Kyle was fairly certain that Sodam had never seen so much food in his life.
The boy’s eyes were wide as the dishes were passed around the table -- a ham, ox-tail soup, potatoes, the bread Kyle had bought on the wharf. Hal opened bottles of his best wine and poured a mug-full for everyone. “You are the best crew a captain could have,” he said, raising his glass to the men. “May we have many more years together.” After a rousing ‘huzzah!’, they all dug into their feast.
Sodam had surprised Kyle by wriggling onto the bench between him and Hal. Kyle had figured the boy would still be scared of Hal after his chilly reception, but Sodam seemed to have lost that fear now that he realized that the captain wasn’t the Devil. He started peppering Hal with questions about the ship, which Hal tried to ignore at first but Sodam was persistent. So Hal finally gave in and curtly described sails and rigging and how the rudder worked. Sodam hung on every word, absorbing everything Hal said and asking further questions that proved he was quite intelligent.
“I want to be a captain of a ship,” Sodam declared loudly. “Just like you, Captain Jordan.” He gave a determined nod and shoveled in a fork full of pumpkin pie.
Hal stopped with his wine glass halfway to his mouth, gaping at the boy. All the conversation stopped as everyone looked down the table. Hal’s mouth twitched, nearly going into a smile, then he coughed and drank down his wine. Kyle bit his lip, desperately trying to swallow his laughter. Sodam probably didn’t realize it, but he had just discovered you could win Hal’s heart by feeding his conceit.
“Looks like you have yourself an apprentice, Captain,” Salaak said, a twinkle in his eye. Sodam’s eyes lit up and Kyle cringed. Of course Salaak didn’t know about the conflict over what to do with the boy, but it was the exact wrong thing to say.
Hal frowned and poured himself another glass of wine. “I don’t need an apprentice, Mister Salaak,” he said coldly.
Sodam’s face fell and Kyle would have kicked Hal if he’d been sitting next to him.
Kyle used dessert to distract Sodam from his disappointment. Salaak had haggled a bargain on a crate of fresh peaches, a luxury the boy had never had before. He would have eaten himself sick on them if Kyle hadn’t stopped him at three. They also had roasted pumpkin seeds. Kyle made sure to put a handful in his pocket for Mona.
After the dishes were cleared away, Isamot got out his violin again while the rest of the men went back to their games. Hal motioned to Kyle. “We need to go. I want to leave Tortuga tonight.” He glanced at Sodam then back at Kyle. “I’ll be waiting up on deck.” He turned on his heel and strode across the deck to the stairs.
Sodam slipped his hand into Kyle’s. “I have to leave now?”
Kyle nodded. “Yes. Captain’s orders.”
Salaak met them at the door. He patted Sodam’s head. “Good-bye, little one.” Then he looked at Kyle. “The Captain ... you know him. He gets his mind set on the way things should be and he can be ... difficult.”
“You mean he’s a stubborn old curmudgeon,” Kyle said.
Salaak chuckled. “It’s quite possible.” He squeezed Kyle’s arm. “It’s a good thing what you did, helping the boy. I grew up on the streets of Bandar Abbas and I only wish someone had been so kind to me. It is a hard life for a child.”
“Kat and Tora will take good care of him,” Kyle said. He just had to keep reminding himself of that.
Sodam dragged his feet all the way back to the cabin. “Why can’t I stay?” he asked when they reached the door.
“Because the captain thinks it’s too dangerous for you here.”
They went inside and Sodam slumped down in a chair. “Why?”
“Because we’re pirates. And we’re in dangerous situations.” And normally he would be just as adamant as Hal that a child did not belong on a ship, but the Emerald Dawn was special. The Lantern took care of the crew, keeping them safe.
“But I want to be a pirate, too!” Sodam frowned and crossed his arms, his chin set stubbornly. “I like it here. Everyone is nice to me.” He dropped his eyes. “Except Captain Jordan.” He heaved a sigh and kicked his feet against the legs of the chair. “Why doesn’t the captain like me?”
Kyle wanted to know the same thing. “He’s just ... he has to be tough, because he’s the captain, right? So that everyone will be scared of him. It’s a pirate’s job to be scary.”
“You’re not scary,” Sodam said.
“Well, I’m sort of new to being a pirate. I haven’t had time to become scary yet.”
Sodam shrugged. “I don’t think the captain is scary either. He’s just grouchy.”
Kyle laughed. “Yes, he is.” Kyle knelt down in front of him. “I think you’ll like living with the other children. There’s a boy about your age to play with.”
“But I don’t know them!” He suddenly flung his arms around Kyle’s neck. “I want to stay with you.”
Kyle hugged him back. “I know. But I’ll come visit whenever we’re in Tortuga. All right?”
Mona chose that moment to rattle her cage, chattering at him as if scolding him. Kyle looked over at her and realized what he could do to make this easier on Sodam. He pulled back to look in the boy’s eyes. “And if Kat and Tora say it’s okay, Mona can stay with you. Then you’ll have someone you know.”
“Really?” Sodam looked over at the monkey. “I can really keep her?” Then he frowned. “But won’t you miss her?”
“Yes. I’ll miss both of you.” He swallowed hard and stood up. “All right, we need to go or Captain Hal is going to be grouchy again.” He went over to Mona’s cage and opened the lock to let her out. She ran right to Sodam and scrambled up to sit on his shoulder. He retrieved Mona’s cookies and put them in the empty cage. He would miss her, but she meant a lot more to Sodam.
The crystal prism was on the dresser, next to the letter. Kyle frowned at the sheet of paper covered in Lord Scott’s neat handwriting, wanting to blame the whole bloody mess his life had become on it. He had been happier than he’d ever been, with no question of where he wanted to spend the rest of his life, up until he had received it. He picked up the prism and put it in the cage with the cookies.
Hal was waiting for them up on deck, leaning against the rail. “You’re bringing the monkey?”
“Kyle gave her to me,” Sodam said.
Hal raised his eyebrows. Kyle just shrugged and avoided his gaze. “Mona likes him.” He swung his leg over the rail to climb down the ladder to the boat below, the monkey cage in his hand. Sodam scampered down after him, already at ease with climbing up and down the ladders, followed by Hal.
Sodam sat next to him and Kyle put his arm around him. He didn’t look at Hal, instead keeping his eyes on the town as Hal rowed them to the wharf.
They tied up the boat at the dock and began the walk up the hill. “This is best for the boy,” Hal said after Sodam had gotten ahead of them, out of earshot.
“I know, Hal. You keep telling me that.”
Hal stepped closer and gently grasped Kyle’s hand, keeping the gesture hidden between them. “I don’t want this to come between us, Kyle.”
“This? Or do you mean you don’t want Sodam to come between us?” It would certainly explain Hal’s behavior, considering how possessive he could be. Kyle jerked his hand away and glared at him. “Are you jealous of him? Is that why you’re doing this? You can’t stand that I might pay attention to someone else?”
Hal scowled. “No, Kyle. That’s not it. I’m just doing what’s best.”
“For you, perhaps,” Kyle grumbled. He stepped up his pace, leaving Hal behind as he hurried to catch up with Sodam. “It’s not much longer,” he said to the boy. “Just over that hill up there.” Sodam nodded but didn’t say anything. He kept his eyes on his feet as he walked and Kyle had the sinking feeling the boy was angry with him. “I would take you with us if I could,” Kyle said. “But I think you will be happier here.”
Sodam just shrugged. Kyle sighed and wondered if this day could get any worse. He was angry at Hal, Sodam was angry with him ... Even Mona seemed upset with him, her little moon-face scrunched into a glare.
They reached the house just as Guy, John and Soranik were saying their good-byes to their families. “What are you doing here?” Guy asked. “And who’s the kid?”
“This is Sodam Yat,” Kyle said. “I found him in town this morning. He’s an orphan.”
“Oh, the poor thing,” Tora said. “You’re not taking him with you, are you? A ship is no place for a child!” Kyle didn’t have to look at Hal to know he had a smug smile on his face.
“Actually,” Hal said. “We wanted to ask if you would look after him.”
“And can Mona stay with him?” Kyle added.
Of course the women agreed to take him, there was never any question of that. They sent the children outside to play while Kyle told them what he knew about Sodam. They were horrified by Sodam’s story, of the life he had barely escaped, and Kat and Tora promised to take good care of him. Then Hal produced a bag of coin from his coat and handed it to Kat. “This is for the boy’s upkeep.”
“No, I’ll pay it,” Kyle said, pulling out his own bag of coin. “He’s my responsibility.”
“Why does it even matter?” Guy exclaimed. “You get your money from the captain anyway!”
“And I’ll pay him back once I have my inheritance!”
The words came tumbling out without any thought. Kyle wasn’t sure why he said it, but it was obvious what he had implied. Hal looked at him like he had been punched in the gut.
But there was no time to think about it, because Johnny came running into the house. “Sodam’s run off! He said he didn’t want to stay here and he was going to go find another ship to sail on.”
Kyle dropped the cage and headed for the door. Any other ship would be dangerous for the boy, just as Hal said. Hopefully he could find him before some captain decided he needed a new powder monkey.
“Kyle! Wait!” Hal called after him.
Kyle turned and glared at him, the anger that had been stewing all day boiling over. “I’m going to go look for Sodam. And I’m not going to abandon him this time.” He pulled the pendant over his head and threw it at Hal. “You can leave without me. I’m taking Sodam to England.” He turned and ran out the door.