by Eric Murphy
Sherman came up behind Will and slipped a big hand on his shoulder. “Well done, Will. Hey, you should be happy, he, he, Aubrey responded. He’s going to make it. Sure as fish swim.”
Will looked up, “Darwin said it isn’t the strong or the clever who survive, it is those who can adapt. After all he’s been through, do you think he can adapt and survive?”
Sherman looked back toward Aubrey’s room. “If I can adapt and change, so can Aubrey Dill.”
Will gave Sherman a puzzled look, so the fisherman explained, “You remember me telling you about how I became a member of Aubrey’s congregation and eventually a friend after the men from my parish pushed over his walls?”
Will nodded.
“Well, I was one of those men who pushed over the walls to his house on that first night.” He paused to let the weight of that information sink in. “If a dark, hateful soul like mine can adapt and grow toward the light, the generous soul of Aubrey Dill will not fail to do the same. No sir, no sir.”
Historical Notes
There are a number of historical characters in this novel. Joseph Hayne Rainey was a free black man who escaped to Bermuda with his wife and who operated a lucrative barbershop in the basement of Tucker House in St. George where he taught himself to read and write. His wife ran a successful dress shop in Hamilton. After the Civil War, he returned to the Carolinas and became the first black man elected to the US House of Representatives.
Edward James was a Brit who painted in Bermuda and he did sell his paintings to Consul Allen as well as a copy of the same boat to the blockade-running captains. Southern sailors who cut down his flagpole assaulted Consul Allen in St. George. Dr. Luke Blackburn was arrested in Montreal and charged with violating Canada’s neutrality laws for trying to transport through Canada trunks full of clothes that had belonged to people who died of yellow fever in Bermuda. But when the judge asked to see the trunks with the clothes, prosecutors admitted that they’d burnt them to avoid contagion. The judge told them they’d burnt their evidence and he had no choice but to release Blackburn who would eventually be elected Governor of Kentucky.
The Bermuda Archives did not start recording deaths till after the Civil War so I have taken creative license.
Books: The Dynamite Fiend by Ann Larabee offers an in-depth look at the disturbing life of Alexander Keith Jr., the Nova Scotia brewmaster’s nephew, swindler, Confederate spy, and homicidal psychopath. For good measure, Ms. Larabee brings to life Dr. Luke Blackburn’s links to Keith and his attempts at biological warfare. Bruce Catton’s Terrible Swift Sword is often considered the definitive book on the Civil War. I have consulted a number of other books including: Dispatches from Bermuda (Consul Allen’s dispatches), edited by Glen N. Wiche; Rogues & Runners, Bermuda and the American Civil War, published by the Bermuda National Trust; Stephen R. Wise’s Lifeline of the Confederacy, Blockade Running During the Civil War, From Cape Charles to Cape Fear; The North Atlantic Blockading Squadron during the Civil War by Robert M. Browning Jr.; and Tallahassee Skipper by Arthur Thurston.
While I do my best to refurbish history with accuracy, I accept that any errors in this endeavor are mine alone.
Acknowledgements
As usual, my early readers include Clarinda, Liliana, Julien, Rich, Erica, and Dom Fiore. Without Liliana and Rich’s frequent hospitality in Bermuda I could not have written this book. Jack Grin, Marianne Fedunkiw, and Ernie Boulton brought constructive criticism to bear on the story. Marian Hebb keeps me on the straight and legal. Barbara Fullerton was the first to inform me of Bermuda’s colorful past. Dusty Hind helped bring Bermuda’s artistic history into focus, while Dr. Edward Harris and Elena Strong shared their knowledge of the island’s nautical past. Charles Gossling took time from his busy life to share his understanding of Bermuda life, Lance Furbert told me how he brought Joseph Rainey to life during his many historical reenactments, Chris Gauntlet, who operates Blue Water Divers, took me diving on the Civil War blockade runner the Marie Celeste and over the course of a number of meetings and a ride on his fishing boat, fisherman Michael Barnes helped me flesh out the character of Aubrey’s best friend Sherman. The good people at Windridge Farms allowed me to observe their therapeutic work from up close.
Friend and gifted golfer Phillip James and his uncle Lloyd James defined the demanding world of the Bermuda stonecutter. Former Bermuda Police Commissioner and former Chief Superintendent of the RCMP, Jean-Jacques Lemay, kindly introduced me to the Bermuda Police. Sergeant Paul Watson patiently explained the many responsibilities of the Bermuda police’s marine unit and their attendant protocols. P.C. Colin Mill took me for a four-hour ride along in one of the police boats and took me over to meet famed diver and treasure hunter Teddy Tucker. Real estate agent Donna Bennett drove me around till we found a stand-in for my fictitious cottage called Trotters’ Trail. The Honorable David Saul made time for coffee at the Rock Island Coffee Shop and a long chat about treasure hunting. Professor Michael Jarvis, along with Katie Law and the staff at the Rogues & Runners Museum in St. George, were generous in sharing their knowledge of Bermuda’s past.
The characters in this book are fictitious and are made up of various bits and pieces I heard about different people, and all alloyed to my imagination.
