Lunar Gaze

Chapter 23

The merchant took a good look at the golden pieces before him. There were plenty of pieces to choose from. One bracelet in particular caught his eye. He seemed to study it. Then, he lifted the bracelet to a candle. Immediately, the metal began to melt. "I knew you would trick me again, this is fool's gold!"

"The quack must've not had as much wealth as he claimed." Whispered Kidd.

"This is the last you shall pull the wool over my eyes!" Pointed the merchant. "I will have my guards send you to prison!"

"That won't be necessary." Kidd smiled cheekily, then grabbed Josephine's hand and began to run out. The guards chased after them through the streets of Tortuga. It was crowded around them, plenty of people made way for the chasers and those being chased.

But their efforts to run away were stopped when one guard used a short cut to get ahead. Kidd now had a sword to the throat. He looked down at the rusted blade then up at the guard. "Quite the predicament you've got me in."

Because Josephine was believed to be Kidd's property, they allowed her to stay in the cell with him. Kidd stood by the bars of the jail cell and leaned his high cheekbone against the cold, dirty metal. Josephine sat on the bench and cried her eyes out.

"What is to happen to us now?" Josephine cried. "And how am I to get home?"

"We surely don't have money." Kidd mumbled. "We will have to earn it in the only way I know how."

"Your way will result in us being hung!" Josephine called out to Kidd from where she sat. "I do not wish to live like this!"

"At the moment, we have no choice." Kidd turned to face Josephine. "Three days, they said we will be here."

"Three days?" Josephine cried out. "It's filthy in here. Rats run among my feet! No sunlight comes in! A simple pot that is never removed or emptied is here for us to relieve ourselves. It's pure filth in here!" Josephine cried.

"There is nothing I can possibly do." Kidd answered. "We will simply have to wait."

One of the jailers came down to the cell. "Are you John Morgan?"

Josephine's tears slightly held in. She looked up, she had yet to hear Kidd go by that name. Was that his birth name?

"Yes, I am." Kidd answered.

"You are known as Kidd Bonny, aren't you?" The jailer questioned. Kidd held his lips tightly together, now wishing to speak another word. "I know who you are. And so does our judge. He wishes to see you in court."

Kidd was accustom to a court room, for he found himself in plenty of mischief in his life. "That sounds fine by me." He answered confidently. That is, until he was truly before the judge.

In the court room, the judge was a well fed man who wore a white wig and a black judge's robe. His gavel was beside him on his large platform.

"You are guilty of piracy, fraud, and allegedly slave kidnapping." The judge listed from his podium. "You claim you 'free' them? What makes you think you have a right to another man's property?"

"I do not free slaves." Kidd lied. "I own a slave myself."

The judge looked to Josephine, who stood behind Kidd in the court room. She appeared a little disheveled, but overall greatly dressed. Her posture had shown that she was at least taught etiquette. And her beauty was beyond words.

"That is your slave?" The judge questioned.

"Yes." Kidd answered.

"And where did you purchase this 'slave'?" The judge leaned forward in his seat.

"Jamaica." Kidd answered.

"Jamaica?" The judge repeated. "What market and who is the man who sold her to you?"

Kidd had no answered.

"So you have stolen goods, tried to sell said goods, tried to get more money for them than they were truly worth, and then when confronted with your crime you attempted to flee?" The judge went on. "Not to mention this is far from your first offense."

"I'm an offensive man, I suppose." Kidd quipped.

The judge looked at Kidd with stone coldness. Josephine could feel her legs begin to shake. The judge lifted his chin and sat with perfect posture. "You shall be hung. Without any chance of appeal."

"No!" Kidd shouted out as the guards of the courtroom began to grab him by both arms. "I will do anything, you see. I must ensure that the lady whom I have chaperoned for the past few moons is well taken care of."

"A lady is she, now? No longer your slave?" The judge questioned. Then he looked to Josephine. "Who is your true master?"

Kidd looked at Josephine with sorrowful eyes. In his mind, he begged that she claimed to be his slave, for that may be her only sense of safety in the situation. But Josephine was under pressure, and she answered honestly. "I am a free woman of Jamaica."

Kidd squeezed his eyes shut at her answer.

"Jamaica?" He questioned. "Well, here in Tortuga we do not acknowledge free negroes from other countries. You must have a master if you reside here."

"But, I have no master." Josephine cried out. The judge once again took a good look at Josephine. He drank in all her attributes. A beautiful face, a nice figure, firm bosoms, nice posture, and a fine height of stature. Yes, she was a delight to behold. And so he had now made his decision.

"Okay, you may not be sent to death." The judge announced.

"I thank you." Kidd exhaled as the guard began to let go of him.

"Under one condition." The judge pointed.

Kidd felt a lump in his throat. "And what would that be?"

"That your so-called slave is given to me." He answered. "I will have paperwork written up and she will then be my property."

"Kidd!" Josephine shouted to him.

"She just wishes to be returned safely to her family." Kidd told the judge. "Please, you may kill me as you wish but do not punish her for my actions."

"I have made up my mind." The judge insisted. "Unless you would like me to change my verdict."

"Kidd." Josephine cried as the guards now took hold of her. He turned to Josephine, and tried to put on a strong face for her. He mouthed the words don't worry. Josephine was taken out of the room and made to wait. She feared what was coming next for her.