From 9331536888ff08a6182b9814aa4036e9c7be3ab4 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: luxagraf Date: Sun, 13 Jun 2021 21:13:41 -0400 Subject: Ran through first chapter using audio. --- cuts.txt | 1 + lbh.epub | Bin 43174 -> 167591 bytes lbh.txt | 461 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++--------------------------------- lbh2.txt | 5 + 4 files changed, 229 insertions(+), 238 deletions(-) create mode 100644 lbh2.txt diff --git a/cuts.txt b/cuts.txt index 9d948c4..ea90cc3 100644 --- a/cuts.txt +++ b/cuts.txt @@ -1,4 +1,5 @@ +But the sea could feel distant, like a relative you barely know. You have a connection, but you don't always feel it. The see is old and distant like the memory of a smell you can't quite smell again, you try to sniff deeper, but the harder you try the more it recedes. The soul of the sea was too old, to vague to understand in a human way. Very few could ever feel at home in the sea. diff --git a/lbh.epub b/lbh.epub index e908f35..2a26379 100644 Binary files a/lbh.epub and b/lbh.epub differ diff --git a/lbh.txt b/lbh.txt index e3c4862..e458f5c 100644 --- a/lbh.txt +++ b/lbh.txt @@ -2,42 +2,19 @@ "The months and days are travelers of eternity. Just like the years that come and go. For those who live their lives on boats, or lead horses towards old age, their lives are travel, their journeys are home." -- Matsuo Basho, Oku no Hosomichi (1689) -# cuts that need to be put back in somewhere - -Tamba was about her fathers age Birdie guessed, perhaps a few years older - -, the hair at his temples was whiter than her father's anyway. Tamba had no beard so it was hard to say what color it might have been, though Birdie figured it would be black like her father's. - -His English was stiff around the edges, acquired from many sources, including her father, who had acquired his from many different people. Birdie liked hearing Tamba tell stories though because his voice and the way he pronounced word made English sound more beautiful, more thoughtful, more important than when other people talked. - -Her father nodded when she told him this once. "Tamba is like us. He is the Alban of his place. Highlanders always speak less. We put more thought into what we are going to say." - -Birdie wasn't so sure any of them would qualify as highlanders, living as they did, so low, near to the sea. - -Tamba's skin was near black. Light seemed to disappear when it landed on him. She noticed that he used this to his advantage, sometimes to disappear into shadow, sometimes by wearing a white shirt that provided such a contrast he was impossible not to see, a shadow fleshed out into the light. She noticed too that he used clothes in a way that most people did not, they were not simply things that hung over his frame to keep the sun off, they were tools that helped him navigate the world. - -And Birdie knew that it was harder for Tamba to navigate the world than it was for her. Many Africans were slaves, and those like Tamba who were not, who had arrived here free men aboard ships they helped to sail, were always in danger of becoming slaves. "Englishmen are devils, the worst kind of devils, the dumbest devils, so dumb they don't even know they are devils. Dumbest lot of humans I ever had the misfortune to be among," her father had said once in her hearing. Tamba had nodded with a sad smile Birdie still remembered. It was a smile of defeat, a smile one had when everything else has already been tried and still one was defeated, a smile that protects against a hurt too large to look at otherwise. - -"We should burn that lot of them." She'd burst out with it so fast she startled even herself. - -Her father and Tamba had turned to look at her and her face grew red under their gaze, but then Tamba had grunted and glanced at her father. "That's one we haven't tried." - -Her father smiled at her. "A wonderful idea my darling, but... but, we've other business here this go round. Besides," his eyes twinkled impishly, "they'll get theirs. Satisfying as it would be for us to be the ones to hand it to them." He glanced at Tamba and said more softly, "and gods it *would* be satisfying, but that is not our path on this turn." - - # Prologue -They were two. Blood covered the bed. Even the midwife was whimpering and pitiful by the end. "A night and day," she said. And they were born, one the night, one the day. +There were two. Blood covered the bed. Even the midwife was whimpering and pitiful by the end. "A night and day," she said. And they were born, one the night, one the day. People remarked on this for a long while afterward, though no one knew which was born in the night, which the day save the midwife. Nor would anyone have been able to tell you what difference it might have made. Still, the story followed them. It followed them like the whispers that had always followed the family. The whispers were a wind, one that blew them sometimes where they wanted, sometimes not. Seafaring people must live with that. The whispering wind followed them out of the town where they spent their winters, across the sea, running the easterlies to the mouth of a river, the wide open flood plain where they spent their summers on the shore, amongst the great pines. But the whispers came with their neighbors working the cod offshore. It came on shore like the August winds that whistled the pines. A whisper that blew harder every year, as if a storm were gathering. -Their father spent all summer, a cold summer, sitting in the evenings, outside the tent, stroking his thick black beard and studying the wind and waves. There are storms worse than the sea he said. +Their father spent all summer, a cold summer, sitting in the evenings, outside the tent, stroking his thick black beard and studying the wind and waves. There are storms worse than the sea, he said. That year, when the last the southerlies blew out and before the northerlies turned fierce and cold, they loaded the small boat and slipped out of the old story. -They kept to the coast, giving wide berth to the places men gathered. When they came upon the marshy lowlands of London, they put in for a time. A brother arrived, his mother too left as he came. Their father grew even quieter for a time, then he disappeared altogether for a while. +They kept to the coast, giving wide berth to the places men gathered. When they came upon the marshy lowlands of London, they put in for a time. A brother arrived, his mother too left as he came. Their father grew even quieter for a time, then he disappeared altogether. When he returned the winds blew favorably again and they left, hugging the coast until there was no coast left. And they were gone again. To a new world where people said the soldiers were fewer, the winds warmer, the possibilities wider. @@ -46,7 +23,7 @@ By the time they arrived all the twins had left was a memory of trees. The deep # Main ## Chapter 1: On The Sea -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 and then the bright briny salt smell of the sea itself. She opened her eyes and looked up. A sliver of purple twilight peaked 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. +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 peaked 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. The wood creaked. Some of the salt blew loose. The water slapping the hull told her the waves were small. Her hammock, strung between mizzen mast and taffrail, swayed hardly at all. She lay without moving, trying to feel the boat as her father had taught her. She closed her eyes again. The boat was lifting and rolling slightly. They were moving with the current, but not as fast as the light swell rolling past them. At this latitude, this time of year, this close to shore, that would be south, as it had been for days now, although a swell moving south was called a northerly swell, which always mixed her up. @@ -56,15 +33,15 @@ The sail snapped like a whipped wet towel. That meant the wind was light. If the Birdie smiled in her hammock. She stretched, lifting her arm out to feel the air. It was still cool, though wet and heavy. The sodden heat would come even earlier today, as it had every day for the last week. They would make camp the next day, maybe the day after, Birdie reasoned. She pulled her head up out of the hammock to scan the deck. -Delos was 62 feet from her bow sprite to aft rail where Birdie's hammock was tied. She was a gaff rigged Jamaican sloop. Built of strong cedar, sweet smelling. There were two masts, one just fore of midship and another in the cockpit at the rear, where the other end of her hammock was tied. Her father was vague about her origins, or at least how the Delos came to be in her family. As Birdie understood it, she was built in a place called Jamaica, sailed all the way to the coast of a place called France where she ran aground. Her cargo was offloaded and she was abandoned to the waves. That was not Poseidon's plan though. The tides had pulled her back out to sea. And her father, who happened to be on watch on another ship had spied her in the night. Sensing his chance, he'd woken two companions, sailed alongside her and the three trimmed the sails of their vessel, pointed her in the opposite direction and jumped ship for the new one. +Delos was 62 feet from her bow sprite to aft rail where Birdie's hammock was tied. She was a gaff rigged Jamaican sloop. Built of strong cedar, sweet smelling. There were two masts, one just fore of midship and another in the cockpit at the rear, where the other end of her hammock was tied. Her father was vague about her origins, or at least how Delos came to be his. As Birdie understood it, she was built in a place called Jamaica, sailed all the way to the coast of a place called France where she ran aground. Her cargo was offloaded and she was abandoned to the waves. That was not Poseidon's plan though. The tides had pulled her back out to sea. And her father, who happened to be on watch on another ship had spied her in the night. Sensing his chance, he'd woken two companions, sailed alongside her and the three trimmed the sails of their vessel, pointed her in the opposite direction and jumped ship for the new one. -One of those companions, Tamba, a tall, powerfully man with skin so black it was almost blue, was walking toward Birdie. She hopped out of the hammock, her feet landing on the smoothly worn oak planking of the deck with a light thud. +One of those companions, Tamba, was walking toward Birdie. Tamba was a tall, powerfully built man who had sailed most of the way around the world with her father, long neither of them seemed to remember a time when they did not sail together. Tamba was her second father, though she never called him Papa. She hopped out of the hammock, her feet landing on the smooth oak planking of the deck with a light thud. -"Morning Birdie." Tamba was from Gambia, across the ocean. An even hotter place, he had told her, which Birdie found difficult to believe. He had sailed with her father so long neither of them seemed to remember a time when they did not sail together. +"Morning Birdie." Tamba was from Gambia, across the ocean. An even hotter place, he had told her, which Birdie found difficult to believe. "Good morning Tamba." -He laid his hands on her shoulders and bent down to press his nose against hers. "Yes." he said and then he straightened up and spun her around to face the east where the sky was already fading from red and orange. "See. It comes." +He laid his hands on her shoulders and bent down to press his nose against hers. "Yes." he said and then he straightened up and spun her around to face the east where the sky was already grown red and orange from its faint purple beginnings. "See. It comes." "Yes. The sun is rising. Again" @@ -74,9 +51,9 @@ She heard her father chuckle. Tamba laughed in a way her father never did, deepl He shook his head. A sleep voice from a hammock on the other side of mast piped up, "I do." -She could see her brother's unruly mop of hair sticking out the side of the hammock because he slept very high up the hammock, almost as if he were standing up it seemed to her. +She could see her brother's unruly mop of hair sticking out the side of the hammock. She never understood why, but he slept very high up in his hammock, almost as if he were standing up. -"What about you Lulu?" She swung her sisters hammock gently. +"What about you Lulu?" She grabbed the lines of her sister's hammockjand swung it gently. "Yes." @@ -86,27 +63,29 @@ He nodded to her and then turned back around to watch the sun rise. Birdie ran a She ducked into the small doorway that covered the ladder leading below decks. Keeping her hands on the rails -- always keep one hand on the boat was her father's mantra -- she flung herself down with a single leap, bypassing the wooden ladder completely. It was much darker below, it took her eyes a moment to adjust. She could see the glow of the stove and Kobayashi's form bent over, stirring a pot. He never looked up at her thud. He kicked a clay pot by his feet so that it slid slightly toward her. She grabbed a basket hanging from the rafters and scooped rice out of the pot and into it. -He handed her several strips of dried fish, which she balanced on top of the pile of rice. "Aiiie. You eat everything." Kobayashi smiled. +He spooned broth from the boiling pot on the stove, and handed her several strips of dried fish, which she balanced on top of the pile of rice. "Aiiie. You eat everything." Kobayashi smiled. -"It's for everyone" she said tucking the lid on. +"It's for everyone," she said tucking the lid on. "Make sure your brother eats some, that boy is too skinny." "You sound like Aunt Māra." -Kobayashi frowned at her, but but she hardly noticed, the thought of Aunt Māra and Birdie's cousins made her heart flutter like a bird's wings. Only a few more days and they would be at Edisto. They'd have the forest to run through, the dunes. They'd have space again. Birdie loved the sea, the way it held and rocked them, the way the boat glided through it, but she always felt a guest at sea. It was like visiting a distant relatives, you have a connection, but it is an old one that's difficult to put your finger on, like the memory of a smell you can't quite smell again, you try to sniff deeper, but the harder you try the more it recedes. The soul of the sea was too old, to vague to understand in a human way. Very few could ever feel at home in the sea. Birdie felt at home on the land. It was there at the shore, the edge, the space where the ancient sea met the land of today that she felt most herself. +Kobayashi frowned at her, but she hardly noticed. Just the thought of Aunt Māra and Birdie's cousins made her heart flutter like a bird's wings. Only a few more days and they would be at Edisto. They'd have the forest to run through, the dunes. They'd have space again. Birdie loved the sea, the way it held and rocked them, the way the boat glided through it, and it buoyed the along, still, it was the shoreline that she watched most often. It was there at the shore, the edge, the space where the sea met the land that she felt most herself. -She managed the basket of food in one hand, the other on the ladder as she ascended back into the light of the deck. The rolling motion of the swells moving beneath them way it difficult to walk evenly. She lurched and stumbled her way to stern where everyone was waiting for the cold rice and dried fish. She'd be happy to eat some fresh meat again too. She hoped Papa and Tamba would go hunting as soon as they landed. She hoped this year she'd be able to hunt too. Her father had promised her last year that this year she could hunt. +She managed the basket of food with one hand, careful to keep the other on the ladder as she ascended back into the light of the deck. The rolling motion of the swells moving beneath them made it difficult to walk evenly. -They'd run out the last of their Pemmican two weeks before when they were held up in the outer islands by a late season storm. They'd spent the better part of two days beached, living under the tipped over hull, huddled out of the wind and rain, spitting the sand out of their mouths and wishing for sunshine. +She lurched and stumbled her way to stern where everyone was waiting for the rice and dried fish. She'd be happy to eat some fresh meat again. She hoped Papa and Tamba would go hunting as soon as they made land. She hoped this year she'd be able to hunt too. Her father had promised her last year that this year she could hunt. But for now she'd settle for something besides fish. -When they finally floated Delos again after the storm had passed, the rough seas seemed like nothing. Anything was better than being wet and cold and chewing sand in the ceaseless wind. +They'd run out of Pemmican two weeks before when they were held up in the outer islands by a late season storm. They'd spent the better part of two days beached, living almost entirely below deck, huddled out of the wind and rain, wishing for sunshine. When they finally floated Delos again after the storm had passed, a few days of rough seas seemed like nothing. Anything was better than being wet and cold and chewing sand in the ceaseless wind. -The wind had born them south, hugging the shoreline, out of the strong northward current that ran further offshore. They saw sails only twice and both times the ships were too far over the horizon to see more than a top sail. They were big her father said. This morning they were using a favorable offshore breeze to ride out further so they would only be a tiny bit a sail on the horizon to anyone with a spyglass standing on the shore at the mouth of the river near Charlestown. The pilot boats that helped merchant ships navigate the narrow shoals up the river into Charlestown harbor kept a sharp eye out for sails. Not every ship in these seas were welcome on the land. +The remains of that wind had born them south quickly though. They'd hugged the shoreline, out of the strong northward current that ran further offshore. They saw sails only twice and both times the ships were too far over the horizon to see more than a top sail. They were big her father said. + +Yesterday to wind had finally let up and Birdie had her first good night's sleep in a week. This morning they were using a favorable offshore breeze to ride out further to sea. They wanted some distance from the land as they passed Charlestown. To anyone with a spyglass standing on the shore at the mouth of the Ashley river they would only be a tiny bit a sail on the horizon. The pilot boats that helped merchant ships navigate the narrow shoals up the river into Charlestown harbor kept a sharp eye out for sails. And not every ship in these seas was welcome on the land. Birdie's family liked to keep to themselves, they gave cities a wide berth most of the time. Running downwind, as they were, meant they were moving at the same speed as the wind. So even though there was wind all around them, it felt still. Dead still. The warm humid Carolina air was like sitting inside a wet wool sweater. Birdie sat in the slight shade of the sail, with her back against the mizzen, alternately watching the shoreline for signs of Charlestown, and whittling a whistle she was planning to use to find duck nests when they got to the island. -Her father, Tamba, and Kobayashi sat in the stern, taking turns tending the wheel. She did not turn around to see who was at the wheel, she could feel the boat and knew it was her father. The other two were probably smoking their pipes, and scanning the horizon for any sign of sail. They'd all done close to the same every day for the past ten days, but now it felt different. Birdie sensed a tension that had not been there when they were in the north. A tension that had not been there, she stopped whittling for a moment and considered it. Had she ever sensed a tension? She could not recall every feeling the tightness in her chest that she felt now. It felt like something was swelling in the air around them, squeezing them somehow. Her father's voice brought her back to the ship. +Her father, Tamba, and Kobayashi sat in the stern, taking turns tending the wheel. She did not turn around to see who was at the wheel, she could feel the boat and knew it was her father. The other two were probably smoking their pipes, and scanning the horizon for any sign of sail. They'd done close to the same thing every day since they'd rounded the cape, but now it felt different. Birdie sensed a tension that had not been there when they were farther north. A tension that had not been there, she stopped whittling for a moment and considered it. Had she ever sensed a tension? She could not recall every feeling the tightness in her chest that she felt now. It felt like something was swelling in the air around them, squeezing them somehow. Her father's voice brought her back to the ship. "You two should relax." @@ -116,15 +95,15 @@ Tamba grunted. "Easier for you to say." "Because the people they are hunting sail these shallows." -"They aren't hunting you Tam. They aren't hunting anyone. They're coming to retake Nassau." +"They aren't hunting you Tam. They aren't hunting anyone. They're hunting imagined glory." Her father laughed softly. -"You think they will?" She heard Kobayashi tapping his pipe out on the taffrail with sharp clicks. +"You think they'll head all way to the islands?" She heard Kobayashi tapping his pipe out on the taffrail with sharp clicks. "No." -The rumors from early in the summer, up on the cape, were that the British were planning to retake the Bahamaian port of Nassau soon. Once abandoned as useless, pirates had found a use of Nassau and for two seasons running they had openly controlled, administered, governed, and otherwise run the port of Nassau. The entire eastern seaboard talked of nothing but pirates. Birdie and her family had overhead plenty during their summer stay on Block Island, a small, nearly bare island off the coast of the colony of Rhode Island. It had no good harbor, little land worth farming, and almost no one went there making it a popular destination for ships with cargoes that could not sail into Boston proper and expect a warm welcome. +The rumors from early in the summer, up in the north, were that the British were planning to retake the Bahamaian port of Nassau soon. Once abandoned as useless, pirates had found a use for Nassau and for two seasons running they had openly controlled, administered, governed, and otherwise run the port of Nassau. The entire eastern coast of the Atlantic talked of nothing but pirates. Birdie and her family had overhead plenty during their summer stay on Block Island, a small, nearly bare island off the coast of the colony of Rhode Island. It had no good harbor, little land worth farming, and almost no one went there, making it a popular destination for ships with cargoes that could not sail into Boston proper and expect a warm welcome. -Delos was not a pirate vessel, and did not sail with pirate vessels, but it, and Birdie along with it, definitely knew and spent time with ships and crews that were often called pirate by those that spread rumors up and down the Atlantic coast of the colony. Rumors that were always saying, the British are coming. Except that the British never actually came, or came to the wrong place, or not enough of the came. Birdie had lost track of what it was the British did and didn't do. They were about as real as the black and white birds that couldn't fly that Kobayashi swore he had seen on a trip around cape horn. +Delos was not a pirate vessel, and did not sail with pirate vessels, but it, and Birdie along with it, definitely knew and spent time with ships and crews that were often called pirate by those that spread rumors up and down the Atlantic coast of the colony. Rumors were always saying the British are coming, her father said, and the British never actually came, or came to the wrong place, or not enough of them came. Birdie had lost track of what it was the British did and didn't do. They were about as real as the black and white birds that couldn't fly that Kobayashi swore he had seen on a trip around Cape Horn. "You don't think they'll come at all, or you don't think they take Nassau." Tamba's voice was low, as if he didn't want Birdie and her sibling to here this part of the discussion. @@ -134,47 +113,53 @@ Delos was not a pirate vessel, and did not sail with pirate vessels, but it, and "Have I ever steered us wrong before? -"Yes" Tamba and Kobayashi spoke in chorus, which made Birdie laughed. She heard her father laugh too +"Yes" Tamba and Kobayashi spoke in chorus, which made Birdie laughed. She heard her father laugh too. "Okay. But on this one you'll have to trust me. No British warships coming to take Nassau this year." -Neither of the other men said anything. The silence stretch out until Henri came running from the bow, careening the length of the ship without ever touching a railing or handhold, yet somehow never losing his footing. She watched him shove his hand in the basket, pull out a handful of now dried out rice, and then turn and run back the length of the ship, again without touching anything or seeming to stumble, and then disappear into the hold where he was playing with Lulu. She envied him, those sea legs. Even her father seemed somewhat taken aback by Henri's sea legs. But he usually just shrugged and said, "I guess that's how it is when you're raised on the sea." +Neither of the other men said anything. The silence stretch out until Henry came running from the bow, careening the length of the ship without ever touching a railing or handhold, yet somehow never losing his footing. She watched him shove his hand in the basket, pull out a handful of now dried out rice, and then turn and run back the length of the ship, again without touching anything or seeming to stumble, and then disappear into the hold where he was playing with Lulu. She envied him, those sea legs. Even her father seemed somewhat taken aback by Henry's sea legs. But he usually just shrugged and said, "I guess that's how it is when you're raised on the sea." -Birdie had been two and half years old, when Henri was born. She had only a few fuzzy memories of Henri's mother. Dark hair leaning over her. The sunset in a window behind her. They had lived for a time on shore. Near the Thames. Her father worked on ships. A woman watched Birdie and her sister during the day. Sometimes her father would hire on a ship and be gone for several weeks. The last of these trips was nearly two months. Birdie remembered sitting under the table with Lulu, both of them crying, while the woman who watched them spoke to a harbor master about storms and her father's ship going down. +Birdie had been two and a half years old, when Henry was born. She had only a few fuzzy memories of Henry's mother. Dark hair leaning over her. The sunset in a window behind her. They had lived for a time on shore. Near the Thames. Her father worked on ships. A woman watched Birdie and her sister during the day. Sometimes her father would hire on a ship and be gone for several weeks. The last of these trips was nearly two months. Birdie remembered sitting under the table with Lulu, both of them crying, while the woman who watched them spoke to a harbor master about storms and her father's ship going down. -Two night later, there had been a tap at the window and there he was. She'd picked Henri out of his crib and they had all disappeared into the London night. The next day they were well out of Thames and bound for the Colonies. +Two night later, there had been a tap at the window and there he was. Birdie had picked Henry up out of his crib and they had all disappeared into the London night. The next day they were aboard Delos and well out of the Thames, bound for the Colonies. Neither she nor Lulu had any memories of their own mother, save the stories she had heard her father tell, memories she inherited and clung too sometimes when she felt the tightness in her chest grow too much to bear. -She was startled out of a midday drowse by Tamba's shout from the bow. "I see the bank." Birdie jumped up and ran the bow (grabbing on the way the mizzen mast, rails, lines and other other holds, as normal people do on a ship), racing past Lulu and Henri coming out of the hold. She nearly slammed into a Tamba, but managed to hit the rail next to him instead. She followed his finger and saw the light green patch that marked the bank. It was high tide, still under water. The bank was a deposit of sand and silt that started a few hundred yards out from the north fork of the Edisto river and stretched between half a mile and mile out to sea, depending on the year. This year it looked to be shorter than usual. The bank was where they did most of the their fishing, and last year they'd even careened a very large ship on it. Birdie had not been allow to come on that ship, but she, her siblings, her cousins and some of the local kids had all sat on the end of the island and watched as three smaller ships careened a new ship, the largest ship Birdie had ever seen, a ship called Revenge sailed by a captain with the curious name of Bonnet. +She was startled out of a midday drowse by Tamba's shout from the bow. "I see the bank." Birdie jumped up and ran to the bow (grabbing on the way the mizzen mast, rails, lines and other hand holds, as normal people do on a ship), racing past Lulu and Henry coming out of the hold. She nearly slammed into Tamba, but managed to hit the rail next to him instead. She followed his finger and saw the light green patch that marked the bank. + +The bank was a deposit of sand and silt that started a few hundred yards out from the north fork of the Edisto river and stretched between half a mile and an mile out to sea, depending on the year. It was high tide, the bank was still under water, but this year it looked to be shorter than usual. The bank was where they did most of their fishing, and last year they'd even careened a very large ship on it. Birdie had not been allow to come on that ship, but she, her siblings, her cousins, and some of the local kids had all sat on the end of the island and watched as three smaller ships careened the largest ship Birdie had ever seen, a ship called Revenge. Birdie ran astern to tell her father what they had seen, but he was already standing on the Taffrail, glass to his eye. "Bit smaller this year, eh Birdie?" "I thought so, but I wasn't sure." -"Must've 'ad some weather this summer." Her father hopped down. "Hope we're done with that," she heard him mutter to himself. He pointed to the wheel. "Bring us out a wee bit." Birdie turned the wheel a quarter to port and Delo's nose edged out toward the open ocean, carving a wide berth around the bank. +"Must've 'ad some weather this summer." Her father hopped down. "Hope we're done with that," she heard him mutter to himself. He pointed to the wheel. "Bring us out a wee bit." Birdie turned the wheel a quarter to port and Delos' nose edged out toward the open ocean, carving a wide berth around the bank. -Orange-headed gannets and brown pelicans dove at the outer edge of the bank, their sleek wings pulled back until they looked like harpoon tips thrown from some unseen ship sailing in the sky. The sliced through the air and hit the surface of the sea with such a quiet, tiny splash, transformed in an instant from bird to fish. And they surface, the Gannets always with a fish in their beak. Birdie turned to her father, "Papa can we fish?" +Orange-headed gannets and brown pelicans dove at the outer edge of the bank, their sleek wings pulled back until they looked like harpoon tips thrown from some unseen ship sailing in the sky. They sliced through the air and hit the surface of the sea with such a quiet, tiny splash, transformed in an instant from bird to fish. When they surfaced the Gannets always with a fish in their beak. + +Birdie turned to her father, "Papa can we fish?" "Sure, throw in a line, see if you can grab dinner for us." Birdie dashed forward and down in the hull. She fumbled around in the darkness near the stack of water barrels where she kept her line. She felt the iron hook and pulled it gently until the spool of catgut revealed itself. Next to it her fingers felt for the burlap she used to wrap her hand. Once she had everything, she grabbed a piece of dried fish hanging from a rafter, and climbed back up on deck. -At the stern she baited the hook, tied it off on the rail, and threw it out. It jerked in her hands as skipped and then sank until the slack had all fed out. Before it had, she saw the distinctive black and gray stripes of a porgy fish coming for it. "Papa!" she squealed. He glanced back and nodded as the line went taut in her hand, but turned back to watch the sea in front of them, hunting for the river mouth they would follow into the marshland, where they would secure the boat for the season. +At the stern she baited the hook, tied it off on the rail, and threw it out. It jerked in her hands as it skipped across the waves, sinking down as she fed out the slack. Before it even sank, she saw the distinctive black and gray stripes of a porgy fish coming for it. "Papa!" she squealed. He glanced back and nodded as the line went taut in her hand, but he turned back to watch the sea in front of them, hunting for the river mouth they would follow into the marshland, where they would secure the boat for the season. -Birdie pulled in the porgy, which was big enough to feed them all in a stew. Lulu held it for her while she severed its spine with her knife and tossed it in a barrel to let the blood drain out. She baited the hook and tossed it out again. This time, just as she was getting ready to bring her second porgy on board, a gannet dove hard at it, the line jerked and all but the head of her fish was gone. Birdie frantically pulled in the empty line and breathed a sigh of relief when she found the iron hook still there. The hook was, after the doll Aunt Māra had sewn her, her most prized possession. She took it as a sign, and began to coil up the line. It was far easier to fish from the smaller bateau she and her cousins rowed out to the bank. The slower boat meant their lines went deeper, the birds rarely had a chance to steal their catch. +Birdie pulled in the porgy, which was big enough to feed them all in a stew. Lulu held it for her while she severed its spine with her knife and tossed it in a barrel to let the blood drain out. She baited the hook and tossed it out again. This time, just as she was getting ready to bring her second porgy on board, a gannet dove hard at it, the line jerked and all but the head of her fish was gone. Birdie frantically pulled in the empty line and breathed a sigh of relief when she found the iron hook still there. The hook was, after the doll Aunt Māra had sewn her, her most prized possession. She took it as a sign, and began to coil up the line. It was far easier to fish from the smaller bateau she and her cousins sailed out to the bank. It was a slower boat, which meant their lines sank deeper and the birds rarely had a chance to steal their catch. -"Coming about," Her father yelled. Birdie instinctively ducked as the booms creaked and groaned and lines whirled and the ship pitched from starboard to port and pointed her nose at a sharper angle to shore. +"Coming about," Her father yelled. Birdie instinctively ducked as the booms creaked and groaned and lines whirled and the ship pitched from starboard to port and pointed her nose at a sharp angle to shore. -Delos was a lateen rigged Caraval with two masts and two triangular sails. She was light, fast and maneuverable. She had a short keel that made it possible to bring her nearly a mile up the Edisto river if they needed. Their winter home was nowhere near that far up river, in fact they made their camp on the island, a mere quarter mile from the Atlantic shore. Delos would be kept further up in the marsh though, protected from storms by a massive stand of lobblolly pine that sheltered the marsh. +Delos was a lateen rigged Caraval with two masts and two triangular sails. She was light, fast and maneuverable. She had a short keel that made it possible to bring her nearly a mile up the Edisto river if they needed. Their winter home was nowhere near that far up river. They made their camp on the island, a mere quarter mile from the Atlantic shore. Delos would be kept further up in the marsh though, protected from storms by a massive stand of lobblolly pine that sheltered the marsh. -The worst part of winter camp was arriving. Every year they had to beat upwind, while also fighting the current of the river and constantly sounding to watch for shallows in the mudding brown river mouth. Even now, still a quarter mile off shore, Kobayashi and Tamba were hauling up the sounding lines while her father shortened the traveler so they could beat closer to the wind. +The worst part of winter camp was arriving. Every year they had to beat upwind, while also fighting the current of the river and constantly sounding to watch for shallows in the muddy brown river mouth. Even now, still a quarter mile off shore, Kobayashi and Tamba were hauling up the sounding lines while her father shortened the traveler so they could beat closer to the wind. All Birdie wanted was to get ashore and see Aunt Māra and her cousins. She went below and stowed her fishing gear. She and Lulu climbed to the crows nest on the main mast and began watching for light patches of water that meant shallows. -Their father tacked Delos back and forth up and down the windward side of the island for most of the day, waiting for the tide to begin streaming in, since this would give them the added momentum the needed to make it into the river mouth where, for a time, it was too narrow to tack. Last year they had to run out the two oars that her father had carved from great thin, nearly perfectly straight pines and paddle with the current. This year though the gods smiled on them and the wind shifted to the north enough that they could swing out to sea, and ride the wind west, right into the mouth of the river where they dropped the main sail and landed just as the sun was disappearing in the trees that tangled up the western horizon. +Their father tacked Delos back and forth up and down the windward side of the island for most of the day, waiting for the tide to begin streaming in, since this would give them the added momentum they needed to make it into the river mouth where, for a time, it was too narrow to tack. + +Last year they had to paddle in using two oars that her father had carved from great thin pine trees. It has taken two days of waiting for the wind to die and another half day of paddling. This year the gods smiled on them. The wind shifted to the north enough that they could take right into the mouth of the river where they dropped the main sail and landed just as the sun was disappearing in the tangled trees that was now their western horizon. -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 Delos unloaded the next morning. Birdie, Lulu, and Henri fell asleep making plans for what they would do when the saw their cousins the next day. +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 Delos 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 @@ -204,7 +189,7 @@ She sighed and went to retrieved her sheet. Delos was waiting. She already knew She walked over the dunes into the area that would be the camp and took stock of it. The fire pit would need to be dug out again, the bamboo frame of the little hut that would be their winter home was nowhere to be seen, but she assumed her father or Tamba knew where it was buried. Or would claim too. There were already two barrels plopped unceremoniously in the middle of what would eventually be camp. Not very ship shape she thought as she started down the trail to the marsh. -When she got to Delos everyone was already up and unloading barrels. There was no breakfast in sight and her stomach was growling. "Lulu, good of you to join us again" Her father smiled, but his tone of voice told her she was late. Papa did not suffer anyone not pulling their weight. She looked around. Henri and Birdie were bringing things up from the hold and stacking them as best they could and the listing deck. Delos was aground now that the tide was out. +When she got to Delos everyone was already up and unloading barrels. There was no breakfast in sight and her stomach was growling. "Lulu, good of you to join us again" Her father smiled, but his tone of voice told her she was late. Papa did not suffer anyone not pulling their weight. She looked around. Henry and Birdie were bringing things up from the hold and stacking them as best they could and the listing deck. Delos was aground now that the tide was out. Her father and Tamba were alongside Delos, looking over the pirogue, which had been stored for months now in the hold. They seemed satisfied with it and set in the muddy water next to Delos. @@ -220,9 +205,9 @@ She was about to ask her father were Aunt Māra and her cousins were when she fe "By yourself?" -She looked at him like he had two heads. "Of course." She could see the way he whithered under her looks and it made her feel guilty. She didn't mean to make him feel bad, but he asked such silly things sometimes, and she had no time for questions which seemed to her to have obvious answers. It made her dislike him a little for making her feel like she was a mean person. She was pretty sure she wasn't a mean person. Why did Francis seem like he thought she might be? Henri and Owen saved her from further awkwardness by zooming by at top speed chasing each other with wooden swords. "Hi Lu!" screamed Owen as he dodged around her and dove into the oak shrubs after Henri, who hadn't even acknowledged her existence. +She looked at him like he had two heads. "Of course." She could see the way he whithered under her looks and it made her feel guilty. She didn't mean to make him feel bad, but he asked such silly things sometimes, and she had no time for questions which seemed to her to have obvious answers. It made her dislike him a little for making her feel like she was a mean person. She was pretty sure she wasn't a mean person. Why did Francis seem like he thought she might be? Henry and Owen saved her from further awkwardness by zooming by at top speed chasing each other with wooden swords. "Hi Lu!" screamed Owen as he dodged around her and dove into the oak shrubs after Henry, who hadn't even acknowledged her existence. -Francis took the opportunity to go back to where he and Birdie were helping unload stores from the ship. Lulu watched him go, feeling that sinking feeling she got every autumn when her brother and sister abandoned her. They didn't mean to. They didn't really, especially Birdie, who always went out of her way to make sure everyone was included in everything. Still, Birdie and Francis were like a little team. And Owen in Henri were another little team. Lulu did not have a team. There was just Lulu. In some ways she liked this, it left her free to do the things she wanted without anyone interfering. She could spent her time with Aunt Māra or go exploring the rivers and marshes in Maggie. She loved sailing the muddy, reedy shallows. She love to use the vines hanging from the big oaks that stretched out over the river to swing out and drop midstream into the delicious cool pool of black water. Sometimes she would spend the afternoon hunting plants in the thickets. Other days she raided birds nests of their eggs. +Francis took the opportunity to go back to where he and Birdie were helping unload stores from the ship. Lulu watched him go, feeling that sinking feeling she got every autumn when her brother and sister abandoned her. They didn't mean to. They didn't really, especially Birdie, who always went out of her way to make sure everyone was included in everything. Still, Birdie and Francis were like a little team. And Owen in Henry were another little team. Lulu did not have a team. There was just Lulu. In some ways she liked this, it left her free to do the things she wanted without anyone interfering. She could spent her time with Aunt Māra or go exploring the rivers and marshes in Maggie. She loved sailing the muddy, reedy shallows. She love to use the vines hanging from the big oaks that stretched out over the river to swing out and drop midstream into the delicious cool pool of black water. Sometimes she would spend the afternoon hunting plants in the thickets. Other days she raided birds nests of their eggs. Lulu went back up onto the ship and helped gather up the pots, taking extra care with Kobayashi's precious rice steaming baskets. Kobayashi was Japanese and while he would eat the rice that was grown in the Carolinas because he wasn't about to starve to death, whenever he could he bought rice from ships returning from Asia. He never boiled it, he shook his head at the way the Africans and Lulu's family boiled their rice. Instead he boiled water and put the rice in a woven basket over the boiling water and let the steam cook it. It took longer, but even Tamba admitted it was the best rice he'd ever had. Lulu would never tell Kobayashi, but she liked the Carolina rice better. It was mushier, nuttier. It became part of the fish stews in ways that Kobayashi's rice never did. Although she liked his better when they were eating dried fish or Pemmican at sea. Maybe, she thought as she walked down the path to camp, she liked both kinds of rice. Maybe there wasn't a best rice, maybe there was the best rice for each thing. That was what Papa always said, there is no best, best for this, best for that, best for now, but no best always. @@ -230,27 +215,27 @@ All morning Lulu helped haul food and gear out of the Arkhangelsk down the trail Kobayashi, Tamba and her father set about constructing their camp, which consisted of little more than a thatched hut, built to a design the native people, most of whom were now gone, had showed them. It was, as all great shelters are, ingeniously simple. First they set up a pole structure made half of oak timbers, which gave it strength, and half of pine timbers, which were bent to give it shape. The structure was then covered with thatching made of reeds. Her father and Tamba had the basic structure done by mid afternoon. For the time being they draped an old, but freshly tarred, sail over the top to stop the rain. In the next few weeks everyone would chip in to make the thatching, which would slowly take the place of the sail cloth. Eventually it would cover the entire hut, down to the sand, except for one spot toward the rear, which her father called the back door. No one ever used it, but you could, if you lay down and wormed or rolled your way under the last layer of thatch, slip outside. -With the structure up, Lulu and her sister set about cleaning the inside, picking sticks and other debris out of the sand they'd be walking on, sitting in, and sometimes sleeping on for the next five or six months. Aunt Māra helped then hang the hammocks, which they'd use for beds when the weather drove them inside. Most of the time it was warm enough to sleep outside with a sheet and one of Aunt Māra's quilts, which is how Lulu, Birdie and Henri preferred it. The hut was better than being rained on, but the rest of the time they would rarely be in it for more than a few minutes at time. +With the structure up, Lulu and her sister set about cleaning the inside, picking sticks and other debris out of the sand they'd be walking on, sitting in, and sometimes sleeping on for the next five or six months. Aunt Māra helped then hang the hammocks, which they'd use for beds when the weather drove them inside. Most of the time it was warm enough to sleep outside with a sheet and one of Aunt Māra's quilts, which is how Lulu, Birdie and Henry preferred it. The hut was better than being rained on, but the rest of the time they would rarely be in it for more than a few minutes at time. Lulu stepped out from under the sail cloth her aunt was busy tying down and into the sun. It was hot, humid still, but the sun was near it's zenith and not directly overhead. She guessed it was early September, but she didn't keep track of the date the way her father did in the ship's log. She knew the position of the sun and the phase of the moon. Those were the only useful accountings of time in Lulu's world. The moon told her what the tides would be like, how many stars would be visible, and whether or not it was a good night to hunt turtles. The position of the sun told her how much longer it would be hot, when it was safe to stop worrying about storms. It was still hot and humid, storms could still be coming. -The first thing you saw stepping out of the hut was their communal cooking area, which consisted of a fire pit, along with several old, weathered trunks of palm trees they used for sitting or as tables if they sat next to them in the sand. It was where the days started and ended, where guests would come to sit and talk, where visiting ship crews would tell the news from Boston, London, Kingston, tk Madagascar. It was where Lulu and her sister would fall asleep at night, watching the fire listening to tales of storms, close calls in the rigging, sand bars where they should not have been, and cruel captains cursed in language their father told them not to use. The fire was the center of the world and the best thing in it. +The first thing you saw stepping out of the hut was their communal cooking area, which consisted of a fire pit, along with several old, weathered trunks of palm trees they used for sitting or as tables if they sat next to them in the sand. It was where the days started and ended, where guests would come to sit and talk, where visiting ship crews would tell the news from Boston, London, Kingston, Madagascar, Nicobar, Manilla. It was where Lulu and her sister would fall asleep at night, watching the fire listening to tales of storms, close calls in the rigging, sand bars where they should not have been, and cruel captains cursed in language their father told them not to use. The fire was the center of the world and the best thing in it. When they had too they could cook on a small fire inside the hut, and around winter solstice it would be cold enough for a few weeks that they'd use the fire place inside for heat. -Birdie and Henri were down by the shoreline gathering small stones they could use to build up the fire pit. Her father and Kobayashi took the pirogue upstream to find larger stones to brace the iron tripod, which was where they did most of their cooking. It was their father's doing, though Kobayashi did much of the cooking. Papa had forged the tripod using iron scrounged from a shipwreck many years ago. +Birdie and Henry were down by the shoreline gathering small stones they could use to build up the fire pit. Her father and Kobayashi took the pirogue upstream to find larger stones to brace the iron tripod, which was where they did most of their cooking. It was their father's doing, though Kobayashi did much of the cooking. Papa had forged the tripod using iron scrounged from a shipwreck many years ago. -When her father and Kobayashi returned Lulu went to help unload the stones, but they were too heavy for her to carry. She contented herself to gathering wood for the fire. It wasn't hard, the past summer's storms had brought down plenty of dry oak branches that lay still dry amongst the sandy leave debris of the forest floor. Lulu ducked into some thickets of palmetto to see what had made its home in them this year. She flushed a few tk, and started a dozen squirrels angrily chattering and twitching their thick fuzzy tails at her. When she had enough twigs and small branches to fill the leather thong she looped it tight, heaved the bundle unto her shoulder, and headed back to camp. +When her father and Kobayashi returned Lulu went to help unload the stones, but they were too heavy for her to carry. She contented herself to gathering wood for the fire. It wasn't hard, the past summer's storms had brought down plenty of dry oak branches that lay still dry amongst the sandy leave debris of the forest floor. Lulu ducked into some thickets of palmetto to see what had made its home in them this year. She flushed a few quail, and started a dozen squirrels angrily chattering and twitching their thick fuzzy tails at her. When she had enough twigs and small branches to fill the leather thong she looped it tight, heaved the bundle unto her shoulder, and headed back to camp. -Her father arranged the tripod and tested it's balance with a kettle full of water. They carried a number of large kettles, far larger than they needed to cook for the six of them, for occassions when a ship came to carreen. Then whole crews of men, sometimes as many as a hundred would eat with them. Usually Tamba would kill a pig on those occassions. Last summer sailors from the tk ship name, had managed to kill a bear. Lulu sat now and watched as Papa lit a fire, said a prayer thanking Hestia, and threw some Frankincense resin on the flames. The sweet, light scent of Frankincense filled the air in the dunes and it immediately smelled like home to Lulu. +Her father arranged the tripod and tested it's balance with a kettle full of water. They carried a number of large kettles, far larger than they needed to cook for the six of them, for occasions when a ship came to careen. Then whole crews of men, sometimes as many as a hundred would eat with them. Usually Tamba would kill a few pigs on those occasions. Last summer some sailors had managed to kill a bear. Lulu sat now and watched as Papa lit a fire, said a prayer thanking Hestia, and threw some Frankincense resin on the flames. The sweet, light scent of Frankincense filled the air in the dunes and it immediately smelled like home to Lulu. The long afternoon shadows began to race their way across the clearing they'd be calling home for the next six to eight months. Lulu turned and looked west. A little back from camp there was a line of oak trees that then gave way to the marsh where Delos would be anchored for the season. In the shade of those oaks they would soon construct great kilns that would be used to make the tar that brought them to the island in the first place. Across the flat reedy world of marsh was another line of oaks and then a no man's land of cypress swamp and brackish water that slowly, as you moved south, resolved itself into the southern fork of the Edistow River. Beyond that were the great pine forests of the low country where they would dig stumps and then haul them by barge and horse out here to the beach where they would burn them, slowly extracting the sap and then boiling it down into a sticky resin that sealed wood against the sea. -They ate dinner as the sun set through the trees behind their half-finished hut. Lulu went down to the shore and rinsed her abalone bowl. The air had a hint of chill at the edge of it. The sea was cold on her feet. When she came back her father and Kobayashi were laying oak logs on the coals that had cooked dinner. It wasn't long before the fire was roaring and light filled the circle of dune. Lulu sat on a log of gray driftwood and watched her Uncle Cole play the fiddle while Birdie and her father danced in circles. Henri and Owen sat on a log next to her Aunt Māra and directly across the fire. Lulu smiled. She like winter camp, she liked her family. She knew enough of the world to know they were different. Perhaps even odd to most people. But she didn't care. She was glad they had a place to live their lives the way they wanted to, a place they could fish, a place they could weather storms. +They ate dinner as the sun set through the trees behind their half-finished hut. Lulu went down to the shore and rinsed her abalone bowl. The air had a hint of chill at the edge of it. The sea was cold on her feet. When she came back her father and Kobayashi were laying oak logs on the coals that had cooked dinner. It wasn't long before the fire was roaring and light filled the circle of dune. Lulu sat on a log of gray driftwood and watched her Uncle Cole play the fiddle while Birdie and her father danced in circles. Henry and Owen sat on a log next to her Aunt Māra and directly across the fire. Lulu smiled. She like winter camp, she liked her family. She knew enough of the world to know they were different. Perhaps even odd to most people. But she didn't care. She was glad they had a place to live their lives the way they wanted to, a place they could fish, a place they could weather storms. She had heard someone once whispering in a shop, calling them pirates, but she didn't think they were. They had never captured a ship or found any treasure. She asked her father about it and he laughed and said no, pirates have much bigger ships than we do. But maybe someday Lulu. He had that twinkle in his eye that made it seem like anything was possible, like when he told stories around the fire on winter evenings and Lulu felt like the worlds he described were out there somewhere, waiting for her to discover. Worlds of pirates and ships and storms, talking animals, strange mythical creatures. Her father never failed to take what would always start as a normal story and turn it in someway that you never saw coming but afterward couldn't imagine turning out any other way. -Tonight though he did not tell any stories. He danced. First with Birdie, then with Henri, then with her. After a while Uncle Cole professed he was tired and put away the fiddle and sat down by the fire. There was catching up, plenty of poking fun, a rather long story about planting rice that Lulu lost track of in the middle when she began to doze off. 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. +Tonight though he did not tell any stories. He danced. First with Birdie, then with Henry, then with her. After a while Uncle Cole professed he was tired and put away the fiddle and sat down by the fire. There was catching up, plenty of poking fun, a rather long story about planting rice that Lulu lost track of in the middle when she began to doze off. 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 @@ -282,7 +267,7 @@ Birdie looked up at her to see if she was serious. Birdie had a momentary pang, Birdie jumped up, blurted out a thank you and took off down toward the dunes where she knew Lulu and Francis were digging up last year's stumps and spreading cut reeds to dry. She reached the top of the dune and stopped so abruptly she nearly toppled over. Lulu and Francis were down below, spreading reeds along the side the dune and weighting them down with drift wood gathered from the beach. Judging by the pile near Lulu they had about ten minutes of work left. Birdie shouted in the wind, "Hurry up, and meet me at the ship." -They looked up at her squinting. She saw Lulu nod. Birdie turned and walked out to the harder sand near the shoreline and made her way down to the Arkhangelsk. She saw Henri and Owen playing on the rear deck. For reasons she did not understand no one ever made either of them do any chores, though both were perfectly capable of helping out. Somehow they both got a pass. Birdie was pretty sure she'd had chores at their age. She tried to set aside the anger she felt rising in her chest when she realized they'd had nothing to do all day but go play hunting in the forest with their bows and arrows and play out here on the ship. Her ship. She stopped herself. Their ship. Everyone's ship. Poseidon's ship. The island's ship that it had been so kind as to preserve so they could use it. Grateful, always be grateful for the gifts we have. +They looked up at her squinting. She saw Lulu nod. Birdie turned and walked out to the harder sand near the shoreline and made her way down to the Arkhangelsk. She saw Henry and Owen playing on the rear deck. For reasons she did not understand no one ever made either of them do any chores, though both were perfectly capable of helping out. Somehow they both got a pass. Birdie was pretty sure she'd had chores at their age. She tried to set aside the anger she felt rising in her chest when she realized they'd had nothing to do all day but go play hunting in the forest with their bows and arrows and play out here on the ship. Her ship. She stopped herself. Their ship. Everyone's ship. Poseidon's ship. The island's ship that it had been so kind as to preserve so they could use it. Grateful, always be grateful for the gifts we have. It wasn't long before Lulu and Francis arrived and they began to play. As with most of their adventure's it started with Lulu creating a back story. They were a family of sea gods who had been cast out of the high temples where their mother and father had disowned them for some reason that Birdie wasn't entirely clear on. From that time they were doomed to wander the seas for forty years, and woe to any ships that crossed their path for they would devour them and all their sailors. As captain is was Birdie's task to find a new homeland, but since they could not find it for forty years she mostly just conjured ships for them to attack. @@ -292,7 +277,7 @@ Lulu had a back story for every one of those ships too. Birdie sometimes complai "My dad says there's only one god." Owen looked at Lulu accusingly. -Lulu, Birdie, and Henri exchanged a glance so quickly neither of the other two noticed it. "Well," said Birdie, "that may be. Who knows? We're just playing anyway." +Lulu, Birdie, and Henry exchanged a glance so quickly neither of the other two noticed it. "Well," said Birdie, "that may be. Who knows? We're just playing anyway." Lulu climbed up on the railing of the ship, balanced for a moment there, and then, with a wild yell, leaped off and started running down the beach, shrieking like a banshee. Birdie climbed up and looked after her. "Well," she said slowly, "I have heard that Poseidon used to drive some people mad." @@ -302,7 +287,7 @@ Lulu climbed up on the railing of the ship, balanced for a moment there, and the "Come on Owen," Francis shook his head. "Let's see if we can find some duck eggs in the marsh." -They left. Henri sighed and climbed up to look after Lulu. "You think she'll come back." +They left. Henry sighed and climbed up to look after Lulu. "You think she'll come back." "Of course." @@ -316,7 +301,7 @@ They climbed up on the railing just as Lulu had and, though neither of them said She was laughing by the time they caught up to her. Laughing and throwing seaweed at the gulls. Birds were thick just down the shoreline from where they were standing. Birdie saw the silver flash of a fish as a school attempted to get away from the swooping gannets and pelicans. She wished she gone out to the banks to fish. -Lulu and Henri walked up the beach and sat on a ledge of sand, inching themselves forward until their weight made it collapse and sent them sliding down. The kept getting up and doing it again. Birdie went over to join them. +Lulu and Henry walked up the beach and sat on a ledge of sand, inching themselves forward until their weight made it collapse and sent them sliding down. The kept getting up and doing it again. Birdie went over to join them. "Bee," started Lulu when they all sat down to catch their breath. "Do you like Francis and Owen?' @@ -332,19 +317,19 @@ Birdie considered this for a minute. "Well, yes, I still like them. It's like Pa "Because he's so *nice*. blabidy blabidy blah" Lulu stuck her tongue out and imitated their father's voice so eerily well that Birdie had to laugh in spite of herself. -Henri fell back in the sand laughing. "Do it again, Lu, do it again." +Henry fell back in the sand laughing. "Do it again, Lu, do it again." And so she did. But then the scowl returned to her face. "Well I don't care if they're our cousins, I don't like them. I think they're dull little boys with no imagination." -"Owen has a good imagination," Henri said from the sand behind them. +"Owen has a good imagination," Henry said from the sand behind them. -"When he's with you maybe." Lulu did what Birdie called her hrumph, and hrumphed into silence. They sat side by side, legs drawn up, arms wrapped around them, staring out at the sea. Papa was right Birdie decided, we're different. She did not really know why or what the difference was. It wasn't something she wanted. But it was there. She knew Lulu felt it too. She wasn't sure if Henri did yet or not, but she thought so. He would eventually anyway. Still she felt sorry for Francis and Owen more than anything. They didn't get to sail much. They had to live in town half the year. And they had to live with their father. +"When he's with you maybe." Lulu did what Birdie called her hrumph, and hrumphed into silence. They sat side by side, legs drawn up, arms wrapped around them, staring out at the sea. Papa was right Birdie decided, we're different. She did not really know why or what the difference was. It wasn't something she wanted. But it was there. She knew Lulu felt it too. She wasn't sure if Henry did yet or not, but she thought so. He would eventually anyway. Still she felt sorry for Francis and Owen more than anything. They didn't get to sail much. They had to live in town half the year. And they had to live with their father. --- Kobayashi was digging up a roasted boar when they got back to camp. He and Tamba had killed it with a single arrow the day before. "Lucky shot," Tamba had said when he told her father the story. They butchered the animal, splitting it between their camp, her cousin's camp down the beach, and a family of Edistow that were camped across the river mouth. Kobayashi, who claimed to have been a cook in the emperor's household before he was Shanghai'd from a Hayama bar, had buried their portion of the boar the day before in a pit of coals. He pulled it up and gently unwrapped it from the great leaves of seaweed he'd wrapped it in. -Her father and Henri dragged some driftwood up from the shore and soon they had a good blaze going. Her Aunt Māra and Uncle Cole came with their cousins. The incident on the beach was forgotten. The boar was sweet and salty and possibly the best thing Birdie could remember eating. The fat and juice drained into her rice and she ate until her belly ached. +Her father and Henry dragged some driftwood up from the shore and soon they had a good blaze going. Her Aunt Māra and Uncle Cole came with their cousins. The incident on the beach was forgotten. The boar was sweet and salty and possibly the best thing Birdie could remember eating. The fat and juice drained into her rice and she ate until her belly ached. The sun disappeared to the west, an orange glow in the tree line. Birdie hunted around the eastern sky for the first star, but as it always seemed to be, Venus was the first light in the sky. Should I wish upon a planet? It's a god right? Can you wish to a god? She wondered what she should wish for and then it came to her, she saw it in her mind and focused on it until it seemed almost real, and then she silently asked Venus, grant this one wish, if you like it, if you think it's a good idea. If not, it's okay. @@ -386,7 +371,7 @@ Now her father laughed. "I will never live down the loin cloth will I?" Everyone "That seems silly. Why would anyone care what you did? That would just make them stupid." -Tamba raised an eyebrow at her. "Strong talk in this one tk father's name." +Tamba raised an eyebrow at her. "Strong talk in this one Nicholas." Her father smiled. "Yes, they are strong. They will have to be. Stronger than us I fear. I fear they will be living through much more than you and I have had to deal with this time." @@ -398,7 +383,7 @@ Kobayashi leaned back against a stack of driftwood and packed his pipe. "This co Kobayashi grunted. "True." -Aunt Māra leaned forward and stirred the fire until a log caught and flame flickered orange light on all their faces. Lulu and Henri were asleep, their heads in Aunt Māra's lap. Birdie yawned. Her father looked over at her. "You got us all serious Birdie, should I pull out the fiddle, lighten up the night?" +Aunt Māra leaned forward and stirred the fire until a log caught and flame flickered orange light on all their faces. Lulu and Henry were asleep, their heads in Aunt Māra's lap. Birdie yawned. Her father looked over at her. "You got us all serious Birdie, should I pull out the fiddle, lighten up the night?" She surprised herself by saying no, that she was tired. She gathered up her quilts and walked up the rise of the dune, away from the fire and lay down in the sand, spread layers of quilt over her until she could feel a cacoon of warm begin to form around her. She laid her head back and looked up. The dusty spray of the milky way spread across the sky. Orion the hunter stood tall and strong, his bow ever at the ready. He must be with us she thought, he must be Alban. Maybe he too is looking for a place to be who he is, a place he can hunt and run free. As her eyelids dropped the stars seemed to gather up, and pull together, to rain down around her and keep her safe and warm there beside their brother the sea. Where she was free. @@ -462,7 +447,7 @@ Lulu wore a straw hat that a woman had given her the year before when a ship had Sometimes Lulu needed to get away, to be alone, so she had come today with her father and Tamba out into the scorching midday sun to find stumps to dry for next winter. Her father made carvings in each stump, a square within a diamond, the beginning of wisdom he told her when she asked what it meant. Whatever that meant. They'd come for a week on either side of the full moon, to work in what light could be had, digging stumps and hauling then back to the beach, to the dunes just beyond camp, where they would be piled in great heaps to lie there for a year, drying like great white bones bleaching in the sand until they were so weathered they were gray. Soon Tamba and her father would repair the kilns and start making tar with the stumps they'd gathered last year. -Lulu and Birdie and Henri and two other families worth of children, their cousins and friends, would gather moss and dry grass to feed the slow heat of the kilns. As the wood burned the dark pitch drained down to the bottom of the kiln and dripped into barrels set below the catch it. This was the Arkhangelsk tar. The way her father's people had made it for generations he said. The archangel tar that kept the ships afloat, the rigging tight, the sailors safe and bought Lulu and Birdie and Henri a place in the world, clothes to wear, food to eat and sometimes even peppermint treats or dolls or new ribbons for her hair. These stumps were the reason Lulu's life was possible. +Lulu and Birdie and Henry and two other families worth of children, their cousins and friends, would gather moss and dry grass to feed the slow heat of the kilns. As the wood burned the dark pitch drained down to the bottom of the kiln and dripped into barrels set below the catch it. This was the Arkhangelsk tar. The way her father's people had made it for generations he said. The archangel tar that kept the ships afloat, the rigging tight, the sailors safe and bought Lulu and Birdie and Henry a place in the world, clothes to wear, food to eat and sometimes even peppermint treats or dolls or new ribbons for her hair. These stumps were the reason Lulu's life was possible. But that didn't make the day any cooler or her patience any greater. @@ -476,7 +461,7 @@ The moon was nearly full so she doubted they'd gather any stumps this moon. Ther The Edistow have lived here for hundreds of years, probably more, her father said. There were few of them left, but enough still that her family traded with them. Her father changed their camp from a canvas tent to one of the circular pole structures he'd seen the Edistow use and it was still what they called home. Her father had also taken to wearing a deerskin loincloth for a while. Lulu thought he looked ridiculous with his thick black beard and hairy chest and then the little flap a deerskin which reached right above his knees and looked, no matter how long it might have been, too small on his rather large body. At nearly six feet their father towered over almost everyone on the island. Tamba shook his head and walked away when he'd seen her father in the loin cloth. Later he told Lulu, "You should have seen when he tried the grass skirts." Kobayashi threatened to sign on with the Royal Navy if her father didn't go back to wearing pants. Her father became rather indignant. "They've lived here longer than we have, I expect they know what's best to wear," he said. But after a few days, and a badly sunburned butt, he had returned to wearing pants. -This was how he looked in her earliest memories and how she preferred he look all the time. Lulu looked back at him now, pushing them slowly along, still sweating, eyes fixed on some point in the distance. Lulu loved her father, but often felt lost around him. He could be stern, or even cross with her or Birdie or Henri, at times, but more often he just seemed to be elsewhere, lost in depths of thought no one, not even Tamba seemed able to plumb. The worst was that he often returned from wherever this far away place was quickly with startling bursts of temper. Just as often though it was laughter. What was hard was figuring out which it would be at any given moment. When they were at sea, it was always laughter. On the land, it was hard to tell. +This was how he looked in her earliest memories and how she preferred he look all the time. Lulu looked back at him now, pushing them slowly along, still sweating, eyes fixed on some point in the distance. Lulu loved her father, but often felt lost around him. He could be stern, or even cross with her or Birdie or Henry, at times, but more often he just seemed to be elsewhere, lost in depths of thought no one, not even Tamba seemed able to plumb. The worst was that he often returned from wherever this far away place was quickly with startling bursts of temper. Just as often though it was laughter. What was hard was figuring out which it would be at any given moment. When they were at sea, it was always laughter. On the land, it was hard to tell. Lulu thought about this, about the mother she never knew, about things she barely remembered, different rivers, different marshes, different shorelines with the cold smell of wet mud and salt brine, the barnacle crusted rocks that had cut her feet until they bled. She could still feel them sometimes when she starred into the fire in the evenings or when she watched the stars at night, lying under her sheets in the soft cradle of sand. She did not miss it exactly. She did not remember enough to miss it. But she did think of it sometimes on the edge of sleep, she'd hold it in her thoughts, turn the memories over and around, looking for details she'd missed in all the times before. Though it had been a long time since she'd found a new detail she didn't already hold in her memory, still she did it most every night, letting those old visions usher her into sleep on the early autumn nights when the mosquitoes dove at her all night long, even through the smoke of the smudge fires. @@ -484,7 +469,7 @@ Lulu could feel the water pulling them now, partly the tide of the marsh, partly Shadows of moss lengthened across the ground like fingers stretching out of the oak trees by the time the pirogue finally nosed onto the sandy shore of the island. It was a half mile walk to camp. Lulu hopped off the side of the boat and into the water, wading ashore. She glanced back at her father who nodded once. She needed no further encouragement, taking off down the path that led back to camp. -Lulu rounded the corner at full speed, through the tall field of sea oats that formed the southern border of their camp, bursting out of the grass like a lion. She smelled the warm sweetness of fish stew. Her aunt was stirring a kettle over the fire. Her sister and Henri came running from the other side of camp, calling her to come to the dunes, but she was hungry. She ran over and hugged her aunt, who pulled the stray hairs from her face, tucked them back behind her ears and scooped her up a bowl of stew with a piece of cold fried bread. Lulu slurped at the hot stew, earning her a frown from her aunt. "Don't slurp Lu." +Lulu rounded the corner at full speed, through the tall field of sea oats that formed the southern border of their camp, bursting out of the grass like a lion. She smelled the warm sweetness of fish stew. Her aunt was stirring a kettle over the fire. Her sister and Henry came running from the other side of camp, calling her to come to the dunes, but she was hungry. She ran over and hugged her aunt, who pulled the stray hairs from her face, tucked them back behind her ears and scooped her up a bowl of stew with a piece of cold fried bread. Lulu slurped at the hot stew, earning her a frown from her aunt. "Don't slurp Lu." "Did you mark stumps?" Birdie watched her eat. @@ -492,7 +477,7 @@ Lulu rounded the corner at full speed, through the tall field of sea oats that f "Aunt Māra gave us a pot for the kitchen in the Arkhangelsk." -Lulu stopped chewing. "Really?" A smile came over Birdie's face, all she could do was nod faster than Lulu had ever seen a head move before. "It's the best" blurted Henri. +Lulu stopped chewing. "Really?" A smile came over Birdie's face, all she could do was nod faster than Lulu had ever seen a head move before. "It's the best" blurted Henry. "I started to carve spoons for it they aren't done yet but do you want to see?" Birdie was already pulling on her arm, dragging her away from the fire. @@ -506,11 +491,11 @@ They slowed when they reached the dunes, they all knew from experience that runn "Were you bad?" -Birdie nodded at Henri, who scowled. "Was not!" +Birdie nodded at Henry, who scowled. "Was not!" -Henri was five, and as their father said, clever as a Lynx and innocent as the doves. Henri had a way of twinkling his eyes when he smiled so that adults were immediately less angry at whatever had attracted their attention in the first place. It did not, naturally, work on Lulu or Birdie, though they both secretly, and not so secretly, admired this ability. In fact Lulu and Birdie had practiced this twinkle for hours, Lulu thought they were pretty good at it. But it never seemed to come off right when they tried it on adults. +Henry was five, and as their father said, clever as a Lynx and innocent as the doves. Henry had a way of twinkling his eyes when he smiled so that adults were immediately less angry at whatever had attracted their attention in the first place. It did not, naturally, work on Lulu or Birdie, though they both secretly, and not so secretly, admired this ability. In fact Lulu and Birdie had practiced this twinkle for hours, Lulu thought they were pretty good at it. But it never seemed to come off right when they tried it on adults. -Despite his twinkle, Henri never got away with anything. He was too naturally mischievous and yet not sneaky. If something was amiss in camp, some prank played, some calamity caused, everyone always came looking for "the little brown imp." The only other possible culprit was their cousin Owen, but he was a year younger, actually quite sneaky, and lived a mile down the beach with their aunt and uncle, which generally absolved him. +Despite his twinkle, Henry never got away with anything. He was too naturally mischievous and yet not sneaky. If something was amiss in camp, some prank played, some calamity caused, everyone always came looking for "the little brown imp." The only other possible culprit was their cousin Owen, but he was a year younger, actually quite sneaky, and lived a mile down the beach with their aunt and uncle, which generally absolved him. They crested the last dune and from the top the Arkhangelsk came into view lying in a gully just beyond the beach, listing slightly to port, her mast pointing nearly due north, marking time nearly as well as a sundial. The three ran down the slope of the last dune in great bounding leaps, sinking deep into the soft sand and leaping out again great whooping war cries rising from their lips. @@ -546,7 +531,7 @@ Then she uprooted herself and walked toward the hut. Inside it was dark, she bli --- -Birdie sat in the shade of a sago palm. It was the last palm, the scout at the edge of camp. After the palm was the beach. She watched the ocean from the top ridge of the small, shaded dune, squinting in the bright light of the midday sun. Birdie's real name was Māra, after her mother's sister, her Aunt Māra who was down at the shoreline, pulling in a fishing net with Henri. Birdie had helped them cast out the net and secure it to the buoys earlier in the morning. Now they were pulling it in. +Birdie sat in the shade of a sago palm. It was the last palm, the scout at the edge of camp. After the palm was the beach. She watched the ocean from the top ridge of the small, shaded dune, squinting in the bright light of the midday sun. Birdie's real name was Māra, after her mother's sister, her Aunt Māra who was down at the shoreline, pulling in a fishing net with Henry. Birdie had helped them cast out the net and secure it to the buoys earlier in the morning. Now they were pulling it in. Birdie was waiting for her cousins to be done with their chores. She glanced up the beach toward their camp but there was no sign of Francis or Owen. Aunt Māra had told her they were helping their father with the boat. Birdie sighed and plucked at a sea oat, slowly breaking up the stem and letting the breeze pick up and carry them off. @@ -556,17 +541,17 @@ A few hours later the crew of six returned from the woods with a wild boar so hu Birdie had been worried that the angry captain might return. For several nights she refused to sleep outside until her father finally coaxed the problem out of her. "My girl, you don't need to worry," her father had said, "he's gone." And indeed no one had ever seen him again. -And so the little ship had been commandeered by Birdie and her siblings and cousins. That first year they'd spent the autumn in the ship, every free moment they had, sailing the sands of the island, re-christening her the Arkhangelsk. Birdie was captain. They had voted, as free sailors did, and she had been elected. As Lulu was always careful to point out the captain only had authority during pursuit and battle, the rest of the time the whole crew was in charge. Birdie did not argue. She had only been voted out of her captain position once, when Lulu called a new vote after Birdie had ordered all the boys over the side to raid an enemy ship for the hundredth time, holding Lulu back. But Lulu's term as captain had lasted only a few days before Henri called a vote that put Birdie back in charge, and set the boys, along with Lulu, over the side to attack the forts and towns of the coasts they sailed. +And so the little ship had been commandeered by Birdie and her siblings and cousins. That first year they'd spent the autumn in the ship, every free moment they had, sailing the sands of the island, re-christening her the Arkhangelsk. Birdie was captain. They had voted, as free sailors did, and she had been elected. As Lulu was always careful to point out the captain only had authority during pursuit and battle, the rest of the time the whole crew was in charge. Birdie did not argue. She had only been voted out of her captain position once, when Lulu called a new vote after Birdie had ordered all the boys over the side to raid an enemy ship for the hundredth time, holding Lulu back. But Lulu's term as captain had lasted only a few days before Henry called a vote that put Birdie back in charge, and set the boys, along with Lulu, over the side to attack the forts and towns of the coasts they sailed. -Birdie was trying to decide what they should do today. A new pot called for new adventures, but she wasn't quite sure what. Perhaps they should sail to the Spanish main and sack Campache. It had been a while since they'd done that. She was deep in contemplation of her battle plan when out of the corner of her eye she noticed a small sail rounding out of the northern river. The boat road the middle of the current. This jarred her out of her reverie. Don't do that Charles. She tried to send this thought to him somehow, but before she could even begin to concentrate she watched as the boat slammed hard into the leeward shore of the bank, hurling two small figures through the air like dolls pitched from a catapult. She winced as they landed. She watched them get up. Down at the shoreline Henri and Māra were laughing as they folded up the net. +Birdie was trying to decide what they should do today. A new pot called for new adventures, but she wasn't quite sure what. Perhaps they should sail to the Spanish main and sack Campache. It had been a while since they'd done that. She was deep in contemplation of her battle plan when out of the corner of her eye she noticed a small sail rounding out of the northern river. The boat road the middle of the current. This jarred her out of her reverie. Don't do that Charles. She tried to send this thought to him somehow, but before she could even begin to concentrate she watched as the boat slammed hard into the leeward shore of the bank, hurling two small figures through the air like dolls pitched from a catapult. She winced as they landed. She watched them get up. Down at the shoreline Henry and Māra were laughing as they folded up the net. "My son sails like his father," said Auntie Māra as she walked by Birdie carrying the basket of fish on her hip, with the net slung over her shoulder. -Henri sat down beside Birdie. "Did you see them" Henri giggled. "They hit so hard." +Henry sat down beside Birdie. "Did you see them" Henry giggled. "They hit so hard." "I've told him a dozen times, you have to stay south and use the wind to get out of the current." -"He knows," said Henri matter of factly. "He likes to crash so they go flying." +"He knows," said Henry matter of factly. "He likes to crash so they go flying." "What?" @@ -574,7 +559,7 @@ Henri sat down beside Birdie. "Did you see them" Henri giggled. "They hit so har "They're going to break the mast one of these days. Or lose the sail. And then how will we fish?" -Henri shrugged, but didn't say anything. +Henry shrugged, but didn't say anything. Birdie stood up and started down the dune toward shore. @@ -596,7 +581,7 @@ Francis was smiling as the boat rode the last crumbling wave toward the shore. H She dropped the bowline back in the boat. "I saw you nearly break the mast on the only fishing boat we have, if that's what you mean." -His face dropped. He mumbled something about finding Henri and walked off down the beach. +His face dropped. He mumbled something about finding Henry and walked off down the beach. "Lighten up Birdie," said Francis climbing out of the boat. @@ -620,13 +605,13 @@ Birdie shrugged, "I guess you didn't need to. I mean, you didn't capsize, you ma "You want to go fish?" -"Yes. Henri did too." +"Yes. Henry did too." They both glanced down the beach in the direction Owen had gone, but there was no one. "Let's just me and you go." -Birdie bit her lip, Henri had wanted to go, but she'd spent all morning with him and going without him suddenly sounded good, though she knew she would feel guilty about it the whole time she was out. "Okay." +Birdie bit her lip, Henry had wanted to go, but she'd spent all morning with him and going without him suddenly sounded good, though she knew she would feel guilty about it the whole time she was out. "Okay." -He seemed to sense the hesitation in her voice and sighed. "Owen probably talked him into going turkey hunting." Owen and Francis had somehow managed to kill a turkey with their homemade bow and arrows and Henri was obsessed with doing the same. Francis was probably right she decided. Lulu had gone up the river with Kadiatu. There was no one else around except her father and Aunt Māra back in camp. She smiled. "Alright, you push us out." +He seemed to sense the hesitation in her voice and sighed. "Owen probably talked him into going turkey hunting." Owen and Francis had somehow managed to kill a turkey with their homemade bow and arrows and Henry was obsessed with doing the same. Francis was probably right she decided. Lulu had gone up the river with Kadiatu. There was no one else around except her father and Aunt Māra back in camp. She smiled. "Alright, you push us out." Francis went to bow and pushed the boat while Birdie pulled on the stern. They dragged her into the water and spun her around. Birdie jumped in as Francis continued to push from the stern. Birdie grabbed the foresail line and sat down on the port gunwale. The little boat was a lateen rig, like Delos, but with a single mast, a fore and back stay holding the sail, and a cleated line that could be loosed and tightened to draw in the sail and come closer to the wind. Birdie unwrapped Francis's poorly cleated line and let the sail out to catch the wind. Francis was up to his waist now in the water. Birdie leaned out to look past the sail and saw nothing but water. "Get in," she shouted. @@ -708,11 +693,11 @@ She stared out the flat horizon where the sky bled into the blue of the sea. Com ## Chapter 6: Fire -It was mid-afternoon by the time Papa rounded them up and set them about gathering grass and small sticks. He would light the kilns when the sun went down and he had a very precise mixture of grasses and wood of all sizes that was entirely in his head, but Lulu and Birdie and even Henri had long since learned which thing they needed more of just by glancing at the piles, which they kept separate. Grass, then oak, then walnut. Papa claimed that to get the most tar out of the roots, you needed the right temperature kiln and to get that you need the right combination of each wood, plus there was always some trickery with wind and venting. The secret was to get the wood hot, but control the flow of air so that it burned very slowly and under some pressure that caused it to give up the liquid sap that hid inside of it. This tar or pitch tricked out the base of the kiln into buckets which were then put in barrels and either used by ships that called on their camp, or sold to the shipyards in Charlestown. +It was mid-afternoon by the time Papa rounded them up and set them about gathering grass and small sticks. He would light the kilns when the sun went down and he had a very precise mixture of grasses and wood of all sizes that was entirely in his head, but Lulu and Birdie and even Henry had long since learned which thing they needed more of just by glancing at the piles, which they kept separate. Grass, then oak, then walnut. Papa claimed that to get the most tar out of the roots, you needed the right temperature kiln and to get that you need the right combination of each wood, plus there was always some trickery with wind and venting. The secret was to get the wood hot, but control the flow of air so that it burned very slowly and under some pressure that caused it to give up the liquid sap that hid inside of it. This tar or pitch tricked out the base of the kiln into buckets which were then put in barrels and either used by ships that called on their camp, or sold to the shipyards in Charlestown. This year Papa had built three kilns. Each used the side of a dune as its primary structure, reinforced with a layer of split logs, and then packed earth and then packed clay. The other side was built up of logs and earth until a conical shape was formed and then the whole thing was filled with clay. For days Lulu, her father, and Kobayashi had hauled the rich red clay of the banks upriver down to the beach and packed it into the kilns until they were smooth as glass. Then they lit little smoldering little fires to dry the clay and bake it hard. This took several days, but when it was done the kiln was ready to make pitch. -Kobayashi and her father worked all the next day dragging last year's stumps to the kilns and took turns splitting them with the axe until all the roots had been neatly stacked. Tamba, her uncle, and Francis had gone inland to gather walnut logs in the wagon, while Lulu, Birdie and Henri gathered downed oak and stacked the grasses they had cut and dried several weeks before.Now they had everything neatly stacked and ready. +Kobayashi and her father worked all the next day dragging last year's stumps to the kilns and took turns splitting them with the axe until all the roots had been neatly stacked. Tamba, her uncle, and Francis had gone inland to gather walnut logs in the wagon, while Lulu, Birdie and Henry gathered downed oak and stacked the grasses they had cut and dried several weeks before.Now they had everything neatly stacked and ready. Lulu was chewing something Francis had brought back from his trip inland. A Mvskoke woman they'd run into far up river had given him a strip of partly dried spruce gum. Francis did not like it. "It's like eating a tree," he said. @@ -754,7 +739,7 @@ Tamba took a large stick out of the fire and went to each of the quarters in tur 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 shone like gold 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 grass 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, Henri was hoping it would only be a week, but she knew he was wrong. +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. Her father turned back to face the bonfire. He raised his arms again as his voice vibrated a final incantation and then a word Lulu recognized, "ahmen". "Friends," his face broke into a smile. "Let's feast." @@ -782,9 +767,9 @@ He nodded at her as he entered camp. Papa was a quiet man, prone to grunts and n "You can go now. Tamba and I will take over here." -Lulu smiled and dashed off before he could change his mind. She knew Birdie and Henri were down at the ship. She found them playing with their cousins. Or rather Birdie and Francis were playing one game and Henri 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 Henri hadn't came up with this plan. He might be annoying some times, but he was nearly always kind and never dangerous. There was no sign of either of them. She descended below decks to find Birdie and Francis. +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 nearly always kind and 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 Henri 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." @@ -796,7 +781,7 @@ Birdie watched them but did not say anything. "Three against one?" -Henri nodded. "I came to make sure Birdie was okay, and to help her." +Henry nodded. "I came to make sure Birdie was okay, and to help her." Lulu glanced up and for the first time realized that Birdie was carving a spear. Not the sort of toy spear they used for pretend fishing when the Arkhangelsk was sailing the sands, but a real spear, of the sort she used for real fishing when the surf was calm and the Snapper ran close in to shore. @@ -804,7 +789,7 @@ Lulu glanced up and for the first time realized that Birdie was carving a spear. Birdie glanced up. "No." -"What's going on?" Lulu glanced at Henri. He shook his head. She looked over at Birdie, but she only shrugged. +"What's going on?" Lulu glanced at Henry. He shook his head. She looked over at Birdie, but she only shrugged. "Papa get back?" @@ -816,11 +801,11 @@ Lulu gulped. "Birdie, that...." Her voice trailed off. "I suppose we could fish though. If we don't see him first." -Lulu and Henri 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 they 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 they we'll say we aren't playing anymore. Whatever it is that you're playing." "I'm not playing." -"Okay, whatever. Let's just go before you hurt someone." Lulu loved her sister but she was prone to blind rages that were best avoided. Sometimes Lulu could talk her out of them, but usually, she'd learned, the best course of action was to find something Birdie liked to do and try to get her to do it. She was single-minded and once her mind had latched onto something everything else was forgotten. Even the previous thing her mind had been latched onto, like murderous desire to throw spears at her cousin. Lulu had become quite good an managing these rages, unless they happened to be aimed at her, in which case there was little she could do but run. Or hope that Henri could calm her down, which he was getting better at doing. At least he no longer egged her on, or not very often anyway. +"Okay, whatever. Let's just go before you hurt someone." Lulu loved her sister but she was prone to blind rages that were best avoided. Sometimes Lulu could talk her out of them, but usually, she'd learned, the best course of action was to find something Birdie liked to do and try to get her to do it. She was single-minded and once her mind had latched onto something everything else was forgotten. Even the previous thing her mind had been latched onto, like murderous desire to throw spears at her cousin. Lulu had become quite good an managing these rages, unless they happened to be aimed at her, in which case there was little she could do but run. Or hope that Henry could calm her down, which he was getting better at doing. At least he no longer egged her on, or not very often anyway. Lulu stood up. "Can I see it?" @@ -840,9 +825,9 @@ Birdie nodded. All at once Lulu could see the streaks on her cheeks and realized Birdie smiled. "No, you can never call back an arrow." -Lulu sat down next to her sister. Henri slumped down into the sand and busied himself drawing with the stick. He always listened to everything they said, but he rarely made any comments of his own. Often they assumed he was in his own world, ignoring him and then weeks later he would make a comment referencing something they had said and Lulu and Birdie would look at each other amazed that not only had heard them talking, but had remembered every detail of it. +Lulu sat down next to her sister. Henry slumped down into the sand and busied himself drawing with the stick. He always listened to everything they said, but he rarely made any comments of his own. Often they assumed he was in his own world, ignoring him and then weeks later he would make a comment referencing something they had said and Lulu and Birdie would look at each other amazed that not only had heard them talking, but had remembered every detail of it. -This time, after they all fell silent, Henri looked up from a drawing he had made. "You can call back an arrow you know. You just have to tie a string around it before you shoot it." +This time, after they all fell silent, Henry looked up from a drawing he had made. "You can call back an arrow you know. You just have to tie a string around it before you shoot it." ## Chapter 7: Sarah @@ -874,7 +859,7 @@ The little ship's captain was savvy enough at least to navigate the mouth of the 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 that sounded like a song, but a bawdy, rough sailor's song of full of cussing, drinking, and fighting worked its way merrily forward somewhere below 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 just as the red hair of the stranger settled from under a hat to reveal one of the more striking faces Lulu and Birdie would ever see, albeit, barely 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 from which Birdie could see only a white glimmer of eyes. The woman, for she was very obviously a woman, though she wore sailors britches, stiff and tarred like those her father, Tamba, Kobayashi, and nearly every other sailor on the sea wore, had on a long coat despite the heat, 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 hers. -She said something they couldn't here 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 tk stay rope. Bridie 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. +She said something they couldn't here 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. @@ -896,7 +881,7 @@ They broke awkwardly into the semicircle of adults who were still laughing at so The men tipped their hats, one of them said, nice to meet you ladies, but neither Lulu or Birdie looked anywhere but at the face of the woman, who Birdie now saw was not only a woman sailor, but beautiful as well, with striking green eyes that seems to sparkle and glitter as the evening light bounced off the river beside them. -"My goodness tk father's name, what beautiful children." She stepped forward with a kind pretend formality and offered her hand to Birdie. Birdie smiled shyly, but shook her hand. The woman did not return her shake, instead she gripped her hand firmly and turned her arm over gently back and forth. She murmured and nodded. "You're a sailor?" +"My goodness Nicholas, what beautiful children." She stepped forward with a kind pretend formality and offered her hand to Birdie. Birdie smiled shyly, but shook her hand. The woman did not return her shake, instead she gripped her hand firmly and turned her arm over gently back and forth. She murmured and nodded. "You're a sailor?" "Yes ma'am." @@ -934,7 +919,7 @@ Sarah laughed again. "You two are suspicious of me aren't you? Well, I suppose y "Do you want to know where I am from?" -Birdie considered this, and realized that, although she was about to say yes because it was the polite thing to do, the truth was she did not care. She did not know where Tamba was from beyond the vague understanding that he came from tk Africa. Kobayashi came from Japan. Kadiatu's family was from tk Africa. She already knew Sarah probably came from Ireland since her voice reminded Birdie of Uncle Cole who was from Ireland. Beyond that it did not much matter out here. It mattered who you were, what you did every day that made up who you were, not who you used to be or where you came from. That was something the British cared so much about and the people Birdie knew made it a point not to care about at all. Her father made it a point to tell them they were Alban, that they were different in some regards, that they were to hold themselves to a higher standard, this Birdie understood very clearly, but it was not because of where they came from, they did not come from anywhere, they were just out here, they had alway been out here. +Birdie considered this, and realized that, although she was about to say yes because it was the polite thing to do, the truth was she did not care. She did not know where Tamba was from beyond the vague understanding that he came from Western Africa. Kobayashi came from Japan. She already knew Sarah probably came from Ireland since her voice reminded Birdie of Uncle Cole who was from Ireland. Beyond that it did not much matter out here. It mattered who you were, what you did every day that made up who you were, not who you used to be or where you came from. That was something the British cared so much about and the people Birdie knew made it a point not to care about at all. Her father made it a point to tell them they were Alban, that they were different in some regards, that they were to hold themselves to a higher standard, this Birdie understood very clearly, but it was not because of where they came from, they did not come from anywhere, they were just out here, they had alway been out here. Still, Birdie nodded. But she'd been slow on the draw and Sarah realized it and so she smiled and looked down and said nothing for a moment. When she looked up there was something different about her eyes, like she understood Birdie somehow. "You don't care at all do you?" @@ -998,7 +983,7 @@ Birdie knew her father believed there was a path, a right and true path, for eve She told him what she had thought. He smiled and rubbed her back. "Exactly," he said. "Exactly." -The sat in silence for a while until Lulu and Henri 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. +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 @@ -1006,13 +991,13 @@ Lulu stood in the shade of the oaks, watching the thick hemp cords that held the She kept an eye, and an ear, on the ropes, but she also couldn't help keep an eye on Sarah, who had donned sailor's canvas pants, a cotton shirt and a bandanna to hold her red hair back and who was helping Tambo 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, not hot, but warm. So Sarah stood, look like a man but for her hair, working the stove. Lulu had never seen a woman like her who was both beautiful when she wanted to be, but who could also, Lulu had realized the previous night around the fire, turn into as rough toughed a sailor as any who had ever graced their shore. She was in fact two things it seemed to Lulu: a sailor and a woman, which, as she and Birdie had discussed quietly that morning, sitting on the dune eating dried fish as the sun rose, exactly what she 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 tk father's name, it was another to do it when you were Lulu, who spent most of her time feeling small, curious, and unsure of the right thing to do. She told stories, she invented elaborate stories primarily to keep anyone from thinking too much about her, to get them involved is 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. +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 to do it when you were Lulu, who spent most of her time feeling small, curious, and unsure of the right thing to do. She told stories, she invented elaborate stories primarily to keep anyone from thinking too much about her, to get them involved is 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 and she dipped a wooden bucket in the great kettle of tar, the muscles in her arms tout and ropy as knotted lines, 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 going 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 Henri 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. +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 behind 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 the moonlight and scattered it among themselves until it faded the blackness and the bottom of the clouds merged with the blackness of the night sea. @@ -1048,7 +1033,7 @@ Birdie pouted but said nothing. "I think it's time for me to go in too Birdie," said Sarah. -Birdie gave in and they all waded in together, swirling up the last lingering trails of blue light as they went. They dressed quickly, shivering more in the night air than they had in the water, and ran up the beach to the fire. Most of the men were passed out around the fire when they got back. Tamba and Kobayashi were nowhere to be seen. Only their father was still up, lying on his side by the fire, head propped up on his arm, quietly smoking his pipe, the sweet smell of tobacco and tk bark drifting up from the bowl. +Birdie gave in and they all waded in together, swirling up the last lingering trails of blue light as they went. They dressed quickly, shivering more in the night air than they had in the water, and ran up the beach to the fire. Most of the men were passed out around the fire when they got back. Tamba and Kobayashi were nowhere to be seen. Only their father was still up, lying on his side by the fire, head propped up on his arm, quietly smoking his pipe, the sweet smell of tobacco and sett gum bark drifting up from the bowl. "How was it?" He asked. @@ -1144,7 +1129,7 @@ Birdie and her sister dug the marshes for sedge grass roots, and gathered a root And everyone always traded news. The river carried stories from far up in the mountains down to the coast and the river boatmen carried stories from the coast back up into the mountains. Birdie had never been more than a few miles inland, but Tamba had once trekked far up into Iroquois territory with copper pots and French rifles to trade for seeds and high quality corn from the foothills, fatter and plumper than the red corn that grew in the coastal plain. -To her surprise, Tamba thought going upriver to trade was an excellent idea and agreed to take Lulu and Birdie as soon as their father returned with Maggie. He grumbled a bit about losing his best helpers, but then his eye fell on Henri who happened to walk through camp. "Come here my boy, I have a task for you..." +To her surprise, Tamba thought going upriver to trade was an excellent idea and agreed to take Lulu and Birdie as soon as their father returned with Maggie. He grumbled a bit about losing his best helpers, but then his eye fell on Henry who happened to walk through camp. "Come here my boy, I have a task for you..." Lule and Birdie leaped in the boat with Tamba and unfurled the sail and pushed off before their father changed his mind. There was a decent cross wind that had them tacking slightly up through the marsh, until the waterway narrowed down to something more like a river. There was a big island at the entrance this year, which Tamba called a good omen, when the river splits further inland it means the waters have been low, floods are unlikely. @@ -1174,7 +1159,7 @@ Tamba hollered to an African man fishing from the bank. He pointed Maggie over t They on sailed in silence. -Eventually they came to the Waccamaw village where Tamba was hoping to trade for tk. Smoke rose from cooking fires just back from the river. A woman washing clothes in the river eyed them and seemed prepared to run, but she did not move. Tamba spoke to her in French and she nodded back at the village and said something in return. Birdie thought she heard the word British, she was sure she heard Charlestown. "They were here too? She asked and she and Lulu held to boat and Tamba looped a line of the gnarled oak root protruding from the bank. +Eventually they came to the Waccamaw village where Tamba was hoping to trade. Smoke rose from cooking fires just back from the river. A woman washing clothes in the river eyed them and seemed prepared to run, but she did not move. Tamba spoke to her in French and she nodded back at the village and said something in return. Birdie thought she heard the word British, she was sure she heard Charlestown. "They were here too? She asked and she and Lulu held to boat and Tamba looped a line of the gnarled oak root protruding from the bank. Tamba nodded, but did not say anything. He grabbed his gun out of the boat and they headed up into the village. @@ -1222,9 +1207,9 @@ Tamba continued to stare off at the eastern horizon. "I do not know," he said fi The cool continued the next day. After dinner that night her father pulled out his fiddle and Tamba joined in with some driftwood rasps he'd been working on. The fiddle and percussion dueled and danced with each other in Birdie's head, first her father leading then Tamba stepping to the front, stomping with his foot to add bass to his scratch and clack percussion. -Auntie Māra danced with Uncle Cole, her braid twisting back and forth, her feet light on the sand. The music found a pattern and the dancers hooked arms like the instruments and began to turn each other. Henri came rushing in and they broke apart their dance and both reached down to each take one of Henri's arms and they began to turn in the circle, Henri pushing them ever faster. Papa picked up on it, bringing his playing in line with the increasing speed of the dance until all of them were frantically spinning and finally spun apart, spilling into the sand. +Auntie Māra danced with Uncle Cole, her braid twisting back and forth, her feet light on the sand. The music found a pattern and the dancers hooked arms like the instruments and began to turn each other. Henry came rushing in and they broke apart their dance and both reached down to each take one of Henry's arms and they began to turn in the circle, Henry pushing them ever faster. Papa picked up on it, bringing his playing in line with the increasing speed of the dance until all of them were frantically spinning and finally spun apart, spilling into the sand. -It was late by the time fire died down and Papa traded his fiddle for his pipe. Henri was curled up against Lulu, already asleep. Birdie lay on the other side of Lulu, closest to the fire. She liked feeling the cool sand against her arm, the heat the fire on her back. She closed her eyes and began to drift toward sleep. In the background her father and aunt and uncle and Tamba continued to talk in lower tones. Birdie slept for a minute but woke up at some point to hear her uncle still talking. +It was late by the time fire died down and Papa traded his fiddle for his pipe. Henry was curled up against Lulu, already asleep. Birdie lay on the other side of Lulu, closest to the fire. She liked feeling the cool sand against her arm, the heat the fire on her back. She closed her eyes and began to drift toward sleep. In the background her father and aunt and uncle and Tamba continued to talk in lower tones. Birdie slept for a minute but woke up at some point to hear her uncle still talking. She drifted in and out of sleep still until she heard her uncle say with conviction in his voice, "I want to come with you this year when you leave." She woke up completely. She could almost picture the surprised on Papa's face. It probably matched her own she thought. @@ -1330,15 +1315,15 @@ It was late in the afternoon when she felt it. Lulu sat straight up in the hull Birdie sniffed again, she put her nose to a crack and sniffed deeply. -"What are you doing sister?" asked Henri. +"What are you doing sister?" asked Henry. "Lu says the wind smell different." -Henri 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." +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." "Yes," said Lulu, "but it smells like more like the sea." -Henri stared. "What did you say?" +Henry stared. "What did you say?" While her brother and sister did not notice it, at nearly the same moment that Lulu had hit her head, her father had also jerked upright out of a sound sleep in a hammock slug between to pieces of driftwood. "Tamba!" He shout leaping out of the hammock. "Storm." @@ -1382,7 +1367,7 @@ Lulu and Birdie shared a look. On a good day, with a favorable wind and tide com Birdie nodded and they left their Aunt to grab her things and head for their camp where they promised to meet her later. The trail from camp to the marsh was hard going at this end of the island, loose sand you could not run in, sharp shells and sticker plants everywhere. It took them longer than either had planned to get up the river where the sand bar at low tide was high enough that they could wade across to the next island and out on the point. Already the wind had begun to pick up. Lulu could feel the pressure dropping. Her ears popped. This was going to be big one.Birdie was crying again. "Come on," said Lulu. "We have to get back." -By the time they got back Papa and Henri were on their second sled drag from camp to the boat. Papa pulled, Henri ran behind grabbing anything that fell off. Lulu dashed into the hut and grabbed her bag, which held her notebook, quills, and ink, the only things in the world she cared about. She slung her bag over her shoulder as she waited for Birdie to grab her paints and things. They set off after her father and Henri, who were already well down the trail. At the boat Tamba was already raising the sails while Aunt Māra hurried up and down out of the hold, hauling dried fish and water in small barrels. +By the time they got back Papa and Henry were on their second sled drag from camp to the boat. Papa pulled, Henry ran behind grabbing anything that fell off. Lulu dashed into the hut and grabbed her bag, which held her notebook, quills, and ink, the only things in the world she cared about. She slung her bag over her shoulder as she waited for Birdie to grab her paints and things. They set off after her father and Henry, who were already well down the trail. At the boat Tamba was already raising the sails while Aunt Māra hurried up and down out of the hold, hauling dried fish and water in small barrels. They would sail Delos up river, threading the marshes as quickly as they could, to the mouth of the river, there, on the far side of the first island, which divided the channel, they could careen her against a grove of swamp cypress. They would lash her to the trees as best they could and ride it out there. It was not a new plan. They had gone so far as to careen her once two years ago, but the storm had never materialized. Wherever it went, it had spared Edisto. Lulu could feel in her bones that this storm was not going away. It was coming here. Now. Tonight. @@ -1410,7 +1395,7 @@ He blinked at her as if this were the silliest question he had ever heard. "Beca The darkness of the storm blotted out the remainder of the day. Lulu was wishing she could be wherever the sun was setting. Some place happy and bright. She heard Tamba yell from the bow and both she and Birdie rushed up to see what was the matter. -Threading it's way out of cluster of cypress trees was a small dugout with six people in it. At the stern was man, probably about her father's age Lulu guessed. In the bow was a woman, perhaps about the same age, his wife she assumed. Between them, in the line were two girls and a young boy about Henri's age. The older of the two girls held a baby in her arms. The man was calling out to Tamba in a language Lulu did not know well, but recognized as Waccamaw. She had traded enough with the Waccamaw that Lulu had learned to recognize words that seemed like they meant please and thank you and hello. Lulu heard the man say the word she thought meant thank you. Tamba spoke fluent Waccamaw and spoke for some moments as the dugout moved alongside Delos. +Threading it's way out of cluster of cypress trees was a small dugout with six people in it. At the stern was man, probably about her father's age Lulu guessed. In the bow was a woman, perhaps about the same age, his wife she assumed. Between them, in the line were two girls and a young boy about Henry's age. The older of the two girls held a baby in her arms. The man was calling out to Tamba in a language Lulu did not know well, but recognized as Waccamaw. She had traded enough with the Waccamaw that Lulu had learned to recognize words that seemed like they meant please and thank you and hello. Lulu heard the man say the word she thought meant thank you. Tamba spoke fluent Waccamaw and spoke for some moments as the dugout moved alongside Delos. He turned to Birdie. "Go tell your father that we're going to give this family a ride and they're going to show us another, better island. We can careen on the leeward side." @@ -1464,9 +1449,9 @@ They watched as the last of the light faded. Everyone shared a meal of dried fis The storm came on so strong it seemed to suck everything toward it. The wind blew out to sea for a while, then sudden it switched and began to come back, like the storm had inhaled what the land had to offer and was now ready to speak its own story into being. It spoke in rhythm and rhyme. Wind that once whistled in the long leaf pines and clattered through palm leaves now shrieked and growled, rising like music Lulu had heard once coming from a big house in London town. It rasped over the reeds with a blast that knocked them flat, pinning them down to a single note that was washed over and drown out by the oncoming waves. As it grew stronger it beat waves across the marsh and up the river in front of them, ripples and surges of water. Then came the rain. At first a pelting, like drums rolling through the night. Everyone retreated then to the shelter of the pines, under the boat and tarps. -And then it opened up like something terrible that Lulu had never dreamed was possible. She had never known that such forces existed in the world. Everything seems to screech and wail as the storm tore at the land, working hard to rearrange, reshape, renew. Lulu, Birdie and Henri huddled with the others under the shelter of the boat, but it rocked and began to move too. Her father ducked outside and added more lines. The Waccamaw man, who had been carving more of his tightening sticks, went with him and together they tightened and shored up the shelter as best they could. +And then it opened up like something terrible that Lulu had never dreamed was possible. She had never known that such forces existed in the world. Everything seems to screech and wail as the storm tore at the land, working hard to rearrange, reshape, renew. Lulu, Birdie and Henry huddled with the others under the shelter of the boat, but it rocked and began to move too. Her father ducked outside and added more lines. The Waccamaw man, who had been carving more of his tightening sticks, went with him and together they tightened and shored up the shelter as best they could. -"That's the last time we walk out there without a line." said her father when he ducked back under the shelter. He started readying a line should he have to go out again. The flashes of lightning came so fast and frequent that it felt like the sky was just light, with flashes of darkness. She saw Henri sitting in Birdie's lap, both of them huddled next to Aunt Māra. Tamba and Kobayashi were playing some sort of game with sticks that Lulu could not follow. They gathering them up, threw them, and then stared at the resulting scatter of sticks and nodded and grunted thoughtfully before gathering them all up again and starting over. It seemed aver strange thing to do in the middle of a storm. +"That's the last time we walk out there without a line." said her father when he ducked back under the shelter. He started readying a line should he have to go out again. The flashes of lightning came so fast and frequent that it felt like the sky was just light, with flashes of darkness. She saw Henry sitting in Birdie's lap, both of them huddled next to Aunt Māra. Tamba and Kobayashi were playing some sort of game with sticks that Lulu could not follow. They gathering them up, threw them, and then stared at the resulting scatter of sticks and nodded and grunted thoughtfully before gathering them all up again and starting over. It seemed aver strange thing to do in the middle of a storm. Lulu knew if she went outside the wind would blow her away. She knew it would actually move her across the ground with more power and she had to resist it. It would shape her, it would put her wherever it wanted, she knew it and yet a part of her still longed to duck out under the canvas and feel it, feel her own helplessness in the face of the storm, measure herself against this great rearranging force, to feel as physically insignificant as she sometimes felt in her head. It was so big thing. She was so small a thing in the face of it. But she was sure she could outwit it somehow, could dodge it, could survive it using only what she had about her. It was a feeling at once of power and fear mingled together. @@ -1608,7 +1593,7 @@ Kobayashi smiled. "I believe she does." Sam Bellamy was the nicest captain to ever call on their camp. He was tall, strong, and rode the launch in the next morning like a true captain, one foot on the gunwale, holding the bowline, in command. He was dressed in his trademark black pants, red sash and worn, but still very stylishly cut, black jacket. In the sash were four duelling pistols that never left his person. At his side hung a French style rapier that we was reportedly very deft at wielding. He leaped just as the launch hit the sand and cleared the last bit of surf and foam to land on the sand, crouched down like a cat. Captain Black Sam had arrived. -Lulu stood with her brother and sister and father watching the men run the launch boat up on shore and secure her anchor in the sand. Captain Sam left them to their business, marching up the shore without a backward glance. He stopped in front of them with a smile. And bowed to her father. "Captain tk father's name, we humbling ask that we might anchor here at your island." He straightened back up. Her father laughed and stepped forward, embracing Bellamy. "Good to see you Sam." +Lulu stood with her brother and sister and father watching the men run the launch boat up on shore and secure her anchor in the sand. Captain Sam left them to their business, marching up the shore without a backward glance. He stopped in front of them with a smile. And bowed to her father. "Captain Nicholas, we humbling ask that we might anchor here at your island." He straightened back up. Her father laughed and stepped forward, embracing Bellamy. "Good to see you Sam." He crouched down in front of the kids and smiled. "Birdie, how you've grown my dear." He turned to her sister. "And Lulu, still climbing trees?" @@ -1642,7 +1627,7 @@ Captain Sam put his hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry Birdie." Bellamy struggle to his feet and dusted off the sand. He clapped a hand on her father's shoulder. "I know you don't drink captain, but I may have to tonight. Now tell me about the storm. We saw it, but it went well north of us at the time." -Her father nodded, and started to walk down the path toward the camp, Bellamy followed, leaving Birdie, Lulu, and Henri standing on the beach, staring at the Arkhangelsk. +Her father nodded, and started to walk down the path toward the camp, Bellamy followed, leaving Birdie, Lulu, and Henry standing on the beach, staring at the Arkhangelsk. "I wish it had been washed away." Birdie said it before she'd really thought about it, and then she realized she meant it. It would never been the same. She would never be able to play on the ship without thinking of Francis. She realized then that she didn't want to play on it anymore. She wondered if she really wanted to play. She wanted to... she wanted something and she didn't know what it was. She wanted Francis back. She wanted Owen back. She would even take her uncle Cole back. She just wanted things to be how they had been. She wanted her aunt to be like she was, she wanted to play on the boat, she wanted.... @@ -1656,17 +1641,17 @@ Birdie didn't say anything, but she smiled thinking about it. Captain Jack. Jack He knelt down before them, his ridiculously large tri-pointed hat with its single ostrich feather was all they could see. He lifted his head and looked at each of their faces. "Birdie, Lulu. Have you been taking good care of your father and your brother?" -Birdie nodded, but could not bring herself to speak. Jack spun his head around to Henri. "Is this true Henri?" +Birdie nodded, but could not bring herself to speak. Jack spun his head around to Henry. "Is this true Henry?" "Yes, sir." -"Good. Good." A wide smile came over Jack's face. He put her arms around Birdie and then Lulu, and then waved a hand to draw Henri in too. "tk father's name, you know I am here to steal your children." +"Good. Good." A wide smile came over Jack's face. He put her arms around Birdie and then Lulu, and then waved a hand to draw Henry in too. "Nicholas, you know I am here to steal your children." Jack straighted up and adjusted his hat. "We need to careen. *Whydah* has worms, our canvas is frayed, and lines are shredded. She's a sad sight when you get out there." Her father nodded. "We'll bring her in at high tide then. Send some of your men out hunting with Tamba, let's see if they can't get a couple boar, we'll cook them overnight, have a feast tomorrow." -"You know tk father's name, that I and my crew will drink if we do that." +"You know Nicholas, that I and my crew will drink if we do that." "Good for you John. I don't care if you drink all the rum on the island, so long as you're not aboard my ship." @@ -1674,7 +1659,7 @@ Her father nodded. "We'll bring her in at high tide then. Send some of your men "I call it home actually." -"Oh relax, tk father's name, I'm just playing. She's a fine vessel. She's got what, two guns is it? He slapped his hand on her father's shoulder and stopped laughing quite suddenly. "Everyone knows you're one of the finest captains in the East Indies and yet you have a this tiny boat, and you spend all your time on shore making tar... which, don't get me wrong, you make the best tar... anywhere, but I don't understand why, you could have a huge ship, a proper crew and I'd be willing to bet you could take a Galleon without hardly trying and retire in wealth and splendor. Do you like this jacket by the way, it's new." Ratham held out his arm and her father pinched the calico cloth between his fingers and rubbed it. +"Oh relax, Nicholas, I'm just playing. She's a fine vessel. She's got what, two guns is it? He slapped his hand on her father's shoulder and stopped laughing quite suddenly. "Everyone knows you're one of the finest captains in the East Indies and yet you have a this tiny boat, and you spend all your time on shore making tar... which, don't get me wrong, you make the best tar... anywhere, but I don't understand why, you could have a huge ship, a proper crew and I'd be willing to bet you could take a Galleon without hardly trying and retire in wealth and splendor. Do you like this jacket by the way, it's new." Ratham held out his arm and her father pinched the calico cloth between his fingers and rubbed it. "I don't know anything about clothes John, but it seems nice to me. As for the ship, I rather like the one I've got." he paused and glanced at Birdie. "You see John, when you know you can have something whenever you want it, you don't always feel the need to have it all the time." @@ -1682,9 +1667,9 @@ Ratham laughed. "Well there you go then. Good man." He walked over to the first --- -Bellamy and her father did most of the work to get Revenge in and on her side. Jack made a chair out of some wood planks and a pile of sand and sat down, jug of rum at hand, watching the progress. It took the entire crew and half the trees they'd cut that summer to bring Whydah in and get her on her side, sufficiently out of the water to work on her hull. At Ratham's insistence they started on the starboard side. "Always start on starboard," he said. tk father's name had just shrugged and passed the word on to the men doing the work. +Bellamy and her father did most of the work to get Revenge in and on her side. Jack made a chair out of some wood planks and a pile of sand and sat down, jug of rum at hand, watching the progress. It took the entire crew and half the trees they'd cut that summer to bring Whydah in and get her on her side, sufficiently out of the water to work on her hull. At Ratham's insistence they started on the starboard side. "Always start on starboard," he said. Nicholas had just shrugged and passed the word on to the men doing the work. -Lulu, Birdie and Henri sat on the bow of the Arkhangelsk, watching the men work on the hull of the Whydah. "She looks to be pretty badly worm eaten. Probably doesn't have but a couple years left in her at most," said Lulu. +Lulu, Birdie and Henry sat on the bow of the Arkhangelsk, watching the men work on the hull of the Whydah. "She looks to be pretty badly worm eaten. Probably doesn't have but a couple years left in her at most," said Lulu. Birdie swung her legs idly. She wished she could help, but her father wouldn't let her even roll barrels of tar down the beach. Too dangerous he'd said. Birdie understood the danger of careening, but she failed to see what was dangerous about painting a hull with tar. "If a line gives way, if a timber rolls and that ship moves, it crushes anything in it's path like a bug" her father said. "I'd just jump out of the way," she said, but he'd only grunted and ignored her further pleading. And so she sat, watching from another ship. @@ -1692,21 +1677,21 @@ Over Birdie's shoulder, back toward camp she could see a plume of smoke rising u It wasn't until she glanced out at the sea beyond Whydah that she realized she had not thought of Francis or Owen for several hours. Is this what happens she thought with a start. Is this how we move on? We slowly forget them? It seemed somehow the most horrible thing she could have done and yet she realized she didn't do it, it simply happened. At most she let it happen. Then she understand why Aunt Māra wore black and kept to herself. If you didn't make an effort to hold the dead in your mind you risked them slipping away from you. -She found herself wondering what Francis would have thought of Calico Jack, he was hard not to love. He was loud, often drunk, a bit of a fool, but completely lovable. Henri followed him around like he was the greatest thing on the island, which she knew irritated her father, though he never said anything or made any effort to stop him. Jack was harmlessly hilarious, though from stories the crew told he was fierce and quite capable when he needed to be. He was after all quartermaster of a ship of about sixty men who'd picked him to lead them. +She found herself wondering what Francis would have thought of Calico Jack, he was hard not to love. He was loud, often drunk, a bit of a fool, but completely lovable. Henry followed him around like he was the greatest thing on the island, which she knew irritated her father, though he never said anything or made any effort to stop him. Jack was harmlessly hilarious, though from stories the crew told he was fierce and quite capable when he needed to be. He was after all quartermaster of a ship of about sixty men who'd picked him to lead them. More than the captain, the quartermaster ran a ship. The captain decided where to go, what course to set, but the quartermaster represented the men, and was first over the rail in a fight. They'd captured a Spanish Galleon the previous year off the coast of Port Royal Jamaica, which Birdie knew had taken skill, perhaps some luck, but skill and daring certainly. It was hard to imagine the man now sitting in the sand in his fancy coat, swigging rum from a jug and throwing shells as seagulls leading a ship full of men into battle with a ship twice, maybe three times the size of Whydah, with three decks of 24 pound canons sticking out the side of it. Birdie had never seen a galleon. None of them had, not even her father, though he'd at least seen the British equivalent. If the rumors were to be believed British warships would be here soon enough. Birdie shivered. She wondered what Ratham would do when the British came for him. Probably get drunk she decided. She watched as Ratham walked away from the Revenge, over to where Bellamy sat and flopped down beside him, taking a swig from the jug of rum. -"You know what would be fun?" Henri's voice broke the silence and interrupted Birdie's train of thought. "We should try to sneak up on Captain Jack and steal his rum." +"You know what would be fun?" Henry's voice broke the silence and interrupted Birdie's train of thought. "We should try to sneak up on Captain Jack and steal his rum." Birdie smiled. "Okay," she said. -Birdie wanted to do the belly crawl, but Lulu argued that Henri should. He was after all smaller. And he had a natural sneakiness about him. He had a much better chance. In the end Birdie agreed. And so Henri was sent out, worming his way across the sand, taking cover behind clumps of grass, stands of sea oat, until he came to a piece of drift wood which he used to worm is way down to just about even with Captain Jack's log. There was only two knots of open sand left to cross. Henri piled sand on his back and in his hair for camouflage and then he went for it. Slowly, ever so slowly, he would move, and then stop and lie still. Birdie was impressed. She understood now why he had become such a good hunter in such a short time. He was patient. And he was good at reading his prey. In this case it helped that his prey was very near drunk, if not completely drunk. Henri would have pulled it off had it not been for Bellamy, who happened at that moment to turn and look in Ratham's direction and then bend over laughing. He was too far away to be understood, but Ratham saw Bellamy and other men looking in his direction and laughing which made him glance behind him just as Henri laid his hands on the bottle of rum. Realizing the jig was up, Henri snatched the bottle and ran. +Birdie wanted to do the belly crawl, but Lulu argued that Henry should. He was after all smaller. And he had a natural sneakiness about him. He had a much better chance. In the end Birdie agreed. And so Henry was sent out, worming his way across the sand, taking cover behind clumps of grass, stands of sea oat, until he came to a piece of drift wood which he used to worm is way down to just about even with Captain Jack's log. There was only two knots of open sand left to cross. Henry piled sand on his back and in his hair for camouflage and then he went for it. Slowly, ever so slowly, he would move, and then stop and lie still. Birdie was impressed. She understood now why he had become such a good hunter in such a short time. He was patient. And he was good at reading his prey. In this case it helped that his prey was very near drunk, if not completely drunk. Henry would have pulled it off had it not been for Bellamy, who happened at that moment to turn and look in Ratham's direction and then bend over laughing. He was too far away to be understood, but Ratham saw Bellamy and other men looking in his direction and laughing which made him glance behind him just as Henry laid his hands on the bottle of rum. Realizing the jig was up, Henry snatched the bottle and ran. Ratham leaped to his feet and roared a half animal yell that made Birdie's hair stand on end. And then there was the sound that made everyone's blood run cold, the long ringing hiss of a sword coming out of its sheath. "Who dares steal my rum?" Thundered Ratham. -Henri instantly dropped the bottle in the sand and kept running full speed back to the Arkhanglesk where he skidded into the sand and tried to hide. +Henry instantly dropped the bottle in the sand and kept running full speed back to the Arkhanglesk where he skidded into the sand and tried to hide. Ratham shrugged and walked toward the bottle, fitting his sword back into its sheath with considerably less drama and noise than he'd used pulling it out. He bent down in the sand, picked up the bottle and glanced over at the Arkhangelsk. He slowly sauntered over, taking a long pull of rum as he walked. He did not say anything when he got there, he just leaned against the hull below where the children sat on deck and said simple, "You see children. Let this be a lesson to you. If your person strikes sufficient fear into the heart of others, you don't actually have to hurt anybody. Just the threat of hurting them is plenty." @@ -1716,17 +1701,17 @@ He turned and walked back toward the beach. "Take the man you call uncle teach, ## Chapter 13: The Tale Black Sam Told -Henri avoided Ratham for several days, heading off into the woods in search of boar, while Birdie helped clean up and organize their camp each morning. A full ship's company could make an impressive mess of their camp. Lulu helped out, but Birdie always went beyond cleaning into organizing, leaving Lulu to her own devices. +Henry avoided Ratham for several days, heading off into the woods in search of boar, while Birdie helped clean up and organize their camp each morning. A full ship's company could make an impressive mess of their camp. Lulu helped out, but Birdie always went beyond cleaning into organizing, leaving Lulu to her own devices. -She headed out of camp, along the edge of the marsh, looking for nests she could raid. She hadn't gone far when she heard a hissing whisper, "sister." She looked around, but did not see Henri anywhere. "Sister!" This time it was louder, and she stared hard into the undergrowth until she noticed a pair of eye's starting at her out of the dark shadows and tangled branches. She walked toward him. +She headed out of camp, along the edge of the marsh, looking for nests she could raid. She hadn't gone far when she heard a hissing whisper, "sister." She looked around, but did not see Henry anywhere. "Sister!" This time it was louder, and she stared hard into the undergrowth until she noticed a pair of eye's starting at her out of the dark shadows and tangled branches. She walked toward him. "What are you doing in there?" "I am hunting. Or I was until you came along and scared everything away." He glared at her. -"How was I supposed to know?" She picked her way through the tangle of branches closer to where Henri sat on an old log. Eventually she made her way to him and sat down. She looked out, there was a clear line of fire to the game trail she'd been walking. It was a clever blind she realized. She was impressed. She had always assumed that Owen was the hunter, that Henri was just tagging along, but now she wondered. Maybe Henri was the one who could hunt. "Have you had luck here?" +"How was I supposed to know?" She picked her way through the tangle of branches closer to where Henry sat on an old log. Eventually she made her way to him and sat down. She looked out, there was a clear line of fire to the game trail she'd been walking. It was a clever blind she realized. She was impressed. She had always assumed that Owen was the hunter, that Henry was just tagging along, but now she wondered. Maybe Henry was the one who could hunt. "Have you had luck here?" -Henri glanced at her. "No. Not yet. But I will. Boar use this trail to get from the wallow to the oak grove over there," he gestured toward the trees Lulu had been headed for when he stopped her. +Henry glanced at her. "No. Not yet. But I will. Boar use this trail to get from the wallow to the oak grove over there," he gestured toward the trees Lulu had been headed for when he stopped her. "You're going to kill a boar with an arrow?" @@ -1734,9 +1719,9 @@ Henri glanced at her. "No. Not yet. But I will. Boar use this trail to get from "Because you're seven, you weigh what, 4 stone? A boar is what, 20 stone?" -Henri stared at her. "Why should I care how much a boar weighs? I will get Papa or Tamba to help me carry it." +Henry stared at her. "Why should I care how much a boar weighs? I will get Papa or Tamba to help me carry it." -"Henri, what if you don't kill it? What if there's just a 20 stone boar with an arrow in it's back charging you? It'll kill you." +"Henry, what if you don't kill it? What if there's just a 20 stone boar with an arrow in it's back charging you? It'll kill you." "Oh, I see. That's why I am back here. The undergrowth will protect me." @@ -1744,25 +1729,25 @@ Lulu looked more closely at the tangle of dry sticks. "I'm not sure about that" "Then I'll climb a tree." -"Good plan." She chuckled at the thought of Henri treed by a boar, but she stopped when he hit her shoulder, "hey" she brought herself up short when she saw the boar. It was a huge male, followed by a female. They rooted along the edge of the trail, digging at something. She was transfixed. They were not more than 6 knots away. She wasn't even thinking of Henri and his bow until the distinctive twang of the string snapped her back. The arrow hit it in the neck, there was a squeal and it charged into the undergrowth on the opposite side of the trail. Time seemed to slow down. Lulu's heart was beating incredible fast, but she felt like she was moving in water, her actions where slow and sloppy. Her body seemed to move without her telling it what to do. Before she knew what she'd done she and Henri were six feet up sitting on the low limb of an oak tree. The boar was nowhere to be seen. +"Good plan." She chuckled at the thought of Henry treed by a boar, but she stopped when he hit her shoulder, "hey" she brought herself up short when she saw the boar. It was a huge male, followed by a female. They rooted along the edge of the trail, digging at something. She was transfixed. They were not more than 6 knots away. She wasn't even thinking of Henry and his bow until the distinctive twang of the string snapped her back. The arrow hit it in the neck, there was a squeal and it charged into the undergrowth on the opposite side of the trail. Time seemed to slow down. Lulu's heart was beating incredible fast, but she felt like she was moving in water, her actions where slow and sloppy. Her body seemed to move without her telling it what to do. Before she knew what she'd done she and Henry were six feet up sitting on the low limb of an oak tree. The boar was nowhere to be seen. "Did you see that? I hit it! I got it. Yes." Lulu threw her arms around him. "That was amazing." They sat in the tree straining to see or hear something, but the woods around them where silent. Even the insects seemed to be waiting to see what happened to the boar. Would it come charging back? Was it angrily biding its time, waiting for them to come down so it could launch it's counter attack? -"Where do you think it is?" Henri climbed up another branch and then came back down. "I can't see in there. I think we should get down and look. I think I killed it." +"Where do you think it is?" Henry climbed up another branch and then came back down. "I can't see in there. I think we should get down and look. I think I killed it." -Lulu considered this and decided they should wait longer and listen. They sat in silence. After a few minutes a cricket struck up again. Then a cicada. Soon the usual symphony of the forest was back, rasping and singing its way through the afternoon. A squirrel chattered at them from the next tree over and Lulu decided that Henri was right, the boar was either dead or gone, but either way, it was time to get down. +Lulu considered this and decided they should wait longer and listen. They sat in silence. After a few minutes a cricket struck up again. Then a cicada. Soon the usual symphony of the forest was back, rasping and singing its way through the afternoon. A squirrel chattered at them from the next tree over and Lulu decided that Henry was right, the boar was either dead or gone, but either way, it was time to get down. -They climbed out on a limb away from the tangle of undergrowth that served as the blinded and dropped down to the forest floor. They waited, crouched, ready to climb back up if need be. But there was nothing. They walked the trail to where the boar had been rooting. There was a bright red stain spread over the leaves. Henri started to follow the tracks. "Wait," she whispered, but he was already gone, following the blood stains through a tiny tunnel of undergrowth. Lulu had to crouch down and crawl in the thickets section, pushing through blindly until she came out in a little clearing where Henri already stood, staring at the largest boar Lulu had ever seen. A single arrow stuck out of its neck. It was very dead. +They climbed out on a limb away from the tangle of undergrowth that served as the blinded and dropped down to the forest floor. They waited, crouched, ready to climb back up if need be. But there was nothing. They walked the trail to where the boar had been rooting. There was a bright red stain spread over the leaves. Henry started to follow the tracks. "Wait," she whispered, but he was already gone, following the blood stains through a tiny tunnel of undergrowth. Lulu had to crouch down and crawl in the thickets section, pushing through blindly until she came out in a little clearing where Henry already stood, staring at the largest boar Lulu had ever seen. A single arrow stuck out of its neck. It was very dead. --- -It took three men and an impromptu travois to get the boar back to camp. Everyone clapped Henri on the back, several sailors even paraded him around on their shoulders, but Lulu noticed that Henri seemed strangely subdued. +It took three men and an impromptu travois to get the boar back to camp. Everyone clapped Henry on the back, several sailors even paraded him around on their shoulders, but Lulu noticed that Henry seemed strangely subdued. The sailors piled wood high on the fire that night until the bed of coals was six inches deep. Then they dug a pit and poured the majority of the coals into the pit. -Lulu stood off to the side with Henri, watching as they laid the pig across the coals. The singed smell of burnt fur filled the air and everyone stepped away. One sailor stayed behind to bury the pig in sand. +Lulu stood off to the side with Henry, watching as they laid the pig across the coals. The singed smell of burnt fur filled the air and everyone stepped away. One sailor stayed behind to bury the pig in sand. Then they built the fire back up, and the fiddles came out. The firelight lit the circle of dunes a rich orange glow like a dying sun still trying to light a world. There was singing and dancing and drums that turned more and more to bawdy sea shanties, and half sung tales of balmy seas, fair winds, and prize ships filled with nothing but rum and pieces of eight. After they tried of dancing around the fire, the crew put away the fiddles and settled into storytelling. Lulu began to fall asleep until she heard someone whisper for Black Sam to tell the ghost ship story. Ghost ship? She was awake. @@ -1842,11 +1827,11 @@ It took Lulu a moment to process which other pig he was referring to but then sh "I think it's out there, missing the one I killed." -Lulu rolled over and looked at Henri. Her back was to the fire, but he was sitting up enough that she could see his streaked cheeks in the firelight. She did not say anything, but she reached out and took his hand. +Lulu rolled over and looked at Henry. Her back was to the fire, but he was sitting up enough that she could see his streaked cheeks in the firelight. She did not say anything, but she reached out and took his hand. He continued to stare off into the fire as a tears ran down his face. Finally he spoke again, his voice choked. "I think Owen is out there somewhere, missing me." -Lulu didn't know what to say. She thought a thousand thoughts, but none of them could do anything to ease the pain of that image, of Owen and tk and Uncle Cole, somewhere out there in the darkness, never able to find their way back, searching for their families, but never able to find them. She said nothing, but when Henri finally laid his head down, she pulled him close and wrapped her arms around him and they fell asleep that way. +Lulu didn't know what to say. She thought a thousand thoughts, but none of them could do anything to ease the pain of that image, of Owen and Charles and Uncle Cole, somewhere out there in the darkness, never able to find their way back, searching for their families, but never able to find them. She said nothing, but when Henry finally laid his head down, she pulled him close and wrapped her arms around him and they fell asleep that way. ## Chapter 14: Careen @@ -1900,7 +1885,7 @@ It was early morning, Lulu was still half asleep but a voice was yelling. "Someo Lulu jumped out of her covers and dashed into a hut to grab the glass out of her father's sea chest, which lay opposite the door. She turned around and almost barreled right through Kobayashi, who laughed. "What is this big panic?" -"Father wants the glass." She darted out the door with the glass clutched tight in her hand and looped up the dune to where her father, Birdie and Henri were standing. They were all shielding their eyes, watching the thin line of horizon where two ships were sailing, nearly directly toward them. Her father held out his hand without ever looking down. Lulu handed the glass to him. +"Father wants the glass." She darted out the door with the glass clutched tight in her hand and looped up the dune to where her father, Birdie and Henry were standing. They were all shielding their eyes, watching the thin line of horizon where two ships were sailing, nearly directly toward them. Her father held out his hand without ever looking down. Lulu handed the glass to him. "Revenge. And her prize I imagine." His voice trailed off to a whisper. "Why are they coming here?" @@ -1908,11 +1893,11 @@ Lulu knew he was talking to himself, but she enjoyed answering his inner monolog Her father took the glass from his eye and stared down at her. He cocked his head to the side as if considering her, but she knew he was really considering some silent thought in his head. "That could be Lu. That could be." -He turned around and walked back toward camp. "We may need meat," he said to no one in particular. "I am going to sail the Pirogue out to them and see what's afoot. I'll have them fire a cannon if they're coming ashore." Lulu watched from dune as he headed down the trail toward the marsh to collect the pirogue. She considered running after him, but she knew what he'd say *it's too dangerous*. It was always too dangerous. She grumbled to herself as she walked back toward camp to see Tamba and Kobayashi packing their rifles. "You should take Henri." They glanced at her, then at each other. Tamba shrugged. Kobayashi looked at her, go get him. +He turned around and walked back toward camp. "We may need meat," he said to no one in particular. "I am going to sail the Pirogue out to them and see what's afoot. I'll have them fire a cannon if they're coming ashore." Lulu watched from dune as he headed down the trail toward the marsh to collect the pirogue. She considered running after him, but she knew what he'd say *it's too dangerous*. It was always too dangerous. She grumbled to herself as she walked back toward camp to see Tamba and Kobayashi packing their rifles. "You should take Henry." They glanced at her, then at each other. Tamba shrugged. Kobayashi looked at her, go get him. -Lulu bolted back up the dune. Henri was already on the far side, walking the shore with Birdie. She yelled. They turned. But she knew they could not hear her. She gestured for them to come, and then she began running toward them. They met in the middle and Lulu had to bend over, panting hard before she could get it out even in gasps. "Henry... hunt... Tamba... Kobayashi..." Birdie put is together before Henri, and shouted. "Tamba and Kobayashi said Henri can go hunting?" +Lulu bolted back up the dune. Henry was already on the far side, walking the shore with Birdie. She yelled. They turned. But she knew they could not hear her. She gestured for them to come, and then she began running toward them. They met in the middle and Lulu had to bend over, panting hard before she could get it out even in gasps. "Henry... hunt... Tamba... Kobayashi..." Birdie put is together before Henry, and shouted. "Tamba and Kobayashi said Henry can go hunting?" -Lulu nodded and sat down in the sand. Henri did not ask for details. he was off and running the miute Birdie had opened her mouth. The girls sat in the sand, catching their breath. Birdie stood up. "Look, papa." +Lulu nodded and sat down in the sand. Henry did not ask for details. he was off and running the miute Birdie had opened her mouth. The girls sat in the sand, catching their breath. Birdie stood up. "Look, papa." There was the Pirogue, barreling out of the river mouth, sail smartly trimmed. They could see their father's back as the boat road the offshore breeze through the surf at the mouth of the river, where the currents were slippery and strange and Lulu hated the way the boat moved, it moved unnaturally. Unlike a boat ever moved anywhere else. It was the only thing she hated about sailing, crossing the mouth of a good size river. @@ -1924,7 +1909,7 @@ They watched as the pirogue and the man of war closed the gap between them. The They lost interest in the game as the two boats drew together. "I wish we had a glass," said Birdie. -"I wish we were in the boat with Papa," said Lulu. Though she too wished they at least had a glass. Technically Tamba had a glass and he probably would have let them use it if they'd asked, but she had not thought of it. Her only thought was to get Henri headed back to camp so he could go hunting. Without Owen around Henry had no one to hunt with. He'd had no one to share the glory of his boar with. Because while it was fun to be paraded around on shoulders, she knew the one he really wanted to know about it was Owen. He never spoke of Owen, or of hunting, but she knew he missed them both. She saw it in the way he sat quiet sometimes, staring at nothing. It was little bit like what Aunt Māra did, but it didn't last as long. Still it lasted long enough that Lulu had noticed it, and as soon as she noticed it she'd made a point to look for ways she could help him. This was the first thing she'd been able to do. It made her feel good to think of him off hunting, though she did wish that she'd thought to ask Tamba for his glass because it was impossible to tell what was happening offshore. Her father's boat was in irons, probably being towed by a line to Revenge, since she had not slacked sail, though she did appear to be coming about. The pirogue's sail flutter like a flag alongside. +"I wish we were in the boat with Papa," said Lulu. Though she too wished they at least had a glass. Technically Tamba had a glass and he probably would have let them use it if they'd asked, but she had not thought of it. Her only thought was to get Henry headed back to camp so he could go hunting. Without Owen around Henry had no one to hunt with. He'd had no one to share the glory of his boar with. Because while it was fun to be paraded around on shoulders, she knew the one he really wanted to know about it was Owen. He never spoke of Owen, or of hunting, but she knew he missed them both. She saw it in the way he sat quiet sometimes, staring at nothing. It was little bit like what Aunt Māra did, but it didn't last as long. Still it lasted long enough that Lulu had noticed it, and as soon as she noticed it she'd made a point to look for ways she could help him. This was the first thing she'd been able to do. It made her feel good to think of him off hunting, though she did wish that she'd thought to ask Tamba for his glass because it was impossible to tell what was happening offshore. Her father's boat was in irons, probably being towed by a line to Revenge, since she had not slacked sail, though she did appear to be coming about. The pirogue's sail flutter like a flag alongside. And then they watched as the Pirogue heeled slightly, caught the wind and pulled away from Revenge. The big ship began to turn away, abreast the wind, Lulu saw the anchor fall from the bow and guessed Revenge was going to spend the night just off the mouth of the river. @@ -2036,7 +2021,7 @@ Lulu glanced at her father, he was staring into the fire lost in thought. She wo "You want to sail Revenge around the south seas eh Jack?" Her father smiled. "I'd go with you in Delos if you did. That'd be a fine adventure. Wouldn't miss it for the world." -Ratham laughed. "No, I like my Nassau. I like my clothes and my wine and my food, my Spanish Galleons. I'm a simple man, tk, I don't want adventure, I want more rum" +Ratham laughed. "No, I like my Nassau. I like my clothes and my wine and my food, my Spanish Galleons. I'm a simple man, Nicholas, I don't want adventure, I want more rum" "They have Galleons in the south seas you know. The fleet comes from the Philippines." @@ -2118,17 +2103,17 @@ She lowered herself slowly down, not wanting to be spotted. She scuttled over to "What?" Birdie snapped awake. They gathered up their quilts and dolls and ran for camp. Their father was up, drinking some of the coffee Jack had given him. She wanted to scream, but she did not. She forced herself to speaking clearly and slowly. "There's a ship. Soldiers are rowing in." She watched her father's face. It flickered for just an instance, but otherwise he looked at her as if she had just told him about a shell she found on the beach. He took a sip of coffee. He swallowed. -"Well, I expect that'll be this McPhail character Jack spoke of. Hmm, a boat full of soldiers." Her father stared at the coffee as if it were tea leaves and might have some hint of the future, but there was nothing in it but murky blackness. "Lu, get Henri and go with Kobayashi and Tamba. Ready Delos to sail. Birdie, I want you to stay with me." +"Well, I expect that'll be this McPhail character Jack spoke of. Hmm, a boat full of soldiers." Her father stared at the coffee as if it were tea leaves and might have some hint of the future, but there was nothing in it but murky blackness. "Lu, get Henry and go with Kobayashi and Tamba. Ready Delos to sail. Birdie, I want you to stay with me." Lulu balked. She did not want her sister to stay. She started to protest. She glanced at Birdie and could tell she did not want to stay either. "Papa why? I want Birdie to come with us." "Lulu," he hissed, "do as I say, and go." -She ducked into the tent. Tamba and Kobayashi had a of sail cloth bag into which they were shoving their guns and swords. Maybe she had yelled a little thought Lulu. She helped them gather all the shot and powder in the hut. Lulu picked up the coppers and the iron skillet her father loved. Henri helped with a bag of shot. The four of them headed down the trail to the marsh, Lulu tried to think where the tide was. She thought about the boat coming in, she tried to see it in her memory, where was the surf line, she thought it was high, that would mean there would be enough water to easily float Delos. +She ducked into the tent. Tamba and Kobayashi had a of sail cloth bag into which they were shoving their guns and swords. Maybe she had yelled a little thought Lulu. She helped them gather all the shot and powder in the hut. Lulu picked up the coppers and the iron skillet her father loved. Henry helped with a bag of shot. The four of them headed down the trail to the marsh, Lulu tried to think where the tide was. She thought about the boat coming in, she tried to see it in her memory, where was the surf line, she thought it was high, that would mean there would be enough water to easily float Delos. They stored the goods they could carry on the ship. Lulu set about readying her to sail, while Tamba and Kobayashi made a second trip to secure more of their belongings, dragging a sled full of blankets, skins and furs, the cooking tripod, and her father's precious water pot for making tea. They used tackle to hoist the entire sled on board. Lulu scurried around stowing things she could, securing with lines the things she could find no place for, while Tamba and Kobayashi winched Delos down the pine logs one which she rested, deeper into the water. -Lulu's heart was racing. She kept glancing back over at the darkness of the forest, half expecting to see the flash of redcoats and bayonet knives, but it was silent and dark. Whatever was happening back at camp, the soldiers did not seem to know about Delos. Lulu's heart pinched and her throat went dry when she thought too long about her sister and her father, surely by now prisoners of the soldiers, of McPhail. She tried to keep herself busy, but the truth was, once everything was stowed there was nothing for Henri and her to do. +Lulu's heart was racing. She kept glancing back over at the darkness of the forest, half expecting to see the flash of redcoats and bayonet knives, but it was silent and dark. Whatever was happening back at camp, the soldiers did not seem to know about Delos. Lulu's heart pinched and her throat went dry when she thought too long about her sister and her father, surely by now prisoners of the soldiers, of McPhail. She tried to keep herself busy, but the truth was, once everything was stowed there was nothing for Henry and her to do. There was a light splashing sound when Delos came off the logs and into the water. Kobayashi waded through the stinking mud and climbed up a rope ladder Lulu hung over the side for him. She helped him rinse his pants from a barrel of salt water that was always on deck. She had never seen Kobayashi anything other than cheerful, but for the first time he seemed very serious, almost somber. He did not smile at her at he usually did, he simply nodded and went aft to find Tamba. @@ -2152,7 +2137,7 @@ She stood and looked behind her for the first time. The sun was low on the horiz --- -McPhail hadn't even come ashore with the landing party. Captain tk, the man whose shadow had first come sliding down the dune behind her, had to send for McPhail. When he arrived he seemed not particularly interested in either her or her father. No one bothered to chain them, no one said they were under arrest. No one did anything, though Birdie could feel, she knew, that they could not leave. +McPhail hadn't even come ashore with the landing party. Captain Vickry, the man whose shadow had first come sliding down the dune behind her, had to send for McPhail. When he arrived he seemed not particularly interested in either her or her father. No one bothered to chain them, no one said they were under arrest. No one did anything, though Birdie could feel, she knew, that they could not leave. She spent most of the day trying to figure out what Lulu and the rest of her family were doing. She knew Delos was not in the marsh because the soldiers had gone down to the marsh to look around and come back and reported that there was nothing there. And yet it wasn't hard to tell that clearly it was not just her father and Aunt Māra, whom the soldiers rounded up from the other end of the island, and her living here. The three of them sat around the cold ashes of the fire, her father and Aunt Māra sometimes whispering back and forth. Their voices were too low for Birdie to hear, but she could tell that her Aunt was mad at her father about something. Possibly about everything. @@ -2172,7 +2157,7 @@ Her father stood up. "I will go, leave her out of this." "All of you." He said, this time in a much more sinister voice that Birdie did not like. -She followed her father and aunt through the dunes and down the beach where McPhail, Birdie assumed it was McPhail, sat at small table reading through some papers. "Ah, the legendary captain tk." +She followed her father and aunt through the dunes and down the beach where McPhail, Birdie assumed it was McPhail, sat at small table reading through some papers. "Ah, the legendary captain of this pirate outfit." Birdie glanced at her father. Legendary? How did anyone from England ever know who they were? @@ -2192,7 +2177,7 @@ McPhail glanced around, out at the ship anchored offshore. "Well, as long as you Her father said nothing. -"Because this island was mine the moment the king put ink to parchment, which was two years ago. Which makes you... that makes you a criminal Mr tk. You have stolen my trees, poached them like a common poacher. No different than the poachers taking my game in England. Do you know what happens to them?" +"Because this island was mine the moment the king put ink to parchment, which was two years ago. Which makes you... that makes you a criminal. You have stolen my trees, poached them like a common poacher. No different than the poachers taking my game in England. Do you know what happens to them?" "I expect you feed them to the dogs." @@ -2220,13 +2205,13 @@ This time McPhail smiled cruelly. "Do you see a king anywhere around us?" "Well that's because I am his majesty's emissary. He did not deem it necessary to come all this way on this piddly little errand, he entrusted me to do it for him." -"Did he? Well, let me ask you something Mr McPhail, do you see a king around here?" +"Did he? Well, let me ask you something Mr. McPhail, do you see a king around here?" McPhail frowned. "I think we already established that. Have you been drinking? "Do you see an army around here?" -Birdie noticed McPhail almost imperceptibly flinch, "I do Mr tk. I see an infantry company that's about to take you to charlestown to be tried for trespass on the kings land." +Birdie noticed McPhail almost imperceptibly flinch, "I do. I see an infantry company that's about to take you to Charlestown to be tried for trespass on the King's land." Her father ignored the last statement, but he glanced around looking at the soldiers. "I see an infantry company of 14 men, and one warship of 32 guns. And if I were you McPhail." Her father paused and stared directly into McPhail's eyes. "If I were you, that would make me very nervous." @@ -2240,7 +2225,7 @@ Her father smiled. "Me probably, not you. His ego won't let him chain women in f "You have much more confidence in your ability to read people than I do." -Her father said nothing. They heard McPhail yell something. Birdie started to turn, but her father caught her arm. "forward Birdie, no looking back. You don't react, the minute you react they're in charge. Always keep them reacting to you. Even when it seems crazy." He smiled at her. The three of them stopped in the shelter of the dunes, out of sight of both the beach and the soldiers back in camp. "It's okay Birdie. We're going to be fine. You and I are going to Charlestown. Most likely by wagon. We may be separated, but don't worry, don't react. Trust that I will come get you. No matter what happens, I will come for you." +Her father said nothing. They heard McPhail yell something. Birdie started to turn, but her father caught her arm. "Forward Birdie, no looking back. You don't react. The minute you react they're in charge. Always keep them reacting to you. Even when it seems crazy." He smiled at her. The three of them stopped in the shelter of the dunes, out of sight of both the beach and the soldiers back in camp. "It's okay Birdie. We're going to be fine. You and I are going to Charlestown. Most likely by wagon. We may be separated, but don't worry, don't react. Trust that I will come get you. No matter what happens, I will come for you." Birdie said nothing. There was a hard lump in her throat and she felt scared. Not fear, not the electric aliveness of fear, but scared. She nodded because she did not trust herself to speak without crying. She heard the clinking of metal, the sound of soldiers running. @@ -2262,13 +2247,13 @@ Aunt Māra getting away was the beginning of that plan and that had worked. So f ## Lulu on Delos escape -It all happened so fast that Lulu never had a chance to feel anything. She and Henri were off down the trail headed for Delos 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. +It all happened so fast that Lulu never had a chance to feel anything. She and Henry were off down the trail headed for Delos 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. Lulu headed to the bow to watch for sand bars, submerged trees, anything that might snag them. -"Not this time Lulu," said Tamba from behind the wheel. "We need you at the helm. Henri," he turned to Henri who sat by the wheel, picking at a splinter. "We need you in the bow. You know the drill? Call out anything you see, even if you're not sure." +"Not this time Lulu," said Tamba from behind the wheel. "We need you at the helm. Henry," he turned to Henry who sat by the wheel, picking at a splinter. "We need you in the bow. You know the drill? Call out anything you see, even if you're not sure." -Henri nodded in excitement and darted up to the bow. Kobayashi and Tamba went below to row. Delos had room for four oars. Or four guns, Lulu reflected, which suddenly seemed like maybe they might have their uses. She wondered if her father was changing his mind about cannon on the ship. Probably not. Four guns wouldn't do much good against the ship-of-line sitting outside the river mouth, presumably waiting for them. +Henry nodded in excitement and darted up to the bow. Kobayashi and Tamba went below to row. Delos had room for four oars. Or four guns, Lulu reflected, which suddenly seemed like maybe they might have their uses. She wondered if her father was changing his mind about cannon on the ship. Probably not. Four guns wouldn't do much good against the ship-of-line sitting outside the river mouth, presumably waiting for them. She brought Delos out into the wide channel of current. She felt the boat slip and shudder at the current of the river met the current of the incoming tide. She could feel the oars lifting her, driving her against the current. Still, they were slow. What would they have done if the tide wasn't in their favor? Could Tamba and Kobayashi really row Delos up stream? It felt like they were having trouble as it was. Lulu glanced at the sun and thought for the minute. The tide would shift soon, she guessed the crest would be another hour. Then it would run out and the marsh would be impassible for Delos for the better part of eight hours. They would trapped somewhere up river until well after nightfall and then they would have the ride the river into the oncoming tide and either row, or, if they got lucky perhaps an offshore breeze could push them through the southern marsh and out the Edisto river mouth to the sea. That way the warship would miss them. Once they were at sea, nothing could catch Delos. She knew that. Or at least she believed the adults who told her that. Kobayashi swore by it. Only an outrigger could catch this boat he'd told her once. She hadn't known what an outrigger was, but he'd explained how the doubled thin hulls paired with a sail and some of the best sailors in the world made the outrigger the fastest, and possibly the best, boat on the sea. Lulu desperately wanted to sail an outrigger. @@ -2276,13 +2261,13 @@ She brought Delos out into the wide channel of current. She felt the boat slip a "Coming port!" She spun the wheel and Delos swung to port. Lulu ran to the gunwale and watched as the limbs of a tree slipped by, like two bony fingers reaching out of the river, trying to catch them. -She turned Delos back into the middle of the river and squinted at the trees in the distance. They seemed so far away. Delos felt so exposed out here. She wanted to turn around and look, but she could not. Were there soldiers there on the shore watching them slide upriver? Had they captured her father and Birdie? She could not bring herself to turn around and look. It was better to wonder than to know that that had happened. There was nothing she could do anyway. She tried to force thoughts of her father and Birdie from her mind. Focus on what you have to do. Take note of what's going on, because bad things may happen, but you can't react to them now. Never react, always act. Her father's words in her head. She tried. But somehow Birdie kept creeping back into her mind and she felt afraid. She shivered and tried to focus on the river, on the wind, the current, Henri's voice, but he sat silent in the bow. She wondered if he felt the great emptiness inside her that she felt. Is it different when you're a twin she wondered, or did everyone feel this way? +She turned Delos back into the middle of the river and squinted at the trees in the distance. They seemed so far away. Delos felt so exposed out here. She wanted to turn around and look, but she could not. Were there soldiers there on the shore watching them slide upriver? Had they captured her father and Birdie? She could not bring herself to turn around and look. It was better to wonder than to know that that had happened. There was nothing she could do anyway. She tried to force thoughts of her father and Birdie from her mind. Focus on what you have to do. Take note of what's going on, because bad things may happen, but you can't react to them now. Never react, always act. Her father's words in her head. She tried. But somehow Birdie kept creeping back into her mind and she felt afraid. She shivered and tried to focus on the river, on the wind, the current, Henry's voice, but he sat silent in the bow. She wondered if he felt the great emptiness inside her that she felt. Is it different when you're a twin she wondered, or did everyone feel this way? Finally, after what seemed like hours, Delos drew near the trees that marked the inland border of the marsh. Then they slipped into the wider current of the river. Here the current was slower, the water deeper. Another hour brought them to the stand of flooded Cypress they'd prepared years ago in case they need to hide Delos. She brought the boat alongside the edge of the largest of the trees and Tamba and Kobayashi, exhausted from rowing, but running on that same adrenaline and fear that Lulu had used to pilot Delos, managed to secure Delos. They lowered the dingy over the side with a block and some tackle. Using a bow line, Tamba rowed the small boat further into the thicket of trees and then, wrapped the line around a large cypress, ran it back through the tackle, and slowly winched Delos into the tree grove. An hour later you could have been paddling up river within twenty yards of Delos and not seen her. Lulu knew this because she took the dingy and paddled twenty yards out to fish for dinner and she had trouble finding her way back to Delos with her three catfish. Kobayashi cooked the catfish below deck, waiting until the sun had set and mist coming up off the river would mask any smoke that might drift up. They ate in silence, Tamba at the bow until Lulu had finished and she came up to relieve him. It was like standing watch, but not fun and exhilarating like that was. This was scary and nerve wracking and Lulu desperately wished she could close her eyes and everything would just go back to normal, that this was all a dream should wake from, still on the beach between her sister and brother, no ship on the horizon. But it was out there, the ship that is, somewhere out there. The question they all wanted answered was whether or not it was out there looking for them. -They gave Lulu and Henri first watch. Tamba and Kobayashi hung their hammocks topside and slept, or tried, Lulu wasn't sure how anyone could possibly sleep right now. They rested anyway. She and Henri sat on the windlass, staring out at the darkness. +They gave Lulu and Henry first watch. Tamba and Kobayashi hung their hammocks topside and slept, or tried, Lulu wasn't sure how anyone could possibly sleep right now. They rested anyway. She and Henry sat on the windlass, staring out at the darkness. "Lu?" @@ -2310,7 +2295,7 @@ Henry scooted closer to her so their legs were touching. She could feel his fear "How do you know?" -She wasn't sure. She could just... feel it somehow. She could see it in a vague way, she could already see them at sea in the wind and sunlight. "I don't know how I know Henri, I just know that I know." +She wasn't sure. She could just... feel it somehow. She could see it in a vague way, she could already see them at sea in the wind and sunlight. "I don't know how I know Henry, I just know that I know." Henry did not say anything, he continued to lean against her. @@ -2320,7 +2305,7 @@ Lulu watched the water in front of them shimmering black in the starlit night. O The darkness felt like a black quilt wrapped around them, a cover beneath which they could disappear into safety. She still didn't know why they were running, but if that was what they were to do, then do it already, she thought. But she said nothing to Tamba and Kobayashi who had relieved her just as her eyelids were starting to droop. -Henri had long since fallen asleep with his head in her lap. Kobayashi carried him back to the stern and placed him in his hammock. Lulu wanted to stay up but her eyelids were so heavy it hurt to keep them up. She didn't remember giving in, but she jolted awake again when she felt Delos move. She tried to gauge how long she had been a sleep, but she couldn't see the moon for the trees and wasn't sure where it had been when she fell asleep anyway. +Henry had long since fallen asleep with his head in her lap. Kobayashi carried him back to the stern and placed him in his hammock. Lulu wanted to stay up but her eyelids were so heavy it hurt to keep them up. She didn't remember giving in, but she jolted awake again when she felt Delos move. She tried to gauge how long she had been a sleep, but she couldn't see the moon for the trees and wasn't sure where it had been when she fell asleep anyway. She rolled out of her hammock with a thud and saw Tamba was at the helm, Kobayashi in the bow, winching them forward with the lines, pulling Delos out of the trees. With a start she noticed a third figure on deck and ran over to her, "Aunt Māra, how did you get here?" @@ -2342,11 +2327,11 @@ Lulu's heart skipped a beat. Ocracoke. Her Uncle Edward. Not really an uncle, bu Lulu shivered. "I miss her." -"I know you do." She stood up again. "We'll get them back. Don't worry. You head up in the bow and help Kobayashi. It's going to be hard going in this darkness, we need all the eyes we have up there on the water. I'll go check on Henri." +"I know you do." She stood up again. "We'll get them back. Don't worry. You head up in the bow and help Kobayashi. It's going to be hard going in this darkness, we need all the eyes we have up there on the water. I'll go check on Henry." Lulu went up to the bow and helped Kobayashi pull in the last of the lines. Delos was free of the trees and began to drift into the current. She kept an eye out and Kobayashi went up to raise their main sheet. It would make them easier to see, but they wouldn't get far without it. There wasn't much wind, but between what wind there was and the current of the river and tide heading out, they should be able to make their way along the backside of Edisto island, into the southern fork of the Edisto, using its current to get themselves out to sea. If it didn't work there were always the oars. -Henri woke up when they moved out of the river current and into the slower water of the marsh. It felt like Delos was running aground as she moved into the slow mushy waters. Henri came and sat beside her in the bow, staring into the black water, looking for anything that might cause problems, dead trees, reeds indicating shallow water. It was all but impossible to see though. They moved through without hitting anything by Tamba's skill as a pilot and the grace of the gods, who must have wanted them at sea, not stuck in a marsh reasoned Lulu. +Henry woke up when they moved out of the river current and into the slower water of the marsh. It felt like Delos was running aground as she moved into the slow mushy waters. Henry came and sat beside her in the bow, staring into the black water, looking for anything that might cause problems, dead trees, reeds indicating shallow water. It was all but impossible to see though. They moved through without hitting anything by Tamba's skill as a pilot and the grace of the gods, who must have wanted them at sea, not stuck in a marsh reasoned Lulu. When they hit the current of the river again on the far side of the marsh Delos's bow swung toward the sea like a horse when you drop the reins. The ship knew where she belonged, knew where she wanted to be. Tamba gave her her head and she took them rushing out the mouth of the river and into the sea. @@ -2396,7 +2381,7 @@ They sat in silence, listening to someone outside snoring. "We needed her hidden so she could slip out at night. If all went well, and I think it did, Tamba and Ko slipped through the marsh and out the mouth of the Combahee in the dark. But there's little in the way of wind, she's likely not out of sight. If they didn't see her earlier, they will in a minute." He squeezed her tight again and then went back over to his bed and lay down. "It's going to be a long couple of days Birdie, best get some rest while you can." -Birdie lay back down in bed wondering what Lulu and Henri were doing on Delos. She tried to decide which was scarier, being here with all the soldiers or sailing without her Papa on board. She couldn't make up her mind, but she was glad she was the one staying behind. +Birdie lay back down in bed wondering what Lulu and Henry were doing on Delos. She tried to decide which was scarier, being here with all the soldiers or sailing without her Papa on board. She couldn't make up her mind, but she was glad she was the one staying behind. She was just beginning to doze off again when a loud angry voice barked through the door. "Get out here." @@ -2436,9 +2421,9 @@ Birdie nodded. The truth was she'd never heard that story. She'd only been to Ch Her father glanced up from the fire where he was stirring the boiling coffee. "I'm not sure, I've never tried counting them. But I've seen a few. One is more than enough." -McPhail said nothing. Her father handed him a cup of coffee and he sat down to sip it. "God that's good," he said. "I haven't had a decent cup of coffee since I left tk road in London three months ago." +McPhail said nothing. Her father handed him a cup of coffee and he sat down to sip it. "God that's good," he said. "I haven't had a decent cup of coffee since Temple Bar three months ago." -"I always preferred (west end coffeehouse)" +"I always preferred Turk's Head in the Palace Yard" "Been to London have you?" @@ -2496,11 +2481,11 @@ Was it true what Aunt Māra said, you reap what you sow? It sounded nice and it He lived, she lived, on an island, and burned stumps to make tar for ships. They harmed no one. Or did they? She knew Sam and Jack and Uncle Edward robbed ships. She knew they captured the ships, took their cargo and sold it for their own profit. And she knew Sam, Jack, Edward and others used that money to pay her family to careen their ships and for the barrels of tar they needed. Did that make what her father did wrong too? Was it too closely associated with that theft? What about the people in Charlestown who sold flour that ended up on the Whydah? Or salt pork? Or anything else? Were they too pirates in some way? Responsible for what anyone they sold their goods too did once they had their goods? Was what Sam and Jack did wrong anyway? Hadn't the Spanish Galleons stole the gold from the people that lived on the main? Did that make what Sam and Jack did okay? Or did it make them further guilty? More blood on the money as her father always said about Spanish gold and silver. He refused to touch it, called it cursed, and said it would ruin the men that took it and kept it for themselves. He said it would sit in their storehouses and rot them from the inside, eat away at the souls of those whose livelihoods were built on it, and all those who came after them. It would fester like a lesion on the soul of the nation until the nation collapsed and disappeared and the gold returned to the earth from which it came. But then her father was prone to saying things like that. Birdie wasn't so sure. It seemed to her that the merchants got rather rich and didn't seem to rotting much. She'd said this to him once and he'd said, "you're not thinking long enough Birdie." -For a long time she'd thought he meant she had not thought about it for long enough, but then one day when she'd mentioned it to Lulu and Henri, Henri, who had sat very quiet while she and Lulu talked about the morality of the pirates they were pretending to be, had said Birdie, he means you're not thinking long enough in time. She'd asked him what he meant and he just shrugged, "Papa always thinks about things way in the future. He wasn't saying they'll rot right now, he means the weight they have brought on themselves will be there forever. Or until the get rid of it." +For a long time she'd thought he meant she had not thought about it for long enough, but then one day when she'd mentioned it to Lulu and Henry, Henry, who had sat very quiet while she and Lulu talked about the morality of the pirates they were pretending to be, had said Birdie, he means you're not thinking long enough in time. She'd asked him what he meant and he just shrugged, "Papa always thinks about things way in the future. He wasn't saying they'll rot right now, he means the weight they have brought on themselves will be there forever. Or until the get rid of it." "Do you think that's true?" -Henri cocked his head at her quizzically, "I just said it." +Henry cocked his head at her quizzically, "I just said it." "No, I mean do you think it's true that the money is cursed and curse will affect everyone forever?" @@ -2512,17 +2497,17 @@ Henri cocked his head at her quizzically, "I just said it." "Then what's the point of being a pirate?" -Henri smiled. "Because it's fun." +Henry smiled. "Because it's fun." "What sort of pirate gives away their loot?" Asked Lulu. -"We do," said Henri. +"We do," said Henry. -"We're not pirates Henri," said Birdie. +"We're not pirates Henry," said Birdie. "No, I mean in the game." -They had gone on with the game but Birdie had lost some of her enthusiasm for playing pirates after talking with Henri. What was the point of being a pirate if all you were doing was bringing some vague future ruin on yourself and your family? Anne had seemed to want to do it just because it was fun. In fact almost none of the stories she'd ever heard sailors tell had much to do with gold. She had plenty of stories of attacking ships and even scary stories of boarding ships, but she had no stories about whatever was on those ships. Either they thought that was something Birdie wasn't interested in or they thought it was something Birdie shouldn't be interested in or they just didn't think about it. Was it wrong to robs someone if you just took what they had and gave it to someone else? +They had gone on with the game but Birdie had lost some of her enthusiasm for playing pirates after talking with Henry. What was the point of being a pirate if all you were doing was bringing some vague future ruin on yourself and your family? Anne had seemed to want to do it just because it was fun. In fact almost none of the stories she'd ever heard sailors tell had much to do with gold. She had plenty of stories of attacking ships and even scary stories of boarding ships, but she had no stories about whatever was on those ships. Either they thought that was something Birdie wasn't interested in or they thought it was something Birdie shouldn't be interested in or they just didn't think about it. Was it wrong to robs someone if you just took what they had and gave it to someone else? Birdie also wondered why grownups were so concerned with gold and silver and money in the first place. So far as she could tell all you really needed was a little land to have a place to camp, some place to hunt, someplace to cook. Why did you need more than food and place to sleep anyway? Well, some things were nice. Some thing you need. She needed her knife, and her fishing net. And the gun her father was always promising her, but never actually getting her. And her horsehair brush, she loved her horsehair brush. And her ragdoll Jane. And her notebook. But that was it. All that fit in her sea chest. There was no need for anything else. @@ -2576,7 +2561,7 @@ Tamba frowned. "It's going to be close. She's made good ground with the offshore She knew he wanted to talk to Kobayashi without her listening. Birdie would have found some way to listen, she had some curious way of always finding a way to listen to what the grownup were saying. They called her nosey sometimes, Aunt Māra got mad at her when Birdie listened to her, but Lulu never bothered. Grownups didn't know what they were saying half the time anyway and other half the they said things they would never end up doing, so what was the point in knowing them? -She went forward and sent Kobayashi aft. She sat down with Henri to play cards. There was nothing they could do. It was all about the wind and skill of the captains in using it. She, along with every other sailor, was just along for the ride. The wind always decided who won and who lost. +She went forward and sent Kobayashi aft. She sat down with Henry to play cards. There was nothing they could do. It was all about the wind and skill of the captains in using it. She, along with every other sailor, was just along for the ride. The wind always decided who won and who lost. By midday it was not looking good. The British ship was within hailing distance. Thankfully she had no forward cannon or they would be in real trouble very soon. As it was they still had a chance, though even Tamba was sweating now. He and Kobayashi had used lines to pull the main boom in tighter, allowing them to turn sharper into the wind, which gave them a heading the British warship could not match. Unfortunately it was also pushing them further out to sea rather than closer into the coast where they wanted to be. @@ -2598,11 +2583,11 @@ Lulu nodded. "But don't we want to find Sam and Jack?" Lulu considered this in silence. She was curious what Jack did in battle, but she knew that Jack mostly preferred to avoid pitched battles with warships. Edward was the only person she'd heard of who enjoyed that. Her father too perhaps. She had never seen him in battle. -Suddenly the British ship began to come about, moving toward a parallel course. "Tamba!" Lulu screamed as she watched tiny black dots come running out the length of the tk british ship. Cannons. All those black dots were cannons and they were all pointed at Delos. Pointed at her. +Suddenly the British ship began to come about, moving toward a parallel course. "Tamba!" Lulu screamed as she watched tiny black dots come running out the length of the British ship. Cannons. All those black dots were cannons and they were all pointed at Delos. Pointed at her. Tamba stood beside her with the glass. He didn't say anything but she noticed his hand was shaking slightly as he held the glass. She heard him exhale and steady himself. "Are they going to fire at us?" Before she was finished speaking a screaming came across the sky, a shrieking whistling roar that stopped when something splashed into the sea about two hundred feet off their port side. Lulu screamed. -Tamba scooped her up in his arms and hugged her tight. "It is okay lulu, they are not in range yet. They are just trying to scare us." +Tamba scooped her up in his arms and hugged her tight. "It is okay Lulu, they are not in range yet. They are just trying to scare us." "It's working," she said as she composed herself. @@ -2614,7 +2599,7 @@ Tamba scooped her up in his arms and hugged her tight. "It is okay lulu, they ar "Are we going to fight?" -They watched a tiny puff of smoke and then there was another roaring sound. The splash seemed closer. "We may Lulu. But I still think we can get away." Tamba glanced up at the sun, slinking slowly down behind the islands to their west. "Once that sun is down, the advantage shifts to us, he doesn't have a pilot, none of them know these waters. We will lose them in the shallows tonight, make our way to mouth of the tk river and run out it northeasterly like any other ship headed for England. Then we're home free, use the current to head to Ocracoke. Should take two days. Another to provision and ready Queen Anne, and then we'll come get your Papa while that frigate is out at sea chasing our ghost." +They watched a tiny puff of smoke and then there was another roaring sound. The splash seemed closer. "We may Lulu. But I still think we can get away." Tamba glanced up at the sun, slinking slowly down behind the islands to their west. "Once that sun is down, the advantage shifts to us, he doesn't have a pilot, none of them know these waters. We will lose them in the shallows tonight, make our way to mouth of the Ashley river and run out it northeasterly like any other ship headed for England. Then we're home free, use the current to head to Ocracoke. Should take two days. Another to provision and ready Queen Anne, and then we'll come get your Papa while that frigate is out at sea chasing our ghost." "And if we don't get away?" @@ -2628,9 +2613,9 @@ Birdie nodded. "I'm fine. How are you?" "I am fine. I wish I knew were Delos was and what luck she's had, but I'll just have to have faith in Tamba and Kobayashi." -"And Lulu and Henri," said Birdie. +"And Lulu and Henry," said Birdie. -"And Lulu and Henri," agreed her father. +"And Lulu and Henry," agreed her father. Tonight we'll likely get to Charlestown, unless they decided to wait another night and show up early. Either way we'll likely be separated. I will be thrown in the jail and you'll probably be taken to someone's house." @@ -2668,9 +2653,9 @@ Her father was quiet for a moment. "That's the hardest part. The waiting. We wil ## Lulu and Delos into the night -The sun was already below the horizon when Lulu woke up. She and Henri 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. +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. -She went below to get some food for her and Henri when he woke up. The darkness she found Aunt Māra and Tamba sewing on a huge black piece of canvas. +She went below to get some food for her and Henry when he woke up. The darkness she found Aunt Māra and Tamba sewing on a huge black piece of canvas. She took a piece of dried fish from the rafter and a ball of rice from the stove and came over to where they were working. "What are you doing?" @@ -2692,15 +2677,15 @@ Tamba laughed. "That's what your father calls it. It's a black sail, hard to see "I need a break," said Aunt Māra standing and stretching. "I'm due to relieve Kobayashi in a spell anyway. You take over for me." She handed her needle to Lulu and bent down to show her where she had been sewing. Lulu could see the ragged holes where rats had chewed the canvas to make themselves a nest. She hated rats. -She and Tamba worked in silence. When her section was done she carefully put the needle away in the bag Aunt Māra had given her and hung it back up in its spot on the wall. She grabbed some more fish and rice for Henri and went back up topside. The air was cool now and the last hint of blue was fading from the western sky. It was Lulu's favorite time to be at sea. Darkness was overwhelming, like a huge thing rising up to swallow you, but in the good way. It was so much space, so much room, it was as if you could see forever. On calm nights when they were anchored somewhere sheltered, the water turned glass and reflected the stars so well it was like floating among them, sailing on the great clouds in the sky. Which her father told her were clouds of stars, but she wasn't sure if he had been pulling her leg or not. +She and Tamba worked in silence. When her section was done she carefully put the needle away in the bag Aunt Māra had given her and hung it back up in its spot on the wall. She grabbed some more fish and rice for Henry and went back up topside. The air was cool now and the last hint of blue was fading from the western sky. It was Lulu's favorite time to be at sea. Darkness was overwhelming, like a huge thing rising up to swallow you, but in the good way. It was so much space, so much room, it was as if you could see forever. On calm nights when they were anchored somewhere sheltered, the water turned glass and reflected the stars so well it was like floating among them, sailing on the great clouds in the sky. Which her father told her were clouds of stars, but she wasn't sure if he had been pulling her leg or not. Tonight it wasn't that calm, but that was okay, somewhere out there in the darkness that ship was still coming for them. She squinted at the western horizon, but could not tell how far out they were. She came and stood by her Aunt who was taking her turn at the helm. She sat down on the stool Tamba had anchored to the deck, Lulu climbed in her lap. Aunt Māra would sail for four hours, then Tamba would relieve her and sail into the early morning, then Kobayashi would take over, then Aunt Māra again, and so it would go. As long as they were at sea, someone had to be on watch. If her father were here, and if they weren't being chased, Lulu would have a watch, usually in the day time, although once or twice her father had let her take the first night watch. Twilight was her favorite time to be at sea, there was something so peaceful about the way to sounds of the sea and light of the evening mingled together, mixing at the western horizon where the last yellow glow faded to blue and then black and then it was just the waves and the wind and stars, endless stars. -Lulu jerked awake and realized she had dozed off in Aunt Māra's lap. She stood up, hugged her Aunt and went forward to find Henri. She picked him up and carried him to his hammock, gently laying him down. She went below and fetched a quilt for Henri and another for her. The night was already chilled and would be even colder some morning. Then she climbed in her own hammock and pulled the quilt over her head and fell asleep. +Lulu jerked awake and realized she had dozed off in Aunt Māra's lap. She stood up, hugged her Aunt and went forward to find Henry. She picked him up and carried him to his hammock, gently laying him down. She went below and fetched a quilt for Henry and another for her. The night was already chilled and would be even colder some morning. Then she climbed in her own hammock and pulled the quilt over her head and fell asleep. -The sun was up when she woke with a start. It was cold, but the beginning of warmth was there in the light of the sun poking through the canvas of her hammock. It was damp. Everything was always damp at sea. Her father said sailors love the sun not because it means fair winds but because it means maybe, just maybe, for a few minutes the world won't be damp. This sun had it's work cut out for it. The inside of Lulu's canvas hammock was nearly dripping. She however was quite warm with a quilt under her and another over her. She was wondering how long she could stay in this nice warm cacoon when Henri's head poked into her hammock, appraised her open eyes and said rather matter of factly. "here's some fish, you should eat, we'll be anchoring soon." +The sun was up when she woke with a start. It was cold, but the beginning of warmth was there in the light of the sun poking through the canvas of her hammock. It was damp. Everything was always damp at sea. Her father said sailors love the sun not because it means fair winds but because it means maybe, just maybe, for a few minutes the world won't be damp. This sun had it's work cut out for it. The inside of Lulu's canvas hammock was nearly dripping. She however was quite warm with a quilt under her and another over her. She was wondering how long she could stay in this nice warm cacoon when Henry's head poked into her hammock, appraised her open eyes and said rather matter of factly. "here's some fish, you should eat, we'll be anchoring soon." Lulu sat up. "Anchoring? Where, why?" @@ -2708,11 +2693,11 @@ Lulu sat up. "Anchoring? Where, why?" Lulu looked out at the Carolina coast, which was more barren here than down south. That meant they must have had excellent wind all night to have made it this far. "What about Whydah?" -Henri shrugged. "It's out there somewhere, but we don't have time." +Henry shrugged. "It's out there somewhere, but we don't have time." Lulu chewed on the fish and consider this. "Maybe Whydah is at Ocracoke?" -"Maybe," said Henri. +"Maybe," said Henry. There was no way to know until you came right up on it. Ocracoke was a small barrier island off the coast of Carolina with several very protected anchorages. It was favorite of Thatch and Bellamy. It offered three things all sailors loved, protection from storms, fresh water, and game. It was also nearly impossible to sneak up on it. They watched Thatch's lookouts come toward them from the headland long before they rounded the bend and actually saw his ships. If they'd been flying colors they'd have no doubt been engaged, but they flew a solid blue flag with a small white trident in the upper left corner. It was another of her father's symbols which he was vague about. "It's the color of the sea he'd said once, and that's our only master. @@ -2726,13 +2711,13 @@ Lulu was pretty sure they *could* do it, but then that was the point right? Not They Anchored Delos close enough to Queen Anne's Revenge that they could have had a conversation with Thatch from the deck, but he was ashore according to the men who piloted them in. They left quickly, heading back the headland where they apparently lived, and presumably, kept watch over the anchorage. -Tamba, Lulu, and Henri climbed down into Delos's longboat and Tamba rowed them ashore. A sizable portion of Queen Anne's crew leaned over the railings, watching them in silence as they paddled by. +Tamba, Lulu, and Henry climbed down into Delos's longboat and Tamba rowed them ashore. A sizable portion of Queen Anne's crew leaned over the railings, watching them in silence as they paddled by. Here there was no surf to negotiate. The protected lagoon allowed them to row straight in and beach the boat. As they pulled her up above the high tide mark, Lulu glanced up the beach and saw two men walking toward them. One was stocky man of medium build that Lulu did not recognize. The other was a tall man with a massive black beard that stretched half way to his waist. He had long curly hair and sparkling, wild eyes. He reminded her of her father. -"Tamba! I thought I recognized that flag." He embraced Tamba, they clapped each other on the back. "How are you? Still sailing with tk father's name I see. That's still Delos eh?" +"Tamba! I thought I recognized that flag." He embraced Tamba, they clapped each other on the back. "How are you? Still sailing with Nicholas I see. That's still Delos eh?" -"Edward." Tamba inclined his head in way Lulu had never seen him do before, it was not quite a bow, but it was more than she'd ever seen him do for anyone else. "I am in fact still sailing with tk father's name and that is Delos, holding fast." +"Edward." Tamba inclined his head in way Lulu had never seen him do before, it was not quite a bow, but it was more than she'd ever seen him do for anyone else. "I am in fact still sailing with Nicholas and that is Delos, holding fast." Thatch nodded, stroking his beard. "Still making the tar then?" @@ -2740,17 +2725,17 @@ Tamba nodded. "Careened Whydah not more than a fortnight ago. Revenge before tha Thatch grunted. "Which Revenge? I've got a Revenge. And Queen Anne's Revenge. Hornigold has a Revenge down in Nassua. Hell, Vain probably does too by now." He turned to the man next to him as if sharing an inside joke. "If he stops drinking long enough to sail that is." -"There's a lot of Revenges in these damn waters Mr Tamba. What is it with Revenge? Tk father's name would say that's our problem, too much revenge, not enough... something else." Thatch chuckled. He waved his hand to the man standing next to him, you remember my quartermaster Mr Dobbs?" +"There's a lot of Revenges in these damn waters Mr Tamba. What is it with Revenge? Nicholas would say that's our problem, too much revenge, not enough... something else." Thatch chuckled. He waved his hand to the man standing next to him, you remember my quartermaster Mr Dobbs?" Tamba nodded to Mr. Dobbs. The Thatch turned to Lulu and knelt down. "You must be... Lulu?" She nodded. -"And you must be Henri. Ready to be a cabin boy yet Henri? Mine has just left, I could use a new cabin boy." +"And you must be Henry. Ready to be a cabin boy yet Henry? Mine has just left, I could use a new cabin boy." -Henri glanced uncertainly at Lulu. She spoke up. "He already is sir, on Delos." +Henry glanced uncertainly at Lulu. She spoke up. "He already is sir, on Delos." -"Ah, shame. Well," Thatch stood up. "Come, let's walk to my new home. I have property now. Here. I own it. Thatch laughed. "So, what brings you to my island Tamba? Not that you aren't welcome to visit, but tk father's name does not appear to be here, and only two of his children are, which suggests... mystery." Thatch's eyes sparkled in a way that made Lulu shiver slightly. +"Ah, shame. Well," Thatch stood up. "Come, let's walk to my new home. I have property now. Here. I own it. Thatch laughed. "So, what brings you to my island Tamba? Not that you aren't welcome to visit, but Nicholas does not appear to be here, and only two of his children are, which suggests... mystery." Thatch's eyes sparkled in a way that made Lulu shiver slightly. Tamba looked down at his feet. "Yes. You might want to hear this before we go to your property. A British ship has come to Charlestown. Well. First to Edisto, now, since we lost it in the night, I assume, Charlestown." @@ -2760,7 +2745,7 @@ Thatch glanced up. "A British ship? You mean a man of war? Do go on..." Thatch glanced at his quartermaster and raised his eyebrow. "That's four more cannon than we've got. I like this story so far, go on." -"They brought a British nobleman of some sort, claims he owns Edisto. He arrested tk father's name for cutting down his trees." +"They brought a British nobleman of some sort, claims he owns Edisto. He arrested Nicholas for cutting down his trees." Thatch burst out laughing. "He was arrested for cutting down trees? That is the most British thing I have ever heard." He glanced at Lulu, "I am sorry to hear about your father, but a British warship arrives on the most pirate infested coast in the entire Americas and arrests a man for cutting down trees." He shook his head smiling. "Some times I almost like the British." @@ -2768,9 +2753,9 @@ When Thatch had composed himself he straightened his jacket and smoothed out his "My people do something similar." Tamba smiled. "And we do something similar on Edisto." -"Yes, I know. I have experienced that as well. But this time we will not have to put up with tk father's name's contrarian streak." Tamba and Thatch both laughed. "Come, join me in some tea and bit of tobacco, and we will talk about this British warship and what we should do about it. Bring the children, we have peppermint sticks." +"Yes, I know. I have experienced that as well. But this time we will not have to put up with Nicholas's contrarian streak." Tamba and Thatch both laughed. "Come, join me in some tea and bit of tobacco, and we will talk about this British warship and what we should do about it. Bring the children, we have peppermint sticks." -Lulu and Henri's eyes widened. Edward really was the best pirate ever. Who else would keep peppermint sticks? +Lulu and Henry's eyes widened. Edward really was the best pirate ever. Who else would keep peppermint sticks? he shrugged when Tamba raised an eyebrow. "I like them. Dobbs likes them. What? Don't you like them Tamba?" @@ -2778,11 +2763,11 @@ Tamba frowned. "Too sweet." "Yes rather, that's the point I think." He turned to the children, "well you may one if you like." -Lulu and Henri both nodded. +Lulu and Henry both nodded. -The small party walked back down the beach to the tiny cluster of trees where a number of tents, ringed by cannon, were pitched in the shade. The wind blew harder here and the sound of canvas snapping in the wind added a rhythmic percussion that mixed with the distant thud of waves breaking somewhere on the other side of the dune. Edward led them into a small tent where he and Dobbs set about making tea and gave Lulu and Henri three sticks of peppermint, one for each of them and an extra to take to Birdie. Lulu carefully wrapped Birdie's in a scrap of sailcloth that Dobbs gave her. +The small party walked back down the beach to the tiny cluster of trees where a number of tents, ringed by cannon, were pitched in the shade. The wind blew harder here and the sound of canvas snapping in the wind added a rhythmic percussion that mixed with the distant thud of waves breaking somewhere on the other side of the dune. Edward led them into a small tent where he and Dobbs set about making tea and gave Lulu and Henry three sticks of peppermint, one for each of them and an extra to take to Birdie. Lulu carefully wrapped Birdie's in a scrap of sailcloth that Dobbs gave her. -Tamba and Thatch smoked. Lulu and Henri sucked at the peppermint sticks. An easy silence settled in and no one spoke for a long time. Finally Thatch said, "Well then, how soon to you think this warship will come looking for us?" +Tamba and Thatch smoked. Lulu and Henry sucked at the peppermint sticks. An easy silence settled in and no one spoke for a long time. Finally Thatch said, "Well then, how soon to you think this warship will come looking for us?" "Well," Tamba glanced at Lulu. "I could not say." @@ -2792,9 +2777,9 @@ Tamba and Thatch smoked. Lulu and Henri sucked at the peppermint sticks. An easy "I see. That could be." -"And tk fathers name does not like his new residence in Charlestown's jail." +"And Nicolas does not like his new residence in Charlestown's jail." -Thatch grunted. "I imagine not." He blew out a long exhale of smoke. "So we sail into Charlestown, blockade the harbor, demand the release of," he glanced down at Lulu and Henri, "your father, capture this British warship and sail out of the harbor, is that about it?" +Thatch grunted. "I imagine not." He blew out a long exhale of smoke. "So we sail into Charlestown, blockade the harbor, demand the release of," he glanced down at Lulu and Henry, "your father, capture this British warship and sail out of the harbor, is that about it?" "Exactly that sir," said Lulu before she could catch herself. @@ -2802,7 +2787,7 @@ Thatch grunted. "I imagine not." He blew out a long exhale of smoke. "So we sail 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 Henri'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 Henri, "recruit some new crew members." +"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." ## Birdie and her father in jail @@ -2840,7 +2825,7 @@ She thought this over a for minute. "But how did the king come to own them?" "No dear, not personally, but people he sent claimed this land for him." -"But to do that they had to forced out the Edisto. And the tk tribe. And the Sewee. You overwhelmed them with force and marched them out." +"But to do that they had to forced out the Edisto. And the Waccamaw. And the Sewee. You overwhelmed them with force and marched them out." "I did not." @@ -2872,9 +2857,9 @@ 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. -## Lulu and Henri at sea. +## Lulu and Henry at sea. -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 Delos 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 Henri drooling as they stared intently at the meat slowly cooking over the coals. +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 Delos 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. "Good Lord Tamba, what do you feed these children?" Edward smiled as he sat down next to them. "But that does look good doesn't it?" @@ -2888,13 +2873,13 @@ Edward glanced up at the circle of men sitting under the trees in the shadows of Edward stood up, drew a large knife Lulu had not even noticed in this belt, and carved off a bit of meat and fat hanging off the bottom of the rib. He did the same to another rib and then stabbed them both with a stick and handed one stick to Lulu. "This is the past meat, and it'll cook faster this way." -Lulu stood up and moved closer to the fire, holding the stick of the coals, trying to keep it close, but not burn it. "Here, here," Edward gestured to Henri, "come hold this one and Tamba and I will get some rocks so we can wedge them in place. Henri stood next to Lulu, holding the stick over the coals. "Edward has a lot of knives," he said quietly. +Lulu stood up and moved closer to the fire, holding the stick of the coals, trying to keep it close, but not burn it. "Here, here," Edward gestured to Henry, "come hold this one and Tamba and I will get some rocks so we can wedge them in place. Henry stood next to Lulu, holding the stick over the coals. "Edward has a lot of knives," he said quietly. Lulu nodded. "He does." Edward, Tamba, and Aunt Māra returned each carrying a piece of driftwood which Edward proceeded to stack and arrange in such a way that the sticks were in the perfect position over the coals. Every few minutes he'd rotate the sticks and inspect the meat, smelling it, and grunting to himself. "No children going hungry on my watch," he kept saying. -He gave the first piece to Lulu and Henri, handing them the meat, roasting stick still in it, on a piece of bark. It was the best meat either of them had ever tasted. Soon they were all silently eating. +He gave the first piece to Lulu and Henry, handing them the meat, roasting stick still in it, on a piece of bark. It was the best meat either of them had ever tasted. Soon they were all silently eating. The meat had just about disappeared, Lulu, who loved fatty bits was still gnawing her was though some flap as she called it, when Mr. Dobbs came over to the fire to fetch Edward. "The men are ready to vote." @@ -2904,16 +2889,16 @@ After they'd walked out of earshot Lulu turned to Tamba. "Do you think they will Tamba chewed for a minute, looking over at the crew. Finally he said, "I think this is mostly a formality. I don't think any crew anywhere on this coast would pass up a chance to do what we're asking them to do. Some might not bother to get your father out, but Edward will." -Edward was smiling when he walked back, most of the crew followed. "Let's go get us a new flagship," he yelled raising his mug. The men cheered and cask of rum was opened. Much to Lulu and Henri's disappointment, Tamba and Aunt Māra dragged them away from the festivities quite early. They returned to Delos to ready her for the journey south the next morning. Delos would lead, Revenge and her two consorts would follow. +Edward was smiling when he walked back, most of the crew followed. "Let's go get us a new flagship," he yelled raising his mug. The men cheered and cask of rum was opened. Much to Lulu and Henry's disappointment, Tamba and Aunt Māra dragged them away from the festivities quite early. They returned to Delos to ready her for the journey south the next morning. Delos would lead, Revenge and her two consorts would follow. --- The next day Delos sailed out of the cove at Ocracoke, followed closely by Revenge, and the sloops Adventure and Rosa, the latter two being prize ships that Thatch and crew had decided to keep for the time being, since a show of force, rather than speed was called for on this occasion. The winds and current were against them coming out to the east of the island, but as they rounded the point and moved into the ocean, the wind blew west southwest and Delos could bear almost directly for Charlestown. Revenge and the other ships, being square rigged, could not sail quite a close to the wind, and had to tack. After consulting with Thatch, Tamba agreed that Delos would sail to the mouth of the river and wait, staying out of sight as much as possible, posing as a fishing vessel should they be spotted. Tamba believed they would make Charlestown before the sun set, but it would likely be a long night of sailing either way since they'd probably have to tack back and forth all night. Unless they got their early enough to find a place they could set an anchor before the light disappeared. Tamba and Kobayashi set the sails and gave Lulu a heading before they went below to get some rest, leaving Lulu on watch. She knew that Aunt Māra was to keep an eye on her, but she also knew Aunt Māra was no sailor and that Tamba was trusting her to keep the ship on course and the sails smartly trimmed. -Henri sat on the desk beside her playing with two corn husk dolls who alternated between brutal close quarters sword fighting, and scampering runs around and between his legs and body. Sitting on the deck, below the reach of most of the wind it was warm in the sunshine. Lulu could almost pretend it was spring and they were headed north to fish, to spend the summers on the warm beaches of Rhode Island. But whenever she stood up to check her heading against the landmarks on the coast, or compare the maze of inlets, creeks, and estuaries on the map to the seemingly unbroken coastline in front of her, a cold blast of Atlantic winter wind reminded her it wasn't spring, and she wasn't sailing for fun. +Henry sat on the desk beside her playing with two corn husk dolls who alternated between brutal close quarters sword fighting, and scampering runs around and between his legs and body. Sitting on the deck, below the reach of most of the wind it was warm in the sunshine. Lulu could almost pretend it was spring and they were headed north to fish, to spend the summers on the warm beaches of Rhode Island. But whenever she stood up to check her heading against the landmarks on the coast, or compare the maze of inlets, creeks, and estuaries on the map to the seemingly unbroken coastline in front of her, a cold blast of Atlantic winter wind reminded her it wasn't spring, and she wasn't sailing for fun. -The wind held throughout the morning, Lulu only had to go aloft once and adjust the sails. She'd let Henri take helm while she climbed up the mast. Surprisingly, he hadn't done anything to her or played at it. He simply stood holding the wheel, too small to really navigate, but perfectly capable of making sure the wheel didn't turn as the waves rolled past them. The seas were picking up as the day went on. If they timed the tides wrong they were going to half a rough time heading up river and getting in the inlet. The navigating narrow, shallow channels when the ocean waves were meeting the river current and ebbing tide was never fun, but on these shores she knew it had been the ruin of many a ship. Hardly anyone went to St. Augustine, the only other town on this stretch of coast, because the inlet there was so treacherous. Ships had been known to wait weeks for favorable winds and currents to allow them entrance to the river. "And after all that you get there and it's a bunch of Spanish hovels and miserable people," her father quipped. +The wind held throughout the morning, Lulu only had to go aloft once and adjust the sails. She'd let Henry take helm while she climbed up the mast. Surprisingly, he hadn't done anything to her or played at it. He simply stood holding the wheel, too small to really navigate, but perfectly capable of making sure the wheel didn't turn as the waves rolled past them. The seas were picking up as the day went on. If they timed the tides wrong they were going to half a rough time heading up river and getting in the inlet. The navigating narrow, shallow channels when the ocean waves were meeting the river current and ebbing tide was never fun, but on these shores she knew it had been the ruin of many a ship. Hardly anyone went to St. Augustine, the only other town on this stretch of coast, because the inlet there was so treacherous. Ships had been known to wait weeks for favorable winds and currents to allow them entrance to the river. "And after all that you get there and it's a bunch of Spanish hovels and miserable people," her father quipped. Charlestown was not nearly so bad, as a town or a inlet, though it could get rough from time to time and today was shaping up to be one of those times. The wind that had brought them south at over six knots all morning had kicked up a considerable southerly swell that was now moving fast enough that it rolled Delos as it moved by. They were running almost directly down wind now. Delos rose up as the waves moved beneath her and then she slid and wobbled slightly side to side, like a squiggling piece of soap sliding across the top of the ocean. @@ -2959,7 +2944,7 @@ She nodded. "Where am I going?" "I want to stay with you." -Her father was about to say something when the door to the jailhouse swung open and McPhail stepped out. He closed the door and stepped back into the street to confer for a moment with the captain of the soldiers. Then he walked back over the wagon. "Mr tk father's name. You may step down and go inside of your own accord. Or my men can help you." +Her father was about to say something when the door to the jailhouse swung open and McPhail stepped out. He closed the door and stepped back into the street to confer for a moment with the captain of the soldiers. Then he walked back over the wagon. "Mr Nicholas. You may step down and go inside of your own accord. Or my men can help you." "What is the charge?" @@ -3047,7 +3032,7 @@ Her father smiled at her. "I don't know, where do you want to go?" "Wait, there's rats?" -## Lulu and Henri at sea +## Lulu and Henry at sea 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. @@ -3069,11 +3054,11 @@ He made a hurt face. "You mean I look scary all the time?" Lulu nodded. -Later Thatch was the first one in the long boat. He stood in the bow, one foot on the gunwale, adjusting his hat. He looked up at Lulu and tipped it to her. Tamba was the last man over. He shook Lulu and Henri's hand before he went over. "If this goes wrong, take the ship, go to Nassau with your Aunt." And then he began climbing down the netting into the long boat. Lulu and Henri glanced at each other. Lulu tried to smile, but this backup plan, it was not a thing that would make anyone smile. She filed it away under things not to worry about right now. +Later Thatch was the first one in the long boat. He stood in the bow, one foot on the gunwale, adjusting his hat. He looked up at Lulu and tipped it to her. Tamba was the last man over. He shook Lulu and Henry's hand before he went over. "If this goes wrong, take the ship, go to Nassau with your Aunt." And then he began climbing down the netting into the long boat. Lulu and Henry glanced at each other. Lulu tried to smile, but this backup plan, it was not a thing that would make anyone smile. She filed it away under things not to worry about right now. The sun was already setting as the long boat headed up the river toward Charlestown. By the time they were out of sight the darkness of night had fallen and the only thing left to do was wait. -Lulu paced the aft deck. Henri fell asleep in Aunt Māra's lap. Kobayashi sat on the bowsprite with the glass and periodically scanned the horizon. Eventually Lulu too grew tired and laid down on the deck, wrapping a quilt around her. She was just dozing, slipping between darkness and dream when the distant sound of a canon jolted her upright. A moment later Revenge fired a single answer. Then the other two ships. Kobayashi had the anchor free before Lulu could get the sails up. Delos slowly followed Revenge between the sandbars. The three ships rode the tide and a light wind through the narrows and up the river into Charlestown harbor, one sloop stayed behind to make sure reinforcements didn't arrive by sea. +Lulu paced the aft deck. Henry fell asleep in Aunt Māra's lap. Kobayashi sat on the bowsprite with the glass and periodically scanned the horizon. Eventually Lulu too grew tired and laid down on the deck, wrapping a quilt around her. She was just dozing, slipping between darkness and dream when the distant sound of a canon jolted her upright. A moment later Revenge fired a single answer. Then the other two ships. Kobayashi had the anchor free before Lulu could get the sails up. Delos slowly followed Revenge between the sandbars. The three ships rode the tide and a light wind through the narrows and up the river into Charlestown harbor, one sloop stayed behind to make sure reinforcements didn't arrive by sea. --- @@ -3097,7 +3082,7 @@ She stretched her legs which were stiff from sleeping on the hard ground. "Not t "I didn't either," said her father. "And I didn't sleep much." He stood up and stretched. He walked over the windows and looked outside. "Fair winds, onshore. And I see Delos in the harbor." -Birdie leaped up and rushed to the window. Her father lifted her up so she could see. There was Delos, at anchor a stone's throw from HMS Victory, which she saw was not flying the same black flag that flapped from Revenge and a sloop. Delos was the only ship in the cluster anchored near the harbor entrance that wasn't flying the black. She squinted and tried to see if Lulu and Henri were on the deck of Delos, but she could not see that far. "What do we do now?" +Birdie leaped up and rushed to the window. Her father lifted her up so she could see. There was Delos, at anchor a stone's throw from HMS Victory, which she saw was not flying the same black flag that flapped from Revenge and a sloop. Delos was the only ship in the cluster anchored near the harbor entrance that wasn't flying the black. She squinted and tried to see if Lulu and Henry were on the deck of Delos, but she could not see that far. "What do we do now?" "The same thing we've been doing. We wait. It's like sailing Birdie, lots of waiting broken up by the occasional moments of sheer terror." He set her back down on the ground. @@ -3125,7 +3110,7 @@ Her father stepped back from the windows and quickly sat down beside her. "Lay i There was a rattling of keys and the heavy oak door they had walked through less than twenty-four hours earlier swung open and two men entered. One was the sheriff, the other was McPhail. -"Well, Mr tk father's name, it seems you have some friends who have come for you. Pirate friends." +"Well, Mr Nicholas, it seems you have some friends who have come for you. Pirate friends." "I don't know what you mean?" @@ -3163,11 +3148,11 @@ The wagon turned up Meeting Street, headed for the shoreline. Near the end the r ## Back together on Delos. -The long boat hadn't even touched Delos when Birdie leaped off and onto Delos' hanging webbing. She felt her father and Tamba climbing up behind her, but she raced on up and over the gunwale in such a hurry she spilled over the top right into Lulu and Henri and all three of them sprawled in a heap on the deck. Birdie quickly gathered them up and they all squeezed each other until the could not breath and burst out laughing and rolled apart. +The long boat hadn't even touched Delos when Birdie leaped off and onto Delos' hanging webbing. She felt her father and Tamba climbing up behind her, but she raced on up and over the gunwale in such a hurry she spilled over the top right into Lulu and Henry and all three of them sprawled in a heap on the deck. Birdie quickly gathered them up and they all squeezed each other until the could not breath and burst out laughing and rolled apart. -Birdie rolled over and kissed the smooth oak boards of Delos' deck. "Thank gods." She looked at Lulu and Henri and it felt a little like someone was punching her in the gut, an unaccountable welling started in her gut, moved up her chest and began to slowly leak out her eyes in silent tears. Lulu rolled over toward her and they lay side by side, hands squeezed together, tears rolling down their cheeks as they stared up at the mast and the sun beyond it. +Birdie rolled over and kissed the smooth oak boards of Delos' deck. "Thank gods." She looked at Lulu and Henry and it felt a little like someone was punching her in the gut, an unaccountable welling started in her gut, moved up her chest and began to slowly leak out her eyes in silent tears. Lulu rolled over toward her and they lay side by side, hands squeezed together, tears rolling down their cheeks as they stared up at the mast and the sun beyond it. -And then the sun disappeared and Lulu and Henri were yanked away from her as her father caught them both up in his arms. Birdie wiped her eyes and stood up. The first thing she noticed was how ruined the deck looked. Delos was in rough shape. No one had scrubbed her since they slipped off in the night. +And then the sun disappeared and Lulu and Henry were yanked away from her as her father caught them both up in his arms. Birdie wiped her eyes and stood up. The first thing she noticed was how ruined the deck looked. Delos was in rough shape. No one had scrubbed her since they slipped off in the night. She glanced at her father. She was surprised to see the streak of tears down his cheeks, disappearing into his beard. It was only then she realized that just because he acted like everything was going to be fine, didn't mean the world was going to do as he wanted. To act was one thing, to bring the act to the end you wanted was quite another. But here they were, now it was time to go. "Let's raise anchor," she said. @@ -3183,7 +3168,7 @@ Over Kobayashi's shoulder Birdie saw Aunt Māra standing to the side, tears stre Birdie stayed with her arms tight around her aunt for a long time. She didn't know why, but she couldn't seem to let go. Eventually Lulu pulled her away to show her the night sails they had used, which were in the process of being folded to store away again. -She was in the bow with Lulu and Henri, telling them all about the wagon ride and the jail and what the cannon ball had done to governor's house when they saw a long boat approaching. Two men from Revenge pulled alongside. +She was in the bow with Lulu and Henry, telling them all about the wagon ride and the jail and what the cannon ball had done to governor's house when they saw a long boat approaching. Two men from Revenge pulled alongside. "Captain!" The man in the bow called. @@ -3301,7 +3286,7 @@ Her father smiled. "We'll hunt up some pigs for you. And then we'll burn the pla --- -It was after dark by the time they made it back to Delos. Lulu and Henri fell asleep in their hammocks but Bridie couldn't sleep. She sat on the gunwale, dangling her legs over the side of the ship the way her father told her never to do, but she didn't care, they were at anchor. She watched as Charlestown slowly lit up, its lanterns flickering to life as someone went around lighting them. She thought of earlier when Aunt Māra had stood to the side crying. She wanted to say something to her, to make her feel better, but she knew there was nothing to be said. Her family would never come climbing back up over the gunwale. There were no reunions in her future, just eternal reminders of what had been and would never be. Birdie nearly jumped out of her skin when Aunt Māra appeared at the rail beside her. Neither of them said anything, but she took Birdies had and held it as they watched the lights being lit. Birdie squeezed her hand. +It was after dark by the time they made it back to Delos. Lulu and Henry fell asleep in their hammocks but Bridie couldn't sleep. She sat on the gunwale, dangling her legs over the side of the ship the way her father told her never to do, but she didn't care, they were at anchor. She watched as Charlestown slowly lit up, its lanterns flickering to life as someone went around lighting them. She thought of earlier when Aunt Māra had stood to the side crying. She wanted to say something to her, to make her feel better, but she knew there was nothing to be said. Her family would never come climbing back up over the gunwale. There were no reunions in her future, just eternal reminders of what had been and would never be. Birdie nearly jumped out of her skin when Aunt Māra appeared at the rail beside her. Neither of them said anything, but she took Birdies had and held it as they watched the lights being lit. Birdie squeezed her hand. After a while she turned toward Birdie. "I will miss you Birdie." @@ -3311,7 +3296,7 @@ The color had faded out of the night. She heard the oars of a long boat dipping "Does my father know?" -Māra nodded. Birdie could see she was biting her lip. She slipped her hand out of Birdie's and went over to the hammocks where Lulu and Henri had already fallen asleep. She bent to kiss each of them, and then lifted some canvas that had been piled against the mizzen mast and pulled out a small trunk that contained what things she'd had on Delos. +Māra nodded. Birdie could see she was biting her lip. She slipped her hand out of Birdie's and went over to the hammocks where Lulu and Henry had already fallen asleep. She bent to kiss each of them, and then lifted some canvas that had been piled against the mizzen mast and pulled out a small trunk that contained what things she'd had on Delos. Birdie lowered the webbing and two men climbed up it and aboard Delos. They gathered up the trunk, tied a line to it and gently lowered it down into the long boat. Aunt Māra caught her up in her arms and squeezed her tight. "Forgive me Birdie, but I just..." She never finished. She set Birdie down and quickly climbed down into the boat. The two men went down after her and boat pushed off, headed for shore. Birdie raised the webbing back up and stashed it in its place against the gunwale. @@ -3347,15 +3332,15 @@ Her father narrowed his eyes at her. Then he smiled. "Now you're talking." Camp looked just as they had left it. Birdie ran ahead of her father and Edward's men who'd come for the tar. As she crested the dunes and looked down she half expected it to all be gone, but it was all there, the hut, the fire, the kettles beside it. Everything just as she had left it that afternoon, just a few days ago she realized with a start. A few days and the whole world had turned upside down. -Now it was time to turn their camp upside down. While Tamba and Henri, along with two of the better hunters among Queen Anne's crew headed off to the interior of the island in search of boar and deer, Kobayashi and her father fashioned sleds from spars they yanked out of the roof of the hut. Birdie and Lulu gathered up their belonging and piled them next to the sleds. There wasn't much to gather, it took longer to build the sleds than it did to make the piles next to them. +Now it was time to turn their camp upside down. While Tamba and Henry, along with two of the better hunters among Queen Anne's crew headed off to the interior of the island in search of boar and deer, Kobayashi and her father fashioned sleds from spars they yanked out of the roof of the hut. Birdie and Lulu gathered up their belonging and piled them next to the sleds. There wasn't much to gather, it took longer to build the sleds than it did to make the piles next to them. It made Birdie a little sad to see the hut begin to sag where her father removed poles for the sled. They'd never taken it down before. It always needed work when they returned, and new thatching, but they had never destroyed it before. It was always there. Now her father planned to burn it. "Let McPhail build his own damn huts," he'd muttered. -Edward laughed. "That'll show him tk father's name" +Edward laughed. "That'll show him Nicholas" Her father looked up and then laughed. "Well, it'll give us plenty of dried wood for a bonfire tonight." -Edward smiled. "That I can get behind, tk father's name." +Edward smiled. "That I can get behind, Nicholas." Birdie didn't really want to burn what the hut. It wasn't home, but she liked it. More importantly, she liked knowing it was out there, waiting for her to return. Of all the places they made camp, Edisto Island was her favorite. She was having a hard time letting go of it. She sat on top a dune while her father and Kobayashi dragged the family's belonging on the sleds, through the dunes and down the beach to where Delos's long boat waited. @@ -3391,7 +3376,7 @@ Lulu stood on a sand dune, watching men from Revenge and Queen Anne's Revenge dr Beyond that, they did not know. *Exploring we will go, exploring we will go,* her father had been walking around singing this song he had made up all evening. He always got strangely whimsical and light when they were setting out for somewhere. He'd been that way ever since he'd finished loading Delos and anchored her just inside the Revenges. Maggie was on the beach, just above the high tide line. They were leaving. That much was indisputable. Where they would go, and how Lulu felt about it all remains more mysterious to her. -Lulu, Birdie, and Henry watched as the flames devoured their former home. The crew of the Revenges sang shanties, and fiddlers played while everyone else ate and drank. But for Lulu, and she sensed for Birdie and Henri as well, the celebration felt strange. She was glad her father and Birdie were safe, she was glad they had escaped from the British, but she wasn't all that glad to be leaving the island. She did not feel the lightness her father did. Or, she did, but she felt other things too. Deeper things that she could not place, could not see the full shape of, just dim outlines, like shadows dancing in her mind, black weights clouding her lightness of being. +Lulu, Birdie, and Henry watched as the flames devoured their former home. The crew of the Revenges sang shanties, and fiddlers played while everyone else ate and drank. But for Lulu, and she sensed for Birdie and Henry as well, the celebration felt strange. She was glad her father and Birdie were safe, she was glad they had escaped from the British, but she wasn't all that glad to be leaving the island. She did not feel the lightness her father did. Or, she did, but she felt other things too. Deeper things that she could not place, could not see the full shape of, just dim outlines, like shadows dancing in her mind, black weights clouding her lightness of being. As the night darkened she found herself alone, sitting with her back to fire, watching the sea. The waves kept coming. Big, small, in between. It didn't matter. They never stopped. Did they get tired? Did they want to stop? Where they relieved to make it shore? Disappointed to be at their journey's end? What was it like to be a wave? Was it so different than to be a human? We're all echos of something she decided. @@ -3423,6 +3408,6 @@ The moon overwhelmed the milky way, but she could still see Polaris and the grea **Southerly swell**: a swell moving from south to north **Southerly wind**: a wind blowing from the south to the north **Northerly wind**: a wind blowing from the north to the south. -**Lateen rigged**: One of the earliest triangular sail designs, this rig allows the tk 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. +**Lateen rigged**: One of the earliest triangular sail designs, this rig allows Delos 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." diff --git a/lbh2.txt b/lbh2.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..32aa1ef --- /dev/null +++ b/lbh2.txt @@ -0,0 +1,5 @@ +They sail south, pass the churning tidal bore entrance to st augustine, then down and round the corner of florida and happen upon the wrecks of the spanish fleet. + +They stop, meet with the captain of the spanish fleet. He asks them not to tell anyone, their father says it doesn't matter, someone will spot them and everyone will come. + +They sail to Cuba to tell the governor of the wreck. -- cgit v1.2.3-70-g09d2