Treasure of the sea |Lesbian story|

CHAPTER XLIX

"There it is! I see it! It's Nassau! It's Nassau!"

At that distance, I could make out the fort and the roofs of the houses. Small dark dots were moving along the beach, some heading toward the harbour and some toward the market. The sound of Nassau came a few moments later, when the fishing boat shortened even more the space between us and the city. Voices, shouts, music and laughter rose in the wind. In an inn near the beach a band was playing popular ditties and the audience was singing at the top of their voices.

My eyes glided over the people, hopeful. The docking proceeded without too much effort, and when the ship was stopped at the pier, we all hurried down, hungry to find out what had happened to the rest of our crew. I welcomed the torpor of Nassau, lifting my face to the sun to feel the rays on my skin. The air smelled of seaweed and roasted fish. We walked briskly across the pier to the ivory-white sandy beach. A kiosk sold fried prawns and pink shell soup.

"I'll be damned!" It was a sailor who spoke. He stared at all of us with his eyes wide and his mouth half open. "Am I seeing ghosts or are you really here?"

Bones chuckled. "I didn't think the day would come when I find it pleasant to see your stupid face again, Finn."

"We were all convinced you were hanged."

"I must admit, it was a close call. "

"Damn bastards, someone up there must really love you."

"I wouldn't be surprised-"

Dilthey interrupted them. He spoke fiercely, almost with tears in his eyes; desperation and anxiety taking over him. "Hey, Finn, where are the others? Do you know? Do you know if they're alive?"

"They're alive. They're all alive."

Dilthey's knees no longer supported his weight and he collapsed to the ground in relief. He took his face in his hands and let out a groan filled with release and joy. "Thank God, thank God..." he whispered.

"They arrived in Nassau with the ship half sunk. They told everyone what had happened and no one expected to see you again. Damned if you're lucky."

"Where are they, Finn? Tell me where they are," Dilthey ordered.

"Ah, I don't know. Try down at the inn. Or at the market. Ask around, it's better."

"Thank you." Dilthey wasted no time. He rose to his feet and began to run, scanning every face in the crowd with excitement, desperate to find a single person. We all followed him, eager to see our comrades again after all that time. Dilthey questioned a dozen passers-by and they all stopped and looked at us in astonishment. They all believed we were dead.

"I saw them twenty minutes ago at the armoury."

And it was there that we saw them again. Dinnington was carefully studying a double-barrelled revolving gun. The shop owner was listing to him all the merits of the gun, in a persuasive tone. The quartermaster was the first to notice us. He blinked several times, as if convinced he was seeing a hallucination, but when his mind told him that vision was real the gun slipped from his fingers and landed on the wooden floor with a thud. Jackie Jay let out a scream of astonishment and threw himself into Dilthey's arms with such momentum that the latter lost his balance. They fell to the ground together, clutched so tightly it hurt. Sobs and cries of happiness filled the air. Dilthey wiped away each of his beloved's tears with light, gentle kisses, murmuring words of comfort to him.

Dinnington calmly advanced toward Arenis, utterly incredulous. She smiled at him, happy, but also a little nervous.

"Hello, Dinnington. I'm glad to see you ag-"