Frederick and Geraldine
Chapter 7- The Pirates

The pirates opened the door and when they entered the gun room,

They saw that their employer was dead; some feelings of joy surged through

Those pirates when they saw the guns. ''His death, how could he presume? ''

They took the pistols while saying, ''Let's go to what we have to do! ''

Their chief had dark blue eyes and a grotesque smile; he touched the walls,

''There is an entrance through this wall leading to the cargo.''

Each one came out and hunkered like any scorpion that sprawls.

They heard the sailors talking about someone called Fargo.

They were working hard to extinguish the fire, so desperate

They were that they could do anything; the pirates' chief

Stood in waiting for his comrades; he used a temperate

Language, ''look, they're coming with the boat; it's my fixed belief

That a strong thought is needed before plunging into the fight

With a force which always makes everything be worse; the pirates coming

With a boat looked like peasants; they asked to embark in spite

Of the situation that they were not in a port and while thinking

To go to Syracuse; Miguel stood stock-still while he thought

Of what all these meant, ''they are not what they seem to be, '

Said Pedro. ''Maybe they are, '' replied Miguel. ''We are caught

Up into something.'' ''We need help anyway, '' ''It's strange for me.''

''What's your name? '' Pedro asked one of them when they embarked.

''I'm Zackery, '' answered that man. ''What an unusual name! ''

They walked along the deck and climbed the stairs to meet the captain.

''Where's our chief? '' Asked someone while helping extinguish the last flame.

''Here I am, '' said someone having a ring with a boom skull.

His guns were aimed at the crew and at the passengers.

''Let's start, '' he said while contemplating the flight of a seagull.

''Don't talk each other, because we can kill all the messengers.

The pirates started a dangerous assault with their guns

While hitting and slapping the victims; ''wake up, captain, I came

Here while bearing glad tidings- now, God takes to High His beloved ones.''

Freddy replied, ''In the end, I'll be the winner because your fight is in vain.''

Some pirates were gazing at the shrinking victims while

Genuflecting them and stabbing the air; they immobilized

Them while holding their heads between their arms and chests in a grand style.

Others wrapped each victim's hair around the neck, '' mobilized

Is now my army for the war of the life, '' said their chief

While ordering some of them to keep the victims under

Surveillance, '' he continued, ''let them share some thoughts of grief.

Where's he? '' ''He's in the gun room -not breathing; he had fallen asunder.''

Nobody was paying much attention to the details,

But Ibrahim was looking at them from a safe corner.

''We're heavy drinkers; let's find some wine until our scam fails.''

''Do you mean our chief knows? '' ''He dealt with his devil, the warner.''

''One of them killed our employer; we must kill them all, '' said another one.

A silence fell between the captains as they started to stare

Openly into each other's eyes. 'Where are the women? ''

''I don't know, '' said Freddy. ''Let's search the shore, they can be there.''

After bringing to the ship the women they had found

On the shore, the pirates asked about the rest of the women.

Rosa said, ''they disappeared in the water splashing around

And died from drowning in the sea; now, maybe they're in Heaven.''

Then, they asked about Fargo and Chiara said that he

Had been sent to search for water. They took a boat to go

To the shore, but they found no one, '' somewhere he could flee.''

Three men stayed on the shore and others searched for Fargo.

While dominating the new world, Spain used its ships to cart

Great riches from there; Marco and Rosa chose to come back

This way wanting to hide their gold until selling it at a mart.

From somewhere, those armed robbers have followed them in their track.

They wanted to steal their gold, the ship's cargo, the oil,

And that fuel being bought from the Empire’s wells to sell them

At the Lisbon's black market; to acquire wealth, they did not toil.

There was no law to condemn them, but they could condemn.

They took Marco and used four cords to tie his hands and his legs

Onto four stakes, they had fixed in the deck at a distance.

His body was pendent in the air; being punched by his dreads,

He was thrashed by them with sticks to end his last resistance.

When Marco prayed for God to save him from the suffering,

Another pirate took the cat; and, when Marco received

Two dozens to faint, he felt pulled apart without rupturing

When he was taken down, he could not stand; he was deceived.

Then, he took two dozens once more; his flesh was hanging in strips.

They used also the cat of nine tails to whip him so badly.

He was a Jewish and ''Deuteronomy'' came on his lips.

With salt on wounds, he couldn't believe they could hate so madly.

(Marco died.)

They beat Rosa with the butt of their guns to say if there was

More hidden gold; after Marco's death, one of the pirates

Married Rosa; he kissed her, ''I'll be rich- please no applause, ''

He said laughing; his love was too brutal for her iris.

In bed, she was immobilized by her fear; when they

Exited out from the cabin, he said, '' I've lain with my bitch.''

These words petrified her; she knelt while starting to pray.

When she finished, he killed her saying, ''Now, I'm very rich.''

A pirate came back saying, ’’ ''he didn't return to the beach.''

''Maybe he was bitten by a snake, ’’ ‘’Tomorrow morning,

At dawn, take these dogs along on searches; watch them in reach

Of the steps of Fargo until the dogs give you a warning.''

Lucca said, „I’m an Italian diplomat.'' One pirate

Laughed and told him that they were hired by that strange man; served

Another government, '' your death will be a twist of fate.''

''Let me live! '' ''You're asking for something which you do not deserve.''

''I can pay for my life, '' ''No deal- gives us those documents.''

The pirates stuck some candles around the mizzenmast; they

Surrounded it having swords in their hands, ''twist your arguments.''

Lucca had to enter this circle, ''now, we sing and you play.''

Lucca was forced to run while another pirate used

Bella's violin to play a merry Jig and while each

Pirate cut him with his weapon; he screamed and they were amused.

They kept him dancing until he confessed while starting to preach.

After that, one of them took some boiling water to pour it

Into Lucca's ears; the pirates tortured him to reveal

Where a scrap of his wealth and his documents might be concealed.

They hung Lucca by his feet and submerged him as a fish meal.

(Then, he collapsed. In the sea, he was left for dying.)

Then, they murdered Gino, Nico, and Dino by tying

Cannonballs to their feet and by pushing them overboard.

Other victims were locked in wrist and leg irons being

Held on the ship’s deck; they stopped when they saw the moon they adored.

(They needed to rest because the night was coming.)

The pirates were dressed partly to look as the seamen.

They wore baggy breeches, stockings, hairy hats with initials,

Thigh-length shirts; but also waistcoats and sashes wore these men.

The sash was draped over one shoulder to carry the pistols.

The color of their clothes was chosen to match the color

Of the sea lessening the chances of being seen by

Their enemies; this uniforms were much duller

Than the color of the sea; the prisoners started to learn to die.

They understood that they could suffer of starvation.

Each one received a quarter cup of dried bread crumbs and two pints

Of water all day long; while thinking that there is no salvation,

The pirates were drinking rum and dancing their strong knee joints.

When they were gambling for handfuls of gold and precious stones,

They were singing songs about mermaids or beautiful women,

And about some past victories to allay the victims' moans.

Two pirates came with liquor sharing it equally when

Others came with a lot of money and jewelry found

On the ship to divide them equally to all, except

Their captain and his quartermaster, who took a big mound.

They started to renew the oath they had always kept.

Then, they exclaimed 'Liberty, Equality, Fraternity, '

While hoisting two flags, one red, and the other one having

A skull and two crossbones. ''Don't you need a pinch of dignity? ''

Frederick screamed, ‘’you will end in jail! ’’ ''Sure, '' said one of them laughing.

‘’ Europe controls only small zones of the seas, so

There are no laws when we're sailing on the wild waters.’’

One of them said, ‘’Look, man, we are necessary; don't you know

That we're guards to stop you when with weapons you cross the borders? ''

Freddy replied, ‘’you know it’s a stupid lie; ’’ one pirate

Pulled out one of his fingernails with a plier. '' I will

Make you walk the plank, '' he told Frederick, 'It's your cruel fate.''

''Captain, to sell the slaves at good prices, you have the skill! ''

While living in the misery, the prisoners had to face

A grinding nightmare; Freddy wanted to give them some moral

Support but he wasn't allowed to talk with them; in disgrace

They received small amounts of food; Miguel whispered, '' Don't quarrel! ''

Arturo has died because he couldn’t take the stress

While thinking that Francesca must follow Lucca in death.

One pirate grabbed Francesca's hand while needing to possess.

With a hellish smile, he approached her to smell her honeyed breath.

He told her, '' Look, I’m a good guy; I give you time to think.’’

Francesca fainted. He left her telling all the pirates

‘’ No one may touch her.; tomorrow, she will marry me at the dawn's pink.''

They heard a huge sound and they realized they are in dire straits.

(After buying a house in Prinylas, Geraldine, Maya, Carla, Erica, Surak, and Fargo spent their night in silence. In the morning, Fargo and Maya went to bring the priest and everything was necessary for the funerals. Fargo told Geraldine that he had left the piracy in order to live a normal life. He said that he was afraid that much worse than the prisoners' death was to find them in Prinylas. He wanted to do everything he had to do very quickly.)

After Bella's funerals, Fargo told Geraldine,

'I must convince the army to go there to put them down.

I'll buy a galley for Frederick on which my name will shine.

I take a part of the treasure to go to Corfu Town.''

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