Sisters of the Sea SHIP WRECK part 3

Copyright (c) 2020 by Randall R. Peterson ALL RIGHTS RESERVED This is a work of fiction. All persons, locations and actions are from the author's imagination or have been used in a fictitious manner.

SISTERS OF THE SEA

SHIP WRECK

Part 3

By R. Peterson

All the women ran. The floor of the cliff opening appeared to quake. Rocks and dirt fell from the ceiling and the glowing eyes in the back of the cave were lost in dust and a mad scramble to safety. Once outside, they discovered just how near they had come to being buried alive. A huge crack in the stone that covered the roof was just inches from breaking through. “I hope a bird doesn’t land on that,” Polly said. “The whole thing will come crashing down.”

“It doesn’t have to be a whole bird,” Renny shook her head. “Just a feather or two would do nicely.”

“I don’t want to be around when whatever is in the back of that cave gets hungry and decides to come out!”  Margaret gasped.

The shipwrecked pirates would have carried Loretta down the jungle path if Fiorella hadn’t pointed toward the beach. Three long-boats filled with British soldiers were just reaching the sand. The Man-of-War, that had crushed the stern of the Sea Witch, lay anchored in the bay.

“Does that ship-of-the-line have a name?” Polly asked as Fiorella looked through the telescope.

“She says she is the HMS PORTAGE,” Fiorella said. “But I’m more interested in the dandy strolling about the bridge with an officer dressed as a captain.”

Polly took the telescope from Fiorella. “Well if it Isn’t Jean Molyneux,” she gasped. “Loretta was betrothed to him before she found out he was dealing in slaves. She’ll be sorry she didn’t get a chance to … shoot him.”

            “She may get her chance yet.”  Maggie said. They followed her gaze to where the soldiers had made landing and were dividing into small groups and starting to search the beach. “When they don’t find us near the water, they’ll move inland. It’s only a matter of time before they discover the trail that leads to this cave.”

            “We should leave,” Renny stared at the cave opening.

            “If whatever is inside that cave hasn’t eaten us yet, it probably won’t,” Fiorella said. “It would be best if we spent the night right here. We can look down on the beaches around the entire island. It’s good to know where our enemies are … and when they come.”

The women didn’t relax until they saw the soldiers making camp far below them. By then several of them were wet and shivering. “Build a fire and perhaps light a few torches between us and the opening,” Maggie suggested. “King Georges’ soldiers won’t be able to see the light from the beach and I’ll feel safer if the monster in that cave has to tromp through some flames to get to us.” That sounded sensible; most of the women carried knives, and made short work of hacking tree limbs into firewood.  In a short time they had a cozy fire and three torches blocked the entrance to the cave. They spent their last waking hours twisting vines into several ropes. They also wove two baskets. One was large enough to carry Loretta. “Down the cliff might be our only way out of here,” Maggie told them.

            Fiorella spent a great deal of her time caring for Loretta. Her former employer appeared to not only have a concussion but a fever as well. Near midnight, Fiorella moved the unconscious woman closer to the fire and covered her with a piece of sail from the skiff. The fever finally broke near morning and she muttered a thankful prayer. The women were all sleeping, Renny was snoring. The sun was rising from the ocean in the east when Fiorella yawned … and her eyes slowly closed.

-------2-------

            “Where is she?” Polly was pulling pieces of sail off sleeping women and searching through bushes.

            “Who?” Fiorella yawned and then jerked upright.

Polly pointed to the discarded sail and the empty bed of leaves Loretta had been sleeping in. “Loretta!”

Fiorella gasped. “Her fever broke during the night!” Then she moaned. “The captain must have come awake … after I fell asleep.”

Polly was looking at the torches burning in front of the cave entrance. “I seem to remember there were three!”

Fiorella moaned. “What have I done? My mistress has ventured into the lair of that horrible monster … all because I couldn’t keep my eyes open!”

The twenty-two survivors of the ship wreck were awakened by Polly’s boot. They armed themselves with whatever sticks and rocks they could find and started into the cave, to try to save the twenty-third … if they could.

-------3-------

The women in front carried knives and the torches. Near the back of the cavern a huge and terrible shadow created by torchlight loomed against the back wall. It began to move toward them. They raised their weapons and their captain’s voice rang out. “Don’t hurt it,” Loretta commanded. “It only eats mice and bugs … and I think it likes me!”

“What the hell?” All the women stared at the huge creature.

“It’s a giant Moa!” Loretta laughed. “A flightless bird. It’s like a very large ostrich. My father was an amateur Paleontologist and he wanted me to become one. If he could only see me now. These creatures are native to New Zealand but some remains have been found in Madagascar. They were supposed to have gone extinct five hundred years ago. Somehow this one must have survived being hunted for food on this remote island.

            “What on earth are you ever going to do with it?’ Renny asked.

            “I named it after my father,” Loretta said. “I guess it’s one of us now!”

-------4-------

They women carefully tiptoed out of the cave … and Henry followed … snapping his beak and making a strange clicking sound.

            Just after mid-day, Renny and two others, who had been raised on farms, captured a squealing pig and they had it cleaned and roasting over a fire for their evening meal.

With food in their bellies the women felt more cheerful and alert … but they were not out of danger yet.

“Looks like we have more company!” Fiorella pointed as she chewed on a piece of ham. The frigate Mary George that had been their intended target was now anchored beside the HMS PORTAGE.

            “I was wondering how your betrothed got on a king’s ship.” Polly said to Loretta.

Loretta took the telescope from Fiorella and looked. “It’s the bloody Frenchman all right. But I wouldn’t say betrothed … a condemned woman waiting for an execution is more what it felt like.”

When she handed back the telescope Fiorella gasped. “Looks like the bugger is up to his old tricks!”

They women took turns looking. They cursed as they watched as more than twenty terrified women that looked to be from the Arabian Coast were led from the hull of the Portage and across a plank onto the Mary George. “The captain of the Portage and Molyneux must be business partners,” Maggie said. “The king’s captain steals the women and your late-lover sells them as slaves in the Caribbean or some other island paradise.”

            “They’re a long way from home?” Renny suggested.

            “Dealing in slaves will get you hanged in England,” Loretta said. “ Jean Molyneux always was afraid of the rope … and this secret venture shows he values his neck a little too much.”

Fiorella was looking at the beaches. “We’ve got real trouble,” she said. Several of the king’s soldiers were pointing toward the cave. Molyneux could be seen amongst two other boats loaded with men. They were all headed for shore.

            “They must know we’re here,” Renny moaned.

            “And they’re bringing the crews from both ships to make sure we don’t escape.”  Fiorella shook her head. “What do we do now?”

            “Wait until they go in the jungle and start up the path,” Loretta told them. “Then it’s down the ropes for us,” she said.

            “Make sure you find a way to take Henry with you,” Polly said. And I’ll need all your extra clothing! Don’t leave without me. I’ll catch up with you later.”

            “Are you mad?” Loretta asked her first mate.

            “Of course,” Polly said. “But I’ve also got a plan!”

-------5-------

            The women placed Henry in the large basket they had woven the night before. He weighed almost five hundred pounds and it was all they could do to keep the rope from slipping. He stared about as he was lowered down the cliff … snapping his beak and making that strange clicking sound. Loretta did not want to leave her friend behind … but Polly insisted.

The women waited, hidden in some brush just off the beach until it was after dark. It was a full moon and lights from the two ships glistened in the water along with the globe from the heavens.

Henry was grazing nearby. “It’s a shame we have to leave him,” Maggie said.

            “If we’re to act we must do it now!” Fiorella told the others.

            “We’ll take the ships,” Loretta said trying to see up the cliff side. “But I swear I’ll not leave this bay without Polly!”

            “Let’s hope that won’t be in a box,” Maggie told her.

-------6-------

            There were only a half dozen soldiers left to guard the HMS PORTAGE with the captain on shore, the remaining men seized the chance to get into the ship’s store of rum. A guard near the starboard stern heard a splashing from the water and went to investigate. His eyes nearly popped from his head when a pretty girl with sea-weed in her hair appeared in the water … naked from the waist up. “Who are you?” he demanded.

            “We are the daughters of Neptune come to welcome you to our island,” the girl giggled. Just then two more lovelies appeared in the water beside her;  neither was shy about showing their breasts.

            “Mermaids?” The guard dropped the bottle he was holding.

            “If you want to see our tails … you’ll have to swim with us,” the first girl said.

            “Walter! Charles! Henry and David!” the guard yelled. “Get over here now! The lot of you ain’t going to believe this!”

The guards cheered and drank heavily as a half dozen near naked beauties frolicked in the water. They were to  o busy enjoying the sights to notice the fifteen other women climbing up the port side.

-------7-------

            The sails were all rigged on the Mary George. The ship-of-the-line was too large for their needs and had to be abandoned with the prisoners locked in the brig. A key was left behind, but it would take them days to find it.

A brisk wind was starting to blow. All the pirates had to do was weigh anchor and they would be off. Loretta gazed toward the island one final time. “She must have been captured … or worse,” Fiorella told her. Several of the women were crying.

There were others that needed protecting. Someone had to make the hard choices. “Let’s be off then,” Loretta said. Her voice was no more than a whisper … still it broke. Her eyes were flickering candles … dripping sadness. “I’m so sorry Polly!”

-------Post-------

            Just as the anchor was hoisted and the sails filled with wind there was a splashing in the water. It was a miracle anyone heard. All the women rushed to the deck rails and then they began to laugh. “I had a hard time catching him,” A dripping Polly said as she climbed aboard. “It’s a good thing Henry can swim!”

“There were plenty of Moa tracks leading into the cave,” Polly told them later. The ten foot tall flightless bird was eating from a barrel of grain and the frigate maneuvered around the huge rock without difficulty. “I used the pig blood from the cooking basket and some of your torn clothing to make it look like we’d all been killed and dragged into the monster’s lair.”

“Then what happened?” Everyone was fascinated by her story.

“It took forever for them to venture inside. If the king knew he had such cowards in his royal service they’d all be whipped. When the soldiers, the two captains and Molyneux finally did go in the cave I danced on the roof,” Polly said, “I nearly collapsed with the rocks! They’ll all get out eventually … if they don’t die of hunger and probably after a week of heavy lifting.”

-------Post plus one-------

            Twenty one women captives had been freed from the hull and they crowded the deck. Most had been sold by prospective bridegrooms and clergy that they trusted. None wished to return to their former homes. Polly was doing a head count and she suddenly laughed.

            “What is it?” Loretta asked.

            “A magic number!” Polly laughed. “We are once again the forty-four!”

And as the soon-to-be-renamed Sea Witch sailed from the remote island, even the new women captives were persuaded to remove their niqābs and join in the laughter and the song.

Henry snapped his beak and made a strange clicking sound.

“Beyond the waves that ply these shores … to ocean’s dreadful end.

            We hope to never use our oars … with gold enough to spend.

The Gods look down upon us … with scorn and malice hot.

No sympathy, no tears are shed … for women who are not.

            A coastal tavern dim or bright … will buy the life we need.

            And plant a fortune in our hearts … from lusting’s tiny seed.

            To want of wind and company … we seek nothing more.

            And all the seas belong to us … we mighty forty-four …”

THE END?