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"Well Professor," Said Fergie ask he licked the reminants of chocolate frosting off his fingers, "That cake was delicous."
Johnny nodded his head in agreement, Professor Childermas was an excellent baker and this double chocolate fudge cake had been particularly good.
"Thank you, Byron. I'm glad that you enjoyed it." Said Professor Childermas with a grin, "But I suppose you want me to finally tell you why I've invited you over."
Johnny and Fergie shot each other quick glances, they had been discussing that one the way over. The Professor had invited them over with mention of "cake and something of interest that they might like to see." Johnny was hoping it was an interesting artifact. After all the professor was a history teacher at the college, and he had been know to collect history knickknacks and such other oddities. Fergie mocked Johnny and had told him that General Washington's reciept for a pair of socks was more the kind of historic thing that the professor would have. Fergie had hoped that it was something exicting like a real shrunken head from New Guinea or a Lion's paw or something. The boys could only agree on this, that they didn't have the slightest clue what the professor had and that they would try to act nonchalant so that the Professor didn't enjoy himself too much as he tried to draw out the suspense of his surprise.
"Ahem" the Professor cleared his throat, "Johnny, Fergie, as that I've seen you two glancing around my living room in hopes to find out what I'm going to show you and considering that you two have been trying to keep your eyes down otherwise, I can tell you're dying to find out what it is."
A smile cracked across the professor's crabby face and the boys looked exasperated.
"You're right Professor," Said Fergie sarcastically " We're DYING to know."
"Well I acquired it two weeks ago when I went down to Albany for the Historians of New England Biannual conference." He started to expand on his general displeasure of such gatherings in a sour tone but he saw how both boys were cluctching the arms of their chairs and could barely contain their curiosity. "Ahem," he cleared his throat again, "As I was saying I acquired this item and I thought you two would be interested in seeing it. And here it is!"

Where does the tale lead?
Nemo Knows
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Nemo
Guest

The professor reached down and from his bag at the side of the couch a
small dark wooden box. He set it down and both boys craned forward to
take a better look at it. It was roughly the size of a shoe box, made
of dark wood covered with intricately carved patterns the top was
bordered with what looked like a braided rope pattern and when
examined closely the boys saw that each strand of the braid was
uniquely carved. The center of the lid bore a carving of an old
sailing ship and it appeared to be riding on a rough sea. As the boys
looked it over the professor began to tell the tale of how when in the
middle of an unbearably boring lecture on the evolution of the
colonial glue industry he snuck out of the conference and began to
stroll about Albany and how he had entered one antique shop and was
intigued by the lid thinking it might be a good box to hold cigars or
perhaps his Balkan Sobranie cigarettes.
"Do you mind if we open it professor?" Johnny asked excitedly.
"Go right ahead," Professor Childermas said. "Thats where things get
interesting."
Johnny and Fergie peered into the box and saw it held a set of dominos.
"Wow," johnny gasped, as he looked at the dominos which were in three
colors white, black, and a most extraordinary red.
"You can't play a decent game with these." Cracked Fergie, "The
different colors with give your hand away."
"Thats right Byron, that is if these dominos were meant to played
with." The professor replied. "And after some examination I believe
that these dominos had been made for some other purpose, though I'll
be darned if I know what it is. If you boys look at the inside of the
lid you'll find what peaked my interest about that old box of bones."
"Did you say bones professor?" Johnny asked as he held one of the red
dominos in his hand.
"That I did." Said the professor with a wry smile. "The white pieces
are made of whale bone, the black ones are made from some type of
treated Ivory, I think perhaps walrus, and as for the red ones, I
still haven't figured out what those darn pieces are made of." He
finished with a cross look on his face, bitter that he was still
stumped in his inquiry. He continued, "As I was saying the lid of the
box is most interesting."
Fergie, who had been studying the lid said, "Yeah, the name Black
Tabitha is carved on the inside. Who's that?"
The professor began with a knowing smile, " Black Tabitha," He said in
his lecture manner, "was a pirate, who up to this point was believe to
be only a legend."

Dare I continue?
I'll need encouragement to do so...
Perhaps I'll place these on the fanfiction section, but honestly will anyone read them?
Hard to say that anyone will see but Nemo.