"Mr. Kennedy." Dr Hepplewhite said. "I must speak to
you about Mr. Simpson. He is under lock and key in the
hold, as you well know. One of his guards sumoned me
because Mr. Simpson's behaviour has now taken a turn,
that is in the least to say, odd. He just sits there,
crying like a baby, and seems very much to be back in
his childhood years." Here Dr. Hepplewhite stopped to
take a deep breath. Now he had to say it. "Mr.
Kennedy, Mr. Simpson is gone mad. He has completely
lost his mind."

Archie looked at Dr. Hepplewhite. "Is GONE mad?" He
thought. To him Simpson had always been a dangerous,
but genius mad man. Could someone lose his mind even
more? "Dr. Hepplewhite, what does this mean?" He
asked. "And how could it happen?"

"Ah, well Mr. Kennedy, that is something I don't know.
Your questions are the reasons I asked you here. I
have no idea what it means, or how it could have
happened. Perhaps something snapped in his mind after
he stabbed Captain Pellew. He still had not regained
all his memory, and so I think that after this he will
never be able to think clearly. Not to speak of that
because he attacked the captain, his punishment will
be death.There is no more hope for him..."

"There never was...." Archie thought. Simpson had fooled
them all, exept him. Could it be a trick, or was it
true what the doctor said. Could it be he had really
lost his mind this time.

"...and the captain has asked me to talk to you about
this, because your 'aquaintance' with Mr. Simpson was,
er...say, you know him 'better' than any of us." Dr.
Hepplewhite now looked Archie straight in the face.
"Is he up to something?" he asked.

"I really do not know, sir. In most cases when he
choose to practise a new way to tortu-
to get better 'aquainted' with me, I ... I always found
out too late, sir. Even when I was always on my guard
when Mr. Simpson was around. It could be he is indeed
up to something, but I first must see him with my own
eyes to know for sure."

"Then we will see him at once!" And off they went to
the hold, to see Mr. Simpson.
***

"Well, Mr. Hornblower. Have you given my offer some
consideration?" de jourquin asked Horatio. He stood by
the window, like he had done yesterday. He had not
turned around when Horatio walked in, he just stood
there waiting for an answer.

"Has he been standing there since yesterday?" Horatio
thought. It sure looked like it. de Jourquin stood in
the same position by the window, his back towards
Hotatio until he gave the answer de Jourquin wanted to
hear. "Sir, yes, I have given it some consideration."
It had not taken him long to decide he would work for
de Jourquin. The rest of the day he had spend to find
a way to thwart de Jourquin's mission. That way, he
would not ëreally' betray his fellow countrymen, he
had told himself. "Sir, I have decided I will go with
you on this mission. When will we leave for this...New
Holland expedition?"

***

In the hold it was dark. there was a light near the
cells, and to the cells Dr. Hepplewhita and Archie
walked. "good day, Mr.Simpson" Dr. Hepplewhite said.

There was no respons, exept for a look of not
recognising the person that just had spoken to him. He
just sat on the floor, making strange noises. And he
smiled when he looked up.

"There you see it, Mr. Kennedy, mad as a blanket. He
does not know anyone, or anything. He has even
forgotten that he had a certain dislike for you."

That seemed to be true. when Simpson had looked at
Archie, he had smiled. Not of recognition, and not a
mean smile. It was a true smile, like that of a child
who is told he can go play outside with his friends.
Mr. Simspon had gone back to his childlike behaviour.
He was no longer dangerous, no longer Simpson. He was
mad. Archie could see it with his own eyes now. Mad as
a blanket indeed.