The Watchman's Grace

by Craig Johnson

  “You should keep your mouth shut Fortune,” snarled the captain. “Better to be silent and hold some of my former opinion of your smarts than open it and prove my judgment wrong! Preacher Simmons was never in league with me. He was just an unsuspecting pawn; another misguided fool that thought religion could save the likes of your lot!

  “And that society of his gifted me a perfect way to potential riches. I had no idea of this when I first joined out of some misguided sympathy for the Colored’s lot. But I’m always on the lookout for opportunity. That’s my true allegiance! Like I told you before Fortune; it was nothing personal.”

  By now every passenger was an unwilling witness to this grave misdeed. As for Fortune, it took everything within him to give even one look towards Dainty. Fortune’s sense of failure consumed him completely, while his outrage sparked a fury heretofore unknown.

  As he caught her delicate features overcome with distress, this sickness within him crested to new levels of nauseating grief. He looked away in shame as another’s shrill voice continued a verbal onslaught of heightened rage.

  “This is not right. You promised us Africa! You said that we were going to Hopeville!” screamed an enraged male passenger. “Honor your pledge before God to send this ship onwards to Africa!”

  “I said you are not going anywhere near that forsaken place!” screamed Captain Brannigan at the embittered throng. Lowering his voice, he carried on.

  “How many times am I going to tell you sorry lot that you are my chattel? Settle down and make this easy on yourselves; don’t you see I am doing you all a favor? Just as Preacher Simmons promised, I’m delivering you to places of sunshine and warmth. Where palm trees grow, and the land is indeed fertile. So tell me, how did I deceive you?

  “Of course you will have to get used to taking a few orders again…” The last part of his response became increasingly faint as a brisk Atlantic wind ushered in light drizzle from nearby.

  Carl challenged Captain Brannigan once again. “I may not know where you’re headed, but I knew it wasn’t Africa. We seem in my guessing to be headed on a northerly route.”

  “Oh you petulant foul thing! You are correct in your surmising. We are headed for the south west English coast.”

  Fortune screamed in defiant rage at the top of his lungs. “You cannot do this! We were all free people, and when others over there find out, there will be no place you can hide. England is not a slaving country anymore; they will certainly bring you to account. Are you that crazy not to see your folly?”

  Captain Brannigan slowly came forward from where he had made his horrific proclamations. Fixing a studied gaze of utter contempt firmly upon Fortune, he responded in a menacing tone.

  “You should know how much weight morality holds with men that show reverence to their church! Probably your former master was an upstanding member of his church. And I bet many of his friends, his associates, his county, his state and his country were as well?

  “And yet they have you, him and her, hell the whole lot of you in bondage! Their faith is in paper currency; their prayers a simple convenience to deflect the cruelty within. Have you learned now Fortune? For me to capture you for profit is in the same hypocritical vein; nothing more, nothing less. Now settle down or be shackled by your ankles!”

  Fortune restrained his voice for a moment, just to catch some breath. His racing, pounding heart required more air than usual. Captain Brannigan approached a few more steps towards him before continuing his harsh commentary.

  “Oh come on now Fortune! Even your beloved Preacher Simmons carries some duplicity in all this! He did not lie in his speech at the dock. He said this was all to repay a debt. Well, it was a debtor to be more exact.

  “You see, before he became Preacher Simmons, he led a less than stellar existence. Unfortunately, that included running up a substantial sum in a gambling bet to one well-dressed shark. You may have heard of him? He was a gentleman who goes by the name of Harriston Smith. That sneaky devil probably cheated on every hand, but the preacher had no proof.

  “Well, Harriston Smith’s reach goes very far, and they followed Preacher Simmons to the ends of the country! When Preacher Simmons first joined the society, he kept this episode hidden. That was until one society member came across the information and confronted him openly.

  “I must admit, those society fools are a loyal lot! So they promised the preacher they’d pay his debt to this Harriston Smith in full, provided he led you all on a successful resettlement in Hopeville. So he wanted even more than the lot of you to make this happen! In other words, you were his chattel as well, or should I say collateral. Isn’t that true Preacher Simmons?”

  All eyes leapt towards the disgraced preacher. He remained silent while focusing a fierce gaze upon Captain Brannigan.

  “And you know the name Harriston Smith, Fortune! He has a deep score to settle with you, being a wanted fugitive. They only knew you escaped to the Halifax area, so if by rare chance you happened upon this voyage, there would be a huge sum offered in reward for your return.”

  From a past best forgotten, Mister Whip still played a role in Fortune’s future. He mistakenly thought Harriston Smith’s grip was severed back when he left Bitter Man. Seeing this was not so angered him even more.

  “How in the hell did he know I went to Halifax?” Fortune roared out.

  The captain turned to look out at sea. “Harriston Smith is a powerful, wealthy man. May I be first to tell you that he recently bribed one of the layover houses in an escape network of one Swamp Man’s Scout? Are you familiar with that name? Anyways, the turncoat said all of Swamp Man’s Scout’s routes ended in Halifax. From there, it was easy enough for his trackers to ask around and confirm you passed through.

  “Funny thing was they figured there’d be a chance you might come out, since you still held on to your old African name. That was Harriston Smith’s gut instinct. After all, one only does that if they expect to return and use it.”

  Fortune shuddered in sudden recollection. The traitor Nathaniel had asked Fletcher how Mister Whip knew the seventh escape details, even before visiting his cabin to beat him. It was now apparent he was not lying. There was a definite leak in Fletcher’s escape route of safe houses. The captain continued with his hurtful revelations.

  “And where did I start my involvement? In the beginning I was seeking any assignment. So imagine my pleasure when the society approached me with the chance to captain Isabella. What a handsome purse they offered as well! Though three days before setting sail, I came across news which would change my plans completely.

  “A man visiting Halifax came upon an acquaintance of mine. After a few pints, he talked on about one Harriston Smith offering a handsome reward for capturing a particular escaped slave living in the area, and returning him to Georgia. Plus, for as many fugitives as possible, this man would pay an additional bounty well above going rates.

  “My acquaintance found the story so farfetched he told it to me as a lark. But I dug further into the matter. Needless to say, it was all true, since this turned out to be one of Harriston Smith’s hired trackers.

  “That’s when I formed my plan. I just had to see if you boarded Isabella, and how many more would take up the society’s offer. It was quite simple really. Even if you did not come, I would still make a great sum on the others. Worst case, I would have a handsome fee for sailing this craft to Hopeville.”

  Carl forcefully interjected at this juncture. “You make no sense. Why are we sailing towards England instead of America where Harriston Smith lives?”

  Immediately one of Brannigan’s crew guarding the left side of Carl piped up in a Cornish accent. “I think I can answer that. You see, when captain told us about his plan, an idea sprung into my head. Let’s just say I have good friends in the smuggling business. They’re always looking for strong workers they can sell on to a network of plantation owners in
the tropics. And they have no scruples on how they get their manpower.”

  “Yes, through Turner’s dealings I was given a more lucrative offer for my potential captives than your old master Harriston Smith. Plus I keep all of Smith’s advance money! That wicked bastard cannot touch me! In fact, Turner’s people also gave a large advance, which I have already secured against delivery of you all.

  “Believe you me, they offered a sum which would make King Solomon blush! With Turner as my contact man, I will collect the balance, and they will do what they must.”

  Captain Brannigan paused to let all this information sink in before continuing. “I originally volunteered to lead Isabella just for the captaincy fee. I handpicked this crew to accomplish that sole mission.

  “Now Turner’s men will be my ultimate clients, and all my crew stands to gain from our new enterprise. Opportunities change on a whim, and I aim to capitalize on the best of them! My loyalty is to the highest bidder; that’s just business in my books.

  “As for dealing with English law, that too is arranged to my benefit. They will be meeting us at a secluded locale known to Turner well off the coast. You will not step one foot on British soil.”

  Fortune’s seething hatred boiled over with this ghastly turn of events. “You are a beast for the ages of which I have yet to find a name! There are no wages great enough in all corners of this earth to repay the lives you’ve dealt away. You will be repaid in kind when the final toll is rung. Mark my words Captain Brannigan. You are a damned man!”

  Captain Brannigan swept his right arm in a broad gesturing motion across the empty space in front of him. “You would be better served to enjoy your last moments of fresh air. I have entertained too many of your prying questions! The next time you set foot above will be to transfer onto the rendezvous ship. Thank your man Carl for suspending the gracious liberties I have extended until now.”

  Suddenly, in the corner of his eye Fortune saw Carl break away from his capturers, running towards one side of the ship. His two handlers rushed straight after him. Catching up to Carl, they attempted to manhandle him back towards the center of their boat. As they struggled to apprehend him, Carl shouted with firm resolve.

  “You shall never take my freedom again!”

  With great force, he swung his chained hands like a club, striking the burly man on his right. One swift motion caught him square on the jaw and drove him overboard. Within seconds, he caught Turner in similar fashion on the full of his face, dispatching him likewise overboard. Unguarded, Carl let out a bloodcurdling wail, running straight for Captain Brannigan.

  Captain Brannigan turned to face the oncoming Carl and calmly drew his firearm. Within an instant he sized up his aim. A singular shot rang out in the crisp of ocean air and felled Carl, steps away from the captain. He lowered his piece and glowered hot rage on his remaining crew.

  “Damn you foolish men! Here an unarmed captive, bound no less, completely destroys our plans. Do you realize what has happened?

  “If you did not care for Turner before, I am sure you will now plenty! He was our only way to meet those contacts off the coast. Hell, he was the only one who knew our rendezvous location. We have nothing now! That black bastard has taken our rewards as surely as being robbed.”

  A crew member named Longstreet tried to salvage the situation. “Sir, we may have lost Turner’s option, though Harriston Smith is none the wiser. Can we not change course and head for America with the lot we have?”

  Captain Brannigan cooled his anger to rationally assess the situation. “Yes Longstreet, all is not lost. But there will be hard lessons learned now.

  “For one, since Harriston Smith’s offer is less lucrative, each of you will have less loot to split. Second, and most important, this is our last chance to put things right. These captives are my only prize, and I aim to collect with as many of them as possible. So to each man left on board, I say no more mistakes, or face the consequences. Are we clear on that?”

  Each remaining crew member faced Brannigan. “Aye, aye captain!” they screamed against rising, rain splattered wind.

  “Then we have an understanding. I want all these captives taken down towards the holding level on my signal. But for now let them breathe in their last fresh air. I don’t want them ill-treated; they will fetch nothing if they are too weak. And I want Carter and Stan to have their weapons on the ready. You two have my authority to shoot in case of danger. Understood?”

  The two appointed sailors produced firearms concealed beneath long coats, fixing their glistening black barrels towards startled prisoners. Captain Brannigan yelled in earnest at the detainees.

  “Do not test me again! Make no mistake, I have ordered my men to fire at their discretion. If that happens, the closest you will get to dry land will be when the shark that eats you washes ashore.”

  Just as the crew prepared to assume their positions, a familiar voice rang out clearly. “Wait for one moment! I demand to speak the truth about this matter and clear my conscience.”

  Everyone on deck turned in surprise to stare at Preacher Simmons. He bore the look of a defeated man, almost too weak in his grief to stand. Regardless, he was set on speaking for all to hear.

  “You are the worst sort Captain Brannigan! There’s a special place well below reserved for your soul. But I will not waste precious words on your decrepit character. It is these unfortunates I wish to address.

  “Nothing I say will undo the harm caused by all this, so I will not even attempt to plead for forgiveness. In the beginning, it was true I had a financial as well as a higher purpose to see this voyage through. There is nothing malicious in that if it meant you were all settled in Hopeville, with a huge burden released from my life. In the end, we all would have been rewarded!

  “I am truly surprised Brannigan admitted I had no part in his wicked plan. Though like I said before, I promised my very presence on this earth would vanish if what I spoke was false. I am a man of the cloth. I also have a duty to my society. And those words I spoke on Halifax pier were made a falsehood by the traitorous captain.

  “Therefore, my unfortunate followers, I must remain true to myself and the Lord. It is my hope that He will consider all the circumstances before rendering final judgment on my soul. As for you all, I can only offer my most humble apologies along with a trust in God’s mercy.”

  Before anyone could react, Preacher Simmons broke free from the grouping, running with speed towards Isabella’s side. In one swift motion, he gathered all his remaining strength to hurl himself overboard.

  This latest incident put Captain Brannigan on edge. “That is enough, damn it! Take them below and put on restraints before they all become martyrs. I must have people left for us to collect our due!”

  Dainty’s heart sank even lower. It was her one desperate hope to appeal for mercy from Preacher Simmons, assuming he was party to this foul deed. Though not only was he innocent of treachery, he took his own life in a show of ultimate proof. There would be no chance to rescue Cody, with all passengers now facing certain bondage.

  Pausing a moment to collect his composure, a refocused Brannigan turned towards First Mate Miller. “As Longstreet mentioned, we have no need to continue on course to the southwest coast of England. Therefore I order an immediate change of direction. We shall now head south west from here, charting a direct course to the port of Savannah, Georgia.

  “When we arrive, I will send you to meet Harriston Smith’s contact at a local inn called The Jolly Sailor. He in turn will notify our buyer that the merchandise, I mean servants, have arrived. Upon inspection of our cargo, the buyer will give us all monies less the advance. Trust me; it will be more than plenty. The money we shall receive will set us all up quite handsomely!”

  Imminent good fortune placed a wide smile on Miller’s lips. But as an impending reality shone through the dreamy haze of future spoils, his face became contorted wi
th concern.

  “Captain Brannigan, I need to point something out. We cannot turn and head south west at this time. Do you feel the volume of rain and wind increasing? The source is from that direction. And look at the clouds over that way. We are currently north east of Desmond’s Yard Lot.”

  Captain Brannigan returned a blank look to his first mate, though the more experienced sailors nodded in acknowledgement.

  “Miller, what meaning am I to take from your comments?” inquired Captain Brannigan. “Was my order not clear enough?”

  The first mate stepped forward. “As many of your more experienced crew knows, Desmond’s Yard Lot is infamous for its treacherous breadth, even in the best of times. With a storm brewing from that direction, we would probably do better to take a more indirect course. Captain, one must consider the foul reputation of Desmond’s Yard Lot at this time of year!”

  Brannigan looked over the crew in his immediate vicinity before fixing a menacing gaze upon Miller. “Listen closely, and mark my words well. We already lost precious time and money because of the negligent actions of two crew members. I will not sacrifice valuable cargo again to the idle thoughts of my hires!

  “This shipment is worth tens of thousands, but only if we get it safely to our willing buyer. The time for action is nigh. Does that have any meaning in your small pea of a brain?”

  Miller stared straight ahead while the captain continued his dressing down. “The sooner I, um we, collect, the faster we can all go our separate ways and quit this ugly enterprise. So any buffoon that challenges my orders can join those darkies as chattel! I truly have no greater concern than collecting on my bounty. Understood?”

  The sailor Richmond took note of Captain Brannigan’s dire warnings, but needed to absolve his conscious of some guilt. Truth told, he was deeply conflicted about the practice of slavery. Reality in the form of a young family with three children meant this presented a way to lift them from perilous poverty. Deafening silence accorded him an opportunity to vent his conscious openly.