by Cameron Jace
***
The next day, the captain spent in his room. When Jim entered to see him, the captain had become ill with scarlet fever, a sickness that few people managed to survive at the time.
Jim spent the day mending the captain and taking care of him. He even brought him exotic plants from up the hill, which should have helped the captain survive the fever.
But it only got worse.
The captain started hallucinating and raving about his old life on the sea again. This time, he didn’t’t call himself a captain or sailor, but a pirate.
Jim was taken aback. He had never met a pirate, but only heard about them from his mother. She'd told him how evil and immoral they were, stealing and killing.
But the notion made Jim curious. Pirate or not, Jim had to help a sick man. He had to take care of his guest somehow.
“Forget about the mermaids or the wonders of the sea,” the captain said, coughing and vomiting. “Forget about the whales and the fish,” he continued, while Jim wiped the man’s sweat from his brow. “There is only one thing you should fear if you ever sail the seas, Jim,” the man grabbed Jim on his sleeve. “One man!” he coughed in Jim’s face. Jim looked away so he wouldn’t catch the fever. “A man with one leg.”
“One leg?” Jim’s eyes widened. “Why would I fear a helpless man with one leg?”
“He has a substitute leg for it,” the captain said. “It’s made of whale bones. Don’t let his appearance ever fool you. With that one leg, he can run, hunt, and kill faster than anyone you have ever seen.”
“Why are you telling me about him, captain?” Jim felt uneasy.
The pirate contemplated in silence, and then said, “My real name, Jim, isn’t Captain.”
“Of course it isn’t,” Jim chuckled with closed eyes. “No one’s real name is Captain.” And probably no one’s real name is Black Dog.
“My real name is Billy Bones,” the captain didn’t let go of Jim’s sleeve. “I was second in command to someone named Captain Flint on a huge ship. Remember those names, Jim!”
Jim was utterly confused. Who were those pirates, and why had Billy Bones even cared to come to Jim’s small and abandoned island?
And who was the man with one leg?
Before Jim could ask, Billy Bones lost consciousness and fell asleep. Jim hoped the man hadn’t died from the fever. He puffed the gas lamp to a sleep and closed the door, hoping tomorrow he’d get the whole pirate story straight.
The next morning Jim went out to the beach, thinking about all the things the captain had told him. Jim, who once was overly naive, began putting the puzzle together. Black Dog didn’t just sail away. His small ship still rocked to the waves by the shore. The captain must have killed him, and buried him somewhere near the beach — or worse, buried him in the endless sea.
If that was true, then there was something big happening on the island. Not only was Billy Bones a pirate, but all of the sailors who came to the island probably were.
They wouldn’t come to Admiral Benbow’s Inn to rest. They were planning something. Or something had already been planned and was about to be executed.
As much as Jim loved the sea, he felt something wicked was about to happen. He didn’t want to put his mother in danger. He was supposed to take care of her after his father’s death.
Jim, the fisherman’s son, decided to confront the captain, and if necessary, ask him to leave the island.
As Jim stood up and was walking back to the Inn, he stumbled over something and fell. Picking himself up, he checked what it was. Then he saw it. Black Dog’s dead corpse half-buried in the sand.
Jim ran back to the Inn, hoping his mother hadn’t been harmed in any way. Once he reached it, he picked up his father’s rifle, which he had no idea how to use, and pointed it ahead as he climbed up the stairs to Billy Bone’s room.
Jim kicked the room’s door open, waving the heavy rifle, and shouted. “Billy Bones! You have to leave!”
But Billy Bones said nothing. His head had fallen over the table where he sat, still gripping the bottle of whiskey in one hand. Jim approached him, determined to wake the drunk pirate. He shook him twice, but Billy Bones didn’t wake up. The third time Jim poked the man, Billy Bones fell off the table.
The pirate was dead.
Did someone kill Billy Bones, or did he just die from the fever?
Jim realized he had little time. Whoever had sent Black Dog after Billy Bones was going to send another pirate… and another.
What was it that the other pirates wanted from Billy Bones, and what was it he had killed Black Dog for?
Jim rummaged through the room until he found a chest underneath Billy Bones’ bed. He hadn’t seen it before. The man must have snuck it in at night. Jim tried to pull it open, but it just wouldn’t budge. And it was heavy. It seemed like it would hold something precious.
Jim spent the day trying to open it again and again but couldn’t, until it occurred to him to look in Billy Bones’ pockets. And there it was. A key. A golden one. A bit oversized, and with many zigzags.
Jim tucked the key into the chest’s keyhole. This time it cranked open.
The chest was full of things, none of them were gold or silver - or pearls. Nothing precious, really. Only a map that Billy Bones had tucked carefully at the bottom.
Jim rolled the map open and stared at it. He’d never seen a real map before, and could hardly read it. But it wasn’t hard to spot the ‘X’ marked in red. It had to mean something. Then there was a small slip of paper. It said: Beware of the man with one leg.
***
The following day, Jim stood atop the Inn, looking for pirate ships that might be looking for Black Dog or Billy Bones. Jim hadn’t told his mother about any of this, and let her consider the captain’s death an unfortunate coincidence.
But then he had to tell someone about the map, or he wouldn’t have the chance to use it. A man named Squire Trelawney, who was the head of the Council on Jim’s small island, listened eagerly to him. The man owned a few ships and was the wealthiest on the island.
“You know what kind of map this is, Jim?” Trelawney said.
Jim shook his head. All he knew was that X marked the spot. But the spot for what?
“This is a treasure map,” Trelawney said.
“Treasure map?” Jim’s eyes widened.
“Yes, Jim,” Trelawney clicked his fingers. “If we sail across the sea and follow those lines of latitude and longitude, we will end up on an island with a great treasure. A treasure of gold, pearls, and the rarest of jewels.”
“What are lines of latitude and longitude?” Jim wondered.
“They are lines that guide us through the sea,” Trelawney said. “Like the alley and hedges you have memorized to find your way back home from the beach.”
“There are lines drawn on the sea’s surface?” Jim shrugged.
“No, Jim,” Trelawney said. “They are imaginary. We use a certain instrument to find those lines. Sailors know all about them.”
“I didn't know there was a map of the sea," Jim considered. "So can we sell that treasure when we find it?” Jim wondered again. “Can I renovate my mother’s Inn if we get that treasure?”
Trelawney laughed and brushed his hand through Jim’s hair. “You won’t need the Inn anymore if we find that treasure,” then he stopped, his facial features dimming. “But we can’t be sure it’s a true map. So many treasure maps have been found, most of them faux and misleading.”
“Are you saying we won’t go after the treasure?” Jim moaned.
“Sailing is expensive, Jim,” Trelawney said. “I need more proof that this map is authentic.”
“Proof?” Jim was about to scream and pull his hair. “Two pirates died for the map, and you still think it’s not real?”
Trelawney thought it over. He was an old man with no wife or children, eager for one last adventure before he died. He just needed proof of the map’s authenticity. He was a practical man. But now that Jim s
eemed to have convinced him, he worried about something else, “If pirates are looking for this map, then it’s even worse. This map could get us killed, Jim.”
Jim couldn't argue this time. As much as he was dying to sail away, he had experienced two killings in a few days. It seemed really hard surviving among pirates. But then, if the pirates really needed the map, they would be coming to the island looking for it anyways.
It was a confusing matter. Jim decided to go back and help his mother for now. Trelawney promised him he would look into it. He said that if he found a strong and reliable crew, he might change his mind and go after the treasure. Right now, he had to sail into the sea, looking for brave sailors who weren’t afraid of pirates.
***
Thirteen days later, Trelawney returned with the news. He was so excited for the treasure hunt, claiming he’d found a hell of a crew. Brave men who were experienced with the sea. Men who feared no pirates.
“I’m so excited as well,” Jim said. “When will we go after the treasure?”
“I’m not sure you should come, Jim,” Trelawney said. “Your mother needs you.”
“No. No!” Jim said. It was true his mother needed him, but she would understand, especially if he told her he would return with a piece of the treasure, enough to better their lives and fix the Inn. “I have to come, Mr. Trelawney. Please.”
“I don’t know about that…” Trelawney didn’t finish his words, as a man burst laughing into the room. Jim stood looking at him with his mouth and eyes wide open.
The man was tall. He wore a black beard. He was muscular and his laugh shook the portraits on the walls. He seemed to know Trelawney well as he gestured at him. Jim was about to like this flamboyant man right away. Only one thing turned everything upside down and sent shivers into Jim’s spine. The man had one leg.
“Meet Long John Silver!” Trelawney said to Jim. He was proud and fascinated with Long John.
There was a long moment of silence, Jim staring at Long John and his substitute leg—made of a whale bones.
Long John seemed aware of Jim’s reluctance. A thin smirk curved his lips, too thin for Trelawney to notice, but enough to make Jim realize that Long John and Jim recognized each other, although they had never met before.
Had Billy Bones or Black Dog managed to tell someone about the little boy in the Inn before they died?
Jim was about to expose the man with one leg to Trelawney, as he had never told him about his part of the story, but Long John interrupted first. “And who’s this young and brave boy?” he said, still laughing.
“That’s Jim,” Trelawney introduced him. “The boy who found the map.”
“Jim!” Long John hailed and pulled the boy with one hand in the air. He was definitely a strong man. Momentarily, this move reminded him of his father who used to lift him up in the air when they caught a big fish. “You have to come with us and find the treasure.”
“Really?” Jim squinted. Suddenly he had second thoughts about exposing the one-legged man. He was his only hope for getting on that ship now.
As much he had been warned of him, the man looked too merry to be evil.
“But – “ Trelawney began.
“Don’t say anything,” Long John shushed him. “The young boy found the map. He should come and have the lion’s share when we find it. Right, Jim?”
“What’s the lion's share?”
“A big fat piece of the treasure,” Long John laughed.
Jim said nothing. It was hard to argue with Long John’s glowing spirit.
“Well, if you say so,” Trelawney said. “Meet Long John, Jim. He is our brave sailor who doesn’t fear pirates.”
“Really?” Jim eyed him.
“And I’m also the cook,” Long John said. “I love to cook. What would you like to eat, Jim?”
“Can you cook a whale, Long John?” Jim’s eyes glittered.
“Don’t call me Long John,” he laughed. “Only strangers call me that. You’re my new friend, young man. Call me what my friends call me."
"And what do your friends call you?"
"Ahab.”
“Captain Ahab.” Trelawney interfered.
“Just Ahab,” Long John said. “And don’t ask me why. It’s a long story. And I can cook a whale, but not now, Jim. One day I will cook that whale who took my leg away, and we’ll eat it together.” He laughed again. It was a strong man's laugh, not trying to lighten up or sweeten the talk. He seemed to be just a happy one-legged man with a flamboyant posture. It was impossible not to admire the man for being so merry about his own misery. Jim was sure this couldn't be the man Billy Bone had warned him about.
Jim was infatuated with the man.
“A whale bit your leg?” Jim asked.
“A bad, bad whale,” Captain Ahab winced a little. “I have given him a name. Moby Dick.” He laughed louder, pain shaping his curving lips.
Jim didn’t digest most of this. All he knew was that he was about to go back home and tell his mother that he was about to embark on the greatest adventure in his life. He was about to sail with Captain Ahab’s crew on his Pequad whaler, looking for the most sought after treasure in the world.
Trelawney explained how he was going to sail next to them on his own ship the Hispaniola, as Captain Ahab’s ship was what they called a whaler, a smaller ship only made to hunt whales.
Jim couldn't believe his life was about to change. He was about to become a real man, like his father.
Back at the Inn, his mother needed a lot of persuading by Trelawney to let Jim sail along. Like usual, she resisted the idea of Jim leaving the island. He began to understand that she knew something about Jim's destiny. A future he began to slightly worry about.
Surprisingly, it was Captain Ahab’s charming attitude that convinced her. She even went as far as telling him he reminded her of her deceased husband. Captain Ahab cooked for her and told her not to worry. Jim was the brave fisherman’s son who would soon return to her with gold and pearls.
Everything was set, and Jim was about to embark on an adventure that would be repeatedly mentioned in both fiction and history books alike later in life. Historians, and fiction writers would later tell the story, calling it Treasure Island. A book that children loved and scholars loved to teach in school. A larger than life adventure about a brave young boy, a one-legged man, and an ensemble of pirates.
Except that all of them got it wrong. Few people in the world know the true events of this adventure. One of them is me. I think it's time to continue this story in first person.
Why? Because from here on I'll be telling the story no one else knows about. My story. The boy you were told is called Jim Hawkins. It's not my real name. But it’s too soon to talk about now.
Now it's time to continue the story, which is about to get personal.
Bloody personal.
***
The ship I embarked on was huge. I had never seen anything like it on the shores of my island. So many men, much taller and stronger than me, were on board. They were all tanned like Billy Bones. Scruffy, dirty, with long beards and piercings in their ears and nose. Their bodies buried in Tattoos.
They almost looked like I had imagined pirates would look. Trelawney said that was because they had been pirates in the past, and now have repented and become good people. Those were the only members who’d be strong enough to stand up to the real pirates looking for the treasure.
The first few days I suffered from sea hallucinations and dizziness. I couldn’t walk on board or be of any help, although I loved the sea tremendously.
But it wasn’t for long. Soon I got used to sailing the sea.
One day, I found my new obsession on the ship. Apples.
It turned out that part of the ship’s voyage, and also to help raise more money, was trading apples and selling them at the shore of far away lands.
The thing was that these weren’t just ordinary apples. They were so delicious, so red from inside, juicy and sweet. The sailo
rs called them Blood Apples. And I loved them so much.
Each night I'd climb out of my bed after midnight and steal out on board, on my way to the barrels where they kept the apples. All barrels were labeled, 'Styria,' which I came to learn was the name of a mysterious city in Austria. A city where a family called the Karnsteins came from. None of the sailors ever explained why this family was so important, so I let it go. After all, we were here for the treasure, weren't we?
One night I spent all night gorging on the delicious apples. I sat atop one of the barrels, dangling my legs and staring at the endless sea. The moon shone full that night. It didn't look like the moon I used to see on my home island. It looked... well... It looked alive.
Then I began to hear melodies. Soft hymns, like a distant song carried on the wings of breezes. Beautiful ones actually. I stopped midway from biting on an apple, my mouth agape and my ears focused.
What was that song?
Was it actually a song?
It baffled me that no matter how many times I listened to the song, I couldn't remember it. Like some kind of a dream. One that affected me, but I could never recall when I woke up.
“Hey,” a female voice called.
I dropped the apple, looking around me. There wasn’t anyone with me on this part of the ship.
“Hey.”
I realized the voice came from the sea. My mother had once told me about ghosts and apparitions. She said they hide behind the curtains of mist surrounding travelers’ ships.
I began to sweat, clinging to the barrel I sat upon.
“Don’t be afraid,” the voice said. “We love you.”
Squinting, I saw a silhouette of a girl rising from the sea. Only the upper part of her body was visible. She was naked, but her long hair dangled down over her chest.
“We’re the mermaids of the Seven Seas,” she said, her eyes twinkling in the dark. “We know who killed your father.”
I was afraid of her, but curiosity had the best of me. I let go of the barrel and stepped forward. If I could really see how she looked.
