Ship Of Fools
Weeks passed by and Jamie found himself on a ship with outher young men headed to Colonies to become indentured servants to men there.
He tried to keep to himself reading the books Octavia had brought him when he wasn't sicker then a dog or mourning the lost of his only love Octavia.
The aloof book reader, some had called him, when he wouldn't drink with them or act foolish as most did.
The men on the ship acted more like young lads on a Saturday lark, then men facing unknown lands alone in servitude only a little above the slaves in the Bible. There was a lot of horseplay, pranks, and drunkedness on the ship. The captian found keeping the prisoners a bit drunk and on good behaviour wishing more drink was a cost efficiant way to haul prisioners in his care. They were locked in their birth days at a time with no fresh air or exersize. Little better off then the cattle behind the bulkhead.
There was one young man Jack closer to his age then the other men who had tried to befriend him, but he had gently rebuked the attempt to befriend.
In other times he would have been glad of Jack's company. The other men except for Lewis who seemed to run things, all seemed to lack intelligence. But Jamie hurt to bad to want to make a friend for the length of the voyage then to loose them again.
So one morning when he was gagging down beans, that were cold and to salty, he was thinking of Octavia, and trying not to cry.
"Oh Billy," Elliot laughed at one of the younger boys dancing a jig, to some one playing a pipe.
Jamie never touched the rum supplied them, which always made Elliot say, "Well the more for the rest of us."
Jamie tried to ignore the jibes and assaults of his character they emitted, when they didn't think he heard them. Or maybe they wanted to hear. Elliot was the biggest fool of all the fools, laughing like some kind of a maniac he would chant songs about women that made even Lewis blush.
Jamie didn't care most of the time, but as he sat there eating the beans his emotions were almost on edge.
"Did you see his lordship had wet pants like an infant, when the captian yelled for us to to go below deck when we were strolling there this morn," Billy cackled.
"Don't Billy you might make his lordship cry," Elliote laughed. "Blimey can't make him cry now," Billy laughed and pushed Jack, who was laughing too.
"Look I have had it with your creatinous behavouir," Jamie said. "You all think this is some big joke . . . "
Billy stopped laughing, Jamie's grip on him hurt a bit.
"Time to face the hard truth is we are bound to a land none of us knows. We are going to be at mercy of people we do not know." Jamie said shaking Billy like a rag doll.
"Listen your lordship, please, ye have no idea, this is the easiest and the best most of us have had it," said Dobbs, who then snorted at Billy thinking he was pretending to be terrorfied of Jamie's agressiveness.
"He's right," Logan another older man agreed, they were the oldest and not so given to raunchy and silly behaviour still they would drink and laugh at Elliot's stories.
"I am tired of all of you acting as if you were a bunch of school boys on a lark," Jamie sighed. He was tired of their jibes and tired of hurting.
"Should I beat him good?" Jack asked.
Billy must have thought about what Jamie said because he had joined Lewis in a bowl of beans, solemnly telling Lewis he was just greatful for food, shelter, and not being beaten on.
"No leave him alone," Lewis said wearily.
"Come on Jack," Jamie said coldly.
Jack had liked Jamie, he was different, but he couldn't back down not in front of the other men.
Jamie punched him hard in the stomach, Jamie didn't care.
Jack couldn't breath for a minute.
"Stand down Jack," Lewis said, he was suddenly right there. The man moved with such quickness and grace that even as angry as Jamie was he had to admire the speed.
Elliot made a move towards Jamie.
"Don't do it," Lewis warned, if the shipmates were a wolf pack Lewis was the alpha.
"He hit me," Jack said with amazement.
"Come on, fight," Jamie said fists ready eyes blazing. He didn't care what happened, he expected they would kill him and maybe he would be better off. A end of fear of the unknown and suffering over Octavia.
Lewis looked at Jamie and in his eyes he saw a dangerous young man with nothing to loose, he would tear Jack apart maybe any other man in the hold.
"Calm down lads, nothing to fight over, the boys just are a bit high spirited," Lewis said in a strong but calm voice.
For a long moment Jamie stared into Lewis smokey blue gray eyes, and saw there a fear, and was a little awestruck that he had instilled that. But when you have nothing to loose Jamie guessed it made you a bit mad. Like a rabid dog.
"Jack owes you an apology, so does Billy your breeches were wet by the sea, so were mine the waves were cutting wild it is why the captain ordered us below, we all kind of jumped when he yelled," Lewis said putting his hands up to Jamie, then looked around to Jack and the others.
They fell over each other with apologies but Jamie walked away he would have none of it. But suddenly he was thirsty Jack fetched him a drink, not rum, but tea, something they had little of it seemed.
Jamie accepted it, with a nod. That night, for he guessed it was night, it was hard to tell in the windowless hold. He slept deeply that night.
He could hear the sea and the sounds of Lewis and the other men and boys playing some game or another. While other slept as Jamie did.
Then the ship and men were gone and he felt himself grateful to walk on green earth again.
There was octavia in a beautiful white gown beside a well or fountain of some kind.
Her hair was done up in a fashion that looked not as beautiful as her wild childlike hair style he was familiar with, she was a grown woman, beautiful and glorius. He was dressed in a blue suit of fine brocade.
"The answer is in the book Jamie, never pretend you are ignorant, you are a smart man, and we will meet again," They kissed and then he was alone.
In that fine blue suit he stood staring into the distance.
What book was she speaking of.
He laid his hand over his heart and felt it beat he was still living.
Long days passed. Jamie was no longer the butt of their crude jokes, but little else changed. After a long talk with Dobbs he realized the older man at 23 had seen a hard life and that the ship was like a holiday for them.
Jamie read is books over again looking for something she had marked or some secret message.
"I wished Jamie would join in the fun he reads too much," Elliot said, it was the first comment any of them had made towards Jamie.
"I wish I could read," Jack said a bit drunkenly.
"Men like us Jack are too dumb to read, Lewis can you read?" Billy asked.
"Sure, but not as well as Jamie I would wager," Lewis said softly. His life had been much easier then most. That was until he stole a lovers diamonds and exchanged them for paste.
Lewis had been born on the wrong side of the blanket and his nobleman father had indulged the boy, until he had a real heir, then Lewis was forgotten. His schooling neglected.
By then Lewis had discovered that merchants daughters and wives were a bit more fun then maids. Also they had more money and liked to lavish him with it.
One by one the men began to fall sick, Jack and Billy rebounded well, and Lewis only got a mild case of what ever malise they had. But Dobbs had died, and Elliot and Jamie were both near death.
The next day Elliot ralleyed a little bit, but Jack could see Jamie wanted to die.
Billy went to him.
"What is that?" Jamie asked.
"Chicken soup, Jack made it and Lewis conned one of the sailors out of a chicken," Billy said.
Jamie looked at the boy holding the bowl, and to Jack beyond smiling slightly, not mocking, but a genuine I want to be friends smile.
"I also found this, one of your books you dropped it, the night they brought you on board. I kept it because I thought I could learn to read by looking at it. Lewis said he has trouble reading it," Billy admitted awkwardly.
"Thank you all," Jamie said, and saw at once the book was marked, it was poetry and had been Octavia's.
He ate the soup, it was delicious, he was amazed Jack could cook.