CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Just a few days later, the Princess left Las Palmas. She was on her way to the Azores.
Lane was standing right next to the Captain, when the orders were given, along with an explanation.
It had turned out that Timothy was the son of the Governor of all the Canary Islands.
Timothy and the boat went missing almost two full days before the Princess brought them both back to Las Palmas, and the Governor was very happy with Captain Matthew.
Any damage to the Princess was fixed without the Captain’s need to pay in gold. Supplies were given for the trip to America, and there was one more thing.
The Governor knew both the Fabien and the rest of a crew that dealt in human flesh.
Captain Matthew explained that he had not explained his intentions for the Fabien; rather, there had been some conversation about what the Princess was doing.
The Governor explained that, no matter what Tiger heard on the deck of the Fabien, that ship would not dock in the Canary Islands, but she’d be passing by another group of islands known as the Azores.
These Azores were to the north and slightly west of the GRAN CANARIA, the island the Princess was now sailing away from.
Given the needed maps, the Captain was certain they would make the Azores before the Fabien passed by. And, there was good news even if the Fabien was gone by.
Tiger rigged the rudder to fail. It was only a matter of time.
Should she be beyond them now, on her way across the Atlantic, the Fabien would run into problems.
That was also a benefit from this visit to the Canary Islands. The Captain knew now that the Fabien would not be going straight to the Americas.
There would be several smaller islands to stop at along the way. He had a list and a very good idea what was needed, or what would be expected.
Every eye on the deck watched the mainsail catch the wind. It was loud, and the Princess picked up speed. There would be work to do from here to there.
“Take your post!!!!” The Captain spoke to Lane.
From days of practice now, Lane knew that his place on the boat was to stand on the bow with the visual lens, the Captain’s eye.
He was to watch both what they were going to run into and to report any new things to the Captain. It was really the best job on the Princess, so far as Lane could see. Most of what was unexpected would be seen first right here off the bow.
Their trip out from the Canary Islands was breath taking beautiful. Each and every one had palm trees, beaches, and sailing crafts of every size.
Many of the boats were like the Princess, or they were close to her in size. Lane saw smaller vessels in the water everywhere.
He couldn’t yet make a lot of sense out of their flags or markings, but he would recognize the ones from Tunis, and those from other ports. That’s what he was really looking for.
Lane wanted to see some sign of the Fabien, or he would like to see something of a galleon like her.
That ship would be easy to see on a clear day like this one.
Off their windward side, there were fins in the water. Some of these dolphins would seemingly jump up and seemingly laugh at the Princess and her crew.
Lane also saw clouds.
“Lord. Thank you for this wonderful day. And, I see your clouds in the sky. You know, I’ve come to recognize clouds as a sign from you, a sign that you’re watching over us and lending support. Thank you for your assistance. We couldn’t do this without you.”
Lane looked off to the dolphins. “Lord. I acknowledge you as creator of all things in the Heavens, but also of all things here on Earth. Those dolphins are the work of your hands. Look at them!!!!”
His eyes were still following the playful behavior of the sea animals. “I can only imagine what humans are supposed to be like. You know, like you planned things. We ought to be as peaceful as the dolphins.”
A part of Lane’s mind turned to thoughts of slavery and the probable fate of so many people. “Lord. We attack each other for stupid things like rocks, or land and property rights. I guess this is somewhat funny to you, for you are the Almighty Lord and the owner of all things. You see us killing each other over things that don’t even belong to us.”
He watched the dolphins swimming free in the water. “We could learn something worth knowing from these creatures of yours’, these dolphins, Lord. They aren’t violent, nor do they make slaves of each other. Thank you for teaching me this lesson. And, please, help us to find the Fabien and set those people free.”
“Amen.” It was Captain Matthew’s voice. He was suddenly standing next to Lane.
“You were listening to me?” Lane asked the Captain.
Captain Matthew confirmed it. “I’ve been standing here for a few minutes. I liked what you were saying, I mean about the dolphins and humans.”
Lane found himself wanting to talk about this. “You mean about how we ought to be like them?”
“Yeah. It’s something like a thought I’ve often had about the songs of birds.” The Captain began to explain.
“Birds?” Lane wasn’t sure what the Captain was getting at here.
Nodding, the Captain finished his thought. “Birds spend a good part of their day singing to the Lord. They seem so happy and thankful. Sometimes, I would like to see people acting like that.”
Now, Lane is smiling. “I see what you mean. The birds, like these dolphins, are doing what they’re designed to do. I agree. We ought to be like the birds.”
The men spent some time looking out over the railing and watching the dolphins.
Lane addressed the Captain. “Was there something on your mind, Sir?”
The Captain nodded affirmation again. “I want you to start working with David at the helm. It will do you good to learn about where we’re going and how we go about getting there.”
Lane smiled, because this thought had been in his own mind a few times. “When do you want me to start, Sir?”
Captain Matthew held up his hands, as if to say slow down. “Not right now. I’m saying we’re going to cross the ocean. It will take a few weeks. We’re going to see other Islands and other places. There’s time for you to learn.”
The smile on Lane’s face didn’t go away. This seemed like a promotion to him. “Is there anything else, Sir?”
“Anything else?” The Captain paused before going on. “Yes. There is. I want you to start working on this new language, this English. David knows it, and I have seen you have a gift for words.”
Lane watched the Captain’s eyes. It was hard to see what went through the other man’s mind. “What are you thinking, Sir?”
The look on the Captain’s face was thoughtful, but it didn’t reveal anything. “Lane. The Americas could present you with a new life. Many people speak this new language there. You should be ready.”
Lane had to be honest. “I have thought about America, too. I’ve thought about the sea. I don’t know what I’m going to do, Sir. But, I want to please the Lord in whatever he sends me to do, no matter where I am.”
The Captain focused on Lane more sincerely. “I’m not sure I’m following you, Lane.”
It took a minute to get his thoughts together, but Lane gave explaining a try. “I started out looking for my father. That’s the reason I left my mother and our home. Now, I’m out here in the middle of the ocean. Whatever I’m doing, Sir. I believe the Lord’s sent me. That’s what I asked him to do.”
“You think the Lord put you on the Princess?” Captain Matthew wanted to understand the reasoning process Lane used.
Nodding, Lane confirmed it. “That part, I’m certain of. Something very wrong was going on in Joppa. It has something to do with Pedro Taylor and the Romanists. The Lord took me out of that city.”
“You seem very sure of the facts.” The Captain commented.
Lane took a look over the rail, for he thought he saw a sail in the distance, but then it was gone. He caught it again and, taking the Captain’s lens to the eye, he waited for the next wave to reveal the detail.
The Captain knew what was happening and didn’t interrupt. But, he waited for some word.
Lane studied what he could over across the waves, toward the north mostly, but still far to their east. There was a problem, and it took him a couple moments to figure out the answer.
There were two ships, the one followed the other. It looked like the one in the lead could be the Fabien.
“I may have found the Fabien, Sir.” Lane reported to the Captain. He was handing the eyepiece over while speaking.
The Captain took a look over in the direction Lane had been searching, and it didn’t take him long to see more than Lane was able to see. He turned to the helm and gave orders to correct their course. “I want to intercept that second vessel.”
David was at the helm, and he was quick to make the adjustments, but he wasn’t the only man on the move.
A bell was sounded next to the helm, not for the first time, and men were called to the deck.
Some went to rigging the sails, others had different duties, but everybody was getting ready for trouble.
Lane was able to piece together that the second ship was a pirate vessel. The Captain had said that much on the way back to the helm.
The plan wasn’t exactly clear to Lane, for he had never been close to pirates. He only knew what little he had learned those few weeks in Tunis.
Pirates went around attacking other vessels on the seas. They would take the gold and other valued items, but it was never certain whether they would kill the crew.
Some of the people back in the Canary Islands, especially Timothy’s family, thought the pirates might have been at fault when Timothy disappeared.
Now, there was a pirate ship following the Fabien. Lane could see, for the Captain had given him the telescopic lens back, that it was the same class vessel as the Fabien.
The Captain had said that the Fabien could not keep up with the Princess, so there was a good chance, Lane reasoned, that the pirates couldn’t match the Princess either.
He watched the distance between the two galleon class ships, and there never seemed to be much change.
Another thing was certain, though. The Princess was making progress, as she crossed the waters.
The crew was also making a lot of noise. There were horns sounding and bells ringing. This was a puzzle to Lane.
Stephan stepped up alongside. “What do you see?”
Lane took the eyepiece from his own eye, and he addressed his friend. “I’m watching the pirate ship. What do you make of these horns and all the noise the Captain’s making?”
“What’s he doing is bold, but I’ve heard of it.” Stephan’s answer wasn’t very informative.
Lane wanted more information. “What’s he doing?”
“It’s about the pirates really.” Stephan gave the explaining a try. “They are criminals. Right about now, or very soon, they’re going to notice us. That’s what the Captain’s after. He wants them to see another vessel in the water.”
Lane still could not make sense of the statements he heard. “Why does he want to be seen?”
Stephan gave it another try. “Criminals don’t want to be seen doing their criminal activities. They’re probably going to see us and run.”
Lane took another look at the pirate ship via the telescopic lens. Then, he addressed Stephan. “It looks like you were right.” Stephan’s a little excited now. “They’re running?”
It’s Lane’s turn to dish out the information. “They’re running, but they’re not running from us.”
Stephan reaches for the Captain’s eye, but Lane doesn’t pass it over. “The Captain trusted me to take care of this device. I can’t just let you see it. But, don’t go anywhere!!!! I’ll let you know what’s going on.”
Both Tiger and the Captain showed up and, with a couple of words from the Captain, everybody stopped to listen to Lane’s report.
There were now three more ships in the water, the last few were flying the same banners as those everybody had seen in the Canary Islands.
Lane knew those markings belonged to the British authorities, and they had probably been sent by Timothy’s father, the Governor.
The pirate ship was running from the three new ships, and it looked like she was going to disappear, eventually, in the direction Lane knew the Fabien meant to travel.
One of the British ships was closing on the Fabien, and it looked like the Fabien would be forced to lower her sails.
The British ship came up alongside the Fabien, and both vessels stopped in the water.
All this time, the Princess was closing the distance between herself and the action. It became less and less necessary to look through the Captain’s eye to see the action taking place.
Finally, Captain Matthew gave the orders to drop sails and drift. They were within a few hundred yards of the two other vessels, and it was easy for everyone to see and hear what happened on the Fabien.
The Captain’s name over there was Clay. He claimed to be an honest business man out of Tunisia. He said he was on his way to a place called Bermuda, an island to the west. He would be going on to the Americas after that.
The pirate had surprised him, and there was no connection with these pirates or any others.
Clay then told the British authorities about some problem he was having with the rudder.
A little while later, there was a problem with Clay not having anyone on his vessel fit to repair the damaged rudder.
It was at this time that Captain Matthew spoke up to offer assistance. There was shouting across the waves, words exchanged between the British authorities, Captain Matthew and Captain Clay.
Tiger was recognized. But, there wasn’t really anything else to do. The British authorities were there, and the Captain really wanted to put somebody on the deck of the Fabien.
Stephan had the good sense to disappear, as did a few others who had been rescued from their deaths in the sea waters east of Tunis.
The Captain had used the information provided him by the Governor on the Canary Islands. This was all the questioning he’d received by the British authorities.
There was a letter of introduction from the Governor, a letter that was meant for somebody in Bermuda.
All of this added up to the launch carrying Tiger over to the Fabien to repair the rudder.
It looked like the Princess would be in the area for quite some time, so Lane went to find Stephan.
He found his friend below decks with the others who had been slaves.
He asked them. “What are you guys talking about?”
Stephan didn’t lie. “We were just thinking about how nice it would be to swim over there and put an end to this Captain Clay.”
Lane shook his head. “That can’t be the answer.”
Angry words were whispered around the cabin.
Stephan wasn’t done talking. “I know you believe in the Lord. We’re starting to believe, too. It’s just hard not to think about going over there.”
Lane nodded. “That’s the nature of fallen man.”
“What do you mean one of the other men asked.
Everybody in the cabin was listening, so Lane began to explain to them some of the things his father had told him about before he had left home.
“It’s in our blood.” Lane told them. “The drive and the desire to be involved in things that are sinful. Everybody’s got it. It’s passed on by the father.”
One of the men spoke up. “What’s passed on?”
“I don’t know how else to describe it. Adam went against the word given him by God. His blood was changed by the decision he made.” Lane really didn’t have the words to tell them, but he wanted to try.
Stephan had heard some of this before, and he tried to be helpful.
“How can a man’s blood be changed?”
Lane looked at one of the sailors. The man wore a tattoo on his right arm. He asked the man. “Does that mark ever go away?” The sailor responded. “Not once it heals.”
Lane nods. “That’s something like what happened to Adam’s blood. It was changed from what it’d been and, once the change was made, there wasn’t any going back. His blood was passed to his children.”
One of the men in the room hadn’t really heard the story of Adam, so he asked an honest question. “What about those who aren’t Adam’s children? What about their blood?”
Stephan knew the answer to that. “We are all the children of Adam. He was the first man, so he’s the father of everyone alive today.”
The men in that cabin listened to Lane explain what he knew about the creation of mankind. They heard him talking about the Lord and the Hebrew people.
It was impossible to listen to Lane without wondering how such a young man learned so many things, and then Lane told them about his father.
Early life for Lane prepared him for what was going on today, a life of service to the Lord.
It was dark by the time the conversation in the cabin broke up, and Lane went looking for a place to sleep. He also wanted some news on the Captain.