| Kat, Clara, and Salem all approached the body of each dead crew member and prayed. Captain Hermione gathered sheets in which to wrap the bodies, then gave Barton his final rites, all the while crying. Afterward, the bodies were all wrapped in a sheet and tossed overboard, sort of as a funeral at sea. Hermione put her hat back on and sat down as Salem washed the deck of the blood. Kat and Clara sat down next to her. "Captain," Kat said. "Are you all right?" Hermione looked up, her face again expressionless. "I am fine, thank you," she said, softly. "I--I want to thank you, Kat. You and Clara and Salem, all of you. You saved my life and my ship." Kat was stunned. "You are thankful now?" she asked. "Yes, I am," Hermione answered. "You have changed my life on this day." "We have?" Clara said. "Of course, you have, Guardians," Hermione continued. "Our perilous experience today has shown me that true Trillanians are not the only heroes, but that they come from abroad." Kat and Clara smiled. "You, from so far away," the captain continued, "have impressed me, as a proud Trillanian. I commend your courage on this day. Surely, I have been foolish; you three possess what Trillanian Guardians should always possess. Together, we overcame our objective because we overcame our differences." Kat and Clara stood up, followed by Hermione. "That is something all of us should learn, captain," Clara said. "Kat, Salem, and I have learned that more than once on our trip across our young world." Hermione finally smiled and embraced Kat. "Thank you both so much," she said, almost crying. She then hugged Clara, then Salem. "I am in your debt. Your heroics are true worldly values. Now, please excuse me for a moment. I need some time to think, and rearrange everything to where it once rested." Hermione began to walk away, adjusting her hat to protect her eyes from the sun. Then, suddenly, she stopped. "Guardians Kat, Clara, and Salem?" she called out, her back still turned. "Yes, captain?" Clara said. "I may still be the captain of this ship," she began, "but I resolve to be slightly less tyrannical....You may call me 'Hermione' from now on, instead of 'captain' or 'ma'am'." Kat smiled. "Certainly, Hermione," she said. Hermione smiled, not wanting to show it. "That is all," she said. The captain then walked back to her quarters. Clara smiled. "For as little emotion she shows," she began, "she has important feelings, now moreso for us." "She is a good woman," Kat said. "And a good learner." For the rest of the afternoon and evening, Hermione and her "crew" finished cleaning up the ship and tidying up their ransacked quarters. They together enjoyed a lavish meal, celebrating the overcoming of another objective in their continuing quest for world happiness. Back to Stories Back to "TAOK&C" Back to Home |