beautiful. With dark hair, black eyes, and olive-toned skin. We quickly fell in love. I was a fool.
This tribe had secrets they guarded closely. I sensed this, as did Captain Shanley. He spoke to their chieftain and asked about the Water People. I had never witnessed such uproar! They worshipped the creatures of the sea. Shanley laughed at this. The chieftain was insulted and commanded that we depart at once. Shanley refused to leave. He wanted more time to stock the Eternity. Alas, he had dishonored the tribe and lost their hospitality. The Darien’s drew spears, but Shanley drew a pistol. I stepped in front of the tribe leader and ordered Shanley to lower his weapon. He laughed and fired at me, wounding my left arm. I fell and a violent, bloody battle began. Shanley and his men were driven back to the Eternity. I lay in the sand bleeding. I watched the Eternity hoist anchor and sail away. My love cared for me. She dressed my wound and the tribe honored me.
My beautiful lover shared the tribal legends of the Water People with me. This is how I have come to know so much about the Merfolk. Oh, yes. There is much more to write.
Ah, ha! Joy for me! The rain outside has ceased. The air remains dank, however. This cell seems to be shrinking around me, but they have been kind and have given me a window. Though barred, the light and wind come through freely. I will escape this cell. When I die, my body will rot to nothing more than a skeleton clutching this journal. Brittle will my bones become. To dust they will turn and when a warm wind blows into this wretched, stinking cell, the dust of me will ride the air and out I will go…through the barred window! Ha! Yes, I will escape then.
I am tired. I need to rest. I need to eat, but they bring me food as they see fit. Perhaps tonight they will bring me bread. It has been many nights since I have eaten. I shall continue this work on the morrow…if I wake.
My eyes heavy with sleep, I wrapped the blue ribbon around the cover and returned the journal to the hole in the floor.
Chapter 16
Sea and Song
One of the pirates aboard the sloop was older than the rest and could always be found sitting near the mast. They called him the Shanty. He played a small lute and sang with a coarse voice. When he saw me standing by listening to his melody, he waved for me to come close. “Aye! A lover of sea and song?” he asked.
“Yes, sir. In my village we cherished music.”
“Sounds like a fine place to hail from, me boy. You be one o’ the lads who overcame L’Ollon and his men, aren’t you?”
“Yes. My name is Jacob.”
“Well then, Jacob,” he shouted. “Cause for a song if I e’er heard one. Have you any requests? I would be much obliged to play that which’ll lighten your heart.”
“Come to think of it,” I said, a smile spreading on my face, “I’ve never heard any songs about…oh, never mind. Any song will do.”
“Nay, nay. What is it you meant to ask? You ne’er heard a song about what?”
“I’ve never heard any songs about the Water People.”
He burst into a loud laugh. “You be speakin’ o’ the Merfolk, me boy. Come now, I know a cheerful tune about them. Indeed. Me old father learned it to me.” He cleared his throat, then yelled out to the crew, “Ahoy! Lend an ear to Fathoms Blue.”
The Shanty pressed the fingers of his left hand to the neck of the small lute and with his right he strummed the strings. The instrument filled the air with a stream of sweet, repetitive notes. He began to sing.
“In darkened tide,
In fathoms blue,
There’ll be eyes
A’ watchin’ you.
Just jump right in,
Go overboard,
And swim beside the ole’
Merlord!
Ahoy! Ahoy!
To the island blue
If you don’t drown
Where the women swim
In fish-mail gown.
So trade your feet
For a fin of weed,
The
This tribe had secrets they guarded closely. I sensed this, as did Captain Shanley. He spoke to their chieftain and asked about the Water People. I had never witnessed such uproar! They worshipped the creatures of the sea. Shanley laughed at this. The chieftain was insulted and commanded that we depart at once. Shanley refused to leave. He wanted more time to stock the Eternity. Alas, he had dishonored the tribe and lost their hospitality. The Darien’s drew spears, but Shanley drew a pistol. I stepped in front of the tribe leader and ordered Shanley to lower his weapon. He laughed and fired at me, wounding my left arm. I fell and a violent, bloody battle began. Shanley and his men were driven back to the Eternity. I lay in the sand bleeding. I watched the Eternity hoist anchor and sail away. My love cared for me. She dressed my wound and the tribe honored me.
My beautiful lover shared the tribal legends of the Water People with me. This is how I have come to know so much about the Merfolk. Oh, yes. There is much more to write.
Ah, ha! Joy for me! The rain outside has ceased. The air remains dank, however. This cell seems to be shrinking around me, but they have been kind and have given me a window. Though barred, the light and wind come through freely. I will escape this cell. When I die, my body will rot to nothing more than a skeleton clutching this journal. Brittle will my bones become. To dust they will turn and when a warm wind blows into this wretched, stinking cell, the dust of me will ride the air and out I will go…through the barred window! Ha! Yes, I will escape then.
I am tired. I need to rest. I need to eat, but they bring me food as they see fit. Perhaps tonight they will bring me bread. It has been many nights since I have eaten. I shall continue this work on the morrow…if I wake.
My eyes heavy with sleep, I wrapped the blue ribbon around the cover and returned the journal to the hole in the floor.
Chapter 16
Sea and Song
One of the pirates aboard the sloop was older than the rest and could always be found sitting near the mast. They called him the Shanty. He played a small lute and sang with a coarse voice. When he saw me standing by listening to his melody, he waved for me to come close. “Aye! A lover of sea and song?” he asked.
“Yes, sir. In my village we cherished music.”
“Sounds like a fine place to hail from, me boy. You be one o’ the lads who overcame L’Ollon and his men, aren’t you?”
“Yes. My name is Jacob.”
“Well then, Jacob,” he shouted. “Cause for a song if I e’er heard one. Have you any requests? I would be much obliged to play that which’ll lighten your heart.”
“Come to think of it,” I said, a smile spreading on my face, “I’ve never heard any songs about…oh, never mind. Any song will do.”
“Nay, nay. What is it you meant to ask? You ne’er heard a song about what?”
“I’ve never heard any songs about the Water People.”
He burst into a loud laugh. “You be speakin’ o’ the Merfolk, me boy. Come now, I know a cheerful tune about them. Indeed. Me old father learned it to me.” He cleared his throat, then yelled out to the crew, “Ahoy! Lend an ear to Fathoms Blue.”
The Shanty pressed the fingers of his left hand to the neck of the small lute and with his right he strummed the strings. The instrument filled the air with a stream of sweet, repetitive notes. He began to sing.
“In darkened tide,
In fathoms blue,
There’ll be eyes
A’ watchin’ you.
Just jump right in,
Go overboard,
And swim beside the ole’
Merlord!
Ahoy! Ahoy!
To the island blue
If you don’t drown
Where the women swim
In fish-mail gown.
So trade your feet
For a fin of weed,
The
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