Quest of Freedom Sails

Chapter Four (Ford)

   At first I was worried I'd never get a glimpse of her eyes, she was so determined on looking at the cracks in the floor. Hopefully I'm not going to be here long enough to become intrigued by cracks in wood.

  The girl, Ness, has dirty blonde scraggly hair that is carelessly chopped unevenly around her neck, and brown eyes. She can't be treated well, I feel an anger for this lousy crew paying no mind to this girl. Then again, why should they? I have to remind myself that she is fierce and can take care of herself. This is the same girl who shot Harlin Kortzoph.

  The look she'd given me when she delivered my meal almost scared me, for a second she'd seemed so... delicate. And it made me go crazy. But then she pushed it back down again and was once more armored with strength and independence. She's a survivor. She's far out of my reach. But then again...My mind replays the look on her face, the hint of weakness, fragility. Once I managed to break away her defenses. I feel terribly unstable, like a small tear has begun to rip at me. This angers me. I want her.

  Ness has such large eyes. Ness has small, poised, impenetrable lips. She has a straight nose that comes to a small point. I've seen many other girls, sly, dirty, snotty ones, spoiled. I can already tell that Ness is different, she is in one of the lowest classes, a slave to a pirate crew and she still takes hold of the ropes in her life. I saw the way she brushed me off like a bug.

  The cell has cross bars and the floor is stone. My legs are crossed and my back leans against the wall, I'm in a slouched position and I occupy my self with rubbing the dirt and tiny stone chunks that have broken off of the wall in between my fingers.

  I must of done something wrong, I pray to be set free out on my own, doing as I please and I'm thrown behind bars. At least the girl knows where to find me, I'm not going anywhere. I wonder what she's up to.

  Then I hear the clopping noise of boots against the stone floor. A pudgy, scruffy 35 year old grump walks into view, followed by a buff, tall,  pirate. It isn't Ness. Bored, I run my eyes lazily over him and then return to staring at sludge sliding off my finger tips.

  Clang!  I thrust my head up to see that the man has clashed his sword against the bars. "Now you rat, here's the business, if you plan on staying alive, you address me as Captain Stout and you will pay me attention when I enter these quarters." The buff pirate snickers.

  "Yes Captain Stout." I say. I almost laugh at his name. This has to be the new captain taking the place of Kortzoph.

  "That's it, your a smart rat. Your dang daddy has two weeks to hand over some gold or your dead. Your Tariq's boy eh? The bloody oaf managed to escape Kortzoph's grasp. No matter, I betcha we'll mooch a good fortune offa 'em."

 That gets my attention. "I'm being held for ransom."

  "What was that?" pries the big pudgy captain. His mouth is starting to curl.

  "You're holdin me for ransom, Captain Stout." I state matter-of-factly as the realization sinks in.

  "Yes, I do believe that would be correct." This sucks, I'm hear 'til I die in two weeks. I scowl at the floor. No way Tariq's gonna pay money for me. "Are we understood?"

  "Yes, Captain." I say, trying to hide my bitterness.

  "Pardon me?" He presses, I stare at him angrily. He breaks into a full grin.

  "Yes Captain Stout Sir." I say in a mocking tone.

  "Very well." Stout says under his breath.

  "Now I have just a few questions for you."

  I blink, this isn't good. "Your father is Captain Tariq Doswood is he not?"

  "Biologically, Captain."

  "And you came unaware that we would be attacking?"

  "Correct Sir."

  "Your father was aware though?"

  "I don't think I owe you an explanation of my broken family's problems."

  "You will answer me boy." He remains calm.

  "Who does he think he is?" I hear the tall, buff one chide.

  "I don't think you'd kill me, my father has too much to offer for you to give it all up now."

  He ignores me. "What do you know about the witch doctor's hutt huh? What about that?"

  I lean back as if getting comfortable and say innocently, "I've never heard of it."

  "Zedly, make the bloody rat talk." Kortzoph gestures toward the buff pirate. Zedly, the buff one, takes out a key and opens the cell. Then he picks me up by my neck and slams me against the bars. Over and over again. Finally he throws me back in to the cell where I fall, slugglish. As I'm seeping into the unconscious state I can hear Stout and Zedly's sinister chuckling as they make their way out of the brig. "Well now he'll be gone 'fore a good couple'a hours, we'll have to try again later."

   When I wake up I just put my head in my hands miserabIy and I find myself asking how the hell did I end up here? and Can I live with myself? Is it right? Ha! what do I know about what's right? But so far my mind has shied away from thoughts about Hurley or Dezmin. I just try to forget. I try to forget that it was my stupid bloody ideas that got them killed. It was selfish of me.

  In my state of discouragement, I open my mind's locked closet door, that room grows bigger and bigger. All the memories tumble out. Hurley. Dezmin. Dead at the depths of my stupidity. Why can't I be bloody better than that?! It'd be better to die in two weeks, I can accept it.