Sky Pirates

Chapter 11

The dwarf woman deposited Lord Parker Greene in a chamber. She gave a little wave in his direction before she closed the door. Like all the other little people he had seen in the short time he'd been with the pirates, she had a slightly oversized ring on the middle finger of her right hand. He wondered about those rings; if all the small ones wore them, but no one else, they must hold a significance.

Returning to his chamber wasn't much of a walk, but the halls and passageways had been confusing. Parker had lost his bearings, although he could still hear the bee-like humming; the sound permeated everything.

The room wasn't uncomfortable. If fact, despite its size—only slightly larger than the average ship's cabin—it was well appointed. The bed had more cushion and bounce than his bunk on the Barkley; the sitting chair was lovely, covered in bright green damask; a side table had empty cabinet space below and a pitcher of water and basin atop; and, there was a good-sized table with two chairs. He'd asked the woman how long he'd be kept here, but she didn't answer.

On the table, in a glass bowl, was a selection of tropical fruits, most he'd seen before, like the yellow banana and the green star fruits. Others, he'd not seen before. He took an unknown fruit, sniffed it, bit through the skin. It had the flesh of an apple and tasted like it might be a varietal or some odd combination of apple and pear. It tasted good, and he ate all but the seedy core.

As he consumed the banana, Lord Greene contemplated his next move. What could he do? He was on a tropical island, kept and maintained by, from the looks of the vast operation, very intelligent men. These weren't the pirates Queen Victoria thought were stealing her ships and killing her crews. These men had purpose. They had direction. There was meaning behind their desire. Captain Flynn spoke of their actions being a form of retribution for the Empire's deeds.

No, before he could develop a true plan of combat, he had to learn more, know more. He had to hope they wouldn't kill him, so he'd have time to discover what was going on with these men, these pirates.

He tossed aside the banana's peel and took up a star fruit. He wished he had a knife, but alas there was none present; he replaced the star fruit and began to peel a small citrus fruit, not exactly an orange, but something similar. His efforts ended when he heard a knock. He returned the fruit to the glass bowl, stood, and went to the door. Parker turned the handle, but the thing didn't budge. "Yes," he said.

"We have your possessions, Lord Greene. May we enter?"

"Of course." Parker stepped back from the door as it opened.

A group of female dwarfs, dressed in beautifully embroidered and beaded dresses of vibrant hues, entered carrying his things. Without a sound, they moved into the room, placed each item where they felt it went, and, without a word, left the room. The unmistakable sound of a lock being secured punctuated their departure.

He looked around the room; Greene discovered the fruit had been replenished; a knife and clean rag now sat on the table next to the glass bowl. His empty scabbard hung on the back of the door. His hat rested over the top of it. His duffle leaned in a corner and upon inspection seemed to contain all his possessions.

Lord Greene took out a few of his things and discovered a stack of letters addressed to him, unopened. He looked through the stack; each letter was from his niece, Mildred. Without further thoughts of his prison or jailers, Parker tore into the missives, devouring his ward's sweet words and the images they brought of his beloved Wickwillow Manor. For the next several hours, Parker Greene could smell the earth, feel the weeds, and enjoy the machinations of Loraine Canton as she made Mildred and Cole's lives miserable. As he read the lovely words written in well-turned script, he realized for the first time that Mildred had a great command of English, she was a grown woman, or nearly so; it was time to marry Millie off. He'd been slack in his duties regarding these children and, if he survived this endeavor for Her Royal Majesty, he vowed to do better by them.

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