Captain Fletcher Christian. 'Ship's company!' that man hoarsely announced. 'On feet!'
All duly rose then waited for us guests to take our seats. Harmony and I sat opposite each other with Midshipman Hallet next to me. Seated beside the piss stinking McCoy, the angel's body language screamed anxiety from across the table. All made themselves comfortable in their chairs, but Captain Christian remained standing at the far end, aiming his index finger at Harmony as she prepared to give thanks. 'There'll be no grace before or after this meal,” he said, his voice like scraping nails down a blackboard. 'We men are grateful to no English King or Heavenly God, but only to the mouths that feed us — ourselves!'
He now sat, and hungry men speared their knives and forks into platters. Clearly insulted, Harmony said nothing but could not disguise her offence to the food — this yellow meat lined with fat and swimming in its own juices.
'It's nice to meet you Captain Christian,” I said, over the sound of tingling cutlery.
'And you lad!' he replied, heartily. 'And you. Eat then. Eat.'
'It is a pleasure to be dining with a captain,” added Harmony, refusing to touch the delicacy under her nose. 'What…an honor it is.'
She watched a fork full of meat disappear into Christian's unseen mouth. Slowly he chewed, and politely he spoke. 'Names? Tell me your names?'
'My name is Daniel Fox.'
'Harmony,' she gulped, nauseous. 'Valour.'
'Sure enough Mr. Hallet!' Christian chortled. 'Sure enough! Never have I seen an odder cast of characters.'
'And what,' I asked him, manoeuvring my plate aside; 'are your plans for this cast?'
'Only the samurai's fate has been decided lad,” he said. “I have one less hand aboard my ship; a strong worker was Williams, despite his nature, and your man is responsible for his passing. He's accountable and will be hung first light — what light there be.'
'He was defending himself!' argued Harmony. 'Harshly perhaps but that is his way. We need him!'
'You need him?' pried the shadowy Christian, 'As I needed Williams? We may be pirates here lass, but we still maintain law and order. There's a murderer in my hold, and it's life for a life aboard this ship.'
Stuffed cheeked sailors concurred with their captain, who concluded — 'His neck stretches tomorrow. I will hear no more on the matter.'
Hallet apologetically glanced at me. 'Captain?' he said, diplomatically; 'a man with the samurai's talent for…destruction, could come in handy, most especially in our current predicament. And besides, haven't we seen enough bloodshed on this voyage, sir?'
'I'll hear no more Hallet,” replied the captain, thinly;' not another word.'
The contemptuous rest glared at the young man for daring to defend us.
'Ah, pardon me?' said Harmony, politely raising her hand. 'How many men does it take to sail a vessel like this? I'd imagine a lot, yet see no more than a handful here.'
All the sailors promptly stopped eating or drinking to hear their God's reply. 'The handful here can do the work of a hundred, lass. Take your fill men! Eat up now! Get it down ye!'
His disciples returned to meals, but from their plates, they listened to every word said. 'When seas are calm and winds favourable,' continued Christian, 'Bounty steers herself. A haphazard method I grant you, but we have no other choice. The upper deck is no longer sound.'
'It attracts…' uttered Hallet, rattling his fork and unable to finish the sentence.
'What?' asked Harmony. 'What haunts you John Hallet?'
The boy lowered his head with nothing more to say, so I answered for all of them; quoting from a book I read a very long time ago. 'Part dark, part sea — the inescapable nightmare. The Dreadknot.'
My suspicions were proved right as grown men turned to scared children in their seats.
'You say that so casually,” Christian said, 'as if it a knob of butter or yard of rope — some mild benign thing. Is there no fear in you lad?'
'I have fear, sir. Of course I do. I fear the unknown like any other — but your creature is known to me.'
The captain stretched back in his chair and the ravenous sailors eating dulled to mere nibbling.
'What do you know of it?' whispered Hallet, his appetite gone completely.
'The scream earlier?' I asked him.
'The Dreadknot's work,” he confirmed. 'Burkett — worse luck befell him. We only hear the screams, the dire screams before we've lost another shipmate.'
'It has butchered thirteen of my men!' exclaimed Christian, his painful voice feeling every loss. 'Seated here are all that's left of HMS Bounty. However those brave, unfortunate thirteen do provide the meal on your plates.'
'What do you mean?' I said, face screwing up.
'The Dreadknot leaves us its scraps,” said McCoy, gorging. 'We burn the fats for light, we eat the meats for energy — we feed!'
Seamen continued to cut with knives and stab with forks. I had yet to eat a morsel of their yellow meat, and it would stay that way. I shared vacant expressions with Harmony from across the table. Words unnecessary.
'More hands are imperative,' said Christian, untroubled. 'After the samurai is disciplined the rest of you stowaways will join our crew. Part of the family now.'
'We can't stay here!' cried Harmony. 'We have a higher purpose! We do not belong to you!'
'Hear that lads?' Christian declared, amused. 'The frog and her chums are too good for our ship and her company. What do ye say to that mates?'
'Toss em overboard!' heckled one. 'Better yet — carve 'em up!'
'AYE!'
Christian restrained his boisterous men with a wave, and then directed his meat-skewered fork at Harmony. 'There are no higher purposes,” he growled. 'We are all dregs in Hell, lass. And you'd do well to learn your place in it. As I see things, without Bounty your only chance is with the sea, and those wings will soon see ye at the bottom of it.' He then scarfed down his flapping piece of food from the fork.
'What do you expect from us?' she asked him, glassy eyed. 'We are not sailors! We are not cannibals either!'
'Learn,” returned the captain, over further giggles. 'Toil is what I expect lad! Pump out the leaks, tend to canvas and put your backs into every order! You can be on your merry way when we reach port — till then you're crew on my vessel, regarded no higher or lower. Follow orders, do your duty, and sea legs will sure find ye.'
'But there is no land!' I bawled, standing. 'No port! You're all doomed to sail this sea forever! That is your fate Captain Christian — not ours!'
'What do they mean no land?' sneered McCoy, fear forcing him to his feet.
'They'll say anything to save themselves.,” added Christian, coolly. 'Anything at all! As your captain I promise ye lads, with all my heart, no sea will keep us from kissing soil. Now since you are standing McCoy…please escort our new shipmates back to the hold. Seems the food doesn't quite agree with them tonight.'
'Aye aye captain!' said McCoy, agreeably.
'How long do you intend to imprison us?' asked Harmony, before the Scotsman could lay a hand on her.
'Till yer minds are free from mischief,” he returned. “Now off with ye! Psst!'
I held Harmony's hand and McCoy's sword showed us to the door.
'Better get going,” advised Hallet, looking helpless from his seat.
Harmony moved but I remained, overlooking the glimmering table and the flesh eaters at it. 'Stay where you are Harmony. We're not going anywhere.'
The angel appeared in two minds while I glared at the cryptic captain. McCoy suddenly snatched my wrist but I slapped him away with one hand and near struck him with the other. 'Release my two friends captain,' I said, controlling my temper, 'and return our weapons immediately. Right now.'
Suddenly, all the sailors burst into fits of laughter, causing some to choke on food and even the sympathising John Hallet to snicker bubbles back into his goblet. I felt Harmony worry her eyes into the side of my face as I waited for the eventual end of this toothless cackle, arriving the very moment Christian screeched back his chair, and lurched himself upright. He took weighty steps toward me now, and the burning candlelight revealing his face first to Harmony, who screamed the room down before fainting to the floor.
