by Ron Vitale
“What can you see?”
I glanced up and saw Ishmael stood beside me, remaining relaxed but alert. When I looked some more, I could see nothing out of the usual. “The sails are fully furled, and they’re headed right at us.”
Ishmael crossed his arms over his chest. “Do you see anyone on the deck waving at us?”
“No, I don’t.” I focused the telescope and then looked at their crow’s nest and all through the deck of the ship. “I don’t see anyone at all.”
Ishmael stared out at the ship and shook his head. His ponytail swished in the wind. “I would have expected there to be a few sailors out, greeting us to gam.”
“I do see their flag raised though.” I glanced again through the spyglass to scout all of the approaching ship. I could see its riggings, the masts, the empty deck, and yet no crew. “I don’t see anyone.”
A flash of light caught my eye, but on second look, it was just the sunlight reflecting off a large brass bell on the deck.
“Too small for a whaling ship, she looks like a small mercenary frigate to me.” Ishmael leaned forward and then turned away to rest his eyes from the bright sun. “Be careful that you don’t catch the sun in that scope. You’ll blind yourself.”
I moved the instrument away from the sun and then looked up. “I might see cannons protruding from the sides of the ship. It’s hard to see with her coming straight at us. Want to see?”
Ishmael declined. “I trust you. You saw what you saw.” He glanced back to the captain’s quarters where John rushed back over to us.
When he arrived, he put his hands on his large belly, took a few deep breaths, and asked, “What’d you see?”
“I think they might have cannons out.” I offered him his spyglass, and he took it from me and scanned the ship.
“They’ll be here in a few minutes. Let’s get everyone ready.” He looked to me and said, “Blow that whistle as loud as you can.”
I took the whistle in my mouth and blew it hard. The sound pierced our ears, and it was not the most pleasing sound to hear the first thing in the morning.
John rushed off and yelled at his loudest, shaking the crew up and asking them to get ready. I watched him until he went down below, and still I could hear him yelling. The crew responded instantly, getting to their positions.
“What should I do?” I asked Ishmael.
He stood by me protectively. “Stick close to me. When they get closer, we’ll want to hang back. I would recommend that you keep out of sight just in case these men plan to give us some trouble.”
Around us a few members of the crew took positions with their rifles in their hand. The captain took the wheel and spun the ship around so that we matched their speed and headed directly toward them. Preparations continued and men rushed about with one sailor climbing up the crow’s nest. I glanced up and watched him get into position.
When I next glanced at the approaching ship, its size had nearly doubled, and I could make out small details without the aid of the spyglass. John came up from below and rushed up and down the deck barking orders. He approached us and said, “We’re playing this one cautious. Get to a place of safety in case they try to forcibly board us.” He shook his head and scratched his cheek. “I’m not liking what I see.”
“I’ll watch over him if there’s any trouble.” Ishmael accepted the pistol that John handed him and tucked it away.
“I want to fight.” I grabbed a harpoon and put it in my hands. “I’m not going to let them board the ship.”
Exposing a calm exterior, Ishmael put his hand on my shoulder. “It might not come to that. I think John might be a bit too excited. For a ship to come at us and gam, cannons or not, I don’t expect that they’ll try to fire on us and sink us. There’s a reason that they come after us. They might have a message, bear news about an approaching storm, or have a medical emergency.” His calmness spread to me, and when he saw me less agitated, he continued, “We should be cautious but not overly so. Let us see how they approach us and what they want.”
The ship had come much closer now. Still cutting through the water with sails fully unfurled, the wind pushed her onward at her top speed, but I did see a change. On the deck, I could see a man waving a checkered white and blue squared flag. He then attached it to the rope and pulled it up the mast. The flag fluttered in the wind, and I turned to Ishmael. “Do you know what that means.”
Ishmael squinted and nodded. “I do.”
He turned to go and ran off toward John, our first mate, and the crew around me relaxed. They put down their weapons, and I stood there with my harpoon in my hand, looking and feeling like a fool. I put the weapon back into its slot, and the approaching ship began to turn and slow. She came in beside us, positioning herself so that we could talk and then members of her crew could come aboard. Ishmael came back, and I noticed he no longer had his pistol out. He had either tucked it away where I could not see it or given it back to John.
“They need a doctor.” He pointed to the flag and explained. “One flag is flown for simple and urgent matters. Two for maneuvering the ship and signs of distress. Three and four flags to spell out coordinates and more complicated messages.”
“Are we just going to let them come on?” I still distrusted their crew’s intentions, but I didn’t fully know why.
“No, they’ll pull up to us, and then our captain will talk with theirs, and we’ll hear what their need is. On the open ocean, when an emergency arises, help can be hard to find. A medical emergency could mean many a thing.” He rested his hands on the railing in front of us and hung back as did the rest of the crew.
Our captain ordered the ship slowed, and he took a spot in the center deck waiting for the approaching ship’s captain to come greet him. The sun had risen up through the clouds. Today would be a beautiful day with sun and clear skies. The few puffy clouds that remained moved quickly farther out to sea.
Across the water, the approaching ship slowed and positioned herself parallel to ours. Smaller and sleeker than ours, I had first thought the ship to be a military frigate.
“What type of ship is she?” I asked Ishmael, watching the final preparation of the sailors on the ship across from us. I saw no sign of disease or injured men. The nature of the medical emergency still was unclear to me.
“She’s a private mercenary ship and a new one too. Whomever her captain, he might own the boat himself. Definitely not a fisherman’s boat. She was built for speed, and with the cannons, probably to get her in and out of challenging spots.”
I spied an older man come to their deck with a few other members of his crew, and there could be no mistake that he was the captain. He was tall and imposing with an air of authority around him, and I could see how the rest of those on board deferred to him and made way so that he could come to the center of the deck to speak to our captain. Only a few yards separated the two ships, and lines were thrown to keep the two boats together during the gam.
“Ahoy!” Their captain waved a blue cap at Captain Amos. “I am Captain Donaldson of the Jeroboam. May I come over so that we can talk about medical help we need for a member of my crew?”
Amos listened to the words, and to his credit, I could see that he still questioned their motives. “What type of medical help do you need?”
Captain Donaldson scratched his head. “Do you have a doctor on board who could help with stomach pains? Our own doctor fell ill.” A crew member leaned up to Donaldson’s ear and whispered something to him. He turned back to Captain Amos. “My men tell me that it’s an appendix issue. Our crewman is in great pain. We need help with a doctor, and he can’t operate on himself.”
Amos nodded that he understood and consulted with his first mate. I watched John listen to his captain, and the two of them spoke in low tones, trying to decide how they could, or could not, help the sick crewman.
“Tricky business when it comes to stomach pains.” Ishmael folded his arms across his chest. “I know that Uriah has some medical ski
ll, but I don’t know if he can operate and remove an appendix.”
I hid my ignorance and tried to pretend that I knew of what they spoke. “Any operation on a ship could be dangerous.” I thought a moment and asked, “Why wouldn’t they simply not turn around and go back to land. We’re not that far out.”
Ishmael smiled at me. “That is what I expect Amos and John discuss. There might be some hidden meaning to what is occurring on the Jeroboam that they don’t want us to know.”
I quieted in hearing Amos respond back to Captain Donaldson. “Yes, we agree to gam, and we’ll have our doctor and some of my crew come over to help you as best we can.”
With the words spoken, Uriah came forward. Ruddy in complexion, he wore a white apron, carrying a large leather bag full of metal tools and instruments that jangled. Doctors always frightened me, and Uriah looked more a butcher than a doctor.
Ishmael watched Uriah pass and said low, “May God bless that man on their ship.” He stopped talking while Uriah crossed in front of us and watched him help the other men pull the two ships together. “Uriah’s a good man, and he’s skilled with a knife. I’ve seen him cut through a whale and the blubber with an intense skill, but I never thought him a doctor.”
Both of us went to the nearest line, and we pulled along with the other members of the crew to pull the two ships closer together. I started to wrap the rope around my arm, but Ishmael stopped me. “Never do that. If the other ship pulls off for some reason, you’ll be going with it into the sea or you’ll lose your arm.” He undid the rope and showed me how to hold the rope safely. “Do you see?”
“Thank you.” I pulled and put my legs into it, using my strength and matching the intensity of the other men. We heaved and pulled, from several locations on the ship, and in minutes the ships were closer together. Uriah climbed down into the rowboat, and John surprised me by coming behind me. “Go with him.”
I hesitated a moment, afraid, and said, “Yes, sir.” I turned toward Ishmael with a pleading look on my face.
“I’ll go with them as well.” Ishmael moved forward, but John put a hand on his shoulder.
He held Ishmael back. “I’m going with them. They’ll be fine with me. You’re needed here to ensure that our guests are well looked after.” His tone spoke to the true meaning of his words.
Ishmael started to speak, but John held up his hand and shook his head. He then led the way to the rowboat, and I followed him into the small boat. We were lowered down to the sea gently with no mishap. The calm ocean lapped at the rowboat, and Uriah took up the oars, rowing us toward the Jeroboam. Being so close to the ship, within just a few rows, Uriah landed us at the ship, and our boat was raised out of the water by a set of pulleys. Men had lowered down the ropes that we tied through our boat, and I held on tight to the sides as we came up off the water. We jerked a bit, but I hung on tight, looking back at the Marcella. I could see Ishmael watching me to ensure that I was okay, and I smiled back at him. He turned away after being called by Captain Amos.
“The two of you listen to me.” John leaned in close and pulled Uriah and I together. “I don’t expect any trouble on the ship, but keep quiet and be mindful of what I say.” He addressed me directly and said, “Keep an eye out. You’re a kid and might see things that we’d not be allowed to. Stay with us but look around. It’ll be normal for you to be curious about what you’re seeing since this is your first time on a ship. Just don’t leave our sides. Got it?”
“I can do that.” The boat jerked a bit and caught on the pulley, and we were jostled to the port side toward the ocean. I looked down and didn’t fancy falling into the sea.
Uriah clung to his bag of instruments and looked up in disgust. “They’re not experienced sailors.”
John nodded and kept his voice low. “I bet they’re mercenaries who were hired quickly. The Jeroboam’s crew might be filled with young and inexperienced sailors.”
We reached the top, and a hand was offered me to pull me out. I accepted and a thin, yet tall, crewman pulled me out of the boat. “Welcome aboard.”
“Thank you.” I kept my voice as low as it would go and adjusted my cap out of nervousness.
John and Uriah came next to me, and the thin sailor welcomed us. “My name’s Simon. I’ll bring you to where our sick crewmate is.”
Uriah furrowed his bushy eyebrows. “How long has he had stomach pains?”
“He’s been sick for more than half a day now.” Simon led us onto the main deck toward the stern and then down into the lower levels of the ship.
I had never been on a small frigate before. The smallness of the space below and close quarters surprised me. I had thought the Marcella cramped, but the Jeroboam was meant to be a fast ship and not for comfort. Crew members were in close hammocks nearly on top of each other. Simon brought us to a private room with a door and blocked our way. “He’s been in a bad way, so be prepared for when you go in.”
I did not know what to expect and prepared for the worse. I glanced at John and Uriah and followed their lead into the room. With little light in the room, I had a difficult time seeing anything except the bed and someone lying down in it. Once inside, Simon closed the door behind us, and Uriah approached the sick crewman.
Not knowing what else to do, I stayed by John’s side and jumped when the man sat up, pointing his pistol at us. With his greasy blond hair slicked back and wry smile, I’d recognize him anywhere. Clarence whistled, and out of the shadows, two other men trained their guns on us. Unable to contain the smile on his face, Clarence grinned like a Cheshire cat and said, “Surprised to see me?”
I turned to run, but Simon stood behind me with a knife in his hand.
John looked to me and asked, “Do you know this man?”
I put my hands up in the air and replied, “Unfortunately, yes.”
***
Nathan stared out at the gray sky and sighed. He had lost count of the number of days that had passed on the sea. A light misty rain blew in from the west, and the choppy sea matched his mood.
“You alive up there?” Josep joked. Climbing up on the landing platform to keep him company, he pulled himself up the rest of the way and handed Nathan a canteen.
“I’m fine.” Nathan gave a half-smile, lying. He accepted the canteen and took a swig of the warm mulled wine. The spices and fruit-infused drink helped to warm his spirits. “Thanks. It’s good.”
“I thought you could use something to cheer you up. You’ve been up here since early this morning, and there’s been no whale sighting.” He rubbed his hands together to keep warm from the damp air. “It can get lonely up here with just the gray sky and the slate of sea that stretches out as far as you can see. Not the most exciting of ways to pass the time.”
“I appreciate your coming up to give me some company.” Nathan took another sip of the wine, swished it in his mouth, and swallowed. The warmth spread through his limbs, and he gave a small cough. “Stronger stuff than I thought.”
Josep nodded and stared out at the gray clouds. “You want to talk about it?”
Nathan held off a minute and turned away. “I knew that you came up here more than just to keep me company.” He handed the canteen back and prayed that a whale would show itself to keep his mind off the moment.
“We’re all stuck on the same ship together. And if he’s not speaking to you or you to him, then we all have a problem.” Josep slung the canteen over his shoulder and watched Nathan with a keen eye. “It’s your first journey out on the sea, and you’re experiencing things that you never could have imagined.”
“I can imagine someone killing another perfectly fine…” Nathan let his words come out with venom.
Josep did not respond right away. “When I was young, about two or three years older than you are now, I went out on my third whaling voyage, ready for more adventure, looking to earn more money. I had a girl back on land, and my plan was to save enough to marry her.”
He leaned on the railing, and the wind ble
w his curly hair back. The light rain drenched him, but he did not turn away. “We went out with the brightest of hopes and found a good whale within the first few days. I thought myself skilled at the harpoon by that time, and I threw the last one to kill the whale. We caught up to the carcass, and I remember the blood from the whale. The sea was stained red, and we climbed down, to do our work, but a new sailor, Christoph, came with me. We joked about the money we would be earning, and I thought about marrying and settling down. Christoph told me about his family and his little sister and how he would give the money to them to help them since his father had recently passed.”
Josep’s forehead furrowed in concentration as he became lost in the deep recesses of memory. Nathan waited a moment and then asked, “What happened?”
“I’m coming to that.” Wanting to keep the memory his own for a bit longer, Josep held close his words until they could no longer stay his. “He slipped coming back into the boat. He looked surprised as he fell back and hit his head hard on the boat. With the sudden shift in weight, I struggled to stay on my two feet, and the boat tipped to the side. Christoph tumbled off the boat into the bloodstained sea. I tried to reach for him but could not do so. He fell under, took in the water, and sunk beneath the dead whale. I jumped in after him, and by the time I reached him, it was too late.”
Nathan propped his elbows up on the railing, looking out. “The sea took him then?”
Josep shook his head. “He was still breathing when I found him, but he had lost consciousness. I dragged him back to the boat, and by that time, other members of the crew had jumped in to help. We were all covered in whale blood. We worked as fast as we could to get him back on ship, but he never woke up.”
Nathan wanted to ask more but stayed quiet, listening to the sound of the wind. The rain had picked up slightly and the sail and flags blew in the wind.
