Chapter 1

                                                                                 CHAPTER 1

In16 AD, after the death of our Lord Jesus Christ, a fog covered the whole sea; at a distance, a sound could be heard faintly, from afar, on the seashore. Moment after moment, the faint voice began to get clearer more and more, and thereafter, the sound became clearly heard. “Hum- ah, aa- ah, the king of the sea comes around. Hum-ah! All you men, run-run, run away, hum-ah!” Moment later, a very rugged and scary ship emerged out of the sea, lumbering left and right like a drunken man, as it reveal itself and the crew onboard. They are sea pirates. The pirates stood onboard of the ship singing on top of their voices. Their faces were gruesome and fearlessly looking, shaking their swords, as the ship sailed. A handsome looking man, with dread-luck hairs, stood at the entrance of his cabin, watching his officers sang, he was shaking his head to their music. He was tall and lanky. His sword and gun were in his scabbard, round his waist. He was called, Captain Casablanca. He was one of the gorilla forces that fought against the Irish government that planned to usurp power from the government in sitting; he was a very tough and strong man.  He understood how the sea and the weather. 

The atmosphere began to get clearer, as the ships sailed. A pale tall looking Pirate walked to meet him, “Captain. Shall we roll faster?”

“Thomas, row.”  Captain Casablanca audibly said, and walked back into his stern. Thomas gave order to the crew men, and they increased the pace of the ship, even faster. Thomas rolled the wheel, and the ship shifted its course to ten knots, moving into the shallow fog, as the pirates sang on. Some hours later, Captain Casablanca walked out of his cabin. His boot was shinning, black. He dressed in his ceremonial uniform, looking more radiant, than before. He looked into the atmosphere, and said, ‘This is going to be bright morning day.’ He turned to the pirates at work, ‘Good morning comrades.’

‘Good morning, Captain.’ And continued to row the ship; all were busy at their different posts. The flag was flying high on the mast, showing the image of the eagle with an axe, reflecting out. A tall and athletic man, with a scar on the right side of his face, walked down to Captain Casablanca. ‘Aye, Captain!’ He said. ‘Zealot, how long shall it take us to get to Island?’ 

‘Not too long again, Captain.’ He stared at the sea, wishing they get there soon.

‘Are you really sure the British cruise will be enroot on this sea?’

‘I think so, Captain. I heard the information from our informant, before we embark on the journey. And if not, we’ll keep on to our cause, waiting till when it will arrive.’ He looked at Captain Casablanca to watch his emotion. 

‘You rather be sure. I don’t want you to mess up. Get me my binocular.’ Captain Casablanca instructed him, and walked to the gunwale of the ship, as Zealot walked with him. Other pirates were busy at their different posts. He collected the binocular from Zealot and looked into it, and smiled. Some of his lock hairs ran out of the hat he was wearing, as his golden tooth shown. Captain Casablanca liked to show off the golden tooth. One of the pirates had in one occassion shared the story of how Captain Casablanca came up with the tooth, with some pirates. The story said, it was a shark that attacked Captain Casablanca in one of his adventures, when his ship capsized inside the Atlantic Ocean. But, Captain Casablanca had never narrated the story to anyone. He looked into the binocular again, to see how far they are to the Island. ‘Soon, we’ll be moving into the cliff. The Island is not far from here.’ He took off the binocular away from his eyes. ‘Before we go for our loot, we will have a stopover, to refill our stocks. Make sure we de-flag (bring down), before we get close to there, so we won’t cause any un-necessary attention on ourselves. I hope you heard me, Zealot?’

‘Aye, Captain!’

‘You can go.’  Zealot walked away from Captain Casablanca and gave order to a pirate, while Captain stood there, looking into the sea.  The pirate brought down the flag from the mast, and Zealot looked into the binocular, and saw the cliff. He tapped on the shoulder of a pirate, who was beside him, when sighted the cliff.  Thomas shouted, ‘Captain, we’re nearer to the Island.’ The pirates rejoiced, and relaxed their guard, and Captain frowned at them. ‘What? Why are you not rowing the ship? You stop rowing the ship, when we want to berth. Okay?’

‘Aye, Captain.’ The pirates replied, and continued.

Captain Casablanca turned to the pirates around him, and said, ‘Gentlemen and a lady.” He glanced at them. There was a Lady amongst the pirates. She was one of the soldiers.  She joined the pirates because of the kindness Captain Casablanca showed to her, when the voyage she and parents travelling with capsized. She was the only one rescued alive by the Captain Casablanca, on their way to Norway. Ever since then, as she became one of Captain Casablanca’s team.  She was an admirable lady, in her twenty. She was a little bit above five feet tall. She tied a scarf round her head. Her name was Ritaline.

Captain Casablanca continued in his discussion. ‘Now, we will go to the Island of Mobonta. It’s one of the newly discovered Islands of the British government.  Make sure you behaved yourself very well, when you get there. Don’t forget the code and conducts of oat.  Never say never to whoever is not your brother, even when a sword is laid to your throat. I believe you heard me?’

‘Aye, Captain.’ The pirates responded.

Captain Casablanca continued, ‘Make sure you change into your best outfit, and walk in grace. Your identity must not be known.’ They nodded. ‘Also, not all of you must disembark, and you must not go too far into the heart of the city. Do you hear me?’

‘Aye, Captain’.

‘We shall return back to the ship at sunset.’ He rounded up his statement, as some pirates threw an anchor into the sea, to halt the ship at the bay of the Island. 

The Island was a busy one, that striving in business.  There were business activities going on. Labourers are hulling goods from one ship to another, while some ships are were sailing off. There were little canoes and ferrying people were here and there. It was a busy Island. The British soldiers were parading everywhere at the dock, nosing round the places. Captain Casablanca came out of the ship, smiling, looking great. He breathes in the air when he alighted from the ship. ‘Nice.’ He smiled to a lady he met along his way. 

‘Hello, lady.’ He said.

‘Hello, Gentleman.’ The lady replied, and walked away. Captain Casablanca chuckled, and said. ‘She called me, a gentleman.’ As Thomas and Zealot laughed and walked with him into an inn. The bell at the entrance to the inn rang immediately they entered. People around the table looked up to look the men, and they continued drinking. There was a noise at the corner of the inn.  Two drunkards were talking to each other. 

‘You can piss in my mouth if I don’t finish up this mug of rum.’ He laughed esoterically. The second drunkard said, ‘No, I will not only piss in your mouth. I will also fuck your lady.’ Everybody laughed. 

Captain Casablanca shook his head in disdain, and said, ‘Fools.’ A fat lady walked to Captain Casablanca’s table, and spoke with a husky voice, ‘wel-co-me, gentlemen.’ She spoke with a seductive voice.  Rolling her eyes, ‘How many pints of rum do you care for?’ she rolled her gown over. Thomas smiled, and said; ‘Get us.’ Captain Casablanca stamped on his feet, and he groaned in pain.  Captain smiled, and said, ‘My lady. Get us four pints of rum.’ 

‘But you’re just three.’ The woman queried.

‘Don’t worry my lady, just serve us.’ The woman walked away, and Captain Casablanca sternly looked at Thomas, and said through his teeth. ‘Never do that again.’ 

‘Aye, Captain.’ Thomas said, groaning.

Over there, in the pirate ship, some of the pirates were yet to decide where to go, even though Captain Casablanca had left with his two lieutenants.  Ritaline walked out of the berth, looking radiant; the looks on her, really showed womanhood, unlike before, when she could hardly be noticed as a woman. The moment she walked out, the whole men began to whistled, calling her to walk out with them. One of them said, ‘I will walk with you, Ritaline.’

‘No, Philip.’ She said to a short man, and he felt unhappy. Another said, from a corner where he was sitting, ‘Would you go with me?” He smiled. Ritaline looked at him, and winked. As others clustered around her, she walked to Collins Brown and decided to walk away with him.

‘Shall we move?’ Collins Brown asked. Ritaline held an umbrella in her right hand, and held the other arms round that of Collins, holding on one other, like a couple, as the rest pirates watched leave jealously.

There were eight mugs lying on the table, where Captain Casablanca, Thomas and Zealot. Thomas and Zealot was both drunk, talking sluggishly, but Captain Casablanca remained cautioned. 

‘Are you drunk, Zealot?’ Thomas asked.

“Me, hell no. I can’t be drunk.’ He belched. ‘There is a great wonder I am seeing in this room. Can you believe there is a star, here?’ He laughed.

Thomas laughed, ‘What, a star in this room? No, no way. What I’m seeing is a moon.’ He staggered to his feet. ‘Captain, what do you think is that?’ He asked, pointing to a hanged lantern.

‘Me? You two are fools.’ He mimicked them. ‘What I am seeing is a lion.’ Captain replied. Thomas and Zealot jumped up, trying to hide themselves.

‘Lion?’ Zealot asked, trying to hide under the table. Captain Casablanca laughed. 

‘Fools’ Captain said. Some minutes later, a whore walked to their table, seducing them. ‘Is there anyone interested in me?’ She tapped the table, looking into the eyes of each of the men. Thomas, replied, ‘I am interested in you.’ He stood up, and sat back.

‘I’m not for you.’ She replied.

‘Who should be interested in if not me?’ Zealot suggested. He tried to make a move but miss-calculated fell down. Everybody looked at the direction. He staggered to stand up.

‘I’m not for you either.’ The woman insisted. 

‘Then, who are you interested in?’ Thomas asked. Captain Casablanca was watching the woman as she displayed her trade. He was playing with his mustache. The woman tapped on her breasts, smiling seductively to Captain, ‘I am interested in you.’ She pointed to Captain.

‘Me?’ Captain Casablanca asked. Both Thomas and Zealot looked at each with amazement.  The whore walked to Captain, and played on him. 

‘H’m! Nice shirt. Nice shoes. I like you.’

‘How much?’ 

‘Six pens.’ 

‘That’s too much.’

‘That’s too much. I can’t afford to pay that.’

‘I only make it that price because you’re a nice man.’ She winked, and smiled to him.

‘What if am not nice?’ Captain asked, looking at her with mix feeling, planning on how to outsmart her.

‘Okay. Make it seven or eight pens.’ The whore laughed. 

Captain Casablanca laughed too, and turned to men, ‘Boys, stay clear of trouble.’ 

‘Aye!’  Captain walked in with the whore woman into a room.

Some minutes later, Captain Casablanca rushed out of the room, belting up his trouser, calling his boys to get started to move. The whore soon rushed out, half naked, as one of her breasts busted out of the blouse, shouting on Captain Casablanca. 

‘Hey, man! You can’t go. You have not paid me, my money.’ She said, shouting.

‘What money?’ I’ve paid you. Keep the change.’ Captain Casablanca replied, and people were confused when they heard that. 

‘My money remained two pens.’ The woman insisted, trying to adjust her blouse.  Captain and his men arouse to leave the inn, as some hefty men blocked the entrance to the inn. One of the men was blocking the entrance, he said to Captain Casablanca, ‘Balance up the payment you own the woman,’ frowning his face, rising up his fist.

‘Zealot, there is a problem.’ Everybody was watching what would happen next. Captain Casablanca advanced his step towards the men, as two men raised their hands to seize on him. He moved with speed, and kicked a man, and hit the other on his groan, and they went down in pains. Everybody was surprised.  Zealot took on another men, knocking them down until there was nobody to stand on their way again, and they walked away, freely.