New Discoveries
Silver stayed with us for three more days after he apologized to me. Fortunately, no one came to our house, so no one discovered we were having a pirate as a guest. On the night before he left (the kids were already asleep upstairs), Jim, Silver, and I sat on the sofa and chairs in the living room while having some tea. Silver did something I never would have expected and, at that present time, absolutely dreaded.
The old rouge began, "Jimbo, I got somethin' that's been botherin' me for a few days now."
"Oh, yeah?" Jim questioned, "What is it?"
"Well, it has to do wi' Laura. I've lied to too many people about this to keep it a secret from ev'ryone except Laura 'n' me. 'N' she's been keepin' it a burden on herself for too long as well."
I jumped up. "Silver, no. This isn't necessary. It's over." It wouldn't make things better to tell Jim. It was too late anyway. My reaction had already sparked Jim's interest in the subject.
"No," he urged. "What is it?"
Before I could stop him, Silver continued, "I killed Laura's father."
I sank back onto the sofa without a word. The room was silent for a few moments. Jim's eyebrows were furrowed, and I could tell from his eyes that he was thinking hard.
"What do you mean?" my husband asked.
"Jim," I insisted. "It's no big deal. I-"
"I should think it's a big deal. What were you saying Silver?"
Silver told the story as images of when I was seven reappeared in my mind. I was worried for Jim at this point. Would he be hurt that Silver had done this? What would he say when he found out I was lying about Daddy's death the whole time-that it wasn't just some accident? Would he never want to see Silver again?
Silver explained his evil intentions and that I had forgiven him. After he finished, there was another long silence. Finally Jim spoke up, "Laura, you lied to me. I know Silver's a pirate. I know he's murdered quite a few people. He almost killed me on the Treasure Planet voyage. I'm not happy he killed your dad, but I can't believe you lied about something like this. You never even told your mom."
"Jim," I couldn't take this. "Obviously, he would have been arrested for this. I know I should've told someone. But I was afraid. Now, it doesn't even matter that much to me. It doesn't matter how he died. He's just dead."
"That's not the point, Laura," he said in a scolding way without raising his voice. "I mean, who knows what else you could be lying to me about?"
"Jim. I wouldn't do that. I'm not a liar. You know that. This-I mean, it's been so many years-"
Jim just left the room.
"I'm sorry, Laura," Silver said with his head down. "I had no idea he would react that way. I thought maybe it'd take load off yer shoulders. It took a load off mine."
I looked up in surprise. It never occurred to me that he really felt guilty about the murder, not just what he did to Momma and me but what he did to himself. He had to tell Jim because they were like father and son. Now that I was married to Silver's "son," he felt that his "son" now had a connection with the victim through me. I felt sorry for Silver who left the room to talk to Jim alone.
Jim seemed to be back to normal the next day. I think Silver really explained things well to him. I knew there was something special about the old pirate.
Strangely, I only just noticed that Silver's hair had turned-well- silver. Not only that, but Liz had grown an inch or two taller than me, it seemed, while she was gone. Danny was only a couple inches shorter than me. Well, I never did grow that much taller after age fourteen. After all, Jim was almost a head taller than me. It's amazing that sometimes one doesn't notice some things until one really think about them.
Silver left the next night (under the cover of darkness of course). Jim never really got angry at Silver about the murder, and he certainly didn't show anger that night. The two had glistening eyes when they hugged good-bye. Liz and Danny also said their farewells and thank-yous. I did as well. I had to embrace him for the good he had done for me. I forgot the bad.
Jim wiped his eyes as all of us watched his little solar skiff go out of sight. "Yeah," Jim said with a smile. "I'll see him again."
The next day, Liz took Danny to Crescentia for a little more time to "get away," as he called it. They would probably look around some of the shops and other places Danny had never been to before. Jim and I stayed home. We worked in a room we had made into an office. We sat at different desks as I looked over navigation papers and maps and as Jim worked on some military papers and extra battle strategies.
On that day, he spoke up saying, "Laur, may I show you something?"
"Sure," I answered. "We both need a little break."
He left the room and returned a few moments later with a small book. It looked like it had a leather cover with light tan pages.
"Okay," Jim said, setting the book on my desk and pulling up another chair. "You know when Danny was gone I spent some time in his room 'cause I missed him so much, right?"
"Yes." I recalled his absences from the rest of the house as he spent about an hour a day in our missing son's bedroom.
"Well, I found this." He patted the book.
"Jim! You know better than to go snooping around Danny's room! I mean, you were reading his journal or diary or whatever-"
"Laura. Laura. Calm down," he said with a laugh. "This isn't really a diary. Check this out." He opened the book. "They're drawings."
There certainly were drawings. Drawings of ships. Of buildings. Of different species on Montressor. I sat down slowly without moving my eyes away from the pages.
"Oh, my-" My voice trailed off.
"You see the drawings of the ships?" Jim pointed to one labeled "Solar galleon RLS Majestic." "They are amazingly accurate. He knows the proportions. See the measurements he's put down? You and I have been on the Majestic. This is exactly what it looks like. The cross section shows every room and quarter in the right places."
"This is phenomenal." I was truly amazed. Our son had talent. I'm talking talent! It wasn't just that he was a great artist. He knew so much about ships it was amazing. This was no small matter. He thought he wasn't good at anything. Jim and I decided to talk to him about it. Not tonight. But maybe before school started (which was about two months away at the time). We would have to think about what to do with this discovery. There was still hope for Danny's academic improvement. Maybe he had to find a new way to study. We would have to think and see.
That night when the children (all right, so maybe they weren't children anymore) came home, Liz called me into her room before bed.
"Mommy," she began, "you know that guy at the inn at Neblaria? The one Danny said was flirting with me?"
"I remember."
"Well, when Danny was asleep in the other bed (I got a two-bed room) on my second visit to the inn, the young man took me to dinner."
"Liz, he was a stranger. You know that. We've been telling you since you were little not to go anywhere with strangers. No matter how kind they seem. You know better."
"Mommy, I'm sorry, but listen. Everything was okay. It was just dinner. Nothing more than that."
"What did you tell him about yourself?"
"Well, he knew my name when I checked in to the inn. He recognized that I was a Hawkins and automatically assumed I was from Montressor. You know how everyone seems to know about you and Daddy and all. I told him why I had come back a second time and about the pirate attack. He had let Silver into the inn without a problem by the way. I think he knew him. Not personally, but I don't know."
"So anyway..." I prodded her to move on.
"Well he just told me about himself. His name is Samuel Prentice. He prefers Sam though. He's twenty. He was really very nice. He's got green eyes and hair that is almost jet black. He's pretty good-looking. He paid for dinner and everything."
"He wasn't really flirting with you, I hope?"
"No. Of course not. Danny was just trying to be annoying."
"Liz. I don't want you doing this again. You were lucky this time, but it's dangerous. I know I'm being protective, but-"
"All right. I won't do it again. But think about it. I don't wanna marry him or anything." She laughed. "But when you and Daddy met, you went to eat with him immediately afterward. He didn't hurt you did he?"
"Well, I trust you not to do that again," I said, somewhat ignoring the question. "Good night, sweetheart."
"Good night, Mommy."
I went to bed that night with an uneasy feeling, not mentioning anything to Jim about this new information.
Author's Note: For all you Silver fans: Silver will be back. More to come. PixieGirl13: Check your "Jim's Angel" reviews.
Silver stayed with us for three more days after he apologized to me. Fortunately, no one came to our house, so no one discovered we were having a pirate as a guest. On the night before he left (the kids were already asleep upstairs), Jim, Silver, and I sat on the sofa and chairs in the living room while having some tea. Silver did something I never would have expected and, at that present time, absolutely dreaded.
The old rouge began, "Jimbo, I got somethin' that's been botherin' me for a few days now."
"Oh, yeah?" Jim questioned, "What is it?"
"Well, it has to do wi' Laura. I've lied to too many people about this to keep it a secret from ev'ryone except Laura 'n' me. 'N' she's been keepin' it a burden on herself for too long as well."
I jumped up. "Silver, no. This isn't necessary. It's over." It wouldn't make things better to tell Jim. It was too late anyway. My reaction had already sparked Jim's interest in the subject.
"No," he urged. "What is it?"
Before I could stop him, Silver continued, "I killed Laura's father."
I sank back onto the sofa without a word. The room was silent for a few moments. Jim's eyebrows were furrowed, and I could tell from his eyes that he was thinking hard.
"What do you mean?" my husband asked.
"Jim," I insisted. "It's no big deal. I-"
"I should think it's a big deal. What were you saying Silver?"
Silver told the story as images of when I was seven reappeared in my mind. I was worried for Jim at this point. Would he be hurt that Silver had done this? What would he say when he found out I was lying about Daddy's death the whole time-that it wasn't just some accident? Would he never want to see Silver again?
Silver explained his evil intentions and that I had forgiven him. After he finished, there was another long silence. Finally Jim spoke up, "Laura, you lied to me. I know Silver's a pirate. I know he's murdered quite a few people. He almost killed me on the Treasure Planet voyage. I'm not happy he killed your dad, but I can't believe you lied about something like this. You never even told your mom."
"Jim," I couldn't take this. "Obviously, he would have been arrested for this. I know I should've told someone. But I was afraid. Now, it doesn't even matter that much to me. It doesn't matter how he died. He's just dead."
"That's not the point, Laura," he said in a scolding way without raising his voice. "I mean, who knows what else you could be lying to me about?"
"Jim. I wouldn't do that. I'm not a liar. You know that. This-I mean, it's been so many years-"
Jim just left the room.
"I'm sorry, Laura," Silver said with his head down. "I had no idea he would react that way. I thought maybe it'd take load off yer shoulders. It took a load off mine."
I looked up in surprise. It never occurred to me that he really felt guilty about the murder, not just what he did to Momma and me but what he did to himself. He had to tell Jim because they were like father and son. Now that I was married to Silver's "son," he felt that his "son" now had a connection with the victim through me. I felt sorry for Silver who left the room to talk to Jim alone.
Jim seemed to be back to normal the next day. I think Silver really explained things well to him. I knew there was something special about the old pirate.
Strangely, I only just noticed that Silver's hair had turned-well- silver. Not only that, but Liz had grown an inch or two taller than me, it seemed, while she was gone. Danny was only a couple inches shorter than me. Well, I never did grow that much taller after age fourteen. After all, Jim was almost a head taller than me. It's amazing that sometimes one doesn't notice some things until one really think about them.
Silver left the next night (under the cover of darkness of course). Jim never really got angry at Silver about the murder, and he certainly didn't show anger that night. The two had glistening eyes when they hugged good-bye. Liz and Danny also said their farewells and thank-yous. I did as well. I had to embrace him for the good he had done for me. I forgot the bad.
Jim wiped his eyes as all of us watched his little solar skiff go out of sight. "Yeah," Jim said with a smile. "I'll see him again."
The next day, Liz took Danny to Crescentia for a little more time to "get away," as he called it. They would probably look around some of the shops and other places Danny had never been to before. Jim and I stayed home. We worked in a room we had made into an office. We sat at different desks as I looked over navigation papers and maps and as Jim worked on some military papers and extra battle strategies.
On that day, he spoke up saying, "Laur, may I show you something?"
"Sure," I answered. "We both need a little break."
He left the room and returned a few moments later with a small book. It looked like it had a leather cover with light tan pages.
"Okay," Jim said, setting the book on my desk and pulling up another chair. "You know when Danny was gone I spent some time in his room 'cause I missed him so much, right?"
"Yes." I recalled his absences from the rest of the house as he spent about an hour a day in our missing son's bedroom.
"Well, I found this." He patted the book.
"Jim! You know better than to go snooping around Danny's room! I mean, you were reading his journal or diary or whatever-"
"Laura. Laura. Calm down," he said with a laugh. "This isn't really a diary. Check this out." He opened the book. "They're drawings."
There certainly were drawings. Drawings of ships. Of buildings. Of different species on Montressor. I sat down slowly without moving my eyes away from the pages.
"Oh, my-" My voice trailed off.
"You see the drawings of the ships?" Jim pointed to one labeled "Solar galleon RLS Majestic." "They are amazingly accurate. He knows the proportions. See the measurements he's put down? You and I have been on the Majestic. This is exactly what it looks like. The cross section shows every room and quarter in the right places."
"This is phenomenal." I was truly amazed. Our son had talent. I'm talking talent! It wasn't just that he was a great artist. He knew so much about ships it was amazing. This was no small matter. He thought he wasn't good at anything. Jim and I decided to talk to him about it. Not tonight. But maybe before school started (which was about two months away at the time). We would have to think about what to do with this discovery. There was still hope for Danny's academic improvement. Maybe he had to find a new way to study. We would have to think and see.
That night when the children (all right, so maybe they weren't children anymore) came home, Liz called me into her room before bed.
"Mommy," she began, "you know that guy at the inn at Neblaria? The one Danny said was flirting with me?"
"I remember."
"Well, when Danny was asleep in the other bed (I got a two-bed room) on my second visit to the inn, the young man took me to dinner."
"Liz, he was a stranger. You know that. We've been telling you since you were little not to go anywhere with strangers. No matter how kind they seem. You know better."
"Mommy, I'm sorry, but listen. Everything was okay. It was just dinner. Nothing more than that."
"What did you tell him about yourself?"
"Well, he knew my name when I checked in to the inn. He recognized that I was a Hawkins and automatically assumed I was from Montressor. You know how everyone seems to know about you and Daddy and all. I told him why I had come back a second time and about the pirate attack. He had let Silver into the inn without a problem by the way. I think he knew him. Not personally, but I don't know."
"So anyway..." I prodded her to move on.
"Well he just told me about himself. His name is Samuel Prentice. He prefers Sam though. He's twenty. He was really very nice. He's got green eyes and hair that is almost jet black. He's pretty good-looking. He paid for dinner and everything."
"He wasn't really flirting with you, I hope?"
"No. Of course not. Danny was just trying to be annoying."
"Liz. I don't want you doing this again. You were lucky this time, but it's dangerous. I know I'm being protective, but-"
"All right. I won't do it again. But think about it. I don't wanna marry him or anything." She laughed. "But when you and Daddy met, you went to eat with him immediately afterward. He didn't hurt you did he?"
"Well, I trust you not to do that again," I said, somewhat ignoring the question. "Good night, sweetheart."
"Good night, Mommy."
I went to bed that night with an uneasy feeling, not mentioning anything to Jim about this new information.
Author's Note: For all you Silver fans: Silver will be back. More to come. PixieGirl13: Check your "Jim's Angel" reviews.