The Island Pt. 03

"Yes, yes. Of course. Here's the key, and the room is upstairs. You must go out again and to the left. There's another door leading up to the rooms. Upstairs it is the first door on your left at the top of the stairs. I hope it will be to your satisfaction."

The woman did not answer, but nodded across her shoulder to the boy. Then followed him out. Outside they lifted the chest off the wheelbarrow, found the door next to the bar entry and climbed up the steep stairs. The woman first and the boy struggling with the heavy sailor's chest right behind her.

The Landlord's wife stuck her head through the door from the kitchen: "Are you sure that was wise? They looked like they had been living on the road for quite a while. Maybe they are robbers or thieves?"

The landlord bumped the leather pouch up and down a few times in the hollow of his hand: "It's business, and we sure need it. Besides the weight of this seems to be enough for quite a while."

Well, I don't want to be the one to ask them to leave eventually if that will be the case. I have a bad feeling about them. I don't think they bring any good here."

Then she disappeared into the back again, while the landlord poured the contents of the purse out on the shelf below the bar and started counting.

The boy dropped the chest at the end of the double-bed in the room. The woman was already standing by the window and looking out through her telescope.

"Excellent! We can see everything from here. Now we just have to wait."

"Good then." The boy sat on the bed and as he removed his cap and threw it on the bed, long, blond hair unfolded and framed his face.

"You'd better keep you cap on, my dear. Not good if someone finds out that you are not a boy. Everyone is looking for a woman and a girl. Not a woman and a boy."

"Yes, mother. I'll put it back on as soon as we go out again."

"Ok. I've gone to great lengths to convince people that I am dead and that I had a girl. So please don't spoil it when we are this close to success."

She folded the telescope and made it disappear in the folds of her wide dress.

"Let's go for a walk, and check the surroundings and do avoid talking. Everyone will recognize your colonial accent immediately. You are supposed to be mute!"

--

The following week, the old woman and the 'boy' went out every day and walked along the coast. They came back for dinner but usually took some sandwiches for lunch.

Each day the woman spent a lot of time searching the horizon with her telescope.

The landlord had of course been in their room and tried to look in the sailor's chest but it was always closed with a huge padlock, so he never succeeded in this quest.

Then one evening another stranger walked into the Inn. A tall woman, with long, black hair. The many thin braids framing her bony face and a black patch covered her left eye.

She wore a man's clothes: Long boots, shirt, west and a black jacket on top of that.

She also had a cutlass dangling from a scabbard down her left side and a pistol stuck in her belt.

Apart from Charmaine and her 'boy' in their usual corner no one else was drinking in the Inn this evening.

The woman looked around slowly and walked to the bar: "A good day to you, Innkeeper. Do you have a room for a weary traveler?"

The Landlord stopped for a moment. His eyes met her one, black one from under her hat, and felt a shiver down his spine. The eye kept his locked in the gaze.

"Ahem...ehh..."

The woman from the corner had gotten up and was now standing beside the newcomer: "This is my friend, Shirley. I am sure you have a nice room for her. May I suggest the one next to mine and my boy's - and hello Shirley, you old fart. How's things?"

Feeling relieved and escaping the gaze of the newcomer as she turned and gave the woman a bear hug, he said: "Yes, yes. Of course. Just no weapons in the bar please Miss? Ehh..Shirley"

Extracting herself from the hug she turned her attention back at the landlord: "Of course. As soon as I have a room, my pistol and cutlass will be safely stored there. We don't want any trouble. Do we now, Innkeeper?"

"No, of course not. This is a peaceful Inn."

The agreed on a sum and the newcomer counted it out from what seemed to be a heavy and full leather purse.

As dinner was almost ready and the newcomer was included in the deal the other two had regarding this.

They went to the corner plot and sat down. Started talking in low voices.

"So, what name do you go by here?", Shirley asked.

"Charmaine Boot and this is my son, Samuel!" A noise that could be mistaken for a low giggle came out of her.

"You know Charlotte Badger and her no-good daughter Samantha are wanted all over the countryside?"

"Of course, why do you think this stupid name? And Samantha has become the mute Sam so it's easy for her, although it seems not so at times. The lack of sense and brain must have come from her no-good father. May his soul enjoy the pleasures of hell."

They rattled on for a while and exchanged tit bits about what they had done since they last met.

"We just sit and wait now then?" Shirley shook her head. "Not one of my stronger sides as you know."

"Yes. Can't be long now. Take it easy. We'll scout during the day and drink in the evening while we pass time."

And so they did - for another week.

Then one afternoon covered wagons rolled into the village and down to the harbour. It was accompanied by eight soldiers on foot and an officer on horseback.

They unloaded casks, barrels, and boxes in an orderly pile on the seafront.

Then set up camp in a couple of tents just outside the village boundaries.

An armed soldier was posted by the cargo on the dock.

The Innkeeper was happy as most evenings the soldiers and Officer spent good money drinking in the Inn till closing time.

Not all money went across the bar and into the landlord's pockets. The elderly woman and her friend in their corner had quickly suggested that a card game was welcome now and then to pass the time.

They played "Brag". A 3 round card game. In the first round it was very often a soldier that had the highest card. Stakes were small, and the round fast as just one card was given to each from the stack, and then turned.

The second "Bragging" round reminded of today's Poker game. A hand of cards was dealt to everyone. One would start by saying: "I brag" and place a stake on the table. The other players could then challenge that and place their stakes on the table. Thus, I went around clockwise until one player said: "I'll see you!"

Cards were shown and the highest hand took the money on the table.

Here luck seemed to change a lot.

The third round was about getting 31 - or as close as possible.

You could buy cards from the deck but if you went over 31, you had to put your cards down and get out of the game.

Although luck seemed to shift a lot all through those evenings, the end result was usually that the soldiers pay ended up in Charmaine's purse.

She balanced the game so that no one suspected any foul play.

Only once, a drunk soldier got up and stared talking about cheating but the one-eyed Shirley calmed him down rather fast. A look from her good eye was enough to make his blood freeze and sit down quietly again.

The evenings when there were no soldiers in the Inn or no one wanted to bet their pay, the two women just sat. Often quietly and consumed the landlords Rum in large quantities.

In the next period more supplies arrived and also more soldiers.

The leading Officer, James Burton did not 'tent' with the men but had a room at the Inn, so he and the two women often talked in the barroom.

It was not proper for an Officer to mingle with his men, so he was lonely they assumed.

He tried finding out of the women why they were there and what their business was, but did not have much success down that path.

On the other hand, they had quite a success in 'milking' him for information.

One of the first nights, over a couple of bottles of Rum they simply asked what he and his men were doing in such a God forsaken place.

"We're here on the King's order. We are awaiting a transport of pirates going to the capital to have a fair trial and be duly hanged."

"Seems strange," Charmaine said. "Why have they not just been hanged upon capture?"

"The King wants to make an example. Pirating has long been a curse in these waters and maybe a few dangling from the gallows in the capital will scare others off". the Officer smiled.

"I'm sure," Charmaine said dryly. "Sounds clever enough!"

"Yes, and their leader is widely known. It is the infamous Catherine Hagerty. It has taken a lot of energy and cost a lot of his Majesty a lot of soldiers to catch her and her gang. Now we just need to find and catch her companion but I can assure you it will not be long."

"That's a consolation then. We went over land as we did not dare venture at sea. Nice to think his Majesty's ships and forces are protecting peaceful people like us."

Conversation went on for a while along the same lines. Finally, the Officer got up and retired to his room.

"Nice with an informant on high level, Shirley. Now we know she's on board. I'll be happy to see her again."

Shirley smiled and slung down half a cup of Rum.

--

Finally, one morning two ships anchored outside the harbour. The tide made it impossible for them to go in, but they each had solid anchors and lay sheering for the wind. They were tied together with a small walking bridge between them.

Sam had made friends with a few of the soldiers. Using only her home-made finger language. They were apparently very interested in the feminine looking boy, but Sam had held them at bay. Not more though than he/she was a welcome guest at the camp outside the village.

As soon as Charmaine had seen the ships coming over the horizon she had sent Sam on his/her way to the camp.

It was no problem for him/her to empty the contents of a small flask into the big pot of stew that were boiling over an open fire.

He/she just made gestures wanting to taste it and got a big wooden spoon from the camp cook. While blowing on the hot contents of the spoon and winking with one eye at the cook, he/she discretely emptied the contents of the flask into the pot.

That night a strange stomach ailment hit the camp. There was a constant to and fro at the latrine and some soldiers that just walked behind the tents and into the bushes as everything was running out of them - front and back.

At breakfast the next morning, the Officer was paler than ever when he sat down at a table next to the women.

"You don't look at all well, my dear," Charmaine chirped.

"No - and I am happy I dine here and not at the camp. Some kind of flu seems to have broken out, and I need to have the provisions brought aboard as soon as possible. The boats from the ship will be here shortly but only with the crew to man that. It is my job to get the stuff loaded and unloaded. Bugger all!"

"Well. You could hire some of the locals - and us. We have nothing better to do. Do we, Shirley".

"Hm. Good idea. Landlord!! Landlord!! Please spread the word around I need some able people to load and unload some boats - within the hour, please!"

The landlord came running, Nodded and ran out of the door.

Half an hour later a mixed group of villagers and our three friends stood waiting on the dock.

They spend the day rowing back and forth with the supplies in the two boats from the war ship and the one from the prisoner ship.

The war ship was a large Snauw: The 'Venus'. A fast sailing machine with 8 two pounder guns and 8 twelve pounder guns. Evenly distributed to each side on the gun deck.

The Prisoner ship was a barquentine, a former slave ship.

It was well-suited to the purpose. The middle deck below housed the chained prisoners in the former slave area. The only ventilation came from a hatch made of 'braided' planks and thus leaving small, square openings for limited fresh air to circulate below.

It was armed with four short barrelled carronades. Two on the railing on each side.

Its name was 'Adventure', which the former slaves and the present prisoners probably did not appreciate.

Charmaine, Shirley, and Sam worked as hard as anyone.

At one point during the day Charmaine slipped and fell on the hatch to the prisoners. She got up quickly, but managed to discretely drop a small cotton bag down one of the square openings in the hatch. The bag landed silently on the floor below.

Catherine Hagerty opened the bag and had soon worked herself out of her shackles.

The tools from the bag circulated quickly below deck. One by one the prisoners worked hard with the assortment of small, metal sticks and tools from the bag.

Before the last boat had brought the final cargo aboard all prisoners were free of their restraints.

The helpers were rowed back to the harbour and Charmaine, Shirley and Sam took up position at the window in their room. Frequently using the telescope to survey the ships.

The sun went down.

Aboard the prisoner ship one of the metal tools were used to break open the door to the deck above.

The single guard outside the door died silently having of a pair of strong hands close around his neck from behind. His body was dragged back and down the staircase.

Catherine smiled and whispered to her nearest companion: "How nice of the Navy. Look they have all the rifles and cutlasses in those two racks and I bet the ammunition is in those boxes at the side. The prisoners silently armed themselves and divided into two groups. All guards were dead before they could raise the alarm, and the rest of the crew, sleeping in hammocks below the deck of each ship were awakened and placed under armed guard, then forced down to the prisoner deck.

The officers had their quarters at the stern of the ships. They did manage to put up some resistance but as soon as they realized they were outnumbered, they gave up and were escorted to join their crews on the former slave holding deck.

Now, Catherine moved a blanket back and forth by the lantern on top of the aft deck on the slave ship.

This was the signal, Charmaine and her friends had waited for.

They opened the sailor's chest, lifted the few items of clothing out and armed

themselves with the pistols, cutlasses and short rifles hidden below.

Then made their way to the dock, where they stole a small rowing boat unnoticed by anyone and made for the ships.

As soon as Charmaine climbed aboard, she got a bear hug from Catherine: "Charlotte - you old bitch. I am so happy to see you. Do come aboard!"

Charmaine, who now responding to her real name, returned the favour.

They went across the bridge to the war ship.

In the meantime, there was a lot of activity all over the prisoner ship. Anything that could be removed or broken loose were transferred to the war ship: Ropes, weapons, gunpowder, ball and box shots, instruments, and the Officers' sailor's chests.

As the night wore on the prison ship looked more and more like a wreck.

The sun came up over the horizon as they cut the two ships loose from each other.

Slowly they drifted apart.

"Are we just leaving them there, Charlotte?"

"Nope! Look closer. She's already low in the water. We have drilled some nice holes in the bottom of her."

"That's unkind. Most of them have not done us any harm."

"Well, they were going to hang me and our friends, so don't you think they deserve this? I do."

Now sounds and screams started to come from the closed prison deck.

"Ah! I think the water has started to pour into their accommodation. Good!"

They stayed watching in silence till the screams stopped and the last top of the masts disappeared in the deep.

It had alerted the soldiers on land, and they could see them gathering at the harbour and manning some rowing boats.

"I suppose we had better make them lose their courage," Charlotte said.

She barked out some orders and a few minutes later the cannons on the warship

thundered over the water and large fountains of water stood up at the entry to the harbour.

"So, shall we leave now, and let's see what faith has in store for us.

More orders made men and women crawl up the rigging and unfold the sails. The wind slowly filling them. Then Shirley turned the wheel and they rounded the island for the open sea.

Chapter Twenty-Seven - Present Day - Decisions and More Riddles

by o_girl © 2024

At breakfast the next morning conversation was light and slow.

By the end of the meal, Aino coughed lightly: "Ahem. We have a couple of requests?"

Bryn looked up from her coffee: "Yes?"

"Well. First, we would like to move into one room - together. May we do that?"

Sunny stared at her plate and tried not to giggle. Bryn said: "Of course. Apart from Sunny's and my room you can pick any room you like. Plenty of them are free upstairs. No problem, right Sunny?"

Sunny nodded, then spoke: "We are very fond of having you here and you seem to like it. How about you move in permanently? As Bryn says we have plenty of rooms and there's still stories to be uncovered here. Should you feel bored there's the veggie garden, the greenhouse, the stables and animals and the brewery. We can easily find use for extra hands. How about it?"

Both Aino and Essi agreed without hesitation.

"Other requests?"

"..ahem...ehh...could we borrow some stuff from your basement room, please?"

Now Sunny could not help giggling.

"I don't think it is possible to move any of the furniture nor would I like that, but if you need some attachments and toys, you are more than welcome. Let's have a look tonight after dinner, and you can pick what you want. Ok?"

Both Aino and Essi nodded.

Sunny got herself under control and the rest of the meal went by in relative silence.

That evening they all went downstairs and looked in Bryn's large cabinet by the wall. Aino and Essi walked upstairs with an assortment of cuffs, a collar, some rope, a nice thin braided crop, and a few other play items.

--

The week passed.

One day Sunny sailed to the village with products from their livestock and garden in the RIB. They had made a deal with The General Store and a group of young people manning a stand for them on market days.

It enabled them to stay in the background. They did not want themselves exposed more than necessary. To risk being recognized and have their past jump up and bite them in the buttocks. Nor did they want to have to stand in the heat a full market day. They also had plenty to do on the island so spending as little time as possible selling their products was what they aimed for.

Bryn had designed a logo with a combination of the paintings in the cave: Some "leaf" people and the big bull being chased. In a much simpler form.

The "Cape Athena" vegetables, grain, eggs, meat, and cider had by now attracted a large group of customers and they had even started a small web shop that Sunny administered. She checked and packed orders almost every evening and took a short run to the village in the RIB to send out parcels every morning after breakfast.

A parcel company van waited for the pickup on the dock most mornings.

Earlier each morning Bryn woke Sunny when she returned from her morning swim. She swam between the artificial stone piers sticking out into the water in order not to be caught by the constantly changing currents around the island.

Aino and Essi continued their archaeology work.

Every evening they would convene in the hot spa on the roof, enjoy an after-dinner drink and talk about the events of the day.

As for their Viking grave, almost all the pieces were back on the island and Aino and Essi had meticulously placed everything as they were found.