TREASURE PLANET MV EPILOGUE: SECRETS AND LIES

Where did I leave off…?

"So…how long have you been keeping this from me?" Jim stared at his mother in disbelief. She had just revealed that his father was recently killed by a band of pirates, and she was worried he would be, too, if he left.

Sarah Hawkins sniffled a little. "I heard it down by the docks. Just…just last week. I'm sorry, Jim, but I had to keep it from you." She put her hands over her eyes and rubbed them vigorously, wiping the tears from them. "I was afraid you would go back, and then…get yourself…killed." Her last word was short and muffled before Sarah broke into a mass of tears. Jim pushed her hair from her eyes.

"Mom, you don't have to worry about me. I'm sixteen now, I need to handle it…myself. Like a man should. Not like a small child, waiting for his mother to comfort him. I think I should be comforting you now." Jim was wise with his words. "And since I'm old enough to make my decisions, I believe I'll find her, find Sanja, that is, and tell her of the tragedies. But when the time is right…" he cut off.

"For what?"

Jim took a long breath. "When the time is right…I'll ask her."

"Jen, what would you like to pursue in life?" Sanja asked the girl as she drew her sword from its glowing hilt.

Jen's eyes glowed at the shining metal and mail chains that entwined the neck of the sword all the way to the top peak. "I'm not sure, captain." Her almost British accent echoed through the halls of the ship, considering the two had made their way to the escape boat deck. "Something of…use?"

Sanja held the sword up to Jen's eye level. "Of use?" she laughed. "Ha! Like a housemaid, you ask yourself? Ask the world, Jennifer. The world! It has wonders for you…just wait. It worked its magic for me. Now I want you to take this. Take it," she handed her sword to Jen, who took it in her hand, the metal reflecting a glow off of her high cheekbones. "See what you can do with it. Name it, practice with it! I want you to know this sword front, back, top, bottom, and…I almost forgot!" Sanja unbuckled her belt from her waist, giving the entire thing to Jen, who immediately took it, and attempted to fit the large leather strap around her tiny waist. She held the sword up with her left hand, letting the shine take its toll on her mind before she replaced it.

"Calibur." She whispered. Jen named her sword, Calibur.

"Wise choice."

Just then, Nott, a small boy around age nine with wide glasses and oversized clothes ran down to the deck. His large teeth hung out from underneath his top lip, giving him an impaired speech. But his lips hung unhinged ever so slightly. Sanja took her hand and shoved his jaw upward, forcing Nott's mouth to close. He rubbed his small cheek in pain.

"Captain, we've reachthed the planet of Montrethor." Nott stood straight and put his hand to his forehead, in a small salute manner. "We've docked in a port almotht ten miles from the Benbow Inn, directly, captain." Nott ran off again, his red shirt dangling past his knees, the frayed bottom trailing with small strands flying off every so often.

"Captain?" Jen asked.

"Please, call me Mistress Sanja now. Not captain. It's an alter ego for Jim and his mother, got it?" Sanja pulled off her cape, then began unbuckling her browned boots.

"M-mistress?" Jen asked again.

"Oh, please, Jen. I'm just making myself look…successful for him. A girl does crazy things when she's been in love for…over a year with no result." Off came a long stocking, then the other boot. "My identity is a secret to him, got it?" she used her free hand to point in between Jen's eyes.

"Got it, ma'am." Jen ran off, up to the main deck, leaving Sanja to make herself presentable for Jim.

Jim sat facing the path that led down to the docks. From what he could see, a small ship just pulled in. No sign of pirates. Relief for mother, he thought to himself. Who could it be?

Sarah came up behind him, drying a small dish with a towel. She took a look at her son, then what he was staring at. Immediately, she dropped the dish, shattering it into a thousand tiny shards.

"Mom!" Jim got up from his place to help his weakened mother pick up the pieces, being careful not to cut himself in the process. "What's the matter?"

Sarah managed to keep her eyes down, but replied, "That's their ship…the ship of the pirates that killed your father. They're back! Oh, Jim, should we run? Should we…?"her words were flying a mile a minute, and Jim tried to understand what she was saying.

"Was there a name to go along with that ship?" Jim carefully made his way to the wastebasket, dumping the contents into the wooden bucket. "A leader? Perhaps a crew?"

"The ship's name…"Sarah began, "Is called The DragonFly. The captain is to remain unnamed, as by the town constable and sheriff. But there was one girl on the crew. She was small and redheaded. A scared little one. Almost like she didn't want to be there. Her name was…Jennifer Stewart. Her mentor…as she said to the constable…" Sarah cut off.

"Who, mom? Man or woman?" Jim knew he had to guess to get it out of his mother this way.

"Woman."

"Good or bad?"

"I don't know."

"Um…blonde or redheaded?"

"Brunette."

"Tall or short?"

"Tall."

"Name starts with?"

"…S."

No. "It can't be, can it?" Jim had a revelation. Not here, not Sanja. How could it be?

"Aye, my dear son, it is." Sarah finished her cleaning, and came over to Jim, showering him in apologies.

"How many things can you keep from me?" he yelled, trying to fight back tears. Jim didn't want to believe the one that he cared for had turned from him, betraying the light to the darkness of the Pirates Of Greed, as they were so called by the ones who had lost loved ones to them.

"I'm sorry, son."

"Man the main deck, everyone!" Sanja shouted, hand cupped to her mouth. "We have a lot of people to impress, and a lot of lies to cover." The last sentence fragment she whispered to herself.

What if he knows about the Lies? The Lies that we killed Hawkins, Jim's father. That was not myself, or my crew. But Jen…

Sanja called Jen over.

"Jen Steward, ma'am." She ran over, saluting her captain. "What's the matter?" she noticed Sanja's expression.

"We have quite a few lies to cover. The captain of your ship…your old ship, what was her name?"

Jen hastened her speech." I don't see why you would want to know, but okay I'll tell you."

"What was it?" Sanja wanted her answer.
"Silver. John Silver's…either daughter or granddaughter."

"No."