Lions of the Sea

15

The Sovereign's cook saw the raven head coming and smiled. Before Marina reached his side, he threw an apple that she caught in the air.

"Thanks, Pierre!"

The girl went out to the weather deck through the aft hatch and to the bridge, where Morris too welcomed her with a smile.

"Where are you going with so much luggage?" he asked.

Marina carried a book in her sash and an old, saggy felt hat with a wide brim in her hand. And the apple she'd just gotten at the kitchen.

"If you don't mind, I'm taking the last hour of Oliver's watch," she said, pointing at the foretop.

Morris nodded. "You're spoiling him, pearl."

"Rather the other way around!"

The Sovereign's cook saw the raven head coming and smiled. Before Marina reached his side, he threw an apple that she caught in the air.

"Thanks, Pierre!"

The girl went out to the weather deck through the aft hatch and to the bridge, where Morris too welcomed her with a smile.

"Where are you going with so much luggage?" he asked.

Marina carried a book in her sash and an old, saggy felt hat with a wide brim in her hand. And the apple she'd just gotten at the kitchen.

"If you don't mind, I'm taking the last hour of Oliver's watch," she said, pointing at the foretop.

Morris nodded. "You're spoiling him, pearl."

"Rather the other way around!"

The girl left the bridge and strolled forward. By the mainmast shrouds, she wore the hat, took her sandals off, bit at the apple to hold it in her mouth and climbed to the gunwale. Wan Claup came out of his cabin and paused on his way to the bridge to watch her climb up the ratlines. Her moves were nimble and secure. Over those six months, she'd learned to climb up the masts quickly, never missing a step.

"Where are we?" Wan Claup asked, approaching the helm. "We should have reached the strait entry by now."

"Aye, Cap'n. An hour ago," Morris replied.

"We'll go a little further and turn around by nightfall."

"Aye, aye, Cap'n," said De Neill.

At the maintop, the lookout stretched out a hand to help Marina reach his side and gave her his telescope.

"Here, pearl. Not that you're gonna need it, but you never know."

"Thanks, Oliver. Hope I won't, cause I brought me some homework." She smiled, patting the book in her sash.

"What are you reading now?"

"One Milton, Lost Paradise. Fray Bernard gave it to me, to keep my English up."

"Have fun."

The pirate left the top and Marina sat on the small wooden platform, her legs hanging over the edge. She set her book by her side and rested her back against the topmast, taking a moment to enjoy the view.

The Sovereign tacked to the east full and by, so the topsail hid the ocean at her left and let the sun fall flat on her. But the south wind was cool up there, easing the noon heat. Her black eyes got lost on the vast blue opening before her. She sighed. That was a sight she'd never grow tired of. And not only the sight. The caress of the sea wind and the tropical sun, the feeling of freedom, the childish joy they caused her. She could never grow tired of any of it. She could never feel she'd had enough of that immensity.