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author | luxagraf <sng@luxagraf.net> | 2021-09-13 09:22:58 -0400 |
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committer | luxagraf <sng@luxagraf.net> | 2021-09-13 09:22:58 -0400 |
commit | c8a7632507773c77309866e6cb332fc39300b644 (patch) | |
tree | 4eae5f20851e2ce386c259e02f53f51cb2f62f14 | |
parent | dc391e4cab612afe0aabe556a59a268ea7539bec (diff) |
applied corrinne's edits through ch 9
-rw-r--r-- | lbh.txt | 134 |
1 files changed, 80 insertions, 54 deletions
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ When he returned the winds blew favorably again and they left, hugging the coast By the time they arrived all the twins had left was a memory of trees. The deep darkness of the forest floor where they would lie as babies, staring up at the trees, the branches reaching like thick fingers to scratch at the light of the sky above. # Main -## Chapter 1: On The Sea +## Chapter 1: Aboard *Wanderer* The scent of the world crept into her hammock even before she opened her eyes. The smell of wet wood and salt. The soft sweetness of cedar too long at sea. The bright briny smell of the wind. She opened her eyes and looked up. A sliver of purple twilight peeked through the canvas of the hammock, wrapped up around her. She craned her head back to look at the dark brown mast, crusted with salty white patterns that looked like the drawings of snowflakes in Papa's big book, which was wrapped carefully in walrus leather and stored somewhere in the hold beneath the deck. @@ -161,7 +161,7 @@ Last year they had to paddle in using two oars that her father had carved from g Everyone on the island had seen them come in, but they were still too deep in the marsh to make it to camp before dark. They made the last meal of the season on the ship with Birdie's fish and hatched plans to get Wanderer unloaded the next morning. Birdie, Lulu, and Henry fell asleep making plans for what they would do when they saw their cousins the next day. -## Chapter 2: Off The Sea +## Chapter 2: Edisto Landing Lulu flicked her fingers and felt the rough sand fall away and the smooth skin beneath. She was inside a pale white cocoon of sheet. She stretched her arms up over her head, feeling for the edge, for the sand. She found it and pulled it down over her head. The world was already bright. She sat up to look around. @@ -241,7 +241,7 @@ Birdie sat down beside her breathing hard. Her father pulled Henry up and danced Later she found a blanket in the pile of still unsorted belongings in the hut and went partway up a dune where she could still feel the heat the fire, but also see the stars and the sea. She fell asleep watching Castor and Pollux twinkle in the night. -## Chapter 3: Birdie Organizing Camp +## Chapter 3: Wandren It was hard to believe it would be cold in another turning of the moon. Birdie sat sweating in the sweltering afternoon heat, weaving swamp grass with Aunt Māra and Lulu. They were making the last five or six mats that would serve as the walls to their house. Birdie and her father had already set up the inside of the hut. Birdie loved to organize things, to find a place for everything and put everything in its place. Her father loved the result, but not the process. He left that to Birdie, only stepping in from time to time to point out something that needed to be in a particular place. Pans by the fire for instance. Birdie had wanted to hang them from the rafters in the hut, keep them away from the sand so their food wouldn't be sandy. Her father said no, pans by the fire. Where we use them. Besides, if they're on the ground they'll never fall on someone's head. @@ -710,7 +710,7 @@ After she had helped Francis limp back to their camp, and her father and Tamba h She closed her eyes. She began to feel something strange happening in her body, or to the world around her, she couldn't tell. At first she thought perhaps it was the lingering pitch and roll of the boat, which stayed with you even after you got out. But then the whole world seemed to undulate, like a ripple passing through it. -She felt as if she were floating in the water, but she was laying on solid sand. Then it came so suddenly it was terrifying. Something immense and unfathomable washed over her, a presence that stretched through her, encompassing her and everything she had ever known or done in an instant. She was afraid to open her eyes. A voice, no, that was the wrong word, something thought words for her, inside her. She could not understand them, a jumble of words falling in her mind so fast that she could not catch them, could not find the meaning of them, not even the order. She felt as if something massive and uncontrollably wild had seized her up in its arms and was taking her on some wild, frightening, but exhilarating dance. She became afraid again and forced herself to breath slowly in and then slowly out. As she did this is was like the thing gave up and set her down again. She felt it slipping away. She blurted out, "No! Wait!" She wanted it to stay, it was just too much, too sudden, she wanted to say, give me a minute, but it was already gone, slipping away, the world settled, she opened her eyes and there was the sea, looking as it always did. +She felt as if she were floating in the water, but she was laying on solid sand. Then it came so suddenly it was terrifying. Something immense and unfathomable washed over her, a presence that stretched through her, encompassing her and everything she had ever known or done in an instant. She was afraid to open her eyes. A voice, no, that was the wrong word, something thought words for her, inside her. She could not understand them, a jumble of words falling in her mind so fast that she could not catch them, could not find the meaning of them, not even the order. She felt as if something massive and uncontrollably wild had seized her up in its arms and was taking her on some wild, frightening, but exhilarating dance. She became afraid again and forced herself to breath slowly in and then slowly out. As she did this it was like the thing gave up and set her down again. She felt it slipping away. She blurted out, "No! Wait!" She wanted it to stay, it was just too much, too sudden, she wanted to say, give me a minute, but it was already gone, slipping away, the world settled, she opened her eyes and there was the sea, looking as it always did. She stared out the flat horizon where the sky bled into the blue of the sea. Come back. But nothing happened. She got up, she pushed off and climbed in Delos. She raised the sail and turned the boat toward the river. @@ -746,11 +746,11 @@ The sun had already disappeared into the thickets of trees on the western horizo She started to yell Papa, but then she realized she was alone in the forest, high in a tree, at least half a mile from camp. No one was coming to help her. They would come looking for her, and it was possible they might hear her if she yelled loud enough, but it would be after dark before they found her and that would be worse. I am alone, she thought. I have to do this myself. -She sat back down and gripped the trunk of the tree until she felt stable. She forced herself to breath deeply and slowing. She heard her father's voice in her head, count to four as you inhale, hold that breath while you count to four. Count to four as you exhale, count to four with your lungs empty. Slowly and steadily in and out. Lulu did this until she began to lose count and found that she was breathing normally. She opened her eyes and looked around. The last rays of the sun had poked their way through the forest thickets to fall here and there on Lulu's tree. It seemed to her as she looked below—she was careful not to look down, but at the trunk just below her feet—that the light was illuminating a kind of path down the tree. She could see the irregularity of bark in startling detail. She began to form a pattern of moves in her head, knobs seemed to jump out at her and she moved her foot down to the first one, easing her weight onto it as she gripped a branch above her with both hands. She shifted her weight onto that foot and gently moved forward, off the branch where she'd been sitting. She was up and moving. Now she looked down again and saw the perfect branch below her other foot. She stepped down. And down again, her arms finding the branches her feet had given up only moments before. She moved in a zig-zag pattern down the tree, using branches like a staircase, back and forth across the trunk, until she found herself back at the large branch she'd used to get up. She walked out on it, away from the trunk, balancing with her arms out, to where it very nearly touched the ground, and then she vaulted off to the ground. +She sat back down and gripped the trunk of the tree until she felt stable. She forced herself to breath deep and slow. She heard her father's voice in her head, count to four as you inhale, hold that breath while you count to four. Count to four as you exhale, count to four with your lungs empty. Slowly and steadily in and out. Lulu did this until she began to lose count and found that she was breathing normally. She opened her eyes and looked around. The last rays of the sun had poked their way through the forest thickets to fall here and there on Lulu's tree. It seemed to her as she looked below—she was careful not to look down, but at the trunk just below her feet—that the light was illuminating a kind of path down the tree. She could see the irregularity of bark in startling detail. She began to form a pattern of moves in her head, knobs seemed to jump out at her and she moved her foot down to the first one, easing her weight onto it as she gripped a branch above her with both hands. She shifted her weight onto that foot and gently moved forward, off the branch where she'd been sitting. She was up and moving. Now she looked down again and saw the perfect branch below her other foot. She stepped down. And down again, her arms finding the branches her feet had given up only moments before. She moved in a zig-zag pattern down the tree, using branches like a staircase, back and forth across the trunk, until she found herself back at the large branch she'd used to get up. She walked out on it, away from the trunk, balancing with her arms out, to where it very nearly touched the ground, and then she vaulted off to the ground. She turned back and looked at the tree, up at where she'd been. The light was gone now, twilight spread evenly through the forest, turning everything a soft gray that made it hard to tell where tree ended and sky began. "Thank you." she said to the tree. -The smell of simmering boar reached her well before she got to camp. Her father was busy getting ready for the kiln ceremony, if he'd noticed she was gone, he did not say anything. Her siblings too did not seem to have noticed her absence. They were sitting near the fire. Her Aunt Māra looked long and carefully at her as Lulu walked by her, but she did not say anything. She joined her siblings and cousins by the fire and sat down. They listened, bored,waiting for the stew, as the grown ups talked and seemed to do everything but get food. Lulu did not realize how hungry she was. Her hands shook slightly when she didn't keep them wrapped around her legs. It was dark in the east, stars were out on the horizon. +The smell of simmering boar reached her well before she got to camp. Her father was busy getting ready for the kiln ceremony. If he'd noticed she was gone, he did not say anything. Her siblings too did not seem to have noticed her absence. They were sitting near the fire. Her Aunt Māra looked long and carefully at her as Lulu walked by her, but she did not say anything. She joined her siblings and cousins by the fire and sat down. They listened, bored,waiting for the stew, as the grown ups talked and seemed to do everything but get food. Lulu did not realize how hungry she was. Her hands shook slightly when she didn't keep them wrapped around her legs. It was dark in the east, stars were out on the horizon. Finally her father stepped toward the fire and raised his hands. Everyone fell silent. "Friends," he began. "Thank you for being here with me." He paused. Lulu looked around the fire at all the faces flickering warm and orange in the firelight and she realized everyone she loved was here in one place, at one time. It did not happen all that often and it made it even better when it did. She felt a wave of warmth pass over her, noting in passing that it washed over her much like the fear had passed through her earlier in the tree. Emotions always move like waves, she thought. You can't change the wave, but maybe you can control how you ride it and where it takes you. @@ -760,7 +760,7 @@ He again vibrated the words and again let the sounds of the night once more retu Tamba took a large stick out of the fire and went to each of the quarters in turn. First the East, then the South, then the West, then the North and then back to the East. At each stop he called on the archangel, the arkangelsk, of that station, offering a bowl of water to each. When he was finished he handed the stick, with its glowing red tip to her father. -Her father then nodded to Aunt Māra who went to the kettle of simmering stew. He handed her a bowl and she ladled some stew into it and gave it back to him. Lulu's father lifted the bowl in the air, the abalone shell glittered and sparkled in the moon light and not for the first time Lulu thought how lucky she was to be surrounded by such wealth, bowls that sparkled in the light. "Uriel, bless this earth, bless this bounty we give back to you that you might bless these fires. Thank you for you love." He carried the bowl over and set it down on the first kiln. He repeated this incantation twice more until all three kilns had bowls atop them. Then he laid the stick to the dry grasses that Lulu and her siblings had gathered over the past week. Lulu watched as he lit each of the kilns in turn. +Her father then nodded to Aunt Māra who went to the kettle of simmering stew. He handed her a bowl and she ladled some stew into it and gave it back to him. Lulu's father lifted the bowl in the air, the abalone shell glittered and sparkled in the moon light and not for the first time Lulu thought how lucky she was to be surrounded by such wealth, bowls that sparkled in the light. "Uriel, bless this earth, bless this bounty we give back to you that you might bless these fires. Thank you for your love." He carried the bowl over and set it down on the first kiln. He repeated this incantation twice more until all three kilns had bowls atop them. Then he laid the stick to the dry grasses that Lulu and her siblings had gathered over the past week. Lulu watched as he lit each of the kilns in turn. By tomorrow morning the first buckets of sap would be flowing, and then the fires would not stop until the stumps were burned up. This year Lulu was guessing it would take half a moon. Birdie thought longer, Henry was hoping it would only be a week, but she knew he was wrong. @@ -776,7 +776,7 @@ Lulu didn't need to be told twice. The tar scared Lulu. It was a fiercely hot, r Lulu did not like the smell of it until the tar had been spread on the rigging or hull of a ship. Something about the way it mixed with the salt soaked wood and hemp lines of a ship took the edge off the smell of the tar and made it smell pleasant again, like the forest standing at the edge of the sea. -What she liked even less than the smell of the tar was the heat. Sweat dripped off the end of her nose as she ate. Working the kilns was a constant sweat bath. She sweated gathering wood in the stagnant air of the hummocks around the marsh, sweated while she fed more wood into the kilns, sweated as she sat in camp, doing nothing more than eating. Sweating was simply part of life while the kilns were burning. Even the ocean was no great relief. For the past two days a warm current had made the shallows nearly as warm as the air. It was Lulu's least favorite part of the year, making the *Arkhangelsk* tar, but she knew it was also the most important part of the year. She often thought the only thing that would make it worse would be having to tan hides while tending the kilns. She never complained about working the kilns or gathering wood though. She did however, complain plenty about tanning hides. Who didn't? It was a smelly boring business rubbing brains all over a hide and scrapping the fur off. This was how she made it through making tar, by telling herself over and over again, at least there were no hides to tan. It's the little things that get you through. +What she liked even less than the smell of the tar was the heat. Sweat dripped off the end of her nose as she ate. Working the kilns was a constant sweat bath. She sweated gathering wood in the stagnant air of the hummocks around the marsh, sweated while she fed more wood into the kilns, sweated as she sat in camp, doing nothing more than eating. Sweating was simply part of life while the kilns were burning. Even the ocean was no great relief. For the past two days a warm current had made the shallows nearly as warm as the air. It was Lulu's least favorite part of the year, making tar, but she knew it was also the most important part of the year. She often thought the only thing that would make it worse would be having to tan hides while tending the kilns. She never complained about working the kilns or gathering wood though. She did however, complain plenty about tanning hides. Who didn't? It was a smelly boring business rubbing brains all over a hide and scrapping the fur off. This was how she made it through making tar, by telling herself over and over again, at least there were no hides to tan. It's the little things that get you through. The sun was directly overhead when her father and Tamba returned from a barrel run. As soon as the previous day's tar was cool enough to move they secured it deeper into the marsh. It was unlikely there would be another storm this year, but her father was never a man to take chances on the weather. @@ -792,7 +792,7 @@ He nodded at her as he entered camp. Papa was a quiet man, prone to grunts and n Lulu smiled and dashed off before he could change his mind. She knew Birdie and Henry were down at the ship. She found them playing with their cousins. Or rather Birdie and Francis were playing one game and Henry and Owen appeared to be playing another, which included harassing Birdie and Francis with toy arrows, a volley of which appeared as Lulu was climbing up into the ship. "Hey!" she shouted as one actually stuck into the wood deck near her foot. She grabbed it. The tip was a shell that had been broken to a point and sharpened. It could easily have split the skin if fired with sufficient force. The closer she looked at it the madder she got. "That could have hurt." She leaned over the railing looking for Owen. She knew Henry hadn't came up with this plan. He might be annoying some times, but he was never dangerous. There was no sign of either of them. She descended below decks to find Birdie and Francis. -Her eyes adjusted to the darkness and she could see a strange dark shape wiggling up under a hole near the sand in the stern. Lulu could not tell who it was and started toward it. It was only then that she noticed Birdie in her peripheral vision, sitting on the ground, carving a stick with the knife her father hand given her for Christ Mass last year. Lulu did not acknowledge her sister though, padding softly past toward the stern where the shape had clearly made its way into the boat now. Lulu stopped and slid against a bulkhead to wait. The figured dusted the sand off itself and began to creep forward. Lulu heard a whispered "Birdie?" just as Henry walked through the bulkhead, past her, without seeing her, and Lulu let out a wild howl and leaped on him, tackling him to the sand. He shrieked and covered his face and before Lulu could properly box his ears he was crying and she felt bad so she stopped, sitting astride him, pinning his shoulders to the ground, she leaned close to his face. "That arrow could have hurt someone." +Her eyes adjusted to the darkness and she could see a strange dark shape wiggling up under a hole near the sand in the stern. Lulu could not tell who it was and started toward it. It was only then that she noticed Birdie in her peripheral vision, sitting on the ground, carving a stick with the knife her father hand given her for Christ Mass last year. Lulu did not acknowledge her sister though, padding softly past toward the stern where the shape had clearly made its way into the boat now. Lulu stopped and slid against a bulkhead to wait. The figured dusted the sand off itself and began to creep forward. Lulu heard a whispered "Birdie?" just as Henry walked through the bulkhead, past her, without seeing her, and Lulu let out a wild howl and leaped on him, tackling him to the sand. He shrieked and covered his face and before Lulu could properly box his ears he was crying and she felt bad so she stopped. Sitting astride him, pinning his shoulders to the ground, she leaned close to his face. "That arrow could have hurt someone." "I know," he started crying again. "That's why I snuck away." @@ -824,7 +824,7 @@ Lulu gulped. "Birdie, that...." Her voice trailed off. "I suppose we could fish though. If we don't see him first." -Lulu and Henry looked at each other. "Okay," said Lulu nervously. Well, why don't we leave through the stern, and we'll just... we'll just walk down to the water and if we see them we'll say we aren't playing anymore. Whatever it is that you're playing." +Lulu and Henry looked at each other. "Okay," said Lulu nervously. "Well, why don't we leave through the stern, and we'll just... we'll just walk down to the water and if we see them, we'll say we aren't playing anymore. Whatever it is that you're playing." "I'm not playing." @@ -854,19 +854,19 @@ This time, after they all fell silent, Henry looked up from a drawing he had mad ## Chapter 7: Sarah -The kiln fires burned for nearly a full cycle of the moon. The children tended the fires, Tamba, Kobayashi, and Papa tended the tar. There was still time to play, time to fish, time to climb trees, wade through the marsh in search of bird eggs, and time to sit around the fire at night listening to stories. Birdie and Lulu fished the bank whenever they could. There was a barrel half full of dried fish carefully stowed in Wanderer' hold to trade when they went to Charlestown. +The kiln fires burned for nearly a full cycle of the moon. The children tended the fires, Tamba, Kobayashi, and Papa tended the tar. There was still time to play, time to fish, time to climb trees, wade through the marsh in search of bird eggs, and time to sit around the fire at night listening to stories. Birdie and Lulu fished the bank whenever they could. There was a barrel half full of dried fish carefully stowed in Wanderer's hold to trade when they went to Charlestown. -Still, that month, the month the tribes around them called Last moon of the Turtles, nearly everything revolved around the fires, around the kilns, around the tar. The fires never went out, the slow trickles of sap never stopped trickling out the bottom of the kilns, filling the barrels even while they slept. Just like on overnight passages they kept watch through the night, emptying the buckets into barrels by torchlight at all hours of the night. Even when they were out on the bank fishing, there was a thin wisp of smoke drifting out of the trees at the southern end of the island to remind them what was waiting when they got home. +Still, that month, the month the tribes around them called Last Moon of the Turtles, nearly everything revolved around the fires, around the kilns, around the tar. The fires never went out, the slow drip of sap never stopped trickling out the bottom of the kilns, filling the barrels even while they slept. They kept watch through the night, just like when they were at sea, but instead of trimming sails, they emptied buckets into barrels by torchlight at all hours of the night. Even when they were out on the bank fishing, there was a thin wisp of smoke drifting out of the trees at the southern end of the island to remind them what was waiting when they got home. It was that smoke that drew the ship to them and forever changed the course of all their lives. -Birdie was the first to see it. She'd been on the north end of the island, helping Aunt Māra weave new reed baskets when she saw a patch of white on the horizon. She and her Aunt watched the ship work her way down the coast. Long before she'd come close enough to really study Birdie had decided her captain wasn't to be trusted. The sails were not trimmed like they should have been and her course wasn't nearly what it should have been. The closer she got the more Birdie began to wonder if maybe the captain wasn't bad so much as unwilling to get more than swimming distance offshore. She wasn't much of a ship. She wasn't far from joining the *Arkhangelsk*. Birdie could tell she'd once been a Bermuda sloop with a long bowsprit. Narrower than the *Arkhangelsk*, and smaller than Wanderer, she was missing her bowsprit entirely and her sails were torn. Her real trouble though looked to be that she'd been made of oak, rather than the Jamaican cedar used for Wanderer. Oak was a strong wood, but it did not last like cedar. It needed to be tarred more regularly to stop the worms from eating the wood. The worms, fortunately, were not a gross as they sounded. They were really more like snails, though they moved like worms. They ate every ship, but they really loved oak and this vessel showed it. She was riding low in the water and Birdie could tell she was probably taking on water faster than her crew was able to keep it out. That made her a good business proposition. Really, in the end the worms, Birdie thought, not for the first time, were what made tar necessary and therefore made her life possible. No worms, no tar. No tar, no reason to be on Edisto. +Birdie was the first to see it. She'd been on the north end of the island, helping Aunt Māra weave new reed baskets when she saw a patch of white on the horizon. She and her Aunt watched the ship work her way down the coast. Long before she'd come close enough to really study Birdie had decided her captain wasn't to be trusted. The sails were not trimmed like they should have been and her course wasn't nearly what it should have been. The closer she got the more Birdie began to wonder if maybe the captain wasn't bad so much as unwilling to get more than swimming distance offshore. She wasn't much of a ship. She wasn't far from joining the *Arkhangelsk*. Birdie could tell she'd once been a Bermuda sloop with a long bowsprit. Narrower than the *Arkhangelsk*, and smaller than Wanderer, she was missing her bowsprit entirely and her sails were torn. Her real trouble though looked to be that she'd been made of oak, rather than the Jamaican cedar used for Wanderer. Oak was a strong wood, but it did not last like cedar. It needed to be tarred more regularly to stop the worms from eating the wood. The worms, fortunately, were not as gross as they sounded. They were really more like snails, though they moved like worms. They ate every ship, but they really loved oak and this vessel showed it. She was riding low in the water and Birdie could tell she was probably taking on water faster than her crew was able to keep it out. That made her a good business proposition. Really, in the end the worms, Birdie thought, not for the first time, were what made tar necessary and therefore made her life possible. No worms, no tar. No tar, no reason to be on Edisto. Birdie and Aunt Māra build up their fire and then Birdie cut green fronds of sago palm to put on the top, sending thick white smoke billowing in to the air. -At the same time Birdie ran to the other end of the island to fetch her father. By the time they returned the ship was nearly at the mouth of the river. Her father waded out on the point and waved his arms down the beach. Though they could not make out anyone on the deck, the little boat pointed off shore and began to head out around the bank. Birdie and her father walked slowly down the beach, keeping pace with her as she made her way south to the safer anchorage of the southern river, just beyond where Birdie's camp lay, waiting with it's fresh tar. +At the same time Birdie ran to the other end of the island to fetch her father. By the time they returned the ship was nearly at the mouth of the river. Her father waded out on the point and waved his arms down the beach. Though they could not make out anyone on the deck, the little boat pointed off shore and began to head out around the bank. Birdie and her father walked slowly down the beach, keeping pace with her as she made her way south to the safer anchorage of the southern river, just beyond where Birdie's camp lay, waiting with its fresh tar. -As they walked her father pointed out the ships weaknesses and strengths. He agreed she was riding low, but he wasn't sure it was because she was leaking. "It's possible," he allowed, "but she could have a heavy cargo too." +As they walked her father pointed out the ship's weaknesses and strengths. He agreed she was riding low, but he wasn't sure it was because she was leaking. "It's possible," he allowed, "but she could have a heavy cargo too." Birdie studied her for the minute. "I don't think so. She's old, she's worm eaten, who would load her down?" @@ -882,13 +882,13 @@ Birdie did not say anything, but she nodded to let her father know she'd heard h The little ship's captain was savvy enough at least to navigate the mouth of the inlet without too much trouble. He'd been lucky with timing, arriving with the rising tide and riding it up the river mouth without trouble. Until he'd promptly run aground on a sandbar. The ship came to a lurching halt just as Birdie and her father came over the dune. Tamba, who'd strapped on a sword, came up behind them and the three of them stood watching the ship. There was no one on the deck, which was confusing because surely someone had been steering. And then they watched a man come up out of the hold with a dazed look on his face. He smiled and waved. Birdie and her father glanced at each other. Her father shrugged and waved back. Birdie did the same. -As they all stood smiling at each other there came a new sound from down in the hold, a light floating Irish lilt of a voice, a woman's voice, and it was singing a bawdy, rough sailor's song of full of cussing, drinking, and fighting. It worked its way merrily forward somewhere below the deck. And then a streak of gray came bounding out of the hold, landed softly on deck, and paused to survey the scene. Lulu came up the dune at the same time and bumped into Birdie. They watched as the woman's long red hair blew in the wind. Her large, wide brimmed hat partly hid one more striking faces Lulu and Birdie would ever see. A fair and sharply defined jaw, with thin red lips curled ever so slightly into a smile, extended out of the shadow that held the rest of her face in darkness. The woman, for she was very obviously a woman, even though she wore sailors britches, stiff and tarred, had on a long coat despite the heat. She wore it unbuttoned, but held close to her waist by a sash, much like the one Lulu was fond of wearing at sea, except that the woman had a hatchet and a pistol thrust into her sash. +As they all stood smiling at each other there came a new sound from down in the hold, a light floating Irish lilt of a voice, a woman's voice, and it was singing a bawdy, rough sailor's song of full of cussing, drinking, and fighting. It worked its way merrily forward somewhere below the deck. And then a streak of gray came bounding out of the hold, landed softly on deck, and paused to survey the scene. Lulu came up the dune at the same time and bumped into Birdie. They watched as the woman's long red hair blew in the wind. Her large, wide-brimmed hat partly hid one of the more striking faces Lulu and Birdie would ever see. A fair and sharply defined jaw, with thin red lips curled ever so slightly into a smile, extended out of the shadow that held the rest of her face in darkness. The woman, for she was very obviously a woman, even though she wore sailor's britches, stiff and tarred, had on a long coat despite the heat. She wore it unbuttoned, but held close to her waist by a sash, much like the one Lulu was fond of wearing at sea, except that the woman had a hatchet and a pistol thrust into her sash. She said something they couldn't hear to the man, and a third man came up out of the hold and waved. The woman pulled out a knife and deftly sliced a backstay rope. Birdie instinctively glanced at her father. He raised an eyebrow but otherwise seemed just as transfixed as she was. Before Birdie could fully put together what was happening the woman backed up took two quick steps forward, vaulted up off the gunwale and sailed out into the air, riding the arc of the rigging up and out until she was very nearly clear of the water at which point she let go, arched her back and landed, knees bent, crouched like a cat, hand on her hatchet. Birdie saw out of the corner of her eye that Tamba and her father were both staring now, open mouthed. "Not the first time she's done that," her father muttered. Then he seemed to gather his wits again and slid down the dune they were standing on to greet the stranger. -Three men lowered a boat and came ashore in the usual manner to join the woman who was talking now with her Father. Lulu and Birdie stood on top the dune, watching as her father and Tamba greeted the strangers. Birdie wasn't sure where Kobayashi was, but she suspected he was in a tree with a rifle somewhere. Her father might like to pretend he welcomed every ship, but he was careful too. He made sure someone had his back whenever a new ship showed up. It seemed to Birdie though that this was probably safe. There was a woman on this boat. Birdie had only twice before encountered women on boats and both times they were passing as men. At least they seemed to be. Birdie knew at once but no one else seemed to, or they pretended not to, it was hard to know. +Three men lowered a boat and came ashore in the usual manner to join the woman who was talking now with her father. Lulu and Birdie stood on top the dune, watching as their father and Tamba greeted the strangers. Birdie wasn't sure where Kobayashi was, but she suspected he was in a tree with a rifle somewhere. Her father might like to pretend he welcomed every ship, but he was careful too. He made sure someone had his back whenever a new ship showed up. It seemed to Birdie though that this was probably safe. There was a woman on this boat. Birdie had only twice before encountered women on boats and both times they were passing as men. At least they seemed to be. Birdie knew at once but no one else seemed to, or they pretended not to, it was hard to know. This was the first time she'd seen a woman being a woman and being a sailor and perhaps being a captain. She was pretty sure this woman was her hero. She watched in awe as she shook her father's hand like a man, smiled and laughed freely. She was, Birdie realized with a rush, just like Lulu and herself. Only bigger. Older. Was it possible to remain as she was now as she grew older? She had never really considered this until now. She had never really seen herself in any adult, even those she looked up to like her father and Tamba and Kobayashi, not even in Aunt Māra. She loved them all, but she was not like them, this she knew deep down in some place that she had not thought up or created through her experience. Some place that was just there, had always been there and would always be there she assumed. She was not like them. She was like this woman. This smiling, laughing, singing, swearing, hatchet-packing, trouser-wearing woman. @@ -938,7 +938,7 @@ Birdie glanced at Lulu. Lulu shrugged. "Here. The sea. Summer camp." Lulu and Birdie glanced at each other. "Up north." This was the answer her father always gave strangers. Birdie wasn't entirely sure why he didn't just say Block Island since that's where they had stayed the last two years, but he didn't, so she didn't. -Sarah laughed again. "You two are suspicious of me aren't you? Well, I suppose you ought to be.But I promise, I am not your enemy." +Sarah laughed again. "You two are suspicious of me aren't you? Well, I suppose you ought to be. But I promise, I am not your enemy." "No ma'am." Birdie looked down, ashamed at being called out for not trusting a stranger, but still not able to trust her. She busied herself with a kettle, boiling water to make a tea. @@ -980,9 +980,9 @@ Sarah smiled. "And that's what you do? You help them careen and tar?" The girls nodded. -Their father returned saying Tamba had taken the ship into the marsh, to help them anchor it just offshore from Wanderer. They were going to careen and tar them together beginning the next day. Eliza May turned out to have a crew of six, including Sarah. Her father sent Birdie down to the end of the island to fetch her Aunt and Uncle and cousins. Between the two camps, plus some salt pork from Eliza Maj, they were able to put together a stew that Birdie seasoned with wild onions she'd gathered the day before. She and Lulu had spent the morning hunting the marsh for eggs, which they boiled to go along with stew. Aunt Māra made bread the way the Waccamaw did, laying the dough right on on the coals and then breaking the hard crust into half moon shapes into which they poured the stew before setting the whole thing in their abalone bowls to cool. The result was a bready, gooey, stewy mess that was Birdie's favorite meal, after turtle. +Their father returned saying Tamba had taken the ship into the marsh, to help them anchor it just offshore from Wanderer. They were going to careen and tar them together beginning the next day. *Eliza May* turned out to have a crew of six, including Sarah. Her father sent Birdie down to the end of the island to fetch her Aunt and Uncle and cousins. Between the two camps, plus some salt pork from *Eliza May*, they were able to put together a stew that Birdie seasoned with wild onions she'd gathered the day before. She and Lulu had spent the morning hunting the marsh for eggs, which they boiled to go along with stew. Aunt Māra made bread the way the Waccamaw did, laying the dough right on on the coals and then breaking the hard crust into half moon shapes into which they poured the stew before setting the whole thing in their abalone bowls to cool. The result was a bready, gooey, stewy mess that was Birdie's favorite meal, after turtle. -It was beginning to get cool in the evenings and her father had been lighting the big fire again some nights. Though it wasn't cold enough to gather around it he lit it tonight and Uncle Cole brought out his fiddle and the men from Eliza May brought their instruments and there was playing and dancing well into the night. Birdie danced with her father, with Sarah, with Tamba, and finally was too tired to dance anymore and sat and watched the men from Eliza May, pass the rum between them. They offered it to her father, who glanced up at their commotion to see the jug being offered. Birdie watched as he stood. Her father looked at the men and smiled. "Normally I don't drink. But I do appreciate the offer and I want you to feel welcome here, I have no complaint with any man that drinks, so long as he controls himself within the bounds of reason." The other men listened, glanced among themselves and slowly nodded. "Sounds good," said one. +It was beginning to get cool in the evenings and her father had been lighting the big fire again some nights. Though it wasn't cold enough to gather around it he lit it tonight and Uncle Cole brought out his fiddle and the men from *Eliza May* brought their instruments and there was playing and dancing well into the night. Birdie danced with her father, with Sarah, with Tamba, and finally was too tired to dance anymore and sat and watched the men from *Eliza May*, pass the rum between them. They offered it to her father, who glanced up at their commotion to see the jug being offered. Birdie watched as he stood. Her father looked at the men and smiled. "Normally I don't drink. But I do appreciate the offer and I want you to feel welcome here, I have no complaint with any man that drinks, so long as he controls himself within the bounds of reason." The other men listened, glanced among themselves and slowly nodded. "Sounds good," said one. But then her father did a thing Birdie did not expect. He took the jug and drank a bit gulp from it and handed it back to men, who smiled and cheered. Her father smiled and sat back down next to Sarah and resumed talking. @@ -1010,21 +1010,21 @@ She told him what she had thought. He smiled and rubbed her back. "Exactly," he The sat in silence for a while until Lulu and Henry climbed sleepily up the dune and laid down beside her. Her father tucked each of them into their quilts and kissed their cheeks before returning to fire. -## Chapter 8: Lulu and Sarah +## Chapter 8: The Syndicate -Lulu stood in the shade of the oaks, watching the thick hemp cords that held the Eliza May over on it's side. Her job was to inspect the ropes and the tree that held them, looking for any signs of weakness or fraying or rubbing. If any of these ropes slipped or broke loose it would put more strain on the remaining ropes and if they went, the ship would role back upright, crushing anyone who was working under it. It was pleasant work, watching things, though she couldn't help but feel tense and nervous since it was more than likely her father working under the boat. He always took the most dangerous jobs himself. If anything slipped she would scream and run which would be signal for anyone in the way of the rolling ship to run for their lives. Lulu was well known for her ability to out shriek anyone, which was why her father had given her the job. +Lulu stood in the shade of the oaks, watching the thick hemp cords that held the *Eliza May* over on its side. Her job was to inspect the ropes and the tree that held them, looking for any signs of weakness or fraying or rubbing. If any of these ropes slipped or broke loose it would put more strain on the remaining ropes and if they went, the ship would roll back upright, crushing anyone who was working under it. It was pleasant work, watching things, though she couldn't help but feel tense and nervous since it was more than likely her father working under the boat. He always took the most dangerous jobs himself. If anything slipped she would scream and run which would be signal for anyone in the way of the rolling ship to run for their lives. Lulu was well known for her ability to out shriek anyone, which was why her father had given her the job. -Lulu kept an eye, and an ear, on the ropes, but she also couldn't help but keep an eye on Sarah. Sarah had donned sailor's canvas pants and a cotton work shirt just like the men. She used a bandanna to hold her red hair back. She was helping Tamba tend the fire and stir the great iron kettle as they heated some of the tar. The tar did not have to be re-heated to apply, but it went on easier, and more importantly penetrated deeper into the wood when it was warm. So Sarah stood, looking like a man but for her hair, working the tar. Lulu had never seen a woman like her. A woman who was both beautiful when she wanted to be, but also, as Lulu had seen the previous night around the fire, able to turn into as much of a rough-tongued sailor as any who had ever graced their shore. She was two things it seemed to Lulu: a sailor and a woman. She and Birdie had discussed it quietly that morning, sitting on the dune eating dried fish as the sun rose. Sarah was exactly what Lulu wanted to be: a sailor and a woman. +Lulu kept an eye, and an ear, on the ropes, but she also couldn't help but keep an eye on Sarah. Sarah had donned sailor's canvas pants and a cotton work shirt just like the men. She used a bandana to hold her red hair back. She was helping Tamba tend the fire and stir the great iron kettle as they heated some of the tar. The tar did not have to be re-heated to apply, but it went on easier, and more importantly penetrated deeper into the wood when it was warm. So Sarah stood, looking like a man but for her hair, working the tar. Lulu had never seen a woman like her. A woman who was both beautiful when she wanted to be, but also, as Lulu had seen the previous night around the fire, able to turn into as much of a rough-tongued sailor as any who had ever graced their shore. She was two things it seemed to Lulu: a sailor and a woman. She and Birdie had discussed it quietly that morning, sitting on the dune eating dried fish as the sun rose. Sarah was exactly what Lulu wanted to be: a sailor and a woman. She thought about what her father would have said if she'd told him this. He probably would have smiled and said, you can do whatever you want to do. But it was one thing to say that when you were Nicholas, it was another thing to actually do it when you were Lulu, who spent most of her time feeling small, curious, and unsure of the right thing to do. She knew everyone liked her stories. But she knew she invented elaborate stories primarily to keep anyone from thinking too much about her, to get them involved in some world she could control rather than looking to her, or at her, in this one, which she knew well enough she could not control at all. -Then there was Sarah. She seemed very much in control of this world right here, right now. Lulu watched as Sarah dipped a wooden bucket in the great kettle of tar, the muscles in her arms tout and ropy as knotted lines. Then she lugged it around the bow, out of view. Lulu desperately wanted to ask her if she really was in control, if she really did know what she was doing, and would she show Lulu how to do this, how to know where you belonged in the world. Instead she remained in the shadows, watching as Sarah worked alongside the men. +Then there was Sarah. She seemed very much in control of this world right here, right now. Lulu watched as Sarah dipped a wooden bucket in the great kettle of tar, the muscles in her arms taut and ropy as knotted lines. Then she lugged it around the bow, out of view. Lulu desperately wanted to ask her if she really was in control, if she really did know what she was doing, and would she show Lulu how to do this, how to know where you belonged in the world. Instead she remained in the shadows, watching as Sarah worked alongside the men. --- +--- Lulu was relieved of rope watching duty after the hull was tarred and worked moved to the deck. The day was long, the tarring continued long after dark, everyone working by torches staked in the sand around the boat. They ate in shifts, dried fish, leftover pork. Lulu and Henry sat to the side, chewing strips of dried fish, watching the shadows of the men working streak across the sand. They looked a little like they were dancing as they moved back and forth among the torches, dragging the sopping rags of tar across the wood. -Finally they were too tired. The men in the crew of Eliza May sat down around the fire, passing a bottle of rum between them, telling quiet stories of peaceful shores they'd seen, other ships they'd careened. Lulu and Birdie sat down at the top of the dune, their backs to the fire, and watched their father walking down to the shore to swim. Sarah came up and sat down beside them. None of them spoke. +Finally they were too tired. The men in the crew of *Eliza May* sat down around the fire, passing a bottle of rum between them, telling quiet stories of peaceful shores they'd seen, other ships they'd careened. Lulu and Birdie sat down at the top of the dune, their backs to the fire, and watched their father walking down to the shore to swim. Sarah came up and sat down beside them. None of them spoke. They sat in a line, watching the moonlight rippling on the quietly lapping waves. There was no swell, no wind, the sea was calm as a lake. Clouds near the horizon caught the bluish glow of moonlight and scattered it among themselves until it faded into blackness and the bottom of the clouds merged with the darkness of the night sea. @@ -1048,7 +1048,7 @@ Lulu shrugged. "It depends who you ask. Tambo and Papa say it's tiny animals. Th The three of them took turns swirling around to stir up the bubbles of glowing phosphorescence. Birdie was the best swimmer, unafraid of the deeper water where Lulu well knew sharks also swam. She watched her sister streak round, swimming in circles like pods of dolphins did to herd fish, only Birdie stirred up a column of blue light that rose up to the surface where it spread out like spilled blue milk. -"Your sister is quite a swimmer," Sarah said as they watched her circle. Lulu was proud of Birdie, she was quite a swimmer. It wasn't that long ago that Lulu would have been jealous, but she knew she was a better tree climber so it didn't bother her any more. She like that her sister was a good swimmer. +"Your sister is quite a swimmer," Sarah said as they watched her circle. Lulu was proud of Birdie, she was quite a swimmer. It wasn't that long ago that Lulu would have been jealous, but she knew she was a better tree climber so it didn't bother her any more. She liked that her sister was a good swimmer. Lulu shivered and turned back toward shore. "I think I am going to go get warm by the fire." @@ -1086,7 +1086,7 @@ Sarah though for a moment and then smiled. "Well, it is beautiful..." None of them spoke for some time, the listened to the soft crackle of the fire, the faint rumble of the sea, the rustling clatter of palm fronds. -Papa stood up, stretched extravagantly, and announced he was headed to bed. The three scooted closer together, but did not talk, they watched the fire burn down. Lulu spent some time screwing up her courage and then softly asked the question she'd been wondering, "Sarah, are you the captain of Eliza May?" +Papa stood up, stretched extravagantly, and announced he was headed to bed. The three scooted closer together, but did not talk, they watched the fire burn down. Lulu spent some time screwing up her courage and then softly asked the question she'd been wondering, "Sarah, are you the captain of *Eliza May*?" Sarah didn't stop staring in to the fire, but Lulu saw her smile. "We are a syndicate." @@ -1114,7 +1114,7 @@ Birdie did not hesitate. "So one person can make decisions when there is no time "Well, we're not planning to do anything other than sail to Nassau. So we're probably not going to need to make many decisions in a hurry." -Lulu realized suddenly that Sarah did not know everything. That she might wear sailors britches and a man's shirt, but she had done very little sailing and when she talked she revealed how little she knew. Lulu was glad she wasn't sailing with Eliza May. She knew eventually the sea would force decisions on them, it always did and they would not have anyone to make them, and they would argue and precious time would be wasted and people would be hurt. Or worse. But she said nothing. +Lulu realized suddenly that Sarah did not know everything. That she might wear sailors britches and a man's shirt, but she had done very little sailing and when she talked she revealed how little she knew. Lulu was glad she wasn't sailing with *Eliza May*. She knew eventually the sea would force decisions on them, it always did and they would not have anyone to make them, and they would argue and precious time would be wasted and people would be hurt. Or worse. But she said nothing. Birdie was not so quiet. "You can't run a ship through a storm by committee. Every sailor knows that." @@ -1126,7 +1126,7 @@ It was Sarah's turn to be quiet. She turned her head toward Birdie and Lulu coul And, thought Lulu, you need to pick one who knows where to go. It was something she and her father had talked about once. She asked why he sometimes was not the captain of Wanderer, why he let Tamba and Kobayashi lead. All he would say is that different times called for different people. -As she often did when her father wouldn't tell her what she wanted to know, she'd asked Tamba. They'd been in Wanderer' bow, using the reefed foresail as hammock, watching the sunset. At first Tamba said nothing, just kept staring out at the sea. Then, slowly he started to speak quietly. "You have to know where you are going Lulu, when you don't, you may have to follow others for a time. Some of them may go where you're going, and that may help. Some of them won't, that'll set you back. But in the end you have to find your own way. The secret is you can't think your way out of it, you have to feel it, you have to know deep down. To listen to your heart Lu, to reason with your mind and to understand the world and its winds with your eyes, your ears, your nose, and the sense that tickles your spine when you know, this is the way, this is the wind, this is the line across the water, this is where I am supposed to go. And when you know that, when you feel that, open the canvas, catch every bit of that wind you can without any bit of fear in your heart and nothing can stop you." +As she often did when her father wouldn't tell her what she wanted to know, she'd asked Tamba. They'd been in Wanderer's bow, using the reefed foresail as hammock, watching the sunset. At first Tamba said nothing, just kept staring out at the sea. Then, slowly he started to speak quietly. "You have to know where you are going Lulu, when you don't, you may have to follow others for a time. Some of them may go where you're going, and that may help. Some of them won't, that'll set you back. But in the end you have to find your own way. The secret is you can't think your way out of it, you have to feel it, you have to know deep down. To listen to your heart Lu, to reason with your mind and to understand the world and its winds with your eyes, your ears, your nose, and the sense that tickles your spine when you know, this is the way, this is the wind, this is the line across the water, this is where I am supposed to go. And when you know that, when you feel that, open the canvas, catch every bit of that wind you can without any bit of fear in your heart and nothing can stop you." Sarah sat back and looked at them for moment, studying their faces. "How old are you girls again?" @@ -1146,11 +1146,11 @@ Lulu considered this. It wasn't much of a secret. She'd figured out years ago th ## Chapter 9: Trading Upriver -Two days later Birdie sat at the edge of the river, watching the Eliza May thread her way through the shallows, out to sea. Her father was on board to help. Delos was tied to a stern line so he could sail back once he'd guided them out of the river mouth and into the open ocean. Birdie could see her father, but she was watching Ann. Ann was lying down on the bowsprite with a lead line in the water, taking soundings. All Birdie could really see of her was her red hair near the tip in the bowsprite, but that was exactly how she wanted to remember her, clutching the bowsprite, leading the way out to sea. +Two days later Birdie sat at the edge of the river, watching the *Eliza May* thread her way through the shallows, out to sea. Her father was on board to help. Delos was tied to a stern line so he could sail back once he'd guided them out of the river mouth and into the open ocean. Birdie could see her father, but she was watching Ann. Ann was lying down on the bowsprite with a lead line in the water, taking soundings. All Birdie could really see of her was her red hair near the tip in the bowsprite, but that was exactly how she wanted to remember her, clutching the bowsprite, leading the way out to sea. -Earlier that morning as they'd help load the last bunch of dried, salted fish the crew of the Eliza May had purchased from Birdie, Ann had pulled Lulu and Birdie aside and told them that she intended to make Nassau before the year was out and that she would be working hard to get a ship, and that if she did, they were to be part of her crew. Birdie liked this idea, though she knew there was next to no chance it would actually happen. Still, what stuck in her mind more than that was her offhand suggestion, "See if you can convince your father to go south this summer, not north." Birdie had never thought of trying to influence their destination. It wasn't that she couldn't. They were after all a crew, destinations were agreed upon, not handed down. But Birdie had never had a reason to go any particular direction so she was happy to go wherever others wanted. Now though, maybe she did have a direction she wanted to go. +Earlier that morning as they'd help load the last bunch of dried, salted fish the crew of the *Eliza May* had purchased from Birdie, Ann had pulled Lulu and Birdie aside and told them that she intended to make Nassau before the year was out and that she would be working hard to get a ship, and that if she did, they were to be part of her crew. Birdie liked this idea, though she knew there was next to no chance it would actually happen. Still, what stuck in her mind more than that was her offhand suggestion, "See if you can convince your father to go south this summer, not north." Birdie had never thought of trying to influence their destination. It wasn't that she couldn't. They were after all a crew, destinations were agreed upon, not handed down. But Birdie had never had a reason to go any particular direction so she was happy to go wherever others wanted. Now though, maybe she did have a direction she wanted to go. -Birdie watched until she could no longer see any people, and noticed that Delos was being pulled in closer to the Eliza May. Soon her father would be back. Soon it would be back to work making tar. Birdie had an escape plan. She'd managed to unload one bundle of dried fish to the crew of the Eliza May in exchange for several copper kettles. Now she wanted to take those upriver and see if she could trade some of the Waccamaw families for some kind of blue dye she could make into ink. She'd seen them with blue painted on their faces and knew they must have some, though whether or not she could trade for any of it she did not know. Still Tamba was an excellent trader and she was hoping she could convince him to go with her. They needed vegetables. They'd have to make a trip upriver soon anyway. +Birdie watched until she could no longer see any people, and noticed that Delos was being pulled in closer to the *Eliza May*. Soon her father would be back. Soon it would be back to work making tar. Birdie had an escape plan. She'd managed to unload one bundle of dried fish to the crew of the *Eliza May* in exchange for several copper kettles. Now she wanted to take those upriver and see if she could trade some of the Waccamaw families for some kind of blue dye she could make into ink. She'd seen them with blue painted on their faces and knew they must have some, though whether or not she could trade for any of it she did not know. Still Tamba was an excellent trader and she was hoping she could convince him to go with her. They needed vegetables. They'd have to make a trip upriver soon anyway. Few people lived as close to the sea as Birdie's family. There was too much salt in the river to drink, too much salt in the air to grow crops. People came out in the warmer months when Bridie's family went north, but when it cooled, and big schools of fish moved further offshore, most people headed back up the rivers, further from the sea, where the land was better for growing, the water better for drinking. @@ -1310,7 +1310,7 @@ Birdie risked a peek through the veil of eyelashes. She could see her father, he "How do you know?" -"The woman on Eliza May, Sarah, she told me." +"The woman on *Eliza May*, Sarah, she told me." "Why should we believe her?" @@ -1318,7 +1318,7 @@ Birdie risked a peek through the veil of eyelashes. She could see her father, he "I thought you said Nassau?" -"Tthey will come first to provision in Charlestown. I want to be gone before that." +"They will come first to provision in Charlestown. I want to be gone before that." "You're just going to leave? You can't just leave." @@ -1340,7 +1340,7 @@ Birdie could hear the fire over the silence. She watched her father contemplate Her father stood up and stretched causally. "And do not return to my fire for a while. I do not wish to see you. I will send one of the children for you when my anger has passed." -Her father walked off toward the ocean. Birdie saw him in the moon light take off his deerskin skirt and run into the waves. Her father often swam at night. It was something he had done since he was a small boy. It helps me sleep he had said to her once. The cold helps you sleep. +Her father walked off toward the ocean. Birdie saw him in the moon light take off his deerskin shirt and run into the waves. Her father often swam at night. It was something he had done since he was a small boy. It helps me sleep he had said to her once. The cold helps you sleep. Her uncle sat on the log. She could hear him muttering something to himself, but could not make out was it was. "Come on Māra, lets go." Her aunt raised an eyebrow at him, but got up and gathered her things. @@ -1364,7 +1364,7 @@ Birdie sniffed again, she put her nose to a crack and sniffed deeply. "What are you doing sister?" asked Henry. -"Lulu says the wind smell different." +"Lulu says the wind smells different." Henry too sniffed. He cocked his head to the side and studied Birdie or a minute, then turned and studied Lulu. He shrugged. "I think it smells like the sea." @@ -2014,7 +2014,7 @@ Her father sighed. "It really depends who gets hold of the ship's log, but I thi He sighed again and climbed out of the Pirogue onto the log next to her. -"It's hard to say really. I don't know what's right Lulu. On one hand, there's that man out there in that other ship, he's losing everything on his ship. Captain Bellamy will take it, and the ship, and sell it for himself. That man gets nothing. Sam is stealing everything from him. That seems wrong. Yet. Most of the things Sam is stealing were made by slaves or stolen from the people who lived on this land before the Spanish came. People I think of as Alban, though they may speak a different language. So that man who just had everything stolen, stole everything he had in the first place. Is it okay to steal from the person who stole? Or is it just more stealing? I don't know. I can argue it both ways and in the end I'd rather just sail and fish and hunt and not worry about anything else. But we need new sails, we need lines, we'll need flour and salt and other things. We could make most of those things, but it would take us a long time, and apparently, there is a man coming who wants us off his island." +"It's hard to say really. I don't know what's right Lulu. On one hand, there's that man out there in that other ship, he's losing everything on his ship. Captain Bellamy will take it, and the ship, and sell it for himself. That man gets nothing. Sam is stealing everything from him. That seems wrong. Yet. Most of the things Sam is stealing were made by slaves or stolen from the people who lived on this land before the British came. People I think of as Wandren, though they may speak a different language. So that man who just had everything stolen, stole everything he had in the first place. Is it okay to steal from the person who stole? Or is it just more stealing? I don't know. I can argue it both ways and in the end I'd rather just sail and fish and hunt and not worry about anything else. But we need new sails, we need lines, we'll need flour and salt pork and other things. We could make most of those things, but it would take us a long time, and apparently, there is a man coming who wants us off his island." "Wait, what? His island? How is this island his?" @@ -2032,7 +2032,7 @@ It was somber around the fire that night. Only Jack ended up coming ashore. Capt "Oh, I doubt that." Ratham chuckled. "The way that merchant captain described him he sounds more like the type to call Charlestown home. I imagine he'll get himself a nice house in town and send a man out here every now and then to make sure riffraff like us aren't overrunning the place. No, I don't think he'll stay, but I think he'll make sure you don't either." Ratham dragged on his pipe. "I hear Virginia is very nice these days. Certainly a good bit of water to disappear into. Excellent fishing. Could be just your kind of place to winter. Bit cold though I suppose." -"Not enough jack pine, too far north for them, there'd be no point to wintering there, we couldn't make tar. Same reason we sail right past Okracoke" +"Not enough jack pine, there'd be no point to wintering there, we couldn't make tar. Same reason we sail right past Okracoke" Silence returned. More smoking. Lulu was bored and starting to doze. @@ -2080,9 +2080,25 @@ Ratham laughed. "No, I like my Nassau. I like my clothes and my wine and my food "I told you. Rum. Besides, you don't strike me as the type to pull up stakes just because because some lord from London comes along claiming you're stealing his trees." -Her father sighed. "In principle no. Still, this island is a wonderful place to make camp for the winter, but there are dozen of places to do that within a day's sail of here, and thousands more another day's sail beyond that. You can call it running if you want to, but that's not how I see it." Her father propped himself up on one elbow. "My people come from the high country, we got there following the water, just looking for a place we could exist undisturbed. But we kept having to go higher. So some of us turned around and went the other way, followed the water back to it's source. If we leave here it will just be more following the water, flowing on. Water never stops Jack. That river over there," her father gestured toward the Edisto river, "would you say it's running away from something? Or is it running toward something? I say it's doing neither. Is it just doing the thing it was given to do, to journey through the world as best it can, follow its course out into the sea, and keep going on wherever the currents take it. The lowlanders, they think the rivers stop at the shore. You and I know that's not true. That water never stops flowing, nothing on this earth ever stops moving. Why would I? It's unnatural to stay in one place too long. Besides," her father smiled a broad, bright smile of the sort Lulu rarely saw him smile, "where's the adventure in sitting around some island all day?" +Her father sighed. "In principle no. This island is a wonderful place to make camp for the winter, but there are dozen of places to do that within a day's sail of here, and thousands more another day's sail beyond that. You can call it running if you want to, but that's not how I see it." Her father propped himself up on one elbow. "My people come from the high country, we got there following the water, just looking for a place we could exist undisturbed. But we kept having to go higher. So some of us turned around and went the other way, followed the water back to its source. If we leave here it will just be more following the water, flowing on. Water never stops Jack. That river over there," her father gestured toward the Edisto river, "would you say it's running away from something? Or is it running toward something? I say it's doing neither. It is just doing the thing it was given to do, to journey through the world as best it can, follow its course out into the sea, and keep going on wherever the currents take it. The lowlanders, they think the rivers stop at the shore. You and I know that's not true. That water never stops flowing, nothing on this earth ever stops moving. Why would I? It's unnatural to stay in one place too long. Besides," her father smiled a broad, bright smile of the sort Lulu rarely saw him smile, "where's the adventure in sitting around some island all day?" + +Jack nodded and pushed his hat back a little, smiling. "Well, when you put it like that..." He raised his mug to her father and then took a drink. "I have something for you then." Jack stood up and pulled a piece of paper out of his jacket pocket and passed it to her father. + +"What's this?" + +"Open it." + +Her father unfolded the paper and Lulu and Birdie both leaned over to see what it was: a map. It was a sketch of a coastline. Her father smiled, "is this your work Jack?" + +Ratham nodded. -Jack nodded and pushed his hat back a little, smiling. "Well, when you put it like that..." He raised his mug to her father and then took a drink. +Her father studied it. "It's very good." + +"How do you know? You haven't sailed it yet." Ratham smiled and took another swig of rum. + +Her father laughed. "True, but it's good enough that I know it's Florida. And I have faith in you Jack." + +Jack said nothing, but raised his mug and drank again. ## Chapter 15: Birdie Joins *Whydah* @@ -2168,7 +2184,7 @@ There was a light splashing sound when Wanderer came off the logs and into the w Wanderer cleared the shadows of the oaks along the shore and the bright morning sun hit the deck. It had all the appearance of a beautiful day, though for the crew of Wanderer there was no time to appreciate it. -## Chapter 17: Birdie with her father +## Chapter 17: Staying Behind "Do you know why I kept you behind?" Her father sat still drinking coffee, but she saw him glance frequently at the dunes behind her. @@ -2294,7 +2310,7 @@ Even now somewhere out in that blackness her people were trying to slip out of t Aunt Māra getting away was the beginning of that plan and that had worked. So far so good. Birdie rolled over toward the wall of grass siding. She wished she could slip out the hidden door and disappear. But she could not leave her father. -## Chapter 19: Lulu on Wanderer escape +## Chapter 19: Escape Aboard *Wanderer* It all happened so fast that Lulu never had a chance to feel anything. She and Henry were off down the trail headed for Wanderer before it really even hit her that Birdie was not with them. It wasn't until she was helping Kobayashi wash off the mud that it hit her, where was Birdie? It was like something in the center of her had switched off, a vast open space created where there had been none. She wasn't positive, but she was pretty sure she and Birdie had never been apart for more than a few hours. Even then, Birdie was out fishing, or Lulu was down the river at the traders, they were both here. And now they were not. @@ -2394,7 +2410,7 @@ Aunt Māra came up to the bow and stood beside Lulu. "How are you doing?" Lulu smiled. "No reason." -## Chapter 20: Birdie +## Chapter 20: The Road to Charlestown Birdie woke up to the sound of men snoring. She lay in the dark trying to decided which one of them was her father when she heard a whisper in the darkness. "Birdie, are you awake yet?" @@ -2592,7 +2608,7 @@ Her father leaned forward on the pommel of his saddle and looked at McPhall for Her father laughed. "Oh, I don't care about commerce at all. I like to sail, and fish, and hunt. In that order." -## Chapter 21: Lulu and Wanderer at Sea +## Chapter 21: Canons at Sea They were well out of the river mouth before the eastern sky even hinted at dawn, but there was little wind to speed them over the horizon. They road the current and hoped for more wind. The plan was to sail east, out of sight, and then cut north to Okracoke. The wind was not cooperating though. In a flat out race they could not beat the British warship. It was bigger and heavier, but it had more sails and could catch more wind. Tamba still believed they could out run it, but even he didn't want to try right now. So they were going to do what the warship could not, sail close the wind, row if they must, and use the tides and shallows to their advantage. They could lose her in the tidal marshes of the shoreline, they just had to get north of her first. That was the first race, and they had one distinct advantage: surprise. The British warship's crew had to raise anchor, set the sails, and get moving. The ship might know something was hidden up the river, but the British did not know that they would slip out under the cover of night. They had a head start, the question was, how much would that help? @@ -2656,7 +2672,7 @@ They watched a tiny puff of smoke and then there was another roaring sound. The Tamba shrugged. "We get put in jail with your father and have to come up with a new plan. If I know you father, he's already working on that part." -## Chapter 22: Road to Charlestown. +## Chapter 22: More Canons Her father was up before dawn. He nudged Birdie's foot and moved around so their heads were together. "How's my girl?" @@ -2702,7 +2718,7 @@ This sent a chill down Birdie's back. "I don't want to leave you." Her father was quiet for a moment. "That's the hardest part. The waiting. We will give them six days. If nothing has happened after six days then I will get out the hard way and come find you. Wherever you are be kind to the servants, befriend any of the slaves you're around, they can help you get messages to me. And I will send messages to you as best I can. But always keep your eyes and ears open. Wherever you end up they will be in touch with McPhall and know what's happening. Always be silent. Always listen. He leaned over and kissed her forehead. "I love you Birdie." -## Chapter 23: Lulu and Wanderer into the night +## Chapter 23: Night Sails The sun was already below the horizon when Lulu woke up. She and Henry had laid down in the hammocks to try to make up for the sleep they'd lost last night and the sleep they'd lose tonight. Lulu didn't think she could sleep with a warship periodically firing cannons at them, but she did. She remembered her father once saying, you'd be surprised what you can get used to, but she'd not really believed him until now. She lay there a moment in the hammock listening to the silence of the boat plunging though the sea, there was no other sound and it was easy to believe she was alone in the world. That the whole world was just this boat and there was no British warship around, no England at all, just ocean and her ship sailing between worlds where no owned the trees and everyone was nice. Then she got up and looked around. The British ship was no closer and in little while it would be dark. @@ -2836,7 +2852,7 @@ Tamba smiled. "Probably." "Sounds like a fantastic plan." Thatch rubbed his hands together. "We're been itching for a prize around here. It turns out the men are less impressed with my property than they are with more, well, tangible goods. We've a bit of work to do as well of course, but when is that ever done? A ship is nothing but work. Nothing but work. Sometimes you just have to say enough. Trim the sails and find the following wind." He patted Henry's head. "Mr Dobbs, call the men, let's put it to a vote and go get ourselves another ship. Maybe we can even," he glanced mischievously at Lulu and Henry, "recruit some new crew members." -## Chapter 24: Birdie and her father in jail +## Chapter 24: Why Is It Wrong? The road into Charlestown became too rough to lie down in the back of the wagon. Birdie braced herself against the side, her legs stretched across the width and bed and pressed firmly against the other side to keep her from sliding around as the wagon lurched and shuddered over the deep, dry ruts of the road. @@ -2904,7 +2920,7 @@ The entire town turned out to watch the soldiers ride in, and especially to see Bridie watched the faces watching her from doorways. She saw a mixture of expressions. Some clearly uneasy at the sight of the soldiers, uneasy at the sight of her father in chains. Others seemed pleased to see both. And every now and then she noticed men whose expressions were inscrutable. Men and women who seemed neither uneasy, nor pleased. Men and women who were trying to sense which way the wind was blowing. Men and women who could only sail where the wind blew them. Men and women who were dangerous, to themselves, to the world around them. -## Chapter 25: Lulu and Henry at sea. +## Chapter 25: *Revenge* Thatch's crew convened that evening. There was a bonfire on the beach and some nearby farmer brought over corn and a two deer they had hunted. Lulu's mouth watered as the meat cooked. She and the rest of Wanderer crew had lived on nothing but dried fish for days. Not that they hadn't lived on worse at times in the past, but it was enough to have Lulu and Henry drooling as they stared intently at the meat slowly cooking over the coals. @@ -2965,7 +2981,7 @@ She watched them row off into the darkness and then she went below to start the She sat down on the stool Kobayashi kept by the stove and opened the door to the fire chamber to warm her hands. She fed in a few more sticks and waited for the water to boil. She watched the orange glow within the stove and wondered what Birdie was doing at the moment. Probably sleeping. If she was luckily. What was her father doing? Probably also sleeping. She glanced aft to where Wanderer's guns would be if she had any guns. There was a faint glow around the hatch door which meant the sun was rising. That meant her father probably wasn't sleeping. Neither was Birdie. It also meant Tamba and Kobayashi should have captured the pilot boats by now. Soon the dreaded pirate Blackbeard's flagship would appear on Charlestown's eastern horizon and with any luck that would strike enough fear in the hearts of its citizens that they would release her father and sister, and then... and then what? For the first time it hit Lulu that they would not be going back to Edisto. That, even assuming everything in the next few hours went according to plan and they made their escape, nothing would ever be the same again. They might escape his clutches, but McPhall still owned the island. Still claimed the trees. Still had the soldiers to drive them right off it again. Wherever they went after this, for the first time Lulu began to understand, nothing would be the same, -## Chapter 26: Father in Jail +## Chapter 26: Jail The wagon stopped in front of the jailhouse. It was tiny and a little bit forlorn. It seemed better suited to some higher duty, like a storehouse, or perhaps a shop. Birdie almost felt sorry for it. McPhall climbed down from the wagon and went inside without so much as a glance at Birdie. Her father sidestepped his horse closer to the wagon. @@ -3079,7 +3095,7 @@ Her father smiled at her. "I don't know, where do you want to go?" "Wait, there's rats?" -## Chapter 27: Lulu and Henry at sea +## Chapter 27: Blockade The sun was just past its peak when Revenge appeared on the horizon. Tamba and Kobayashi had come back hours before with one of the pilot boats and six men under guard. They were below decks now, tied up. Lulu had given them fish and water. They were sullen and did not eat. She had felt sorry for them when she went below to get them water as Kobayashi had asked her, but by the time she came back up on deck she decided they were a rude lot and she didn't really care what became of them. It was strange how you could swing from sympathy to antipathy just by looking deeply in someone's eyes. @@ -3113,7 +3129,7 @@ When the people of Charlestown awoke the next morning, they found themselves eff At first light, in the silence of the morning, a shrieking whistle came screaming through the pink dawn and exploded in the courtyard of the residence of the mayor of Charlestown, blowing out windows and sending shrapnel searing through plaster walls. The kitchen was destroyed, a pig torn in the half by a chunk of cannon ball. No more cannon fired. No more cannon need fire. The people of Charlestown understood what the first one said. It said very clearly, the king is not here. We are here. -## Chapter 28: Birdie and her father +## Chapter 28: Escape Birdie jolted awake just like Lulu did, but for her the whistling sound came before the sound of the firing, which was only a split second ahead of the explosion as the cannon ball found the governor's mansion and the poor, unsuspecting pig, which Birdie did not know about. She was about to jump up when she felt her father's hand on her arm, holding her down. "Patience." @@ -3417,7 +3433,7 @@ Lulu nodded. "Yeah, it could be nice to be in a town for a while. Do you think t "True." -## Chapter 29: End +## Chapter 29: Following Winds Lulu stood on a sand dune, watching men from Revenge and Queen Anne's Revenge drag the remains of their hut, along with a few more logs for good measure, down to the beach. Lulu followed the last of them down to the beach where keroseen soaked rags were already being lit. The fire would have been too hot in the sheltered area of the dunes, but on the beach it was perfect. Next to the bonfire they built a smaller cooking fire, which, when it had burned down to coals, was laid with an entire boar and a deer, spoils of the hunting party that had spent the morning scouring the north end of the island. Tamba had killed a boar as well, which he was busy butchering. Tomorrow at sea they would dry it on racks. It would give them a nice break from fish on their long sail to... Lulu wasn't sure where. They had voted earlier and unanimously decided to head... south. @@ -3435,7 +3451,9 @@ Most of the next day was spent loading the ships. Her father and Tamba helped th Lulu leaned against the gunwale watching Queen Anne's Revenge slowly sailing into the darkening eastern sky. The ship looked black, even the sails. A booming came across the water, one then another, the usual salute. Edward's crew had decided to head north in search of shipping traffic bound out of Virginia, the Chesapeake Bay, Boston. Lulu knew how Edward hated Boston ships. Soon everyone else would know too. Lulu watched the ships disappear into the darkness of night and water as Wanderer moved south. -There were favorable winds, and a following swell. It was shaping up to be a nice night. Lulu still couldn't convince her father to let her take a night watch, but he hadn't told her to go to bed either. She got the paper Edward had stolen her, and went below. She lit a candle and went to the back of the hold, and opened the rear canon hatch. She looked down at Wanderer's wake as it cut through the sea. There was no phosphorescence, but the moonlight made the wake of bubbles that they left behind glow like a pathway through the night. +Her father sat at the helm, head bent over a lantern, studying the map Jack had given then so many nights ago. How many nights ago? Lulu wasn't sure, but it felt like a lifetime. So much water under the keel has her father would say. So much good water still out there to pass under the keel. + +Tonight there were favorable winds, and a following swell. It was shaping up to be a nice night. Lulu still couldn't convince her father to let her take a night watch, but he hadn't told her to go to bed either. She got the paper Edward had stolen her, and went below. She lit a candle and went to the back of the hold, and opened the rear canon hatch. She looked down at Wanderer's wake as it cut through the sea. There was no phosphorescence, but the moonlight made the wake of bubbles that they left behind glow like a pathway through the night. She turned back to paper and slowly, carefully began to write. *The scent of the world crept into her hammock*... Lulu began to write faster as she went on, the words seem to tumble out of her and until she found herself telling a story to herself, about herself, but somehow also not herself. A record of the kind she would like to read. She wrote until her hand began to hurt, stopping only to glance out the hatch and study the path of where she'd been. When she couldn't write anymore she gathered up the sheets of paper and tucked them carefully, along with the quill and bottle of ink, into her sea chest and latched it tightly. She blew out the candle and when topside. @@ -3448,6 +3466,7 @@ The moon overwhelmed the milky way, but she could still see Polaris and the grea **Port**: The left side of a boat **Starboard**: The right side of a boat **Taffrail**: Rail round the stern of a ship +**Bowsprit** A length of wood projecting out from the bow. **Northerly swell**: a swell moving from north to south **Southerly swell**: a swell moving from south to north **Southerly wind**: a wind blowing from the south to the north @@ -3455,3 +3474,10 @@ The moon overwhelmed the milky way, but she could still see Polaris and the grea **Lateen rigged**: One of the earliest triangular sail designs, this rig allows Wanderer to sail much closer to the wind (35 degrees to the wind with a skilled captain) than a square rigged ship of the line, which could only manage something like 50. **Caravel**: The ship that, for better or worse, brought Europe to the rest of the world. The Portuguese developed the Caravel off a fishing boat design in roughly 1451. It proved so successful that it dominated the spice trade for nearly 100 years, though it had a good bit of competition from the Carrack, which was square rigged in the fore and main, but still Lateen rigged on the Mizzen. The Carrack was somewhat stabler in heavy seas and could carry larger loads. **Hekas, hekas! Este bebeloi!**: The exorcism that opened the Eleusinian Mysteries, this phrase drives away anything not spiritual. It is said to mean "far, far be removed the profane." +# Acknowledgements + +Michael Twitty whose book The Cooking Gene deeply influenced and informed all things food in this book. +Townsends YouTube Channel +The Journal of Nicholas Cresswell, while taking place several decades after this story was nevertheless helpful in getting a sense of how travelers were supplying themselves in the 18th century. +Willam Bartram +William Dampier |