The Eternal Jew’s Tale, #179, Abarbanel 8

In this episode, the exiles are greeted by some visitors on the high seas.

The Eternal Jew’s Tale
Twenty First Era, Part 2, 1492 C.E., Iberia
The Abarbanel Cycle, 8

Ropes squeal against the cleats and snap tight as sails bulge, the canvas a-flutter with crackle and pop as the ship begins to ease from the dock, the deck crowded, and a loud keen of trauma rises unconsciously from the horrored soul of this broken folk.

And soon that land fades in haze. And soon the last trace sinks beneath the sea. Don Isaac’s ship leads the way, a three-master, sleek and fine, all fit out in the lower deck with cabins and many a storage room, and a kitchen well stocked with water and wheat, oil and cheese, raisins and dates, salt, salt fish, sugar and spice, and even a lamb to prepare for Shabbat. I been assigned as first mate of the second ship, a cow-like tub, if ever I seen one. A double mast, and packed with people stem to stern. Low in the water with too much weight, so it runs slow and full of bilge. People hardly have a board to sleep on. On the third ship, still more folk, but also crammed with luggage and wares, most of it owned by the captain, I’d say.

Three days out. Blazin’ sun. Wind stifled by the thick heat. *And then, behold, a little cloud risin’ from the sea, like a man’s hand.* Mercy! A cloud and maybe some wind. The heavy pall lightens a bit. Some whispers and chatter drift on the air.
*-* 1 Kings 18:44

“Such changelings we are. Such butterflies! Who could have known that beneath the hood of the local priest, him who smiled so benevolently at everyone, a smiteful man with secret hate for every New Christian that come to him. Him we thought a butterfly, turns out to be a killer wasp.”
“Ain’t that so. Who would have known that behind the beard of our holy sage, who circumcised our babes and buried our dead and filled our days with Torah’s ways, one morn he shaves off his long white beard and buries his tefillin in a pine box, gets baptized, and takes on a new name. Him we seen as a lion of God, turns out he been but a little mouse.”
“Changelings. Who could have ever known how that young and tender and timid boy, our rabbi’s grandson with hardly a beard, would rouse us from our torpor and fear, lead us down to Valencia, find this ship and save our lives. That sparrow, all flitter and flutter and fright, like an eagle carried us on his wing.”

And such like banter I could hear, when the captain shouts,

“Hands on deck!”

And now that little cloud we seen, it ain’t a cloud but sails of a ship, and probably pirates, and here we been like ducklings sited by a hungry hawk.
Followin’ orders, I shouts from the helm:

“Children and elders and the sick and weak below decks now, and don’t delay. Men and boys with a stout heart go to the main mast and take a club. The strongest of you will get a sword or bow and arrows if you know how to shoot. Then take a place at the sides of the deck. Women, grab a bucket or jug and fill it with water to provide drink and fight fire, if it comes to that.”

Meanwhile, the captains of our three ships been signalin’ with their special flags, but I ain’t privy to their semaphors. So, two pirates ships against the three of us. I hopes maybe we’d scare them off, but now the later afternoon wind picks up and as I scan around, Isaac’s ship is makin’ a wake to the south, and the other boat of ours turned tail and is headin’ back west. Them pirates could tell a cow from a deer; they let Isaac and his three-master go, and have turned their prows direct to us, as we tack north to capture some breeze. Night come on and the only sounds be ripplin’ sails and moans of the sick and wails of terrified children below.

All night we be on high alert, too terrified to close our eyes, expectin’ at any moment to see the black shade of their ship appear, its shadow of death loomin’ on us. First light and Glory Be. Ain’t no pirates anywheres.

“They must have gone after our third boat, full as it were of plunderable goods. Them pirates can sus an old cow from one whose paps are swollen with milk.”

So says the captain. I guess he knows. As for Isaac, we seen him no more.

Sudden, the seas been lone and vast. Well, maybe the captain can read the stars, but I feel lost in these shades of blue.

~~~~~~~~~~

In the next episode… yet more visitors out here in the middle of nowhere?