Page 5 of New Storm Rising
“Let’s go up on the deck, everyone!” Kojo shouted. “We’ve been cooped up in this hellhole long enough. I wanna breathe some fresh sea air!”
He stormed towards the stairs, and, after a moment or two, the crowd began to follow. An eerie silence hung over everyone, as if none dared to speak for fear they would wake up from this dream. Only when they stepped onto the deck did a whisper spread among the men and women.
“Did…did that really happen?”
“Did we really do it?”
“We…we’re free?”
“We’re free!”
“Free! Hahahaha, we’re free! Free!”
Cheers rose above the crowd, and chains and shackles flew into the air, sailing over the railing and vanishing into the ocean. It took quite a while for everyone to calm down enough for Itoro to make himself heard.
“Hey, Kojo! Kojo, come over here!”
Everyone quieted down, watching the two heroes who had led them to freedom.
“What did you do with the whites?” Itoro asked. “Specifically the sailors. Did you lock them away, like I asked you to?”
Kojo snorted “Better! I tried to play nice for your sake, you damn pacifist, but…” Grinning, the mountain of onyx muscle patted his cudgel. “Those bastards were being stubborn, so I smashed their heads in!”
Itoro blinked.
“And the first mate?”
“He was being stubborn, too.”
“So…”
“I smashed his head in.”
“And the commander?”
“Wham! Smashed his head in.”
“And the captain?” Itoro’s eyelid twitched. “Did you smash his head in, too?”
“Nah.”
“Thank God!”
“I threw him overboard,” Kojo proclaimed, proudly pounding his barrel chest. Around him, people cheered.
Itoro covered his face with his hand. “Great. Just great. I only have one question for you, Kojo, my friend…”
“Yes?”
“Do any of us here know how to steer this ship?”
What followed was a long, long moment of silence.
“Oh crap.”
***
Standing at the prow of the ship, I peered through the telescope in my hand, inspecting the column of smoke rising in the distance.
