Children of Toil ✔

Chapter Eight

"More. I want you to do over." Johann waved his hands like a woman shooing a small child from her skirts.

Lucan stood with his hands on his hips. His breathing laboured. Sweat ran down his face and arms. He shook his head in reply. "Can't."

"Yes, Lucan, you do as Johann says. More... you go now."

"I've... done it... twenty... times... already," Lucan gasped.

"And you will do twenty more. You too slow, Lucan. You feet, they need to move faster."

Lucan ran his fingers through his hair and looked down at Covey, who was sitting on the bottom step grinning.

"Johann says ya like a slug, Da." Covey giggled.

Lucan peered at Johann who shrugged and grinned stupidly. "Tug, Lucan. Mine English is not so good. It is a tug you must be like... quick to turn..." He held up his hands in explanation. "Covey... just a child... no understand what Johann say."

Eyeing Johann with suspicion, Lucan shook his head, grinned, and then began his ascent up the steep stairs once more.

Looking down at Covey, Johann held his finger to his lips, and smiled. "You no tell him what Johann say. I not want to get pounded."

Covey giggled as Lucan began his descent. He thought to run up and down the galley stairs a silly thing to do, especially since he'd been told not to do it. He turned to Riley who was standing holding onto the wall bouncing up and down. "Look, Johann! Riley's doin' his workout too."

Smiling at the little boy, Johann then focused his attention on Lucan. "When you finish... you work with the rope... then you rest... yes?"

Lucan could only nod. He wondered how he had let Johann talk him into this but, he had to admit he was enjoying himself. The weeks of sitting around had certainly taken its toll and he realised he had missed working his body.

***

"Nine-eight, nine-nine, hundred, now rest."

Lucan dropped onto a pile of discarded sacks. "Fuck, Johann, it's just one fight. You're goin' to kill me before I step in the ring."

"Ah... but this bout, Lucan." Johann laughed and held up his finger. "Is one you win... yes?"

"We hope," Lucan said with a roll of his eyes.

"You getting better... faster... you have more stamina today...yes...you footwork not so much like an elephant...but we work your fists more... then you ready." Johann lifted Riley and placed him on top of Lucan's stomach.

Riley squealed and slapped his two small hands down onto his father's chest.

"Hey!" Lucan protested. "You little bugger that hurt."

Taking no notice, Riley began bouncing up and down squealing with delight.

"Maybe Riley do this more, Lucan... make your muscles stronger...yes?"

Lucan grabbed hold of his son's hands and bounced him higher. "You may be right, but the wee cuttie pulls the hair on me chest and it hurts like hell."

"Where..? I see no hair." Johann roared with laughter and shook his head.

Lucan, whose torso had a sparse growth of hair in the centre and around his nipples frowned, and then grinned. "Just because I ain't an ape like you."

Lifting his shirt, Johann puffed out his woolly trunk. "Women... they love this."

Lucan burst into laughter.

Johann stared wide-eyed in bewilderment. "It is true, Johann win many hearts with this." He pounded his chest with his fist.

Still grinning, Lucan raised his eyebrows. "I'm wonderin' what these women be lookin' like, eh?"

Grinning, Johann bent and gave Lucan a gentle slap across the top of his head. "Don't you worry, they...." He left the sentence unfinished, whistled and drew the shape of a woman in the air.

Laughing some more, Lucan said, "I suppose it makes up for what you're lackin' on top."

Johann chuckled and pulled Lucan to his feet. "You wash now.  Tomorrow you run the deck. Early. Then we work your hands... yes?"

Lucan screwed up his face. He hated the run. Every morning since Johann had begun training him, he had Lucan running the perimeter of the ship dressed in his heavy boots and laden in jackets. The constant movement of the ship hadn't made this easy. Johann insisted the motion helped create balance, rhythm and pace to build endurance in his legs and his heart, giving him the edge in the ring. If his fight should be tough, he'd have something left in the later rounds.

In the days Lucan had been training, he had to admit it was much easier now than it had been on the first day. Johann had taught him to shadow box, shuffle and bob, snapping short quick punches in the air. He'd made heavy bags stuffed with hessian and hay stolen from the animals feed supplies. They hung from rafters in the stalls away from the prying eyes of the captain.

Johann had set Lucan goals to reach. Certain numbers of sit-ups, push-ups and leg rises, which increased at every session. Lucan endured blows to the ribs with old canvas coverings tied into balls. This, Johann said, was to steel his body for the assault it would have to take in the ring.

***

"Left...left...right... Up! Up! Higher...you fists! In front of you face. He hits you head and you out, Lucan." Johann beckoned Lucan with his hands.

Lucan took his stance once more.

"All right! Let's go! On you toes...eyes on mine hands...you follow them and block me...then strike...yes."

Lucan nodded.

Johann held his fists in front of his face, darted and ducked, striking Lucan with stinging blows to the stomach, one fist after the other. "No! No! Lucan. Bend...move you self...you got to dance."

Sneering at the red marks on his stomach, Lucan then positioned himself again. This time he bent lower, held his fists higher and tucked his elbows closer to his body. His dark blue eyes watched as Johann mimicked his movements.

"I strike...you block...you strike...I block...yes." Johann danced lightly in front of him.

Lucan stood flat footed and nodded once again. He kept his eyes fixed on Johann's fists.

"Block...block...block...yes... good...better...jab...yes...jab...good... strike." At the sound of Johann's words Lucan blocked and jabbed, struck out, combination after combination while Johann bobbed and wove. They moved around the floor with the eyes of cows and horses looking on.

Sweat rolled down Lucan's face. He was on his toes, dancing to the rhythm of Johann's voice. Lucan blocked once more, and then struck out landing his fist on Johann's chin.

The blow sent Johann reeling backwards. He stumbled and landed against the rails of one of the stalls.

Lucan stood still, his fists held up in front of his face waiting for Johann to regain his balance, not realising how much the blow had stunned him.

Holding his hands up to Lucan, Johann slid to the floor and shook his head in defeat.

"Are ya all right, Johann?" Lucan knelt in front of his friend. "I wasn't meanin' to hit ya so hard."

"It was good, Lucan..." Johann breathed heavily in and out. "Good punch. Johann sees stars...yes."

Lucan frowned, and then beamed. "No..?"

"Yes, Lucan. The fight is yours...it is time. Johann knows you are ready."

Grinning harder, Lucan hung his head and ran his hands through his hair. He looked back at Johann who was laughing and holding his hand out toward him.

All that training seems to be paying off.

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