Page 21 (1/2)
Those two nights he slept only fitfully, thinking of the softness of Sabine’s lips and the depth of her eyes But love was not the only thing that kept hi to sleep’s embrace The silent hostility and the pro , not only about the outcoht become of hi on board when the mutiny concluded, yet he could not help but wonder if Louis and Tree were fond enough of hi him after Ghost was dead
He tried to shake the thought He and Sabine would be gone from the Larsen by then, or they would already be dead He did not really care who came out victorious when the men finally --except that if Ghost survived, he would pursue Jack and Sabine, reluctant to let her strange powers escape Those ould rise against Ghost were less likely to give chase
The hate simmered, like a volcano fit to blow But the surreal quality of each hour that passed sprang from love just as much as it did from hate He would walk the deck and issue orders to trim the sails, or for one man to spell another at the wheel or in the crow’s nest Then he would go below and begin to gather together the ingredients for a meal to feed those saalley to visit him As Ghost could be relied upon to re hours, she even helped him choose spices and prepare certain dishes, and while they cooked, she would touch his hand or his shoulder or kiss his neck Jack felt a wild bliss growing unrestrained within hi hinance of the crew
Ghost had ordered that ed In thoseGhost, Jack made preparations of another sort He squirreled away food in various places throughout the galley so that they could be gathered quickly There were old wine and whiskey jugs in a cabinet, and now some of them, hidden behind empties, had been filled from the store of fresh water below
When Jack visited the food stores, the pirates’ treasure was beneath the boards underfoot, and yet Ghost never sent anyone to oversee his work there Either he truly believed Jack would not be stupid enough to steal from him, or he wanted to leave such concerns and suspicions to the crew But the crew left hi that Ghost would decide his fate in time, or maybe they were more interested in their own plans for the captain
Jack concentrated on his preparations, determined that he and Sabine would be ready when tensions finally erupted on the Larsen There would be mutiny, or there would be an attack from Death Nilsson Either way, that would be thepork for lunch today, Mr London," Ghost rasped, standing in the shadows beyond the galley entrance
Jack could not hide the look of revulsion that swept across his face "Long pork"
"You know the term, I take it?" Ghost asked
"I know it It’s what the cannibals of the East Indies called human flesh"
Ghost did not ser took pleasure from his rapport with Jack Instead, he sneered
"We are not cannibals, Mr London Cannibals eat their own kind for sustenance, and as you’d be the first to observe, we aren’t huh for him to cure and salt the remains of the prisoners taken from the Umatilla, but now to cook that meat and serve it to Ghost and his crew … it stained his soul to even contemplate such a horror
"Surely you don’t need it cooked for you," Jack said, glaring at him in the shadows as the ship creaked around theh the screa pork raw"
Now Ghost did s "When it’s fresh, Jack Only when it’s fresh Otherwise, I’ourmand as the fattest, wealthiest man in San Francisco Spice it well Make a nice sauce to accompany it And serve it yourself, this ti that he had pushed Ghost too far
"What you and Sabine have for your own lunch is up to you," Ghost added
A shadow approached froy man, ready as ever to protect the captain
"Kelly’s in the crow’s nest, Captain," Maurilio reported "Says there’s a thick fog forht for it, a few hours out"
"Keep on course Our sea witch will let us knoe’ve anything to fear in the fog"
Maurilio darted off to relay orders to Vukovich, as presently at the wheel Ghost turned and looked at Jack
"Go on, then Your galley awaits"
Jack nodded "Yes, sir"
The captain retreated into his cabin and closed the door He hadn’t even bothered to go on deck to survey the crew’s efforts or check on their heading himself Jack kneasn’t fear of mutiny that kept Ghost in his quarters, because he feared nothing The captain had been consulting with Sabine about the location of several merchant ships, but also of the nearest land, and Jack suspected that Ghostwhat to do about the venomous atmosphere on board How ain?
Jack would have to go into the hold to retrieve the long pork--he could not think of that meat by any other name, for his own sake--for the wolves’ lunch, but first he wanted to see what else hebeneath hiht of what he was about to do and was nearly sick Nothing frightened him Jack London had confronted the wildness of human nature and the human heart, and had found himself undaunted But this…
"Jack"
Her voice eased his spirit effortlessly, and he turned to Sabine, standing just inside the galley behind hiht that filtered down into the cabin, she seeel come to save him from the hell of the Larsen
Then he saw the fear in her eyes
"He’s co, Jack," Sabine said "Death is here They’ll see the smoke from his ship any moment now"
Jack took her in his arently, then fiercely
"For luck," he said
They heard shouts and running footsteps, and then Maurilio was calling for the captain
Jack pulled away, clasped her hand in his a er, and then nodded
"Be ready"
CHAPTER TEN
THE FOG OF WAR