by Pete Draper
“I’ll go back up, once I’ve got a drink.” He stepped past her. Cassi slapped him across the face, watching the cheek vibrate. His lip wobbled several times; his grey face soon turned red.
“Take another step,” Cassi dared. Carilyo’s dejected figure was clearer than ever through the furious white outline around her eyes. “Let me give you another one of those. Maybe I can slap you so hard that tiny brain of yours will fall out of your ear.”
“There was no need for that.” Carilyo took a step back, stroking his sore face. “I just want to enjoy myself; this is the only way I know how.” He looked more hurt than ever, it sounded like he was crying. “All you care about is profit. There’s more to life than money.”
Cassi gulped, immediately regretting the slap. “There’s more to life than drinking too.” The poisonous words washed the regret away. Carilyo stomped back upstairs.
Walk De Plank
Carilyo stumbled up on deck, sandals flapping under his feet; the strap of one of them was held together by a thread. Cassi followed, snatching the key out of his hand.
“Why is nobody steering?”
She saw the crew all gathered on deck, looking up at the two of them, the anchor was dropped.
“What’s going on?” Cassi looked around, taking the steps down. “Why aren’t we moving?”
“So, me and the boys have been thinking,” Taylan said. His face rose slower than the morning sun, light filling the creases on his cheeks. His eye took her in with crooked pleasure.
“What is this?” Cassi demanded, watching the crew encircle her and Carilyo. “What’s going on.”
“Isn’t it obvious Cassi?” Carilyo shook his head, the beads in his hair jangled a glum tune. A couple of the crew nudged Murta to the edge of the plank with blunt, rusty swords.
“We’ve had enough of your drinking Carilyo.” Taylan scratched his sunburnt nose casually. “And well… we’ve never liked you Cassi. We just tolerated you, out of respect for your father.
“But since you are the one with the brains, I gave you a chance the other day.” Taylan shrugged; his shirt was covered with sweat. “You should have taken it.” His top eyelid lowered ever so slightly, he leaned towards her, faces uncomfortably close. His breath was warm and salty. “Although I don’t like you, I always… respected you. You were good with business; you ran this ship well.”
Murta tumbled overboard with a mighty splash. Cassi tried not to react; she couldn’t look weak now.
“Pah, fuck you Taylan,” Cassi said, looking around at the others with their yellowy teeth and dirty clothes. Perhaps I should have paid them more.
She stepped towards Taylan, a hand on the hilt of Gianlo’s sword. “You do not speak for the crew. Tell him Barolos.”
The sad look in Barolos’ watery eyes chilled her to the marrow.
“Sorry Cassaiyeta,” Barolos said, blinking for what seemed an eternity. A heavy tear rolled beside his nose.
A shock rippled through her body.
“Don’t you dare use my full name,” Cassi said, unsheathing her sword. A couple of the crew reacted by doing the same.
“And you,” Cassi turned her volcanic eyes to Luco. “How could you?”
Luco looked down uncomfortably, not lifting his head to speak. “I’m sorry Cassi, this is how it has to be.” He stroked his golden hair.
“Where would you be without me and my brother?”
“Don’t judge the boy, he has seen your solutions, and they are few.” Taylan’s deep voice reverberated through the cool air. His gold tooth shone, then disappeared between each word. “It is the decisions made by you and your brother that have brought us here. This one was… a step too far.”
Carilyo’s weary eyes rolled from one man to the next. He is being as useless as always.
“If your papa had put me in charge, like he should.” Taylan looked out at the swollen sea glittering back at them deceitfully. “We’d have the largest fleet of trading ships in the Arrizean. You two would have had a ship each.” “But no, he chose you two…” Taylan smacked his hand on the bulwark so hard it felt like the ship rocked. “Fuckups!”
“Shut up Taylan!” Carilyo snapped, the pink in his eyes dissolved to a pale white. “My papa would be ashamed of you.” Carilyo’s eyes focused. “Gianlo D’Silva looks down at you from the Hall of Ancestors with shame, he shall never forgive you.”
“Enough! Get them on the plank.” Taylan ordered, pouring himself a glass of wine.
Cassi swiped and swished with her sword as a couple of the scruffiest members of the crew approached. “Get the fuck back.” She slashed Zellsee’s wrist when he got too close. He reeled back, trying to take her head off with a swing, but Cassi ducked away.
“Give up Cassi,” Carilyo said as he was pushed towards the plank. “You will only get hurt.”
“Never!” Cassi thrashed around as Luco and a couple of others apporached. Rohass grabbed her shoulder tight, his breath stank like rotten fish as it stuck to her hair and neck.
Barolos gripped her hand until she released the sword. He snatched it, handing it over to Taylan. The Trakian admired the gleaming silver katana for a moment, watching the sunlight glow up and down the blade.
“You will not get away with this. I shall return. When I do, you will regret this. All of you.” She kicked and flailed at the men who grabbed her.
“Shut up Cassi!” Taylan tossed wine in her face; it stung her eyes. “Toss the slaves and the piss-head aside first.”
Rohass ripped the key from her hand, then headed off for the cargo hold.
She watched as Carilyo was shoved onto the plank. Shortly after, Samia and Doriya were dragged across the deck.
“You are lucky. If it wasn’t for Barolos… we’d have tied a ball and chain to your ankles before throwing you overboard, maybe you’d be able to see Lecastor the Stoneheart down at the bottom of the sea.” Taylan grinned at the thought. He stroked her cheek with his calloused finger. “That pretty face would be preserved for eternity. You’d wander the Complex Plane, permanently fighting for breath.”
“The Complex Plane does not exist.”
A splash signalled Carilyo’s collision with the water. A couple of smaller ones bobbed from Samia and her daughter.
“I guess we should be grateful.” Cassi spat, trying to launch herself at Barolos before she was pulled back. The shoulder on her shirt ripped. “Pah!” She spat a blob of phlegm at the old man’s face, splashing it on the hair in the gap of his cleft chin.
Barolos scooped it with his fingers and flicked it away, before wiping his hand on her shirt.
“Walk de plank.” Barolos wiped a tear from his eye. “Before I change my mind. Don’t make dis harder dan it is. Dere is a Rockland island not far, you’ll be able to swim there, and get a ship home when de next one passes.” She heard him sniff.
“You are a disgrace Barolos,” Cassi said as she walked the plank. “My papa will never forgive you. I curse you!” She glared at him. “You shall walk the Hall of Ancestors alone, for eternity! There will be no solace for traitors, all of you will suffer for what you have done today. You will hang from the mast when I get this ship back.”
“Shut up!” Taylan yelled. He gave her a boot to the chest. The breath emptied from her lungs when her back slapped against the cold water.
She struggled to keep her eyes open, couldn’t move her arms. She tried to throw her arms up and swim, but with no air in her lungs, she had no energy. The outline of the ship, Taylan and the plank faded into black.
Her eyes closed as the sea swallowed her.
A Sign
The swirling, spiralling pattern mixed, changing through a kaleidoscope of shapes and colours. Something gushed across it like the ink of a squid, more and more of it seeped through the image like smoke, then everything turned to black.
Spitting salty water from her throat, she woke. A giant hand rolled Cassi onto her side. Murta leaned over her, his eyes were wide in shock and worry. When her eyes opene
d, he scooped her into his arms like he was cradling a baby.
“I thought yous weren’t gonna make it,” Murta said. His heavy, red eyes watered as he held her close, his heart was thumping so hard it sent tremors through her. Somehow it was comforting to feel the beat of it. “I thought I was gonna lose yous.”
“I’m fine, thank you Murta.” She stroked his weathered face.
A shiver shot through every bone and muscle in her body, Cassi tried to wriggle free of the ghostly feeling. A few more coughs and splutters nearly cleared her airways.
“You can put me down now,” Cassi said.
“Oh, sorry Cap’in, just wanted to make sure yous were alright.” Leaning forwards, Murta placed her back down, wiping Cassi’s drenched hair from her face.
She half sat up a moment, trying to gather her thoughts. Waxy water dribbled out of one ear. “Fuck.” It all flooded back, the mutiny. Taylan’s filthy grin turned her heart to a pincushion.
Dizzily, she tried to stand, swaying nauseously. Her hair was frizzy, her clothes were ruined, and she’d lost the ruby ring from her pinkie finger.
She surveyed the wretched island. The grey rocks had specks of black on one side, lush layers of algae flapped like tassels from the other. The white mist promised more rain over the already sodden ground.
The burned down outpost’s charred beams sagged lazily, it looked like it hadn’t been manned for some time. Two rocky hills stood watch over the island; a stone bridge connected them. A miniature waterfall trickled under it. It should have been a pleasant, relaxing sound, but it was more irritating than anything.
“Where are we?”
“We’re on one of the Corracan islands.” Murta wiped seawater from a cheek, more dripped from the sharp black hairs on his chin. “Rockland ships and traders pass here offen. Shouldn’t be long before we can get a ride back trew to Sholtorn.”
“Fuck that.” Cassi spat more water out, she pressed a nostril down and sprayed more out of the other. “I’m getting my ship back.”
“How’d yous propose to do that?” Murta asked, a disbelieving frown curled his face upside down. “There’s five of us, and no weapons. Not to mention your useless brother. Y’know, I tink yous’re great Cassee, but maybe this is a sign.” His face crumpled like a soggy sheet of paper.
“A sign?”
Murta lifted his arms to his sides slowly, flipping water up. “Well, I’m pretty old nye. Maybe it’s time I packed all of this stuff in and retared.”
This is the last thing I need. The harshness in her eyes faded, they watered a little, but a single blink dried them.
“I’m sorry you got caught up in all of this Murta.” Cassi craned her neck to look him in the eyes. “You’re a great man, if you’d been around longer, maybe this wouldn’t have happened.”
“Yous don’t ever have to apologise to me Cassee.” Murta crouched to her level, wrapping his huge cigar-like fingers around her tiny hands. “Yous have so much more to live for, it’s just a ship after all. Yous could find success in anyting. We have a saying in Rockland, ‘if you leave with your life, everyting’s alright’.”
Cassi stared into the Rocklander’s great pale eyes. That determined glow of hers had him fixated. “It is more than a ship. It’s my papa’s ship.”
“But is it worth dying over?” Murta’s eyes narrowed, the mean stare returned, the one that scared her back in Sholtorn, but she wasn’t scared this time.
“If that’s what it takes, then yes.” Her jaw tightened, like strings about to snap. A hand rested on her hip in her favourite pose. “Nobody spites Cassi D’Silva, and gets away with it.”
Murta turned his head slightly aside, looking at the soggy beach. The drizzle pattered on his head and shoulders. “Well, yous are my Cap’in, and I’ll follow yous, at least until this job’s done.” His head turned back with half a smile. “Nye let me know when yous see a ship pass by.” He plonked himself on a smooth rock like an old horse.
When Murta closed his eyes, Cassi put her head in her hands. Now to deal with Carilyo.
Her brother sat on a rock resting his chin on a fist, watching the waves splash. His dull hair was completely drenched, as were his tattered old clothes.
Cassi stomped over to him, splashing the miserable wet sand beneath her feet. Her head was still spinning, she swayed left, then right, nearly falling over.
“What’re we going to do?” She demanded.
Carilyo’s sorrowful eyes flicked to her, his head didn’t move. The eyes turned back to sea. The sparkling glitter path cut away from them with a forlorn curve.
“I fucking want to know what you plan to do!” Cassi yelled. “Don’t just sit there, don’t ignore me!” She gripped his damp shoulder and shook him, water droplets blasted out from his hair and clothes.
A red ring was painted around his eye, but he showed no emotion.
“We’ve lost our ship, papa’s ship. That Trakian prick Taylan has it. What’re we going to do?” Gritting her teeth, she dug her fingernails into him until the tendons in her hand stung.
Carilyo’s shoulder flinched, but his face was unmoved.
“I don’t see what you’re so angry about,” he said, his voice softer than the breeze. “Taylan was always going to do this one day. You should have gotten rid of him.”
“Oh, it had to be my fault somehow. And by the way, I’m angry because this is All! Your! Fucking! Fault!” Cassi screamed so hard she burst into tears; all the years of hidden anguish flooded out in a mighty wave, she felt a hot buzzing feeling rise and fall in her chest. “If you weren’t drunk all the time, he wouldn’t have started a mutiny,” Cassi cried, then shoved his back. Carilyo remained unmoved, his body was stiff as a statue. “Fucking say something!” She cried harder, unable to do or say any more through the sobbing breaths.
“I can’t help it,” Carilyo snapped, looking back at her. The fact that the rum bottle on his wrist had survived turned her sadness to anger. The untainted rum swirling inside it infuriated her more.
She didn’t have the energy to scream any more, her lip wavered, “You can help it. Just stop putting that fucking bottle up to your lips.” She slapped it, watching it sway.
“It’s not that easy. Leave me alone.” He ran off up the hill.
“Where are you going Carilyo?”
“Away from you!”
Cassi looked back out to sea, crying harder than she had since she was a little girl. She slapped her head into her hands, scratching her face on one of her rings. “What am I supposed to do.” She whispered, “What would you do Papa?”
She peeked through the gaps in her fingers, seeing Samia play with her daughter. A tear trickled down Cassi’s cheek. Maybe Gianlo was trying to tell her something.
Murta was slumped over on a rock, snoring loudly, the sun shone brightly over him. His huge belly hung out of his shirt. “Sweet dreams Murta,” Cassi said. “You are an honourable man; I wish there were more like you. I’m so lucky you came to me when you did.”
Looks Like Home
The gentle breeze swept in, a bent blade of grass led the rest of the bunch in a dance, weaving like a composer with a baton. The whirling winds and patting from the waterfall did nothing for his dark mood though.
His sobbing chest reverberated. The drizzle cast a miserable shadow over the island. Each wave looked like a frown from up here. The sea had always been Carilyo’s friend; it had given him comfort, but even the water was unhappy with him today. Two dark clouds floated in opposite directions, merging into judgmental eyes.
With his feet dangling over, Carilyo sat on the bridge, watching the rain trickle onto the rocks. Water seeped over a large boulder, slipping down to the beach below. Carilyo dropped a stick into it. It slid along, frustratingly stopping before it could reach the edge.
Cassi trudged towards him, her wet boots squelching up the rocky path.
“Please leave me alone,” Carilyo whispered to himself. He didn’t want to talk to her, but there was no escape on this
little island.
Tilting his mother’s rum bottle back, he tipped the last dregs onto his outstretched tongue. Another full bottle wouldn’t prepare him for this conversation. He looked away as she approached.
He tossed the bottle down at the rocks, watched it bounce off each one. A disappointed feeling struck his chest with every stone it didn’t smash on. Eventually, it wedged between a couple of them.
Cassi was standing beside him. The silence seemed to last forever, both trying to find what they wanted to say. He could hear and feel her harsh breaths on his back. With all that perfume washed off, he could smell her natural scent, she smelled sweet, like honey.
He waited a while for her to talk. Cassi always had the first word, and the last. But she said nothing, just stood there. Waiting.
Carilyo took in a snivelling breath, giving his sister a little longer to find the words, but they didn’t come.
A deep sigh left his chest. His mind couldn’t function but somehow the words came out, “He left.” Carilyo whimpered the moment the words left his tongue. “I never knew he wasn’t coming back. I never...” he sobbed so hard the words took a while to fight their way through. “I never got to say goodbye.”
A tear rolled down the inside of Cassi’s cheek. She shivered, then managed a whisper, “I know.” She sat beside him on the bridge, staring up at the cloud with an arm wrapped around him. “I know.”
Her legs looked so tiny next to his, they hadn’t sat this close since they were children. Not since the day before Gianlo died: the day before the drinking started. The day he stopped being her big brother.
“Looks like home.” Carilyo pointed at the long grass dancing to the tune of the wind, orange blades swirled magically.
The rocks and waterfall reminded him of their mother’s house in Kataly; reminded him of happier times. “Don’t you think?”
“Yeah, it does.” Cassi nodded. She sniffed; but didn’t bother to wipe the tears away from the black smudge of mascara and eyeliner stuck to her cheek.