Ch. 13
By the time I made it to Henry's hall, I had every intention of turning on my heel and going back to my room. However, I knew I would have nothing to do there and forced myself to press on. What was going on with me? I had never had a problem barging into any of the men's quarters before without knocking if I needed them (and I more often than not I regretted it). So why was walking down a hall I have charged down before so unbearably hard now?
It obviously had something to do with Henry, but what? When had these problems started? That was easy, right after I saw Hyde… That was it, wasn't it? It was Hyde's fault I got so flustered around Henry! I had promised to hit him, but now that I have seen him, I know I cannot. He is far too much a beast for anyone to attempt such a thing without protection and a lot of luck. As much as I hate to admit it, I think I am afraid of Mr. Hyde.
Where did Henry fit in with this though…?
I leaned on the wall besides Henry's door, determined to discover the answer before facing Henry again. Why would I compare Henry to Hyde? Henry was so timid a soul, while Hyde struck fear into those who saw him. How could I compare them, actually…? His eyes, of course! He had the very same eyes as Mr. Hyde and it was Hyde's eyes that had captivated me the most. I was relating Henry to Hyde because of their identical eyes!
I sighed in relief, once more I had found my answer. Initially, his unfamiliar presence had made me uneasy. It would have faded by now, except his eyes reminded me of Hyde. Hyde, who I now realize I fear, if only slightly, of course! I smiled, for now it all made sense to me. I would confront my fear of Hyde, and then everything would be fine between Henry and I.
I pushed myself off the wall and knocked on Henry's door softly. Okay, so maybe I was not as ready to face Hyde's eyes as I thought! At least I made an attempt! I waited at the door a mere moment before turning and heading down the hall. Oh well, he must be roaming the ship, I could teach him later. It was not as though I would not see him again later…Then again; this was a big ship…
I flinched to a stop as I heard his door open, and did not move. If I did not move, he might not see me… Alas, my plan failed as I heard him say, "So I wasn't hearing things, you really should knock louder, Marina," I could hear the amusement in his voice, and I felt my chest ache. I could not be this afraid of Hyde, could I? No! Henry was not Hyde; they were not the same person, even if they shared a body! "Marina?" Henry asked, "Are you alright?"
I nodded and turned slowly. Hyde will not scare me any longer! I smiled without reason when I saw Henry standing in the doorway, a look of concern spread over his features. Thoughts of Hyde flew from my mind. I signed, "Good morning," to him, and his concern turned to a small smile. "What does that sign mean?" he asked confused. I grinned and made the sign for, 'guess.'
He stared at me for a moment before it must have clicked, because he said, "Ah, I see. That last sign was… 'Guess,' I assume, or something of the like." I nodded my head in approval, if he caught on this quickly, teaching him would be easy, and I would soon have another to talk with without writing. He smiled and said, "The first signs were… 'I'm fine?'" I shook my head. "How are you?" he asked, and I shook my head again. "Good morning?" he asked, and he shrugged his shoulders as he did. I grinned wider still and nodded happily.
He seemed to draw confidence from that, for he stood taller and invited me in his room. I followed him in cautiously; after all, no matter how you looked at it, I would be all alone with a man in his quarters. I had always been warned against that, however, I had never listened. This was different from being in the men's rooms though, even if I felt the same feelings of security as I did in their rooms. While Hyde must have scared me (something I find very displeasing), Henry did not.
For some reason I was quite glad when Henry did not shut the door, and the bit of uneasiness about it left. I looked around the room, the only place to sit was the bed, and I wondered if he would mind. Something truly must be wrong with me, for if it were Maitreya or Vishal's room, I would have jokingly jumped on their cot and spread myself across it, taking away any chance they would have to sit.
I suppose this is just one of those things that are wrong with me. Since I met Hyde and Henry, quite a few need to be added to my list. Henry had sat upon the head of his bed and he beaconed me to join him. I grinned and did so, pulling out my book and quill. He smiled back at me, "If it's not too much trouble, could you tell me about the others first?"
I nodded, though I could feel an odd emotion within me, it was unpleasant, and it got worse when I thought of telling him of the others. I am not sure what it is though, I do not think I have had it before, was I getting sick? With thoughts of illness in my head, I set out to write my review of everyone whom had joined the league:
Captain (Nemo): Science. My Captain is warmhearted, genius, and a wonderful person. Without a doubt, he will treat you kindly and with respect, unless you endanger or insult his crew in some way.
Ishmael (he prefers just this): First Mate. Captain's first mate, while he is not in the League, he is often by Captain's side, so I am adding him as well. Ishmael is kind and hardy; you should not have a problem with him, unless of course, you insult Captain or the crew.
Allen Quatermain: Hunter. Grumpy old toad, while he thinks little of what a woman can do, he thinks highly of men in general, so you will be fine with him so long as you have seen, shot, and/or are somehow interested in 'manly' things like hunting and the like.
Rodney (Skinner): Stealth. A pervert, but a kind person who thinks much of his gains in a situation, he is a thief, after all. He is sarcastic and sometimes makes corny jokes, and while his perverseness is a bad trait, he had been quite helpful to me; I think you shall like him.
Mina Harker: Enticement. I have had little contact with Mrs. Harker, so I cannot say much, but she and Dorian Grey were once 'friends,' as they put it, but I believe it was something more. She is a vampire and acts cold to me so I know little more than this, I apologize.
Dorian Gray: Experience. Narcissistic, condescending, and quite an annoyance. His superiority complex can be quite the bother, but he seems to be getting a little better since being on the ship, but I would not willing stay in a room alone with him. His personality probably comes from the fact that he is immortal.
Sawyer: American Secret Service. He fits the stereotypical image of an American, he is easy going and a 'poor shot' according to Mr. Q., but I am not sure. He is a nice and likeable person, who seems to get along with everyone. At least from what I have seen…
I read over my notes and frowned at how biased my answers were. I sighed, oh well, it was the best I could do. I apologize for my biased answers, I tried my best, I wrote, before handing the book over to Henry. He smiled and thanked me, and I watched a fly buzz around the room as he read. I heard him give short chuckles sporadically as he read, and I smiled softly as I wondered if I could hit the fly with a dagger if I was quick enough…
Henry laughed louder then he had before, and I turned to look at him. He grinned sheepishly at me and said, "Your biased answers are helpful, thank you." I smiled; truly glad I had helped him. I had made him laugh, and I liked it. "You missed someone though," he told me as he handed me back my book. My brow knit together as I scanned the paper. I had not missed anyone, in fact, I had added one. I laughed and shrugged my shoulders in confusion. Did he want my opinion on him, too? He smiled at me and gave another soft chuckle, "I'd like to know about you too, Marina."