The Floating Corpse

by James Walker

  Taken aback, I asked, “What do you mean?”

  William leaned forward and stared at me intently, “Listen to what he’s asking, Collin! You father was never chained anywhere! He went where he wished, whenever he wanted! Sure, he went to his office, but he didn’t HAVE to! Most days he spent the mornings there trying to decide where he was going to have lunch. Then he took the rest of the afternoon off! He had, and now, you have, an army of employees. Administrative, accountants, producers, directors, a bevy of actors under contract, stage managers, call boys and roustabouts. Everyone knows their job and do it because they respected your father and the company. All he really did theses last five years or so, was made a few decisions and let his presence be known. The rest will run itself. Who’s running things now, with your mother on route to England and you sitting across from me and drinking my brandy?”

  I shrugged and poured myself another bracer. “Aunt Rae-Rae is keeping an eye on the office. Hell, she knows more about the business that I ever will!”

  He nodded, “For which Miss Geisling is handsomely compensated. Simply continue to pay her well and she’ll run things the same way for you as she did for your father. All your employees will. Besides, you’ve been around the business your entire life.”

  “Yeah, maybe, but I never really paid that much attention to the business end. How will I know which plays to run and which ones to scrap? Or what actor or actress to fill the bill? Or where to start a new venture and how much to spend.”

  William just smiled broader. “You’ll learn Collin. You are smart as a whip and twice as quick.”

  “Or you wirr die penniless and unroved,” Ozaki put in, grinning over the rim of his snifter.

  “Thanks, Ozaki, you’re a cheery bugger!”

  “I am an honest bugger,” He replied. “Karma, neh?”

  I had to laugh, and somehow a lot of my trepidation drained away. My one chance to walk away was taken, but once I knew my path, I was determined to stride it with pride.

  “Well, that’s that, then. I guess you’re both looking at the new president of the syndicate.”

  William beamed, “Excellent! I know you’ll do just fine. Now, back to our original subject. What are your plans for your father’s journal, now that your black mail scheme failed?”

  “Don’t say that, Uncle Will. I would never do anything to harm or embarrass you! Of course, if it’s your wishes, I shall keep them hidden away. I promise I will share them with no one -- at least until you are gone -- then all bets are off!”

  William thought that over then nodded. “I can live with that. Upon my death, feel free to do what you want with it.” He raised his snifter and Ozaki and I joined in clinking them together, before we all took another sip. I emptied mine and poured another.

  William raised an eyebrow at me, “Before you drink that, there is another matter we need to discuss.”

  5

  William and Ozaki grew serious and the room seemed to darken. The cozy, warm ambiance of the conservatory turned ominous and I left my brandy untouched, feeling a need to stay sharp for whatever was coming from my Uncle.

  William sat back in his chair and his demeanor totally changed. He crossed his legs and steepled his fingers in front of his chest as if he were about to pray. His face looked thinner and his eyes more streamlined. I could swear his nose grew longer and thinner. Looking somewhere over my shoulder, with unblinking eyes, he began to speak as if he weren’t talking to me but rather an audience only he could see.

  “In many ways, having you read the story makes this easier for all of us. What do you recall of Captain Roy?”

  I thought about what I’d read before I answered. “He was the mastermind behind the hullabaloo last year when my father came to visit. I know he was going to kill you and Dad before Ozaki stepped in, and that you had alerted the police beforehand. I know he had been captured but escaped on his way to federal court. And I know you were worried he may come back...” It hit me like a ton of bricks.

  “Is that why you’ve put me off all these months? Do you really think he’ll come back after you?”

  “I believe he is a man of his word. Unfortunately, I do not know his time-table.” He turned his head and looked me dead in the eye, “I believe he is a formidable threat. Do you know the circumstances of his escape?”

  “No, should I?”

  “Not at all. It was kept very quiet on orders from Washington. When the train stopped at a station, just outside of Baltimore, to take on coal and water, no less than eight men stormed the train at the station to free Roy. Four soldiers and three federal Marshals were gunned down along with several innocent bystanders. He is extremely important to someone. Of course, I knew he had a brilliant mind and he was a fine actor in his own right. Though I saw through his ‘salty dog sea captain’ façade immediately, I thought it a harmless quirk and I failed to see the evil lurking beneath it. He was a more than able seaman and the work that he and Nicholas did to the Aunt Polly was impeccable. He made a complete fool out of me!”

  “Uncle Will”, I protested. “You can’t blame yourself! From what I read those plans had been in the works for months. No one could have seen that coming!” I looked down at Ozaki and shrugged, “Karma, neh?”

  Ozaki looked at William pointedly, “That is what I have been saying for months! Risten to your nephew!”

  Somewhat mollified, William said, “I suppose the two of you are right. Who could have seen the vast resources that Roy had! Did you know, Collin, that there were many parts of that submarine that could not have been manufactured in this country, let alone in my boathouse? A high-ranking Officer at the submarine base in Groton, just up the coast, came to interview me when they made the discoveries, after, of course, they confiscated my submarine. Roy must have had the specialized submarine items smuggled in.”

  I nodded slowly, seeing an answer to an enigma that had struck me in my father’s story. “That makes sense. I mean, they built a submarine, restored your launch, and kept the Aunt Polly ship shape in Bristol fashion all at the same time. He must have smuggled some manpower in also.”

  William looked like the cat that got the canary. “Excellent, young Frohman. There is great hope for you, yet.”

  He sat up suddenly and leaned forward towards me. “And so, with these new insights, I decided that I needed more assistance than I would get from the local constabulary. I engaged the Pinkerton agency, in an attempt to locate Roy and recapture him. They thought they had him cornered in Washington DC, but again, he eluded them. He remains unaccounted for and at large…Now you know why I haven’t asked you to visit before now. I could not bear it if you were hurt from retribution directed at me!”

  I patted his arm then glared at him, “If I had known all this-I would have been here sooner! You don’t need to worry about me, I can protect myself and you could use someone to watch your back!” I nodded in Ozaki’s direction. “I doubt much could get past me and Ozaki!”

  William smiled and placed his hand on Ozaki’s shoulder. “I have no doubt about that, Collin. Ozaki already bested Roy easily when they went one on one.”

  “What if he brings help? Could you both stop six or eight men? You will have to remember to carry extra bullets, Uncle Will.”

  He laughed. “I hope your skill has grown with your bravado, although I know you to be an excellent shot. Are you armed now?”

  “No, not at the moment, but my new 45 and a docker’s rig is in my saddlebags and I brought ammo. I was hoping to practice a little while I was here.”

  “Excellent. Please wear it while you’re here.”

  The rest of the evening passed pleasantly. We talked of family and friends, with a fair amount of good advice from my Uncle about the duties of my new position. I’m not sure if his calm reassuring talk, or the half a bottle of brandy I drank, but I felt much better about my life when I finally climbed the stairs and retired for the night.

  The morning was another matter altogether. I was comfortable tucked
between the sheets when I awoke suddenly, with a strange feeling I was being watched. When I rolled over and opened my eyes, bright sunlight stabbed me in the eyeballs, igniting a firestorm in my head. When I could focus, I found myself looking at Ozaki, staring down at me, with a bundle of white cloth in his arms.

  He was dressed in a judo gi, which was a sort of Japanese short bathrobe with long shorts under it. In his hands he held another gi and I knew exactly what that meant.

  I groaned at him. “Jimminies Ozaki, I’m on vacation. Can’t a fella sleep in?” Truth was, I had partaken of a good amount of the excellent gin and brandy Uncle Will had provided after dinner last night and I was a bit groggy to be training in the martial arts so early in the morning. Ozaki had trained me my whole life and his training sessions could be brutal.

  His face grew hard, “Baka on your vacation!” he dropped the clothes on my chest. “You Frohman’s are arr arike – you rike your father - drink, drink, drink! Ret us see how much you have forgotten, Vertora saku!”

  Vetora saku meant little monkey in Japanese, a name Ozaki had dubbed me the first lesson he gave me at age seven. My head throbbed and that made me just annoyed enough to jump out of bed. Since I always slept naked, I quickly pulled on the pants and wrapped the judo gi around me.

  Ozaki smiled and handed me a red belt. I smiled back at him and walked over to my saddle bags hanging off a chair and rummaged around until I found my own belt. I held one end and let it unroll to the floor. It was black! Little did Ozaki know that I had found another teacher while I was at college and had continued my studies under him.

  “OH KO!”, Ozaki exclaimed, eyes wide. Then his eyes narrowed. “So, the student has been training and seeks to be a master. Prease join me in the courtyard -- NOW!”

  Shaking my head to clear the fuzz off my eyes, I snarled, “Mind if I water my pony first?”

  “Five minutes”, he snapped back and said over his shoulder as he was leaving, “Do not make me come back.”

  The art of karate is an ancient Japanese fighting technique. Literally it meant, empty hands, or something like that. Ozaki explained to me that since only the Samurai class could have weapons, the peasants developed this method of fighting using only their hands and feet. Ozaki had taught me since I was old enough to lift one leg and not fall over. I will be eternally grateful to him for that, because I had never lost a fight in my life growing up. Well, once, a few years back, I lost one but only because I lost my head and my father stepped in and threw me overboard on the Aunt Polly.

  In Ozaki’s absence at school, I found another Sensei, or teacher, to study under. I found him in Chinatown and, obviously, he was a Chinaman not Japanese. He too was willing to teach me the martial arts, for a stiff fee, but his style was ‘Kung Fu’, and many of its movements and names were based on various animals. I was nearly giggling with the thought of surprising Ozaki with my new found knowledge, as we faced each other on the courtyard overlooking the river.

  I was grateful to see that he had dragged some large rattan squares outside to cover the stone patio in a ten by ten foot space. Though I was confident I might catch Ozaki off guard, the look on his face told me I might hit the deck a few times before it was over.

  I was amazed at the shape he was in. More than fit, every muscle rippled on his diminutive frame. Though he was small, he was strong as a bull and fast as a snake. Without a word, he stepped onto the mat opposite me, put his hands to his sides, and bowed. I did the same on my end and as soon as we straightened up, we each struck a fighting stance. Ozaki took the tradition pose, while I chose a crouching tiger stance to throw him off.

  Not that it worked. He launched himself at me and I found myself hard pressed to keep his hands and feet away from me. I managed to deflect most strikes, except for a few minor glancing blows, and touch him a few times myself. We went on for what seemed like hours, twisting, kicking, and punching. Striking out with our hands and feet in an attempt to knock each other down. My limbs were growing numb with the strikes, but Ozaki showed no signs of slowing down.

  His strategy, I knew, was to move in close where the advantage of my size and reach would be negated. Suddenly, I was dealing with his knees and elbows too! In a desperate attempt to pull him in to close to strike, I foolishly reached out to grab him.

  He grabbed my arm with both hands, and I found myself ass over teakettle to land hard on my back. Not only was the wind knocked out of me, a searing pain went up my arm as he kept hold of it. Before I could even try to kick out of it, his legs were around my neck in a pincer and my air supply was cut off. I squirmed and wiggled, but the longer I went without oxygen, the harder it was to remember my training. I started seeing spots in front of my eyes and I knew that Ozaki was punishing me for taking a black belt from another teacher. Things began to grow dim and I was seriously considering biting him in the crotch, when a woman’s voice cut through the still morning air.

  “Ozaki! What the devil do you think you’re doing? Release him this instant!”

  Mrs. Woods, with Catty in tow, came charging up the steps. She was brandishing her umbrella like a sword. She must have looked like a charging bull because Ozaki slipped his legs off me and rolled over backwards to jump to his feet. He even took a few steps back.

  I was sucking in great gasp of air and trying to get up on my elbows when Catty knelt down and cradled my head until I caught my breath. Mrs. Woods, however, had the bit between her teeth and she stepped right over me to confront Ozaki.

  “What do you think you’re doing, you yellow devil?” She screeched. “And why are you going about it in your bed clothes?”

  Catty, thinking I was hurt, fussed while I slowly got to my feet. I was sore from head to toe, but unscathed. She held arms around me to keep me steady and I didn’t let on I was alright, and we stood together looking at each other and trying not to laugh, while the other two had at each other.

  Mrs. Woods, who saw that I had gotten to my feet and wasn’t spurting blood everywhere, seemed relieved, but she didn’t cut any slack with Ozaki over it. “What were you thinking, you little heathen? Hopping around in your underclothes and trying to choke the life out of young Frohman! What in the name of heaven is ailing you?”

  “The only probrem we have”, Ozaki spat back, “is woman who do not mind their own business. Now, get in the house and go about your duties!”

  Catty rolled her eyes and whistled softly, and I grew a little scared of the rage that poured out of Mrs. Woods. She seemed to grow two inches and her eyes blazed as she let him have it with both barrels.

  “How dare you, you little pipsqueak! I don’t work for you and you’ll not be ordering me around! If it weren’t for William, I’d throw you off this patio and into the river. Then let you swim back to wherever you came from! William just might beat me to it when he hears how you tried to kill his nephew! Never in all my days have I seen such...”

  The rest of her tirade was drowned out when Ozaki started yelling back at her. Only he was yelling in Japanese and loud enough to wake the dead. I had no idea what he was saying, but I picked out a few uncomplimentary words I had learned from him over the years. Neither one gave an inch and the hollering went on.

  “Maybe we’d better break this up”, Catty said softly. “I’ve never seen Dana this mad and I don’t want to end up doing all the work myself today.”

  I had to agree and was trying to find a way to separate them without losing my head, when a voice called out from the heavens.

  Uncle Will was standing on the second story balcony in his nightclothes and a robe, looking irritated that he was awake. Both Ozaki and Mrs. Woods shut right up and looked up at him.

  “Ozaki! That’s enough! In the future, if you wish to whomp the tar out of Collin, or spar or whatever you call it, please do us the courtesy of doing it out of sight and of hearing. That din would raise the dead and one of us needs our beauty sleep!”

  “Would you be liking your coffee now, William? “Mrs. Woods called up to ask,
as if she wasn’t just threating to castrate Ozaki. “I think Mr. Frohman would like a cup, once he’s recovered.”

  “I may as well, Dana. I doubt I’ll be getting back to sleep now.”

  Dana Woods nodded, “It will be ready when you are dressed. Come along, Catty. We may as well get started before any more mayhem sets in around here!” She cast an evil eye on Ozaki, sniffed, and walked towards the house.

  “Can you make it on your own Collin?” Catty asked. I was touched by her genuine concern.

  “I’m fine.” I assured her, though my throat was on fire and my back and shoulders ached from hitting the ground. “I’ll get dressed and join Uncle Will for coffee.”

  “Too bad you have to change”, she said with a wink, “You look very cute in those pajamas.” Then she went to join Mrs. Woods in the kitchen, leaving me to blush like a schoolboy.

  Just then a truck pulled up, near the structure between the house and the embankment. Six or so men jumped off, some carrying saws, shovels, and axes and they headed for the woods.

  “What have you got going now, Uncle?” I called up to my Uncle, who was waving at the crew.

  “Get yourself cleaned up and dressed, Collin, and I shall reveal my next project. That is, if you can walk a few miles. We need to take a short hike, if you’re to get the whole picture. Think you can do that?’ He grinned, “Ozaki seems to have given you a rather sharp lesson this morning.”

  It was more pride than sense that made me say, “Bull dinkers! Osaki was lucky the women showed up when they did!”

  Even though I was half kidding, Ozaki smoothly retook his formal fighting stance and bowed toward me.

  Uncle Will just put a hand up in his direction. He looked down at me with a smirk, “While it is true that I did not witness this bout, I would point out one thing, Collin. You are limping and Ozaki seems unscathed.” As with all martial art lessons I responded to Osaki with a formal stance and a deep bow to end the match. Standing upright I again I addressed Osaki. “He’s right, Ozaki, I didn’t mean what I said. You beat me fair and square and I will always be grateful for your lessons.”