Frederick and Geraldine
Chapter 7- The Pirates

The piratesopened the door and when they entered the gun room,

They sawthat their employer was dead; some feelings of joy surged through

Thosepirates when they saw the guns. ''His death, how could he presume? ''

They tookthe pistols while saying, ''Let's go to what we have to do! ''

Their chiefhad dark blue eyes and a grotesque smile; he touched the walls,

''There isan entrance through this wall leading to the cargo.''

Each onecame out and hunkered like any scorpion that sprawls.

They heardthe sailors talking about someone called Fargo.

They wereworking hard to extinguish the fire, so desperate

They werethat they could do anything; the pirates' chief

Stood inwaiting for his comrades; he used a temperate

Language,''look, they're coming with the boat; it's my fixed belief

That astrong thought is needed before plunging into the fight

With a forcewhich always makes everything be worse; the pirates coming

With a boatlooked like peasants; they asked to embark in spite

Of thesituation that they were not in a port and while thinking

To go toSyracuse; Miguel stood stock-still while he thought

Of what allthese meant, ''they are not what they seem to be, '

Said Pedro.''Maybe they are, '' replied Miguel. ''We are caught

Up intosomething.'' ''We need help anyway, '' ''It's strange for me.''

''What'syour name? '' Pedro asked one of them when they embarked.

''I'mZackery, '' answered that man. ''What an unusual name! ''

They walkedalong the deck and climbed the stairs to meet the captain.

''Where'sour chief? '' Asked someone while helping extinguish the last flame.

''Here I am,'' said someone having a ring with a boom skull.

His gunswere aimed at the crew and at the passengers.

''Let'sstart, '' he said while contemplating the flight of a seagull.

''Don't talkeach other, because we can kill all the messengers.

The piratesstarted a dangerous assault with their guns

Whilehitting and slapping the victims; ''wake up, captain, I came

Here whilebearing glad tidings- now, God takes to High His beloved ones.''

Freddyreplied, ''In the end, I'll be the winner because your fight is in vain.''

Some pirateswere gazing at the shrinking victims while

Genuflectingthem and stabbing the air; they immobilized

Them whileholding their heads between their arms and chests in a grand style.

Otherswrapped each victim's hair around the neck, '' mobilized

Is now myarmy for the war of the life, '' said their chief

Whileordering some of them to keep the victims under

Surveillance,'' he continued, ''let them share some thoughts of grief.

Where's he?'' ''He's in the gun room -not breathing; he had fallen asunder.''

Nobody waspaying much attention to the details,

But Ibrahimwas looking at them from a safe corner.

''We'reheavy drinkers; let's replace some wine until our scam fails.''

''Do youmean our chief knows? '' ''He dealt with his devil, the warner.''

''One ofthem killed our employer; we must kill them all, '' said another one.

A silencefell between the captains as they started to stare

Openly intoeach other's eyes. 'Where are the women? ''

''I don'tknow, '' said Freddy. ''Let's search the shore, they can be there.''

Afterbringing to the ship the women they had found

On theshore, the pirates asked about the rest of the women.

Rosa said,''they disappeared in the water splashing around

And diedfrom drowning in the sea; now, maybe they're in Heaven.''

Then, theyasked about Fargo and Chiara said that he

Had beensent to search for water. They took a boat to go

To theshore, but they found no one, '' somewhere he could flee.''

Three menstayed on the shore and others searched for Fargo.

Whiledominating the new world, Spain used its ships to cart

Great richesfrom there; Marco and Rosa chose to come back

This waywanting to hide their gold until selling it at a mart.

Fromsomewhere, those armed robbers have followed them in their track.

They wantedto steal their gold, the ship's cargo, the oil,

And thatfuel being bought from the Empire’s wells to sell them

At theLisbon's black market; to acquire wealth, they did not toil.

There was nolaw to condemn them, but they could condemn.

They tookMarco and used four cords to tie his hands and his legs

Onto fourstakes, they had fixed in the deck at a distance.

His body waspendent in the air; being punched by his dreads,

He wasthrashed by them with sticks to end his last resistance.

When Marcoprayed for God to save him from the suffering,

Anotherpirate took the cat; and, when Marco received

Two dozensto faint, he felt pulled apart without rupturing

When he wastaken down, he could not stand; he was deceived.

Then, hetook two dozens once more; his flesh was hanging in strips.

They usedalso the cat of nine tails to whip him so badly.

He was aJewish and ''Deuteronomy'' came on his lips.

With salt onwounds, he couldn't believe they could hate so madly.

(Marcodied.)

They beatRosa with the butt of their guns to say if there was

More hiddengold; after Marco's death, one of the pirates

MarriedRosa; he kissed her, ''I'll be rich- please no applause, ''

He saidlaughing; his love was too brutal for her iris.

In bed, shewas immobilized by her fear; when they

Exited outfrom the cabin, he said, '' I've lain with my bitch.''

These wordspetrified her; she knelt while starting to pray.

When shefinished, he killed her saying, ''Now, I'm very rich.''

A pirate cameback saying, ’’ ''he didn't return to the beach.''

''Maybe hewas bitten by a snake, ’’ ‘’Tomorrow morning,

At dawn,take these dogs along on searches; watch them in reach

Of the stepsof Fargo until the dogs give you a warning.''

Lucca said,„I’m an Italian diplomat.'' One pirate

Laughed andtold him that they were hired by that strange man; served

Anothergovernment, '' your death will be a twist of fate.''

''Let melive! '' ''You're asking for something which you do not deserve.''

''I can payfor my life, '' ''No deal- gives us those documents.''

The piratesstuck some candles around the mizzenmast; they

Surroundedit having swords in their hands, ''twist your arguments.''

Lucca had toenter this circle, ''now, we sing and you play.''

Lucca wasforced to run while another pirate used

Bella'sviolin to play a merry Jig and while each

Pirate cuthim with his weapon; he screamed and they were amused.

They kepthim dancing until he confessed while starting to preach.

After that,one of them took some boiling water to pour it

Into Lucca'sears; the pirates tortured him to reveal

Where ascrap of his wealth and his documents might be concealed.

They hungLucca by his feet and submerged him as a fish meal.

(Then, hecollapsed. In the sea, he was left for dying.)

Then, theymurdered Gino, Nico, and Dino by tying

Cannonballsto their feet and by pushing them overboard.

Othervictims were locked in wrist and leg irons being

Held on theship’s deck; they stopped when they saw the moon they adored.

(They neededto rest because the night was coming.)

The pirateswere dressed partly to look as the seamen.

They worebaggy breeches, stockings, hairy hats with initials,

Thigh-lengthshirts; but also waistcoats and sashes wore these men.

The sash wasdraped over one shoulder to carry the pistols.

The color oftheir clothes was chosen to match the color

Of the sealessening the chances of being seen by

Theirenemies; this uniforms were much duller

Than thecolor of the sea; the prisoners started to learn to die.

Theyunderstood that they could suffer of starvation.

Each onereceived a quarter cup of dried bread crumbs and two pints

Of water allday long; while thinking that there is no salvation,

The pirateswere drinking rum and dancing their strong knee joints.

When theywere gambling for handfuls of gold and precious stones,

They weresinging songs about mermaids or beautiful women,

And aboutsome past victories to allay the victims' moans.

Two piratescame with liquor sharing it equally when

Others camewith a lot of money and jewelry found

On the shipto divide them equally to all, except

Theircaptain and his quartermaster, who took a big mound.

They startedto renew the oath they had always kept.

Then, theyexclaimed 'Liberty, Equality, Fraternity, '

Whilehoisting two flags, one red, and the other one having

A skull andtwo crossbones. ''Don't you need a pinch of dignity? ''

Frederickscreamed, ‘’you will end in jail! ’’ ''Sure, '' said one of them laughing.

‘’ Europecontrols only small zones of the seas, so

There are nolaws when we're sailing on the wild waters.’’

One of themsaid, ‘’Look, man, we are necessary; don't you know

That we'reguards to stop you when with weapons you cross the borders? ''

Freddyreplied, ‘’you know it’s a stupid lie; ’’ one pirate

Pulled outone of his fingernails with a plier. '' I will

Make youwalk the plank, '' he told Frederick, 'It's your cruel fate.''

''Captain,to sell the slaves at good prices, you have the skill! ''

While livingin the misery, the prisoners had to face

A grindingnightmare; Freddy wanted to give them some moral

Support buthe wasn't allowed to talk with them; in disgrace

Theyreceived small amounts of food; Miguel whispered, '' Don't quarrel! ''

Arturo hasdied because he couldn’t take the stress

Whilethinking that Francesca must follow Lucca in death.

One pirategrabbed Francesca's hand while needing to possess.

With ahellish smile, he approached her to smell her honeyed breath.

He told her,'' Look, I’m a good guy; I give you time to think.’’

Francescafainted. He left her telling all the pirates

‘’ No onemay touch her.; tomorrow, she will marry me at the dawn's pink.''

They heard ahuge sound and they realized they are in dire straits.

(Afterbuying a house in Prinylas, Geraldine, Maya, Carla, Erica, Surak, and Fargospent their night in silence. In the morning, Fargo and Maya went to bring thepriest and everything was necessary for the funerals. Fargo told Geraldine thathe had left the piracy in order to live a normal life. He said that he wasafraid that much worse than the prisoners' death was to replace them in Prinylas.He wanted to do everything he had to do very quickly.)

AfterBella's funerals, Fargo told Geraldine,

'I mustconvince the army to go there to put them down.

I'll buy agalley for Frederick on which my name will shine.

I take apart of the treasure to go to Corfu Town.''