Chapter 10

[rredmond]

Will looks at Mansel and Simon close behind, recovers quickly, looks at Catherine, and doesn't even pose it as a question: "To the captain then."

[crazycrypt]

Green frowned just a bit at Simon's impertinence, but refrained from chastising him. "Certainly," he said instead.

Simon and Tommy ascended to the passenger deck, where they found Carlo and Vedette Silvani in their quarters. "Ah," said Carlo when he saw the bedraggled airmen, "let us go to, how you say, room two. The stewards, they have assigned it to us for medical use."

Carlo elected to attend to Tommy's injuries, while Vedette saw to Simon; she did not speak to him, but it seemed to Simon that every time she looked at his face, she blushed. Just shy, I guess, he thought.

"Il Capitano wanted to see you, I think," said Carlo bruskly when he had finished with Tommy.

OCC: Not sure if Simon is done before or after Tommy or if he will be done anytime soon around Tommy so they can leave together, but I will assume that he finishes at the same time.

Tommy will thank Carlo for patching him up. He will then look at Simon and say, "I guess we should be getting to the Captain, he will be wondering where we are at." Not waiting for an answer, Tommy will open and head out the door.

Will allowed Catherine to precede him into the passageway, then nearly ran headlong into Leftenant Mansel as he exited room two.

"I'm sorry sir, madame, please excuse me. I must be off to see the captain," Tommy will say as he runs into Will and Catherine. Tommy will then head towards where the Captain is rather briskly.

[Nazim]

Artie squinted as he did as he was told. "Something I don't understand: don't you guys want to get home? I mean, I understand that you are nazis, and hate everything, but surely you love your families? If that's the case, why wouldn't you seek any help you can get?"

"Home?" replied the German. "It is just a few day's sail away. We have suffered some sort of navigational problem, though, and so the Commander intends to confiscate your navigational gear to help us find our way back to familiar shores."

"Your commander is lie-oof!" Artie didn't have time to finish the sentence, but this information gave him hope.

Then he heard one voice, clear and girlish, above the others. "You are Bey, aren't you?" she asked.

Artie peered into the darkness, and answered: "That is what they call me here, yes."

"What's your name, little one? And why are you young men and women in here?"

[Solomoriah]

"Thank you, Vedette," he says as he gets up. "You have a skilled and subtle hand at healing. I should be fit enough to fight again and find a way to get you back home again. Are you ready, Tommy?" Then with a nod to Tommy to make sure he was ready, Simon will turn out of teh cabin to seek the captain.

Vedette blushed again, and as Simon turned to go he saw a dark look pass over Carlo's face.

Tommy will thank Carlo for patching him up. He will then look at Simon and say, "I guess we should be getting to the Captain, he will be wondering where we are at." Not waiting for an answer, Tommy will open and head out the door.

Will allowed Catherine to precede him into the passageway, then nearly ran headlong into Leftenant Mansel as he exited room two.

"I'm sorry sir, madame, please excuse me. I must be off to see the captain," Tommy will say as he runs into Will and Catherine. Tommy will then head towards where the Captain is rather briskly.

Tommy turned aft, followed closely by Simon.

Will looks at Mansel and Simon close behind, recovers quickly, looks at Catherine, and doesn't even pose it as a question: "To the captain then."

Catherine smiled wryly at Will, and for once he was at a loss to know her feelings. She moved ahead of him, and for what he thought was the first time Will made note of the girlish curves under her boyish outfit.

Then he heard one voice, clear and girlish, above the others. "You are Bey, aren't you?" she asked.

Artie peered into the darkness, and answered: "That is what they call me here, yes."

"What's your name, little one? And why are you young men and women in here?"

"I am called Shirika," she replied. "Oh, Bey... were we so awful? What could we have done better? Were the Dalar so much more honorable than we?" With that, she broke down into tears.

[Nazim]

Then he heard one voice, clear and girlish, above the others. "You are Bey, aren't you?" she asked.

Artie peered into the darkness, and answered: "That is what they call me here, yes."

"What's your name, little one? And why are you young men and women in here?"

"I am called Shirika," she replied. "Oh, Bey... were we so awful? What could we have done better? Were the Dalar so much more honorable than we?" With that, she broke down into tears.

Artie moves closer to the girl, and consoles her as best he can while his hands are tied."Shirka, you are but a child. Children have a whole life in which to earn their honor. At this point in your life, you are as honorable as anyone else, even the Dalar. But why are you all in here?"

[Solomoriah]

Artie moves closer to the girl, and consoles her as best he can while his hands are tied."Shirka, you are but a child. Children have a whole life in which to earn their honor. At this point in your life, you are as honorable as anyone else, even the Dalar. But why are you all in here?"

Shirika looked up into Artie's eyes, perplexed. "But, Lord Bey," she replied, "the sea demons came to us, and the sky gods went to the Dalar. It is said that you taught our ancestors that whoever would be chosen by the sea demons would be the least honorable of all the peoples." She looked down, and began to untie Artie's hands, fumblingly; he could tell she was still crying, but she seemed to want to hide her tears.

[Nazim]

Shirika looked up into Artie's eyes, perplexed. "But, Lord Bey," she replied, "the sea demons came to us, and the sky gods went to the Dalar. It is said that you taught our ancestors that whoever would be chosen by the sea demons would be the least honorable of all the peoples." She looked down, and began to untie Artie's hands, fumblingly; he could tell she was still crying, but she seemed to want to hide her tears.

Artie smiles warmly at the child, doing his best to comfort her. When his hands are free, he hugs her. "Shirka, I am not the same one I once was. Discussing honor is complicated. Beware of any who tell you what is honorable. Just do to others as you would rather they do for you. That is, try to be good. Whether you succeed or fail, if you try your best to be good, you will have honor. But I still don't understand, young girl, why you are in here with these other children. Are you not allowed to tell me?"

[Solomoriah]

Artie smiles warmly at the child, doing his best to comfort her. When his hands are free, he hugs her. "Shirka, I am not the same one I once was. Discussing honor is complicated. Beware of any who tell you what is honorable. Just do to others as you would rather they do for you. That is, try to be good. Whether you succeed or fail, if you try your best to be good, you will have honor. But I still don't understand, young girl, why you are in here with these other children. Are you not allowed to tell me?"

Visibly steeling herself, Shirika looked up at Artie. "I am sorry, Lord Bey," she said. "I will listen to you more carefully. We are here to ensure the good conduct of our parents. The sea demons know that some would run away or even die rather than be dishonored by serving them. But as long as we are captive, they don't dare resist."

[Nazim]

How old are the children?

[Solomoriah]

How old are the children?

His eyes better adapted to the low light, Artie looked around. Shirika seemed to be the oldest, perhaps eleven or so years old; it appeared that all the children of the village were here, down to babes in arms, with the older children tending to the younger.