The Angel's Command

'Wait'll I get

my paws on land again. I'll never go near any water, not even a duck pond!'

Ben stroked his dog soothingly as the captain continued. 'Aye, and here are we, no more than a tiny splinter in the

scale of things, bobbing up and down over the great deeps where the Bible says leviathans and behemoths dwell. We're

a tiny, bold species, Ben, no doubt about it!'

The boy nodded agreement. 'I suppose we are, sir, but could you stop frightening Ned and tell me which way we're

bound?'

Thuron looked from the dog to the boy and chuckled. 'I think 'tis you and not Ned who is afeared. Where are we

bound? Straight northeast. The only land 'twixt here and France is some little islands they call the Azores. Come on,

my lucky mates, we'll go and tell Pierre to alter the course from due east.'

They followed the captain out on deck, where he gave orders to Pierre, who was at the helm. Obeying his captain's

command, the trusty Pierre turned the wheel. He frowned and turned it again, then turned it a bit more. 'Cap'n, she's

not coming about, look!' Thuron watched his steersman turn the wheel once more.

Pierre shook his head in bewilderment. 'I've turned this wheel so much that we should be heading south by now.

Something's wrong, Cap'n!'

Thuron took the wheel. 'Here, let me try.' There was no resistance in the ship's wheel; it spun freely. The Frenchman

held it still and rested his forehead against one of the carved mahogany spokes, pondering the problem.

Ben could not help asking, 'What's wrong, sir?'

Thuron straightened up, shaking his head. 'If I knew, I'd be able to tell ye, lad. But I have an idea what caused it. The

Trinidad Shuffle. It couldn't have been anything else. Our Marie isn't a young girl anymore, she's getting on to be an

old lady—things start to wear and tear. That was a wild and stormy night, and we were caught 'twixt two vessels.

When I did the shuffle, it was a hard an' punishing manoeuvre. I think that something broke, or cracked, or came loose.

Between then and now, with all the steering we've had to do, a part of the rudder has been damaged. I'll wager that's

what it is. Ben, go and fetch Anaconda.'

The giant black man was off duty, napping in his hammock, when Ben shook him gently. 'Cap'n wants to see you, sir.'

Anaconda swung gracefully to the deck. Flashing a brief smile at the boy, he ducked neatly out of the cabin. Thuron

was not a small man, but he had to lift his chin to meet the big fellow's eyes.

'Our Marie had an accident while dancing the Trinidad Shuffle, my friend.'

Anaconda picked up a coil of rope as though it were a piece of string. 'This old lady's prob'ly hurt her rudder, Cap'n. I

better take a look.'

He lashed the rope to the Marie's stern bollard and dropped it into the sea. Going hand over hand, he lowered himself

into the water, taking a deep breath before he submerged. They lost sight of Anaconda once he went under the curving

after end.

Ned poked his head between the gallery rails. 'Good job he hasn't been listening to the cap'n talking about leviathans

an' behemoths, and all sorts of sea monsters lurking about down there!'

Ben returned his dog's observation. 'Oh, I think Anaconda could hold his own—have you seen the size of that knife he

wears in the back of his belt? I've seen smaller swords. He's been under quite a while now, though. I hope nothing's

happened to him, Ned.'

Pierre's voice interrupted the thought. 'He's coming up!'

The handsome giant's head showed through the smooth wake water, then broke the surface. Anaconda blinked, snorted

and hauled himself neatly back aboard. 'Need copper strip, hammer an' nails, Cap'n—her rudder's come adrift. It's

flapping about down there like a tavern sign.'

Thuron smiled with relief. 'Thank the Lord for that, my friend. We've got strip an' nails aplenty. Will it take ye long to

repair?'

Anaconda shrugged his powerfully muscled shoulders. 'Might take a few dives, but I can't do it alone. My fingers are

too thick for threading the strip between the break and the helm spindle. 'Tis a narrow gap. Now if I had somebody

down there with me, I could hold the rudder flap together. They could pass the copper strip through the narrow part.

We'd start by nailing one side to the flap. I'd hold the rudder together, then when the other end of the strip was passed

through, I'd secure it with another nail. One or two more nails through the strip either side, and she'd be good as new!'

Thuron began shedding his coat, giving orders to some crew members who had come to see what was wrong. 'Bring

another rope, a hammer, some copper strip and a handful of brass nails.'

Anaconda took hold of his captain's hand. 'Cap'n, your hand ain't as big as mine, but look at those fingers. They're

stubby, an' far too thick.'

Suddenly the crew began to disperse, as if they all had urgent duties to attend. Thuron watched them scurry off. 'Ask a

seaman to sail a ship, he'll do it without question. But ask him to put a toe into the ocean, eh Pierre?'

The mate scoffed. 'Most of 'em can't swim—they're afeared o' deep water, Cap'n. I'll do it.'

Anaconda shook his head. 'Last time I saw fingers like yours, Pierre, they were selling them as pork sausages on the

quay at Cartagena. Let's see your hand, Ben.'

One glance at the boy's slender fingers was enough. Anaconda winked at him. 'You'll do!'

Thuron threw an arm about Ben's shoulders. 'Hold on there, he's not going under the ocean. This lad's my lucky boy!'

Ben slipped from under the captain's arm. 'Lucky enough to be the right one for the job, and lucky that I'm aboard the

Marie when I'm needed. I'll do it, Cap'n!'

Ned sprang up, placing his paws on Ben's chest, communicating, 'No, Ben, don't do it, please!'