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Chapter 26
I heard a knock on the door. I quickly swallowed and prepared myself for a fight.
"Sir, there is a General Uchino at the door," announced my butler.
I frowned in confusion, then I realized that he was my masters over the seas. I was his personal Skippy and when he thought I was ready he honored me with the title of Captain. He was greatly respected in my eyes.
"Bring him in," I said as I got up.
The old battle hardened man, nearing his 60's, came into the room.
"Hook," General Uchino said gruffly. I have never seen that man smile. His scarred body now old and his wooden leg was helped with the cane he held in his right hand.
"General," I shook his hand firmly, "Is everything all right?"
"Unfortunately no," he said in a softer tone.
"Come into the den," I told him and offered him a drink. When we both sat down I asked, "What's wrong?"
"Wars' a brewing. I can feel it in my bones. Things that are happening in Germany are making me fear for my rights."
"We just exited a war."
"I know, but my ship is sailing tomorrow. I have ordered that my grandchildren be taken on the passage to North America."
"I see."
"Hook, I'll be blunt with you. As always," said the balding man in a whisper, "This information must not leave the room."
I nodded quickly, giving my word by just looking straight into his eyes.
"I'm dying. A sickness from the inside. I won't make the trip and I prefer to die in the arms of my wife and in my homeland."
"I'm sorry General," I said as I registered the words, "But I don't believe you. You're the strongest goddamned man I knew. The war couldn't kill you, not even hurricanes!"
With a snort, he explained rolling up his sleeves so I would see his frail bruised arms, "My body is dying, putting up a strike in a way. The doctors say I have but a month, two at the most."
Tears sprang to my eyes, this man was like a father to me.
"Don't start sobbing like an old hag," he snapped as I laughed, there he truly was, "When I heard that you were in England, I knew that I could put my plan in motion. I don't trust the Germans or public transport boats anymore, not after what happened with the first war. This is what I am asking of you. Take my ship and my crew, sail my grandchildren to the safety of the Americas."
"Take your ship," I asked shocked, "Sir, you were correct when you said that you were sick, you have lost all complete sense."
"Don't mock me boy," he said warningly, pointing a finger at me, "I'm serious here."
"You ask me to take your ship!"
"As a wish of a dying man, I order you to do as I command," he slammed his fist down at the table. There was silence as I watched him. his eyes watered as his voice lowered, "I won't beg Hook, so don't make me. You're the only man I can trust with them. You already know the crew, you'll have your own Skippy. Smee is his name, too fresh and bouncy. It's like trying to contain a puppy. I will leave you the ship, I know how you've always loved it. So will you?"
I thought of my choices, I wanted Pan to come but I knew he would be furious at me right now. The trip would take a week, maybe two. I would have to settle the grandchildren in and enjoy myself there for a bit. All in all I could be back in two-three months and everything will have smoothed over by them.
"All right old man," I said, patting his back, "I'll indulge in your wish."
He gave out a sigh and smiled, "Good man."
"Where shall I sail to," I asked as I ordered my servant to get my maps.
"I would have preferred North America but I heard that things are worse over there than it is here."
"But you said that you wanted a passage up north."
"John, my grandson wants to see the northern lights," explained General Uchino, "That is the only reason why he's going."
"To be honest I never knew your daughter married."
"You were my Skippy for how long," he asked.
"Five years," I replied with a smile, "You made me captain in India and I have stayed there ever since."
"Mhmm," he said scratching his chin, "My daughter had not yet died."
"My condolences," I apologized quickly,
"She was married to a lawyer. Jim Darling," he said rolling his eyes.
I snorted, "Not the type of man you would call worthy huh?"
"Not a man at all," he grumbled as I laughed, "He laughed like a woman and had so much empathy for others it sickened me."
"A soft shelled man, as you would say," I smiled as he gave a nod.
"While the war was upon us, he wasn't cut out for it. He wasn't in my regiment although my daughter begged me to transfer him. I couldn't, we were at the front lines and I couldn't deal with petty things. She blamed me when he died, said that I left him to die and leaving her children fatherless. I thought he would be safe far from the battle, but the man went and caught himself influenza! There was nothing I could do about that!"
"I see."
"She died three years ago," he spoke with a sullen voice, "She was never the same after he died. She married him for love and it killed her. Frankly I wanted her to marry a man like you. Strong, brave, doesn't take crap from anyone and is very obedient to me."
"Just how you trained me," I smiled, "If it wasn't for you I would still be that boy always trying to please his father."
"Gossip at the port is that your brother is a bastard, is that true?"
"Yes, he tried to take the manor from me by saying that I was the bastard. I took him to court and I won."
"That's my boy," he laughed, "He always sounded too arrogant for me."
"Is there only one grandchild?"
"He is the oldest of the three," he explained.
"Three?"
"John, Michael and Wendy," he continued, "John is very… how do you call it when someone is very pompous of all the intelligence that they have learnt?"
"A know it all," I put it nicely.
"Yes that, except he does it naturally and constantly. You'll see. Michael is the youngest, keep him away from the girls. He will try to pull out that charm of his."
I smirked, "Don't worry I can handle that."
"Then my darling Wendy. The middle child even though she's mentally older than all of them. She's the thing I treasure most in this world," he said with a sparkle in his eye, "I have to protect her, even though she's stubborn. She insists on being able to take care of herself. She wants to go to university and become a history professor. She's just like her mother, independent and stubborn."
"I like her already. If she's anything like you then we will get along greatly."
"There is one more thing that I ask of you," said the general, "Wendy is 18 within a year and is very naïve to love. She wants to marry for love and many men will flock to her for her inheritance. When you leave you must promise to look after her."
"I promise sir," I nodded.
"They have enough money to find a suitable house and employees. There is money put aside for her dowry and enough for Michael to soon find a house of his own. I ask of you to spend a little time there, just to settle them in. Actually I would prefer if you married her," he said as my eyebrows raised, "You would be good for her. Just the type of man that I know can take care of her. Besides you're not married and are situated in a good family status to take care of her."
"Sounds ideal," I shook my head at the old man.
"You can never let her know that we had this discussion. If you want her, she will most likely want to fall in love. It's easy enough, I should think.
I squirmed at the word 'love'.
"Come now Hook, I'm not ordering you."
"General, any word that comes out of your mouth is an order," I told him and he chuckled.
"You know me too well."
"So take them up North to then go down south to South America, that's your line of direction?"
"Well… at least not to New York. I don't know Hook, you can figure that out when the ship sails tomorrow."
"Giving me a short timeline here."
"The sooner the better. Wendy is already starting to notice that I'm sick. She's very perceptive. Tomorrow they are going to board last. Everything must be on board before we arrive because the second they are onboard, you must sail. They think that I am coming along with them. Wendy will try to jump so you have to secure her."
"Why don't you load them in cages, it will be easier," I suggested.
"If only I could," he sighed.
"More whiskey?"
"That should not even be a question," he answered.
I refilled his glass and sat back down.
"I have another request for you."
"You're becoming too demanding old man," I warned.
"I have heard that you have been parading around in a red coat. Red of all things," he started laughing, "As if you were the bloody king of England that goes parading around in every color!"
"What's your point?"
"Wear it tomorrow, I want to see if it has as many frills as the gossipers say it does."
"All right general," I said as I lifted my glass, "A toast to you. May the commands of an old sea dog become the everlasting waves that crash upon the cliffs."
He groaned, "Enough with your poetry boy, let us toast to good weather and the completion of a dying man's wish."
We toasted and drank down the smoky liquid.
I was leaving for the Americas.