A Neverland Tale - HOOKED (eng)

Chapter 3.6 - Capt. J. Hook

While James Hook dragged the boy with him through the undergrowth, low-hanging branches, and foliage, he kept a watchful eye on his surroundings. With the boy, he was slower, and more conspicuous because he had to hold him and share his attention. As much as one might not expect from an imposing man - who usually strutted the deck of the Jolly Roger - the captain moved surprisingly quietly. No comparison to the Indians, of course, but still inconspicuous enough not to be heard immediately.

The closer they got to the palm line to the beach, the more sure James became that it would have been a waste to kill the boy immediately. He was glad he had noticed in time, but something else was scratching and scraping inside him. The lad was different, too interesting to just let him run (which was out of the question anyway) or rot in the Blich. Hrm... the little guy had shown courage, asking for a quick death rather than begging for his life - a quality that was quite commendable and for which Hook had his respect left.

"What are you going to do! Feed me to the crocodiles? Hang me?!" (Luke)

A soft snort was all he got in response. Hook wanted to get ahead because they should have been back at the ship by now. The little chase had certainly not gone unnoticed, some of the beasts out here had darn good ears, and Hook possessed no increased interest in an encounter with the claw-packed monsters. It was only the bright scream that made him spin around before the slender hand grabbed and dragged him backward. There was a soft rustling in the immediate vicinity, a rope was pulled through a lug, and suddenly twigs and branches gave way with a groan.

Hook stared into the darkness and... sure enough, a hole opened up where leaves and ferns had been deftly spread before. The pitfall was staked with sharp stakes, and really James should have noticed it. That was what happened when one hurriedly scurried through the night to escape the dangers. One stumbled into the next best trap. Cursed redskins... or lost ones? It could have been either, for the natives like Peter's bunch of brats made use of this filthy trapping technique. Only some mechanisms were hard to beat in effort and camouflage, then it was clearly the work of the natives. 

There was something ironic about this scene, as bitter as the island's humor. Hrm... how quickly had Luke realized that this was his chance for freedom? Disgruntled, James turned his head and scowled at the boy. In an exasperating gesture, Luke had put his hand over his face, and James heard the suppressed sound of resignation very well. Oh, the lad had just made a grave mistake and it was amusing to watch him realize it.
The corners of Hook's mouth twitched, then he laughed softly. It was a rarity to see him with a mild smile at all, and this time, too, it seemed bitter. Further evidence of the fellow's naivete was his passionate impulse to save a human being from certain death... apparently, even when it was James Hook. Few in Neverland even liked to remember such sensitive morality.

"I guess that makes us even now. Your life against mine," he grumbled, tilting his head and looking at the boy for a while. Fate or coincidence that Luke had saved him? Hmm, maybe he would find out someday. But that day was still a long way off. So he grabbed the boy's arm again (less roughly this time) and followed after him. In a way, it could have been called cowardice for James to push the lad ahead... but the captain was simply too smart to assume Luke would make the same mistake twice.
"Come on, now. Let's go home.", not wanting to make acquaintance with the traps again. At the words, he bent down to speak more softly, because any wrong sound could attract the next hungry stomach.

When they finally reached the beach, most of the pirates had already found their way back through the forest and were waiting by the small lanterns on the jetty.
"We couldn't find him, I'm afraid, Captain, the brat of yours... oh!" the first babbled on, before registering the boy on whose gangly figure red brocade was wrinkling far too much.
James ignored him, just snorted disdainfully, and dragged Luke past the men to the boat.
"Come on you landlubbers!" he shouted over his shoulder and the bustle around a couple of boats moved more briskly. All the men had returned, but none had managed to shoot, let alone capture, any of the snots.
Of course, they hadn't. It was not the pirate's way to take prisoners, nor to follow the lice-ridden children through the undergrowth. Besides, the little brats were much more adept in the woods than on the beach or on the ship. They climbed trees, moved about over the treetops, and avoided any danger of the ground. There were wild animals up there, too... snakes and birds of prey, for example, beasts with claws sharp enough to climb - but far less risky than the pack of pirates on the forest floor. With a soft snort, the captain rebuked the men, who were now looking bemusedly at the prisoner. They had not used the Blitch in a long time - it had never become necessary. James, however, needed no justification for taking a hostage, and no one would have dared address him on why the boy was still alive.

"Let's see how much you're worth to your holy Pan. I bet he doesn't even know your name," James grumbled thoughtfully, lowering his head to look at Luke. Sure, Slightly and Crow had known him a little better - but that was no guarantee that the lad had even laid eyes on the fair leader of his troop. Hook didn't expect Luke to believe a single bad word he said about Pan... but the brat didn't have to right away. It was enough if he started thinking about the things James could tell him.

The hero of Neverland. 

How well the villain knew this legendary figure. The myth about a child who never grew up, always joking and playing - and how little of it corresponded to the truth. Hook thought he knew every crack, every shadow behind shining eyes, and he saw the horrors that haunted the shining hero. Luke had been here barely a few months, was to prove his worth in a test he was barely up to, and now he had failed. Pan would drop him like a dry leaf. Worthless and soon forgotten among so many other faded skeletons of withered leaves. 

It was so easy to believe him. The fascination shone brightly and easily like a radiant feather in the spirits of the little ones - they saw in him their salvation, their hero, and fell for the stories and adventures. But what distinguished the stories from reality was that they were told only by those who had survived. Oh yes, how exciting it had been to tease the crocodiles. How the boys must have enjoyed laughing about Peter giving one of them a slap with his saber? But who thought about the lad who had ended up in the beast's mouth for it? Who asked about the boy who, since this excursion, only found his way to sleep crying? Ah... so naive all of them, Luke just like the others. Hook would be lying if he said he cared so much more about the children's souls. 

Sure, the games were cruel, the fate of the victims deplorable - but as a pirate captain, he didn't care much about the well-being of his enemies. All he didn't understand was why Peter still had so many followers. They were stealing from the pirates, taking all the supplies or booty from the last raids in hard months. Like maggots in bacon, they lived effortlessly on the earnings of others. It was just fun for them to annoy the pirates... but they probably didn't even notice that they were killing people in the process. Oh, how James would love to teach those cursed brats a lesson - their filthy leader, in fact. The cowardly dog who sent his people ahead to test their courage... here. He knew very well that not all of them would make it. But neither could Peter has guessed how lucky this one newcomer had been so far.