Chapter Sixteen: In Somebeast Else's Shoes
Captain Morgan felt dwarfed in the darkness, lost in a field of black with only a pair of luminous eyes before him. Kneeling upon the rough stone floor, his head was swimming.
"What?"
The ferret Chief's white eyes blinked slowly, as he quietly repeated his question.
"Why have you, mouse, brought your wavescum to invade MY island?"
Morgan was still perplexed, but now for a different reason. He rose to his footpaws cautiously, but was quickly stopped by the chief's quick command.
"Sit."
Morgan was simply testing the Chief's vision in the darkness... Apparently the luminous eyes were an adaptation to seeing in the darkness of the caves and the bamboo forest... The mouse corsair managed to organize his thoughts again and answer the Chief savage.
"My crew and I had no intention of invading. We were out of water, and we came here hoping to replenish our supplies."
Chief Mooneyes snorted audibly, and Morgan could nearly picture the ferret sneering in the pitch-blackness.
"Wave-comer lies. Why did you send in warriors then? They saw some of my people and rushed to attack. They defended themselves, and let the leader go so that he could go warn whoever sent him. But did you heed that warning, sea-comer? NO! You brought more, more warriors to pillage and rape my island, to endanger my people! All wavescum are alike..."
Morgan clenched his fists, tied behind his back, until he was sure his knuckles were white, his noble heart burned with indignant rage at the chief's accusation. He bit his lower lip to keep from shouting out in anger, keeping as calm as possible. He knew that this Chief Mooneyes would not spare any opportunity to have him and his entire crew wiped out as invaders. Morgan's life, and that of every corsair beneath him, depended on him containing his temper.
"Chief Mooneyes... What you accuse us of is not true, and I swear this upon my honor. When any creature of my crew is killed, that dead beast has many brothers and sisters who will avenge him... We needed the water so desperately, and your warriors had killed my friends and companions. None of us thought that we would be endangering innocents, we... I only thought we would face murderers of our friends..."
Morgan trailed off and there was a hint of emotion in his voice. Mooneyes remained silent for some time, wordlessly sizing up this mouse pirate before the great Chief's throne. After some time, the great ferret spoke.
"You show some afterthought, sea-comer. However, some of my beasts lie dead because of you, and I cannot risk any further deaths upon your release. If I were to believe you and let you go free, I would not know if you would return again with three ships of your bloodthirsty warriors. Your men will be fed and treated as well as prisoners deserve, until I decide your fate. I am finished with you for now."
Morgan opened his mouth to protest, but the ferret warrior that had brought Morgan in had returned, and hauled him to his feet again. The mouse Captain clamped his jaw shut again after some thought. What would he have done in the Chief's position? He could think of no plan that made more sense than Mooneyes... Resignedly and quietly, Morgan allowed himself to be escorted out of the Chief's cave and back onto the sand.
Captain Morgan felt dwarfed in the darkness, lost in a field of black with only a pair of luminous eyes before him. Kneeling upon the rough stone floor, his head was swimming.
"What?"
The ferret Chief's white eyes blinked slowly, as he quietly repeated his question.
"Why have you, mouse, brought your wavescum to invade MY island?"
Morgan was still perplexed, but now for a different reason. He rose to his footpaws cautiously, but was quickly stopped by the chief's quick command.
"Sit."
Morgan was simply testing the Chief's vision in the darkness... Apparently the luminous eyes were an adaptation to seeing in the darkness of the caves and the bamboo forest... The mouse corsair managed to organize his thoughts again and answer the Chief savage.
"My crew and I had no intention of invading. We were out of water, and we came here hoping to replenish our supplies."
Chief Mooneyes snorted audibly, and Morgan could nearly picture the ferret sneering in the pitch-blackness.
"Wave-comer lies. Why did you send in warriors then? They saw some of my people and rushed to attack. They defended themselves, and let the leader go so that he could go warn whoever sent him. But did you heed that warning, sea-comer? NO! You brought more, more warriors to pillage and rape my island, to endanger my people! All wavescum are alike..."
Morgan clenched his fists, tied behind his back, until he was sure his knuckles were white, his noble heart burned with indignant rage at the chief's accusation. He bit his lower lip to keep from shouting out in anger, keeping as calm as possible. He knew that this Chief Mooneyes would not spare any opportunity to have him and his entire crew wiped out as invaders. Morgan's life, and that of every corsair beneath him, depended on him containing his temper.
"Chief Mooneyes... What you accuse us of is not true, and I swear this upon my honor. When any creature of my crew is killed, that dead beast has many brothers and sisters who will avenge him... We needed the water so desperately, and your warriors had killed my friends and companions. None of us thought that we would be endangering innocents, we... I only thought we would face murderers of our friends..."
Morgan trailed off and there was a hint of emotion in his voice. Mooneyes remained silent for some time, wordlessly sizing up this mouse pirate before the great Chief's throne. After some time, the great ferret spoke.
"You show some afterthought, sea-comer. However, some of my beasts lie dead because of you, and I cannot risk any further deaths upon your release. If I were to believe you and let you go free, I would not know if you would return again with three ships of your bloodthirsty warriors. Your men will be fed and treated as well as prisoners deserve, until I decide your fate. I am finished with you for now."
Morgan opened his mouth to protest, but the ferret warrior that had brought Morgan in had returned, and hauled him to his feet again. The mouse Captain clamped his jaw shut again after some thought. What would he have done in the Chief's position? He could think of no plan that made more sense than Mooneyes... Resignedly and quietly, Morgan allowed himself to be escorted out of the Chief's cave and back onto the sand.