Chapter 2

                                    CHAPTER 2

‘Row’ Captain Casablanca shouted to the crew onboard, ‘to the blue sea for the raid.’ The pirates shouted with excitement, and sailed on. He stood on the deck of the ship, looking into the water as it flowed, smiled to himself, ‘Life is beautiful.’ He began to think of how soon, he will get all he wanted, through the raid, before Zealot interrupted his thought. 

‘Captain, Captain.’

‘Yes, Zealot, what’s it?’

‘The cruise ship we’re expecting is now within the view.’ Zealot said, smiling. He handed the binocular lens to Captain Casablanca, as he looked into it. He shook his head in satisfaction. 

‘H’m! Not far indeed. Get your men ready, and inform Thomas to sail southeast.’ 

‘Aye!’ Zealot responded, and quickly ran to the power station to inform Thomas, who ordered his crew, ‘Comrades, sail to the southeast. Great loot is awaiting us there.’  The pirates jubilated in joy.

Zealot moved to the soldiers, ‘Ready to arm yourselves. Fill up the guns with the gunpowder. Get your swords guarded to your side and your short guns in your hands. We have visitors to plunder.’ He smiled. ‘Be ready to attack. Cheer up, comrades.’  The pirates jubilated, as they began to prepare for the attack. Ritaline dressed herself up, making no trace of womanhood appearance. She tied a scarf round her head, looking like a young man. 

The pirates onboard were quiet as everyone lay low, waiting for the command of Captain Casablanca. The boatswain continued to roll the ship toward the cruise ship. The tension to fight was high within the pirates. Their flag was flying high on the mast, so as to run fear into the coming ship. Captain Casablanca walked out of his cabin, fully dressed in his pirate uniform. The sword dangled round his left foot. He was holding his gun, still holding on to the binocular. He looked into it, and said, ‘Just a little more, soldiers.’

The sea was quiet. Not long the cruise ship appeared in view clearly. The whole pirates could see it very clearly. The moment, that the cruise Captain sighted the pirate’s flag, he shouted to his navy officers onboard. ‘Zaccaus!  Get your men to attack, the pirates are on us. How many men can hold swords?’ Sweat ran down his face, immediately.

‘We only have few, Captain. We only have twenty of them.’ Zaccaus replied with worries, on his face. 

‘Oh, my God. Can you get some of the passengers to also hold swords to fight for their life?’ He was devastated. ‘Get them ready.’ Captain Edinburg added.

‘Aye!’ The officer ran away to disseminate the information to all, and later returned back, ‘Captain. I think we have a problem.’

‘What’s it again?’

‘It’s only a gun that is in functioning. The others have developed fault.’

‘Oh-no. Zaccaus, why?’ He lamented. 

‘Sorry, Captain.’ Zaccaus apologized.

‘Your apology is not useful any more. The pirates are already on us. Let’s fight and die like good soldiers, even if will. We’ll make use of the weapons within our custody. Go and inform the whole passengers onboard, about our problem. So they could fight, to save their life and properties.’ Captain Edinburg advised.  The two ships were now loser to each other’s range, as Captain Casablanca ordered the pirates to launch an attack against the cruise ship. The first shot of the canon of the pirate missed the cruise, but the second shot blasted off the larboard of the ship, causing a great damage. The pirate roared in praise, as they began to shoot at the sailors onboard. There was an exchanged of shot from both side as bodies dropped dead from both sides. The pirates began to throw their ropes into the cruise ship to have a passage into it.

‘Attack! Capture them all, and kill whoever stands on your ways.’ Captain Casablanca ordered. Soon, the pirates began to get passage into the cruise. The fight turned bloody, and the pirates were having upper hands. Swords slashed through the bodies, while guns down people, as some dropped dead into the water. The pirates were shouting in jubilation, as many of the sailors dropped dead. The fire got some parts of the ship, as it was giving a sign to wreck.  The basement of the cruise ship was already gulping up water. Captain Edinburg surrendered to the pirates, and the pirates were looting their goods. As a pirate was looting, he saw a man holding tight to his two bags. He walked to the man, and walked gigolo round him. The man was terrified, still holding to his two bags. 

‘Please don’t kill me.’ He said after awhile, begging the pirate.

‘Why? The pirate asked, looking at the luggage. 

‘I’m just a scientist. I not a soldier, please.’ The man begged again.

‘Science man, so what’s in your bags?’ The other pirates were making haste they get things done on time, so they could move away, since the cruise ship is given a sigh of wrecking.

‘Please, don’t kill me. It’s my research work that’s inside the bags. I’ve not tested them. Please don’t kill me.’ The Scientist pleaded.

‘H’m! The pirate wanted to know was exactly was inside the bags. ‘What’s that research about?’ He asked.

‘It’s a beer.’

‘Beer? Then, let’s me drink it.’

‘No. it’s not just an ordinary beer.’

The pirate forced the bags out from the Scientist, wanting to kill him, but later changed his mind, when the man begged again.  He asked the Scientist, ‘what’s so special about the beer?’

‘It can make one invisible.’ The Scientist said, begging for his life.

‘Wow! This must be a lie.’

‘No, no. I’m telling the truth.’

‘H’m!’ This surprised the Pirate. ‘You mean it?’ The Scientist nodded.

‘Can you produce it in large quantities?’

‘Yes, if you spare my life.’

‘Yes, your life will be spared of caused, only f you could produce it in large quantities, but if not. You will be killed.’ He laughed, and felt happy. He was a dwarf.  The cruise ship gave another warning sound, as the dwarf got a rope onboard, and threw it across to their ship, while another pirate tied it round a big object on the ship. The dwarf tied the rope round the Scientist, and he wrapped himself round him, and pushed themselves off the board to their ship. The Scientist shouted in fear, as other pirates helped them into their ship.

The cruise ship began to wreck. Captain Casablanca had already captured Captain Edinburg, after both had engaged each other in fight. ‘You’ll be one of my servants on my ship.’ 

‘Me, never? I will rather die.’ He jumped at a gun lying on the floor, which had fallen off from one of the sailor, before he died, suddenly, Captain Casablanca shot at him, thinking he wanted to play smart on him, and killed him. 

‘He was a good soldier.’ He blew off the flames on his gun. ‘He died like a soldier.’ 

The cruise ship began to sink gradually, and a pirate shouted to Captain Casablanca. ‘Captain, watch out.’ He threw a rope across to him to get into their ship. Not long, the cruise started to wreck and sank.

‘Thanks comrade.’ He said to the pirate. ‘Now, we’ll sail to Ireland to have a great fill of the place; and enjoy our little vacation.’ The pirates laughed. Singing and dancing for the great loot they’ve gotten. ‘Silent comrades, I deliberately kept a secret to myself, to let it out after this raid. I had gotten information that there is a place in Ireland called, Treasure Island. There will be our next visit.’

‘Captain! Captain!’ The pirates began to chant to his praise.

‘Thank you, all. Zealot, get me a rum.’ The man ran inside and got a mug of rum for him.

‘Comrades, get your own. Let’s do the toast for this great loot, and to another biggest one we are going after.’ He laughed ecstatically. ‘Toast to brotherhood of Eagle axe pirates.’

‘Eagle axe pirates,’ they shouted, and they began to drink and dance, playing accordion and drums.

‘Enjoy yourselves, everybody.’ He said, and walked to his stern. ‘Zealot, you and Thomas should come and see me right now. ‘

‘Aye, Captain.’ He walked away to get Thomas.  Zealot knocked, when they arrived at the Captain’s cabin.

‘Sit down, comrades. We had great loot today. You made it possible.’ He drank rum. We’ll move south to Ireland. The battle of Kinsale had just been over. It is a relief to us.’ He laughed. The men looked at him, not knowing what his statement will be. 

‘Okay, Captain. But,’ Zealot was about continuing his statement when one of the a crew members knocked, and entered.

‘Captain.’

‘Yes, Lewis.’

‘Shall we sail the ship, Captain?’

‘Sail south.’ Captain gave an order, and the man walked out, and Zealot continued talking. 

‘Captain, it’s safe to go to Ireland at this moment?’ Zealot asked, not knowing what Captain Casablanca may say. 

‘There’s no going back Zealot. The war is over. It’s a good time for us to raid the Treasure Island, don’t you think?’ He looked at his lieutenants.

‘I think Captain is right, Zealot. I believe him it’s a good time for us, more so that we’ll have money to flaunt and enjoy beautiful women to warm my body and my arching bones.’ Everybody laughed.

‘Me too.’ Zealot replied.

‘Don’t worry gentlemen. We’ll have a week off from the sea very soon.’

‘You mean it, Captain?’ Thomas asked surprisingly.

‘Yes.’ Captain Casablanca nodded, as Zealot smiled.

‘I will get four women.’ Thomas said, happily.

‘Me too.’ replied Zealot. They all laughed with great excitement. 

There was an out boast of laughter from the pirates outside, caught the attention the Captain Casablanca and his men, wanting to know what stirred up their joy. He led the two men outside and asked the pirates, ‘What could be the source of their joy, comrades?’