by Robert Lyon
Athena looked down at our farm and saw all the pretty rows, sorghum, knotweed, young leech trees, and irrigation mounds ready for anything else we found to grow. She saw the white surf crashing against the white swept amber beaches. She saw
Hudlow and his kingdom all kneeling in awe of the sky princess.
She saw us tending the balloon lines and the pulley line to her harness and swing chair, as well as others of us scurrying around at various regular tasks. She giggled with delight and hugged
herself in excitement then called down, “Okay, you can lower me.”
As Michelle watched her being lowered she found some joy in
Athena response as we all did and comment, “She is a sweet girl. But, I’ll get most of my viewing time placing stones. So, save the charcoal on my flights for work.” Then Michelle pecked my cheek and rubbed my shoulder as she turned and went back to her tasks.
We didn’t give the balloon a relief cap, it had to descend as it cool or be pulled down and despite the primitive method it was way too much lift to pull down.
The cistern was near over filling and over the years we saw a week or two of rain at a time. So, we set aside the rocks that couldn’t be fitted for use in the tower for a cistern on the mountain top, it had always just been too far and too much of an incline to haul water to but it would give us water pressure. We would also increase production at the farm with some irrigation and aeration. My grandfather had an orange tree in his backyard and I was learning basic biology in elementary school and I read the condition of the tree, I watered it and aerated the soil and in the next season he said he had never seen it fruit like that before, it was absolutely flush with oranges, and the aeration was the cause.
We developed two work crews the cistern shouldn’t take as long and we found limestone vanes in the rocky cliffs of the island and there was still more in the jutting rocks at the beach.
On the night we finally placed our first balloon craned stone we celebrated by a bonfire, we had boar, and bread, leeches and some mushroom we had discovered near the boar pen. We had made paper lanterns that lite the sky with green, and red paper
lanterns dotting the night sky like visiting stars from the heavens.
Athena’s melody on her ocarina had become refined, it was beautiful and inspired. It struck cheer in our hearts and made us glad to be together. I used the marionettes we had made to dance to her tune in the fire light and with all the paper lanterns we had made we used the extras to make a shadow puppet screen and shadow puppets. We told the tale of Artimus stealing our boat and mocked him and those that betrayed us.
Shadow puppet captain said, “A vast me scaly wag dogs, there be a boat here fer, captainin’ and I be that there captain to captainin’ the boat that be here.” Shadow puppet gunners mate one said, “Aye but Captain ‘captain’, be we not stealin’ hard work of them here natives in the dead of night whilst they be slumberin’?” Shadow puppet captain replied, “Arr!” Shadow puppet cabin boy said, “Should I not be bouncin’ on yer lap cap’in whilst ye be liein’ to yer crew?” Shadow puppet captain replied, “Howst is it that ye canst speak with me member in ye mouth hole?” Shadow puppet cabin boy replied, “I be built upside dune’ cap’in!”
As the show continued the boo’s became over run by laughter at the folly and mishandling of the ship.
Shadow puppet girl sailors asked, “Why we be passin’ that same wave there by again me harty?” Shadow puppet ambassador replied, “That there wave be followin’ us, it has me bullocks name on it !!!” Shadow puppet cabin boy interjected,
“Perhaps that be the wake of a shark! This boat be to small fer me lolligagin’!!”
We depicted a storm rising over the ship and rain falling down in a storm. Shadow puppet girl sailor said, “I knew it be cross and foul to be at sea with this manner a cap’in, we be
doomed!!” Shadow puppet captain cried out, “Land ho!! I done it once I know’d I could do it again!!” Shadow puppet ambassador cried out, “Another island!!! We be saved by our hero Cap’in once again! He knowed to foller the currents south instead of north by misreadin’ the chart fer the first two months at sea!!”
We must have seen smoke from the distant horizon and suspected as much or perhaps it was the log debris we didn’t notice before, but as it happens our story was likely a fair approximation.
Two years ago on the night of betrayal as it is marked upon the sundials almanac circle Artimus and his gang gathered at the tree line preparing for a fierce of not fatal capture of the
Woodpeg.
Artimus said to Smity, “You know the ones I want and the ones I trust. If there is resistance we will have to kill them, they aren’t themselves they have island fever.” Smity stood there in the darkness and smiled his face was shaded from the moonlight by a tree but none the less his arrogant smile over took his entire face and looking like a demented clown he replied with a macabre glee, “I hope to get a few myself sir.” Artimus replied,
“Good. Go get our crew I’ll be at the hole in the fence. Come quietly.” Smity replied, “As quite as a queef sir.” Artimus chuckled and said, “And get that good damn smile off your face
I can’t see it but I can hear it.”
The Woodpeg was slapping about in the water, the aft supporting ‘X’ had sunken into the mud enough for the boat to sway but the lines were tight and well secured.
Artimus sat at the hole he had been preparing every night for a week. He ensured that he dug at the same time of night every night so that the native would be accustomed to sleeping
through the noise. Artimus had a bunkmate when he was an ensign that got up to urinate at exactly the same hour every night, and when he returned he would masturbate for about fifteen minutes Dave had learned to sleep through the noise but upon occasion suffer a homosexual erotic dream as a result of these activates, he had hoped to cause the same in the natives.
Atrisia was the first to get to Artimus’s position and Smity whispered from the rear, “I had her go first sir so that we arrived exactly as we agreed.” Artimus replied, “Hey…queef. Tell me I didn’t choice wrong when I picked you.” Smity responded, “Just don’t fuck me and I won’t cum in your face.” Artimus hushed back, “Then we agree.”
As they slipped through the fence Artimus went first to swim to the boat and assume the captains station. Atrisia passed through second to watch for an interruption as the Eric and Mike slipped through and headed to the boat. Atrisia waited for
George Johann to pass through then she followed him to the boat. She giggled when he got turned around in a shadow and tripped over a rock.
Once all were aboard they untethered the ship and pushed away from the forward supporting ‘X’ and swung the crane out of the way. As the boat moved out with the forward mast partially raised captain Artimus looked back at the native camp and said, “Sweet dreams fags”
The lines leading to the crane then over to the ship were the nearest thing to a pier that had been made despite the camp fire story plan and required some swimming. Those lines now wrapped the crane in the current and the crashing surf threatened to topple the crane. At a distance of two hundred yards both forward and amidships mast were raised pulling two triangular sheets into place, thought the amidships masts sail had to be slid
back and adjusted on the mast then the sail took in the wind from astern and swung out wide to port.
The Wooden peg had been freed and was making her run on open waters with the grace of cat. Mike stumbled forward to sit at the bow and Atrisia sat amid ship. Artimus sat at the till and tried to figure out the rigging. In the moonlight he yelled out, “I’m a Captain again!!!”
Milson, Smity, and Johann struck below and found Cabin boy was already there. He uttered in his sleep, “Daddy?” Smity leaned over and whispered in his ear, “What bitch?”
Artimus struck below and asked, “Is he here?” Smity replied, “If you mean your cabin boy then yes sir.” Aritmus said,
“Good it’s cold
out there, cabin boy take the helm.” Wildly woke up and said, “Aye, Captain” Smity blurted out as he head out, “Try not to suck a dick on your way out there.” Wildly scoffed back, “That’s what you’re here for Smity.”
As the sun rose they were all asleep and on an unknown course. They had left about four hours before sunrise. Captain
Artimus was very enthusiastic about finally being home again.
His crew tried to convince him they still had a long way to go before they were home his response was, “That’s life you’re talking about and there is a long way to go. But I am a captain and this is my home!” his arms were stretched out palms turned toward the sky. He looked up with a joyful smile and shook his head to and fro as though he were enjoying a warm pleasant shower. It was quiet a spectacle; George Johann found it reminiscent of nineteen seventies Irish soap commercials.
The captain struck below to start chart making. He had found the sextant we had made all the paper for the charts and noticed but did not recognize the engraving of the navigational circle. That circle was to establish ‘navigational zero’ our
starting point. He instead intended on using the copy he had made in the moonlight, when he snuck cabin boy aboard after they had stolen and loaded extra provisions.
Artimus was enjoying a leech from his private reserve and since there was a close approximation to yeast on board stored in what he considered to be a canopic jar he would attempt to ferment a few for a quick buzz.
After two weeks of Artimus navigating he decided he was lost. The stores had run low because they hadn’t rationed food as planned, they didn’t ration it at all. There was a storm on the horizon and he hoped somehow that would lead to land. In an exaggerated gesture he bumped up against George and acted as though he had caused him to drop the sextant into the water.
Artimus cried out just as they collided, “You ignorant fucking buffoon you knocked the sextant into the water! Shit! Fuck!
Shit! Does anyone see it?” Eric and Atrisia were in exactly the right positions to have fallen for the ploy from what they had seen.
Atrisia yelled out, “God damn idiot! No, it sank!” Eric looked over the side and down into the water and didn’t see anything. Eric said, “Captain, you said we had a turn coming up and it should be our last…I can hold us on a straight course…which way.” Artimus in a fit of false rage asked, “Can you! Can you really!?” Eric said, “Yes.” with despite emotion.
Atrisia added, “Yes, sir. Yes, we can” Artimus said, “Well don’t let me fuck with your confidence but we have to pass through that storm over there or normal winds and tides will work against us. And that’s just the low resolution stuff, the dominant winds and tides.” Eric and Atrisia were stunned and looked at the storm. Wildly had popped his head out from below and also
looked stunned. George cried out rattled with angst, “Well fuck, do it now!”
Atrisia rushed back to the till like a spider on all fours, and knocked Eric aside and headed into the storm. Eric released the till and looked at the storm in awe. Eric thought to himself,
“This is going to be rough but I can’t believe the captain is this good.” Eric knew the captain would only risk it if necessary and if it would definitely work, he did however doubt himself but as always he would find confidence in his Captain.
Artimus knew there wasn’t a chance those charts and tools could help them at all and threw in the towel on their use. He made a command decision and executed it in such a way as to maintain confidence in the Captain.
Artimus called over to Mills as he sat next to Atrisia watching the storm apparently grow, “Haul in the foresail!” Eric clung to the deck as he scurried up to the bow then called back to Atrisia, “Ready.” Atrisia loosened the line knotted near her to the foresail and the sail mast lowered Eric pulled in the sail folding it on the deck.
Atrisia called over to the captain, “What about the midship sail.” Artimus replied, “The mainsail is fine.” As they were blown into the storm Captain Artimus was exhilarated, this is what he would brag about in heaven.
Once they had hit the storm the midship sail tore straight down the middle and ripped open. There was twine and thorns for repair aboard but this wasn’t the time. The sail was being reduced to threads and twine in the wind. Atrisia yelled, “oh my…ca..ca..captain, my…captain!” Artimus popped up and looked at her then said, “That doesn’t go exactly that way.”
Atrisia looked at him in terror and said, “We lost the mainsail sir!” Artimus replied, “Haul in the boom!” Atrisia looked around
thinking, ‘boom, the boom…boom’ then blurted out as she started untying lines and pulling one as she fed out there other,
“It’s a diagonal mast that raises with a pulley system and lowers the same way…It’s a boom!!” She was over joyed that the captain had once again showed his prowess.
In response the captain then called out with a grin in response to her excitement, “Secure the till and strike below!!” Atrisia yelled back happily, “Aye aye sir!”
They stayed below for three days in the storm before even looking outside, and when they did it was only swirls of gray upon gray like flying amidst the clouds. They had been bailing out water exhaustively for days, but the captain knew where it not for the extra ballast the ship would have been capsized.
The Woodenpeg commissioned by the senate of new homeport island had endured the foul weather for days and with the exception of the midship sail was undamaged. She braved a torrential storm for a week end a half before the storm broke.
Once they ventured above they were hungry, wet, and cold. But as the saying goes for the foolish, ‘good fortune is your friend’, there on the horizon, “Land ho!!”
Chapter Fourteen
A less hospitable home
The ship and her crew had survived the storm and as the captain had counted on normal weather patterns in that region did in fact blow them to land. The midship sail had been reduced to knots of twine and feathery fibers. The boats stores were empty, even the charcoal had all been used making fresh water
for drinking and a fish consommé. The boat was anchored out just off the curling surf. They were still bailing out water and the captain decided since they were out of food they would have the boat completely bailed out before they risked beaching the boat.
Artimus peered at the shoreline as his crew bailed out the water.
He uttered to himself as he gazed up to the sky, “I think I made my point.” George was pissed off that he had to do any menial labor so having over heard the Captains comment he said under his breath, “What’s that? That there is something you can do in your pants, that makes Jesus cry?”
The captain asked, “Anyone up for a swim?” Atrisia replied,
“This island looks pretty small sir” Smity stood up from his bailing and asked with a hint of sarcasm, “I wonder what the natives of this island are like?”
Artimus looked back at the island and said cautiously, “There’s a chance it’s a peninsula or maybe it’s just long rather than wide. It’s all in your perspective…in any case we need to replenish our stores.”
They finished bailing out the boat as Artimus inspected the foresail and rigging, he found that they would definitely catch enough wind to beach the boat.
Once they had the boat even keel and dewatered, the captain sat midship on the portside and yelled, “Hoist the foresail and brace for heavy rolls!” Wildly was below and grabbed onto Milsons arm and said, “Don’t let me drown big brother.” Eric replied,
“You’ll be alright bitch. The Captain is taking her in.”
The size of the boat was that of a small ship and was occasionally referred to as a boat and sometimes a ship, she pitched in the surf but her rolls were inconsequential so long as they maintained headway. Just beached or keeled over landfall was absolutely inevitable. George braced himself against the
hull at the ribs in the cabin, he whimpered out a song about a girl named sue, in cold shock and still
somewhat wet.
The Woodenpeg pitched hard and dashed right and left, the till just managed to maintain steerage and the sails began to flutter.
The sail cracked with wind once it had gotten wet with a blast of surf and the Woodenpeg lunged forward toward land.
Once she had dug in under her sails she chopped the surf like a coast guard cutter and plowed into the sand beneath the water.
She had run soft aground by the captain’s intent for the benefit of her crew and sustained no hull damage. The crew and Captain jumped into the surf and ran lines to the nearby by scattering of trees and used them like pulleys to by the boat in. With the help of the crashing surf the Woodenpeg was successfully beached and her lines were tied to a couple of trees.
Atrisia asked, “What now?” Smity said, “I think the question is where the hell are we?” The Captain stepped up and said,
“We’re just restocking so start that foraging thing. Oh, and that thing we did on the other island…make sure there isn’t a radio repeater, weather station or any of that other stuff. Let’s get it done.” and the captain clapped his hands together with a big smile on his face.
All but the captain and his cabin boy went to forage for food.
The captain put his arm around his cabin boy and looked at him with a smile the pointed out at the still raging sea and asked cheerfully, “Am I right?” Wildly was a little confused as to the question and looked out at the rolling sea. The Captain kissed his cheek and smacked his butt and said, “You’ll understand when you understand…” and the captain sat down then continued, “Go build us a couple of lean-tos”