Go No More A-Roving
A Black Lagoon fanfic
by Technomad
Everybody in Roanapur knew what Skeleton Cay was. Several klicks off the mainland shore, it was a small sand-spit of an island, about half a klick wide; there were trees and brush on it, but no freshwater springs, so it had never been settled. Nonetheless, it saw regular visitors...like now. It served the Roanapur underworld as a cemetery.
"Do you want help, Rock?" Dutch's voice was gentle, as the big African-American leaned down over the pit. A shovelful of dirt flew out to one side of him. "This can't be easy, man, and we're here for you."
From inside the pit, Rock looked up, his face ravaged with sorrow. "No, Dutch. I appreciate it, but this is something I have to do. By myself." Dutch nodded understandingly and moved back, joining Benny. The sun had sunk low to the horizon, and the night birds were coming out, their cries echoing in the dark blue sky.
When Rock had dug as deep and wide as he wanted, he did accept Dutch's help in climbing out of the hole. The sun was down, and a full moon was high in the sky. The Black Lagoon rode at anchor just off shore, and a long bundle waited on the sandy beach. A little ways away, Balalaika and the members of her outfit, the Hotel Moscow, stood silently, along with Yolanda, Eda and the other sisters from the Church of Violence.
"Well," said Dutch, his voice suspiciously thick, "I guess this is it, isn't it?" He and Benny moved toward the long bundle, which turned out to be resting on a stretcher. They picked it up respectfully and moved it toward the hole.
"Wait," said Eda. "I want to take one last look at her." The men stopped and put the bundle down, and Eda knelt beside it, undoing it.
Revy looked peaceful, apart from a cut or two and trickles of blood from one side of her mouth and one nostril. Her hands were crossed over her chest, and both of her guns were in their holsters, fully loaded. Eda smiled sadly.
"We couldn't take her guns. They're hers. She'll need them where she's going---whereever that is," explained Dutch. "She wouldn't be Revy without them, would she?"
"No, she'd be unhappy. Hell, she'd probably feel like she was crippled." Eda's voice was suspiciously thick, and a single tear flowed down her cheek. She patted Revy's cold cheek. "Goodbye, ya monkey. Roanapur won't be the same without you, will it?" She produced a flask of whiskey from inside her habit, and slipped it under one of Revy's arms. "Here ya go---one for the road. I'll miss you."
This was the signal for the others to come forward, one at a time, for their individual farewells. Balalaika, as the head of Hotel Moscow, claimed the privilege of going first. She knelt beside Revy, running her hand over the Chinese girl's hair as though to smooth it down. "Da svidanya, Revy, moy tovarishch---moy droog.* You were a true vor v-zakone**, and I'm richer for having known you---and still in awe of your skills. You would have made a legendary Spetsnaz, and I can give no higher praise."
Mr. Chang was not present, but Shenhua was. She stepped forward, bowing from the waist. "Zaijian***, Revy. Forgive me for having called you a 'twinkie.' You were a true warrior, one of the finest it's been my privilege to observe in action. I would have liked to be your comrade-in-arms." She took out one of her treasured kukris, placing it on Revy's chest, as everybody present gasped in awe. "Please, take this---I know how good you are with your guns, but where you're going, a girl might find herself in need of a good blade, and I'd like you to have mine."
Nearly every criminal and black-market group in Roanapur was represented, and one by one, their representatives came forward, with words of praise for Revy and sorrow at her loss. Finally, Dutch and Benny picked up the stretcher and gently lowered it into the grave. When that was done, Dutch stepped up to the head of the grave.
"As her captain and employer, this is my duty---my sad, painful duty. Benny and I have known her longer than any of you, and I'd like to say a few words about her.
"Revy was born in Manhattan's Chinatown, and grew up on the streets. She had a tough exterior, but behind it, there was a lot of loyalty, and love, waiting for the right people to come along. I hired her shortly after she hit Roanapur, and I never regretted my decision. She saved the Black Lagoon time and again, and her passing leaves a big hole in our crew roster---and in my life."
"You're right," said Yolanda. "When the North Koreans tried taking over all the Roanapur 'businesses,' and we had to combine forces to fight them off, we couldn't have done it without Revy. She saved all our necks at the cost of her own life."
"She was the best---the very best," put in Benny, his voice suspiciously thick. "It'll be a long time before I stop expecting to see her or hear her voice."
Dutch smiled rather sadly. "One way we know she's gone is that if she could hear all this, she'd be out of that grave yelling. She'd have been completely embarrassed by all the things we've said about her."
"Hey, there's one person we haven't heard from yet," said Dutch. "Yo, Rock! Where are you?"
After he had finished digging the grave, Rock had stepped back, and now he was sitting on a fallen log a little ways away. Although the sun was all the way down, there was enough light from the full moon over the sea to show that his hands were over his face and his shoulders were shaking. Dutch went over and sat down beside him, putting an arm over the younger man's shoulder.
"Rock? We know it's hard---she died saving your life---but we'd really like to hear from you. It's the last thing you can do for her."
Rock sat up straight. Although his cheeks were wet with tear-stains, silvery in the moonlight, his expression was set and closed. He came forward to the graveside.
"Revy and I were like opposite sides of a coin in many ways. She provided me with impetus, while I often acted as a brake on her wilder side. She lived---and died---the way she wanted to. 'Live fast, die young, and leave a good-looking corpse,' as the saying goes. We drove each other crazy, but under it all, there was a lot of respect---and love." He cleared his throat, and went on: "The English poet, Lord Byron, wrote something that sums up how I feel.
"So we'll go no more a-roving
So late into the night,
Though the heart be still as loving,
And the moon be still as bright.
For the sword outwears its sheath,
And the soul wears out the breast,
And the heart must pause to breathe,
And Love itself have rest.
Though the night was made for loving,
And the day returns too soon,
Yet we'll go no more a-roving
By the light of the moon."
He paused, visibly collected himself, and continued: "In Japan, the word we use for 'farewell,' sayonara, means 'Since it must be so.' Sayonara, Revy---my love."
As Rock stepped back, his Japanese self-control slipped, and he sobbed aloud. Eda put her arm around him, offering what comfort she could, as Dutch and Benny began filling in the grave, and Yolanda sang a sad, minor-key version of "Amazing Grace."
When the grave was finally filled, Dutch solemnly planted a wooden cross at its head. "I don't think she was Christian, but this will have to do."
"Let's head on back to Roanapur. We can have a wake for her at Bao's place. He won't mind," said Balalaika. She smiled rather grimly. "And if he mentions even once the money she owed him for all the times she tore up his bar---"
"We'll take up a collection and pay it all off. The expression on his face will be worth seeing." With that, the funeral party headed for their boats.
The last to leave was Rock. He was kneeling at the side of the grave, staring at the cross, his face a mask of sorrow. When Dutch called for him, he got to his feet, bowed deeply to the grave, and followed the others back to Roanapur.
THE END
*"Goodbye, Revy, my comrade---my friend." Balalaika is speaking Russian.
** "Thief-in-law"---meaning a true member of the underworld, in Russian.
*** "Goodbye" in Mandarin.