The Island From Hell

Chapter 9

Two hours later a campfire had been started and everyone was eating sandwhiches for dinner. Even after the meal was finsihed, most of them decided to stay by the fire and talk while gazing at the night sky. It really was a beautiful night. The air was cool and the sky was clear of clouds but full of stars. Countless bright lights in the darkness above. Oh how Stolas wished that his daughter Octavia could have been there to see such a lovely sight. She would have thought that she was looking at Heaven.

"It's moments like these where I think animals are luckier than we are." Stolas commented. "They get to see the sky like this every night."

"This place is just perfect." Blitzo said. "I can already see the hundreds of crowds we'll be drawing in. It'll be the best the theme park since Lu Lu World."

"Hey Mr. Walker, mind if I ask you and the docs a question that's been rattling around in my head?" Angel said.

"Not at all. What's on your mind?"

"If this place is so amazing and so safe, then how come it took ten years for you to come back? Why didn't you come back sooner?"

"Actually I didn't really know about this place til recently." Blitzo turned Vox and Valentino. "But yes, why did you wait so long to come back here?"

"Well for one thing there was the money and we were also mourning the loss of our beloved colleague." Valentino said.

"But you didn't come to the funeral." Stolas said.

"We chose to mourn privately." Vox said.

"And that's the only reason why you waited so long?" Angel asked. "There wasn't any other reason?"

"Well there was the matter of the money and needing permission to use Dr. Hamiliton's equipment and research." Vox said.

"Why all the questions?" Valentino asked.

"I just find it a little strange that you know of something that would make you rich yet you waited such a long time to act on the opportunity."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Let's just say I'm a little familiar with your work Val."

"What's he talking about?" Blitzo asked Valentino.

"Pay him no mind Mr. Walker. He's just some air-headed pretty boy who gets his information from the tabloids."

"Don't talk to him like that." Vaggie defended. "For your information he doesn't even read the tabloids and he's referring to that news story on you last year. The one about the illegal fur coat business."

"All the fur in that operation was faux." Valentino said. "And that article was nothing more than rumors spread by no nothing activists."

"Valentino you never told us about that." Stolas said.

"It didn't matter because I had done nothing wrong. I didn't even go to trial for that."

"But you did go to trial ten years ago, right?" Angel said. "What was that all about, I wonder."

Valentino looked at Angel with a threatening. Vaggie quickly took Angel by the arm and shook her head.

"Don't." She whispered. "Not here. Not in front of Charlie."

Angel quickly stopped talking.

"Come on, let's go over those samples I collected."

Vaggie then pulled him along to where her tent was located. As for the others, they thought about questioning Valentino about what Angel was referring to but in the end they chose to save it for another time.