Monkey Business
Chapter One
Even through the numbing haze of battle-fever and the confusion of swords and pistol-smoke on the quarter deck of the Royal Navy ship, I could still see the Aquila's new Jolly Roger on the flag waving atop the main mast: a blue eagle.
Shortly afterwards, Rena and I parleyed with the defeated captain and the first mate aboard the quarter deck of the Royal Navy ship, where it was agreed that in exchange for sparing their lives, they would hand over their violet Windstone.
I pried the Windstone loose from the pilot's wheel with a crowbar handed to me by one of my men, and the defeated Dogs stared glumly at me and my men as we boarded the Aquila, leaving them to repair their ship.
We stopped in Puerto Mico to properly install the Windstone inside the pilot's wheel and, and then we sailed east to the Stormgate to Monquista, where several Monquistan first-rates were blockading the Stormgate.
As we approached, one of the Monquistan first-rates stopped us, and the captain boarded the Aquila to check our travel permits. After a minute or so, he put the documents back into the envelope and saluted us, which I knew meant that we could sail to the Stormgate.
As the Aquila neared the Stormgate, I pressed the Windstone, and the Aquila was surrounded by a transparent force field that protected the ship from the winds of the Stormgate, but even with the Windstone's protection, Stormgates presented difficult circumstances for a sailor to work in.
Rena issued orders for tacking to the men, while I constantly adjusted the Aquila according to the winds. As we reached the bottom of the Stormgate, we all tied ourselves to the Aquila, and she leaned forward as we entered, so that the deck was nearly vertical while the winds howled in our ears.
My eyes were closed and my heart was beating rapidly, as if it were trying to achieve a lifetime's worth of heartbeats before what could be the end, but then the ship suddenly righted herself.
As I opened my eyes, it was as if we were traveling through a dark tunnel illuminated by the light at the end and the sky blue auroras surrounding us like a loose glowing braid.
As we neared the light at the end and entered the Stormgate on the other side, the deck went almost vertical again as the wind howled in our ears, but then the Aquila righted herself, and as we were out of reach of the Stormgate, I breathed a sigh of relief.
As we passed by the Monquistan first-rates blockading the Stormgate to Skull Island, our gunnery officers, the Clutterbuck brothers opened the bulkhead doors at the base of the main mast, and the men poured out from below decks.
"Set course for Monquista City!" I shouted, and the men hurried to bring her to full sail. As we drew closer to Monquista City, I could see that it was similar to Puerto Mico, except that it was located on the edge of a savannah, and that it was made of adobe bricks instead of marble.
We made port in Monquista City's harbor, and we walked up to the royal palace with Gortez in chains, where we entered through the open doors guarded by Monquistadors in black armor with gold designs to the throne room, who said nothing, though they did give us a suspicious look.
The throne room was very large and had a red carpet leading up to the king and queen sitting on their thrones. Many Monquistan nobles were standing around in groups, whispering amongst themselves as we strode towards the king and queen.
"What business do clumsy giants have in the heart of Monquista? I fear you are far too coarse in speech and dress to…" A Monkey in purple, presumably the chamberlain demanded as he stood up.
"We're the ones who captured Gortez." I answered calmly.
"You've captured Gortez? That was you?" The chamberlain asked as he reeled back in shock. I nodded, concealing the smile I had on my face.
"I present you his resplendency Fernando, sixth of that name, King of Monquista and Skull Island, Overlord of Marleybone, and Aquila!" The chamberlain said dramatically as he presented us the king.
King Fernando wore a golden crown decorated with rubies and sapphires, and a black vest over a golden silk shirt with red sleeves, golden silk trousers, white knee socks, and black shoes with brass buckles.
The queen, who was wearing a purple dress and lots of jewelry, then interrupted the chamberlain with a glare as she said: "And?"
"And her transcendent sublimity Isadora, Queen of Monquista and Skull Island, Empress Regent of Krokotopia, and Protector of Polaris!" The chamberlain finished.
"Everyone, pray bow." I said quietly, and we all dropped to one knee. As I looked up, the king beckoned us forward, and we slowly walked up to the king and queen.
"We will speak to you now. I take it that you are the captain who braved the jungles of the Isle of Doom and rescued our beloved Gortez?" King Fernando asked, not unkindly.
I hesitated in speaking for a moment as I stood up, and then I answered: "Yes, your majesty."
"Marvelous! Well done indeed! Not even the greatest Monquistador could have done better. You are a credit to your hulking people." King Fernando said, pleased.
"How glad we are to look upon your… freakishly large yet well-formed features! Your deeds shall never be forgotten." Queen Isadora interrupted.
"Verily indeed, let the heralds proclaim throughout the immensity of our realm that this gangly pirate is a hero of the realm!" King Fernando agreed.
"And Gortez… He is in your custody now?" Queen Isadora asked. I nodded. "Excellent!"
"Would you like us to take you to him?" I offered. Queen Isadora shook her head.
"No – we would not look upon him now. No doubt he requires time to… recover." Queen Isadora answered. I didn't like the way she said "recover" but I kept quiet.
"Indeed. We decree that Gortez shall be removed to Zenda, where he shall undertake a well-earned… rest." King Fernando agreed. I didn't like the way he said "rest" either.
"Dear Captain, you have done so much for Monquista already, might we beg one more favor? Will you deliver Gortez to Zenda, in your excellent ship?" Queen Isadora asked.
"Do this, marvelous Captain, and your efforts shall receive such thanks as fits a King's remembrance. This letter will admit you to Zenda." King Fernando said as he gestured to his chamberlain, who handed me an envelope with a red wax seal.
It was against my better judgment, but in fear of endangering the one chance Skull Island had at a trading agreement with Monquista, I nodded and said: "Of course, your majesties."
"You have our boundless thanks, dear Captain. You may withdraw from our presence now. Good day." Queen Isadora said as the chamberlain shooed us out of the throne room.
We returned to the Aquila, where the men were already assembled to set sail. Looking at the map of Tierra Primata Skyway in Nikolai's atlas, we sailed southeast to Zenda. From what Nikolai wrote about Zenda, it was an infamous prison where many enemies of the state are imprisoned.
"But why would the king and queen have us take Gortez there?" Rena asked. "Zenda seems like overkill for an egomaniacal gorilla."
"I don't know, but we should be ready for anything." I answered as we approached Zenda, a stout fortress made of adobe brick.
We made port in the small dock at Zenda, and I and my trusted associates, plus Gortez walked past the five-sided wall lined with Monquistador crossbowmen and up to the four Monquistadors guarding the main entrance, where their leader, a sergeant, stopped us.
"What's this? New prisoners go in around the back. Get going!" The sergeant said as he walked up to us. Then he caught sight of Gortez. "Wait – is that who I think it is? Never mind – move along."
Two Monquistadors led us around the fortress to the back entrance, where they opened the doors for us. As we all stepped inside, the two Monquistadors closed the doors on us.
"What's the meaning of this?" I demanded as we all turned around. Then a voice behind us spoke.
"Your kind are forbidden here, you lanky giants!" The warden, who was wearing black armor with gold designs and wielding a halberd, shouted at us.
"We were sent here by the king and queen!" I shouted as I brought out the letter from the king from the inside of my coat.
"Oh, you have a letter? Well then… Let me see…" The warden said as he snatched the letter from my hand and opened the envelope. He then began reading the letter aloud. Two Monquistadors then took Gortez by the arms and they took him off to the left, still in view.
"As befits the countenance of the realm… etc, etc… ordered hereby to execute Gortez for his unseemly crimes… Yes, yes."
"Ah! There's more… The Crown doth hereby order the death of the Pirates who bear this message!" The warden exclaimed. "Let that miscreant rascal be declared an enemy of the realm, to be attacked on sight without mercy. That's clear enough!"
Suddenly, Gortez broke free of his chains and the guards, and he grabbed hold of a nearby battleaxe. "I shall help you win this fight!"
I drew my sword and pistol and we stood back to back as eight Monquistadors surrounded us and pointed their halberds at us while their comrades engaged the others.
As Monquistador crossbowmen fired at us, I concentrated and shouted: "Valor's Shield!"
A blue force field surrounded us, and the crossbow bolts bounced harmlessly off. I then dropped the force field and fired my pistol at one Monquistador, and Gortez smashed the flat of his battleaxe into the four Monquistadors facing him.
I reversed my grip on the pistol in my left so that I held the barrel, and as I parried one halberd with my pistol, I slammed the flat of my blade into the Monquistador's helmet, and Gortez simply banged the flat of his battleaxe onto the heads of the remaining two Monquistadors, knocking them out.
The others had already taken care of the other Monquistadors, and we regrouped in the center of the main hall, where Gortez addressed me.
"You fight well, hairless one! What passed between us before is forgotten. They want me back? I am back." Gortez said as he took the ring of keys from the unconscious warden, knocked out by a blow to the head from Rena, and began unlocking jail cells.
"I tried to get out… but they pulled me back in. Now this fortress is MINE!" Gortez shouted, his voice echoing throughout the fortress.
"Your coming is a godsend, stranger. For years I have languished in this cell, my only crime questioning the excesses of the King and his nobles." A Monkey in rags said as he came out of his cell.
"We share the same enemies. I wonder if that make us friends. We are the Opposition. Join us, and strike a blow for justice! Speak to the Lady Eleanor." The Monkey said as he pointed to a queenly looking female Monkey in a dress made of rags as she came out of her cell.
"Welcome, captain, to my palace of grime. I am Eleanor, once Queen of Monquista. Now, I am but one of many former queens, all of us prisoners." Lady Eleanor said, curtsying as we approached her. We all returned the gesture with bows, and she continued.
"Only now I am set free, thanks to you. It's been a long time since anyone fought back against the Crown. It's time for that to change."
"My dear sisters-in-law have been conspiring for years. They have a plan to weaken the Crown and change things, but I have no idea what it is."
"I propose a bargain: contact my sisters and help with our plan, and I'll help you with your treaty. Agreed?" Lady Eleanor said.
"Agreed, but how do you know about the treaty?" I asked.
"I have my sources." Lady Eleanor answered as he pointed to the Monkey we had spoken to earlier, who had changed into a red vest over a white shirt, trousers, and brown shoes, and was now walking towards us. "Aguilar knows where to begin."
"The Crown and the Holy Monquisition conspire to oppress the common folk. But we are striving to end their tyranny and build a better Monquista." Aguilar said.
"You are with us?" Aguilar asked. We all nodded. "Good! We must seek out Queen Anna. She is confined at Saint Bonobo's Abbey – she will know the details of the plan."
"The abbey is far from the capital; a fast ship could make it there unnoticed. I will guide you there, and bring messages to our brothers."
I then turned to my crew. "Well, it looks like we're setting course for Saint Bonobo's Abbey."
