The Deepest Waters, A Novel

by Walsh, Dan

  60

  It was midafternoon. They had talked around the table nonstop for almost two hours. Everyone had been amazed to hear John’s rescue story, especially the part about the bird. At that point, John had looked at Laura and said, “I will only ever accept one explanation for that . . . God wanted us together.” John had been just as astounded to learn of Micah and Eli’s reunion on the street last night, equally remarkable. And so grateful for both men’s quick action when Ayden Maul had sprung his attack.

  At the moment, Eli was driving John and Laura through the streets of New York back toward the Cutlass. They told the rest of the family they were shopping for clothes. Later, they might actually do that. They had made just one stop along the way, to a bank, to convert the gold nuggets into cash. It had come to just over eighteen hundred dollars.

  The carriage made a left turn, pulled over, and came to a stop. “We’re here, Mr. Foster.”

  John opened the door and stepped out, then turned to reach for Laura’s hand. Eli stood next to him, confused. “I’m supposed to open the door for you, sir.”

  “Thanks, Eli, for wanting to. But I can do that.” John reached into his pocket and pulled out a few dollars in coins. He handed them to Eli. “Is there any place you can go for a drink? We should only be about ten or fifteen minutes.”

  “To be honest, sir, I have no idea. I’d have to find a place that took coloreds. Think that might take too much time. You go, take care of what you need to. I’ll be right here.”

  “Thanks.”

  John and Laura walked together, around the side of the office building toward the dock. “John, thank you so much for doing this.”

  “It’s the least I could do, after what Micah did.”

  “But I want you to know, it’s more than what he did last night when Maul attacked me. It’s for everything he did for me on the ship too. He saved me from a very dark despair. He kept me from giving up hope. Next to you, I think Micah is the most remarkable man I have ever met.”

  “Then it makes what we’re about to do all the more satisfying,” John said. They walked along the side of the ship toward the gangway.

  “Mrs. Foster.”

  She looked up. “It’s Mr. Maylor, the captain’s first mate. Mr. Maylor, is the captain on board?”

  “He is, ma’am. But he ain’t too happy right about now.”

  “Can we come aboard?” John said. “Maybe we can change that.”

  “Sure, anything for Mrs. Foster.”

  When they came aboard, John panned the deck slowly. This is where Laura had lived while he was on the raft.

  “Mr. Maylor, meet John Foster, my husband.”

  “Your husband? No foolin’?” He reached out his hand. “I thought you were dead.”

  “I’m hearing that a lot today.”

  “Another ship rescued him and fifty-two other men,” Laura said.

  “That’s wonderful, Mrs. Foster. Real happy for you.” He led them toward the captain’s cabin. He knocked on the oak door. “Cap’n? Mrs. Foster here to see you, with her husband.”

  “Her husband?” John heard through the door. “Well, I’ll be.”

  The door swung open. “Glad to hear somebody’s getting some good news.” He held out his hand. “C’mon in, folks, have a seat. I was just reading about the Norfolk survivors. So happy one of them was yours, ma’am.”

  They shook hands. “Sorry to hear about what that Maul fellow did, Mrs. Foster. I knew he was no good.”

  “Well, he’s where he belongs now.”

  “Captain Meade,” said John, “I believe you met my brother Joel yesterday.”

  “I suppose I did, came and told me what happened and what Micah did.” He laughed. “That Micah, he’s full of surprises.”

  “Yes,” said John. Get ready for another, he thought. “Joel said you felt the steamship company failed to reimburse you properly.”

  “They did. It’s going to cost me a thousand dollars to make repairs. So far I haven’t had any luck closing any deals. I really need to get out of here and get back to my customers down South.”

  “I’d like to make that possible. In fact, I can make it possible.”

  “What do you mean? How?”

  John thought a demonstration was in order. He pulled his bankroll of cash from his inner coat pocket. He’d already separated out the amount he had in mind. He laid the cash on the table between them. The captain’s eyes widened. “Here’s a thousand dollars. It’s yours. Laura and I would like to take Micah off your hands.”

  “You want to buy Micah? My slave?”

  “I’ve done some checking. It’s a fair amount, considering his age. Especially now with his injuries.”

  “It’s more than fair,” Meade said. “But I thought you didn’t believe in slavery, Mrs. Foster.”

  “We don’t,” she said.

  “Oh, I see. You’re going to set him free. I’m not so sure that’s a good idea. Micah’s never been free. I don’t think he’ll know what to do with himself.”

  “We’ll worry about that,” she said.

  “Do we have a deal?”

  “I don’t even need to think about it, sir.” He held out his hand. They shook and he stood up. “Let me get the paperwork out of my box. We’ll take care of that, and you got yourself a slave.”

  “No, we’ve got ourselves a friend,” John said.

  “Up to you.”

  After the transaction was complete, they shook hands again and walked out on deck.

  “One more thing, Captain Meade,” Laura said. “I don’t see Crabby.”

  “She’s down in the crew quarters. After Micah left yesterday, she just laid there where she last saw him, all day and night. Wouldn’t eat, wouldn’t drink. Had to bring her down there when she started howling.”

  “Can we have her?”

  “What?”

  “I know you care about her.”

  “She’s just a dumb dog.”

  “Then can we have her? It would break Micah’s heart to lose her.”

  John watched as Meade struggled to pretend he didn’t care. “All right, she clearly wants to be with him.”

  “Thank you, Captain,” Laura said and gave him a hug. “And thank you again for saving our lives.”

  “Happy to do that, ma’am. You take care now. Maylor, go get Crabby. These folks are going to take her.”

  “Really? ’Bout time.”

  He went down into the hold, then came back with Crabby. As soon as she saw Laura, she started barking and straining at the rope. “Hi, Crabby, it’s me, girl.” She broke free and ran to Laura, jumping and barking and licking her all over. “Let’s go home, girl. Go see Micah.”

  The dog recognized his name and began wagging her tail even harder. They walked her toward the carriage. Eli looked surprised to see them, especially the dog. “This is Crabby,” Laura said. “Your father’s dog.”

  “My father’s dog? What’s she doing here?” Eli said.

  “She’s ours now, and so is your father,” John said.

  “I don’t understand.”

  “We bought Micah’s freedom from Captain Meade. And the captain gave us his dog.”

  “Your father loves this dog,” said Laura.

  “You freed my dad?” Eli said. “He’s really free? He can stay with us in New York?”

  “I don’t see why not. We’ll have to talk things over with John’s parents, but he’s not going back on that ship.”

  “I don’t know what to say.” His eyes filled with tears.

  “Would you mind, John, if we headed back to the house?”

  “Not at all. We can shop later.”

  As they opened the carriage door to get in, Laura stopped. “John, Crabby’s so dirty. What will your mother say if she gets fleas in the carriage, or paw prints.”

  “Hop in, Laura.” John was smiling.

  She did, and Crabby jumped right in behind her.

  “After what I’ve seen today, I think this family can act
ually handle a few fleas and paw prints.” Eli closed the door, and the carriage got underway.

  Laura snuggled up close to John. Crabby instantly jumped up on the seat across from them and stuck her head out the window. Laura reached over and patted her on the shoulder. John realized something then: the San Francisco Fosters were very likely going to have their own dog someday.

  Laura said, “I can’t wait to get home and surprise Micah with the news.”

  61

  Four Weeks Later

  Tomorrow they would begin the long trip home to San Francisco. Laura had already finished packing the trunks. Both dreaded the thought of taking a long sea voyage . . . anywhere. Joel had done some research for them and learned these terrible hurricane storms rarely made an appearance in late October. Still, Laura would only agree to the trip after John had promised they’d take a train as far south as Savannah.

  John did have a store to run back home. They had written Laura’s brother the day after John had come home, knowing letters often took weeks to reach the West Coast. They realized he’d have heard about the ship sinking, and they wanted him to know they were both safe and well. A week later, when their plans were more settled, John had written again, asking him to please mind the store for another month. They hadn’t heard back from him yet, but both assumed he would be sympathetic.

  John and Laura had spent the first week with his family, becoming reacquainted. John’s father was the only one who seemed a little put off by everything. But he warmed up to them after a few days. His mood improved dramatically when he’d learned that the firm’s losses weren’t nearly as bad as he had imagined that first day. The Vandervere’s sinking did send a temporary panic through Wall Street. Some had feared it would even set off a depression. Now the papers predicted a mild recession, and the Foster Insurance Firm was predicting it could still end the year in the black.

  John and Laura spent the next two weeks making short trips together, mostly by train. They’d visited Washington DC and were able to tour the White House and the Smithsonian Museum and see the new dome being constructed on the Capitol Building. From there they went to Baltimore. Laura had wanted to see Fort McHenry, the place that inspired Francis Scott Key to write “The Star-Spangled Banner.” There they ate the most fabulous crab dishes either had ever tasted. Laura could just imagine Crabby running down the deck with one in her mouth.

  Next they had traveled to Philadelphia to see Independence Square and the Liberty Bell. And finally, at the end of last week, they’d visited Boston, to meet Robert and his family. Robert took them on a tour of all the historical sites around Boston. It was a marvelous reunion, and both men had said things that convinced Laura they would likely remain friends for life.

  John and Laura had spent the last few days reconnecting with his family in New York.

  But of course, the biggest and most satisfying experience for Laura—a moment she would never forget—happened in those first few days after they purchased Micah from Captain Meade. It was the day they’d handed Micah the documents that certified he was a free man. Micah had cried tears of joy and shouted, “Praise the Lord!” and “Glory be to his name!” The whole family was present in the living room, except John’s father, but including Eli and Sally. Everyone clapped and hugged him.

  The biggest shock to all present was that John’s mother allowed Crabby to come in the house. “Just for a little while,” she’d said. “Then she goes right back out.”

  They retreated to the dining room, where Sally had prepared a very fine sheet cake, chocolate with white icing. She’d said, “I made this black and white, to celebrate what you white folks done for us.” She had said this through tears of joy, and there wasn’t a dry eye in the room when she began cutting that cake.

  Micah had gotten the first and biggest piece. “I never ate cake before,” he had said. His eyes lit up like a child’s with the very first bite.

  At one point, Laura saw something bordering on hilarious. She had observed the refined and proper Mrs. Foster sneak a small piece of cake under the table. Crabby had eaten it up in two bites.

  Presently, John and Laura were walking on the sidewalk under a row of shady trees down Lexington Avenue. They had just said a tearful farewell to Micah. It was hard for Laura to let him go.

  They walked the first five minutes in silence. Finally John said, “Are you going to be all right?”

  “I will be,” she said. “I’ve only known him such a short while, but he’s almost become like a grandfather to me. But I do feel so much better leaving, seeing how happy he is and how well he’s doing. Did you see how excited he was showing us his living quarters? ‘Best place I ever had,’ he said.”

  “Seems to get along well with the Harrisons,” John said.

  The Harrisons were another well-to-do family in Gramercy Park, just two blocks from his parents’ home. They had hired Micah to care for all their horses.

  “Micah gets along well with everyone.” She thought a moment and remembered why. “We were having this conversation shortly after I came aboard the ship. I don’t remember what I said, but I remember what he said. He was quoting the verse where Jesus says, ‘If the Son maketh you free, you shall be free indeed.’ Then he told me something he’d learned from it. He said, ‘No man is free when his heart isn’t free. They may be free the way man sees it, but not the way Jesus sees it. Because they aren’t free in here.’ Then he pointed at his heart.”

  “That’s . . . that’s quite profound,” John said.

  “Isn’t it?”

  Micah, she thought, now you really are free indeed. Not just the way God sees it, but even in the eyes of man.

  A Note from the Author

  The Deepest Waters is most definitely a work of fiction. But historical fiction tales are often based on things that actually happened. Sometimes you’ll see the phrase “Based on a True Story” on a book cover. That means most of what you’ll read actually happened, though some details have been changed (for any number of reasons).

  Then there’s the phrase “Inspired by a True Story,” which better describes this book. It means a true story inspired the work of fiction, but the book likely contains more fiction than fact. Just how much, I guess, is up to the author.

  While all my characters are fictitious, as are most of the plot points, many things in The Deepest Waters really did happen. In fact, some of the most amazing aspects of the story are true. I had been watching a documentary about the SS Central America, a paddle-wheel steamship that sank in the waters off North Carolina in September of 1857. I couldn’t believe some of the things I saw. It captivated my attention. I was inspired. I soon ordered a number of books about the shipwreck to find out more, and then I began to write this novel.

  I won’t take time to mention all the true things in my story, but here are some I found the most fascinating:

  A steamship filled with tons of gold really did sail straight into a hurricane, spring a serious leak, and sink (before it did, the men aboard tried to bail her out in a bucket brigade).

  A newlywed couple really did board that steamship for a honeymoon cruise back East, and the wife really brought all her wedding gifts along.

  The steamship passengers had given up all hope of rescue when an old sailing ship appeared on the horizon. But it wasn’t big enough to rescue everyone, and over four hundred men were left behind. The newlywed couple was separated then, and the wife sailed away, firmly convinced her new husband had perished.

  When the steamship sank, most of the men aboard drowned; many right away, others as they grew weary, floating in the ocean clinging to debris.

  The rescue ship, carrying all the women and children, really did run out of food but was saved by another ship that appeared. The captain of the second ship was a Christian and gave the rescue ship all the food and water they needed to finish their journey. He wouldn’t take a dime in repayment.

  Perhaps this is the most amazing of all . . . a large bird really flew out of nowhere and
careened into the head of a captain sailing another ship over one hundred miles out at sea. It caused him to immediately change course. That night, his ship sailed right through the remaining fifty-three survivors from the steamship and rescued them.

  The newlywed husband was among those fifty-three survivors, and he really did help save the lives of several men adrift with him at sea.

  As you can imagine, a few days later, the newlywed couple enjoyed a most remarkable reunion.

  As I studied this amazing story, I was reminded of a passage in the Old Testament:

  Those who go down to the sea in ships, who do business on great waters, they see the works of the Lord, and His wonders in the deep.

  Psalm 107:23–24

  One of the most enjoyable aspects of writing historical novels for me is the research. I always learn such amazing things. Take the part where Micah’s children, Sally and Eli, find each other and work as servants in the same New York mansion. When you consider the fascinating true story of the Underground Railroad, it’s not hard to believe something like this could have happened (I’d encourage you to read more about this on the internet). Now, the part where Eli and his father, Micah, meet that one magical night . . . I hope you’ll agree, if God can appoint a bird to smack into a sea captain’s head and get him to alter his course so that he rides right through the middle of a floating band of shipwreck survivors on a moonless night . . . it’s not a stretch to believe he could accomplish anything I imagined as I wrote this book.

  One final thing: as much as I loved writing and researching this book, I am grateful that the few sea voyages I’ve taken with my wife have all been aboard very large ships with marvelous buffets and unlimited servings of soft-serve ice cream and iced tea.

  Acknowledgments

  This is now my third novel, written with the help of essentially the same team as my first two. I could simply ask these precious friends to reread what I wrote about them in my first novel and say “ditto” for their help with The Deepest Waters.