At that moment, Captain Bob Craddock made a decision. The boys were not going to be taken without a fight, even if it cost him his life.
“I don’t believe we’ve been properly introduced,” said Captain Bob and Odi’s new friend looked up at him with huge brown eyes. Her little face, once covered with pale foundation, was now streaked with tears, showing patches of bronze skin underneath. “Come on, Odi, do the honours.”
“Don’t you recognise her? This is the Exquisite One,” said Odi, then added, somewhat ungallantly, “though you wouldn’t think so to look at her now.”
“Nothing a bit of water won’t fix,” the Captain remarked. He picked up a towel, dowsed it under the tap in the sink, then used it to wipe away the remains of the girl’s make up. “There!” he said. “Now at least we know what you look like. Let me introduce myself. My name’s Captain Bob Craddock, and yours is….?”
“Elysha,” the girl replied in a surprisingly clear, steady voice. It was also surprisingly Mancunian for such an exotic young lady. Even without the gorgeous robes and golden halo that she’d cast off in order to run, she still looked quite regal in her simple white dress. Her hair had been braided and hung past her slender shoulders, decorated with small blue crystals.
“And where are you from, Elysha?”
“I can’t remember,” she said sadly. “I’m so tired.”
“Never mind,” soothed the Captain “It’ll come back to you in time, I’m sure. Somewhere near Manchester, am I right?”
“That’s where I’M from!” remarked Odi, not wanting to be left out. After all, he was the one who rescued her. Of course, he hadn’t much choice at the time, seeing as how she grabbed his T-shirt and refused to let go. “Take me with you!” she begged, and Odi could hardly refuse.
“I figured you wouldn’t mind,” he said to the Captain, who smiled kindly.
“The more the merrier,” he replied. “And now we’ve got a lady to keep us all in order, we’ll all have to be on our best behavior” Later, he asked Elysha if she could remember what happened in the temple.
Elysha shook her head. “They always gave me something to drink,” she explained, “and usually, I’d only wake up when I was back in the cell.”
“Cell?” Captain Bob was beginning to growl again. “You mean they locked you in a cell!”
“It was quite a big cell,” Elysha reassured him hurriedly, “with a bed and furniture and things. But the Nunjas always locked me in because of the boys.”
“What boys?” said Odi and he and Joe glanced at each other, half-knowing what the answer would be.
“Bad boys,” Elysha continued. “Prism told me there were two really wicked boys who she wanted to help, but they tried to kill her and ran away. She said they’d kill me too and that I had to stay with her where it was safe.”
“So, why didn’t you?” Odi demanded to know, rather miffed to be described so negatively.
“Because, because, she frightened me,” said Elysha, “and I always felt ill, all the time, and no one ever talked to me and I….and I….oh, I don’t know why I ran!
‘I just felt myself falling and when I came to, I didn’t know where I was and there was nobody there – except him!” She pointed at Odi and then burst into tears, huge racking sobs causing her shoulders to shudder.
“There, there,” said the Captain, “what you need is a good, long, rest. You can sleep on the sofa for now.” Elysha didn’t need a further invitation. Thankfully, she fell onto the sofa, closed her eyes and was fast asleep within seconds. Captain Bob covered her with a thick blanket.
“Poor mite,” he muttered. “We can only guess how she’s been treated.” The boys could guess only too well, and nodded their heads solemnly.
“But she’ll be all right now, hey?” asked Odi. Captain Catastrophe sighed. “I hope so, but she was in that woman’s power for a long time. No doubt they kept her drugged.”
“Ship ahoy!” Uncomfortable with Elysha’s crying, Joe had gone up on deck from where he spotted a large object on the horizon. Captain Bob came running and extended a telescope to look. “It’s a very large vessel,” he stated, “and quite unusual.”
“Let me see!” begged Joe, eagerly, and wrestled Odi for the telescope. “I bags first!” he cried. By the time he put the instrument to his eye, the vessel had grown considerably larger and Joe started back with horror. “It’s Smyle!” he screamed. “Prism must have told him where we were!”
“It might just be coincidence,” said Captain Bob, but inwardly he too was trembling. Of course, that wretched woman would have contacted her boss immediately, but he’d hoped the Mersey May was far enough to disappear.
“We’ll never outrun him!” said Odi, “and even if we do, he’s got radar and satellite and heat-seeking missiles!”
“Don’t worry boys!” boomed Captain Bob, feigning a courage he didn’t feel, “We’ll get away somehow and then you’ll see just why I’m called Catastrophe…” This last statement was meant to be heartening, but when he stopped to think about it…. “Anyway, let’s get cracking, shall we? Master Joe!”
“Aye, aye, Captain!”
“Go check the engine and make sure we’re firing on all cylinders. Master Odi!”
“Aye, aye, Cap’n.”
“Splice the mainbrace…or whatever….Well, button down the sails, or whatever you think needs doing. I’ll stay on the bridge and steer a course for Australia!”
It’s amazing how efficient people can be in a crisis. Even Captain Catastrophe with his two-boy crew managed to get the Mersey May chugging along faster than it had ever sailed, yet the Captain was not hopeful, especially as, every time he looked through his telescope, the huge black Ocean of Smyle’s loomed larger than the time before.
Now it was gaining on them, cutting a swathe through the waters, and the Captain could no longer shield Joe and Odi from the awful truth. There was no escape.
“It’s getting closer!” cried Joe, his voice rising with panic.
“Can’t we go any faster?” Odi begged. “They’ll catch us easily!”
“Never fear, boys!” the Captain bawled back. “He’ll not get you again, not as long as there’s a breath in my body!”
At that moment, Captain Bob Craddock made a decision. The boys were not going to be taken without a fight, even if it cost him his life. What was left of it was worthless anyway, and the only purpose he’d had since setting off on his aimless journey to oblivion was caring for his two new friends. From the day he’d pulled them on board the Mersey May, he’d been happier than he had for years. Happier even than before Elymas had cheated him of his fortune, smeared his name and forced him to live as a fugitive.
“But you’ll not do it to them!” he roared, and the boys looked at him anxiously. Was Captain Bob losing his grip?
Still Smyle’s vessel loomed, and everyone aboard the Mersey May was growing frantic as the fight to stay ahead seemed increasingly pointless. Despite his determination to resist capture, Captain Bob began to despair.
“If there’s a God in heaven,” he railed, “for pity’s sake, help us!” He gazed upwards as if expecting an answer. But it was Joe who spoke.
“Don’t be afraid,” he said, partly to himself and then his voice softened to a whisper. “I am with you.”
The yacht was now so close, Mr. Smyle, could be seen leaning from the prow of his ship, megaphone in hand.
“Give up, you pirate!” he bellowed. “I’ll have you charged for kidnapping! Pull over now, or we’ll ram you.”
Captain Bob shook his fist at Mr. Smyle. “You monster!”
“Why, if it isn’t Bob Craddock, you old fraud!” crowed Smyle. “I’ll see you in jail yet!”
“And I’ll see you in hell!” replied Bob. “You stole my bank then call ME dishonest!”
“It’s making a lot more money without you, you washed-up, useless nobody!” laughed Smyle. “How does it feel to be poor, Craddock? How does it feel to go from billions to nothing overnight?”
“I’m richer than I’ve ever been, you slime! Anyone can make profits if they’re willing to cheat and lie!”
“I’ve no time for this pathetic banter!” snarled Smyle. He turned to his crew and gave the signal to board the Mersey May. “Let’s get this over with.”
Instinctively, Captain Bob grabbed a crow bar, prepared to meet all-comers. “Bring it on, Smyle! I’m ready for you!”
Naturally, Mr. Smyle did not intend to deal with Captain Bob himself.
“Get him!” he commanded, and four huge men appeared on the lower deck of Smyle’s ship, poised to leap aboard the smaller craft.
That’s when it happened. Suddenly, the Mersey May lurched upwards and was pushed several yards away from the Ocean of Smyle’s.
“Oh, give up, Craddock!” scoffed Smyle. “You’ll not get away from me.”
But Captain Bob was just as surprised as anyone. Bewildered, he swivelled round to see what could have caused this unexpected motion. Then, the Mersey May did it again, this time lurching higher and further than before.
It was truly extraordinary. The sea drew back, as though being sucked through an enormous straw, and it pulled Smyle’s vessel backwards by a third of a mile at least.
And then all was still. Not a sound, not a movement. Captain Bob stared towards his pursuers who in turn stared back, not knowing what to make of this phenomenon.
After several moments, it began to dawn on Captain Bob what it could be.
“Tsunami!” he mouthed. Jumping to his senses, he called Joe and Odi. “Come here boys quickly! I’m going to tie you to the mast.” This he did and hurried down to the cabin to make sure the sleeping Elysha was strapped in safely too.
By the time he returned on deck, an enormous wave was approaching; so powerful, it lifted up the Ocean of Smyle’s as if the yacht was made of paper, before travelling at incredible speed towards the Mersey May.
For the second time that day, Bob Craddock prayed, but the wave kept coming, closer and closer, remorselessly rising higher and higher all the time so that, when at last its shadow towered over them, it began to curl over, set to crush them under a trillion tons of water.
Captain Bob, Joe and Odi squeezed their eyes shut, awaiting the inevitable deluge. Instead, they felt the boat shift sideways, pitching slightly, and lean towards the starboard.
And then, with an enormous lurch, the Mersey May shot forward, propelled by an irresistible force, faster than a bullet from a gun. It whisked along for what seemed like hours through a tunnel of brilliant green water. Rainbow flashes sparked on all sides as the sun penetrated, while on and on they skimmed, the Mersey May held rigid all the way.
“What’s happening?” cried Joe, clinging for dear life onto the mast.
“We’re surfing!” Captain Bob replied. “It’s hard to believe, but we’re being catapulted by an enormous centrifugal force.” Quite how, exactly, he couldn’t say, but there was no doubting the power of the hollow wave that enveloped them. It carried them for miles until, gradually, the waters began to shrink and Captain and the Mersey May slowed down. At last they emerged to blue skies, a calm, still sea and no sign of their pursuer.
“Whoa!” gasped Odi. “That was some ride!”
“Who’d have thought we’d survive a tsunami?” exclaimed the Captain, secretly rather pleased with himself. Not many sailors could claim to have done that.
“It was the wave that saved us!” Joe pointed out. “Either that, or Captain Bob’s sailing,” added Odi, “which would really be a miracle!”
Just then, Elysha poked her head up from below, oblivious to all the excitement. “I’m hungry!” she said. “Can I have something to eat?”
“What an excellent suggestion!” said Captain Bob. He clapped his hands enthusiastically and headed for the galley. “Let’s all have a jolly good fry up to celebrate!” But Elysha had other ideas and started rifling through the cupboard.
“Fried food isn’t good for you,” she said. “We’ll have some nice pasta and tomatoes and peppers.” The boys looked at each other in dismay. The last thing they needed now was a bossy girl on a healthy food kick! Worse was to come. Having retrieved a rather sad-looking lettuce from the fridge, she passed it to Joe along with some onions. “You can do the salad,” she said in a matter of fact tone, “and you,” addressing Odi, “can wash the pots.”
“Me?!” replied Odi indignantly. “Hey, I don’t do kitchen stuff!”
If Elysha heard his objection at all, she chose to ignore it. “It’s very messy in here. You boys need someone to look after you properly.” And she set about busily tidying up and organising things in a highly efficient way.
“No, not you, Captain!” she exclaimed on seeing her host making a lame attempt to clear the table. “You have far too much to do already.”
The Captain looked bemused for a moment, wondering what that something was exactly, but Elysha put him straight. “Being a Captain is a big responsibility.”
At this, Captain Bob jumped to life. “Oh, yes. Quite. Quite.” Still unsure as to what he should be doing, he waffled for a short while, then said, decisively. “If anyone wants me, I’ll be on deck, looking out for dangers. Oh no, you boys stay here,” he added as Joe and Odi both started to follow him eagerly. “Keep Elysha company. No doubt, you’ll have a lot to talk about.”
Never a truer word was spoken. Once Elysha started talking, it was very difficult to stop her. Not even Odi was able to talk as quickly and for so long without pausing for breath. Amongst other things, she mentioned that she too had been taken from her home and placed into the tender care of Sister Prism but could remember very little after that except that she’d been very lonely and afraid.
“They made me drink this horrible stuff,” she explained, “and it made me sleepy all the time. But it’s wearing off now.” Certainly, whatever had turned her into the zombie-like ‘Exquisite One’ no longer seemed to affect her tongue.
“They made me drink this horrible stuff,” she explained, “and it made me sleepy all the time. But it’s wearing off now.” Certainly, whatever had turned her into the zombie-like ‘Exquisite One’ no longer seemed to affect her tongue.
When the meal was almost ready, Odi managed to escape for a moment to inform Captain Bob.
“Has she remembered anything yet?” the Captain asked.
“I’ll say!” Odi groaned, “Like only from the day she learned to crawl!”
“Poor little mite,” mused Captain Bob.
“Hey, Captain!” said Odi, changing the subject. “Is it true what Smyle said, about you owning a bank?”
“Oh that!” replied the Captain, “Yes, that’s all water under the bridge now.” His eyes were fixed ahead, hands steady on the helm, and he didn’t seem keen to discuss the matter any further.
But Odi was curious. “So, what happened?”
“Well, as you may have guessed, I haven’t always been a sea captain.”
“No! Who’d have thought!” Odi blurted, then immediately regretted it. He just couldn’t seem to help himself at times. “Sorry!” he added, “Seriously, I’d really like to know.”
Captain Bob smiled. After years of being deferred to, the boy’s impudence was quite refreshing. “Apology accepted. Now where was I? Oh yes, I’d never been to sea, but I wasa captain or sorts, a captain of industry.”
“I thought you had a bank?” Odi remarked.
“Banks, factories, property, industries of every kind; my portfolio was most impressive. At one time, I had over 50,000 employees worldwide and half of Wall Street in my pocket, houses in every major city and estates bigger than many countries.”
“So, you were rich, right?”
“Yes, I was rich, Odi. Very, very rich. And I’m proud to say, I made my fortune through honest means – well, relatively, but then, to succeed in this world, one has to bend the rules a little.”
“So, what happened?”
“Someone came along who was prepared to bend the rules a lot. Someone who would stop at nothing to get what he wanted….including fraud and slander!”
“Mr. Smyle, right?” said Odi, “Or whatever he calls himself!”
“Ten out of ten!” said the Captain. “And one day, I’ll tell you how, but now it’s time for supper and I don’t want nasty memories to spoil my appetite. But, know what? I wouldn’t swap the life I have now for all the money in the world!”