I thanked him,and he ran off across the ship.
A while later,I had taken the young man’s advice and found a spot to lie low. Isat in Finn’s hammock, the lower deck empty of crew members. Ipulled Henry’s journal from my inside pocket, curious to know moreabout the Captain Devil Eyed Barrett. But I worried that therewould be no more entries, no more evidence of Henry’s life. He wasso set on ending it and so certain Devil Eyes would be the one todo it. But, if the captain had a difficult time shooting a man whotried to kill him, how could he possibly kill an innocent boy?
I fingeredthrough the pages, gently peeling them from each other, but I foundnothing but empty whiteness. I followed through to the very lastpage, hanging on to any shred of hope that Henry lived. But, as Iturned the last blank piece of the journal, my eyes filled withtears. That was it. He was gone, and I’d never really know whatbecame of him.
I wrapped thebook with its twine and stuffed it back in my inside pocket where Iwould protect it until I could one day put poor Henry to rest.Maybe I could find a nice open meadow and bury it. It was the leastI could do for the young man who captured my heart in a few simplepages. His pain was almost tangible. I curled up and attempted tofall asleep but a loud thump on the deck floor alerted me tosomeone’s presence. I cranked my head in the direction of theladder and found Finn coming toward me.
“I’mhere to fetch ye,” he told me.
“Andbring me where, exactly?”
“Thecaptain,” he replied. “To determine what to do with ye.”
I flipped outof the hammock and stood in place. “They won’t kill me, will they?”I pleaded. “I saved your captain’s life.”
“Aye,but ye cost us our cook.”
My eyeswidened. “Are you seriously that ignorant? If I didn’t do what Idid, you’d all be without a captain and, who knows, maybe he wouldhave killed the rest of you.”
“Aye.”
“Aye?” Isquawked. “All you can say is aye? Finn, please, surely, you’re smarter thanthat. I know you know I’m agood person. I mean no harm.”
He rolled hiseyes and grabbed me by the arm. “Just come with me, will ye?”
I followed himto the captain’s chambers where we were met with Devil Eyes andGus. These two really seemed to be the only ones the captainsurrounded himself with and I was glad for the glimmer offriendship Finn has shown me. Maybe it would play in my favor.
Finn closedthe door behind us and the captain stared at me. Gus stood off in acorner, arms crossed like a contrary child who didn’t get his way,refusing to even glance in our direction.
“Dianna,” the captain spoke, the sound of my name feltstrange on his tongue. “Please, sit.” I did as told and took achair across from him at his desk. “You’ve left us in quite apredicament, with no one to feed us. What are we going to do aboutthat?”
“Look, Isaved your life. If you can’t be grateful for that, then just killme now,” I cut straight to the chase. “I’m dead anyway,” I addedunder my breath.
But heseemed to catch it, a look of surprise smeared across his face andhe leaned back in his chair. Silence filled the room as the captainand I engaged in a stare down. His black eyes bore holes into myhead as he seemed to be trying to read my mind or something. I justrefused to be the first to look away, but it gave me a betteropportunity to admire his devilish good looks. I’d like to thinkthat his terrifying presence made him repulsive, but it only addedto the allure of him. Devil Eyes was like a dark enigma, a blackhole that threatened to hypnotize me and draw me into his secret.
Finally, hebroke the silence. “Finn tells me you’re a cook.”
“Captain–” Gus spoke up, but Devil Eyes threw up a hand tostop him. Gus retreated to his corner in a huff.
“Well,are you?” he asked again.
I looked toFinn, standing just a few feet to my left, and he urged me with hiseyes to say yes. I realized then, he must have vouched for me.While they left me down in Finn’s bunk, they must have been here,arguing about what to do with me. Obviously, Gus wanted me gonebut, thankfully, Finn had a soft spot and the captain had half abrain.
“Yes,” Icroaked out, “I am a very good cook, in fact.”
“Excellent,” the captain clapped his hands together, “It issettled, then. You shall take Alfred’s place as the ship’s cook aswell as tend to the swab duties with one of the deckhands.” Gus wasstewing, pacing behind the captain over near the stern’s largewindow. “Do you accept?”
“Henry!”Gus finally broke, but the name he used knocked the breath out ofme.
Thecaptain stood from his chair and turned to his quartermaster. “How dare you use thatname,” he spoke with a stern warning, “I understand your concernsand have taken them into consideration. But, I am your captain,Augustus. Know your place.”
The Englishmansighed and nodded, then bowed his head in shame.
DevilEyes came, sat back down, and began speaking to me but his wordsdeflected from my ears. My mind was traveling down a muted tunnel and all I could dowas stare at the pirate across from me with a mix of both awe andsadness. But also with a new pair of eyes. It was like a layer ofhim had peeled away and I could envision the sweet little boy wholoved his parents. The young man who’d been captured by pirates andsentenced to a life of terror and abuse. Henry truly did give hislife to Devil Eyed Barrett.
He becamehim.
“Dianna!” he said, his voice raised and impatient.
I snapped outof my trance. “Sorry, I… what?”
“Do youaccept the role of our ship’s cook?”
Just momentsbefore, I would have struggled with an answer. But now I wantednothing more than time to talk to the captain. To get to know theman of the boy I read about. I had
