59. Silent Partner

“That’s a … nice … dress you got on there captain.” A midget stared up at me though an eye patch and a thick clump of hair over his eyes.

“Oh no I’m not–” I tried to say. I held a small basket of fish and herbs close to my chest. A man has never approached me outside of school before.

“The ship is ready to launch.” He tuned and took several steps down the pier.

I stood and watched as this little hairball of a man swung his legs back and forth in an effort to walk. It took him several of these exaggerated steps just to achieve a normal gait. I’d seen men in the village walk like that before. He was bow-legged. I thought it was from ridding horses, how would a sailor get it?

The midget stopped and turned, like a toy top trying to keep centrifugal force from pulling itself apart, to face me. “You were right captain, the island can only be found as the sun sets.” He took a few more steps before turning around to face me again. “If we leave now we’ll make it in time.”

“But I’m not…” captain, me? I followed him on to a rather large ship. The sheer size of it made him look more like a barnacle than a crew member. We walked past giant egg shaped men covered in fur. They had huge round bellies and short stubby arms and legs. I had to hold back laughter because they wobbled when they walked.

We climbed a set of stairs and the midget took stage on a small platform above the deck, overlooking the entire crew. I quickly brushed hair over my face as the midget spoke.

“We are about to set off for the island! Soon we will be rolling in treasures beyond our wildest dreams.” He looked at me. “Why don’t you say a few words before we set sail?”

I took the stage as he created a psychological vacuum with the large sweeping motions of his legs. I took a deep breath and lowered my voice. “I’m sorry… I um–”

“Don’t be sorry captain, I can’t even dress myself.” One sailor laughed, holding up stump arm. “We could kill the tailor if you like.” They all howled with laughter now.

I looked down my dress. It was a pretty blueberry color with a floral pattern. It was the best dress I owned. I held out the dress with my hand and twirled in the breeze. I was beautiful.

The midget, running as fast as his bent legs would allow, crossed in front of me to yell at the men. “You ugly scum wouldn’t know fashion if it hit you in the face.” He apologized to me. “I’m sorry captain; it’s a very lovely dress, not your normal silk or gold, but still very beautiful, in a commoner sort of way.”

The men howled in laughter.

“Alright you lazy bastards, set sail.” The midget waved his hand at the men like he was the giant and they were the flies. He walked down the stairs and I followed him into a large room in the back of the ship.

Lights and colors danced over my eyes as I looked around the room. Racks of neatly organized dresses, shirts, hats, and shoes covered the walls. Each was carefully color-coded creating a rainbow as one set flowed into the next. The display drew my eyes to the back of the room. Velvet curtains glowed in the sunlight behind a large wooden desk.

The midget stood in front of the desk, his head barely over the top. I walked around and sat in a plush leather chair. It was like sitting on a cloud, as I sank it formed around me, supporting every inch of my body.

“Alright captain, now we just need the final location.” He pulled out a large rolled piece of paper from his jacket. The paper was almost as long as his entire body. Was that why he walked funny? He had trouble unrolling the paper. He put a push pin in one corner, sticking it to the desk, and walked around the desk sticking pins in the other corners until it laid flat. It was a map.

“We just came from the Bering Strait and I’m pretty sure it can’t be any farther east because the water is just too shallow for an island.”

He pointed at one mass of squiggly lines after another on the map. I’d never even seen a map before. I couldn’t tell which parts were water and which where land.

“So you learned the final location?” he asked me.

I just smiled. I could feel the blood trying to rush to my face. It took every ounce of strength just to keep it down.

“So it is in the Dead Waters after all. Any ship would be crazy to sail in there.” He laughed so I laughed too. “Good thing we’re not any ship!” He pulled the map off the desk, ripping the pins out. “I’ll inform the navigator.” He wobbled back and forth as he made the long walk to the door. With his hand on the knob he turned and smiled at me. “I don’t know how you do it, but you always pull though for us.” With that the midget left.

I got up from the desk and walked over to a row of shoes covered in rubies. “And who said men don’t listen.”

©Chris Richards 2009