Ch. 18
I awoke to the sounds of knocking. I sat up and yawned, stretching my arms over my head only to feel my back crack. I stood up smiling, and walked over to open the door. There stood Ishmael, with a plate of food and my dagger. I grinned wider and laughed as he walked in and put it on my nightstand, saying, "Mornin' Marina, feelin' better?"
He took the dagger from the tray and handed it to me as I nodded. I hurried to put it back in my shoe. When I stood up Ishmael was pulling my desk chair over by my bed. He motioned for me to sit on it as he sat on my bed. I was confused but sat down anyway. I heard the sound of metal scraping and looked behind me in shock; Ishmael had a pair of scissors in his hand!
"Don't squirm now! I gotta even out that hair a' yours!" he chastised me, and I quickly turned back around. I felt him snipping my hair and held back a sigh, knowing I would lose even more of my already too short hair. He had me turn once and clipped the front, and then he smiled and set the scissors on the bed. I smiled back, and went to look. All things considered, it did not look too bad. I touched it carefully, and found it fluffed. I smiled as I went to sit behind Ishmael and hugged him.
"Your welcome my little babe," he said as he hugged me back. He stood up and grinned, "Now, eat your food, get dressed, and go flaunt that new hair a' yours. With pride, you hear?" he asked. I nodded in agreement, and he smiled. "Good girl, I don't ever wanna see you as sad as you were yesterday, got that? You stay smiling no matter what happens," he leaned down in front of me and he looked so serious it unnerved me, "I'll always be here to back you up, so you don't ever have to worry about anything."
I stared at him in shock. True, I had always known it to be true what he was saying, but to hear him actually say it… I could not help but hug him tightly, smiling as I did. I am pretty sure I cried, but they were happy tears. Ishmael just stayed quiet as we hugged, and when I was finally stable enough to pull back, he smiled and wiped under my eyes. He kissed my forehead and he grabbed a few grapes off my plate as he walked out.
I was so happy that day that I did not even notice the stares of the crew. I could not stay still, and found myself parading around the corridors joyfully. I skipped, spun, danced, and ran. In fact, I must have looked much like the child I did not want to be, or else not be seen old enough in the eyes of Henry. I was just too happy, and it seemed as though my rounds took no time at all.
I felt the ship rise as I headed off to find Captain, and danced a bit as I walked. I stopped abruptly when I saw Henry just ahead, standing in front of Mina's doorway. He fiddled with a pocket watch in his hand before abruptly shoving it in his pocket and walking towards me.
I waved in greeting, but it was as though he did not see me. His face was clouded, and he seemed distressed. "Just shut up. I won't be tricked again" he said, but not to me, for I did not, cannot speak. Tricked, who had tricked him? Who, it was not as though anyone else was here in this hallway, and I had not heard Mina talking to him…
I walked forward and looked into Mina's room, only to hurry by with wide eyes, for she and Dorian were kissing! I kept walking in shock. I knew it! Mina and Dorian were, are much more than old acquaintances! Why on earth was Henry watching them?
I sighed, for whom was I fooling? He was watching Mina, and he watched her because she was the woman I did not know how to be. "Marina?" I had found Captain, and though I felt depression sinking in, I rushed to him.
'Something is wrong with Henry!' I signed, 'He speaks to no one and sees nothing he passes!' I grabbed his arm and pulled him forward, past Mina's room and down the hall.
"Marina, are you quite sure-"Captain asked, then stopped. There was Henry, and he looked like he was being choked. His breath was rasping, and he seemed frenzied. I no longer needed to pull him as he walked forward, saying, "Contain your evil, Doctor!"
He spun, as though what had held him had released him. His face was red, his eyes sunken, and he looked like a trapped beast as he breathed heavily. "I'll not have the brute free upon my ship," Captain said, and his hand reached for his sword handle as he walked forward, "Must I take drastic steps?"
"I am in control," Henry said defensively, and that is where everything clicked. Hyde! Henry was talking to Hyde when he passed me! I could not believe it, but he could speak to the beast inside him! Hyde could also apparently manipulate him, for had he not been trying to choke him? I frowned deeply at the thought of Hyde hurting Henry.
"I very much doubt it," Captain said as we walked closer still, "Even the strongest of men knows evil's allure." Henry glared at Captain, "Your talk is all well and good sir, but your own past if far from laudable!" Captain froze, as did I. I knew Captain's past was not that of a saint, but for someone to bring that darkness up again…
At least he seemed ashamed, for he looked down before saying, "I'm sorry." He turned and walked away, only to stop as Captain asked, "Has Hyde killed?" He turned, and said, "He has done every evil a man can do." Were his eyes looking at me? Why? In any case, he seemed desperate for something, "And my curse, I recall his actions."
Captain walked forward, "I sympathize. My curse is I recall my own." I looked up at Captain sadly, for I knew there was more than one meaning in his words. I looked back to see Henry looking down again. No words were needed as he left, and when he did, I held Captain's arm. He looked down at me with a small smile, "Come now, Marina, don't look so glum. It's not your burden."
I nodded, but solemnly. I hated how Captain had to be sad over things he could not now change. True, I know he lived in 'the now,' but still…
I looked down the hall where Henry had disappeared and sighed. "Marina?" I looked up at him, "Why don't you go check on Dr. Jekyll, then meet me in the smaller den?" He said, and I nodded in confusion. I let go of his arm gingerly, and gave a soft smile. He smiled back as I turned towards Henry's room. I think Captain just wanted a few moments alone…
I made it to Henry's room silently. I heard him say, "If I didn't know better, I'd swear I already had." There was no reply, that meant he was talking to Hyde. I gripped the strap to my bag awkwardly, it was odd to think Hyde was still there, lurking somewhere within timid Henry. I heard him walk a short distance, and heard his ragged breaths, "One of the vials is missing," he muttered, "Oh, God." I heard his hurried steps and before I knew it, he was in front of me, pulling on his jacket.
He startled, and stared down at me with wide eyes. "Marina, have you been standing here this whole time?" he asked, and the apprehension was clear in his voice. I shook my head and pulled out my note quickly. "Captain bid me to check on you," I wrote, and he moved to read over my shoulder. He sighed softly in my ear, and it tingled.
This is a very bad situation. I am alone with the man I have fallen for, who has feelings for someone else. This is very bad, and I felt my cheeks start to heat. "Are you alright?" I wrote, if anything to take my mind off his breath on my ear.
He chuckled softly, "Unfortunately, all is not well, Marina. Where is Captain Nemo, I must tell the others of Skinner's treachery." I looked at him confused, Skinner? Did he truly believe Skinner had done this? True, he was a thief, and although he was quite troublesome, he was mostly harmless. Would he really endanger everyone by stealing what created Hyde?
I motioned for him to follow me, and as we walked, all was silent. Eventually, he spoke, "You styled your hair, Marina?" I gave a small smile, and wrote, "Mum did," I wrote, before quickly crossing out 'mum,' and replacing it with 'Ishmael.'
He leaned over to read it and laughed, "Ishmael's your mother than, huh?" he asked, and I nodded. "Then I suppose Captain Nemo is your-"he tapered off as I looked down. "I'm sorry Marina, I didn't mean too…" I shook my head and smiled sadly, "I think of him that way, but have never been brave enough to speak of it."
Henry nodded, "I think you're very brave Marina, even if you don't speak of it. There aren't many girls like you, you know." He smiled, and it made my heart flutter. "The very problem is that I'm not like other girls." I wrote, but I smiled when he laughed. "Being like others isn't always a good thing," he told me, and I believed him, simply because he told me so, because if he believed what he said, then I might have a chance…
I could hear Captain speaking, "So it's clear with Da Vinci's blueprints and enough explosives he could set a bomb that would blow Venice's foundations to rubble." Then Sawyer spoke, "He's gonna sink the whole city." Mr. Q. was there too, "Yes, and uh, spark off his world war."
We turned the corner and entered the room, "I'm afraid that's not the sum of our problems," Henry spoke, and the men stood in anticipation of his bad news. "Skinner, he's taken a vial of my formula."
"Are you sure?" Mr. Q. asked, and my brows knit together, not able to believe. 'No,' I thought, as Henry said, "Who else? You've seen the way the sneaky blackguard operates." As the seriousness of the situation fell, Ishmael appeared behind us, "Captain, were here."
The League was about to fulfill its purpose...