Kyla
was awoken sometime later by the sound of a loud crash on the side of the boat.
She felt a jolt go through the wood
planks underneath her and she heard the voices of sailors yelling out
instructions and warnings to each other in the darkness while running to
various parts of the deck. Argo had also
felt the jolt that ran through the boat and he was standing up looking around.
“What’s happening?” asked Kyla.
“I don’t know,” said Argo. “It felt like we hit something.”
Kyla shook Zammie by the shoulder. “Wake up, Zammie.”
Zammie lifted his head. “Huh?” he asked.
“Something’s going on, Zammie! Wake up!”
“Let’s go see what all the commotion’s about,” said Argo.
The three children crept around the crates and walked to
other side of the cargo hold so they could see the front of the boat where the
sailors were standing around. Argo was
the first to see the other boat. It was
a boat filled with men with swords and they had rammed the merchant ship. That
was what had caused the loud noise that had awoken Kyla.
“What’s going on?” asked Kyla.
“That boat hit us,” Argo said.
A loud voice came from the second boat, “Who is the captain
of this ship?”
The merchant ship captain walked across the deck towards to
second boat. He was a tough-looking middle-aged man with long black hair.
“I am the captain,” he said. “What is the meaning of this?
What is your purpose?”
“Your boat does not have permission to travel through these
waters,” answered the captain of the other boat. He was a younger, skinny man
who hadn’t shaved in a few days but he wore an immaculate black tunic with gold
trim. Zammie wished he had one like that as well. “As payment for this
infraction,” the other captain continued, “we will be commandeering your cargo.
Please make way for my men to board your ship.”
The merchant ship captain couldn’t believe what he was
hearing.
“Are you mad? You will be given no such permission. You’re
nothing more than a pirate ship. If you set one foot on this boat then be aware
that we will fight you off to the death.”
The captain of the pirate ship grinned broadly through his
scruff, turned to his men, and lifted his sword, “If a fight is what they want,
then a fight is what they’ll get. Board their ship!”
At his command several of the men from the second boat ran
across a series of lowered planks to the merchant ship. Several of the merchant sailors drew their
swords and prepared to fight. When the
first of the pirates boarded the ship they began to swing their swords on the
merchant sailors, and the merchant sailors defended themselves in kind as the
deck erupted into a violent melee.
“What’s going on?” Zammie asked Argo. “Why are they
attacking us?”
“They’re pirates,” said Argo, “They’re trying to take the
ship’s cargo.”
The three children were frozen as they watched the merchant
sailors fight with the pirates. The sailors did their best to push the pirates
back off the ship, but the number of pirates boarding the ship continued to
grow. As some of them fought, others
began to lift crates of cargo and carry them back onto their own ship.
Suddenly another one of the merchant sailors ran up from
the lower deck. “She’s taking water,” he yelled. “The ship’s taking water!”
The captain grabbed the sailor as he was running by him.
“What did you say?” asked the captain.
“There’s a breech in the hull of the ship, Captain. From
when they rammed us. We’re taking on a lot of water.”
“Will she stay afloat?” asked the captain.
“I…I don’t think so, Captain.”
Soon the pirates overwhelmed the merchant sailors with
their superior numbers. Although the
merchants were aware of the constant threat that pirates presented off the
coasts of Greece
“Quickly, men,” ordered the pirate captain, “their ship is
sinking! Get that cargo aboard now!”
Kyla looked over the edge of the boat. “We’re sinking? What
are we gonna do?” she asked Argo.
“I
don’t know,” said Argo.
Pirates
ran past the children and began grabbing the crates, wooden chests, and clay
pots that were in the rear of the merchant ship. One of the pirates stopped when he noticed
the children.
“Well
what have we here?” he said. “You three will fetch a fine price in Crete .”
“Stay
away from us!” said Argo.
“Come
here, you brats!” The pirate held out his arms and tried to grab all three of
the children is one big swoop but Argo pulled the two cousins away from him and
they ran to other side of the boat. They
dodged in and out of the oncoming traffic of pirates carrying crates and
baskets until they reached the railing on the other end of the deck.
“We
have to get out of here,” said Argo.
Zammie
looked around and noticed one of the crates had been smashed by the pirates and
there were large planks of wood strewn about on the deck.
“I
got an idea,” he said.
Zammie
grabbed one of the large planks and threw it overboard.
“What
are you doing?” asked Argo.
“We
can float on these,” answered Zammie.
“Float?
In the water?” asked Argo.
“What
choice do we have?”
“Where
will we go?” asked Kyla.
“I
don’t know,” said Zammie, “but we’re in the Gulf of
Corinth so land can’t be that far away.”
“This
is crazy,” said Argo. “How do you know we’ll make it?”
“I
don’t,” said Zammie, “but I’ve seen this work in a lot of movies.”
“A
lot of what?” asked Argo.
“Help
me with this,” said Zammie.
Argo
helped Zammie pick up and throw another door-sized plank into the water. Zammie
then noticed the pirate from before who tried to grab them had spotted them
again. He was now moving quickly across
the deck.
“Let’s
go!” said Zammie.
“But
I can’t swim!” said Argo.
“Don’t worry,” said Zammie, “you can float on the wood.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah,
are you sure?” asked Kyla.
“That guy is coming this way! We gotta go!” said Zammie.
Zammie helped Kyla up onto the edge railing of the ship.
She took a deep breath and jumped off but she started screaming as she fell
through the night air until she hit the cool water about fifteen feet below.
She was submerged for several seconds before popping back up at the surface.
“Let’s go, Argo,” said Zammie. “Just jump towards the wood
and hold it tight. I’ll be right in to help you.”
The pirate was just a few steps away now.
“I hope you’re right about this,” said Argo.
Argo plunged into the water and tried to cling to one of
the planks but he lost his grip and began flailing about.
“Help!” cried Argo.
Zammie stepped up on the rail of the ship but before he
could jump he felt a large, rough hand grab him by the back of the neck.
“I don’t think so, little man,” said the pirate. “You’re coming with me.”
“Let me go!” yelled Zammie.
The pirate pulled Zammie off the rail and began dragging
him away.
Down in the water Kyla was desperately trying to help Argo
gain his balance on one of the planks of wood.
“Put your arms over the wood like you’re climbing a fence,”
she said. Kyla kicked with her legs causing her to pop up in the water. She tried
lifting Argo with all her might so he would rise up out of the water as well, even
if just a little bit, but she wasn’t strong enough to make much difference.
“Move your legs like you’re walking,” said Kyla.
After a couple efforts Argo was able to get a decent lift
out of the water and lunge himself up onto the plank. It was a wide piece of
wood, nearly as wide as a door and Argo was able to lay down on it without
touching the water.
Back up on the boat the water was beginning to run onto the
main deck. Zammie was being dragged towards the pirate ship when the man who
was dragging him was stopped by another pirate.
“Wuh’do you got there?” asked the second pirate.
“Can’t you see it’s a boy?”
“I can see that, but what for? We’re not selling children.”
“Don’t worry about it,” said the man holding Zammie. “I can
sell this boy in Crete for plenty.”
“Crete ?” said the other
pirate. “We won’t be there for weeks. You gonna take care of this lad for all
that time?”
“I’ll put him to work on the boat. Ain’t that right, boy?”
Zammie continued to flail in vain trying to get away from
the man until he remembered something else he once saw in a movie. Zammie
looked down at the sandaled feet of the pirate. He lifted his own foot like he
was about to march somewhere then slammed his heel down on the instep of the pirate.
The pirate wailed loudly in pain and Zammie felt the grip on his neck slacken.
He jerked his head away and was free.
“Get back here!” said the pirate. He limped towards Zammie,
but Zammie was gone in a flash back towards the edge of the boat. In a few
quick steps Zammie was up and over the rail and plunging into the dark, salty
water with a loud splash. When he rose back to the surface he saw Kyla and Argo
in the moonlight holding onto the planks about forty feet away from him. He
began to swim to catch up with his mates and to get away from the sinking ship.
If they weren’t far enough away from the boat when it finally went under then
they would be pulled down in the undertow as well.
Zammie reached Kyla and Argo and continued to push them
further from the boat. He kicked and kicked for what felt like was forever
until Kyla said, “Look!”
Zammie stopped to look where she was pointing. The merchant
ship was sinking down under the water. The pirate ship had sailed off into the
night in the other direction. The three children were stranded on their own in
the middle of the gulf. Their only light was that coming from the moon and
stars.
“Is everyone okay?” asked Zammie. He leaned onto the same
plank that Kyla was leaning on.
“Yes,” said Kyla.
“You okay, Argo?”
“I think so,” said Argo.
Zammie helped Kyla get on top of the plank she was leaning
on.
“Think it can hold both of us?” asked Kyla.
“Let’s see.” Zammie crawled up onto the plank with Kyla. It
took them a moment to figure their balance but the plank was large enough to
hold both of the children. Zammie attempted to see where they were headed but
it was too dark to make out anything in the distance.
“Argo, can you navigate by the stars?” asked Zammie.
“Navigate?” Argo looked around at the sky. “No. My family
are farmers, not sailors. Sorry.”
“Don’t
be sorry,” said Zammie. “We’ll have to wait until morning to figure out where
we’re going. But that shouldn’t be too much longer, ya think?”
Soon
the adrenaline in Zammie’s system began to dissipate and his tired muscles
began to ache. After a few moments he
laid his head on the wet plank and passed out.
TIME TRIP ADVENTURE 4
KILLING FOR COUNTRY
TIME TRIP ADVENTURE 2
A RIDE ON THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD
TIME TRIP ADVENTURE 3
WITNESS TO THE FIRST THANKSGIVING
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