But had I simply fallen asleep whilst floating on the relaxing waves and dreamed the tentacle and the inky black water that enveloped me?That was a far more likely occurrence than a monster grabbing me with evil intent, especially since Squid and Domingo hadn’t seen anything but me struggling beneath the waves.
But the fright had been real, and my legs still trembled.
“I’m sorry.But I think I’m done swimming in the ocean today.”
Chapter Five
A Private Oasis
Wesatontherocks 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 theArrow, 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 theArrowsat 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 theArrowin 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, theArrowwas 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 theArrowto 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.
