Ch

Ch. 6

After coming to the East London docks for one new recruit, we ended up with two. Superiority complex Dorian Gray, and American secret agent Sawyer. The league was growing ever the more interesting. Indeed, Mr. Gray acquired a matching hat to his suit and gave his library an uncaring look. If something like this had happened to my books, I would have raged for days. He just let out a shallow breath and suddenly his eyes met mine, and a no longer unaccustomed feeling of being uncomfortable entered me. "I seem to recall there being but one woman in this group before this mess. Now there are two, quite interesting, to say the least." My eyes widened, how had he…

My cap! My hands flew to my head, only to meet my bound hair. I shot darted looks around the room, only to see my cap suddenly in front of my eyes. "Miss this?" Skinner asked, and I smiled and grabbed it thankfully. I had not even noticed Skinner moving to pick it up, and he was not even invisible now! Captain had started to explain, and I heard him say, "-apprentice. We avoid scandal by dressing her as she was. We meant no offence." I felt Mr. Gray's eyes on me while I replaced my cap half-heartedly, not bothering to secure it properly. After a small battle of annoyance, I look back at him, only to see him looking towards his stairs. "Shall we?" He asked, and walked toward them without a glance.

Agitated, I walk next to Captain and we follow the arrogant fop down his staircase. Sawyer followed us to bring up the rear. With an aura of humbleness he said, "So ya really gotta dress as a man when you go out? Don't ya think that is a bit overboard?" He had not paused between his questions, and he did not seem to be the kind to understand a nod followed by a shake of the head, and would probably ask for a more definite answer that I could not provide. Captain saved me, "She does, she wishes to avoid problems as much as I, and while it is not preferable, it is practical."

Sawyer nodded, and smiled at me, "Not much of a talker, huh?" He did not mean anything by it, I knew, but I could not help but look away. "It is not that she does not wish to, but that she cannot." Captain explained. I just nodded my head as he apologized profusely. It was not that I was mad at him, that would be unfair. While ignorance cannot be an excuse, their really was no way for him to know. I just hated that I cannot communicate efficiently with anyone who does not know my signs. It was a hindrance to have to write to communicate with those who could only speak. If anything, I was mad at myself.

Skinner's arm swung back and grabbed me around the shoulders, "Oi Sawyer, be more considerate to the little mute, she sensitive!" Skinner grinned down at me, his voice an octave higher than usual. Had I not been wearing my cap, he would probably be grinning wider at the look of horror that I knew adorned my face. I tried to break free of Skinner's grip on my shoulders, only to have the notion fail with futile effort. He had my arms pinned and I could not even hit him to get him away. He laughed as I squirmed, and I could hear Sawyer chuckling and Captain's noise of amusement. I glared daggers as hard as I could at Skinner, my face burning, and having no other options I pinched him as hard as I could.

His arm dropped and he mumbled something under his breath. I grinned in victory from under my cap and tilted my head in my conquest. Skinner frowned at me, and grabbed my cap. It came off easily since I had not secured it, and I gasped at what he had done. I reached for it quickly, and he held it over his head. "Oh no you don't. If the other women who have slapped me didn't get to cover their face, you don't either!"

My arms dropped to my sides as I stared at him. It was not hard to imagine him being slapped by other women, really, it was not. I just never imagined he would come out and say it like that. What, had he been hit so many times he now knew what to expect just before a woman hit him? Before I could stop it, I was smiling. Then, I was laughing. Not the beautiful laugh of people with voices, but my laugh, and I had to smother my mouth and nose with a hand to dim it. I waved for him to keep the hat and walked closer to Captain, only to have the hat dropped back on my head with the cloth removed. I looked back at Skinner who said, "Good girl," while smirking before he walked out of the house.

Sawyer walked past me as I stared after Skinner, confused, and he said, "You should laugh more often Marina." Then he disappeared, and I was so bewildered I had to look up at Captain for guidance. He just smiled down at me, and his eyes crinkled as they always did when he was truly happy. Suddenly, my confusion was not as important, and I just smiled back, happy to see Captain like this. He put his hand softly on my shoulder and gently pushed me out of Mr. Gray's gloomy house.

"So, what's the next port of call?" Dorian asked, and the happiness I had felt seemed to seep out until I was frowning again. I truly wondered why his voice had that sort of affect; perhaps he just had a bad voice. The kind people do not like to hear. On the other hand, it seemed maybe I was the only one who did not care to hear it…

"Paris. Just one last member to recruit," Captain told him, and it seemed his happiness was gone too. For once again, he was as stoic as ever. "Capture is more the word, and it will be quite a hunt," Quatermain said, and I raised a brow. Why would we have to capture a member, especially in Paris? There was nothing feral in that city!

"You make him sound like some kind of animal," Mrs. Harker said, voicing my confusion. I realized it was good to be on such a large team; at least one of them had to be thinking as I was. We descended the stairs and Mr. Quatermain said, "Oh, speaking thus, Mrs. Harker," He pointed towards the door to Mr. Gray's house, "Your conduct a moment ago...?" Skinner seemed to be through picking on me, because he turned on Mrs. Harker and said, "Indeed. We are all aquiver with curiosity."

"Well..." Mrs. Harker took a few steps forward so we could not see her face and continued, "My husband was Jonathan Harker. With a professor named Van Helsing,

we fought a dangerous evil. It had a name, Dracula. He was Transylvanian," she told us, and Skinner broke in, "Hmmm, European? One of those radicals the newspapers love to report on?" he asked. "I don't know, Mr. Skinner," she turned and pulled down her collar, showing us two pinprick scars on her neck, "Is the vampiric sucking of people's blood radical behavior?" she asked. There was no reply from anyone, in fact, most were looking away. I stared at the bites and shivered, I was once bitten on the leg by a dog, and that had been torture. I could not imagine being bitten by a vampire.

The waters shifted, and despite Mrs. Harker's sad story, my gaze shot to the dock, a grin on my face. Captain had heard it too and said, "Ah, Our transportation is forthcoming," he headed down the dock, and I was close at his heels. "A boat?" Sawyer asked, and my smile grew. "It travels on water, if that's what you mean," Captain said, and we came to a stop at the edge of the dock, the water foaming beneath us. "And beneath it," Then it rose, in all its white and silver glory. My smile had reached its limits, and my cheeks protested the pain. I looked back at the shocked faces on the deck, and my cheeks screamed in agony. "Whoa," was the only sound uttered, and by Sawyer. Captain raised his arms towards Nautilus and said, "Behold Nautilus, The Sword of the Ocean." His arms dropped to his hips, "Next stop, Paris."

We entered the Nautilus and everyone's astonishment seemed to double. Ishmael was waiting for us and I returned his smile brightly, glad to be home. Captain asked me to show everyone to their room before I changed and I nodded in understanding, motioning for everyone to follow me. Everyone was silent as we walked towards the rooms. I stopped suddenly, and someone bumped into me. I looked at Sawyer, and he apologized quickly. I brought my finger to my mouth and bit softly, where was I suppose to put him? He had not been apart of the plans, and I had forgotten to ask Captain. I mentally chastised myself as Mrs. Harker asked, "Is there a problem?"

I looked at her, she had a voice that seemed as though it was always belittling others. Perhaps because she was a scientist and I was not? Maybe she just did not like me, probably. I made a quick decision and shook my head, motioning for them to follow again. We reached the first room and I opened the door, pointing to Sawyer. He stepped away from the group and smiled at me, he said his thanks and entered the room for inspection. I hoped Captain had not made any special plans for him.

I dropped off Skinner next, "Trying to get rid'a me early, eh?" he had asked as he left the group. I nodded, which made him laugh, before leading to the next room, where we dropped off Mr. Gray, without a word, I may add. Mrs. Harker gave a curt nod and a quick 'thank you,' when she left us, leaving me alone with the toad. I figured he would have kept silent as well, but he spoke to me. "How long till we get to Paris?" He asked and I stopped. How could I best tell him? I could hold up fingers, but that was so juvenile, and he already thought little of me. I pulled out my pen and paper and using my hand for support wrote,

"17 hours, if all goes well."

"I handed him the paper, and he looked skeptic, "That's impossible," he told me. I smiled and took back the paper, with a smile I wrote,

"No, it's extraordinary."

I grinned as I handed it to him, and walked past to open the door for him. I saw with wide eyes that he was smiling as he walked through. He took the door and said, "Yes, indeed it is."