The Next chapter is up!! Sorry it took so long!! And here's the rest of
Nik's story. And no - I repeat, this is NOT a romance story. NO
ROMANCE!!!!!!!!! GAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Ok...I'm fine now....really..
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The darkness of space blanketed Nik like a smothering cloud., closing I around her and giving the illusion that she was invisible. She rubbed her temples, desperately wishing her head would stop throbbing, and desperately wishing she was anywhere but on the SILVER.
Nik knew that eventually she'd have to admit everything to Jim, but the farther away that time was, the better. With a sigh she leaned back into the coils of rope that formed her hiding place, making sure that she was out of sight.
"Hello." Jim's voice came from above her, causing her to jump.
"Jim! I thought....." Her voice trailed off and she gave him a sheepish grin.
"That you were hiding well? Nice try, but no dice." He dropped from his perch on the railing in to her little rope hut. "So, where were we?"
Nik tugged at her fingers. "I don't know."
Jim arched an eyebrow. "Really? Them why won't you look me in the eye?"
She flushed. "Because I can see my guilty reflection in them."
"That's what I thought." He crossed his arms over his chest and chewed his lower lip, waiting for her to continue. After a moment, he sighed, "Any time now, Nik."
Nik looked up into his eyes and sighed deeply. "Where do you want me to start?"
"Guess."
She rolled her eyes. "Fine then. MISTER Hawkins.......I start at the beginning. A long time ago-"
"How long?"
Nik elbowed him. "Do you want me to tell it or not?"
"Okay, okay......"
"Well......you know all about Captain Flint raids, and you've seen all the treasure he had." At Jim's nod she took a deep breath and continued. "Well, my grandfather was part of his crew."
Jim's eyes widened but he kept silent.
"He was very young when he got caught up with them, and after a few years of pirating he was sick of putting up with Flint's greed. They hit a pleasure ship with a double cargo one day and out of impulse my grandfather stole one of the longboats - and as much treasure as it could carry. He hid on an uncharted planet for several years before he dared show his face again, and it was only after Flint seemed to have stopped searching for him that he returned to the Etherium, married my grandmother and settled down into a more normal life. My mother wasn't born until nearly ten years after they wee married, and by then Flint had disappeared without a trace. Three months after my mother was born my grandmother took her and went to visit her parents, taking the treasure with her as a precaution. When they returned my grandfather was lying on the kitchen floor with his throat slit. It wasn't long afterwards that they moved to a different planet, and ended up playing a deadly game of hide and seek. My grandmother disappeared on her seventieth birthday, fifty-three years after the treasure was stolen. Just recently they killed my mother on her return voyage from the academy. They literally tore the ship apart looking for that treasure.........but it was nowhere near there."
"The treasure you have in that chest.." Jim muttered, finally seeing what she was getting to. "That's why you wouldn't let me help you.and that's where you got the coins you gave to the boy in the market....
"Right." Her eyes clouded. "I told you I'm dangerous. I was only a baby when my mother died, and my father knew nothing about it. The old housemaid kept the secret until I was old enough. Jim. It's been ninety-eight years since my grandfather stole a chest full of jewels and gold, and STILL they're after me. I don't even know who they are, but I do know what they'll do if they catch me." She stopped at the look on Jim's face. "What is it?"
Jim was deadly pale. "What have I done....."
Nik looked confused, and her catlike eyes widened in the darkness. "I don't understand what you're talking about."
He shifted uncomfortably under her gaze. "You know that man in the pub, the one who was looking for you?"
"Yes, I remember him, but I can't see what that has to do with you."
"And you said a while back that the man who sent you to the Benbow was a cyborg, right?"
She frowned. "He was."
Jim rubbed his forehead. "And you remember the story I told you about Silver, right?"
"Yes!" He voice was strained. "I do, but what does that have to do with me??"
"Nik," Jim's face was serious, and his eyes were cold. "The cyborg, the man in the pub, and the man who sent you here were one and the same: it was John Silver."
She drew back slightly. "That can't be. I would have recognized the voice, and why would Silver wait till now to attack instead of just catching me then and there?"
Jim shook his head slowly. "I don't know for sure, but my guess is that he was alone, and needed others to help him pull the job off - so he sent you here where he knew you'd settle in and stay awhile. That way all he had to do was look you up at the Benbow, and the treasure would be his." Jim slammed his fist onto the wooden planks of the deck. "I am such a fool!"
"Why do you say that? It's not your fault."
Jim looked at her, and in his eyes she could anger, hurt and betrayal. "Yes it is, Nik. I let Silver go without a trial because I thought he was a changed man. I let him escape - and now he's trying to kill you for that treasure. That's the last of Flint's treasure, you know, and Silver wanted Flint's trove more than anything in the world. Damn it!" He pounded the deck again. "He used me! He used me to escape and then he used me to keep you here. He knew me well enough to know that I wouldn't let you leave..every bit of this is my fault, Nik, and if he harms a hair on your head....I swear I'll kill him!"
Jim jumped up, pulled himself out of the coils of rope and stalked off into the night, leaving a stunned Nik in his wake. "What have You done, Jim Hawkins...no, the question is, what have I done.."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
There we are..sorry all Silver fans, it didn't out him in a good light, did it. Sorry the update took so long - Captain Nemo emailed me and told me to get my butt in gear, so luckily I brought my laptop out west with me. I'll try to update as soon as possible, and I hope this chapter clarified a few more of the quirks :-)
And Don't worry.Silver will not be bad all the way to the end :-)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The darkness of space blanketed Nik like a smothering cloud., closing I around her and giving the illusion that she was invisible. She rubbed her temples, desperately wishing her head would stop throbbing, and desperately wishing she was anywhere but on the SILVER.
Nik knew that eventually she'd have to admit everything to Jim, but the farther away that time was, the better. With a sigh she leaned back into the coils of rope that formed her hiding place, making sure that she was out of sight.
"Hello." Jim's voice came from above her, causing her to jump.
"Jim! I thought....." Her voice trailed off and she gave him a sheepish grin.
"That you were hiding well? Nice try, but no dice." He dropped from his perch on the railing in to her little rope hut. "So, where were we?"
Nik tugged at her fingers. "I don't know."
Jim arched an eyebrow. "Really? Them why won't you look me in the eye?"
She flushed. "Because I can see my guilty reflection in them."
"That's what I thought." He crossed his arms over his chest and chewed his lower lip, waiting for her to continue. After a moment, he sighed, "Any time now, Nik."
Nik looked up into his eyes and sighed deeply. "Where do you want me to start?"
"Guess."
She rolled her eyes. "Fine then. MISTER Hawkins.......I start at the beginning. A long time ago-"
"How long?"
Nik elbowed him. "Do you want me to tell it or not?"
"Okay, okay......"
"Well......you know all about Captain Flint raids, and you've seen all the treasure he had." At Jim's nod she took a deep breath and continued. "Well, my grandfather was part of his crew."
Jim's eyes widened but he kept silent.
"He was very young when he got caught up with them, and after a few years of pirating he was sick of putting up with Flint's greed. They hit a pleasure ship with a double cargo one day and out of impulse my grandfather stole one of the longboats - and as much treasure as it could carry. He hid on an uncharted planet for several years before he dared show his face again, and it was only after Flint seemed to have stopped searching for him that he returned to the Etherium, married my grandmother and settled down into a more normal life. My mother wasn't born until nearly ten years after they wee married, and by then Flint had disappeared without a trace. Three months after my mother was born my grandmother took her and went to visit her parents, taking the treasure with her as a precaution. When they returned my grandfather was lying on the kitchen floor with his throat slit. It wasn't long afterwards that they moved to a different planet, and ended up playing a deadly game of hide and seek. My grandmother disappeared on her seventieth birthday, fifty-three years after the treasure was stolen. Just recently they killed my mother on her return voyage from the academy. They literally tore the ship apart looking for that treasure.........but it was nowhere near there."
"The treasure you have in that chest.." Jim muttered, finally seeing what she was getting to. "That's why you wouldn't let me help you.and that's where you got the coins you gave to the boy in the market....
"Right." Her eyes clouded. "I told you I'm dangerous. I was only a baby when my mother died, and my father knew nothing about it. The old housemaid kept the secret until I was old enough. Jim. It's been ninety-eight years since my grandfather stole a chest full of jewels and gold, and STILL they're after me. I don't even know who they are, but I do know what they'll do if they catch me." She stopped at the look on Jim's face. "What is it?"
Jim was deadly pale. "What have I done....."
Nik looked confused, and her catlike eyes widened in the darkness. "I don't understand what you're talking about."
He shifted uncomfortably under her gaze. "You know that man in the pub, the one who was looking for you?"
"Yes, I remember him, but I can't see what that has to do with you."
"And you said a while back that the man who sent you to the Benbow was a cyborg, right?"
She frowned. "He was."
Jim rubbed his forehead. "And you remember the story I told you about Silver, right?"
"Yes!" He voice was strained. "I do, but what does that have to do with me??"
"Nik," Jim's face was serious, and his eyes were cold. "The cyborg, the man in the pub, and the man who sent you here were one and the same: it was John Silver."
She drew back slightly. "That can't be. I would have recognized the voice, and why would Silver wait till now to attack instead of just catching me then and there?"
Jim shook his head slowly. "I don't know for sure, but my guess is that he was alone, and needed others to help him pull the job off - so he sent you here where he knew you'd settle in and stay awhile. That way all he had to do was look you up at the Benbow, and the treasure would be his." Jim slammed his fist onto the wooden planks of the deck. "I am such a fool!"
"Why do you say that? It's not your fault."
Jim looked at her, and in his eyes she could anger, hurt and betrayal. "Yes it is, Nik. I let Silver go without a trial because I thought he was a changed man. I let him escape - and now he's trying to kill you for that treasure. That's the last of Flint's treasure, you know, and Silver wanted Flint's trove more than anything in the world. Damn it!" He pounded the deck again. "He used me! He used me to escape and then he used me to keep you here. He knew me well enough to know that I wouldn't let you leave..every bit of this is my fault, Nik, and if he harms a hair on your head....I swear I'll kill him!"
Jim jumped up, pulled himself out of the coils of rope and stalked off into the night, leaving a stunned Nik in his wake. "What have You done, Jim Hawkins...no, the question is, what have I done.."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
There we are..sorry all Silver fans, it didn't out him in a good light, did it. Sorry the update took so long - Captain Nemo emailed me and told me to get my butt in gear, so luckily I brought my laptop out west with me. I'll try to update as soon as possible, and I hope this chapter clarified a few more of the quirks :-)
And Don't worry.Silver will not be bad all the way to the end :-)
