Chapter 2 - A Tempest Takes Its Toll
“Cap’n I warned ye the clouds opportuned that i’ twas a quick one brewin!” the crow’s nest sailor blurted out, not knowing which to fear more, Captain Belzoni’s nasty temper or the fierce winds beginning to pelt them with heavy raindrops. A bright slice of lightning lit up the sky and all hands on deck turned their faces upward and tried not to cower.
The man in the lesser uniform kept a bit more than an arm’s length distance from his superior while keeping a good eye on the captain’s hands. They were clenched in fists at hearing this news. It wasn’t his fault! He was doing his job by giving notice of the darkly lowering skyline to the young leader of the ship!
Giovanni was not about to admit fault to an inferior. With the mainsail just being securely furled against the top spar, the other four hands he had been working with rushed off to carry out newly barked orders. Captain Belzoni suddenly turned his attention and lunged towards the crewman. He caught a handful of damp white shirt cloth and clenched his fingers tight enough to nearly choke the smaller man as the shirt collar tightened round his neck.
Drawing Petroni close to the captain’s enraged face, Giovanni made clear his anger at the perceived impudence.
“The sea calls out for cowards to join it, Mister! You question my judgement in front of the crew again and I will gladly accommodate the water’s siren song,” the captain grated out harshly for the other man's ears only, then flung the sailor from him in disgust.
Petroni lost his balance on the wildly tilting deck, having miscalculated his captain's longer than normal reach and crashed backwards against the decking. He reached behind him to feel the oozing bump on the back of his head. Lucky it was a bit of blood was all he would lose. He hurried to scurry away and help with the first mate's call, glancing at the silly lady passenger who was just staggering upwards on the steps .
'‘Why did the woman have to come above and start screaming so!’' Giovanni thought irritatedly. As he watched her while helping to pull the next set of heavy ropes, he felt mildly amused to see the petite lady struggling against his men's attempt to save her life by lashing her to the mast. ‘Silly Frenchie,’ he smirked to himself, ‘she deserves to perish at sea for being so foolish.’ And she was gone from his mind as he worked to tame his bucking ship.
Earlier the day before...
“The heading is true. Your…,” First Mate Vincenzo hesitated momentarily but kept from lifting his eyes from the map, “…’his’ drawings and notes have proven accurate, Sir.” Standing more erectly, he looked at his tall friend and waited.
The Captain remained bent over the wooden table as he continued to pore over the careful inkings of the uncurled map. The prevailing wind directions, the ocean currents with times of year notated, meandering coastlines that only this map had were indeed excellent. Giovannii narrowed his eyes slightly and took in a deep breath before taking a seat. He leaned backwards and his chair creaked as it was balanced on the back two legs. His father’s name had almost been spoken but he would let it go.
“According to this,” and he waved a hand over the marked, yellowed paper, “we are right near to our goal.”
Vincenzo nodded, smiling, “Aye, all has gone remarkably well, it has.”
Captain Belzoni had outfitted the Bella Dama with a better crew and provisions than at first was the plan. This was due to a surprise benefactor from the beautiful Melanie Lafitte. He did not concern himself with her reasons for imploring him to relieve her of a purseful of gold if only he would allow her to travel with him to this land called Egypt.
Maybe he should have been more careful to find out how she had come to know about the secret destiny of their ship but he had queried her intensely to see if anyone else knew of the place. The lady seemed not to want her plans to be known either. What was it to him of her reasoning? Miss Melanie was easy on the eye though definitely standoffish. The trip had the opportunity to be more enjoyable if he could charm his way as he usually did.
“Hmmm,” he rubbed his left cheek in remembrance of two evenings ago and smiled.
His thoughts had drifted off. The lady had stung him right stiffly after the pass he had made. She amused him with her curt behavior; she was a pleasant diversion among all the rough males that always accompanied him. But Miss Melanie tended to keep to herself, in her cabin reading, always reading. Odd for a female to have her nose in a book. He had made a point of walking her to her room after he found her leaning against the deck, leisurely watching the painted palette of the sunset a couple evenings before.
Mistaking the reason for his captain's smile, Vincenzo was glad of Giovanni's good humour. His childhood friend could be too mercurial and this voyage was a big gamble. “I’m glad you agree! We should be at land fall within a day, perhaps two…”
The cabin door burst open and Petroni rushed in. “Cap’n, Cap’n, the red sunset, she forewarned last eve as I said. I see the clouds gathering! It be a comin’, Sir.” Coming to an abrupt stop in front of the table he saluted crisply after delivering his proclamation. Surely he would be rewarded for giving them time to make the ship secure afore the blow-over came in.
The Captain’s front chair legs thudded down as Captain Belzoni stood and placed fists against his waist. “Another ill call, is it? Is this all you ever have?” The rest of his men laughed, too used to Petroni's arrogant predictions. They knew he was pushing to get promoted but the man was tiresome in his efforts.
“Aye, and you’ll argue with me tellin’ the Cap’n just previously how I say it's a slow developing easterner?” the rugged pilot jutted his scruffy chin out in a daring challenge and gave the underling a shove.
That was enough! The taunting, the jibes, no one taking him seriously. Petroni took a swing but the navigator easily leaned out of the way. Being too long at sea without relief brought more men out of their seats and into a brawl.
“Stand down!!” Vincenzo's deep bellow was accompanied with a fist in Petroni's midsection. The rest of the men immediately jumped to attention...
Back to the current wild sea...
Lightning illuminated in strobing light the movements of the hurrying men as Belzoni and his crew got their ship anchored to keep it from dashing against the shoals. The pilot had steered the protesting Bella Dama partway into the throat of a larger inlet that was at least sheltered from the worst gusts.
“Down below!” Captain Belzoni told his first mate to pass on the command.
“Down below!” the order was bellowed over and over as Vincenzo made his way round the deck.
Petroni rushed slipping across the wet planks until he made it down the stairs. Once in the lower galley he waited until his captain joined them. “Sir, sir,” the sailor pulled at Belzoni's sleeve.
“What, Sailor, is so urgent?!” the Captain asked.
“The girl, the lady, she be gone. I saw her swept off into the water!” Petroni was truly upset, the thought of the young lady perishing in such a way. Horrible!
The Captain considered whether it could be true. He knew Miss Lafitte had been silly enough to be up top. He looked around the room but no feminine face was found. “Absence duly noted. Go help Chef Valentine in the kitchen.” Well, the girl had made payment, so there was at least that. They could do a more thorough search of the shores later for her body.
“Aye, Sir! … and ye be watchin’ what swims in yer soup Sir...” Petroni muttered the last part under his breath threateningly. So underappreciated he was.
Deep in the belly of the ship, the old Egyptian sage Nakhti stretched his gnarly limbs. His glazed, unseeing eyes ‘saw’ what was befalling his fellow passengers.
“All goes as the gods will,” he calmly stated and lowered his head. Soon he would be walking the soil of his beloved country and have the company of kin and fellow priests.
Page which lists the camps : List of Camps - Chapter 2
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