Grief
No words can tell of the insanity, the anguish or the frustration felt by James Flint when seeing what was left of his home. The peaceful pace he shared with Miranda, his place of refuge, his sanctuary from the evil of being a pirate lay in ashes. There before him in ruin was his burned out home, only blacken walls remained of the stone house he had built for them, their safe heaven - their hope now gone. And where was Miranda?
Dismounting from his horse, Flint stood devastated at the sight, his mind wondering quickly was this also the act of Charles Vane or something else. He was so overwhelmed in his anguish that he didn't see or hear Mr. Witham, his neighbor.
"Captain Flint." A man holding a shovel and walking towards the stunt Flint. "Captain it is I, Paul Witham your neighbor."
"Yeah... " Flint trying to regain his composure. "What happen here?"
"Last night the wife and I saw the light in the sky and came to investigate and that's when we were passed on the road by three men on horseback leaving your place. I'm sorry Captain but I believe this was the work of those three men. By the time we got here there was nothing we could do, it was too late to save anyone."
"To save anyone, what ...?"
Looking over at the freshly dug graves, "I was going about trying to give them a Christian burial. Four of them Captain."
Flint's eyes now went to rest on the covered bodies of four people, without feeling anything, a deep pitted void in his chest as he walked over to the bodies. With a trembling hand pulled back the covering of the first body, which of Isaac, his faithful servant, his throat had been slashed. The next body was that of his wife Inez, the third was of their oldest son, Luke and the last victim was of Saul, the brother of Isaac. All murdered in the most ghastly depraved fashion. For the first time in years, James Flint wept, he sobbed quietly for the lost and terrible ending to his faithful servants, the ones that looked after him and Miranda and to have died such appalling deaths. Through his tears, he looked at the sky, raised his fist...
"My God I pledge to you this day that these faithful servants of yours did not die in vain and I shall seek out retribution with my last breath I shall right this wrong."
Slowly he turned to Mr. Witham, looked around the remaining part of his property, the barn was still standing. "Do you know what happen to Mrs. Barlow?"
"No sir, I don't. Like I said we passed three men on the road in full gallop away from here and I could almost swear there were two people on one of the horses. But it was dark, and they nearly ran the wife and me off the road as we were on foot. I sorry I didn't take a closer look but it all happen so fast and I was concern about the wife's safety."
"Have you ever seen these men before?"
"Ney. But as I'm now thinking about it, one of the men rode tall in the saddle. Like I said, it was dark and caught us off guard."
"That's alright, I understand. Come let's finish with is task for lying to rest these good people." Flint walking to the burned out house, "Maybe the bible survived the fire, we need to say the proper words for a Christian burial."
There in the rubble, Flint found several books and one being the partly burned bible Miranda had brought from London, she was faithful in reading it but as for Flint - no. He had lost all fragments of religion years ago; there was no room in his heart for the sanctimonious attitude of the clergy that sat in judgment of others. Miranda's affair with Pastor Lambrick was discussing to him but he understood her need and now he once more blamed himself.
Mrs. Witham and with one of their servants join Flint and Mr. Witham that afternoon. They together buried the four and for the first time in a long time Flint reading the bible, a passage from the New Testament. After the brief service and the graves filled, Flint gather up a few remaining items from the house, a book that he had given Miranda, a locket her husband had given her and a key, the key to a sea trunk that had been destroyed in the fire.
"Take the live stock. I have no more use for them. Please care for them as one day Mrs. Barlow may return."
"What do you think became of her?" Mrs. Witham asked.
"I don't know. With all my heart I'm in hopes she escaped this." Flint taking one last look at the destruction of his home, "I have to return to my ship. Thank you kind people, I'm beholding to you."
"You owe us nothing. God be with you." Mr. Witham holding his wife by the waist, "Safe journey."
With a heavy heart, Flint returned to town, to find what he needed, two bottles of rum and a quiet spot, the grave yard of St. Matthews Church. Leaning against a tombstone, he begins to drink and reflect on his past and what had brought him to this immoral stage in life. His turning to piracy, his love affair with Miranda Hamilton and his disappearance from Sarah McGraw, his wife. His beautiful teenage wife he had turned his back on for the sake of a career and that too ended in disaster. His life had been a shambles, always choosing the wrong path and in his heart knowing it.
Now with Miranda missing he could only vision what happen, was she kidnapped by the three men on galloping horseback and who were the three? One rode tall in the saddle and Flint could only guess it was Charles Vane. Why take Miranda, some depraved idea to torment him, to hold her for ransom of the gold. Shit Vane could have it all for the return of Miranda. As the night drew on, Flint became more engrossed in his grief and drunkenness until dark sleep engulfed his very soul. Remorseful nightmares and voices crowding his mind as he trashed about there in the dark of the dead. His grief and the intense pain of misery taking over every fabric of his body until there was nothing, no feeling, no nothing but emptiness remained.
A broken man is how John Silver found his Captain at the crack of dawn the next day.
"My god man what happen to you?" Silver trying to get Flint to his feet. "The crew is waiting for you and anxious to receive their share."
"Destroyed... Some bastard has destroyed my home." Flint slowly pulling himself back together and quickly thinking, "We need to get Mr. Drake with us to divide the prize and give advice. Gather everyone Mr. Silver, we have work to do."
And so that day was spent with dividing the gold amongt the crew, giving the different shares and everyone seemed pleased with their take. Mr. Drake giving advice on how to safe guard their new found wealth and wise ways to spend it, mostly in rebuilding Nassau. Flint told of his plan to sail back to Charles Towne and exchange Abigail Ashe for pardons for all crew members if they sign a pledge.
He also gave choices to his crew, "...stay here in Nassau and be part of rebuilding and creating a new Nassau, one of legitimacy, to build a community of free people to work and live without the threat of English war ships at your doorstep. To engage in commerce, to make money the honest way and not hunt. To take wives and raise families and make this burned out rubble into a model town of good people." Flint paused for a minute to let his words soak in... "The second choice is return to Port Royal and find another pirate crew to sail with if your desire is to continue with the present life style of being a deadly pirate and run the risk of one day being hung by a strong rope... And the third is to sail with me to Charles Towne, take a pardon and make your home in the Province of Carolina. I intend to keep this ship, and use it for commercial gain and not hunt anymore and need good men to crew. To earn good wages and still remain at sea for there is no mistake, the sea is in my blood and I shall never give it up."
As the sun started its decent in the west, many had decided their future. Several and that was about fifteen had decided to take Mr. Drake up on his offer to aid in establishing business for them, to become merchants. Mr. Tom Morgan was going to locate a ship and take up sailing as a captain, to try and take over the Guthrie Trading Company. Now little is known about Tom Morgan except he is a damn good sailor with heavy experience.
Flint bidding farewell to those few standing on the shore as each disembarked the longboat. "Good choice Mr. Morgan and you shall do fine. There might be a ship available soon, the Esprit Blanche. She was once a French merchant and in fine condition with only minor damage to her hull. If you like, I know a man, Walter Brodstock that can help with gaining that ship for you."
"The same Walter Brodstock in Port Royal?"
"Yes and might behoove you to speak with him about rebuilding a vital trading company here. I don't know about Richard Guthrie and his plans but I would think he has other desires on his mind. Best of luck to you Mr. Morgan."
Next to bid farewell to was Fane Logan, "It has been educational to say the least in sailing with you Captain Flint but time has come for me to change paths. I married last month to Charlotte and now with my share of gold we can announce to her father our marriage. He can only see wealth in a man and not his character but thank God his daughter is different. For me, rebuilding Nassau is a pipe dream but one that Charlotte has and her wishes are my dream."
"Best to you Mr. Logan." Flint shaking his hand but not really liking the man. There was an unscrupulous way about Fane Logan and Flint was delight that the man had decided to remain in Nassau.
David Pew was the next, "I going with Mr. Logan into business. We going to build a sugar cane exchange company, the farmers here need their own trading outlet we intend to fill that void. I have the experience with my father's business back home."
"Where is home?"
"Barbados is home but I think I would like to make my way here. Still a young man and need to prove my own way without the help of my father." Pew being determined to prove to his overbearing father that he could survive without him and he has.
And so it went, Israel Hands being the last man to leave with Flint saying goodbye to each man and giving a small amount of extra gold for making the resolution to rebuild Nassau. If only he could stay but there was other things calling him and in time he would return. He had set into motion the dream that once belonged to Thomas and Miranda Hamilton, Lord Peter Ashe, Rufus Drake and himself.
The last man leaving, Flint turned to Mr. Drake, "Well looks like we have finally come to the start of our dream, now if you will see it to completion. My God man it has been a long and tiresome battle."
"You have left the place with the wealth it needs to start to build our future and for that James I am so grateful. It wouldn't be long before the English arrive. News travel fast and I'm thinking the Scarborough will be here within days. Captain Hornigold will present the biggest problem in this reconstruction effort."
"If the man had any where-for-all he would join with you but I think he has been on the wrong side for too many years. Take care my friend and I shall return one day." Flint bidding his farewell to Mr. Drake, "By the way, I didn't find Miranda and she is either in hiding or has been kidnapped but she is still part of my agenda. Please take care of her if she indeed remains on this island. Whatever she wants give it to her."
"I shall James and I'm so sorry to learn of your home place being destroyed. Shall I rebuild it for you?"
"It belongs to Miranda. Whatever she wishes. I am going to make my home in Charles Towne. I'm a hunted man for the murder of the Captain of the Scarborough and that dreadful business with Richard Guthrie on Harbour Island. Damn it, as much as I had hoped to remain in Nassau I can't. Not now and maybe for a good time to come.
Daybreak and the Blue Whale was at sea, headed to the outer islands of the Lesser Antilles and Flint at the helm. He had set a course for an uncharted island and uninhabited that he had found and knew precisely what he was about to do. Doing his own navigation, no one knew their location and there was a sense of secrecy hanging over the crew. What was Captain Flint up too?
Under the cover of darkness, Flint, Nick Allardyce, one of Israel Hands' gunnery mates with five other men took a longboat to the deserted island, leaving John Silver in command.
"Only five days Mr. Silver and if I'm not back by then, you set sail for Montego Bay and our prize, Abigail Ashe. She is your key to freedom. Understand?"
"Aye Captain... What are you doing on this damn God forsaken island any way?"
"Securing the future Mr. Silver. Five days is all I should be gone but you know what to do if I'm not back." With that Flint climbed into the longboat and was off, vanishing into the darkness of night.
Day three and Silver had brought out kegs of rum to keep the crew content with the layover. Each man ready to spend their share, each man had made plans and ready to move on, not to anchored who in the hell knows where. Billy Bones made his way to the quarterdeck and found John Silver reading a book.
"Didn't know you could read."
"A way to pass the time. What is on your mind?" Now Silver has never taken a real keen liking to Billy Bones, he found Billy to be a bit too self-righteous at times about Flint. There seemed to be no love lost on either part.
"What do you think Flint is up too? I mean why the entire secret about coming here is he stealing part of our gold?"
"The man said he was providing for the future and my guess is he is doing just as he has said." Silver not looking up from his reading.
"The men are thinking we should go ashore and find him, to see what he is up too."
"The men being who? Not Muldoon, Gunn or McPhee your normal cohorts in crime."
"What the f..k do you mean by that?"
Silver putting down the book and looking Billy squarely in the eyes. "The other night back in Nassau, the night you, Muldoon, McPhee and Gunn slipped away and to do what? I overheard you talking about doing right by Mr. Gates. Now just what in the hell did you four mean by that?"
"To give him a proper marker for his death. That's all Mr. Silver, to give him a fitting marker for his death. One that didn't need to happen. You should know that."
"Gates turned his back on Captain Flint and I was there when it happened and I saw the grief in Flint's eyes, the heartbreak he had. No Billy Bones you are mistaken about Captain Flint but my guess you will never see it through your blinders of arrogant superior attitude. Now if anyone makes an attempt to leave this ship they will be shot. Do you understand?" Silver leaning very close to Billy Bones.
"Don't threaten me. I have friends on this ship." Billy standing taller than Silver but a little shaken by the force Silver had just displayed. Something unseen in John Silver.
"As do I. Now is not the time to test friendship because one of us will not live to see the day we can spend our share of gold. Because of Captain Flint you have been made richer than you can ever dream. My suggestion is be grateful and live."
With that Billy Bones backed down. Silver was right about living to spend his share of the gold and he had lost two of his closest allies in Morgan and Israel Hands and their staying in Nassau. He knew Silver had made great inroads with the crew but didn't know for certainty to what extend; the man had become popular.
The five days passed and no Flint. John Silver not wanting to take the helm of the Blue Whale but he had no choice, Flint had been intense about only remaining anchored off the coast of a tiny island and now it was time to set sail. Giving the orders, Silver one last time with his spyglass searched for any sign of Flint's return. There on the shore he saw the longboat and there was one man, too far in the distance to tell who but one man pushing the boat out from the sandy beach. Silver quickly receded his orders, they would wait for the longboat to reach the Blue Whale.
Flint climbing on board was in a hell of a mess, covered in dried blood, several deep cuts and tired almost too pure exhaustion. There once on deck, he collapsed, bleeding from a side wound. Quickly the Dr. Howell, the ship's doctor and Silver had him in the cabin and tending to his wounds.
"What happen on the island?" Silver asking the half conscious Captain Flint
"Set sail Mr. Silver. Get the f..k out of here and quickly man without delay." Flint with a weaken hand talking hold of Silver's arm, "Keep watch for the Flying Dutchman and the Black Pearl. They will be our death."
Author's Note: Can't help it, had to bring in a little touch of the Pirates of the Caribbean with Captain Jack Sparrow. I just love that character and since this is fiction well we'll have a go at Flint and Sparrow in the future.