The Stowaway

Epilogue

"Oh me! Oh life! of the questions of these recurring,
Of the endless trains of the faithless, of cities fill'd with the foolish,
Of myself forever reproaching myself, (for who more foolish than I, and who more faithless?)
Of eyes that vainly crave the light, of the objects mean, of the struggle ever renew'd,
Of the poor results of all, of the plodding and sordid crowds I see around me,
Of the empty and useless years of the rest, with the rest me intertwined,
The question, O me! so sad, recurring—What good amid these, O me, O life?
Answer.
That you are here—that life exists and identity,
That the powerful play goes on, and you may contribute a verse." Walt Whitman, O Me! O Life!

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Epilogue

Six years later

November 1817

Once upon a time, the site of Plymouth had been a source of anguish and anxiety for Tom, but now, it was home, and it meant Eliza was near.

Today would be his last day of sailing for a long while. At least for a year. He had sailed year-round for the last six years, working constantly and desperately to forge a successful business to support his family.

And he had done that.

Eliza Lee was his flagship, and the ship he captained. She sailed back and forth to Jamaica twice a year. Tom had secured several lucrative contracts in London that promised exclusivity. Both Harry and Mr Banes had helped Tom with the legality side of his business. In Kingston, Tom was able to use his local knowledge and approachable vernacular to purchase from half a dozen smaller sugar plantations that operated in competition with Richard Kerry's.

It was Tom's hope that one day, his business would extend to producing the sugar, and not simply transporting and selling it. That way, he could ethically pay the workers while he grew it as well, but that was an expense that he was not quite ready for.

Three years earlier, Tom had saved enough to full repay Mr Banes his investment in Tom's ship. Mr Banes had subsequently reinvested his money in Tom, for a return of a percentage of the profits, which had allowed Tom to purchase another ship.

Jackie now captained Ionie, named by Eliza after the little girl they had met in Jamaica on their first visit. With two ships in operation, Tom's potential for profit had doubled, bringing him that much closer to the sort of financial independence that he could only dream of.

To think that he had left Eliza all those years ago because of money, or his lack thereof. Family was what he had needed, and with that came every bit of success that he could have wished for.

"Everything's set for making port, Captain."

Tom was brought out of his own head by Eggs' voice. No longer a boy, but a young man of twenty, Eggs worked as Tom's first mate aboard Eliza Lee. Tom saw a lot of himself in Eggs, and he was only a few years younger than Eggs when he was first given command of Atlantis.

While Tom would be on land for the next year, Eggs would be in command of his ship, and Tom knew that he could rely upon him.

"If you're going to be a captain now, Eggs, would you rather we called you by your real name?" Tom queried.

Eggs grinned. "Not sure anyone remembers it after all this time," he joked. "I don't mind so much. My mother calls me by my real name and that is enough for me."

Tom smiled. "You'll do well this next year, Eggs. I know you will."

"Thank you, Captain," replied Eggs gratefully. "I do appreciate the opportunity. I won't let you down."