The Nature of the Beast

Chapter 5

Days into their journey they were again on deck enjoying dinner. The chunks of tender stewed potatoes melted on Enid's tongue. It was a long time since she tasted such delicious homemade food on a regular basis.

"Why do you dine up here, as opposed to in the Captains' quarters? Surely that is your right as Captain?" Enid asked Marko.

"Done much sailing have you?" he asked.

Enid face flushed with embarrassment, but she was angry too and clenched her fists to stop from making a biting remark. "I have read that the Captain and his officers usually consider themselves above the crew and dine separately, eating better fare than the rest. Do you not see yourself in that light?" she was curious.

"Precocious one, aren't you?" He stretched out his long legs and leaned back, resting on the ships side, arms along the rail.

Enid hated that term. Its meaning was complimentary, an advanced, intelligent child, but it was always stated as an insult, laced with sarcasm.

Marko continued answering her question. "I can't say that I see myself as above my crew. While I do own the ship and for that reason only do I earn a larger share of the profit," a few of the men around him nodded in agreement between bites of stew, "we are all equally responsible here. We trust each other with our lives. All that separates us from death is a few planks of wood. One lazy seaman or selfish act and we are all doomed. It's the trust and respect we have that keeps us afloat. I see myself as one of them. We dine together because we are family."

His words made Enid smile, despite her annoyance at his arrogance towards her.

"What else have you read about Captains and sailors in general?" he asked, curious.

"Well," she began, "I've heard they like a good tale."

"I won't argue you with there. Do you have any to share, maybe one we haven't heard?"

"I know many stories, but I would love to hear one of yours, or maybe one from Vestal?"

Nikola came and squeezed in beside her. He looked at his mother and said, "Why don't you tell us the meaning behind your name?"

The men nodded, urging her to tell her tale.

She threw back her hair and began. Enid felt her skin prickle in excitement as Vestal's soft clipped voice spoke.

"My mother loved history, particularly ancient roman history. She was fascinated with the ancient priestesses of Vesta. They were known as the goddesses of hearth, home and family."

Enid inched closer to Vestal, eager to hear more.

"I was born June 7, the start of the feast days called Vestalia. It was a week-long festival where the Vesta's presided over many state ceremonies and rituals. They were powerful in Ancient Rome and were even able to vote and own property. A fact that is unusual even for our own time, imagine what it was like for them to hold such power in Ancient times."

That sounded good to Enid, better than what women today were offered.

"But there was a trade-off for the reverence and power they received. Their parents gave them to the state when they were just children. They were then committed to thirty years of service as priestesses. During that time they were never to marry nor have children and they all swore a vow of celibacy."

"Easy for a woman," one man piped in, "a man, well, he may not fare so well."

Vestal frowned but ignored him and continued.