Second on the Right (2 page)

On the ship, twelve year-old Robert had
remained until all was quiet. He had kept a close eye on everything
that left the ship, both man and crate. He noticed the captain had
not removed the chest. Sneaking about, he slipped under the stairs
and hid. No one noticed. Those left aboard were lounging about, lax
in their duties.

A smirk emerged on Robert’s face. Now was his
chance. Sneaking from his hiding spot under the cover of darkness,
he quietly opened the door to the captain’s quarters and stepped
inside. The cabin had an eerie glow. Initially Robert had thought
it was emanating from the moonlight coming through the glass panes,
but after a few minutes he realized the light was coming from
underneath the captain’s desk. He proceeded softly to the spot,
slid onto his knees and hastily groped under the desk. At last his
fingers found what he was searching for. Pulling the chest towards
him, he could now see, even before opening it, a blue light. He
swore he heard a faint hum resonating from within. After a brief
hesitation, Robert finally laid eyes on the long knife he had seen
weeks prior. This weapon had taken down an air god.

Robert reached out, but stopped short as he
caught sight of the scar on his palm. A quick flash appeared in his
mind of those many weeks ago when Daria had warned him. Would it
pose a threat to him? She was firm in what she had said. Perhaps he
could find some other blade just as— No! He
had
to have
this one. Pushing aside all doubt, his greed washed over him. He
took a firm grasp of the hilt, lifting up the dagger. Other than a
slight tremor felt in his hand, nothing happened.

She lied. It is magnificent,
he
thought incredulously.

Wrapping the sheathed knife in his bag, he
slipped out of the cabin and back under the stairs. Still no one
reacted. No shouting whatsoever. He had done it! Moving quickly, he
headed for the railing to disembark.

“Boy!” The shout came from behind him. “Where
do you think
you’re
going?”

Robert swallowed. He had been so careful, but
had been caught. He knew his punishment would be severe. Glancing
over his shoulder, his face flushed in embarrassment and guilt.
“I…” he began to explain, but words failed him.

Freeman placed a hand on Robert’s shoulder.
His face was contorted in feigned anger. Suddenly he broke into a
toothy grin. “Ah, relax boy! I be givin' ye a hard time. Ye can
still go. It being yer first shore leave and all, I thought I might
give ye a little, uh,
monetary
means to get ye off
right.”

Robert let out a controlled breath, trying to
hide his relief. He offered a nervous smile and nodded. He could
not, at the moment, find his voice.

Freeman laughed as he handed him a few coins.
“Cat got yer tongue? That won’t do on land, ’specially with tha
wenches. Buck up! Get out there and have some fun!”

Robert smiled coyly. Freeman had no idea what
was in the bag. He gave another nod and managed, “Thank ye,
sir.”

“Don’t mention it,” Freeman replied as he
ruffled the boy’s hair. “Off with ye, now.”

Footsteps on cobblestones echoed down the
alleyways of small shops and homes. Within the darkness, Robert
huffed and strained from exertion. He ran as fast as his legs could
move him. Once he was just outside the small seafaring town, he
stopped and collapsed onto the ground trying desperately to catch
his breath.

I’ve done it!
he thought
excitedly.

Robert could hardly believe he had stolen the
unique weapon. But now what? If he returned to the ship, he would
certainly be blamed for the knife’s disappearance, especially since
he had no way of hiding it. How could he avoid punishment? There
was no question. He could not,
would
not, go back to the
Swallow.
While hunched over, the snap of a twig close by
caused him to freeze. Had the crew caught up with him? He waited as
a few seconds crept by. Eventually, a boy of about twelve years of
age stepped out of the darkness.

“Hullo,” the boy said nonchalantly.

“H-hello,” Robert stuttered, unsure of how to
respond to this newcomer. Did he look guilty? He tried not to
appear so. The boy could not possibly know what had just
happened.

“Name’s Pete,” the street urchin said,
scratching his face and, in the process, smudging more dirt across
his cheek. Tufts of stiff and dirty blonde hair stuck out in all
directions.

“Robert,” he responded with trepidation,
especially since he now noticed a group of boys standing just
within the edge of the darkness, their eyes shining from the
moonlight.

“You alone?” the boy asked.

Robert was suspicious of the question and so
lied. “No.” His lie was not convincing.

Pete smirked wickedly. “I think you are.” The
tone in his voice was changing to something sweetly sinister.

Robert blinked. This stranger was threatening
him. “Pete, was it?” he asked.

The young boy nodded.

“Ye best be leaving me alone.”

Pete’s laugh changed into a cackle. “Give me
the bag and I’ll consider it.”

Robert snorted in defiance as he stood up.
His hand instinctively tightened its grip around the handle. The
boys standing within the darkness stepped forward. The circle
closed in around him. He was trapped. Despite the grim outlook, he
would not give up. “Ye’ve been warned,” he said coolly. He pulled
out the long knife. In one fluid movement, Robert unsheathed his
weapon and pointed the tip towards Pete.

“’Ear that boys? We’ve been warned,” Pete
said mockingly, staring with desire at the weapon before him. With
a whistle, he commented, “That jewel looks to be worth the risk.
Betcha it’ll take good care o’ me and tha boys. So be it!” he
shouted as he pulled out a small dagger and lunged towards Robert,
tapping the magic blade with his own.

The two weapons would have made for an
impressive fight, if not for the inexperience and weak muscles of
the fighters. A quiet tick of metal sounded as each barely hit the
other’s blade. Eventually, both boys grew tired from the
exertion.

Robert gained the advantage and the
surrounding boys inched closer. Before he could do anything about
it, they attacked, knocking him to the ground. The knife came to
rest in front of Pete. Robert struggled to push the boys away and
reclaim his prize, but Pete took advantage of the opportunity.
Reaching for the knife, Pete’s hand hit the edge of the blade. It
made a small cut into his palm. He pulled back for a moment,
staring at the bleeding wound more from curiosity than pain.

Robert froze. His prized possession was in
the hands of a stranger. “The Captain's gonna kill me,” he
mumbled.

While Pete was distracted, Robert noticed the
blood seemed to move along the blade and disappear into the hilt of
the knife, trickling into the blue orb. His eyes widened in
amazement. Had he just seen that, or was his mind playing tricks on
him? Suddenly, a gust of strong wind and a chilling howl wrapped
around Pete.

Robert was startled, but it was the other boy
who cried out in fear and pain. His body twisted and writhed as he
fell to the ground. Maniacal laughter, all too familiar, filled the
air. The remaining boys let go of their prisoner as they scattered
in fear. Robert scrambled back, putting some distance between
himself and Pete. The disembodied laugh grew stronger.

Pete’s eyes were now glowing red. He heaved
in deeply, the sound akin to a death rattle. As the wind swirled
around him, he stood, an impish grin on his face. He let out a crow
of triumph.

Robert stepped back in an attempt to leave.
It could not get much worse than this, could it?
I was wrong.
The Captain isn't going to kill me.
Daria is definitely
going to kill me,
he thought.

Pete turned to Robert and smiled. “I must
thank you for you have freed me.” His movements gave the impression
he was stalking prey. “But I must ask for one favor more…your
life.”

Eyes wide, Robert did the only thing a young
boy could do when faced with a vengeful god: he ran. He did not
stop. He did not look back. He needed to leave, to hide, and to
forget what had happened. He would
never
tell Captain Davis,
Daria, or anyone else, what he had done.

November 7, 2001: 9:50 am

With a heavy sigh, James Robert Benedict
leaned against the railing near the cruise ship. He was a striking
man in his mid-twenties with a strong jaw line and a slender,
athletic build. His dark brown hair showed hints of red as the rays
of the sun shone on it. For the last ten minutes, he had been in
deep contemplation, his mind on recent events. As chief executive
officer of
Just A Second Freight Services
, his career was
finally secure. His parents, however, were worried he would not
find a woman with whom to spend the rest of his life. His brother,
Martin, had set him up on multiple blind dates, but they all ended
the same. Each date was only interested in his status, not in the
man he actually was. He hoped to find someone who knew nothing
about him. Now here he was, waiting to board a cruise ship. He
could care less about a vacation. He had only agreed to go, after
much prodding from both family and the company board members.

This entire trip is ridiculous. I have
more important things to take care of.
James sighed.
What I
really want is to meet someone…someone I could fall in love with.
It just isn’t possible, not with work right now. Why can’t they
understand? As soon as the company is settled, I’ll be able to date
more.
James frowned at the thought.
Who am I kidding? It
isn’t going to happen. After my session, I’m taking the first
flight back to London.

A woman rushed past him, interrupting his
thoughts. Stopping just short of the gate, she stared up at the
cruise ship. His eyes took in the sight. She was dressed casually
in a dark green sweater over a white t-shirt and jeans. Her long
wavy auburn hair flowed from under a black military-style cap. She
was average in size and curvaceous. His blue eyes widened as he
watched. He had never subscribed to love at first sight until the
moment he saw her. To James, she was a vision. Pushing off the
railing, he did his best to saunter over to her.

Just be cool, James.
He took a deep
breath.
You can do this. Just go up to her and say
'hello'.

"Beautiful."

He winced as the word came out of his mouth.
Why did I say that?

She turned to look at him, her blue eyes
showing specks of gray. With a nod, she returned her attention back
to the ship. “Yes, it’s a nice looking boat. Then again, this is my
first cruise,” she replied.

James offered a smile and a soft sigh of
relief. He swallowed hard, trying to maintain his composure.
“Ship.”
Argh!

"What?" she asked.

"Hmm? Nothing."

The two stared at each other in silence.

Say something. Say… anything!
He
leaned in a little and whispered, "I wasn't referring to the ship."
Arrrggh! Idiot, not that!

As she blushed, he winked. With a charming
bow and a wave of the hand, he indicated she should board first,
all the while thinking,
Wasn't referring to the ship? Did I
honestly just say that? That has to be the lamest pickup line in
existence. And then I bow. Of course, I had to bow.

James watched with regret as she boarded the
ship and disappeared down the corridor. Panic set in as he suddenly
realized he hadn’t even asked her name; how was he to find her and
try for a second chance?

Eileen Davis boarded the ship, slipping away
to avoid any further conversation. Her aversion was no fault of
James. She always managed to fall into the same pattern. She had a
history with lying friends, tyrannical supervisors, cheating
boyfriends and lazy roommates, but she realized ultimately she was
accountable for her life. If she truly wanted a better life, she
knew she was the only one who could take steps to improve it.
That will never happen
, she thought. She had recently ended
a two-year relationship with a man that had stolen from her, then
accused her of being distant because she was uncomfortable with
public displays of affection. She did not fight to get her money
back, nor did she bother to argue. She lacked the courage to stand
up for herself.