A Few Minutes Before The End Of The World | COMPLETED

'Part 2'

"Thief! Thief!"

John Abberton was taking a nap in his cabin when the holler had woken him up. He fumbled to reach his pocket watch, it was 12'O clock. He stumbled to the cabin window, expecting to see the vast blue expanse of-

Boats?

People?

Port?

We haven't left?

Somehow they were still there. They were still in the harbor. Why in Gabriel's name were they still in the harbor!?

"That mindless fool of a captain! This uncladed insolence! Never in my career has a priest received such impudence from sailors! Mere sailors!"

He got into presentable clothing and got out into the deck.

"Lemme go, sir. I only wanted some food for my sick sister. Please don't hurt me"

"Kid, do you know what we do to thieves aboard me ship? We cut off their fingers. One by one. Then we hang them naked on the mast until the crows munch on their flesh, bit by bit" Captain Ilkman guffawed at his remark which erupted an array of laughter from the other sailors.

"Please sir, please let me go" the young boy no more than 16-years-old shrieked.

"What in God's name are you doing?" Abberton affronted the Captain.

"Um... Erm... We found this kid stealing bread from our provisions, we've no idea how he got in. I thought we should set an example to all robbers thinki'n 'bout stealing from me, sir. Well, it doesn't concern you. We'll leave very soon sir, I suggest you head to your cabin"

"Captain, what's the time?"

"I'm sorry, sir?"

"I asked you what the time is?"

"It almost 12, sir"

"It 5 past 12 you bunch of morons, let me ask you another question, a more important question perhaps. Which King do you serve?"

"I'm sorry sir?"

"Are you deaf captain? How about you lot?" the priest turned to the sailors "To which King did you pledge your allegiance to? Is it the Tsar of Russia?"

"No, sir" the sailors replied unenergetically.

"Perhaps the Emperor of China?"

"No sir"

"Sir Abberton, I'm sure you are well aware that we serve the King of England the same as you. Leave them alone, will you? This is my ship and in my ship, we follow my rules"

"Child! Do you pledge your allegiance to the King of England?" the priest asked the boy.

"Sir?" the boy asked confusedly.

"Say yes!"

"Yes, sir!" He shouted.

"Yes what?"

"I pledge my allig- alleg- alligen-"

"Allegiance!"

"Yes of course, 'that', to the King of England"

"There you go Captain, from this moment forth, this child is a subject of His Highness. And by the law of the King who owns both you and your ship, this child is subject to the law of the King. And the last time I checked, the legislature clearly stated that in the absence of an Assize, a clergyman may give an ad interim verdict to a petty criminal"

"What? You- you-" they captain bobbled his tongue clumsily probing for a retort.

"Yes me, Minister John Abberton, you may return to your duties sailors and you, my dear captain, can focus on doing your job, which, I believe is to get me as far away from this hellhole with alacrity"

John Abberton now shifted his attention to the child. He was frail. His ribs were threatening to tear through his chest. He donned some ragged clothes and on the floor lay beside him a loaf of bread.

The child had probably stolen that loaf from the provision chambers. Abberton picked up the bread and handed it over to the boy.

"Don't steal kid. Even if you do, I suggest you not do it from a ship that's readying itself to set sail for god's sake"

"Thank you, sir"

The boy ran off and evanesced among the bustling crowd in the port.

Abberton sighed.

"You'd think the development of science and literature would have civilized this lot of chowderheads!" He grunted and returned to his cabin.

Hopefully the next time he comes out, he'll be in the middle of the Atlantic ocean.

And as the wise Greeks have once said, sometimes you get what you ask for. Or was it the Romans?

Surely, some old maritime men did say it. Maybe they should've added that, even though you get what you ask for, you might not like it.