by William King
“Mason?”
“Yes Hillary, is there something else?”
“Yes Mason there is,” she said stammering, “Please do not tell Elizabeth about this predicament. She will think of me as an ungrateful and cowardly person. I really am not. It is because I am an old woman, too old to take the responsibility of knowing whether to leave or stay in her absence.”
“Hillary I assure you, Elizabeth will never hear about this from my lips.”
She thanked me and left.
After Hillary had left, I walked straight to our quarters to have a talk with Elizabeth about the conversation that I just had with Hillary, but without revealing that I had just spoken to her.
Once inside our stateroom, I sat next to Elizabeth on the bed, and said, “I have something important to talk to you about.”
“Mason, if this has anything to do with our present relationship, I have already explained it to you, and I have nothing more to say on the subject.”
I assured her that it had nothing to do with our relationship or feelings towards one another.
“I see then, what is it that I can do for you Mason?”
“Elizabeth, it’s about Lyle and Hillary. Have you given any thought as to what would become of them in the event that something horrible should happen to the two of us while we are on Devil’s Island?”
The question had caught her off guard, just as it had me when Hillary asked me no more than a few moments ago.
“Mason, I do not believe anything awful is going to happen to either of us on the island.”
Her face turned a bright red, and she started to get a little apprehensive, as she tried to make my question sound skeptical and unworthy of thought.
“Well what do you suggest we do Mason, take along a couple of trained body guards, or better yet, how about a small army?”
She was somewhat annoyed as I replied, “Elizabeth, I sure in hell do not think that either of the two would help us under the circumstances that we are in.”
“Ok Mason, I will speak to the captain, and if for any reason there has not been any contact with us by the time the next ship is due to arrive. I will advise him to send someone ashore to search for us. I will further instruct him that if we are not found, that Lyle and Hillary are to be returned back to England. How does that sound to you?”
“Elizabeth, there is one other thing I would like to tell you.”
“What is it Mason?”
“Thank you, thank you so much.”
My mission had been accomplished. I went back to Lyle and Hillary’s quarters across the hall and told Hillary that everything had been taken care of. She was somewhat relieved as she replied, “How can I ever repay you Mason?”
“Hillary, I would think just being a good friend would be sufficient enough.”
Hillary’s face brightened up like a glimmer of light reflecting off the ocean waters as she smiled. I felt as if a bond had begun to grow between the two of us. I left the room and closed the door behind me knowing that another one of my predictions was becoming a reality. I walked across the hall back to my quarters, opened the door, and walked in. Once inside I saw Elizabeth lying on the bed watching the television, or I thought that she was watching the television because it was on. However, when I walked over to the bed, I noticed that she was asleep.
I looked down at my watch that I wore on my left arm to see what time it was, and it surely seemed to look right back at me, mockingly. I knew time was indeed precious to all of us at the moment because there was no one among the four of us who could predict how much time would be allotted to either one of us on this planet.
I thought how ironic it was that everything that has happened to us on this journey so far had to do with time itself, and wondered how much time the four of us really had left before our time was up. I knew that we had approximately one hour, possibly two before we would have to deal with our worst nightmares. However, three hours later, and the Elizabeth Dane had still not gotten within visual distance of Devil’s Island, and the captain has not said one word of it over the intercom. I was beginning to pace the floor with impatience, when Elizabeth awakened from her nap and asked, “What is wrong Mason?”
“What is wrong, I will tell you what is wrong. We have
not arrived at Devil’s Island and we should have been.”
“That is rather bothersome. I will go have a chat with
the captain to see what the holdup is.”
“That sounds like a good thing to do. Want me to go with you?”
“No that quite alright. You stay here until I return.”
“Alright then, I will see you when you get back.”
Ten minutes later Elizabeth had opened the door and said, “Mason the captain has informed me that there was an error due to the misreading of an instrument by the navigator. He said that we are approximately eighty to one-hundred miles off course, and we are still a few hours away, maybe four from Devil’s Island.”
“I have never met a navigator that could not read the instruments that he had been taught to use. He must have been the best the captain could find considering the lack of choices, and on such short notice.”
“Mason that is a little more than unfair, even you are capable of making mistakes from time to time, or am I to believe that you think you are perfect.”
“I am sorry Elizabeth. I guess that I am getting a little over anxious to get to the island.”
Elizabeth said in a jokingly voice, “I believe that I can forgive you Mason, but remember, I believe that we are all in the same boat, or should I say ship.”
I laughed, “Ha, ha, that is very funny Elizabeth.”
The next thing that I knew I was being kissed again for the second time since we boarded the Elizabeth Dane. I became furious and said, “Elizabeth you are like the wind, and I never know in what direction you are going to blow. One minute you kiss me, and the next you tell me that you do not want to speak about our relationship or feelings, and then kiss me again with your hot soft lips. I will soon be ready for a cold shower to cool myself down, or I might have to have the captain put me in cuffs and lock me up in the kitchens freezer at this rate.”
Shocked at what I just said and what just happened, Elizabeth shoved me aside and steamed out through the door, and was gone before I could say another word. My restlessness grew rapidly while time seemed to be at a standstill. Every time that I looked down at my watch to see what time it was, only a couple of minutes had passed since the last time that I checked. I unpacked and repacked one of my large luggage bags just to keep my mind preoccupied from thinking about Elizabeth and her hot soft lips pressed up against mine. I drank the last of my tea and began to pace the floor once again.
Finally, after what seemed to be an eternity, I heard the ships loudspeaker come to life and the captain’s voice say, “All passengers departing for Devil’s Island please report on the upper deck.”
Right then Elizabeth opened the door and walked in, leaving the door wide open, and said, “You heard the captain. Lets get our belongings, get Lyle and Hillary from their room, and head to the upper deck.”
I had not heard anything so exciting in days. I was exhilarated that our ocean voyage was almost over, and that our destination had finally been reached. The four of us had little indication that our worst nightmares were awaiting our presence, and could be the meeting place for the disciples of Hell! I do not recall what kind of place I thought the island would turn out to be. However, I do recall Elizabeth telling Lyle, Hillary, and I that it was pretty much one of the last places on the planet where the natives still practiced rituals, and had sacrificial offerings to please their gods. The four of us waited up on deck for close to thirty minutes until we saw the crewmembers getting one of the three small ten person wooden boats that were on the upper deck ready for our departure to the island.
The crewmembers lowered the small wooden boat into the water with a small crane on the ship that was used to raise and lower the boats
, and then dropped a ladder rope done to it, which we all had to climb done to get into the boat.
4
DEVIL’S ISLAND
I
could have never been more wrong, as we stepped off the Elizabeth Dane onto a small wooden rowboat capable of holding ten people, and was taken to shore, and straight into the heart of the jungle. We saw only a few dilapidated huts that belonged to the few remaining tribal people who still chose to make the island their home after its near devastation ten years prior to our arrival. However, we did come to see one place that showed signs of an American setting foot on the god-forsaken island. It was an outdated plantation type building, which we learned was turned into a trade center and used by the Nickels. We were told that they were the last non-islanders who remained on the Island.
The captain also came ashore with us to make sure that the crewmembers delivered the food, medication, clothing, and other important merchandise that had been ordered on his last visit. The captain introduced us to a Mr. and Mrs. Nickels once we had made our way inside the old and creepy plantation type building. Then he said, “I gave them the name Nickel’s myself, after the settler’s had all left the island, they took over the place.” The captain chuckled and said, “I called him Nickel’s because he had acquired one from somewhere and was always toying around with it in his hand.”
The captain came up with one other friendly remark before he departed back to board the Elizabeth Dane. He said, “These kind and generous people will always be your friends, but once outside this sheltered compound God help you, for you will be in hell before you know it.”
We stood quietly as we watched the Elizabeth Dane slowly get smaller and smaller as she voyaged back out to sea, and was no longer within our sights. I looked over at Lyle and Hillary and could tell right away by the ghostly expressions on their face that they should have never taken Elizabeth up on her offer of taking them on this journey to Devil’s Island, and into the unknown depths of its jungle.
It was getting late, and the late afternoon light had already begun to fade into darkness as the Nickels showed us to our rooms. The rooms were nice and comfortable, but when one considered where the place was, I suppose this place could be considered a palace.
The four of us decided to clean up a bit before supper at the shower stalls that we had seen outside located at the back end of the compound. Elizabeth had decided that her and Hillary were going to take their showers first, and then Lyle and I would take ours. Elizabeth laughed until her stomach hurt as she watched Hillary take her first distasteful glimpse of an outside shower stall. I believe that she had almost went into a state of shock when she learned that there was no hot and cold running water on the island, and that it would be a whole lot easier to have the help of another person to pour the water over her body.
Hillary replied, “Oh Elizabeth I just cannot do this,” with tears in her eyes. “I am way too old to be converted to this kind of humiliation,” she said humbly covering her face.
Elizabeth had laughed about it, but this simply had not been funny at all to poor old Hillary. Elizabeth had walked over to her shower stall and politely asked, “Hillary, would it make you feel any better if I poured the water for you?” She nodded her head and said, “Yes Elizabeth, it would make me feel a lot more comfortable having you pour the water for me.”Elizabeth assured her from here on out that, she would arrange for her to have a tub brought into her room where she could take a bath in privacy. Elizabeth and Hillary managed to take their showers, if that is what one would call it, and within record time to boot, and were both finished and back inside the safety of the trade center building within an hour’s time.
Once inside Elizabeth and Hillary found Lyle, I, and Mrs. Nickels in the kitchen, and as Elizabeth walked up to me and grabbed my hand she looked directly at Mrs. Nickel’s and said, “I am surprised to see so many different varieties of food here in your kitchen Mrs. Nickels.”
“Well thank you my dear that is very kind of you to mention that.”
I watched Mrs. Nickels prepare the food, and thought that she must have been a chief at one point in time, being such an excellent cook in all. She prepared a complete and elegant seafood diner for the four of us. While Elizabeth and Hillary gave Mrs. Nickels, a hand making dinner, Lyle and I each took our turn taking a shower. Once we were finished we went back in and ate the most delicious meal, which was topped off with an exclusive brand of White Wine that the captain had left with his compliments. He had been very careful with his selection of gifts. He must have realized how ill at ease we all would have been without the one thing that we most indulged in. The captain had been very gracious in deed. I had been savoring the last drink within my cup when Elizabeth called me aside.
“Well Elizabeth, what is it? You have a very serious look on your face, is there something bothering you?”
“Yes there is Mason, and I have a question to ask you. I hope you bear in mind where you are, and there are a thousand reasons why I would ask you this question, but I only need one reason why I should.”
I did not know how I knew, but before she even asked the question I said, “Yes Elizabeth, I know how to use a firearm. I have been an experienced marksman since I was thirteen years old.”
“Mason, how on earth did you know what I was going to ask you, even before I had asked the question?”
“I cannot say for sure Elizabeth, because I do not know the answer to that question myself. It was just an instinct I guess, and I have told you before that I have been gifted with things of that nature since childhood.”
“I recall you saying that Mason, but I was somehow under the impression that it was just within your dreams. Someday we are going to have to sit down and discuss all this, but for now you have told me what I wanted to know. Oh, and Mason, I would like to be ready to leave by first light. So, if you can prepare all of our things that will be needed for the trip into the jungle before you turn in that would be great. The four of us have a lot of preparations to do before we leave tomorrow, and we will need all the time that we can get to make them.”
“Do not worry. I will have everything ready to go by first light Elizabeth, no need to worry about that, I have it all covered.”
She looked at me with a puzzled expression across her face and said, “I sure hope so. We cannot afford not to.”
I watched her as she walked away with her long legs and graceful strides until she was out of sight. Her hip action was just too much, more than I could handle. She must have known that I was watching her walk away, and did it just to tease me.
I rejoined the others and asked Mr. Nickels if he would mind accompanying me into the storeroom, as there were a lot of things that I needed to purchase and have ready by first light. I picked out four backpacks, a first aid kit, and a bottle of whisky to use as antiseptic, and last but not least the protective clothing that we were all going to need for the adventure into the harsh jungle. I had enough food and water packed to last several weeks, two machetes, and heavy-duty netting to protect us at night as we sleep from the vicious mosquitoes and other insects.
The gracious captain had been kind enough to leave us with a couple of firearms, but of what kind, and how many rounds I did not know. Therefore, I had to do an inventory check to make certain of what we had. I found out that the captain had left us with two, thirty ought six rifles and two-hundred and fifty rounds of ammo, which should be plenty of ammo for our journey into the heart of the jungle.
I asked, “Mr. Nickels, I believe the last thing needed on the list is two good mannered pack mules.”
“Mason, I have two pack mules just perfect for your journey into the jungle.”
I paid Mr. Nickels for the merchandise and asked, “Can you please take everything to the front of the store so we can have easy access to our supplies once we prepare to leave on our journey tomorrow. Bear in mind Mr. Nickels, this is just a precautionary measure in case you are not around when we decide to leave.”
Mr.
Nickels replied, “Sure thing Mason, no need to worry about anything. Your supplies will be right where you asked them to be in the morning.”
I double-checked and triple checked to make sure that I was not forgetting anything that might be needed on our journey into the jungle. Once I was positive that I had not, I returned to my room and collected the rest of the gear that we had brought and set it alongside the merchandise that Mr. Nickels had been placing in front of his store. On my last trip to the front of the store Mr. Nickels asked, “Will there be anything else Mason.”
“No, I think that just about covers everything Mr. Nickels. I think I will get some sleep. Tomorrow will be here in no time, good night.”
I made my way back to our sleeping quarters, that is if one would call it that and was getting ready to shut off the light and lie down in bed, hoping to get a good night’s sleep when I heard Hillary calling out my name as she softly knocked on my door. As I opened the door Hillary said, “Oh, I am sorry to disturb you at this time of night Mason, but I desperately need to ask you a question.”
“It is alright Hillary, do come in.”
Not knowing that Elizabeth was in the room sleeping she asked, “Mason, are Lyle and I going into the jungle with you and Elizabeth when you leave in the early morning?”
“Hillary I am not sure, but I would imagine that Elizabeth would want the both of you to stay here where it is safe.”
“Yes, Hillary”, Elizabeth replied. “Lyle and you will be staying behind with the Nickels.”
Hillary’s eyes began to tear up, but never broke out into full running tears and replied, “Oh, I did not know that you were in the room Elizabeth. I am so sorry.”