Voyage of Slaves

Yanni answered cheerfully. “Was that before or after you broke both his arms and bit his ears off, Capitano?”

Ben saw it was useless continuing the discussion further. Pulling himself wearily up on deck, he went to see how Ned was faring with his duties as nursemaid.

As Ben entered the cabin, he took heed of his friend’s warning. “Hush now, they’re both fast asleep!”

Nico was still unconscious, and Amico, bundled up in the torn sheet, was in a deep slumber on the bunk.

Ned rose stiffly. “I managed to tie that villain up so tight he couldn’t get free. After awhile he gave up the struggle and went to sleep. Let’s go out on deck, mate, I need to stretch the old legs.”

They slipped out quietly, climbing the stairs to the fo’c’sle deck, with the Labrador expressing his surprise. “Just look at the midships, they’re almost underwater!”

Ben patted his dog’s head. “You should see the stern quarters, the water’s pouring in down there. What a time I’ve had, mate. Well, Ned, who’d have thought we’d live all these years, only to end up like this, eh?”

However, the dog was not listening. He had turned to face the prow, and was pointing like a setter.

Ben knelt by his side. “Ned, what is it?”

“A ship, it’s a ship!” The dog’s reply sent Ben peering off into the rainswept distance. Ned pushed the boy’s face with his paw, giving directions. “Over there, far off on the starboard bow. It’s a ship, I know it is!”

Ben was quivering with excitement, though he could not see anything as yet. “If you say so I believe you, mate!”

The black Labrador butted his head against Ben’s ribs. “Then what’re you hanging about here for, idle youth? Go and tell Cap’n Krimboti. Now!”

A moment later, the boy was yelling down the stairs, “Cap’n, I can see something off to starboard, I think it might be a ship!”

Kostas was at his side in a flash. Seizing Ben’s arm, he dashed him for’ard, splashing through the midships. “A ship, you think? By the Archbishop of Athens, boy, you’d better be right. Show me!”

Ned was waiting on the fo’c’sle deck, sending thoughts to Ben. “It’s a ship right enough, I can see her clearly now, prob’ly because that’s the dawn coming up. Follow my nose, mate, show our cap’n!”

Looking in the direction of his dog’s nose, Ben pointed the ship out. It looked like a big vessel, even from a far distance. He heaved a mental sigh of relief that it was not the Sea Djinn.

Kostas Krimboti kissed his open palm to the heavens. “Thank you, Father, thank you, Sir! Hohohohoho! Look at that beautiful ship, see it, Beniamino!”

It was, however, Ben’s turn to see something. “And look at the weather, Cap’n, it’s slacking off, the wind’s died and the sea’s becoming smoother. I’ll wager it’s not long before this rain stops!”

Ned licked his friend’s hand. “Nicely observed, m’boy!”

As pale dawn separated the sky from night, the rain died to a drizzle. All hands gathered for’ard to see the ship, which was headed straight for them, but still some distance away. Herakles had the spyglass, which he was focusing on the oncoming vessel. He passed it to his captain.

“It’s not your lucky day, my friend—that’s the Callisto.”

Kostas thrust the glass to his eye, squinting wildly. “The Callisto? No, surely not, it can’t be. Boy, you speak our language well enough, see if you can read it, too. What’s the name of that ship?”

Ben took the spyglass, through which he could easily discern the name on either side of the prow, which was fronted by a fine, carved figure of a huntress. “Herakles is correct, Cap’n, she’s called the Callisto.”

The big Greek bit at his thumbnail for a moment, then he nodded to Ben. “Go to my cabin, boy, I’ve got some thinking you can help me with. Yanni, you’d best come, too, Little Alexi knows you as well as me. All hands stay low and say nothing until we return!”

Thoroughly mystified by the odd turn of events and the Captain’s behaviour, Ben went to the cabin, sharing his thoughts with Ned, who was following him.

“I thought the cap’n would be glad to be rescued, but he doesn’t welcome the sight of that ship.”

Ned pushed the cabin door open with his paw. “Aye, and I wonder who Little Alexi is, mate?”

Kostas paced the cabin, waving his arms dramatically as he complained aloud, “Why me? Chased by Barbary pirates, battered by the storm and now who comes sailing over the horizon? Little Alexi and the Callisto! And all this with my poor Blue Turtle almost sinking under me! Father, why have you placed this black raven on my shoulder?”

Yanni shrugged philosophically. “Maybe Little Alexi does not sail with the Callisto these days. Maybe he is master of another vessel.”

Kostas exploded. “Aye, and maybe the Krimboti is a donkey with feathers! You talk foolish, Yanni, Alexi is attached to that ship like a banker to money!”

Ben took it upon himself to interrupt. “Cap’n, you won’t solve anything by carrying on like this. Tell me, what is the problem?”