Chapter 9: Landing

The Navigation Room was not designed for comfortable sleeping, but Tara and I managed to use some old bedding, the towels and a musty duvet to fashion a mattress and bed and we settled down for the night. Tara was not in the mood to talk to me, being tired and so all I really got was a warm cuddle.

The following day, Tara and I were awake and up before the rest of the crew. We had a quick shower, used the lavatory and got breakfast before I woke the Captain, whose wound was still weeping. I got a small smack for asking her if she wanted it redressed.

After the inspection, she called Lieutenant Anne to the centre of the circle and promoted her to Commander, to take the place of Catherine, until we reach port. She then promoted Tara in the same way and told the crew the ship would be docking in the next hour or two in the St Willems Islands for boat repairs.

The island we were aiming for soon came into view, and four jetties in the centre of a bay, surrounded by the sprawling village were soon in focus.

The island cannot have been much bigger than one hundred miles square, if that, but as we sailed in to take the penultimate jetty spot, lots of faces started watching us. We were bigger than the other vessels in the harbour, and there was a genuine unease in the eyes of the spectators.

With a bump, we hit the side of the jetty and a couple of girls tied the boat to the wooden posts.

'This could get nasty', Commander Helen told the Captain on the Upper Deck. 'I want you to stay on the ship'. This met with a volley of protests from the Captain until the Commander mentioned the Admiralty and the Captain reluctantly backed down.

'Take John with you', the Captain told her and Helen nodded.

Feeling uneasy, I grabbed the sword from the cargo ship, and then descended the rope ladder with Commander Helen to reach the wooden jetty.

No one from the village had dared venture onto the wooden pier but a sea of expectant and anxious faces lined our path to the mainland. We waited for a moment, and then Commander Helen bellowed.

'WE WISH TO SPEAK TO YOUR LEADER'

A young man pushed his way to the front of the crowd and addressed us from a number of metres. 'He said he will see you. Come with me'.

As we walked towards him, the crowd parted and the man backed away before quickening his stride up the sandy lane and into the centre of the village. The villagers followed at a distance up the hill, before we turned left in the centre of the village and came outside the largest villa in the road.

'Enter', the young man barked, and we went into a large room that was sparsely furnished. Faded but still colourful tiles lined the floor, while the paint on the walls was starting to peel. In the centre of the room, sat an older middle-aged man, probably around 50. His face was wrinkled and aged, but his clothing was highly unusual. A shirt, open at the front to show his well-defined body was an array of bright colours, while his faded shorts were ripped. He held a small sword, and was flanked by four guards, all of whom were topless and were carrying weapons.

'You think you can just ride in here?', he asked me in an aggressive tone. 'You think we will roll over for you?'

'Errr ... No', I began to say, when Commander Helen interrupted me.

'I am Commander Helen and we are here as our ship was damaged in storms. We were hoping we could come to an agreement where we repair our vessel in your port, and reimburse you for any trouble'

'Why do you interrupt your Captain?', he asked looking at me. I could feel the anger rising inside the Commander beside me.

'I am not the Captain', I replied before Commander Helen could. 'I am the Cabin Boy'

'Your Captain does not have the courage to meet me?', the Chief cried. He turned to one of his guards and ordered him to go and fetch the Captain.

'I will negotiate only with the Captain of your vessel'

'Please ... our Captain has been injured. That is why we are here', Commander Helen told him and he clicked his fingers at the guard, who stopped abruptly.

'Tell me about your ship', he told her.

'There are around 40 women on our ship ... and one cabin boy. We have damaged our hull on the rocks and need some assistance in repairing it properly'

The chief thought for a few moments and stared at us intently.

'Caledonian?' he asked and the Commander nodded. He gave a little smirk before continuing his deliberations.

'If I send you away from the port, you will probably drown on the open seas ... which you don't want. If you stay, I need to have you guarded. No offence, but you are hardly dressed to be trustworthy. And that costs money and time. Five ounces of gold, or its equivalent and you can stay for the week.'