In bed this night, with Cheng Shih lying beside me asleep, I think on my plan and go over it and over it in my head. Tomorrow, I will present it to her.
Wish us luck, Jaimy...
Chapter 60
Hai!
Her sword comes whipping out of its sheath and slashes down toward my head. I reach back with both hands and grasp the hilt of my own sword and barely get it out in time to parry her attack.
We are on the main deck of the Divine Wind.
She smiles and withdraws her blade, slowly circling around me, the tip of her sword describing small circles in the air. She looks for an opening, then...
Hai!
Leaping in the air, she strikes. I do not get my own sword around in time and she lays her blade against my neck.
"Xian! Hao!"
She laughs and returns her sword to the scabbard that is strapped to her back. I ruefully sheathe mine, too. In this particular discipline of Oriental sword fighting, the object is to draw your sword, strike, and then resheathe in one fluid motion as your opponent slumps to the ground in a pool of his own blood. It is very elegant to see, but very difficult to do.
I bow low to her in defeat.
"She has just complimented you on how well you are coming along," says Brother Arcangelo.
"Doh je, zhong ai de Shih," I say, bowing low. Then I take a deep breath and say, "I have a request to make, Beloved Shih. Please. In your cabin."
The priest, looking a bit perplexed, passes it on. Cheng Shih looks at me, nods, and strides off. I do not think she is pleased. I follow her to the cabin.
Once there, she sits on her cushion and signals to Chi-chi for a cup of wine. One cup of wine, not two.
Uh-oh...
I immediately fall to my knees and put my forehead to the floor at her feet and begin to speak.
"Beloved One, I thank you for all the love you have shown me, an uninvited barbarian, since first I came here. I arrived, intending to do your ship harm, and yet you took me in and treated me with kindness..."
Brother Arcangelo drones on behind me, translating my words.
"...and now I want to ask of you a favor, one that is well within your power to grant. And if you grant me that favor, I will bring up your Golden Buddha for you."
That gets everybody's attention, for sure.
She reaches out her foot and puts her toe under my chin to lift my face. I take this to mean I can sit back on my haunches. I do it and continue.
"You see, there are two British ships out on the China Sea, probably very near here..."
Cheng Shih says something very tersely at this and Brother Arcangelo informs me, "Yes, she has scout ships out and she has heard of these."
"Good. You see, one of the ships, my Lorelei Lee, has a ... device ... on it that will allow me to go down to get the Golden Buddha."
There is sharp intake of female Chinese breath on this.
"It is on the very ship you attacked on the day I came aboard the Divine Wind. You already know that vessel is very well armed—I know because I armed her—and if you were to attack straight on, there would be much bloodshed on both sides, and I have many dear friends on that boat as well as on this one. Plus, in a heated exchange, the ship might well go to the bottom and the device would be lost and you would never, ever, bring up the Golden Buddha."
"So how is it to be done, gaining this magic machine?" she asks, doubt plain in her voice. From her tone, I know what she says, even without Brother Arcangelo's translation.
I scooch over next to her, pressing my advantage.
"There is another British ship out there, a convict ship, that carries no gunnery—it is the Cerberus and is but a simple convict ship bound for South Australia and is completely helpless." I let that sink in and then continue. "However, the two are known to each other, and if you were to take the unarmed ship, the Cerberus, first, we could fill it with your men in disguise and come up next to the unsuspecting Lorelei Lee, in the guise of friendship, throw over the hooks, and take her, with little or no bloodshed." I hope no bloodshed...
Cheng Shih fixes me with a shrewd look and speaks.
"She wishes to know what shall be your reward for this?" says Brother Arcangelo, looking like he'd like to know the answer, too.
I put my forehead to the deck and and begin my plea.
"Beloved Shih, there is a young man held captive on the Cerberus along with many of my friends. He and I were pledged to be married but cruel injustice pulled us apart, and I want him back so much, so very, very much..."
Cheng Shih's eyes narrow.
"Yes. Go on," murmurs Brother Arcangelo.
My eyes are tearing up now, but I gulp and press on.
"If I succeed in bringing up the Golden Buddha for you, will you give me back my ship and my young man and ... let us go?"
The tears are coming on strong now as I lift my face to hers.
"Please, dear one. You have your ship ... I just want mine. I love you, Beloved Shih, but ... but ... I want to be with my people ... with my man, my friends, and with my ship. You have shown me that you have affection for my poor self. If you could grant this wish—"
Cheng Shih gets to her feet and stares down at me. She spits a few clipped words to Brother Arcangelo, and then turns her back on me and stalks off toward her cabin. On the way, she calls out something to Cheng Pao, standing on the quarterdeck. He in turn bellows out an order and men fly up into the yards and the rudder is put over. We are changing course.
Brother Arcangelo gives me his hand and lifts me off my knees.
"He is turning in the likely direction of those ships. He will send out scout ships. It will not be long till they find them," he says. "Cheng Shih agrees to take those ships, and if you manage to bring up the Buddha with that wonderful device, she will free your lad"—here he pauses—"but she said nothing about letting you go."
Oh.
I follow her and stand outside her door. I give a light tap, but I am not admitted. No, I am forced to stand there for at least an hour.
Then the door suddenly flies open and Cheng Shih's hand shoots out and grabs me by the wrist and yanks me in. Her face is stormy, and in her other hand she holds a thin, whippy switch.
Uh-oh...
She points to the deck and snarls, "Fu! Dai niu!"
I drop to my knees before her. She puts her hand on my neck, forcing my upper body down, leaving my rump in the air.
Target in position, she strikes...
Yeeow!
Once, twice, and yet again. I howl out in pain.
"Please, Beloved Shih! Yeoow! Oh, God, it hurts! Please stop!"
She stops all right, but not before she's given me an even dozen and my shrieks are heard from one end of the Divine Wind to the other. The thin silk trousers provide my poor tail no protection at all.
When it's over and I lie bawling in a corner, she stands over me, wagging her finger and spewing out a long diatribe, detailing no doubt the shortcomings of my unworthy, ungrateful, unfaithful self.
I lie there weeping for a good long time, but eventually Chi-chi brings in lunch and Cheng Shih relents and calls me again to her side, and it is she who gently applies a cool ointment to the red marks on my poor abused bum.
It doesn't look like she'll let me go, Jaimy, but at least you shall be freed and that will give me great joy ... wherever I might be in this world...
Please be safe ... Soon, Jaimy, soon...
Chapter 61
James Fletcher
Captain of the Wretched Cerberus
Still Becalmed
Jacky Faber
Most probably in New South Wales Australia
Dear Jacky,
Yes, we are still virtually becalmed, ghosting along on the slightest of breezes, our sails hanging slack. We desperately need fresh water and food, as well as armament. I hate sitting here helpless, knowing that if the Dart shows up again we will be taken, and all that we have fought for will be lost.
At least I now have paper
and pen with which to record my thoughts in case one day you should want to read them.
The convicts grow more restive by the day. All the trustworthy ones have been released from confinement, for there is much nasty work to be done in caring for the basic needs of said convicts. It might bring a smile to your face to know that we have the Weasel here—yes, old Weisling from the Wolverine—and we put him to the absolutely worst tasks. Serves him right. He was one of our guards before we revolted and escaped our confinement, and he was unspeakably vile in that position, but he is paying for it now.
At least we have not yet had an outbreak of typhus, thank God, but it is only a matter of time if our condition does not improve. For once, dear one, I do not wish you were here by my side, for if the gaol fever does come, then I would fear for your—
I must put down my pen for a moment, for Padraic has put in his head to announce that there is a ship out on the horizon, coming toward us. More later...
I must write in great haste now, Jacky, as that ship, a huge Chinese vessel, is bearing down on us fast. They have no more wind than we, but they have put out their long sweeps and are rowing ever closer to us. We have no such oars. I go now to see that the men are armed as well as we can be, for we are sure to be boarded. I am afraid it will be just swords and cutlasses, but we will make a fight of it.
This might well be my last message to you, Jacky. It is my most fervent hope that you have a long and happy life. Please remember me as one who did love you.
With Love,
Jaimy
Chapter 62
The Cerberus lies ahead, bobbing in the slick swells, its sails hanging slack. I am crouched by the rail of the Divine Wind, hidden from view of any onboard that ship, as we are rowed ever closer. It has been decided that I will stay hidden in case that miserable Captain Griswold should spot me with his long glass and remember me. I am sure anxious eyes are upon us. I have certainly got my own glass trained on their quarterdeck. I see figures in navy blue jackets moving about, but I cannot yet make out individual faces. I do, however, see the flash of steel in their hands.
Cheng Shih, every inch a commodore in complete command of her fleet, stands next to me as does Brother Arcangelo. Cheng Pao, looking fierce, stands in front of his horde of howling swordsmen, ready to swarm aboard. It did not take long for the Divine Wind's small, fast scout ships to find the hapless ship, and now she lies before us, easy prey.
I put down my long glass to give my eye a rest. I am nervous, of course, and hope that all goes well. I tell myself that Jaimy will be below with the rest of the convicts, so he should be out of danger. I cannot spare too much sympathy for Griswold and his crew, not after the way they treated Jaimy ... and Mairead ... and me ... so, if they suffer, so be it. I am dressed for battle in a very nice bottle-green tunic and matching trousers. All silk, of course, with gold thread, and a golden dragon now adorns my own back ... and oh, yes, my neck as well...
It was the morning after the switching of my somewhat innocent tail, when, as I was out of the bath and into my robe, Chi-chi came into the bathhouse bearing a tray that held what I saw to be thimble-sized bowls of intense color...
What...?
...and a needle.
Uh-oh...
He was accompanied by Brother Arcangelo.
"What's going on?" I asked of the priest.
"Cheng Shih has ordered it," he replied. "Do not worry. It will not hurt much. Chi-chi is quite expert, I am told. Please pull your hair to the side, Signorina, so that he might work."
I take my hair and lift it and place it on my shoulder, exposing my neck and...
Yeeouch...!
It is true, Chi-chi is good at his job and it was soon done. With a skillful positioning of two handheld mirrors, I was able to admire his handiwork.
It is quite handsome—a golden dragon on a field of green with black detailing and some red in the claws and fiery breath. 'Course I thought it might be better presented on a flag or a picture, rather than on my neck, but, hey, so it goes ... My hair, when let down, will cover it anyway.
"So that means she owns me, Brother?" I asked, somewhat sullenly.
"Well, yes, I suppose," he replied. "But it also means she is extending to you her protection, which, in this part of the world, is no small thing"
"All right," said I, twisting my neck and admiring my new tattoo, "then I shall look on it as such"
My sword is strapped across my shoulders, and I find its presence and the feel of its snug harness reassuring, even though Cheng Shih has forbidden me to go over in the first wave of boarders.
Cheng Shih is dressed in an identical outfit. She has forgiven me, but she has not mentioned my petiton for release since the day I broached the subject with disastrous consequences for my backside. I don't mention it again.
Our rowers are expertly bringing us in on the starboard side of the Cerberus, and I again bring the glass to my eye. Damn. The convict ship's spanker hangs down on the stern, obscuring the quarterdeck, so I cannot see those upon it. We are very close now, less than twenty yards and closing.
The Cerberus rolls over a swell and the spanker swings to the port side, exposing those on the quarterdeck. I give it another look and focus on the blue jacket who seems to be in charge.
Wait a minute ... That's not their Captain...
Oh, my God! It's Jaimy ... and there's Ian ... and the others! They must have mutinied! They'll be slaughtered!
I gasp and jump to my feet.
"Cheng Shih! The command on that ship has changed! I must go over first, alone, or there will be great bloodshed!"
Brother Arcangelo quickly translates. She looks dubious. The hooks are ready to be thrown.
"Please trust me! I'll ... I'll stay with you forever, Beloved Shih!"
She fixes her gaze upon me, then nods curtly. I turn and dart to the head of the boarding party and stand in front of Cheng Pao as the ship's sides meet.
I leap over the rail and run up to Jaimy.
"Oh, Jai—" I begin, overcome with joy at seeing him.
But he does not see me. Oh, no. What he sees before him on his deck is a pigtailed Chinese pirate in strange garb with a shaved head and a sword on his back.
"Damn you to hell, you heathen son of a bitch!" he yells, and swings his sword at my neck.
Without thinking, I reach back with both hands and grasp the hilt of my sword and whip out my blade. I barely get it up in time to stop his deadly swing.
The swords clang together, hilt to hilt, and I hiss, "Jaimy! It's me! Jacky!"
His wild eyes try to focus on mine.
"What...?" he asks, amazed.
"Jaimy! Yes, it is me! You've got to put down your sword. Come on, Jaimy," I plead. "You're stronger than I, and I can't hold you off much longer!" My arms are beginning to quiver under the strain of keeping his blade from my neck.
Recognition dawns and I feel the fighting spirit ebbing from him. He realizes that it is, indeed, me.
"Ah, Jacky, what the hell now."
"Sheathe your sword, Jaimy—your life depends on it!" I step back and whip my own sword into its scabbard. In exasperation, he flings his to the deck.
"All of you! Put your weapons away!" I shout to the others standing about. "There are maybe twenty of you and a thousand of us ... er ... them! You have no chance!"
I feel Cheng Shih come up next to me and stand silently.
"This is Cheng Shih. She is the commander of these ships and many more. She is not here to take you or to kill you. We have a bargain. You will benefit! Ian! Padraic! Sheathe your swords! Now!"
Ah, good. They are doing it.
"Now, bow down low. Be respectful. Easy now."
I look over at Arthur McBride. He is not bowing down. No, he is standing there grinning at me as if he were watching some comedy instead of just being delivered from certain death.
"Arthur! Damn you! Bow down to her!"
With a smirk, he does it.
Jaimy steps toward me, and I step b
ack.
"Don't come any closer to me, Jaimy," I say. "Please. I beg you. This is Cheng Shih. She is the Admiral of this fleet. I ... I am her ... pet. She is very possessive of me, Jaimy, and she is very dangerous, so be very, very careful."
Cheng Shih has come up by my side and is eyeing Jaimy very suspiciously. She knows who he is and what he means to me. Be very careful, Jaimy, she could have her sword out and at your neck before you could even blink.
Brother Arcangelo is translating all that is said, as well he must. I just hope he's putting the best gloss he can upon it.
"You are her 'pet'?" asks Jaimy, perplexed. "What does that mean?"
McBride's grin only gets wider.
It means I get petted a lot, Jaimy. Now hush!
"Not now, Jaimy," is what I say to the confused lad. I generally revel in astounding Jaimy, but not just now. "We have bigger things to discuss. We must have a parley and I think refreshments would be in order."
Brother Arcangelo comes up and whispers in my ear and I nod.
"Captain Fletcher, Admiral Cheng Shih invites you and your officers aboard her ship to talk about our plans. As you are not captives, you may keep your swords," I say. Fat lot of good they'll do you should you draw them over there, but nobody knows like the Chinese how face must be saved—even the face of a smelly barbarian. I choose not to inform you that the Chinese do not like being on your ship because it stinks too much.
"Bring a bottle of Madeira if you have it," I say, following Cheng Shih back onto her ship. My own nose is offended by the smell of the Cerberus. Hmmm ... Perhaps I am turning Chinese...
A low table is set on the deck of the Divine Wind, and we array ourselves around it—Cheng Shih on a cushion at the head, with me beside her on the deck, my legs pulled up under me. Jaimy is at the foot of the table, with Arthur McBride and Ian McConnaughey to one side and Padraic Delaney to the other. They sit cross-legged on the deck and I know they are uncomfortable, but so be it ... and it is so good to see them all!
The Wake of the Lorelei Lee: Being an Account of the Further Adventures of Jacky Faber, On Her Way to Botany Bay Page 35
