Kyle only knew that Abin Sur had been killed in Casablanca. Hal had never offered up any details of his captain’s demise. Kyle poked at his dinner with his fork and finally decided to ask. “What happened?”
Hal knew the young man was trouble the first he laid eyes on him. Amon Sur was disrespectful to his father, and while the captain explained it away as anger at growing up without his father around, Hal knew that if Amon would not respect Abin Sur as his father, he certainly wouldn’t respect him as his captain. And his years in the Royal Navy had ingrained in him the importance of discipline and respect.
But he also applied those rules to himself, so he respected the captain’s wish to give his son a chance.
Abin Sur opened the trunk and lifted out the cloth-wrapped Lantern. He set it on the table, pulled the cloth away, and looked expectantly at his son.
“What is this?” Amon said.
Hal saw the smile appear on Abin’s face. “You can see it?” Abin asked.
“Of course I can see it,” Amon snapped. “It’s a beat-up old lantern! The way you were talking, I thought it was something valuable.”
The captain’s face fell. “You can’t see—?”
“It is valuable,” Hal interjected, cutting off Abin before he could reveal the secret. “It’s our good luck charm.”
“Pah!” Amon turned away, waving his hand dismissively. “Sailors and their superstitious nonsense.” He left the cabin.
Hal carefully re-wrapped the Lantern, hiding the light that Amon Sur could not see. “What are you going to do?” Hal asked as he placed the lantern back into the trunk. He turned the key in the lock and stood to face his captain.
“I can’t turn away my own son, Hal,” Sur said. “I will let him stay.”
Hal sighed. He had hoped the Lantern would provide an excuse to remove Amon Sur from the ship. But he wasn’t the captain. “Yes, sir.”
“Did the crew know, that he didn’t see the Lantern’s light?” Kyle asked. The violin began a mournful song, as if anticipating Hal’s story.
“Of course. They had to know he wasn’t ‘one of us’. So we kept an eye on him, because there had to be a reason he couldn’t see the light. And we were right.”
“I don’t like this,” Hal muttered, his eyes scanning the city. He didn’t like that the captain had agreed to meet the buyers away from the wharf. And he especially didn’t like that the captain had let his son set up the meeting.
“Salaak’s with him,” Guy said. “If there’s anything amiss, he’ll spot it.”
“Perhaps.” He crossed his arms and studied the quiet streets of Casablanca. “I still can’t shake the feeling something is wrong.”
“Woulda felt better if the brat didn’t go with them,” Guy said. “Amon thinks he’s smart, but I’ve seen monkeys with more brains than him. He’s trouble, Hal. You gotta tell ol’ Abin that—”
“The Captain made his decision,” Hal snapped, cutting him off. He didn’t disagree with Guy, but he wouldn’t speak against the captain. Not out on deck where they could be heard, anyway.
A movement caught his eye down one of the side streets. Salaak stumbled out onto the wharf. “The captain’s been injured!”
Hal didn’t remember going down the gangway of the ship. He was focused on the group of men. Most specifically, the man who was slung over Kehaan’s shoulder.
“Get him on the ship!” He shouted. He turned to Salaak. Blood stains smeared the man's shirt, clearly visible in the moon’s light “What happened?”
“Amon Sur betrayed us,” Salaak whispered, glancing at the men heading to the ship. “He tried to double-cross the buyers. They didn’t take too kindly to that, of course. One of them shot the captain.” Hal turned away angrily, but Salaak caught his arm. “The captain wants us to forgive him.”
Hal ran up the gangway and across the ship to the captain’s cabin. Kehaan was just laying him in his bed. Kehaan’s shirt was soaked from the bloody hole in Sur’s chest.
“Captain?” Hal leaned over the man, wondering if he was still alive.
Abin Sur opened his eyes and looked at Hal. “The ship is yours, Captain Jordan,” he whispered.
“No!” Amon stepped forward. “The ship should be mine, father! I am your son!”
But Abin did not respond. His eyes closed and he drew his last breath.
“Captain?” Kehaan asked. “What are your orders?”
Hal looked sadly at the body of his captain. “Remove Amon Sur from this ship.”
“Why did you let him go?” Kyle asked.
“Out of respect for his father.” Hal sighed and emptied the wine bottle into their glasses. “I only hope I won’t regret it.”