Chapter 10
When Gareth came to, he was being carried across the shoulder of someone in desperate need of a bath. Struggling had no effect. His hands were tied behind him, his legs were tied and there was a hood over his head. Finally the man stopped and with a grunt heaved Gareth off and down.
It took longer to hit the ground than he expected. He thought he had been thrown into a pit until he realized that the floor was still rocking. He was on board a ship surrounded by water! He had been captured by pirates. At least they wanted him alive. This was going to be very bad.
Thirty minutes later when his stomach emptied itself into the hood he was still wearing, he no longer cared how bad it was going to get. He just hoped they would kill him.
It could have an hour, it could have been ten, Gareth had no idea how much time had passed nor did he care, when he felt rough hands grab him and jerk him upright. Too miserable to fight back, Gareth let his captor guide him up a ladder onto the ship’s deck.
He felt them attach something around his waist, heard someone shouting and then the sound of a rope being thrown. He felt a tug around his waist and then someone said, “Take a deep breath laddie, it’s time for your bath,” and felt himself hurled off the ship into the water. The moment he hit the water, he felt the harness around his waist tighten and he was being pulled up.
Without his hands free to hold the rope, Gareth came up feet first. It might not have been as bad if they had removed his hood to get his face and hair clean but he got the impression they weren’t very concerned with his wellbeing.
He was grabbed by the legs and pulled onto the deck. He was then placed on his feet like a doll and the hood was removed. While his eyes were still adjusting to the light he heard, “I’ve seen worse pulled out of the sea but I can’t remember when. Clean him up and bring him to me.”
Once again rough hands grabbed him and dragged him away. As his eyes were still adjusting to the bright lights, he was stripped naked and hosed down with saltwater. He could tell it was saltwater because all his cuts and scrapes felt like they were on fire.
Rather than return his old clothes, the burly man assigned to him indicated a pair of breeches and a shirt for him to wear. Gareth had no fight left in him. He considered jumping overboard for a second but one of the reasons he hated the sea was his inability to swim well. While dressing, he promised himself that if he survived this he would take swimming lessons.
Once dressed, the burly man grabbed him by the back of the shirt and escorted him to the captain’s cabin, where the man knocked. The door swung open and they were instructed to enter.
Gareth couldn’t help but be surprised with his first glance of the pirate captain. Unlike the rest of his crew, this man looked the part of the pirate. In fact, if you’d taken all the pirates, Gareth had ever heard about and rolled them up into one person, it would be this man.
The captain appeared to be in his early 30s. He was slightly taller than the average man, with jet black hair and a well groomed beard and mustache. His clothes had to have been selected solely on the basis of bright colors. He had a bright red sash, an emerald blue blouse and bright yellow leggings with black stripes running the length of the leggings.
He paused just long enough for Gareth to get a good look at his attire and then went over to set down at his desk. As he sat down, he pulled two flintlocks from his sash and laid them on the desk. The burly man, never releasing his hold, pushed Gareth into the cabin, stopped about 2 feet from the desk and said, “Here’s your prisoner Captain.”
Gareth noticed just how bright the captain’s eyes were when the captain looked up and said, “I hear you’re about to inherit your uncle’s business.”
The last few hours had been disorienting enough that Gareth had almost forgotten the role he was playing. He was just about to deny that he had an uncle when he realized that the pirate captain was referring to Martin and maybe Gareth was going to be allowed to live. Recalling his role as a very unhappy nephew, Gareth said, ”Unless I get lucky that’s going to be a few years off. Uncle Martin seems to be in very good health.”
The captain’s face contorted in something between a leer and an evil grin as he said, “It might be sooner than you think, if you’re willing to cooperate. Your uncle Martin has proven to be very difficult to work with and I think it’s time for his business to thrive under different management.”
Attempting a look of greed, Gareth said, “I can be very cooperative when it comes to money coming my way. Uncle Martin never did understand how business should be conducted.”
“Spoken like a true businessman. It’s unfortunate for us that we don’t have time to build the bonds of mutual understanding and trust. More unfortunate for you than me really but as we come to a clear understanding of our roles, I’ll do my best to suffer with you.”
Standing up, the captain addressed Gareth’s guard with, “Take him to the contemplation cell. I’ll be along shortly to explain the niceties of his new quarters. “
The man grunted, spinning Gareth around and pushing him out of the cabin. Gareth was frog marched towards the front of the ship. The old sailor, Paul, had taught given him a fancy name for it but at the moment Gareth really didn’t care. Upon reaching a small iron grating attached to the deck of the ship, the burly man tighten his hold on Gareth and gave a loud grunt with a head nod to some nearby deck hands.
Despite the lack of words, Gareth was beginning to wonder if his companion could speak, the deckhands jumped to action. One grabbed the grating and swung it open while the other unfastened a nearby ladder and lowered it into the hole. Henri, Gareth had decided to call the man Henri because his grunts and appearance reminded Gareth of a large angry pig named Henri, he had encountered while training with Jerome, swung Gareth toward the ladder and gave a slight push. Gareth took the hint and started down the ladder. Henri finally released him so he could continue down.
Once he was at the bottom, the ladder was rapidly hauled out. Gareth’s new quarters did not speak well for his continuing relationship with the captain. There was about an inch of water in the bottom of his cell, a small machine bolted to the floor and a very soggy blanket. There were no other furnishings. Whatever this cell was intended for, it wasn’t for his comfort. Above him the grating swung shut with a bang.
With nothing better to do Gareth examined the small machine. It looked just like the hand operated water pumps he had seem all over the world except where the water normally came out there was a small hose leading up and out of the cell. Gareth gave a few pumps on the handle and was rewarded by seeing the water level in his cell drop slightly.
Hoping to get a better look at the blanket, Gareth stooped to pick it up. As he straightened, the blanket seemed caught on the floor. Without thinking, Gareth gave a sharp jerk and then stared with horror as water began pouring into the cell. The blanket had been plugging a number of small holes that were now free to flood the cell.
From above him, Gareth heard the captain’s sharp laughter and then, “You’ve done it now. I regret all my sailors are occupied and I won’t have anybody available to repair it for at least a day. I suggest you start pumping, I’d hate to lose my new partner so soon after we just met.”
Jumping to the pump, in abject fear of drowning, Gareth started pumping hard.
“Oh, that won’t do, that won’t do at all. Other men, certainly not as smart as you though we’ll not speak ill of the departed, never realized that the holes were carefully constructed. You have to use the blanket to plug the holes and then your pump can keep up.”
It was becoming easier to believe Crow that the pirate captain was royalty. There was no question that the man had the bearing and diction of somebody who had been raised at the Castle. It was also this thought that gave Gareth greater insight into the captain. The captain wasn’t a man driven to piracy through desperation, nor was he trying to get revenge on the King. To him, the people whose lives he was destroying were commoners and should be happy to give him all their goods and money. It gave Gareth small satisfaction to realize that the man in front of him wasn’t really a pirate captain, he was a spoiled child playing the role of a pirate captain.
It quickly became obvious that the holes were spaced to make it difficult to fill all the holes. Gareth manage to plug most of them, even using his new shirt to plug two holes, and started pumping. The water level slowly started going down.
Having gotten the water down to a few inches, Gareth paused to take a rest. Water was still coming into the cell but it was manageable. Manageable, until he had to sleep. With no elevated areas, Gareth could easily drown in his sleep. With a sinking heart Gareth realized that he didn’t dare fall asleep.
One day, two days, time no longer mattered to Gareth. Sleep was impossible. He had fallen asleep once, only to wake up choking on water. His entire world was now focused on keeping the water level down. He had been terrified by the prospect of drowning when the water started pouring in but the terror was gone, all that was left was a stubborn determination to stay alive.
“Oh my, did no one come help you?” came the voice of the Captain. “That won’t do, that won’t do at all. Bucket, get down there and help pump.”
The grate opened, a ladder was extended down and a young sailor about Gareth’s age jumped into the water, shoving Gareth aside to work the pump. “Gareth, do come up here and have lunch with me. I get so tired of talking to uneducated sailors. Bucket will continue pumping for you.
Slowly, Gareth tried to make it up the ladder. He was stiff from standing in one position to pump and it took a few moments to limber up. Finally making it to the top, he was grabbed once again by Henri. In front of him was a small table that had been fastened in place for the Captain. On the table were two place settings with some sort of roast bird and some bread. There were also two goblets and a decanter of wine.
The Captain motioned for Gareth to sit and help himself. “I apologize,” said the captain, “but we seem to be short of eating utensils, you’ll have to use your hands.”
Gareth wanted to be reserved about this but he had been too long without food. He started tearing pieces off the bird and stuffing them in his mouth. This was quickly followed by several gulps of wine. All the while, the Captain sat back and watched Gareth. Once Gareth’s initial eating frenzy had subsided, the Captain started talking about various cities that they may have both visited, people in the royal court, and upon finding out that Gareth had actually met the King, the Captain quizzed Gareth about the Kings health.
Less than twenty minutes later, the Captain stood up and although he had never touched the food or wine said, ”thank you for most entertaining lunch but I must get back to my duties.”
Gareth found himself grabbed by Henri and tossed back into the hold. Bucket managed to avoid Gareth and scrambled up the ladder just as it was being pulled out. Looking around, Gareth could see that Bucket had managed to get the water level down enough that Gareth could risk a short rest.
Minor variations of this same scene played out over the next four days. With no sleep and exhausted from pumping, Gareth found himself actually looking forward to lunch with the Captain. Each time, the Captain seem to be much friendlier and gradually suggested that it was because of Gareth’s friends that the Captain had to keep him as a captive. All of while insinuating that all Gareth had to do was tell the Captain what his friends had in mind.
Gareth found himself wondering why his friends had forced him into this situation. The Captain seemed like a very nice man and Gareth wanted to help him. Gareth had to keep reminding himself of all the lives this man had destroyed but he couldn’t help a feeling of joy when he saw the Captain because it meant that he would be getting food and a break from the pumping.
It was towards dusk that Gareth heard a lot of scrambling on the decks. He overheard one of the sailors tell the Captain that the ship appeared to be anchored in place. They would be alongside it in less than half an hour. The Captain responded telling the man to make sure the crew was ready to board the ship.
Shortly thereafter Gareth heard a lot of noise on the deck as if heavy objects were being drug across it. He then felt the whole ship rock and a lot of sailors yelling orders. Very shortly thereafter he heard somebody yelling to the Captain that the ship was deserted.
A few minutes later, the grate to his hold opened and the ladder was dropped in. Gareth felt confused, it wasn’t time for lunch, this wasn’t part of the routine. The next thing he knew, Henri had jumped in and pushed him up the ladder almost tossing him out. With a sly look at Gareth, the Captain said, “Your friends are trying to be tricky. Undoubtedly, they’ve prepared an ambush for us and they’re waiting for is to come rushing in.”
“I have no choice but to take you with me as a hostage to prevent the ambush. I hope, you understand this is not of my doing but I have to take the measures I feel necessary to protect my crew. Croaker will keep you in front of us to prevent any hasty actions on the part of your friends. I want you to believe that you and I can be very close companions but once again your friends have forced you into a dangerous situation.”
All of this was coming too fast for Gareth to comprehend. He was still wondering if food might be involved and was concerned that Bucket had not been sent down to keep pumping for him. Henri, no apparently his name was Croaker, used that very familiar shoulder hold and propelled Gareth forward, towards the other ship. The Captain and two other sailors followed close behind.
A small plank have been tied in place between the two ships. It sloped slightly down towards the Catherine because her deck was about five feet lower than the deck of the pirate ship. This made for some very awkward maneuvering for Gareth while Croaker maintained his hold on Gareth.
Once on board the Catherine, Gareth could see people moving around on deck. The captain shouted out, “Have you found anybody yet?”
One of the sailors came over and started talking to the Captain. “We’re looking through the decks and the holds now but so far we found nobody. The officer’s mess still had food and plates on the table as if they had been eating when they abandoned ship. From the looks of the food, that was two days ago. All the damage seems to be from the storm that put her in drydock. There’s nothing to indicate why they left. We found lots of cargo but it’s too heavy to move. I’ve got people looking into the crates but so far it’s just cargo.
“It’s hard to tell in this light but looks like there’s a small island about a mile off that way.” He indicated the direction on the other side of the Catherine. “They may have gone there.”
“Continue the search, they had to have left clues. Prepare two boats to check the island in the morning. I want sixteen men, very heavily armed. We’ll watch them from here in case they run into trouble. They could be waiting for us on the island. It would make sense because we would no longer have numeric superiority. Post a tight watch on both ships and make sure the watch is aware of that island. If there is an ambush we want to be safe through the night.”
It was ironic that the Captain had barely said safe when there was a loud explosion coming from the other ship. The Captain pulled his pistol and spun around to face the explosion. None of this shielded him from Crow’s feet as Crow dropped on him from somewhere above, knocking the Captain to the ground. Croaker realizing the Captain was in trouble thrust Gareth out the way. There was a smaller explosion and Croaker coughed slightly and then collapsed as blood started coming out of his chest.
This proved to be the trigger for something because seemingly from nowhere, three more people joined the fight.
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