| "The Adventures of Kat and Clara" Part XVIII: Repentance Hermione walked with her shoulders back and head high, feeling greatly victorious after her quarrel with Kat, who still stood at the bow, angered and disturbed. She smirked just slightly as she approached her quarters and opened the door. The captain entered her dim quarters and lit a small oil lamp on her desk. She peered over to the chest on the floor, still aware of its contents. She took off her hat and threw it upon her bed. But as she turned around to the door, she saw a figure standing in the doorway. Barton stood at the entrance to the bedroom, smiling. "Barton," Hermione said, "what are you doing in here? I'd like to be left alone, if you please." Barton chuckled. "Yes, Captain Hermione," he said. He quickly reached into his pocket and drew a simple pistol. "And you will be left alone, too." Hermione slowly raised her hands. "Barton, what is the meaning of this?" she asked, scared. "Please, put down the gun." "Not so, captain," Barton contested, approaching Hermione with his pistol, raising it to her neck. Barton then called out. "Crewmen! Come quickly." At that moment, Hermione's crew -- nine people in all -- entered her quarters, holding small knives, daggers, and shortswords. "Do not harm me," Hermione pleaded. "Think of what you are doing, at least." "We will not, so long as you cooperate with all ten of us," Barton said. "This is a mutiny." "What are your terms, Barton?" Hermione asked, as the crew closed in around her, holding ropes. "You will give to us this ship and all that is in that chest of yours," Barton continued. "I cannot," Hermione said. "As much as I do not appreciate them, I cannot give away the belongings of Guardians." Barton sighed. "I knew this would be a problem," he said, "so we're going to do this the hard way." "I just don't understand what her problem is," Kat complained, to Clara. "You missed everything, including that comment about not wanting her life to be saved by someone who isn't a native Trillanian." "It depresses me, indeed," Clara said. "Too bad I was not there to defend us both." She then looked around the ship. "By the way, have you seen Salem as of late?" Just then, Kat and Clara noticed the entire crew had arrived on the deck. At the front of the group stood Barton, and in front of him stood Hermione. The crew had managed to subdue her and tie her hands behind her back. Barton held the captain by one arm, dragging her along mercilessly. "What is the meaning of this?!" Kat shouted. "You unhand her this instant, or--" "Or you'll what?" Barton interrupted. "You'll attack us all? Without your weapons?" Kat and Clara then realized that they weren't carrying their swords. Barton then snickered, then one of the crew members held up the swords they had stolen from their quarters. "You are outnumbered and outarmed," Barton said. "If you try to fight us, you are likely to be killed." He then turned to a few of the crew members. "Bind them, men. Make sure they do not escape." He then raised his pistol to Kat and Clara. The girls put their hands up, just as four crew members decended upon them with hemp rope. Minutes later, Kat and Clara found themselves with their hands bound as Hermione's were with the ropes unrelentingly tight. They and the captain were dragged over to the main mast and bound to it all together. Barton again approached them as his fellow mutineers wrapped a long rope around the mast to hold the three women. "I will make this very simple, Hermione," he said. "You will tell me the exact combination to that chest, or I will kill all three of you. And I will not start with you, captain -- I will kill the Guardians first, the one's to whom you have a great responsibility, as their travels could result in unfathomable glory for Trillan. Now which is it -- do you give me the combination so that I may savior the rewards of their quest, or do I kill them first and leave you with the risk of being either banished from Trillan or being executed for -- oh, I don't know -- neglecting your responsibility to the upholders of our freedoms? I leave the decision to you, Hermione. Now, if you'll excuse me, my crew members are going to loot the ship." Barton then strolled off towards Hermione's quarters, free to loot as he wished. Kat, Clara, and Hermione all watched in desperate silence. "You will hang for this, Barton!" Hermione shouted, struggling to escape. "Argh! I cannot get free! We are as good as dead!" "Do not say that, captain," Clara said. "I remain hopeful that we can find a way to get out of this." "That is simple for you to say," Hermione snarled, "seeing how you Lamuthians are so confident about everything." Kat was upset. "You know," she said, "if my hands weren't tied together, I would let you have it right in the face." "I did not ask you for your opinion, Kat," Hermione said. "How dare you talk to me like that!" The quarreling continued for a few more minutes as Barton and his rebellious crew continued to gather up all they could find. Next page >> |