The Ophir (8 page)

“If I had a woman of my own I would buy her
that pretty frock in yon window.”

“Aye, but no woman will come near enough to
accept that pretty little frock.” They made up a song as they
walked the empty streets peering in one window or another. Their
tone was soft and sad:

Here comes the rain
Another day, another storm
I've been down, down, down
For oh, so long

I'll walk this mile
And I'll ask no quarter
For in the end
Blood is thicker than water

Citizens brave enough to walk the streets at
night, and merchants or laborers that had no choice, crossed to the
other side of the street when they saw the sailors moving in their
direction. Women and children stayed inside between dusk and dawn.
They were in no danger as long as the contract held, but still,
fear of the possibilities kept them at bay. They were a plain
people compared to the Ophir.

From the captured ships laden with treasure,
the Ophir was dressed in gilded sails, purple draping and silvered
oars and cannons. An admirer of Julius Caesar's panache, Captain
Antonio followed suit. Needless to say, the legend of his ship drew
more than the casual passersby.

* * * *

“Rumors and maps say that the Ophir lay in
chains at Cilicia. Some say the crew is new and inexperienced.
Others say it’s the original crew, but no one knows for sure.”

“Aye, Cap’n, but how can that be? The
original crew would have to be 200 years at sea now. That’s not
possible. I’ll wager that the crew is young and inexperienced. They
would be easy to take.”

“Regardless, the stories of treasure have
always been steadfast and unchanging. That part must be true. It’s
worth a try for an even split, wouldn’t you agree mate?”

“I Cap’n. But what of the others?”

“It has to be done by vote to make it
fair.”

“What of dissenters?”

The true coordinates and rules for such a
lucrative and dangerous enterprise would be entrusted to few.

Those seafaring men that believed themselves
better equipped to deal with the pirates of Cilicia and the crew of
the Ophir were not often heard from again except in song. Centuries
long after the end of the night crawlers, songs penned by pseudonym
such as Voltaire, reworded by others, would continue to blend into
society in fringe groups keeping the flame alive.

Fangs were flying, capes were torn
Hell hath no fury like a night crawler scorned
The number one rule in this game:
Never call a night crawler by his real name

The songs served as warnings to those that
crossed the line between human and lamia. Real names belonged to
the living. To reveal a family name could put relatives, past
friends and even acquaintances in jeopardy.

The chantey that may have originated in
Cilicia, would be passed from one generation to another as a
warning. It was carried to the world by merchants that traveled
through its gates and over land.

The Ophir was a golden magnet to the greedy.
Tales spread about the opulent Ophir; its coordinates were shared
with varied ocean going interests. Many a treasure seeking ship met
its end that way. Many a curious schooner was recorded lost at sea
after last seen in that area. And Captain Antonio’s fleet continued
to grow.

Pharaohs, kings and presidents hunted the
Ophir, but none could find it. Armies rose and armies fell.
Governments were taken over. Battles raged between the powerful
countries of the world. Exploration was growing, and new lands were
being claimed for one king or another. Trade brought many new kinds
of ships and cargo into being. But the Ophir continued to elude its
hunters.

The world became a busy place, and the Ophir
became a mythological legend while it still existed. Untold riches
lay at the bottom of the ocean waiting for time to move
forward.

It sailed the oceans attacking ships in the
dead of night, taking plunder from the Spanish, French and
Portuguese alike, but they had no personal need for any of it. It
was a toll for bargaining with the Cilicians’.

The captain and crew feared no one and owed
no allegiance. Little existed that could make them regret the
decision. The seas gave them birth, and the seas nurtured them. It
was home and hearth; time did not exist for the Ophir.

The biggest dilemma the Captain faced was how
many captive crewmen were to be allowed to survive. Some were used
as day slaves. Some were converted to replace those vampires killed
in battle. The rest were eaten. Captain Antonio believed in a
balanced inventory.

* * * *

Nine ships total comprised the Ophir’s
flotilla. They roamed the seas at night and took refuge in
illusions during the day. Their hive-like mind had the power and
strength to dress their ships like a rock or a lush island while
anchored in stillness.

A cage of iron hung beneath the ship’s hull.
The crew would 'sleep' to regain strength in their watery births,
until the sun disappeared into the horizon. They would then rise
and climb aboard ship to begin their night’s work. The stories of
the times always shared the phrase “and out of nowhere” giving rise
to the ghost stories told to boys and girls all over the earth.

Those same stories were said to give grown
sailors nightmares. No one was safe. No ship could rest easy as
long as the Ophir and her fleet existed.

All over the globe, mismanaged nations and
wars would complete an intimate relationship that often changed
powers and beliefs on land. Finding interest in madness, wondering
what events could transpire to create leaders such as Julius
Caesar, Ghengis Khan and others, Captain Antonio added to the
insecurities of the world.

As shipping lanes became well-travelled,
battles became less of a necessity. Time wore on. Stealth and
cunning became the tools by which to pillage and plunder. Few ships
sailed both laden with treasure and ready to fight. The booty was,
at times, of no use to the world of the sea vampire. They were
living legends being pushed into extinction by progress.

Juan Antonio Patino de Cuevas Del Drach,
would build a reputation as well-known as any pirate or warlord of
centuries past. He would also be the one forgotten first.

He would be dismissed as myth, not because he
was of no count, but because his exploits were self-centered and
occurred due to longevity. You need only endure in order to
conquer.

* * * *

While The One continued his path toward a
final meeting with the last prophet Nazim, a life of debauchery and
death on land and taking pleasure where he could, the Ophir
indulged its mates in adventure. It sailed round the coast of a
peninsula named Florida after the abundant flowers growing there.
They came within shot of a chain of islands heavily populated by
pirates. Out of necessity, Europeans used the farthest island south
of the main land for respite, traded with the regulars for ships
repair, and refreshed their supplies with exotic fruit such as
coconuts, mangoes and avocado. If they stayed long enough they
learned to cast nets and how to catch and prepare grouper, dolphin,
and conch, while managing to avoided confrontation. Other than
Calusa Natives, and a few fishing men from Cuba and the Bahamas, no
one settled permanently on the islands until much later, leaving it
open to be claimed by the fledgling country of America.

The isle was known for its ‘wrecking’ skills.
The few permanent residents made a living by salvaging ships that
wrecked on its coral reefs. Captain Antonio was aware of its
reputation and waters.

The shore was protected by forts, armed and
pointing at sea, with a lantern visible signaling visitors to come
ashore. That swinging lantern was reputed to be the same lantern
used to lure unsuspecting ships onto the reef where its passengers
and crew would be stranded. The good citizens of the island, known
as Conchs, would row out to rescue them and take the rest as
salvage. It was a very lucrative endeavor on the island of Cayo
Hueso.

* * * *

I was called to parlay with the inhabitants
of the island. Two of the Captain’s most articulate men took me as
close as it was safe to speak to the man sending the signal.

While two ships in need of repair sailed with
the Ophir, the rest of the armada protected Cilician waters. Four
day-slaves rowed to shore to enlist the aid of local craftsmen.
Would they bargain for the labor?

“Ahoy! Of what ship do ye hail?”

“We sail from Cilicia”, the pirates
responded.

“Welcome,” answered the citizen. “Cilicia?
We've never heard of the Cilicia. What country?”

“A country far from here. We are from the
East.”

“What do you seek?”

“Ship repairs. We need supplies for repairs
and labor. Can you come aboard and negotiate with our Captain?”

“Yes. I will come aboard.”

“We will escort you.”

They waited for the man to pull alongside and
then escorted the skiff back to the Ophir. The Captain and crew
cloaked their ships in a thick fog, and overlaid Cilicia on top of
the name Ophir in the mind of the man climbing aboard. The crew
took three steps back, turned and disappeared into the fog rolling
onto the deck.

The citizen's eyebrows went up in surprise,
but the Captain walked to him and touched his shoulder forcing him
to turn and look into his eyes. The Captain’s eyes seemed to glow
and grow with intensity as he looked deep into the other's eyes.
All disturbing thoughts were erased.

“Your name?” Captain Antonio looked deeply
into the first man’s eyes

“Jose Vasquez”.

“Jose, welcome to the Cilicia.”

When the captain directed his mesmerizing
gaze in the direction of the second man, he said, “I am Grillo”, in
a very shaky voice.

When the negotiations were over, Jose would
remember nothing out of the ordinary. He would make all
arrangements for repairs and payment. Supplies and crew would board
the disguised Ophir that night and work until just before
daybreak.

The lamia crewmen responsible for cleaning
the hull of barnacles would work in groups of ten, two hours at a
time beneath the water level, heard but not seen by the
islanders.

* * * *

I, as was my habit, went back to my quarters.
Through experimentation with my original master, we discovered that
if I was drained in small amounts, and then replenished with less
than taken, my life could also be extended beyond that of mortal
man but less than that of the vampires. The evidence of
putrefaction was difficult to deny. Flesh is finite, unfortunately.
Until the point where I was a skeleton dressed in imagination, I
continued to hope for release.

My reaction to land was minimized. It
weakened me, but did not incapacitate me. I took longer rest
periods.

My hearing acute, I was careful to record the
events taking place just above my station, as well as all
negotiations. My records were meticulous. If these writings were to
be discovered, I was sure they would be dismissed as the ravings of
a lunatic.

“Jose?”

“SSssh! Be silent. The sooner we complete
these repairs, the sooner we go back to our homes and
families.”

Grillo bowed his head and went back to
replacing worm eaten planks on the ship’s deck. His skin crawled
when he heard shuffling noises coming close and then receding.
Although he would peer into the fog that hung like a thick curtain
around them, he could see nothing.

He could, however, hear and feel the scraping
sounds from beneath the boat. It vibrated through his body and
unnerved him.

* * * *

Captain Antonio watched the workmen replace
the deck planks. They worked fast and with expertise. He could
sense the fear in the one called Grillo. The man was well
named.

Grillo’s hearing was excellent, and every
time he sensed anyone near, he did a little jump, much like the
grasshopper he was named for.

“What was that? Did you see that?” Grillo
jumped.

“Stop! You frighten me more with your
behavior than any other distractions.”

“But, Chuchi ... ”

“Don’t call me Chuchi. It’s Jesus and the
name gives me greater comfort than you.”

The Captain kept his men at bay. They weren’t
hungry as much as curious. If one didn’t know better, you would
almost call it melancholy. But the truth was they sometimes toyed
with those that came aboard. They experienced the stories told
about them and thought them amusing.

More than once a vampire, in the middle of a
human meal, was heard to giggle. He sometimes lost his grip on one
victim or another while draining the man’s thoughts. The predator
would snuffle. The victim’s blood would shoot out of the lamia’s
nose, wasting a life and a meal at the same time.

Shuffling in close, the vampires could
sometimes ‘hear” the thoughts of another, smell their fear. It was
like an aphrodisiac. That was why the Captain stood watch. He had
to protect his men from mistakes made in foolish moments. This was
how the symbiotic relationship with Cilicia and other civilized
lands such as Cayo Hueso began.

After a very long and fruitful relationship
with the Cilician inhabitants, it came to an abrupt end in the late
1200s. The world encroached upon the clandestine world of the
vampires reversing the role of hunter and hunted. The world became
much smaller.

* * * *

Traders and entrepreneurs alike approached
the oceanic entrance to Cilicia Trachea for hundreds of years.
Sometimes they would be given safe passage to trade with the
islanders. Others, approaching from the ocean, came at night. They
rarely made it past the Ophir more than once.

The quartermaster of the marauding ship
whispered, “What now, Captain?”

“Hold your post, mate. Ease in. Tell the
gunner to look sharp. The Ophir and her crew are extraordinary.
With surprise, speed and God on our side, we can take her.” Arthur
Blackrose, Portuguese captain of the Bem-vindo and adventurer,
believed in the power of his God. The crew respected him for his
leadership and navigation skills. But self-confidence, neither
reputation as a fair captain nor faith would save him this
night.