by David Riley
He gathered his meager belongings and began to make his way toward the ladder. He reasoned that he could blend in with the crew and passengers, since there were so many. They would likely be distracted by the activity and their own fear. He thought about taking time to find the snake, in case he could use it to terrorize Paul, but he decided that was a lost cause. The snake was on its own.
Notes:
7 Luke 8: 22–25
Chapter Sixteen
The wind had picked up and now was gusting strongly from the northeast. The ship had been pushed into a more western course, even with the sails set to correct their heading. The day had grown dark with the heavy storm clouds that had now overtaken them. The temperature had dropped considerably, and with the spray being thrown up from the rough waves, it was uncomfortably cool on the deck.
Gaius was torn, not sure whether it was better to be below deck where the wind was blocked and he could stay warmer and dryer than he was or to stay put where at least he could watch the horizon to ease his unsettled stomach. Julius seemed outwardly unaffected by the ship’s movement, but Gaius could tell that much of this was a façade, his eyes tensing at times as his brow furrowed briefly.
After another thirty minutes of enduring this, the decision became much easier when the rain begin to fall. It was not just a gentle mist. These were fully formed raindrops, not so much falling as being hurled to earth by an unseen hand, stinging as they hit his exposed skin. Gaius was quickly soaked, and he and Julius turned as one to rush toward the hatch leading to the hold.
The crew members did not have that option. Each was attending to their assigned task with intense focus. They were securing everything that was loose on the deck and retrieving things that had already been blown about by the wind. Three of them had gone to the stern of the ship to attempt to haul in the small boat that was towed behind. After several attempts, the boat was still being tossed about in the waves, and the sailors had been rewarded with a variety of rope burns to their hands and forearms. Between the rain and the rough seas, it was beginning to take on water and becoming heavier by the minute.
Rayiz, the foreman, was stalking back and forth impervious to the heavy rain, bellowing out orders to the men, a scowl on his face. He helped tighten the sail rigging that was flapping in the wind and directed his crew to secure the foresail. He turned and saw the group laboring at the stern and made his way toward them as he braced against the tossing of the deck.
“What’s the problem?!” he demanded. “Why is that boat not yet on the deck?”
The men looked quickly at each other. One of them spoke up.
“The waves and rain are filling it with water, and it is too heavy for us to pull it in with this wind and the ship moving so much! We need more help!”
Rayiz surveyed them, about to reprimand them for their laziness, but he could see the red welts of the rope burns on their arms. One of them had a deeper laceration that would require Dr. Luke’s attention. Rayiz ordered him to go find the doctor and get his wounded hand treated. He turned to look out at the boat being towed behind them and could see that it was half full of water, riding lower in the waves, and the tow rope was stretched tight. If this went on much longer, they may lose the boat either by the rope snapping or the boat sinking below the waves. He muttered under his breath and turned to find more men to assign to this task.
As he was making his way forward, he saw the captain giving directions to the helmsman. Two men were struggling to direct the ship, pulling mightily at the tiller, but it appeared the storm was winning. The captain directed them to lash the rudder in a fixed position to keep the ship directed into the waves. The thought of the ship being broadsided by the waves was an unspoken fear they all shared, motivating them to greater effort.
The captain saw Rayiz approaching. “Has that boat been hauled aboard yet?”
Rayiz shook his head. “It is getting swamped by the waves and rain. We need calmer seas or more men. I’m going to get more crew to help work at it. What’s our status?”
The captain shook his head, a frown on his face as he motioned him to step away from the helmsmen to continue the conversation. “Not good,” he said in a lower tone. “This Euroclydon caught us all off guard. The wind is against us, so we have to give up our original course. I fear that if we force it too much, the rudder may break.”
Rayiz’ expression darkened at this as he nodded. “I was afraid that was the case. You and I have been at this a long time, but this is the worst storm we have had in many years. It came on us so suddenly and so intensely we had no time to prepare.”
“We can’t navigate right now, but with the direction of the wind and our position just before the storm, we may be near Cauda. If we can get on the leeward side of it, that may give us enough shelter to haul in the boat. We need to be ready to frap the ship as well. Tell the men to get the cables ready to pass around the hull when we have an opportunity.”
“Aye, captain.” Rayiz turned and headed to find his men as the captain turned back to the helm.
The rain lessened for a moment, giving a brief window of better visibility. The captain trained his eyes to the west and south. With a break in the rain, he was relieved to see an island rising above the sea in the distance. With their present trajectory, they had a good chance of making it to the southern side, giving them a brief respite from the wind. There may even be a chance of getting close enough to find a port to anchor in and ride out the storm, but he was not hopeful. Cauda was not known to have any suitable harbors for a ship of their size.
He called out orders to the helmsmen to continue steering toward Cauda as he went to his cabin to consult his charts. It took him a few minutes to find the proper one, and during that short time, the ship was once again being pelted by rain. The rocking of the ship in the waves was magnified by being in the small room with no way to see the horizon as a point of reference, but he was able to ignore the motion sickness as he examined the chart.
The island of Cauda was small, a speck in the sea about twenty-five miles to the south and west of Crete. It was roughly triangular in shape, with the point to the south. The southwest side, where they would find the best shelter from this wind, was only about five miles long and lined by cliffs. There was no suitable port anywhere. He briefly considered trying to anchor there and wait out the storm, but even on the leeward side, they would be exposed to the storm. They would not be able to get close enough to shore to be safe. They would only have a few minutes time to get the small boat secured and to pass cables under the hull to hold the ship together.
He studied the map closely to imprint it in his memory and then rolled it up and put it away. He made his way back to the helm as he peered through the rain to the southwest. The island was more visible now, and he gave orders to the helmsman to steer to the leeward side of the island.
It would be tricky to steer close enough to the island to be sheltered without being in danger of the rocks near the shore. He knew as soon as they passed the southern tip of Cauda they would need to quickly trim the sails and adjust the rudder to turn sharply north, and at the same time, the men at the stern would need to begin hauling in the small boat as the men at the bow would need to be ready to pass the cables over the front of the ship and pulling them back to the middle of the deck, tightening them to support the hull.
He called to Rayiz, who had returned from giving orders to his crew to help secure the boat. He quickly told him of the plans and all of the things that needed to be accomplished in a short period of time as they rounded the tip of Cauda. They would be there in a few minutes and much had to be prepared. Rayiz hurried to the bow to inform the crew members he had assigned to ready the frapping cables as the captain gave strict instructions to the helmsman on where to steer. The captain then moved to the stern of the ship to inform the crew there to be ready to haul in the boat when they reached the shelter of the island.
—————
Luke and Temeros were still in his quart
ers securing his supplies as the room rocked back and forth. Temeros was already feeling queasy and Luke was giving him instructions on preparing the ginger root extract since they expected seasickness to be the order of the day.
After several minutes, a crew member appeared in the doorway holding a bloody piece of cloth to his left hand, blood dripping to the deck. Luke hurried to him as Temeros cleared a place for him to lay down. They worked together to inspect and clean the cut. It was fairly deep on his palm, but he was able to move his fingers and there appeared to be no major damage to the deeper structures. Luke bandaged it and gave him instructions to keep it covered and return the next day to have it redressed.
As the man thanked him and left, Julius and Gaius appeared. Gaius looked green and was holding his stomach. Temeros had the ginger extract prepared in a short time, and both he and Gaius took a dose, making a face at the bitter taste. However, in a few minutes, the nausea improved. Other passengers began to appear shortly after that requesting similar help.
After making sure Gaius was feeling better, Julius left him in Luke’s care. He wanted to find the captain to get an update on the storm. He made his way toward the helm, knowing the captain would likely be there. The wind gusts and the slanting deck wet with rain made walking a challenge, and he nearly fell more than once.
He saw the captain returning from the stern of the ship, walking steadily even with the heaving deck. Julius could see he wore a troubled expression.
“Captain!” he called. “Do we know how long the storm will last? Are we getting close to Phoenix?”
The captain turned toward him, startled from his thoughts. “What!? No! We will not make it to Phoenix!” he said shortly.
“What do you mean!?” Julius asked, shock in his expression. “We were only a few hours from there and following the shore!”
“Do you see the shore anywhere?” The captain said, annoyed. “This storm came upon us so suddenly it is preventing us from following our course. Now we are being pushed out further into the sea.”
He saw a passing sailor and brusquely ordered him to the stern to help the men there.
“Do we have a plan?” Julius persisted, worry in his tone.
“I’m pretty busy right now. We hope to reach the leeward side of the small island of Cauda in a few minutes, and I need my men to haul in the small boat so we don’t lose it. Another crew will be passing cables under the hull to strengthen it so the ship does not begin to founder in these seas! Now I must get to my post to oversee this.” He hurried to the helm calling out orders to the helmsman.
Julius paused, his heart racing as panic began to rise in his mind. Their short voyage to Phoenix was now a precarious trip through storm-tossed waves with their destination uncertain. He needed to inform his men to prepare for this change of plans. He turned back to Luke’s infirmary to talk with Gaius.
He found Gaius looking much better, the green color of his skin back to normal. Luke and Temeros were tending to several people including passengers and soldiers. The crew were apparently unaffected by the movement of the waves.
Julius beckoned to Gaius and they huddled together as he passed along the captain’s report. The relief Gaius had felt as his stomach settled down gave way to anxiety over the uncertainty now ahead of them.
“Did he say how long the storm may last?” Gaius asked, a hint of pleading in his voice.
“No, but surely it can’t last more than a few hours, a day at the most,” Julius responded hopefully. “We need to let the men know of the change of plans. For now, we can keep the prisoners gathered below decks but no need for shackles. There is no place for them to go. When we know more, I will let you know.”
“Aye, Julius,” Gaius responded, saluting. “Anything else I can do?”
Julius shook his head. “I don’t think so. Just try to get comfortable. The next few hours may be more exciting than we anticipated!”
Gaius made his way to the lower hold to give the orders to his men. Julius remained, lost in thought as he tried to calm his unsettled nerves. He again told himself that this surely could only last a day at the most, right?
He would soon realize he had greatly underestimated this storm.
Chapter Seventeen
Cauda was looming larger by the minute. The wind was strong and The Emir was scudding in the rough seas, crashing into waves and being tossed from side to side. The deck was wet from rain and sea spray. The crewmen were soaked, dripping with water. Many of them had tied lifelines around their waist as they attended to their assigned duties. All seemed ready for action as soon as they reached the leeward side of the small island.
The captain had his eyes trained on the approaching spit of land that was the southern tip of Cauda. He shouted orders to the helmsman, preparing to steer quickly to the north when the wind slackened. Rayiz was nearby ready to give the signal to the teams of men at both ends of the ship to be ready, one team to haul in the boat and the other to pass cables under the hull to strengthen it. They knew they may not have much time in the relative shelter of the island.
The gloom of the storm belied the fact that it was still early afternoon. The heavy cumulonimbus clouds blotted out the sun and flashes of lightning could be seen above them. The men could feel the booming thunder in their chests. The heavy rain caused a frothy appearance on the sea all around them, although the tossing waves and whitecaps made it difficult to see. The wind gusts at times caused the rain to blow sideways across the deck, and the men had to constantly wipe the rain from their eyes as they waited for the order to be given.
The ship rounded the southern point and there was a noticeable reduction in the intensity of the storm. The waves became much less violent and those gathered in the hold let out a collective sigh of relief. Luke and Temeros glanced up from their ministrations to the sick passengers as they noticed the changes, pausing to enjoy the relative calm. Even Demetrius relaxed a bit. He had found a place in the hold near a large group of passengers and kept to himself in the gloom near the bulkhead.
Captain Sahaq bellowed to the helmsman who quickly turned the rudders to steer the ship north along the leeward coast, pointing into the wind to try to reduce their drifting. At the same time, Rayiz turned and called out to the team at the stern to begin hauling in the boat.
As the ship turned into the wind, the rope slackened and the men were able to get into a rhythm of hauling the boat in bit by bit. When it finally was bobbing low in the water at the stern, the work became harder. It was much heavier now that it was more than half full of water. They did not have a way to tilt it over to the side to empty it, nor could they bail out the water. It was too dangerous to climb down to the boat for that. All they could do was dig in their heels, wrap cloth around their sore hands, and heave on the rope as best they could. They were afraid the rope would break or come loose from the boat and then they would not have a lifeboat to depend on, but the rope held. They were able to raise the front of the boat a few inches, and water sloshed over the sides and off the back of the small boat. They hauled again, and more water sloshed out. The third time, the rope slipped through their fingers and the boat fell back to the waves, but they quickly regained their grips and started again. Now the weight of the boat was lessened since they had been able to empty some of the water. They finally were rewarded with the bow of the boat rising up out of the water, reaching up toward them like a small child wanting to be carried.
The men paused to catch their breath and then turned again to their task. The designated leader of this taskforce called out the commands to “heave.” Then they held the rope with one hand reaching quickly with the other hand to get another grip. Soon the full weight of the boat was dangling behind The Emir. Thankfully the wind was reduced in the lee of the island, and what remained was blocked by the bulk of the ship. There was still enough to cause the boat to sway behind them, however. The men had to time their pulling to coincide with the pendulum motion of the boat. The men knew they could not stop or it would
fall back to the water. Slowly it rose closer.
Finally, the two front men were able to reach out and get a grip on the boat itself as the other men continued to pull. The rope was running through a pulley that extended a few feet above the deck, but it was still a difficult task to get the heavy boat to the deck. The men had to use grappling hooks to reach for the stern of the dangling boat to pull it to the side so more of the men could reach out for it. The weight of the boat threatened to pull them over the side, and others of the crew had to grab their lifelines to prevent that from happening. Soon the stern of the boat was resting on the railing. Several men grabbed it to pull it over the railing to the deck, while others kept the rope tight to keep the bow from falling back to the sea.
There was a shout of victory when the boat finally was on the ship. The men were exhausted, and their arms were cramping, but the job was completed. They turned the boat upside down and secured it with ropes and then hurried forward to see what needed to be done on the foredeck.
While they were struggling with the boat, another group was passing heavy cables around the hull. They had two groups, one on each side, holding each end of a heavy rope, while a third group took the middle section and tossed it over the front figurehead of the Lady and her Prince. The heavy rope sank slowly in the water as the two groups holding tight to the ends began to slowly walk back along the side to midship. The heavy rope grew heavier as it became saturated, and they had to walk slowly to let it pass through the water. When they reached the designated location just aft of the mast, near the back third of the deck, the groups began to pull the ends of the rope tight. When it was pulled as tight as they could get it, they tied each end to capstans. Another group of men was already repeating this procedure with a second cable, stopping just before the mast at the midpoint of the deck. Then a third cable was similarly deployed to the front third of the ship.