Chapter 14: Sink or Swim Part 2: Onboard the Ship
As soon as Fyer's ship set in, Bruce and Oliver tied a life boat onto it, at night, for an escape route for the plan ahead.
The next day, there was a faux celebration for the ship's victory against the Gordanians.
By this point, Laurel was much more confident in her juggling.
"And now a tribute to your glorious victory!" Clark called out.
Oliver, Bruce, and Jonathan then showed up behind a cardboard cutout of a boat.
We are the mighty Gordanians.
We sail the open skies.
No Imperial ship can stop us.
For we are the more wise.
The three then looked forward.
"Uh-oh." Jonathan said. "It's the unbeatable..."
"Undefeatable..." Bruce added.
"Not real sweatable..." Oliver continued.
"Edward Fyers the ruthless!" They all cried out as Thea was there on Jonathan and Martha's recently rescued dog, Shelby.
"Retreat!" Bruce called out.
"Ramming speed!" Thea called out, and the three were knocked over like bowling pins.
After that, Oliver and Jonathan snuck down to the rowers while Thea and Shelby cornered Bruce.
"Wait, I'm an officer!" Bruce called out before he was knocked over.
As the soldiers cheered, Thea curtseyed to the audience.
At the water, Bruce quickly swam to the boat as Jonathan opened one of the holes for the canons. Bruce then handed a bag of food to Jonathan, who then handed it to Oliver. Oliver then slipped into the slave quarters.
"Be careful, Oliver." Jonathan whispered.
Oliver looked around. All the slaves were sleeping in rags and hunched to make room for everyone. Oliver was shocked that anyone could be so inconsiderate of people. He undid the bundle and took out some bread, vegetables, and fruit as he walked around.
"Dad?" Oliver called out. "Dad?"
Just then, a brown haired man pulled him over.
"What are you doing here, boy?!" The man asked when he saw the food as Oliver let him have some.
"I'm looking for my father." Oliver explained.
"The only thing you'll find here is trouble." The man said after taking a bite of bread. "Now get out of here before you get us all killed."
On the deck, as Clark was doing various acrobatics, a soldier rushed up to Fyers with a scroll.
"Sir!" The soldier said. "One of our ships was captured in a slave revolt! Lionel orders you to set course at once and capture them before they reach the borders of the empire!"
"Then cast off immediately." Fyers said plainly. "Sound the battle alarm!"
As the soldiers sounded the alarm, Clark gulped.
"Uh, but the show's not over yet." Clark said nervously.
Meanwhile, Oliver had given food to all the slaves.
"Do any of you know my father Robert Queen?" Oliver asked, when suddenly, a soldier opened the door.
"All slaves to oars!" He called out, and they went to their posts.
"Wait!" Oliver called out as they went off. "Has anyone seen my father?!"
"I'm afraid he's not on this ship, kid." The brown haired man said.
"Oliver!" Jonathan called out soon afterwards as he pulled Oliver up.
At the deck, Martha and the other children, were by the walls, not being noticed by the preoccupied soldiers.
"Jonathan?" Martha whispered. "Jonathan?!"
Meanwhile, Bruce was trying to stay near the ship until he got knocked off by one of the oars.
"Martha, what's happening?!" Jonathan asked as the ship continued its hustle and bustle.
"We're going into battle unless we get off this thing quick!" Martha answered.
They went to the starboard side of the boat, only to find Bruce hanging onto a rope.
"Hey guys." Bruce said.
The soldiers then arrived and pulled Bruce in just before they left the atmosphere. They were all trapped on the ship now.
On the ship, the gang was tossed into the captain's quarters where the captain would arrive to deal with them.
Everyone then looked around. It was an elegant purple and green colored room with various, expensive, knick-knacks.
"Wow." Clark said. "This is nice."
"How can he live like this when so many people are suffering right under his feet?!" Oliver asked angrily.
"Yeah." Thea added. "Jesus said we should be kind to people."
"I don't think the captain was listening when Jesus said that." Bruce responded.
"I'm afraid he's like the man who built his house on the sand." Jonathan said.
"Who?" Thea asked. She'd never heard of him before.
"A man Jesus talked about one day when he was teaching in Capernaum.
"He said to the crowd, 'Everyone who listens to me and does something about it is like a man who builds his house on a rock. Then winter comes, but that house stands up to all because underneath is the rock.
"'But whoever listens to me and does nothing is like a foolish builder who builds his house on sand. Then winter comes. And the rains fall, and the floods come, and the wind blows. And down comes his house with a tremendous crash.'"
Just then, Fyers came in and Thea finally had time to notice Fyer's bright blue eyes and curly blond hair.
"So these are the stowaways?" Fyers asked.
"Actually, we're-" Jonathan began.
"Quiet!" Fyers called out. "I don't know why you're still on my ship, but I do know that we're going into battle and every man must pull his weight!"
Fyers then tossed a mop to Bruce.
"You, clean the ship!" Fyers shouted as he turned to Oliver. "You, give water to the soldiers!" Fyers then turned to Clark and Thea. "You two stay here and clean." Fyers then turned to Jonathan. "And you, what do you do?"
"I'm a farmer." Jonathan said. "But my wife and I also bake."
"Perfect." Fyers said with a smile.
"My cook makes the worst rolls in the entire navy." Fyers said as he took a roll and dropped it on the floor, and it bounced right back into his hand like it was made of rubber. "Absolutely indestructible. The only thing they're good for is ammunition. You, your wife, and the girl are to go to the galley at once!"
"Yes sir." Jonathan said as he walked off with Martha and Laurel.
Well, that didn't go all that well.