A Red Sky Is Upon Us

by Ryan Gilbert

  “Miss?”

  Blushing, Julia finally answered, “Oh, I’m sorry. I was just… um… catching my breath. Yes, the sea is really a beauty to behold. Might I ask you your name, good sir?”

  “Why yes, my lady. My name is Jonathan Warner. It is a pleasure to meet you, Miss…”

  “Hamond. Julia Hamond,” said the flustered girl as she held out her hand.

  Bowing, he kissed her hand. His fingers felt strong as he held her hand, treating it almost like a delicate flower.

  “Allow me to say that it is a pleasure to have you aboard the Grandeur, Ms. Hamond. Have you ever been sailing before?”

  “To be honest, I haven’t.”

  Jonathan brought his hand to his chin, an inquisitive look on his face.

  “How is it that you find yourself here, Ms. Hamond? It seems a bit uncharacteristic of a young lady to be sailing alone… especially one such as yourself.”

  For once, Julia did not mind the flattery. Jonathan seemed charming, like he actually cared about what she thought.

  “I guess you could say I’m adventurous,” she said.

  “Adventurous? Is that a trait you’ve acquired from your parents?” he asked with a smile.

  “Yes, from my father actually. He would always tell me stories of his travels on the sea. Regrettably, I have not been able to take part in any of my own until now. I’m actually heading to Carolina, courtesy of my father.”

  “Who is your father, Ms. Hamond?”

  Julia answered with a voice full of pride, “Matthew Hamond, Commodore of the English Navy, serving proudly aboard the HMS Magistrate at this moment.”

  Intrigued, Jonathan said, “Well, if I ever meet your father, I will let him know that he has quite the lovely daughter.”

  “Thank you,” said Julia, blushing uncontrollably.

  Trying to hide the fact that her cheeks were becoming red as roses, Julia asked, “Do you have any experience sailing, Mr. Warner?”

  “Well, I have actually been on several voyages, mainly just to explore the ocean and to see the wonders of the sea. Occasionally, I will have to go out to find missing boats. I bet that your father has dealt with similar situations as well.”

  “Many times. Have you ever encountered any pirates in your travels?” asked Julia, genuinely interested.

  Raising his eyes to the sky, Jonathan sighed, “Sadly, yes, I have. I’ve had to help several ships escape from pirates. Regretfully, many of the passengers were already doomed, snatched right out from under my nose.”

  “That’s so very unfortunate. Those poor people…” said Julia, suddenly feeling disturbed that the pirates had won.

  Seeing the look on her face, Jonathan continued, “Oh, do not worry, Ms. Hamond. I am certain that the Navy was able to track them down.”

  “Yes, most likely. My father knows one of the best navigators in England, so I would imagine they could find those people.”

  Together, the two walked over to the rail and gazed out over the ocean. Julia could not have foreseen such good fortune. Surely, the Commodore would approve of Jonathan. He was not an officer, but he had all of the qualities of one.

  “Ms. Hamond, have you ever seen a rainbow cascading through the sky atop the ocean?”

  She shook her head, saying, “No, but I certainly wish to.”

  “It usually appears after a storm, giving something to admire as you’re sitting on the deck, drenched to the bone. Let me tell you, that is the second-most beautiful thing that I’ve seen on all of my voyages.”

  “What is the first?”

  Clasping Julia’s hands, he replied, “I’ll let you figure that out.”

  Pulling out his pocket watch, Jonathan said, “Well, as much as I would love to continue our conversation, I have some things to attend to. I will speak with you again soon. Farewell, Ms. Hamond.”

  With a bow, Jonathan walked away, presumably to do something important. Julia was breathless. He could not be more of a perfect human being. Surely, he was the man for her. With the way that he spoke to her, it seemed like he was thinking the exact same thing. Nonetheless, he had made more of an impact on her than all of her previous suitors put together.

  Regaining her composure, Julia climbed down the steps to the lower levels and lay down on her bed. The sea was really an amazing place. Majestic animals lived in the sea. The sounds of the ocean were enough to lull someone to sleep in minutes. And, as an added bonus, she had found a handsome man with whom she could talk. So far, in Julia’s mind, the expedition seemed to be going better than she had thought it would. Forget Carolina, she could stay on the ship for weeks.

  As the sun peeked through the portholes, Julia looked through the glass to see the waves flowing in the wind. The swaying of the Grandeur, the lapping of the waves against the bow of the ship, the wind swirling through the sails, all of it helped her to get lost in the beauty of the moment. It was so easy. For Julia, she could feel the ship hit each wave as she imagined puffs of mist spraying the bow of the ship.

  Laying her head back on a pillow, Julia closed her eyes and tried to paint a picture in her mind of what she wanted her life to be like in several years. She could see herself setting sail with Jonathan as adventurers. She could go anywhere she wanted. It was a beautiful image as her thoughts turned to dreams. With the gentle moving of the ship, Julia slept quite soundly.

  A barrel smacked Riggs in the face, waking him from his slumber. Grabbing his head, he tried to shut out the pain. He had not slept well at all the night before. He could not seem to keep his eyes shut. The only way that he got some sleep was by drinking. Maybe it was anticipation. Maybe it was anxiety or stress. Maybe it was the Captain’s absurd expectations for the crew. Riggs did not know. Regardless of what kept him awake, he was not in good condition. That was obvious to his crewmembers because he had passed out in a corner and had not woken up for hours. Luckily for him, Captain Richardson never came looking for him.

  Stumbling onto the main deck, Riggs grabbed onto Clint, nearly knocking the navigator to the ground.

  “Help me, mate. I need to get to work or else Richardson’ll kill me.”

  Clint, smelling the alcohol on his friend’s breath, said, “You should know better than to drink that bloody much.”

  Riggs could not do anything right. He could not move barrels. He could not climb up to the crow’s nest. He could not even stand up straight.

  Pointing to the red mark from the barrel, Clint asked, “Riggs, yer havin’ that looked at, right? Doc needs to fix you up.”

  Clinging to Clint’s shirt to keep from falling, Riggs mumbled, “I can’t. I need to be ready for the right time to revolt.”

  At that moment, Riggs lost his balance and fell flat on his stomach. Stooping down, Clint said, “Boy, I don’t think there’s gonna be a revolt. Look at us. All of the crew has been run ragged by Richardson. None of us have the energy to do much of anythin’ right now.”

  Ignoring his friend, Riggs said, “Help me up. Crack me back; that’ll help.”

  Grabbing him around the waist, Clint said, “Alright, don’t listen to a sea scum such as myself. I be warnin’ ya though: you’re sailing in dangerous waters if you think you are gonna pull off a mutiny.”

  *crack*

  Instantly, Riggs felt a little better. He could actually stand up, but he was still wobbly and unbalanced. The rum was still sitting in his stomach from the previous night. He could not decide if he wanted to vomit or just drink some more rum.

  Patting Clint on the back, he said, “Dangerous waters are my specialty, mate. Now, where’s a bottle of rum to drink?”

  From behind the two, a voice bellowed, “Riggs! What the hell do you think you’re doing, you mangy bilge rat?”

  Looking down at the deck, Riggs saw the Captain’s shadow engulfing his own. He could feel the heat of Richardson’s breath blowing against the back of his neck. He was terrified. How much had the Captain heard? A hand grabbed onto Riggs’ shoulder, spinning him around to face his su
perior.

  “What was it that I heard you say about drinking rum? You are working, aren’t you?”

  “Yes, Captain.”

  “Do I detect fear in your voice, Riggs? Do I frighten you?”

  “Yes, Captain.”

  “And why is that? Give me an honest answer.”

  “Honestly, sir, you work us like slaves. I don’t particularly like that. We don’t ever get any rest except at night.”

  “So, you’ll be saying that you don’t like the way that I’m captaining this ship, do you? And by extension, not liking me?”

  The interrogation was not heading down a pleasant path. Riggs knew that Richardson was trying to goad him into saying something against the Captain.

  “You asked for an honest answer, Captain, but I can’t give ye one without fear of bein’ punished. Got it?”

  With a look of anger on his face, Captain Richardson punched him right in the jaw. Riggs was knocked to the ground, surprised at the Captain’s reaction. Rubbing his jaw and mouth, Riggs felt blood as it trickled down from his lip. The crewmembers around him stopped what they were doing, shocked at their captain’s sudden brutality.

  The Captain straightened his back and shouted, “Let this be a lesson to all of you. No one questions my authority, and no one is spared the punishment. Get back to work, every one o’ you.”

  As the Captain walked back to his quarters, Riggs’ mind was set. The mutiny would have to be soon if he wanted to survive the rest of the voyage. Richardson had to be taught that the crew would not stand being treated with such malice.

  Grabbing onto the railing, Riggs pulled himself to his feet. As he stood up, the bleeding started to slow. He rubbed his mouth with his shirt for a little bit and got the blood to stop dripping from his lip. He was angry.

  Ripper happened to be walking past, and Riggs grabbed him, saying, “The mutiny happens tomorrow.”

  Julia woke up in the middle of the night. She did not know why. She did not know what time it was. She just knew that she suddenly felt completely awake. Grabbing her robe, she left her bed and walked onto the main deck of the Grandeur.

  The ship was a very mysterious place at night. Nobody was on the deck, save for a few watchmen. The ship floated on the water, still as a rock. Everything seemed so calm and serene. Julia wandered the deck, listening to the sounds of the ocean and feeling the cool wind on her face. The moon cast a light over the water, turning the waves into flickering bits of silver and white.

  As she walked around the ship, she could not help but notice a strange noise. It sounded very faint and she had to struggle to understand it. It sounded like a female voice, very melodic, very quiet and wispy, and extremely beautiful. It almost seemed to Julia that the voice was singing a song.

  “Winds are blowing;

  Seas are flowing;

  Hear the sounds of

  Mermaids moaning.

  I am your heart’s desire,

  Give in to your sailor lust.

  Be careful what you wish for,

  Your heart might just turn to dust.”

  Julia was really puzzled. She could not tell where the voice was coming from and she did not know what to do. None of the watchmen were reacting to the voice. It was almost like they could not hear it. Should she sound an alarm? Should she keep quiet?

  “Quite beautiful, isn’t it? The way the wind makes its own songs?” asked Jonathan as he strolled out of the shadows.

  “That was the wind?” asked Julia, surprised.

  Moving closer, Jonathan answered, “Why, yes, it is the wind. Most superstitious sailors call that specific phenomenon ‘the Mermaid’s Wail.’ If the wind hits the sails at just the right angle, it sounds like a woman’s voice, beautiful but mysterious. The belief that it was a mermaid’s voice stemmed from the myth of mermaids attacking ships by luring the crew with their beauty.”

  Intrigued, Julia asked, “Has anyone ever seen a mermaid?”

  Jonathan looked at her and laughed.

  “Of course not, Ms. Hamond. Only fools listen to those preposterous tales and believe that they are true.”

  “I guess that is quite unbelievable. I mean, women with the tails of fish? Really?” Julia told herself.

  “Honestly, I believe it would be hard to find any creature more beautiful than you, Ms. Hamond,” said Jonathan, moving closer.

  Julia was caught by surprise. Never before had anyone spoken that eloquently to her. It was a welcome change from her usual suitors. It also reinforced Jonathan’s courtesy.

  “Mr. Warner, you flatter me.”

  “Oh, but I speak the truth.”

  He was now directly in front of her, so close that Julia could see his eyes gleaming in the moonlight.

  “Ms. Hamond, every moment that I have seen you on this ship, you have made me feel different. It is the kind of thing that could drive a man mad.”

  All of a sudden, the wind picked up and the temperature dropped. Julia felt like cursing nature. It chose the most inopportune time to become freezing. After a few moments, Julia regrettably had to return below deck.

  “As much as I would love to continue talking with you, Mr. Warner, I need to get back down below deck. It is really nippy out here. Goodnight.”

  “Goodnight, Ms. Hamond,” responded Jonathan.

  Returning to her bed, Julia sat down and thought about what just happened. Surely, Jonathan was attracted to her, otherwise he would not have gone out of his way to complement her on her beauty. Why were none of the men in Yorktown like Jonathan Warner? His gentleness, his handsomeness, and his confidence just made Julia want him even more. The perfect man was in her grasp and all she needed to do was pursue him.

  The next morning, Riggs called a meeting with his loyal followers. Everyone was hiding down on the lower decks so that no one else would hear them and Captain Richardson could not see them. Ripper had snatched weapons for everybody and Petey had supplied the rum. Pounding his fist on a wooden keg, Riggs called the meeting to order.

  “Gentlemen, fellow pirates of the seven seas, I’ve called you hear today ‘cause I believe that the Red Sky is in dire need of some changes. We all get treated like nothin’ more than slaves. We don’t get the amount of food we need to survive that amount of work. And just the other day, the Captain walloped me in the face.”

  Some of the crew snickered under their breath.

  “Yeah… normally I’d do the same, but this was not because I provoked him at all. It was because I told him… no, no, implied… that I didn’t like ‘im. This is the ship of a pirate, ain’t it? We don’t follow rules. That is what gives us our freedom to rule the seas. Do we not want to be free men?”

  “Aye.”

  “I didn’t hear you…”

  “AYE!”

  “That be more like it.”

  Raising his hand, Coral Jack asked, “What’s your plan, Riggs? And please, try not to get us killed in the process.”

  Swallowing a large gulp of rum, Riggs answered, “Well, everyone knows that the Captain lets us stop work only after a certain time, right? I say, whenever he is not ready for us, we strike. We take the ship, if need be, killin’ those who oppose us.”

  Ripper chimed in, “I want ta use da big guns. I need ta blow somethin’ up.”

  “We don’t need the cannons, Ripper. You’ll get the weapons ready instead. Coral Jack, you’ll be helpin’ Ripper load the guns. Clint, you’ll be in charge of stoppin’ the ship. How ye do it is up to you. Eli, you’ll be standin’ by in case the ship takes damage. Doc, if anyone gets hurt, they’ll be comin’ to you, so have your tools ready. Petey, you’ll be makin’ sure no one else gets weapons except us. Everyone else, just fight to get control of the ship. Does everyone know their jobs?”

  Most of the pirates nodded their heads in affirmation. However, several other crewmates raised their hands.

  “What’s the problem?” asked Riggs, crossing his arms.

  “Why don’t we just throw ‘im overboard?” asked one of t
he pirates.

  “Or poison his food?”

  “Or shoot ‘im in da face?” asked Ripper.

  Riggs pounded on the keg to quiet his crewmembers.

  “Listen, all o’ you. I want the Captain taken alive. He’ll only be killed if necessary. I want to find out where he hides all of his maps.”

  Eli’s face lit up.

  “You mean he had treasure maps and didn’t tell us?”

  “Never mind that… why ain’t we looking fer that treasure?” asked another one of the pirates.

  “That’s why I’m leadin’ this mutiny. We aren’t lookin’ for the treasure, but under my command, we will. Got it?” asked Riggs.

  All of his crewmates nodded their heads.

  “Alright, just… do whatever, just so long as we win the battle. When I give the signal, all of you will…”

  “Ship ahoy.”

  Everyone heard their crewmember’s call and looked to Riggs. Throwing his hands in the air in frustration, he dismissed the crew.

  It infuriated Riggs. He was so close to planning a successful mutiny only to have it yanked away from him. He growled under his breath, hurrying up the stairs with his conspirators. Running up the steps to the main deck, Riggs sought out Captain Richardson so that he could know where he was at all times. His loyal crewmates assimilated back into the rest of the pirates on board the ship. No one else seemed to suspect that they were planning anything.

  Without any warning, Riggs felt himself yanked backward. As he turned himself around, he saw that it was the Captain pulling him along.

  “What is it, Captain, sir?” asked Riggs.

  “That, you water-logged rat, is an English vessel,” said Captain Richardson as he extended his arm, directing Riggs’ gaze toward the ship. It did not look like that much of a challenge. With twenty-six guns, the frigate would not stand a chance against the thirty-four guns of the Red Sky.

  “What’re you plannin’ on doin’, Captain?”

  “What do ye think I am going to do, Riggs? Since we can outgun them, there is no need for a fight. All I need to do is raise the flag and they will surrender to us at once.”