Chapter Five
A Private Oasis
We sat on the rocks for a spell to dry off.
I was feeling contemplative and less talkative than Domingo and Squid who spoke together quietly nearby whilst I gazed into the distance.
I tried to dismiss the frightening incident as a hallucination and an effect of being in a strange, new place.
But it had felt so real. I could still feel the tentacle wrapping around my ankle and the sudden tug. The spike of fear and sudden panic.
Good grief but I was a silly miss. Imagine being scared of a dream creature to the point of almost drowning in front of one’s best friends!
For Squid and Domingo were the men I was closest to next to the captain himself and I owed them my life.
Probably. Perhaps I would have been fine in a moment if they hadn’t gotten to me.
I was no doubt making a bigger thing of the situation.
But I took comfort in their nearness and the fact that they had rushed to aid me.
I had put my trousers back on and laid out my shirt to sit on, so I could lean against the rock.
We were overhung by some palm trees so were in the shade, which was especially beneficial to me as my pale skin tended to burn in direct sunlight.
This was the reason I spent much of my time below deck on the Arrow, except for those days when the sun’s heat didn’t blaze so strong.
We lounged for a little while, until I got restless and we stood to go. Instead of putting my shirt back on, I balled the garment up and carried it under my arm.
The walking did me good. The day was bright and fine and by the time we got back to the outpost, I was certain I’d only drifted to sleep and had one of my frightening dreams, and that I would have been able to recover myself if the others hadn’t found me.
The crew were assembled in a group near Francis and Mauricio, who appeared to be trying to assess interest in joining a fishing expedition to the small island near where the Arrow sat at anchor.
“Now, I know you all are here for a holiday, but my people still need food, and so do you,” Francis was saying. “Who would like to assist us in collecting the haul from our nets? I imagine at least a few of you have grown bored with sitting on your arses by now.”
“Aye, I’m in,” Martinez said with a grin.
“Do we need to be able to swim well?” Black asked.
“Not at all,” Francis affirmed. “We’ll be taking the canoes.”
“All right. I suppose I’m game.”
In the end, Martinez, Black, Hillier, and Gao had volunteered.
The others were making preparations to return to the Arrow in a couple of days with some of the fresh provisions provided by Jimena and the men.
Since there were no brothels or gambling dens on Talamanca, the Arrow was likely a more comfortable place for most, where at least they could drink to their hearts content and not worry about offending or disturbing the locals.
Squid elected to join the fishing excursion, and Domingo went to help prepare for a return to the ship. He had left his bird on board, of course, and needed to ensure her comfort. And I do believe he was eager to return to wood beneath his feet instead of sand.
Dinesh stood beside a palm tree and watched the men preparing the fishing boats. But he tracked me as I approached.
“Mr White,” he said, eyeing me with concern.
I stopped in my tracks, puzzled by this formal address.
“Captain Martin,” I said, looking about to see if we were being observed, but there wasn’t anyone nearby.
“Is that your shirt in your hand?”
Oh, for fuck’s sake.
“Aye.”
“And do you suppose that walking about half-clothed is the manner in which I desire an officer of the Arrow to represent themselves?”
Dinesh had given me the title of right-hand man and made me an officer when I’d assisted in the looting of the ship that Squid had been on. I hadn’t realized that I’d be held to higher standards in the area of clothing.
There were three ways I could approach this: I could tell him to fuck off, I could ignore his question, or I could try a different tactic.
“Well, I thought you might like to see me in only my trousers. And the sun is quite strong,” I said with a coy smile, slipping a thumb into my waistband and pulling it out, as if to release some heat from under it.
Dinesh gave me a slow smile. “I’ll allow it. For now. I see you’ve bathed.”
“Aye. Squeaky clean from head to foot.” That was probably an overstatement. “Although I s’pose I should borrow one of those broad-brimmed hats and get into some shade, as my pale complexion is so vulnerable."
“Perhaps I should ask Jimena if there is some kind of soap here, and then we can get a proper wash whilst the men are otherwise engaged…”
My eyes went wide and I folded my arms over my chest, gazing at him with dreamy considerations. “Well, now.”
He laughed and pushed off the tree, heading toward where Jimena was sitting, mashing something in a wood bowl, and singing softly to herself. Her children slept in a heap under a palm tree near her, the little one curled up under the older one’s arm.
Dinesh said something to her and she stood and fetched an item from her pack, handing the small package to Dinesh and glancing at me with a knowing look.
I stood straighter and gave her a smile, as if all Dinesh and I were planning was an actual cleansing ritual and not a rampant tupping somewhere in a private pool, assuming we could locate one.
Dinesh returned to me and lifted the object that was wrapped in a bit of leather and tied with string.
“Jimena has a few bars with her—I think she told me we can keep this. Might be wise to save some for another time so we don’t have to ask for more.”
“Aye. I don’t think I’ve ever sweated so much in my life, and I grew up on Jamaica.”
“Yes, the climate tends to be humid here.”
“I feel like I’m walking through hot soup. And the water’s not much cooler, although refreshing still.”
“Perfect for a bath, then.”
“Aye.” The thought of going back in the water after my earlier fright made me nervous, only I was with Dinesh now and unlikely to fall into an unexpected slumber.
Dinesh took my hand and laced our fingers together.
“Francis told me of a private pool behind those palms,” he said, pointing in the other direction from the one Domingo and Squid and I had taken earlier.
“Oh,” I said, as if that wasn’t a fabulous bit of information. A small tidal pool would be better for my current state of mind than the mysterious reaches of the sea.
I walked beside my captain in the afternoon light. Clouds scattered over the sky, some appearing grey and rain heavy.
“Will the skies open up?” I wondered aloud. “They did in the night. Did you hear the rain?”
“Yes. Francis says there is a heavy shower or two each day, but they don’t last long.” He nodded toward the expanse of jungle to our left. “Why everything is so lush, I suppose.”
“Aye, that makes sense.”
“I told Francis about your nightmares.”
I blinked. That was a surprise. My stomach fell. Had he told him anything more?
“You did?”
He looked at me with concern. “Yes. I thought he might have an idea of what to do.”
I swallowed and stopped walking, clutching his fingers. “You didn’t tell him about…”
Captain Martin stood still and took my other hand in his, stroking the back.
“About the extent of your powers? No, of course not. And I told the rest of the crew to keep our secret. We don’t need word of them getting about, and the advantage is more when your talents are unexpected, as well. I don’t want to make life harder for you, Rooster.”
“That’s good.”
“I simply said they were nightmares but that you woke disturbed.” He continued. “And Francis has asked Jimena to prepare a special ceremony for us.”
I frowned. “Ceremony…”
He smiled with a certain smugness. “Have you ever had cacao? I know they have plantations on Jamaica.”
“Oh, aye. My mam used to get some for us once in a while and mix the ground beans with milk to sweeten the drink.” I glanced back from where we’d come. “Is that what Jimena was doing? Grinding cacao?”
“Yes, exactly. Here in Talamanca, among Jimena’s people, cacao is considered sacred. They conduct ceremonies where the substance is made into a special drink and is said to provide clarity, soothe fears and encourage connection between people.”
“Oh. I see.”
“We thought the ritual might do something for you, but also help all of us feel closer. And be a wonderful opportunity to experience the culture.” He gazed at me. “What do you think?”
“So…not only for me, then.”
“No, I suppose not. But I’m hopeful that…”
I shrugged. “No nightmares last night. I thought there might be, what with the excitement and the strangeness of being in an unfamiliar place. Although, in truth I hardly slept.”
“Yes, I had the same problem.”
I didn’t tell him about the near-drowning incident, and I had sworn Squid and Domingo to secrecy. They had agreed it was better if the captain never knew.
“How long will we stay?” I asked, uncertain about my feelings on the matter.
The beach was spectacular, the water clear, and the people friendly, but I still didn’t quite feel at home.
I’d thought about returning to the ship with the others, but then I couldn’t bear to be separated from Captain Martin.
As long as he wanted to stay at the outpost on Talamanca, I would stay with him.
The thought occurred that he might want to be here longer than a week or two.
I stopped walking again.
“Wait a moment. You aren’t considering making a home here, are you?”
A pit opened up in my belly. Because I didn’t think I wanted to stay, and what would we do then? What would the crew do? Well, they’d nominate someone else as captain, I supposed.
“Good God, man, whatever gave you that idea?” Dinesh asked with a comforting amount of dismay.
The relief was immediate. “I don’t know. You seem so comfortable here.”
“Well, I know Francis and Jimena. And you can’t deny the beauty of the place.”