by Ron Vitale
I rose up to my full height and faced him with restrained fury. “I am not to be dissuaded from this journey. I’ve been searching for the way to find this island ever since my brother left home, and I’ll not turn back now. Though you might have old ways of what women should and should not do, those of my sex are not frail as you may have been led to believe. I will not back down.” I grabbed his hand in mine and squeezed. “We are in this together now, and our fates, however you may think wrong, are entwined. To survive, we’ll need to work together, and I have the stories that my father used to share with me when little. I remember his tales and thought them all made-up stories, but that was not so. Now I know that some were real. I will not turn back.”
He let me finish and then his response came slow but true from his lips. “Years have passed, and still the curse compels me to come back to it. It is like a broken blade lodged within my body that will never heal. No matter what I try, the memory still lingers, festers, and calls me back. I’ve fought this for years, but now I’m headed back to where I promised never to go again.”
I took his hands in mine. “And that is why I must go. It isn’t just to get my brother back. Yes, I love him, but I want to see this through and break the curse for all the men who have the sickness that calls them to their doom.”
Ishmael rubbed the stubble on his chin. “You are more stubborn than your father.” He took a deep breath and then exhaled, having made his decision. “Then we will go together and either succeed or the call will drown us both in its unholy persistence.”
I raised my head high. “And that is why I must go. I don’t know why, but the curse doesn’t affect me. I go because I want to and not because I must.”
He held onto my hands, and his head raised to meet mine. “Then let us go together and end this.”
True hope rose up in my breast. “Yes, let’s. But first, we have to get out of here.”
Chapter 7
A rush of energy surged through Nathan. He rowed hard in time with his two other fellow crewmen. Josep stood at the bow of the whaleboat, ready to throw a harpoon at the whale.
“I see him. He’s come up for air. Keep her steady!” Josep’s accent slipped more into Italian as he became more excited at the hunt.
A second whaleboat farther behind them, chased after theirs, and together they would converge on the sperm whale.
Nathan turned his head around to try to see the whale, but he could not. He rowed harder, and his hand slipped off the oar, ripping open a blister between his thumb and index finger. He grimaced in pain and quickly grabbed the oar to keep up with the others.
From behind him, Zeke asked, “Did you hurt your hand?”
Keeping in time with the rowing, Nathan waited to respond while inhaling and replied, “I’ll be fine.”
“Keep a tight and firm grip on the oar. Focus on your job. Don’t worry about Josep. He’ll get that harpoon into him for us, and the second whaleboat will come round to finish the job.”
“But I can’t see anything facing this way.” Exasperated from talking too much, Nathan took time to breathe and keep the pace with the other rowers.
“You’ll get to see plenty enough once we have a few harpoons in the whale.” He paused to continue rowing and then said, “I remember my first time. It’s a sight to behold.”
With a firm grasp on the oars, sweat dripped down his forehead and into his eye. He blinked, trying to clear his vision, but for a few seconds, he only saw a blur out of his right eye. He closed his eye and rubbed it against his shoulder, and that helped clear the sweat from it.
Josep whistled for them to stop, and Nathan welcomed the chance to relax. He turned in time to see Josep throw the harpoon at the whale. They were closer to the creature than he had expected. Like a needle sinking into a pincushion, the harpoon hit its mark and sunk deep into the whale’s side. Blood flowed from the wound into the sea, and Nathan watched the whale, waiting for it to react.
“I don’t expect we’ll get much of a fight out of this one.” Zeke kept his hands on the oars, leaning forward to stretch his back. “We’ve chased him for a long time. He would have gone under by now if he had any strength left.”
Josep aimed a second harpoon, but he waited as the whaleboat drifted closer to the resting whale. Winding his arm back, he threw the harpoon and hit the whale again, higher this time, but still a solid mark. More blood flowed out at both wounds now and the whale made a clicking sound. The line attached to the harpoon was securely tied to the whaleboat, preventing the whale from escaping, as tired as it was.
Zeke pointed over at their first mate who stood at the bow of the second whaleboat holding a long lance in his hands. “James is coming in now to go for the life. If he hits the right spot, it’ll be over soon.”
Nathan watched as James thrust the lance deep into the whale, and he churned the lance, cutting through flesh and blubber. The whale moaned and tried to pull away, but now it had two whaleboats filled with sailors attached to it. The weight held the whale still, and in desperation, the creature raised its tail high into the air and smashed it back down onto the ocean. Its flukes sent water far and wide but nowhere near either of the whaleboats that had secured it in place.
Blowing from its spout, the whale sent water high up into the air, and then Nathan saw the water turn red.
Zeke pointed up and said, “Look, its chimney is all afire!”
Not understanding, Nathan watched the spout of water turn a darker red. “Is that blood?”
“James hit its life.” Zeke pointed at the bloody water coming out of the whale. “Blood’s filling up its lungs now. It’ll all be over soon.”
The whale thrashed its tail again in desperation and made an urgent push to propel itself forward, but only more blood shot out from its spout. The whale moaned long and deep, grinding its pain into a mournful sound. At hearing the mammal’s death song, the sound deafened Nathan and the other sailors. The whale’s moan went on, and its grief and pain washed through Nathan. His mind soared high up into the sky and then plunged deep into the ocean. The world went dark for a moment, and he saw the beauty of the depths all around him. Two dolphins chased after him in play, circling each other and keeping him company, as he went down into the darkness seeing the rays of the sun cut through the water like shards of physical glass.
The beauty of the deep surrounded him and infused his imagination with a great sense of awe that circled him like love. The whale dived deeper and settled off, swimming through the ocean still trying to outrun the two dolphins by its side. The vision went dark and vanished with Nathan opening his eyes and hearing the death rattle of the whale’s call, falling silent as its last bit of life poured out its spout.
A moment of stillness hung heavy in his heart but was quickly replaced with Josep shouting at the top of his lungs in Italian. Zeke smiled and raised his arms up in the air, and all around him men celebrated their victory over the whale. The creature that had once lived under the sea, swimming with the dolphin and measuring vast distances through the great oceans of the world, had fallen. Nathan stumbled and nearly fell into the sea, but Zeke settled him and patted him hard on the back. “You see, I told you that the first time is always amazing.”
Nathan nodded but had no words and watched the blood pouring out of the whale’s spout slow to a stop. James shouted and raised a second lance up high in the sky and thrust it into the whale’s side. No noise came from the creature, and the weapon sunk in deep with a smacking thud that echoed across the sea. He waved his hands back toward the Truelove, and their ship came in closer while the crew of the two whaleboats tied thick ropes to the whale.
Josep reached for his blubber-mincing knife and looked eager to get to work.
“‘Tis a beautiful sight to win a victory over such a beast.” Zeke sat back down and patted Nathan on the back. “Take it all in and savor the moment.”
Nathan nodded and rested in the whaleboat staring down at his hands. The ripped-open blister oozed out wat
er and burned each time he flexed his hand. The pain hurt, but he wanted to remember the moment of his first whale kill. “What do we do next?”
“We have to secure the whale so Josep can get to work.” Zeke spoke low in reverence to the dead whale while other members of their crew worked on securing the lines on the dead mammal.
Nathan watched the men working and turned away. The sight had affected him more than he had expected.
“It’s a brutal life for some, but the moment is one to remember, and you’ll look back on this day with a fondness that will hold true.” Zeke placed the oars in Nathan’s hands. “Come on, you’ll get a bit of rest back on the ship. Let’s start rowing back.”
The work eased his mind, and stroke after stroke, Nathan watched the oar tips slice through the water and rowed hard to return to the ship. Josep knelt and ensured the rope was let out correctly behind them.
Nathan tried not to picture the work yet to come, but he knew the whale would be sliced open and blubber taken out. Work would progress for hours as the creature was cut to pieces and brought on board the Truelove. The smell of blood would hang heavy in the air and dye the sea red. When they reached the ship, they climbed up and helped secure the lines to ratchet them up, pulling the whale up against the side of the ship. He watched with a mixture of curiosity and revulsion as Josep split the belly of the whale. The whale’s carcass had been positioned upside down and Josep went to work on cutting it open. A smell rose up through the air, but the skin tore apart like paper.
Zeke pulled him away from the side of the ship. “Are you feeling well?”
Nathan shook his head and placed both his hands over his temple. The world still spun and the disgust rose up within him. He tried to fight it back, to deny its existence, but he coughed and bent over with a mouth of vomit that spewed out onto the deck. The smell filled his senses, and the thick acidic taste burned his throat. He fell down to his knees and coughed hard, spitting out the rest from his mouth.
Zeke helped him up and half-carried, half-dragged him to the nearest railing. He positioned Nathan’s head over the side. Nathan retched again and a sweat broke out on his forehead, spreading through his entire body. He shook from the force of his sickness and coughed, spitting the rest of the vomit out of his mouth.
“I’m sorry…” His words dragged out and he coughed again, wiping his mouth on the side of his shirt. “I feel a fool.”
Zeke put a reassuring hand on his back. “There, there. You just take some fresh air into those lungs of yours and rest up. There’s no need to worry about anything that’s been done.”
Nathan nodded, closed his eyes, and slowly took a deep breath to help calm him. The fresh air filled his lungs, and the whale’s carcass, being on the other side of the ship, did not fill up his nostrils with the smell of death.
Zeke stood back and waved off a crew member who looked to see if he needed any help. “I remember my first time that I took a whale down. The chase and the hunt are a thrilling thing, but it’s a dark business to tear the creature apart. I’ll never forget the blood that soaked my boots and the smell of the inside being cut from the whale. A man like Josep was born to do the job, but I’m more like you that way. I can participate in the hunt, but the cleaning and cutting apart the whale is not my best skill. You have nothing to be ashamed of. You are a great spotter. That’s a skill that, when used right, is well sought after on a whaler.”
“You don’t have to try and make me feel better by telling me these stories. I know that I let you down.” Nathan wiped the sweat from his forehead and leaned back against the railing.
“Now you’re not listening to me and you should know me enough by now.” Zeke scratched the back of his head and turned toward the direction of the whale carcass. He heard some shouts from the crew that only grew louder.
Nathan pulled himself to his feet. “I’m sorry. I’m not at my best today and need some rest. If you don’t mind, I’ll head off to my quarters for a bit.”
Shouts from off the side of the ship grew louder, and Zeke ignored Nathan, rushing to starboard. Nathan hesitated and followed his friend. At the far railing, Nathan leaned over and tried to ignore the stench coming out of the dead whale. The pungent odor brought tears in his eyes, and he pulled back and covered his nose with his arm. “What is that stench?”
His muffled words came out clear enough, and Zeke recoiled from the smell as well. “That smell isn’t normal.”
Zeke leaned back over the side and watched Josep jump back from something in the whale’s belly.
“Did you see it?” He called over to his nearest crewmate and pointed down into the center of a bloody mess that bubbled up out of the whale’s stomach. “It’s right there. See?”
He poked at the large slit in the whale, and a hiss of gas rushed out. The stench forced Josep to cover his nose and mouth with his arm, but he pointed at a sight bubbling up out from the creature’s abdomen.
The bloodied husk of a mummy slipped up and out. The mummy’s arm, bent in an odd angle, as if fending off an attack, pointed up toward Zeke and Nathan.
The sailors who saw the husk cried out in each of their native tongues and pointed at the remains. One man, beside Nathan on the deck, dropped to his knees and started praying in a language Nathan did not understand. He crossed himself and folded his hands before him and raised his eyes to the heavens.
Josep poked at the mummy with his knife, cleansing the blood from it with seawater. The mummy’s skin was stretched taut and dried black. With an expulsion of gas from the dead whale, the rest of the mummy slipped out from its belly and then floated on the sea’s surface.
Coughing again to clear the horrible stench from his nose, Nathan turned away and said to Zeke, “But whales don’t eat people, right?”
Zeke could not tear his eyes from the bloodied sight below. “That’s what I thought as well.”
Thick swirls of blood pooled in the clear seawater as Josep hooked the mummy with his blubber-mincing knife and pulled it into the whaleboat. Nathan could watch no more and turned away, but he caught a glimpse of fear Zeke tried to hide from his face but could not.
***
I leaned against the wall of the brig and sighed.
Ishmael heard me and opened his eyes. “Someone will come speak to us soon.”
I shook my head and stretched out my arms. “I hope so. I think by now the sun has risen and it’s a new day.”
Ishmael glanced over at the bucket in the far corner of the room for a moment.
To make it easier for him, I turned away and faced the door as he walked across the room. I could smell the urine from the bucket. The acrid smell hung heavy in the air with the sweat and grime from the two of us.
“What if they’re going to leave us in here to rot?” I stood up and paced the small room. I reached up and extended my arms to their full length just able to touch the ceiling. “Maybe that’s part of Levi’s plan. We’ll be left here to die until he breaks us and we’ll do anything to get food and water.”
I heard Ishmael releasing his water into the bucket, and the long steady stream of urine drowned out our conversation for a good long while. When the last few drops jiggled, he coughed, and out of the corner of my eye, I saw him wipe his hands on his pants. “They wouldn’t have left us a bucket if they meant to kill us. The window to the door would have been covered over as well. Just be patient.”
Leaning on my left leg, I jumped onto my right and shook my hands. I would need to ask him soon. “I had patience all my life, and that did not get me far. I will act now. I’m tired of being treated like I am useless.” I laughed and pointed to the room around me. “So that’s why I’m here. Seems that I got what I wanted.”
Ishmael came away from the bucket and pushed me over toward it. “I’ll keep watch.”
He said no more but went up to the door and peered out down the hall. I went to the bucket and released my water and had a moment of peace. I could finally be myself. I did not need to pretend to be
a boy. I do not know why, but unheeded, I thought of a breakfast morning I had last with my mother. I finished and came away from the bucket.
“I’m hungry for some eggs right now.” I paced the room and closed my eyes. “My mother used to make the best bacon and eggs. When we get back from all of this, you and I will eat a decent meal together so that I can thank you for helping me.”
“I’ll come share a meal with you, but I’ll pass on the eggs. They’re not a favorite food of mine.” He grabbed his belly with both hands and shook it. “I will eat some oats and milk.”
I smiled at him. “A whale hunter like you, and yet you eat the breakfast of a young boy.”
“It’s what I like best.” He turned away from the door. “I doubt we’ll get that here to eat. We’ll probably be given leftovers from last night’s dinner.”
“I’m hungry enough that I wouldn’t turn that away.”
A shout from down the hall surprised the two of us, and we moved away from the door and sat down. I surely did not wish to surprise the man who came in to see us. Better to be on my best behavior than to cause a scene.
When the door swung open, Clarence entered carrying a canteen that he tossed at Ishmael. “Good morning.”
Ishmael accepted the canteen and gave it over to me, and without a question, I took a slow and long drink. The water, tepid yet refreshing, went down and quenched my thirst. While I drank, Clarence closed the door behind him and lowered his voice. He had his hair pulled back in a ponytail and looked the cleanest I had ever seen him.
“Here’s also some food to break your fast. It’s not much, but it’ll help,” Clarence said.
“Thank you.” Ishmael took the bowl and took a sniff.
Even from a few feet away, I could pick up the fragrant smell of peppermint.
