Brethren

by W. A. Hoffman

  “I do not think any man on that ship is a stranger to hard work or lives in fear of it. What they are afraid of is starvation, the plague, forced military service, and all manner of things they left England to avoid. And some of the younger men did come here seeking their fortunes, because they knew well there was none to be had in England. Why did you journey here?”

  He studied me with a frown that finally melted into a smirk and a self-deprecating chuckle. “Debt. I was indentured and sold to a ship’s captain for transport to Barbados for a debt. I was a shiftless bastard in my youth.”

  “Good Lord, man,” I smiled. “If I ascribed my own history to every man I met, I would walk about with a sword in hand at all times and trust no one.”

  This seemed to surprise him until he realized I jested. It brought forth another chortle from Theodore. Fletcher frowned at me. I smiled good-naturedly; I had only been partly in jest.

  Our initial battle laid to rest, we rented horses at the livery and rode inland. I thanked the Gods that it appeared I only need be vigilant with one of the men I was to work with. Theodore seemed to truly be my ally.

  Fletcher and Donoughy began to talk and established some degree of rapport. Thus Theodore and I were regaled with an exchange of information betwixt them concerning grain mills and sugar cane plants for all five or so miles to Spanish Town. I had decided the mechanical aspects of this whole endeavor were in seemingly knowledgeable hands by the time we reached the little hamlet the Spanish had called Villa de la Vega. It did indeed sit on a wide plain next to the Copper River, or Rio Cobre as people still seemed wont to call it.

  Spanish Town had been the Spanish capital, and was technically the English one as well, as the court and Governor were here. However, it was a dusty and somewhat vacant little place as compared to Port Royal. This was due to all the industry of Spanish Town, or anywhere else in the Jamaica hinterlands, taking place on plantations, not among closely packed wharfs and warehouses.

  We ate at a small inn and proceeded across the plain to the acreage. We passed several plantations, and Donoughy stopped to show us cane and explain how it was planted and harvested over a two year cycle, how many men it took per acre, and so on.

  When he described planting and weeding the fields with gangs of men, I asked, “Do we not use plows here?”

  He shook his head and sighed. “Can’t right off. As you see, the trees are thick here. When we clear a field it leaves a number of stumps. Cane can be planted around them. We wouldn’t be able to plow through them, and we don’t need to spend the time removing them.”

  “Aye, I can see that if speed is of the essence,” I said, “but surely after the initial crop is planted, there is time to clear the next fields properly so that they can be plowed.”

  “Not enough men, sir. It will take the entire field gang to keep the fields weeded and fertilized and kill rats. And you want to keep them busy, sir, especially after we get Negroes. Can’t let the buggers sit about and do nothing; they revolt.”

  “I see,” I said and rode ahead. I did understand, and I wanted little to do with it all: which is, of course, why I knew I must be involved.

  I was sweltering in the heat, and felt sympathy for my livery horse, since I had doffed my coat and laid it across the poor animal’s broiling haunches. If not for the hat, I was sure my brain would boil in my skull. Theodore assured me one acclimated to the heat and humidity soon enough; but I had every reason to doubt him at the moment, as I was miserable.

  I thought of men toiling all day in these conditions and then trying to sleep at night in the same, and I wanted even less to do with the business. And even beyond my concern for others, I was damned if I was going to live out here on the land. Sleeping at Theodore’s had been uncomfortable enough last night. I had grown accustomed in the final weeks of the voyage to sleeping on deck. The cabin had been too hot and enclosed, with no breeze to whisk the sweat away: much like Theodore’s guest room. I felt no wind on this plain, either. I wondered what I was to do.

  We rode along the river, and finally reached the plot a good three leagues north of Spanish Town. It was wide and flat and snaked along between the river and a hill that could not easily be farmed upon. The hill was part of the acreage, though, which is why this plot had not been snapped up by an earlier planter. We climbed it, and Donoughy pointed out where he would put the mills and works and where the first field should be cleared. I nodded appreciatively at his planning, and then let him wander off to show Fletcher a thing or two in detail, such as the lay of the land where they might put a water mill.

  I had brought my muskets; and I proceeded to load and fire them, as it had been many months since I had done so and I was in the mood to punch holes in something. Theodore watched me with interest but declined to join in, saying that he had almost broken his shoulder the one time he had been foolhardy enough to fire a musket. So I set about familiarizing myself with the unique aim, trigger movement, and other peculiarities of both pieces.

  The wheellock was, of course, precise in all the ways I had remembered: from the smoothness of her firing mechanism to the trueness of her aim. However, I had forgotten how tedious and prone to irritation the winding of the wheel was. The flintlock was a fine weapon, and her less delicate firing mechanism seemed as hearty as it was simple in comparison. The sights were not as precise, but I soon found the aim necessary to compensate, and could put ball after ball into the same square foot of tree trunk at a hundred paces.

  “You shoot well, but you reload too slowly,” Theodore observed.

  I was in the process of doing same. “I have been aiming for precision as opposed to speed. As you are well aware, a poorly loaded musket will end my life far faster than the tropical vapors.”

  “Aye, of course,” he shrugged. “You’ll just have to get faster if you’re going roving.”

  I finished ramming the ball and patch home and paused to regard him. “Will I, now? Well, from your counsel, I should take a good half year and let myself season before even considering it. This would afford me a great deal of time to practice.”

  He grinned. “You won’t last that long. You want nothing to do with this endeavor.”

  “Am I so obvious?” I finished loading the pan and fired off another round. “And are you so ready to be rid of me?”

  He regarded me thoughtfully. “Aye, I think you will be a detriment to this endeavor.”

  “Theodore, I have decided to harness myself, not to my father’s wishes, but to those men.”

  He seemed to give great thought to his next words. “You possess a large heart and a beneficent spirit. You should be commended for it.”

  “Yet?” I prompted.

  “You cannot be so naïve as to think your sentiments are the way of the world.”

  “Nay, I do not. That is why I feel someone must champion those that cannot do it for themselves. The sheep need shepherds,” I muttered.

  Theodore frowned. “Marsdale, it sounds as if you missed your calling.”

  I laughed. “Theodore, let me tell you how I have spent these past ten years.” And so I did. I told him how I had earned a living as a hired sword and duelist, and begged and borrowed my way across Christendom, leaving dead men in my wake.

  At first he was bemused; and then true amusement took hold of him, and he laughed so that he was forced to lean upon his horse.

  “Sir,” he finally said, and made show of wiping his tears away, “I feel you may have come to the correct island for the wrong endeavor. And yet you are so charitable. Do you seek atonement?” he asked seriously.

  This gave me pause. I had not considered my actions in that possible light. “I do not think so. I merely do as I do. I follow the dictates of my conscience and act as I will.”

  He chuckled and then waved off my frown. “I mean no offense.” He nodded thoughtfully. “Does your father realize you are so liberal in your love of your fellow man?”

  “How do you mean that, sir?” I grinned. “I do not know if
he realizes the depth of my philanthropic bent, but he is aware I favor men.”

  “Ah, I meant the former and not the latter. Though now that the subject is broached, does that have much to do with why you traveled so?”

  “In part, aye, in a large part.”

  He smiled and thought for a moment. “Have you taken so many under your wing before, for such an extended venture as this will be?”

  “Nay, and truly I fear I lack the resolve.”

  He sighed. “Far be it from me to steer you from the path of righteousness, but Marsdale, you need not do this. Donoughy is not an evil man and I do not feel he will mistreat your men. Furthermore, I will not let him, or allow further concerns of your father’s displeasure to drive him. It is customary to give a manager a base salary and then reward him with a small percentage of the profits. We can simply pay him more to begin with. Your father has allowed me, or rather us, a great deal of discretion in that regard.”

  “Thank you,” I said solemnly and quickly waved off his response. “Thank you for standing by my wishes. I know well that you do not have to.”

  “Nay, you are correct, I need not take your orders. I am not in your employ,” he sighed. “Yet, I feel you are correct. It has also been my experience that men who are used well and fed well work harder. I believe in showing all men respect, regardless of their station in life.”

  I believed him, as I had seen no evidence to contradict his words. He even spoke well to his slaves. I wondered where he came from: England, obviously, but what stratum of society? He was surely not raised by wolves, and there was much about him that reminded me of Rucker.

  “I trust you,” I said. “Yet I will not abandon this endeavor. I will try not to block its progress either…”

  He waved me off. “You need not be miserable. What will you do here? Work alongside them in the fields? Go, have your own adventures as you are accustomed to doing. You are well-suited to another way of life here in the West Indies. Embrace it.”

  I could scarce believe he meant it. “But what if I die on some Spanish gibbet, or drown at sea?”

  “You could just as easily perish here of some fever. Or fall from a horse. Or choke on a husk of bread.”

  “You truly wish for me to go roving?”

  “I feel you will excel at it; but nay, I am not trying to drive you away. Do as you wish, but I feel you will become bored with this endeavor and resent it. You need not go roving immediately. Perhaps you should stay in town and familiarize yourself with life here. Then if you feel the need to travel about a bit, do so; just attempt to return on a timely basis, as I will need certain things from you on occasion.”

  “Such as?”

  “I will need your signature on documents from time to time. And it would be prudent for you to write your father. Also, you should stay in good standing with the local gentry, Modyford included.”

  “You truly make it sound easy and the choice of merit. If I were to do this, I would have some things done in my absence. I would have them well fed. I will not have their contracts extended for petty infractions. I wish them to have a tutor. I was teaching them on the voyage.”

  He sighed. “I do not see where there will be time for that last.”

  I considered telling him time would have to be made for it, but I could see where there was much to be done initially. I sighed and we regarded each other.

  I nodded and shrugged. “After all is in order and Negroes have been purchased, then.”

  He seemed relieved at my willingness to compromise, and I wondered how much he thought I might complicate matters. Did he truly wish for my contentment or his?

  “What will you name her?” he asked while looking over the plantation. Fletcher and Donoughy could be seen returning to us.

  What would I name a promised land I might not live on, that I was being prompted to be an absent but beneficent ruler of? It came to me and I chuckled. “Ithaca.”

  “I am not familiar with that name.”

  “It is a Greek island. It is the land Odysseus, also known as Ulysses, sailed from to fight the Trojan War and did not return to for twenty years.”

  “Oh, Lord,” Theodore sighed and rolled his eyes.

  “Though, thankfully, I will not need to leave a wife or child behind if I do this thing,” I added.

  Donoughy and Fletcher rejoined us. Theodore mounted his horse, and seemed disinclined to continue our discussion. I was thankful. I packed up the muskets and we rode back to Spanish Town.

  “We have been talking,” Donoughy said. “If all of your men are truly willing…”

  “They are,” I said.

  “As in, if we need not fear them trying to escape, I would suggest bringing them here directly. We can unload the ship the same day and bring over what we need, and perhaps warehouse the rest of it for a week or so.” He looked to Theodore for support.

  “If we house the men elsewhere, we will have to pay for their food.” Theodore shrugged. “If we keep the cargo in a warehouse, we will have to pay for that.”

  “What will be better for the men?” I asked.

  “We’ll pay the warehouse fees.” Theodore smiled.

  “Can this be arranged on the morrow?” I asked.

  “I do not see why not,” Theodore said.

  “But we do not have the land yet.”

  “Nay, but it is a given as long as you make a good impression upon the Governor.”

  “I will do my best. So when should I meet him?”

  Theodore grinned. “At the party in your honor at the King’s House tomorrow night.”

  “Oh, bloody Hell!” I yelled. “I suppose I will have to dress.”

  They found great amusement in this.

  Donoughy accompanied us to Port Royal and strung a hammock in Theodore’s yard. As it seemed cooler outside than in, I envied him. I was feeling the heat even as the sun set. Still, I slept well. I had long ago learned to ignore things I could not resolve. Whenever I was faced with such choices, something always occurred to tip the scales one way or another and relieve me of the decision.

  I watched the skies for portents from the Gods.

  Seven

  Wherein I Meet Many Important People

  The next morning, I gingerly ate the bacon Ella prepared for us and washed it down with stale wine. My stomach roiled almost immediately. I decided to fast for a time, to see if it would settle.

  The four of us took a ferry out to the King’s Hope. The men were delighted to see us.

  I still did not see Davey, and this concerned me once again. Belfry was not aboard for me to ask; neither was the captain. I considered asking about, but Theodore saw me looking around and slipped to my elbow to ask what was amiss.

  “I do not see the sailor I wish to rescue.”

  He sighed. “They likely have him locked below, due to fear of him jumping ship. Many captains do that so that all of their men do not run off and become buccaneers.”

  “Oh, for the love of…”

  His glare silenced me. “Follow your original plan, Marsdale. But do not, whatever you do, let anyone know you are involved. Not if you wish to befriend anyone.”

  “Aye, sir,” I sighed.

  He snorted. “Now speak to your flock.”

  I stood on the quarterdeck and looked down upon the forty upturned faces. I was not used to addressing so many and I felt my cheeks warm. I smiled as best I could. “Well, men, we have land.”

  They cheered.

  “How soon can we stand on it?” Humboldt asked.

  “Today.”

  They cheered even louder.

  “However, it is virgin land. Your first order of business will be building a shelter. We will get all of you ashore, and then the cargo. The well-dressed man there is Mister Theodore, my solicitor and my father’s agent in this endeavor. He is a good man, and you may trust him with your concerns if there is need to speak of anything away from the plantation and… I am not available.”

  Theodore nodded though
tfully. I was relieved. I had not discussed that bit with him in advance and had merely hoped he was conducive to it. All of the men eyed him curiously.

  “The man next to him is Kevin Donoughy. He will manage the plantation for us. I have also found him to be a good man. He has managed sugar plantations on Barbados.”

  This last was greeted by many a nod and Donoughy actually smiled at them. In fact, I had seen him talking to several of the men, and despite his words about not befriending any, he did not seem to be holding them at bay.

  “Fletcher, as he is a miller and we have need of his skills, has been promoted to overseer.” That I had discussed with Donoughy and Fletcher. Thankfully this was greeted by nods and several hearty congratulations and no complaints.

  “Now, let us all go ashore. I will not be accompanying you up to the plantation as of yet. There is still business I must attend to in town.”

  None seemed inclined to argument with this, or even to have concerns. Fletcher coordinated getting them into boats and across the bay to the Passage Fort. From there, they would walk up to the plantation. Donoughy would see to the cargo. I rode back to the wharf with Theodore. Thankfully, he did not pester me about leaving or staying.

  He left me at the house and went to see to the business of other clients, after admonishing me to remember the party this eve. Once he was gone, I slipped out to wander about the town alone, with only a pistol and sword for company and nothing on my person other than a hat, a shirt, and breeches. No one noticed me. Only the quality of my attire separated me from the few buccaneers conducting their business about town: that, and my hat and lack of earrings. To become even more in keeping with the local fashion, I retired my heavy headgear, and replaced it with a kerchief to protect my broiling scalp.

  I still felt a little ill and often found myself squatting in the bushes. Even with the ocean breeze, the heat was oppressive in the extreme, and I was sweated dry. In the market I found a fruited drink of rum and pineapple juice, and purchased an onion bottle of it. I had discovered I liked pineapple, a strange sweet fruit native to Jamaica. I had not experienced rum before, and to my amusement, the concoction made me far lighter-headed than a similar amount of wine or beer. It was pleasant and made the heat disappear.