The Last Voyage of the Emir

by David Riley

  All of his life, on the rare occasions his mother and father had spoken of Jesus, it had been to blame Him for their difficulties and strife—the lack of advancement for his father’s military career, the need to move away from friends and family, the ridicule, the alcohol, and so on. As a child, when your parents have such strong opinions, it is natural to share these same feelings. When he grew older, he never really had a reason to rethink this opinion until now.

  He knew he would need to learn more to be able to sort this out. Maybe he should try talking to Paul directly. The more he considered this idea, the better it seemed. He would try to find a private time to talk to Paul, preferably when the other soldiers (even Julius) were not around to overhear.

  He arrived at the dock and began to look for someone who could transport him back to the ship. There was a small skiff that had just departed, full of passengers, to take them back to their various ships. There did not seem to be anyone else at the dock at this time. He was about to find a place to sit and wait for the skiff to return when he heard something. He walked toward the end of the pier where the sound seemed to be coming from and realized there was a boat tied up in the shadows. He could see a shadowy figure bending over in the small craft placing a bag in the bottom of the boat.

  “Excuse me!” he called to the man.

  The man jumped, startled by the presence of a soldier nearby. “What!” he answered.

  “I need you to take me out to the large grain ship. I need to be there soon and there are no other boats available. What do you charge?”

  “I’m off duty,” the man said dismissively, turning away.

  “Hey, I’ll pay you more than your usual rate if you’ll make an exception. I really need to get to that ship.”

  At the mention of money, the man paused and turned back. He pondered this for a moment and then nodded. “All right. I’ll make an exception. But we need to go now so I can get back to what I need to do!”

  Gaius rolled his eyes at the man’s response but felt it was his only option. He climbed into the small boat and helped to untie it and push off.

  The man seemed to be somewhat clumsy with the oars and struggled to get them moving in a straight line. Gaius began to regret asking him for a ride. Finally, they got moving in the correct direction. They traveled in silence, each lost in their own thoughts.

  Chapter Thirteen

  After ten minutes of bobbing on the water in distracted silence, the grain ship loomed ahead. A few lanterns could be seen on deck and the movement of shadows as the crew went about their duties. Voices could be heard speaking in low tones, but overall the ship was quiet. Gaius handed the pilot a few silver coins and thanked him for transporting him. He grunted in response as he carefully counted the coins, a suspicious look on his face. Gaius shook his head in disgust at the man’s attitude, and he was about to reprimand him when a voice called out, interrupting them.

  “You in the boat! Identify yourselves!” It was one of the soldiers on watch duty.

  “It’s Gaius, your commander,” he responded, turning away from the ungrateful pilot.

  “Welcome back, commander! Stand by for the ladder.”

  He lowered the rope ladder, dimly visible in the faint light from shore. There was also a rope net nearby, draped over the side to the waterline. This was the crew member’s preferred means of climbing between the deck and the water, but Gaius preferred the relative stability of the ladder. The boat’s pilot clumsily maneuvered closer, bumping against the ship as Gaius grabbed for the ladder. After a lot of bobbing up and down, swinging against the side of the ship and almost falling into the water, Gaius was able to get both hands and both feet on the ladder, holding on tightly. He caught his breath and began awkwardly climbing as the small boat drifted away from the hull, the pilot not uttering a word.

  Gaius lunged over the bulwark, the watchman lending a hand. After collecting himself, he looked around taking a quick survey of his men.

  “Anything to report while I was gone?” he asked the man.

  “No sir. All was quiet. The prisoners have remained in the hold as ordered.”

  Gaius acknowledged this and dismissed him. As the man returned to his duties, Gaius made his way to the soldiers’ quarters. He found his lieutenant and received his report and officially resumed his duties as the officer in charge. After a quick tour of inspection to check on the prisoners, as well as his men, he headed to the sleeping quarters.

  He stretched out on his pallet, remembering how relaxed he felt during the bath. His mind started to wander over all he had been considering, but fatigue won out and he drifted off to sleep. Sometime during the night, he had a dream of a stone rolling aside from a tomb, an unbearably bright light shining out, and a booming voice calling his name. Of course, he only remembered bits of this dream when he woke up the next morning

  —————

  Meanwhile, Demetrius was still rowing the small boat around the stern of the grain ship, trying to figure out his next move. The rope ladder was not an option since the watchman had raised it after Gaius had boarded. The net would be his best choice but might be difficult with his weak hand. He stopped in the shadow of the rear deck angling outward above his head. He found the line to the anchors and tied his small boat up, deciding to wait until a later hour. He settled back against the seat of the small boat and once again checked to be sure the snake was secured in the bag. He removed his cloak and folded it up behind his shoulders to act as a pillow and closed his eyes for a few minutes.

  When he awoke, he was disoriented at first. His neck and shoulder ached from leaning uncomfortably against the bench seat of the small boat. He sat up and looked around, feeling movement in the bag next to him. He quickly took in his surroundings. It was darker, the faint light from the shore now mostly extinguished. There was a layer of clouds obscuring any stars. Above him, the dark shape of the ship loomed quietly. He no longer heard voices from the deck and it seemed the men had turned in for the night.

  He untied from the anchor line, careful to make as little noise as possible. He dipped his oar in the water slowly to make his way to the net he had seen earlier. He cringed with every splash or creak but no one seemed to notice. When he arrived at the net, he studied it in the dark, considering his next move.

  Suddenly he froze as he heard footsteps on deck above his head. He grasped the net to keep himself in the shadow of the ship as best he could. He held his breath as the footsteps walked past. Evidently the watchman was making his rounds. After a moment it was quiet again on the deck, and Demetrius knew this would be his best opportunity to get aboard before he came back.

  He picked up the bag holding the snake and tucked it into his belt, being sure to secure it tightly. He carefully placed the oar in the boat and reached out for the net. There was a slight thumping as he lifted himself out of the boat but no sign of discovery from the deck.

  He used his foot to gently push the boat away toward the shore and began his slow climb upward. He used his scarred left hand to stabilize him as he reached up with the right hand and carefully raised his feet to the next part of the net. It was slow going and after a couple of minutes, he was perspiring and breathing hard. He knew he could not stop, since he was not sure how long before the guard came back.

  He finally reached the edge of the bulwark and surreptitiously raised his head to survey the deck. There was a soft murmur of voices coming from the stern to his right, and he could see a lantern there and the outline of two soldiers speaking. He knew the lantern would hamper their night vision and they were far enough away to allow him time to cautiously climb up and over the top of the bulwark. The sounds he made tumbling onto the deck were soft and swallowed up by the normal creaking of the large ship.

  He lay in the shadow long enough to be sure the soldiers were still at the other end of the deck. As they continued to talk and laugh, they began walking toward the other side of the ship. He waited until he was sure they were preoccupied, and as they passed behi
nd the mast, he carefully scurried toward the hatch to his left. He paused at the opening, listening for any sound but only heard snoring.

  This was a grain ship and there must be a grain storage room in the depths of the ship. That should be a good place to hide, but he would have to go down through the sleeping quarters to get there. He knew he could not delay since the watchmen would be making their way around the deck soon. He took a deep breath, cinched the snake bag tighter to his belt, and began to slowly descend the wooden ladder to the deck below. As he climbed, the shadows grew deeper and when he arrived at the bottom of the ladder, he could only make out faint darker shapes scattered around the perimeter of the room in the murkiness. He could feel a sense of a larger room and heard gentle snoring and deep breathing coming from all around.

  He fumbled around at the base of the ladder, trying to guess where the next ladder to the lower deck may be. He had a momentary panic as someone nearby mumbled in his sleep. About that time, the hatch above him grew brighter and he knew the guards must be approaching. Thankfully, the light spilled down enough for him to see the hatch to the lower level and he carefully stepped over to it.

  Just as he reached the ladder to the lower hold, the man closest to him rolled over and sat up abruptly, eyes open and looking directly at him. He had a cloth wrapped around his head like a turban and one arm supported in a sling. Demetrius froze, his heart pounding, and he reached for his dagger ready to use it quickly.

  “Mom! Why is the room on fire! Get out of there!” he cried out, anguish in his voice. Then he mumbled incoherently and lay down again. The man rolled over and immediately resumed his heavy breathing.

  Demetrius exhaled slowly, realizing the man was talking in his sleep. He had strange, unsettled feeling of familiarity as he watched him. After waiting a minute to be sure he was asleep again, and to allow his pulse to return to normal, he shook his head and moved on to the ladder to the lower level. He slowly climbed down into the inky blackness, feeling his way as he descended to the silence of the hold.

  At the bottom of the ladder, he paused. He was met by the musty smell of grain and a scurrying sound of some unseen creatures that made their home in the darkness with him. After a couple of minutes, his eyes started to make out some of the shapes around him. He felt his way over the bulkhead away from the ladder and slid to the ground. He pulled his cloak around him and settled in to wait until the light of day to get a better sense of what was around him.

  Once he was quietly seated, the scurrying around him increased. There must be rats that had been feasting on the cargo of grain. After his initial revulsion, he began to accept his situation, knowing that it would only be a day until they arrived at Phoenix and he could somehow make his escape. He felt movement by his right thigh and could tell there was a rat beginning to climb onto his leg. His right hand shot out quickly feeling its furry body squirming in his grasp. He held it tightly and fumbled to open the sack with his clumsy hand. He crammed the rat into it, knowing the snake would feast on that and be good for a few days. He tied the sack quickly and tried to ignore the battle going on inside as the snake writhed and hissed and the rat squealed and twisted. Within minutes all was quiet and there was a wet spot on the bag lying next to him.

  Chapter Fourteen

  The next morning, the ship was bustling with activity. The captain had left orders for the crew to restock the water supply and some provisions. Although it was to be a brief voyage to Phoenix, Captain Sahaq always wanted to be prepared for the worst. Nothing was certain. The small boat was shuttling back and forth loaded with several casks of fresh water, and the crew members were hauling them up and handing them down to the lower hold to fill the cistern located there.

  Demetrius had slept fitfully, waking several times to the numerous noises natural to a ship full of people. Very little light found its way down to this level of the ship, and he finally fell into an exhausted sleep in the early morning hours only to be startled awake to the sound of someone climbing heavily down the ladder. The sailor was holding a lantern in one hand and focused on gripping the ladder with the other. He quickly scooted into the darkest corner of the room as quietly as he could. The man was making so much noise he did not notice the additional scurrying.

  When the man reached the bottom of the ladder, Demetrius was sure he would be discovered, and he gripped his dagger tightly. Fortunately, he turned away and went through an open doorway into the next compartment. As soon as he was out of eyesight, Demetrius hastily moved some of the grain sacks in front of him and covered himself with his cloak, leaving a small opening through which he could peek. He finished this task just as another sailor was climbing down the ladder. He stationed himself at the bottom of the ladder and called up to the next level.

  “Ok, I’m ready.”

  Demetrius heard the sound of something scraping along the deck above and then the grunting of someone struggling under the weight of a heavy burden. Then, the man at the bottom of the ladder reached up and guided the cumbersome object to the deck below. He paused to catch his breath and then begin to half scoot and half roll a small barrel toward the next room. The first man reappeared in the doorway to help and they both disappeared for a minute or two. He could hear the sound of water sloshing as they poured the fresh water into the cistern next door. Then they reappeared and passed the empty container back to the floor above.

  This process was repeated several times over the next half hour. The men were so focused on their routine they did not notice the cloak behind the grain sacks in the corner. Nor did they see the small cloth bag nearby with the bloody-appearing stain on it. If they had paid attention, they would have noticed that it moved at times with the writhing of the snake inside.

  Finally, the men above called down. “This is the last one!”

  The job was repeated one last time and this time, the men reappeared from the adjacent compartment holding the lantern. Demetrius thought he was home free and was beginning to relax when the men looked in his direction.

  “Hey, what is that?” he heard. His heart skipped a beat and he quickly drew in his breath.

  “It looks like a bag,” the other man said. At this, Demetrius held his breath, trying very hard not to move.

  They took a step in his direction but stopped a few feet away where the bag was lying.

  “I think it moved!” one of the men said, startled.

  They stood watching it for a moment, holding the lantern closer. Finally, one of the men cautiously reached down to pick it up, holding it at arm’s length. He shook it gently and was rewarded with more vigorous movement from the bag and a hissing sound could be heard.

  “I think it’s a snake!” the man exclaimed.

  The other man reached out for the bag. “Let me see,” he said. He took the bag. “Hold the lantern for me!”

  He untied the string that cinched the bag opening and carefully opened it. Both men peered down into the bag as he held it under the lantern.

  “I can’t see anything,” the braver of the two said. “Hold the lantern closer.”

  The man moved closer and bent down to see in the light of the lantern, just as the snake jumped toward the light with a loud hiss.

  “Ahhh!” he cried out as he jumped back, striking out at the bag with his free hand and knocking it to the floor. He panicked and swung around quickly, causing the lantern to go out.

  “Hey, watch out!” the other man said, jumping back as well. “I think it is loose!” Both men jumped quickly toward the ladder.

  “I’m staying out of this room!” one said, laughing as they climbed up to the next deck. “You should have seen the expression on your face!” Their voices and laughter faded as they climbed and the room was once more dark and quiet.

  Demetrius could hear the faint rustling sound of the snake slithering into the pile of grain in the opposite corner. He sat up and listened closely to be sure the men were not returning. He was relieved, realizing the story of a snake loose in the hold would likely
keep him from being disturbed by any of the crew for a long while. He was not particularly worried about the snake, knowing that if he kept to himself, the snake would not have a reason to bother him. The rats, on the other hand, would definitely have something to worry about.

  —————

  While this was happening in the hold, the preparations for departure continued on the main deck. Luke had left early that morning on one of the first boats ashore. He needed to get some supplies to replenish what he had used so far, and he was glad to get off the ship for a short time.

  He spent the morning walking through the village at the port. He had a good meal with fresh bread and fruit and cheese for breakfast. He found a market at the end of the road that carried the herbs he needed. He purchased more willow bark, knowing that for controlling pain it could be very useful on a ship. They also had a small supply of mandrake plant. This was more potent, and he had read in his studies that a wine made from this could be strong enough to make a man unconscious in the event that surgery was needed. Ginger root was a good treatment for nausea and there was great demand for that on any voyage.

  He tried to always keep a supply of these on hand. Paul had been susceptible to severe headaches at times, ever since he was temporarily blinded by the light from heaven when he met the Lord. These would come on suddenly, causing him to have a sensation of flashing lights in his vision and vomiting. They would last for several hours at a time. Usually, he had to find a dark quiet place to lay down and rest, which was hard to do when he was traveling.

  Luke had been present during one of these episodes and found that a preparation of ginger root was effective at calming the nausea and also that the tea made from willow bark was fairly effective at controlling the pain and shortening the duration of his headaches. Unfortunately nothing was fully effective at stopping them and Paul had suffered with this pain many times. Thankfully, these headaches were infrequent, but they happened enough that Paul had begun to refer to them as his “thorn in the flesh.” It seemed they would be something he had to endure for the rest of his life.