The Legend of Harley Rose: Part 4

The Widow Maker docked on the outskirts of a large city, with music and lights creating a festive ambience for the night. Lincoln saw from the ship people clapping and drinking, raising half empty bottles of rum high in the sky and singing together.

He looked back towards the end of the bow and saw that Boxer and Stanley had finished nailing in three large wooden pillars in the floor using metal plates and large bolts, which made a triangle around the brazier filled with crystalized copper. There was a large metal chain link hammered into each pillar and underneath the brazier was a mooring hook that Boxer was hammering into the floorboards.

Captain Montana passed through Lincoln eagerly, bumping into his shoulder accidentally. “Gents, when I’m back, put on your best smiles for Harley Rose,” Montana flashed his pearly white smile. He tipped his three pointed hat and walked off the boat and into town. Lincoln watched him waltz through the crowds and enter a door to a tavern with a sign above that read “The Bottomless Spout.”

Lincoln looked back at Knox. Knox nodded and struck up a conversation with Boxer. Lincoln turned towards the small boat hanging off starboard when Stanley suddenly grabbed him by the shoulder. Lincoln spun around quickly to see the old man holding a gun.

“Oh,” Stanley realized he looked menacing, “Could you come with me into town, son?” he asked in his harsh whisper.

“What for?” Lincoln replied impatiently.

“Cap’n forgot his flintlock and I figure he’d be better off having by his hip, son.”

“Why would you need me?”

“This town is a little too rambunctious for someone of my age. I could use just an extra set of fists by my side.” Lincoln looked back at the town. He could hear the music and shouting and the drunken singing. He saw a fight break out by the docks, one of the men splashing into the water and the other hurling his tankard at the drowning man. “Please, son. It won’t take long.”

Lincoln looked back at Knox, who had successfully distracted Boxer. He sighed. “Make it quick, then.”

Lincoln followed the feeble man through clumps of angry pirates that cluttered the walkways, bumping and shoving each other into Stanley and Lincoln. They made their way to The Bottomless Spout and entered.

Inside the tavern were barrels and fishing nets that made up the décor, some of the barrels were turned into tables and chairs. Women placed tankards of beer and rum on the tables while aggressive pirates would pinch and grope the women, some even pulling them onto their laps and trying to kiss them.

Lincoln followed Stanley carefully through the drunken mass, making their way to the back corner of the tavern, where Captain Montana sat drinking rum straight from the bottle. Montana looked up at them with pleasant surprise.

“Ahoy, gents! Wait a minute…” he leaned forward. “Neither one of you is her, are you?” He smiled and chuckled a raspy laugh to himself.

“Cap’n, you left this on the ship,” Stanley kindly held out Montana’s flintlock, “Figured you’re better off with it by your hip.”

Montana took the gun and tipped his hat to Stanley. “Thank you, gent.”

“How long do you think it’ll take, Cap’n?” Stanley asked.

“Could take all night! But she’ll come,” Montana smirked and took another swig from the bottle.

“Captain,” Lincoln looked at Montana with pity. “What exactly is your plan, then?”

Montana gestured aimlessly, holding the bottle in his hand, “I hope to sit here, drink a little, drink a little more, and wait for Harley Rose.”

“And how will you know it’s her?”

“I have no idea.” Montana smiled knowingly. Lincoln didn’t crack a smile. “I do know one thing,” Montana resumed, “when I know it’s her, I’ll know. I don’t know how I’ll know, but I’ll know I’ll know when I know.”

Lincoln and Stanley looked at each other trying to decipher the captain’s rambling. Montana lifted up the bottle to them and took a swig. Lincoln put his hand on Stanley’s shoulder, “Let’s go, then.”

Lincoln led the way dodging gruff pirates brawling and drinking incessantly. “Lincoln!” He turned around and saw Stanley was far behind, standing casually at the bar.

Lincoln came back to him, “What are you doing?”

“I’m thirsty,” Stanley said cheerfully.

“We can drink on the ship.”

“We’re in no rush, son! You heard the captain, this could take all night.”

Lincoln looked behind him towards the exit then back at the grinning old man, who kindly waited for him to join him at the bar. Lincoln held up his pointer finger. “One drink.”

The bartender looked at Lincoln, who nodded at Stanley’s drink. Stanley took a small sip of his beer and sloppily licked the foam off his lips. A tankard of beer slid across the bar and into Lincoln’s hands, foam dripping down the side. Lincoln took a gulp and set it back down. “Stanley,” he spoke plainly.

Stanley was smacking his lips. “Yes, son?”

Lincoln paused. “Knox and I are leaving tonight.”

“Oh?” Stanley held the beer to his mouth. “Where’re you going?”

“Snake Island.”

“Why would you want to go back—” it clicked in Stanley’s mind. “Son...”

“We were going to wait til tomorrow but seeing as the Captain’s been, we’re heading there after this drink.” Lincoln took a massive swallow of the beer.

“You don’t believe it, do you?” Stanley asked with hurt in his voice.

“I heard the legend from Knox who heard it from a drinking mate that sailed with Montana.”

“Well, son, I’ve heard it before I knew the Cap’n. The legend has been around, it’s not something he made up.”

“But the way he’s treating it all, then. Stanley, doesn’t it seem like he’s making it up as he goes?”

“He is, son! He’s only following the rumors that surround the legend.”

“The captain doesn’t even know if what he’s trying will work. When we buried his treasure, he told me that he’s only heard about these methods from other mates he knows. It seems like this whole legend is a load of he-said-she-said, then.”

“What if it is real, Lincoln?” Stanley asked sincerely. “What if there really is a Ghost Lady of the Sea who tricks captain’s into telling where they’ve buried their treasure? And what if there really is a grotto swarming with lost souls guarding all that treasure? What if, son, we’re this close to getting all that treasure?”

“It’s too many what ifs for me.” Lincoln took another gulp of his beer. There was one sip left.

Stanley put his hand on Lincoln’s shoulder like a father. “Why’d you join the Widow Maker in the first place?”

“Knox told me about it. He invited me.”

“And what did Knox say that made you want to join?”

Lincoln paused, looking at his beer. “The lost treasures.”

“That sounds like you’ve been banking on a ‘what if’ this whole time.” Lincoln looked at Stanley apologetically. “Son, there’s only one way to know if the legend is true. And that’s giving Cap’n a chance to prove it. Stay the night. And if she doesn’t come, you’re free to go.” Stanley took one last sip of his beer, leaving it half full and waved for Lincoln to follow. Lincoln pushed aside his beer with the remaining sip still floating in it. He looked at the back corner of the room and saw Captain Montana drinking the bottle of rum. He was smiling at Lincoln.

Lincoln followed Stanley out of The Bottomless Spout tavern. Lincoln looked around and saw a woman in an alley waving furiously at Lincoln.

“Please!” she shouted. Lincoln watched her usher them closer to her. “Please help!” Lincoln grabbed Stanley by the arm and ran with him to the girl into the alley.

“Please, please, please—” she panted.

“What’s the matter, then?” Lincoln tried calming her down.

“Men are coming.”

“Which men?”

“Just… pirates! They’re coming to take me.”

“Why?”

“They want to take me for the night and…” she began crying. “Please, please!”

Just then Lincoln heard men shouting. “Where’d she goooo?!” Lincoln looked down the alley and saw shadows growing closer around the corner. He quickly took off his overcoat and slung it around the girl, placing his hat upon her head and tilting it down to cover her face. He looked at Stanley and took a deep breath. He starting singing obnoxiously.

Stanley tried to sing along, having no idea which song he was singing. The men turned the corner and looked left and right as they came nearer to them. Lincoln put his arm around the girl and swayed back and forth, pumping his fist in the air to the beat of his made-up melody. The men came towards Lincoln, Stanley, and the girl; they eyed them up and down. Lincoln kept up the singing. One of the men grunted.

They carried on down the alley, “Where’d she goooo?!” They turned the other corner and left.

Lincoln put his arms around the girl and escorted her the opposite way, “Come with us.”

Lincoln lead the girl onto the deck of the Widow Maker while Stanley followed and watched behind them. “Take her to the quarters, son!” Stanley ordered. “I’ll keep an eye out for now!” Lincoln opened the door to the quarters and led her inside.

Lincoln shut the door. He looked back at the girl – still wearing his coat and hat – who had crossed her arms around herself and held her body. She was still afraid. “They’re gone now,” Lincoln reassured her.

“Thank you,” she said softly.

Lincoln nodded awkwardly. “I’m Lincoln, by the way.”

“Emily,” the girl replied.

“Emily…” Lincoln tested the sound of it. He liked it. “Well, you’re safe now, Emily.”

She smiled gently. She looked around the room and admired the trinkets and weapons that lay around the room. Lincoln realized he had never been in Montana’s quarters before as he, too, looked around the room. “You have many collections, captain,” Emily commented.

“Well, actually, I’m not—” She then removed the coat from her shoulders and Lincoln saw how beautiful she was. She took off his hat and the warm light glowed around her long blonde hair. She spun around and smiled comfortably at him. She was breathtaking.

“Hmm?” she asked.

“I’m—I’m not the, the… a collector anymore.” Lincoln stuttered.

“Oh.” She looked around, taking in the whole collection. “Well what you’ve collected is beautiful, captain,” she praised.

“You are—I mean, they are. Yes.”

Emily picked up a skull off one of the desks and examined it with care. “Whose was this?”

“That was… Captain… Giles’s.”

She looked at him curiously. “Captain Giles?”

“Yes,” he persisted. “Captain Giles Mouthswad.” He grimaced at the last name he made up.

“I’ve never heard of him before,” Emily remarked.

“Well that’s because he’s dead,” Lincoln took the skull from her and set it back on the desk. He spun back around and saw how close he was to Emily. She looked down, glancing up at his eyes for a moment, and then shying away. Lincoln swallowed nervously, trying to keep his composure. “Won’t you… would you like to… let’s have a seat here, then.” Lincoln led her to the bed. They sat on the edge of the bed and looked straight ahead. Lincoln bounced on the bed a little. “This is quite comfy, actually.”

“Have you never slept in it before?” Emily asked innocently.

“I usually am doing a great deal of… captain-ing. I don’t sleep much.”

“Wow.”

“Indeed.” Lincoln scratched his mustache and tried to avoid staring at her. “I suppose we’ll just wait for Stanley to make sure things are safe, then.”

“Thank you,” she said bashfully.

Lincoln looked up and saw bottles of wine sitting on a table in the corner. “Would you like something to drink?” He stood up and grabbed the bottle. He yanked the cork out of the top and handed it to her. She took it gingerly and had a small sip. Lincoln sat on the bed with her and sighed to himself. Emily turned and held out the wine for Lincoln. He accepted the gestured and drank.

Emily was lying on the bed stomach first and laughing at Lincoln who had his shirt open and was singing warbled nonsense. Five empty bottles of wine were rolling on the floorboards from the gentle rocking of the docked ship.

Lincoln suddenly tripped and landed on the bed, Emily burst into laughter. She grabbed him by his shirt and tried picking him up. “Get up, silly!”

Lincoln rolled over and smiled drunkenly at Emily. She put her hand under his chin and gazed down at him. “Emily, I haven’t been a pirate for too long. But you’re more beautiful than any treasure I’ve ever found.”

She smiled dearly, taking his hand and kissing it. “You’re so kind, Lincoln.” He held her arm and rubbed it with his thumb, admiring her beauty. “You haven’t been a pirate for too long?” she asked curiously. Lincoln shook his head as quick as he could. “Well you’re as brave as any pirate I’ve ever known... captain.” Lincoln nodded as fast as he could. “Do you find treasures often?”

“Ohhhh, I’ve found a few. I’m getting better at it, I think.”

“What’s the biggest chest you’ve found?”

“Yours.”

Emily slapped him in the stomach. “Lincoln!” she turned bright red. “A chest filled with gold and jewels and such.”

“To tell you the truth, I haven’t done much digging. I’ve done mostly burying.”

Emily leaned in closer. “You’ve buried treasures?”

“Sometimes.”

“What’s the most you’ve buried?”

“Well,” Lincoln hiccupped. “Believe it or not, but I just buried treasure today.”

“Today?” Emily gasped. “How exciting!”

“It was, yes. There were snakes everywhere — everywhere! — and long... vines and leaves.. with snakes on them. A dangerous place, Emily.”

Emily slowly sat up and put her leg over Lincoln, sitting on top of him. “It sounds very dangerous.” She leaned down and admired his strong body. “You buried a lot of gold?”

“Yes. All the gold we had.”

“It’s a secret, where you buried it, right?”

“It has to be! Otherwise it wouldn’t be buried treasure then.”

“It’s a secret just for you, huh?” she put her hands on his chest.

“Mostly me…”

Emily leaned in as close as she could to Lincoln. Her breath was like pomegranate. “I love… secrets.” She closed her eyes for a moment, then opened them, staring deep into Lincoln’s. “I’ve gotten very,” she kissed his cheek, “Very,” she kissed his other cheek, “Good at keeping secrets.” She held her lips over his.

“I believe you...” he breathed, completely captivated by her.

“I won’t tell anyone your secret, Lincoln.”

“I believe you…”

“Do you want to tell me where you buried the treasure?” She locked eyes with him and stared intensely. She brought her lips down and kissed him.

“Yes, I’ll tell you…” Lincoln smiled dazedly. He opened his mouth to speak when suddenly he stopped. His eyes shot open, wide awake. He looked at Emily, who waited patiently for his response.

They suddenly heard the sound of a clamp. They looked behind them towards the sound. “What I can’t put my finger on, darling, is why you’d want all that gold,” Captain Montana stood at the foot of the bed, smiling his iconic smile. “Seems a bit material… for someone dead.” Emily looked down at her feet and saw the ruby shackle was clamped down on her ankle with three long chains hooked to the end. She looked up at Montana. “Hello, Harley.”

Emily shot up from the bed and rose into the air, transforming into a ghastly, ghoul with green wisps of ethereal dust drifting off her. She suspended herself in the air with her legs having morphed into a trail of phantom wind. She lunged towards Montana, growling a thousand echoes of haunted screams, but the chains locked in place and suddenly pulled her back onto the deck, where Boxer and Stanley yanked. Montana smiled, “The gent was right. Rubies work.”

Harley Rose jolted back and forth as Boxer and Stanley stood apart, tethering the Ghost Lady of the Sea in place. Captain Montana raced out of the room and slid under her. She swiped at the ground, missing him barely, as he slid past her and grabbed the third chain. Boxer, Stanley, and Montana ran towards the pillars at the end of the bow, with Harley Rose fighting against them furiously and howling with the wind. Montana jumped over the brazier and knelt down. The three of them pulled the chains through the metal links and hooked the ends of the chains to the mooring hook. Harley Rose resisted but was tied in place above the brazier, unable to move while she screamed a horrible scream.

Captain Montana returned to the quarters and grabbed a torch. He looked at Lincoln, who still lay on the bed in fear. “You alright, gent?” Montana asked.

“How’d you know to come back, Captain?”

“It dawned on me after my second bottle of rum that you also knew the location of my treasure.” He exited the captain's quarters and then took step back inside. “And after the fourth girl turned me down. Which was a less kind revelation.” Montana left the quarters and unsheathed his rapier. He walked to the side of the ship and took his rapier against metal, cut his rapier across it, and drew out sparks. The spark caught the torch’s end on fire like tinder, and Montana marched towards Harley Rose. Harley Rose leaned forward, trying to claw at Montana. He flaunted his swarthy smile. Captain Montana tossed the torch into the brazier, igniting an inferno of blue fire from the crystalized copper. Harley Rose howled in terror, erupting in a bright blue blaze. She then suddenly lunged towards the stern of the Widow Maker and tried fleeing, like a fish swimming in the ocean.

Montana rushed to the helm and spun the wheel all the way around. The Widow Maker pivoted around; Harley Rose pivoted with the ship. She was chasing dead ahead now.

Lincoln left the quarters and stood next to Knox, who was staring with his mouth agape. “It’s real,” Lincoln uttered. “It’s all real.”

“Alright, you saucy gents!” Captain Montana shouted. “Open the sails!” Boxer rushed around to pull on the ropes. “Onward to the island of Caraloque!”

They sailed under the full moon, the burning blue ghost of Harley Rose glowing as the figurehead of the Widow Maker, leading them towards Caraloque and the lost treasures of the world.