Hello there,
I'm so sorry that it took me so long updating this story...
To be honest I had some very severe technical problems like a virus on my Laptop so I couldn't write anything at all.
That was kind of unpleasant. ^^ Well, at least my storyline for this FF could be restored – with some other rather important things ;) – so everything is just fine now. Finally.
Well… so to come to an end of a long story which has not much to do with the actual story at all:
Please feel free to read and comment and enjoy yourselves. All kinds of reactions concerning the story are – as always – very much appreciated.
Going to update sooner with the (now not so new anymore but still) new year.
Greetings, Eisteufel
Chapter III
Black Beads
It was almost noon when the crew had finally managed to discharge The Witch. The blazing sun was mercilessly radiating its burning rays upon our bare, aching backs when we received the order to ship the cargo supposed to be shipped to England right afterwards. Loud groans and hissed, constrained curses were the answer to this rather unpleasant news. It ment no lunch hour or break at all. My stomach was already growling like a starved out animal but there was no point in arguing.
The air was shimmering and the eye-stinging smell of sweat and moulding seaweed was filling the lower decks of The Witch and the little narrow alleys connecting the different parts of the docklands like a fine yet somehow chaotic cobweb.
Shielding my eyes from the dazzling midday sun with my hand I took a last short yet dismissive look at the woman with the horsetail in her reached out hand – she didn't look any better or less frightening in full daylight either – before I did my best to heave the heavy burlap bag to my feet on my back without an anguished cry of pain. Adjusting my burden as good as I could without losing my footing on the slippery stones, I stumbled my way towards the gangplank until I finally managed to climb the wooden board with faltering, strained steps. My limbs were heavy and felt like they weren't part of my body anymore but the decisively worst part was my already numb and grazed back whose skin was painfully chafing against the rough cloth of the bag with every single little movement my legs fulfilled. The salty yet oily breeze from the sea rumpled up my wet hair and did its best to extinguish the fine lines of sweat, running down my temples and to cool my burning cheeks when I breathlessly entered the ship in order to climb down the steep ladder to the cargo hold.
This was the worst part. Definitely.
Considering the fact that these bags were containing nothing, but dry tealeaves that wouldn't get damaged if one would toss them around, it would have been the easiest way to just throw them into the cargo department and avoid climbing down a small, warped ladder with the heavy weight drawing down your body. But I cast the idea away as quickly as it came. If the damn slave driver would see me doing this to his precious goods, it would have mean another rather unpleasant night on a wet floor – presumably with some nice little bruising here and there. It just didn't sound appealing.
Taking one last deep breath to steady myself and my exhausted body, I readjusted the bag on my shoulders one last time before I carefully entered the first rung of the ladder with trembling knees.
Slowly I went down rung after rung until something suddenly yanked at the linen of the bag.
"Oh please no!"
But it was already too late. I turned around as fast as I could without falling and only marginally realized the old rusty nail sticking out of the slightly splintered wood above my head.
When I had heard the faint sound of cloth being torn apart I couldn't do nothing more but stand there and stare blankly and with racing heartbeat how the content of the bag poured over the single rungs of the ladder and sticky floor like spilled water.
"What the hell...?"
Dumfounded I lowered the half-empty bag in my hands like I had been hypnotized, my eyes still attached to what had washed over the floor.
That was definitely not tea!
I could literally feel how my eyes snapped wide open in surprise. Instantaneously and without further thinking I jumped down the last three remaining rungs and went down on my haunches to take a better look at what at first sight appeared to be little, black marbles made of low quality because there was not a single one entirely round and smooth. Even the waifs and strays living in the backyards of the docklands would have complained about its cheap workmanship.
The uneven beads rolled and wobbled over the wooden floor and spread themselves over the entire deck in no time. More and more of them oozed out of the long thin tear which the sharp nail had ripped into the linen bag that was lying there formlessly over one of the spokes.
Carefully my fingers reached out for one of the little black beads which had lazily wobbled its way right between my feet.
Something was tightening around my throat, made it suddenly difficult to breathe or even swallow. Like an invisible garrotte I got tighter and tighter. I could feel my flesh creep.
At a closer look I recognized the slightly sticky and wax like substance immediately and the realisation hit me like a ton of bricks, made my heartbeat increase painfully.
"Opium."
Involuntarily I winced, surprised that I said it out loud. My lips had formed this word as if they had a life of their own. I could feel how a shiver ran down my spine. Suddenly I felt cold.
"Put that down boy, if you know what's good for you!"
The composed, dark voice pierced marrow and bone. It was a voice way too loud for this little room.
Numb, trembling fingers let go off the black bead as abruptly as if it had been suddenly turned into nothing but boiling iron when my head snapped towards the direction of the voice so quickly my neck hurt.
I was caught.
I did my best to shield my eyes from the bright light shining through the cargo hatch, illumination the slender, black figure standing on the second rung of the ladder from behind. At first I couldn't see anything but vague contours, a tall shadow surrounded by glaring light - like a halo. At a very slowly pace he went down the steep stairs, the dark, heavy Thangzuan faintly reflected the sunlight with every step he took, shimmered in a deep, mesmerizing green.
"Get on your feet, boy!" he commanded in a manner that revealed that he was used to give orders. And even though I wanted to, I just could not mobilize my limbs to move properly. They just didn't move!
I was still kneeling on the floor when he finally approached me and a pair of very expensive silk slippers found their way into my field of vision.
"I said stand up!"
Even though the rest of my body was still as rigid as a twig in winter I eventually managed to lift my head again and take a closer look at the person's face. My heart skipped a beat and painfully throbbed against my ribs. Like a slap in the face I recognized the man who was standing in front of me. The one with the wicked little grin I had seen before when the ship had landed. My knees creaked when I slowly forced my legs to do their duty and returned to an upright position, facing my opposite with more and more disgust.
The traitor who is carrying on commerce with these English bastards!
The fine, neatly cut ends of his moustache twitched slightly when his mouth's corners formed a little evil sneer.
"Well then boy, I fear it wasn't your best idea to damage this bag", he hissed only seconds before I could feel a surprisingly strong hand around my throat, squeezing it, like it was nothing.
^^ See you next week!