Castle of Fire

by Peter Greene

  He rushed to the main deck, ran to the port rail and searched the crowd welcoming the famous ship. There were people of all types: workmen, dock hands, ladies and gentlemen, all waving and cheering. The Danielle was famous, especially in Nassau, as she was first seen there after the successful mission to Skull Eye Island. At the Governor’s mansion, Jonathan, Sean, and Harrison had met the ladies Dowdeswell, including the eldest daughter, Rebecca, the younger daughter, Penelope, and the middle daughter, Delain. Jonathan had taken a liking to Delain and she to him, so he believed. They had toured the ship many times, had dinner with all the officers and the Dowdeswell family, and upon their departing, Delain had asked Jonathan to return for tea someday. Amazingly so, it was now coming to pass.

  “Do ya see her?” said Sean, who had crept up beside Jonathan.

  “No, not at all,” said Jonathan, somewhat disappointedly.

  “I think I do,” called Harrison, as he pointed to the side of the fort that sat on the northern bluff overlooking the bay. “Use my glass. Just below the parapet, almost dead center.”

  Jonathan grabbed the telescope and peered into it, searching the fort, and then . . . there, just as Harrison had said, someone was dangling off a rope, swinging from side to side, rappelling downward slowly. As Jonathan looked closer, he could see that it was clearly a young girl, wearing pants, and now and again looking upwards at an older man who was fretting greatly, waving his arms. On closer observation, it was clearly Delain on the rope.

  “Well, that is certainly Miss Delain Dowdeswell,” Jonathan said. “Obviously, one for adventure.”

  Captain Walker appeared on deck with his lieutenants in tow and addressed Koonts.

  “Before we let out the wild beasts, allow me to approach the Governor to see if he has any special requests. I am sure he will invite us for dinner, or at least I certainly hope so.”

  As if on cue, a voice shouted from the dock.

  “Ahoy Danielle, ahoy!”

  It was Rebecca Dowdeswell, with her youngest sister, Penelope, waving to the Captain and his officers.

  “Ahoy there, little ladies!” called Steward, as it was his duty to address those hailing the ship, even in such a comfortable atmosphere. “Do ya have any news fer the Captain?”

  “No real news, I’m afraid,” said Rebecca. “However, I have been sent by my father, the Governor, to personally request your attendance at dinner tonight at the mansion, if that is agreeable.”

  “By all means,” called the Captain happily, “There will be eight of us, myself and the officers. Is that acceptable?”

  “As long as Mr. Harrison, Mr. Moore, and Sean Flagon attend!” said Penelope.

  “Penelope!” cried Rebecca, not truly concerned. “What a caution you are!”

  Jonathan and Harrison and Sean laughed out loud, but it was clear that Spears and Lane, who had appeared on deck as well, were not happy with the fact that Sean had been personally invited.

  “Then make it nine!” laughed the Captain. “Moore, make sure Flagon is bathed and smelling like a lily.”

  “Yes, sir!” Jonathan said. “Come now, Sean, a bath would do you well. I am sure you haven’t had one since we left London!”

  “And you, dear Jonny, don’t smell like a lily—more like a beached lobster!”

  Dinner was scrumptious, especially since the officers and Sean had not had fresh food for the last few weeks of the voyage. There was grilled fish, chicken in white wine sauce, garlic potatoes, fresh peas, and even American corn. Fresh loaves of bread seemed to be sprouting out of the kitchen as fast as the guests could eat them, and though the officers tried to remember their manners, more than once they had to remind themselves to slow down and enjoy the feast.

  To Jonathan, the most enjoyable part of the evening was the fact that he had been “paired up,” as they say, with none other than Delain Dowdeswell as his dinner partner. She sat to his right, with Sean and Penelope beyond. To Jonathan’s left, Rebecca Dowdeswell chatted with Harrison.

  “I wonder, Mr. Harrison,” asked Rebecca, “have the heroes of Skull Eye Island participated in any new adventures? We would greatly enjoy another one of your tall tales.”

  “Tall tales? As if they were not completely truthful?” asked Harrison defensively.

  “Most certainly are stretched more than a little bit,” laughed Jonathan.

  “Not as such, then, Miss Dowdeswell,” Harrison said between playful frowns. “The trip across the Atlantic was quite calm and matter-of-fact. Unfortunately, nothing to tell, I’m afraid.”

  “We did meet the King,” said Sean calmly.

  The table was shocked into silence. They all looked at Sean.

  “Well, we did,” he said, as if he felt no one believed him.

  “And how did you find His Majesty, Mr. Flagon?” asked Governor Dowdeswell.

  “I found him most agreeable,” Sean said. “His Majesty particularly enjoyed Jonathan’s telling of the tale—and he even granted wishes!” Sean laughed. “It was like Christmas all over again!”

  The table, for the most part, began asking questions and eventually demanded that Harrison tell the entire story, from the time the Danielle left Nassau until they returned. Of course, with the many embellishments added to the tale, Captain Walker exploded with laughter, sending the table into hysterics. When it came to Jonathan’s suggesting the gifts for each member of the crew, he shyly turned red and attended to his plate.

  “So we are to address you as Lord Captain, is that correct?” asked Lady Dowdeswell.

  “Captain is more than adequate, Lady Dowdeswell. The title is simply honorary at best, and if I may suggest a change in topic? We have been dispatched here to deter French privateers and American rum-runners, as we have heard the activity in the area has increased.”

  “We have seen a few smaller ships suspiciously in the offing from time to time,” said the Governor. “It has gotten to the point where we have decided to move my daughters to London for the next few years, to be schooled there. We had been thinking of the move for some time and the increased activity has forced our hand. My sister, Lady Bracknell, will look after them.”

  Jonathan looked at Delain. He could easily tell she was not happy about the move. Her face and brow became scrunched and she held a dark expression for a few moments.

  “I, for one, am so excited to see London!” proclaimed Rebecca. “All the shops and fine ladies and gentlemen. It is the most famous city in the world!”

  “And they have candy!” said Penelope.

  This caused the table to explode into laughs and hisses.

  “We will make sure you receive your fill, young lady!” added Captain Walker. “Miss Delain, are you also excited about the journey?”

  Delain paused for a moment, looked to her father, and then with a small frown she turned to the Captain.

  “I am most certainly looking forward to the crossing in some fine ship. That adventure will be extremely exciting.”

  Her father, the Governor, smiled slightly.

  “Delain is certainly the adventurer in the family. I wonder if you may have seen her performing her latest fancy, mountain climbing.”

  “I did,” said Harrison. “We could see a small figure descending the parapet wall of the fort overlooking the harbor. Mr. Moore and Seaman Flagon also witnessed the event. Most impressive and daring, if I may say so.”

  “You may,” said Delain, smiling now that someone recognized her as impressive.

  “Well,” her mother said with a slight scowl on her face, “For a sailor or a pirate, maybe those are impressive talents, but for a lady? This is one of the reasons we are sending the girls to the culture and dignity of London.

  Jonathan and Sean looked at each other and smiled. They knew both sides of the great town from the posh and warm houses near the Walkers and their apartment on Charing Cross, as well as the back streets and hard cobblestone alleys. Hopefully, Delain and her sisters would be spared the latter.

  “Possibly, if your ne
xt port is London, you could transport them, Captain Walker?” asked Lady Dowdeswell.

  “It would be an honor,” said Walker. “Though we have a four-month cruise to make of the islands. Will that be soon enough?”

  “Actually, it will allow us time to prepare for their departure. Thank you.”

  “Then it is settled. I will have Steward prepare the officer’s cabin next to mine. I am sure my lieutenants will not mind a few weeks of sleeping on the gun deck.”

  Looking at Holtz and Blake, it was obvious that they did mind, actually, and it was all that Harrison could do to stifle his laugh.

  “Father!” said Delain, “Before the Danielle leaves on her cruise, would it be possible for the Captain to drop me off on Conception Island to see the turtles? Just for a day? My teacher has said they are nesting this time of year and I would love to make a few sketches and observations!”

  “Delain, Delain!” the Governor said sternly. “The Captain has orders and duty to attend to. He has no time to play nursemaid to you and your turtles.”

  Delain was visibly crushed and looked as if she were about to cry. Jonathan and Sean noticed her disappointment and quickly looked at the Captain with sad faces, ones that pleaded for his assistance in this matter of the turtles.

  Captain Walker, of course, noticed them. Feeling a bit on the spot and needing to address the awkwardness, he stammered a reply.

  “W-well, a-actually, Your Lordship, it would really be no trouble. We could simply take the launch from the Danielle and a few men and, well, a short excursion would be easily accomplished. No trouble at all.”

  It was decided, over a dessert of chocolate éclairs and fine coffee, that the Danielle would sail directly southeast to Conception Island, set off the launch with a small contingent consisting of Delain, her teacher, Mr. Tupper, and a few others to see the turtles. The shore party would camp for the night as the Danielle continued to cruise the islands to the south. The next morning, the Danielle would retrieve all from Conception Island and return to Nassau. After resupplying, they would cruise the islands for four months. Finally, the great ship would return for the girls before leaving for London.

  As the evening progressed and all left the fine table after praise and thanks to Lady Dowdeswell, the guests retired to the balcony that overlooked the port of Nassau for after-dinner drinks and conversation. Jonathan remembered that this was the very same balcony where he had first met the daughters Dowdeswell, and also the same balcony where Captain Walker told Jonathan the welcome news of his father’s fate. It was, as far as Jonathan was concerned, quite a pleasant location. Even the fact that Spears was there, muddling his way about, couldn’t dampen his spirits.

  Delain had joined him at the railing and they both looked over the bay, observing the ships in the harbor. Lights twinkled on the few buildings next to the dock and aboard the Danielle. A fiddle was being played somewhere on deck and a young man’s voice, probably Garvey, was singing sweetly.

  “Mr. Moore,” said Delain, “It is with great pleasure that I greet you. How wonderful that you accepted my invitation to tea!”

  Jonathan smiled. He remembered her calling to him as the Danielle left Nassau for London last November and that he had promised to return.

  “Yes, Miss Dowdeswell, it is a wonder. But as you know, I can only follow orders. It was a wonderful chance that brought us here.”

  “Are you saying it was luck, Mr. Moore?” Delain asked.

  “I certainly do not believe in luck, Miss Dowdeswell. It seems that will and desire had more to do with it. The more industrious and determined one is, the luckier one seems to be.”

  “Then you must have been quite determined to return,” she stated.

  “I was, Miss Dowdeswell.”

  “May I ask, Mr. Moore, did you ever find your father? I know it was of the utmost importance to you.”

  She looked into his eyes, hoping they had been reunited and that all was well. Jonathan stared back and smiled broadly.

  “I did, Miss Dowdeswell, thank you so much for asking. He is as wonderful as I remembered, and I don’t know how I survived without him. We are a small and happy family. Even Sean lives with us! Isn’t that something?”

  “Oh, I am so pleased!” Delain exclaimed. “What a wonderful thing it is to have a family.”

  Jonathan smiled again and reached into his coat pocket. He took the small box he had carried all the way from London and shyly presented it to Delain.

  “Miss Dowdeswell, I – I would like you to have this small gift. It is a symbol of our friendship, I would like to think.”

  Delain let out a small gasp as she accepted the box.

  “Mr. Moore, I –I don’t know what to say. You really shouldn’t have!” She excitedly opened the box, removing the lace ribbon and paper that wrapped it.

  “I acquired it in a shop on Oxford Street. It reminded me of you and the wonderful crystal waters that surround your home.”

  Delain had finally opened the box, parted the fine paper within and gazed upon the small dolphin necklace with the blue crystal eye. She immediately asked Jonathan for help in attaching the chain about her delicate neck.

  What Jonathan did not see was that almost every one of his shipmates was watching. Sean and Harrison smiled in their shared joy; however, Spears and Lane looked on in disgust. They whispered something to each other, then Spears approached.

  “What is all this, Moore?” he said rudely.

  Jonathan just looked at him, shocked that he would interrupt them so.

  “Pardon us, Mr. Spears, this is a private conversation. However, to be polite, I will properly introduce you to Miss Delain Dowdeswell. Miss Dowdeswell, this is Midshipman Wayne Spears.”

  Delain said nothing, just looked at Spears with a blank face, waiting for him to speak. Spears smiled a bit, then bowed most elegantly.

  “My pleasure, Miss Dowdeswell, certainly,” Spears said. He then took her hand and kissed it most gently.

  Jonathan was shocked into silence. Delain looked at her hand, then at Spears.

  “Midshipman Spears,” she said coldly. “It is not proper to kiss a woman’s hand upon a first meeting.”

  Spears looked slightly surprised and instead of apologizing like a gentleman, he immediately said:

  “I would assume, you being captive on this island, with no suitable prospects, that you might be happy for the attention.”

  Delain’s eyes displayed her shock at Spears’s comment.

  “Take that back immediately,” Jonathan stated as he stepped up to Spears.

  “I will not,” he said. “And just what do you suppose to do about it? Tell the Governor? Like a tattle-tale?”

  “I most certainly will, Spears. You are a sad chuff, a louse. There are no other words for you. And I suggest you take your leave now.”

  “Or what, Moore?”

  Before Jonathan could think, his anger got the best of him. What he said was certainly not well thought out and he regretted saying it almost immediately.

  “I have put you in your place once, Spears, and I will do it again if I must. In whatever manner necessary.”

  Spears smiled.

  “Is that a challenge, Moore? Are you challenging me to a duel?”

  Just then, Mr. Harrison approached with Sean. Seeing a possible altercation, Sean stood right behind Lane, as if to say, "If you get involved with this, I will get involved with you!"

  Harrison looked both men in the eyes and raised a finger.

  “One misstep, gentlemen, just one, and I will have you both before the cat, am I understood?”

  Jonathan thought about the cat, the whip that was used to administer punishment to unruly crewmen. It was something he had never seen, but he had heard of the damage it could do, almost stripping a man’s back to the bone. It certainly was not worth it, not even to put Spears in his place.

  “Yes, sir,” they both said sheepishly.

  “And another thing, there will be no duel,” said Harrison stern
ly. “It is against all things gentlemanly and against the regulations of His Majesty’s Navy. I am ordering you both to forget this. Now, carry on with your evenings – separately.”

  Jonathan decided to take this as a chance to get away and cool his emotions.

  “Miss Dowdeswell, please excuse my boorish behavior," Jonathan said. “May I escort you to the punch bowl?”

  “By all means,” Delain said. And as she took Jonathan’s hand, she spun quickly and somehow managed to drive the heel of her shoe into the toe of Midshipman Spears. He yelped in pain.

  “Oh,” said Delain, “Ever so sorry Mr. Spears! How clumsy of me!”

  That night aboard the Danielle, no one sleeping in the orlop was interested in asking Jonathan about the evening he had had in the mansion of the Governor. Even Sean seemed to clam up as all settled into bed. News had preceded their arrival that Jonathan and Sean had gotten into some type of altercation with Spears, and that Harrison was beside himself about their behavior. As the many bunkmates settled into bed, Sean could do nothing but take out his book, curl up under a thin blanket with Stewie on his chest, and mope. The brothers Stredney asked for Sean to read aloud from King Arthur, but he refused politely. And though he looked to be reading by candlelight, he mostly worried about his friend until the wick burned out.

  8

  The Turtle and the Fiero

  The following morning, the entire town appeared to wish the Danielle good luck on her short cruise, and with the sun shining brightly upon the emerald-green sea, the ship let down her sails in a flourish of white canvas that seemed to glow in the golden rays. The breeze was warm and strong, and the Danielle moved smartly out of the harbor. A celebratory round was fired from the starboard-side guns, causing the crowd to cheer and applaud in excitement.

  On the main deck, Delain Dowdeswell and her teacher, Mr. Tupper, had different reactions to the explosions. Tupper, thin and frail-looking in his spectacles and parson-like hat, was visibly shaken to the core and almost fell to the deck in horror and shock. He certainly couldn’t stand another round and, already feeling a bit dizzy from the swaying of the ship, he now felt his heart racing to escape his chest.