Diseased Jottings From A Random Mind

Storm in a Bottle

The storm crashed around the ship, shivering its masts and howling through its rigging. Hendrick van der Decken, the captain and master of the vessel, shook his fist at the boiling sky and screamed his defiance: "I don't care! Send what you will against me! I have sworn that I will round the Horn, and neither God nor the Devil shall stop me!"

On the for'ard deck, the crew of the ship sought shelter against the elements and looked back towards their captain. "It's madness!" Piet the bosun declared. "We shouldn't be at sea!"

The mate, a young Englishman by the name of Todd, nodded in agreement. "Aye!" he yelled back. "It's a miracle we haven't broken a mast! Can we reason with him?"

Piet shook his head, sending rivulets of water flying. "Better men than I have tried and failed! Once the captain has a thought in his head, he will not be thwarted!"

"Well, I am going to try! Someone had to!" Todd grabbed hold of a line and pulled himself along the deck towards the stern, where van der Decken had lashed himself to the ship's wheel. As the ship plunged through the mountainous seas, a wall of water swept across the mate, threatening first to drown him, then to pull him overboard. Todd clung tight to the quivering line, knowing that if it snapped he would be lost. Eventually, he reached van der Decken.

"Captain!"

Van der Decken did not look away from the compass binnacle. "Speak."

Todd leaned close to the madman, hoping that the wind would not tear his words away before they reached the captain's ears. "Please, sir, turn around! We have been in this storm for God knows how long. The ship is ready to break its back, and we have little water left. In the name of mercy, go back to port! Everything is against us."

"How dare you!" van der Decken snarled. "I should have you thrown off this ship for cowardice. I have sworn an oath, and a van der Decken shall never renege on their word!"

Todd tried again. "Captain, the men are exhausted. The constant storm has drained them and they cannot go about their duties ..."

"Cur!" Van der Decken swung his fist at Todd, striking him a glancing blow. "Excuses! If you cannot stand watch, then go below with the rest of them. I shall have no shirkers on my ship."

Todd opened his mouth to rebuke the captain, but the look he received showed that van der Decken would not listen to reason. "Aye, sir," the mate said. "As you say." And with that, he made his way back to his post.

Time passed, and the storm continued to rage. The clouds were so dark that it was impossible to tell night from day. The ship was lit by nimbuses of blue flame that crowned the masts, casting a strange light onto those below. The crew went on watch as their bodies demanded - eternally fatigued and unable to sleep. Only van der Decken remained above all the time, continuing to curse all the gods and devils in creation. Eventually, it seemed that God answered the men's prayers and the storm abated. The ship lay in a calm sea, beneath blue skies. Slowly, sheepishly, the men came up on deck.

Van der Decken laughed. "See! I promised you that I would bring you around the Horn! How dare you doubt me! But, I know you are only human, so I shall forgive you. Now, man your posts - all of you! We have a cargo to offload."

The crew obeyed, setting the tattered sails and fixing the broken rigging. Although there was no breath of wind, the ship seemed to sail on, driven by unknown forces. Then, halfway through the watch, the lookout called down, "Land! I see land!"

Van der Decken called back, "What land?"

"I can't tell, sir! An island!"

Van der Decken nudged Piet, who was standing behind him. "We shall stop and take on supplies. Make ready the launch." Piet scurried away to do his captain's bidding. However, as he made the launch ready, something troubled him. He turned to Todd, who was helping him. "I think we must be in Heaven."

"More likely Hell," Todd answered. "There is no wind, but we move. And that island looks queer - like a pudding or something."

"We shall see when we go ashore. No matter whether angels or demons await us, it will be good to be away from the captain."

Unfortunately, Piet was not granted his wish. When the ship dropped anchor, Captain van der Decken insisted on joining the shore party. He watched bodily from the stern of the launch as it was rowed towards the mysterious island. It was not long before there was a scraping noise from the boat's keel. Van der Decken cursed. "More foolery. We have not yet reached that island. A sounding, if you please Mr Mate."

Todd threw the weighted line over the side of the launch, but he could not believe what he saw. "Only two feet, sir."

"Two feet? Then we shall walk." Van der Decken pitched himself over the side of the boat and started to wade. To the crew's astonishment, they saw rise out of the water, as if supported by invisible hands.

Van der Decken fell to his knees. "Glass!" he said in astonishment. "We've beached on glass!" Then he ran forward, rising into the air on an invisible plane. The crew watched in silence as he approached what they thought was land, only now able to see that the island was a huge circular body, maybe a dozen times as tall as van der Decken. He put out a hand to feel the surface before him. "Wood!" he shouted. "By God, it's wood! A cork, if you please!"

Van der Decken turned to look at his dumbfounded crew. "I have sworn an oath!" he screamed. "We shall round the Horn! Back to the ship!" He looked up towards the mottled sky above him, the light from the sun and clouds bent by a far-off glass ceiling. "Do you hear me God?" van der Decken screamed. "Do! You! Hear me!"