It was a night like any other. The ship rocked back and forth on the ceaseless inky sea while in their cabin John and Marilla talked. Marilla always found the gentle swaying very soothing, as if she were back in the cradle. The movement lulled her to sleep, but she fought it off as long as she could unwilling to lose a moment's conversation with her beloved.
"Do you remember that night?" asked John as he glanced over at Susanna's bassinet where she lay sleeping.
"Which night?"
"When she was born?"
"Not much I was pretty out of it. I remember the pain of her birth, that sort of thing never truly leaves you, you know."
John nodded, "well, I know I'll never forget it."
Marilla snuggled into his side, "I bet you never thought you'd be catching your own baby?"
"No, though as ships' captain you know you'll be doing all sorts."
"I suppose so. What was it like?"
"You mean catching her?"
Marilla nodded, "I've never seen it from that angle before, what does it look like?"
"Oh, first of all you see a little bit of hair through the gap. It's all wet but there's such promise in that tiny piece of humanity; trepidation too of course. I was worried for you and for Susanna."
"Though of course we didn't know it was Susanna yet."
"Of course not. Isn't that strange," John glanced back. "We hadn't met her yet."
"Yet she had already made her presence known," Marilla smiled. "Go on."
"What? Oh yes, you pushed a bit more."
"I didn't have much choice; the urge is strong."
"I'm sure, and then a little bit more of her came and I could see the back of her head, but you had yet to deliver her shoulders. I have to say you were fairly vocal, do you recall?"
Marilla shook her head, "not really. I don't know how present I was. I must have been very involved in the moment, you know. Not particularly aware of anything else."
"Anne was there of course, she was wiping your brow and murmuring encouraging words, but I kept her away from the business end, so to speak."
"Good, she didn't have to see that."
"Uh huh and she wasn't particularly keen, but it was useful to have her around."
"Where were the boys?"
"I think the Mate and Isaiah kept them entertained, at least that's what they told me afterwards while we were waiting for the doctor at Rachel's house. Jacob had knotted some rope. He had it in his pocket ready to show me when we got a moment."
Marilla could feel sleep overtaking her, but she was keen to hear the end of the story. "Then what?"
"Well Susanna slivered out in a rush, all covered in that waxy stuff. Catch is the right word because they're very slippery. I was afraid I'd drop her. You looked at her briefly and then when you started delivering the afterbirth that's when the trouble started."
"It's all a bit hazy."
"I'm sure, we lost you shortly after. I was about to panic, but Anne was very level-headed. She handed the baby to the Mate and together we got you wrapped up as best we could. Land wasn't far off and we got you off the ship and over to Rachel's. I suppose …"
"Sh love, we've been over that part. It was the right thing to do."
John bestowed a kiss on her forehead, "yes I know, Rachel said the same thing."
"Of course, she did."
John felt Marilla lapse into slumber, her face went lax and her body was a dead weight on his chest. Gently he rolled her over to her side of the bed and lay down next to her and listened to the steady sound of her breathing thanking the good lord above for her safety.
"No, I don't want to."
"It'll be fine."
"Tell them I won't do it."
"It's not up to me. You don't have a choice."
"I refuse," Mari said crossing her arms resolutely.
"If you do that it'll go worse for you. The crew will not be put off, it's bad luck."
"Make them."
"It's not in our hands. The Captain won't be able to stop it."
"It's not fair," Mari sobbed.
"Come now," Marilla gathered the girl into her arms. "It isn't nearly as bad as you think."
"Did you have to?"
"When it was my turn I did. If I wanted to stay on board with John, I had no choice. I was a bit trepidatious beforehand, like you; but it wasn't that bad really." Mari hiccupped in her arms. "And how do you think I could face your mother if I let anything terrible happen to you?"
Mari smiled a little through her tear stained eyes, "I suppose."
"Of course not."
"But what will they do?"
"It changes every time, so I'm not sure. And that's part of it, the unknowing."
"Can't you just tell me a little bit?"
"No, if King Neptune found out and he is a god after all, then the whole ship might be in trouble. I can't take that risk."
"You don't, I mean you don't really believe it, do you?"
"I'm not in a position to wholly disbelieve it. So much of what we face is dependent upon luck. We use every avenue at our disposal."
"Do you promise I'll be all right then?"
"I do. You have to go through with it, but it won't be that bad, I expect."
It started first thing in the morning. After a sleepless night tossing and turning Mari heard a knock at the cabin door. It was so tempting to lie there playing dumb, but she supposed she had better get on with it. Marilla had reassured her that she would be safe enough, though her 'I expect' still weighed on Mari's mind.
"C'mon pollywog," ordered a shirtless man in a bizarre collection of clothing; She had little time to think as she was marched to the poop deck where a crew member, who may or may not have been the Mate, stood dressed in a long stringy wig of seaweed with some sort of a crown on top and holding a trident was surrounded by his attendants; Davy Jones and his wife Queen Amphitrite. Other members of the ship's company including Marilla and the boys who were positively fizzing with excitement, watched on. Mari looked at Gilbert who grinned consolingly at her.
Mari stood quaking before King Neptune, next to her stood the new cabin boy. It looked as though his ordeal had started rather earlier and he looked somewhat the worse for wear. He positively swayed next to her, his face contorted in abject fear. "Don't worry," she whispered to him. "The captain won't let anything bad happen." The boy shot a look of contempt towards John and muttered, "he cain't do nuthin'." Davy Jones forced them both to their knees commanding them to bow to the king.
They forced her to drink some disgusting concoction which did not taste so bad at first until a bolt of heat hit the back of her throat and somehow it grew hotter as time passed. Initially Mari coughed discretely but she grew increasingly uncomfortable and soon was coughing to gain her breath. That did not stop the mummery and they washed her hair in some funky unguent which smelt unpleasantly like fowl manure.
Marilla intervened at that point, saying "you've had enough fun with her now," as she led the distressed girl away leaving the poor cabin boy to accept his fate.
"Marilla," Mari lay in her bunk and wailed as she made hawking sounds.
"Uh oh," said Marilla as she fetched the empty chamber pot, she rubbed the girl's back as she vomited nothing much into the void. "I'll just go and talk to Isaiah, wait here," she instructed. Mari lay on the bed in abject misery. Her throat stung still, and her stomach felt as though a herd of cows had trampled over it.
Peering into the dark mess Marilla struggled to find Isaiah initially but when he smiled at her his white teeth positively glowed in the gloom.
"Say, what did you put it?" Marilla asked him. She did not take him to task for it did not do to get into his bad books.
"Jus' the usual stuff, Mistress Blythe," he explained. "Bit o'this and a bit o'that."
"She's not well."
The cook made a noncommittal noise, "she seemed to take it happily enough."
"Have you anything that'll ease her pain?" Marilla received a container of milk mixed with raw egg and a hunk of stale bread. Nodding at Isaiah Marilla made her way back to the stricken girl.
"Oh Marilla," Mari held her stomach. "It's sore."
"Sh, sh, here you go, try this." Mari took the drink and sipped in some trepidation. "Better?" Marilla asked.
"Mm, a bit maybe?" Mari replied slowly sipping some more. It was true it was making her throat feel less angry.
Mari caught up with the cabin boy the next day he was a sight with roughly shaved hair. He told her what else he'd had to endure after Marilla had rescued her. He'd been dunk in water repeatedly, they'd shaved and tarred him and locked him in one of the cabins. "But at least I got my certificate now," he said proudly.
"Do I get one too?" Mari asked.
"Dunno?"
The Mate saw the two of them conversing and handed an ornately drawn certificate to Mari which stated that she had passed muster and now would enjoy all the luck King Neptune could confer upon her. "Hope we didn't upset you too much, Miss," he said. "You're a regular shellback now, safe from the denizens of the deep." Mari examined the document closely taking note of the beautiful artwork and fancy words thereon. She supposed, burping slightly, that it was worth it.
John gathered Susanna up into his arms and took her into Marilla, holding her for a moment longer than necessary suddenly unwilling to let go of his precious baby. She squirmed out of his arms when she smelt Marilla's milk.
"I'm trying her on solids today," Marilla said as the baby latched on. "It's time."
"Hard to believe," John murmured.
"I know it does seem strange. I'm not sure how she managed it, but Rachel managed to balance her on me to feed while I was unconscious."
"If anyone could manage that, it would be Rachel," John laughed.
"Don't I know it!" Marilla stroked the baby's forearm as she suckled. "I just love this bicep don't you." John had never taken much notice before, but he watched Marilla intently as she traced her fingernail up and down the delineation of muscle.
"I have to go," said John reluctantly. He hated to leave, they just looked so peaceful lying there together; but it didn't do to have the Captain late to work.
Later, at lunch they continued their conversation. "You know when I apologised to Rachel, she told me I'd done the right thing really," John said.
"When you dropped me off?"
"Mm hm," said John. "Thomas wasn't happy, but I think Rachel gave him a piece of her mind."
"Poor Thomas," said Marilla.
John laughed, "I thought so too at the time even though he was not best pleased with me."
John walked off down the deck and Marilla sat under the shade the crew had created for her thinking of the first time she'd managed to nurse the baby unaided. Ridiculous really but she'd felt such a sense of accomplishment at the time.
After their long voyage their next port was Cape Town and she was eagerly anticipating all that they might find there. Exotic sights, tastes and people. Rachel might prefer dry land, but as far as Marilla was concerned this was the life for her and she was excited to share it with her younger namesake. Anne had embraced all that the world had to offer and she hoped that Mari would too.