The Deepest Waters, A Novel (10 page)

“Micah, Captain needs you. Downstairs in his cabin.” It was Maylor, the first mate.

“Yessuh, Missuh Maylor.” Micah stood. “Been such a pleasure chattin’ with you, Mrs. Foster.”

“It’s been my honor.” She glanced at Maylor, who seemed totally bewildered by her remark.

As Micah climbed down the wooden stairway, Maylor said, “Captain needs you to clean up. The men ate in his quarters tonight. Shouldn’t take you too long.”

Laura said, “Can I help?”

“Sorry, ma’am. Captain said he just wanted Micah on this.” He turned, and both men disappeared below.

Laura turned and looked back at the sunset, the brightest colors all drained away. But it was still something to see the sky mirrored so perfectly against the ocean. She realized that the serenity of this scene would be lost on Captain Meade and his men. For them, it meant just one thing: dead sails. She leaned over the railing and noticed the ship hardly moving at all. But at least her talk with Micah had dispelled any concerns of want and starvation.

“Don’t tell me you’re going over the rail now.”

Laura stood up straight and turned to see Melissa smiling at her. “Can’t say I haven’t thought about it a time or two,” she said.

“That was a nice thing you did for that woman today.”

“I didn’t do anything.”

“Yes, you did,” said Melissa. “It’s one thing to talk about helping someone or feeling sympathy. You take action. You reached right into your gold pouch and helped everyone see what they could do for her. When it was over . . . well, it was the first time I’ve seen so many smiles on this ship.”

“Thank you,” Laura said. “Guess it must be nice not to have to hide your smiles so much.”

“It really is. Although I don’t see how this benevolent mood can last. Everyone’s back to staring out to sea, with nothing but time on their hands.”

“Well, if that happens, you keep your smile. You have no reason to feel guilty, just because you haven’t suffered a loss. Where do you suppose he is now, your Tom?”

Melissa’s face lit up. “He should be waiting for me in New York. Tomorrow is the day the
Vandervere
was supposed to arrive.”

Laura had completely forgotten.

“Looks like we could be a few days late. Well, I think I’m going to head toward the bow, see if I can catch some kind of breeze.” They exchanged smiles, and she walked away.

Laura stared out to sea. She stood there a number of minutes. For the moment her mind was as calm as the water. When she looked to her left, Melissa was standing beside her again.

“It’s no better up there,” she said. For a few moments, neither said a word. “I know we don’t know each other, Laura, but I want you to know, I am sorry for your loss. What was your husband’s name?”

Laura hated hearing John spoken of in the past tense. “John,” she said. She wanted to change the subject quickly. “So, what brought you out to San Francisco?”

“I needed to get away from Philadelphia. Tom and I were in love, at least I thought we were. But his family wanted him to marry a girl from another family—a better family, socially speaking. They pressured him and he finally gave in, and we broke it off.”

“Were you engaged?”

“Not officially, but I was sure he was about to ask me any day. Instead, he wrote me a letter explaining how he did love me but that we could never be together.”

“I’m sorry—what an awful thing to do.”

“The worst day of my life. My brother invited me to come out West with him so I wouldn’t have to face the pain every day. So, I left.”

“I went out West with my brother too,” Laura said. “Three years ago. His name is Michael. Our cousin went with us. They helped me get situated in San Francisco, then they headed north looking for gold.”

It pained her to think of it now, but the hundreds, actually thousands, of men in San Francisco formed the strength of her brother’s appeal for Laura to join them. Their parents had died the year before, and Michael had decided to use his part of the inheritance to join the gold rush. “Laura,” he’d said, “there aren’t any men left in the church or in the neighborhood to pursue you. They’ve all married or moved away. I’ve read in San Francisco there are at least five men for every woman. You’re bound to find someone to marry you. Please come with us.”

Michael could be kind, but he had no idea how much he’d hurt her talking this way. No matter the humiliation, it had worked. Remembering this now, though, only added to her sorrow. The truth was, no one had wanted her back East, and in San Francisco there had only been John. In her whole life there had only ever been John.

And now he was gone.

Pretending more interest than she felt, she turned her attention back to Melissa. “Obviously, your Tom had a change of heart,” she said quickly.

“Yes! He did,” said Melissa. “At the end of July he wrote me this wonderfully long letter begging my forgiveness and proposing marriage.”

“What happened?” It was actually helping to hear all this.

“He said he knew he could never be happy with anyone but me, and finally persuaded his parents to change their minds. His mother was the main obstacle, but Tom said even she gave in. He said he wouldn’t give her a moment’s peace until she did.”

“I’m happy for you,” said Laura, glad to feel any measure of happiness inside.

Even if only for a few moments, even if only for someone else.

His pockets were full.

It amazed Ayden Maul, how heavy this stuff was. At the most, he’d only held a small nugget before, and that had belonged to someone else.

But this . . . was all his.

He folded over the last blanket from the last stash of gold he’d stolen from and slowly panned the room. The hold looked just as he’d found it. It was hard to pull himself away. Mustn’t get greedy, he thought. Better to leave now before he got caught. Besides, with the winds dying down he had at least one more night to come back for a third dip.

He turned toward the stairs when he heard that stupid dog scratching and sniffing at the hatch overhead. He’d closed it over before he went down, to give himself a little warning should anyone come. “Get out of here,” he whispered angrily. “Stupid mutt.”

But the dog ignored him.

“Whatcha got there, girl?” Micah asked.

Laura heard him and walked across the forecastle deck, sidestepping around two sleeping children. She stopped at a wooden rail that divided it from the main deck below. Micah walked across the main deck, carrying a stack of cut sails. Crabby was a few yards away, sniffing and pawing at the hatch that covered the hold where the ladies slept.

“You know you ain’t allowed down there, girl. Come over here.”

Crabby looked at him but instantly returned to her task. Maybe someone had left a bowl of gruel below, Laura thought. Hard to imagine it generating such interest, but Micah insisted she couldn’t get enough to suit her. Micah set the sails down and walked over to her. He bent down and patted her on the head. Her tail wagged, but she kept pawing at the hatch.

Just then Micah’s head cocked to the side, as if he’d heard a strange noise. He lifted the hatch lid. “Stay here, Crabby,” he said and started to climb down.

Ayden Maul backed away from the stairs when he heard the hatch lid open. He picked up the small pile of damp blankets he’d brought down, to serve as his excuse should anyone catch him there. He watched as a pair of beat-up shoes came down the steps, followed by a pair of torn pants.

Shoot, he thought. Ain’t nobody but that dumb old slave.

“Oh, it’s you, Missuh Maul.”

“Just me,” Maul said. “Just thought I’d gather up these damp blankets down here. Some of the ladies must have left ’em. Ain’t gonna dry down here overnight.”

“Mighty kind of you, suh. But you ain’t gotta be doin’ that. That’s Micah’s job.”

“I don’t mind.”

“Well, since you here, mind if I go back and get some of those cut sails I’s fixin’ to bring down? They done dried already.”

Maul just wanted out of there quick. He felt the weight of the gold against his legs. “All right,” he said, hiding his annoyance.

“Here, I’ll take them wet things and bring ’em up. Then I’ll hand down the dry ones. You don’t gotta do nothin’ but set ’em down somewhere. I’ll pass ’em out.”

Micah waited a moment.

“Okay, go.” He handed Micah the blankets. Micah turned and went back upstairs. Maul followed him and waited by the opening.

“Here you go, Missuh Maul.” Micah walked halfway down and handed him a stack. “Just one more stack and we done.” A moment later, Micah returned. “Here you go.”

Maul took the second stack, set them next to the first, then waited for Micah to come down the stairs.

“Thank you, suh,” Micah said and stepped aside to let Maul climb up.

Maul stopped after a few steps and looked up. “Can you call your dog off?”

“She’ll back away as you go up,” Micah said.

“Even after yesterday . . . what I did to her?”

“Crabby? She already forgave you for that. You’ll see.”

Maul climbed a few more steps, but the dog didn’t back off. In fact, she growled. “Let me by, you stupid dog,” he yelled, then slapped his palm hard against the wood. When he did, his left foot slipped a stair. He almost fell but caught himself.

Then he watched as three gold nuggets fell out of his left pants pocket and skipped down the stairs. They slid across the deck like dice. Maul looked at Micah; he was staring at the nuggets. Quickly Maul grabbed the hatch and slammed it shut, then hurried down the stairs. Micah backed up, his eyes white with fear.

“Missuh Maul, what you doin’ . . . you stealin’ from these ladies?”

“Shut up,” he said. He pushed Micah, hard. Micah fell back and tripped over a carpetbag.

Maul bent down and scooped up the three nuggets. He turned back toward the stairs.

“Missuh Maul, I can’t let you do that. That’s all them ladies got in the world.”

Maul got up the first step. Micah ran toward him. Maul kicked him in the chest, and he fell back again. “You say a word about this, to anyone, and I’ll kill you.” But Micah got right back up and came at him. Maul couldn’t believe it. The slave grabbed his leg and pulled. Maul kicked him again.

Just then Crabby started barking through the closed hatch. Maul knew someone would be coming any minute. He hurried down the stairs and tackled Micah. They fell to the deck. More gold nuggets spilled. Maul got behind him and dragged Micah up by his shoulders. Maul reached into his pocket, grabbed a large handful of nuggets, and slipped them into Micah’s pocket. He spun him around and punched him in the face. Micah staggered back against the wall.

The hatch door lifted.

Crabby was the first to come down. She ran right for Maul and attacked him, growling and biting him. Maul kicked her away. She howled in pain and limped over to Micah. Then Maylor, the first mate, came down, followed by Lieutenant Ashcroft.

Then that Foster woman.

“What’s going on here?” Maylor yelled.

Maul reached over and grabbed Micah by his lapels. “Caught this slave down here stealing gold.”

“I find that hard to believe,” said Ashcroft.

“Let go of him,” Maylor said to Maul. “Micah, is this true?”

“No, suh, I’d never steal from these ladies.”

“I saw you,” Maul shouted, raising his hand as if to strike him again.

“Put your hand down, Maul,” yelled Ashcroft, taking a few steps toward him.

This is nonsense, thought Laura. Two older ladies came down the stairs, followed by Melissa. Laura made room for them.

“Mr. Maul,” Maylor said. “I’m afraid we’ll need more than your say-so to believe such accusations.”

“You got more than my say-so,” said Maul. “Check his pockets. He was shoving gold in them when I came down and caught him.”

Maylor looked at Micah, gravely concerned.

“Suh, I ain’t took no gold. See . . .” Micah reached his hand in one pocket and pulled it inside out. He reached his hand in the other, and his face instantly fell. He looked down, shook his head, but didn’t move.

“Micah, let me see,” Maylor said.

Laura was confused. She looked at Maul, noticed a slight grin.

“I didn’t take these, Missuh Maylor. Honest, I didn’t.” Micah held out a palm full of gold nuggets.

The older ladies gasped.

“Micah,” said Maylor, disgust in his tone.

Laura looked at each face. They were all buying this sham.

“Told you,” said Maul. “Should I get the captain, sir?”

“Guess you better,” said Maylor.

“But suh,” Micah protested, “I’s the one came down here and caught him stealin’. Honest, God is my witness.”

“Save it for the captain,” Maylor said.

Maul walked toward the stairs.

“Wait a minute,” Laura said loudly. “This is absurd. Mr. Maylor, you know Micah didn’t take that gold.”

“Ma’am, this ain’t your business,” Maul said, walking past her.

“Mr. Maul is lying,” she said. Everyone looked at her.

“What?” Maul said, as if deeply offended. “How dare you.”

“Mrs. Foster,” Maylor said. “How could you know that?” Maul continued up the steps. “Hold up, Maul.”

“I saw Micah on deck just a few minutes ago,” she said. “Didn’t Mr. Maul say he caught Micah stealing when he came down here?”

“Yes,” said Maylor.

“How could that be? That means Micah would have to be down here already.” She looked around. “Isn’t this hatch the only way in here?”

“It is.”

“Then Mr. Maul has to be lying,” she said. “I was on the forecastle deck. The hatch lid was closed. Crabby was sniffing and scratching at it. I saw Micah go over to her. I saw him come down here. Mr. Maul was nowhere in sight. I kept watching right up until you and Lieutenant Ashcroft came down. That can only mean Mr. Maul was already down here, before Micah came.”

“That’s the truth, Missuh Maylor. What she’s saying. I come down ’cause Crabby makin’ such a fuss, and Missuh Maul already here.”

“You’re lying,” Maul shouted. “Both of you.”

“Come down here, Maul,” Maylor said. “Lieutenant Ashcroft, will you please get the captain?”

“Gladly.”

“Sir, you know these two are friends,” Maul said. “Look at the way they ganged up on me yesterday. She’d say anything to protect him. How do you explain the gold in his pockets?”

“Mrs. Foster, we did catch Micah with the gold.”

“
He
musta put them there,” said Micah, pointing at Maul, “when he was fightin’ me.”

“Why don’t you check Mr. Maul’s pockets?” Laura asked, playing a hunch.

Everyone looked at Maul.

“What, you gonna listen to her now?” Maul asked.

“Show me your pockets,” said Maylor.

“I will not. This is ridiculous.”

“I wasn’t asking, Maul.”

Maul stalled a moment. He looked toward the top of the hatch. Laura had the impression he thought of running but realized he had nowhere to go. His shoulders slumped, and he obeyed. One pocket held a small handful of gold, the other was filled with it. The room was thick with tension. Laura looked at the women, their faces in shock.

Lieutenant Ashcroft came down the stairs, followed by Captain Meade. “What’s going on here?” the captain said. “Lieutenant Aschroft tells me we have a thief on board. Mr. Maylor, have you sorted this out?”

“I’m afraid I have, sir.” He spent a few minutes briefing the captain on the events that had just occurred.

When he finished, Captain Meade turned to Maul. “To me, Maul, you are the lowest of the low. It’s one thing for a man to steal bread when he’s hungry. But to steal the last savings from a group of widows in distress is despicable. I can’t imagine how a man could stoop to such a thing. Mr. Maylor?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Check Maul here from head to toe. Make sure you get every last nugget of gold. Then take two men and bring him to my quarters for a dozen lashes. He cries out, he gets a dozen more.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Then I want this thief confined to quarters for the remainder of our voyage. By confined, I mean he is to be tied there. He doesn’t move anywhere on this ship without escort. Maul, the moment we anchor in New York I want you off my ship.”

Maylor walked over and grabbed Maul’s shirt and pushed him toward the stairs. Laura looked away as they climbed out of sight.

“Captain,” Laura said, “seems we owe Micah our gratitude. Apart from his actions, Mr. Maul might have gotten away with his theft.”

“Well done, Micah,” the captain said.

“Hear, hear,” said Lieutenant Ashcroft.

Melissa and the other women offered their thanks.

Micah picked up Crabby and patted her head. “Y’all been through so much,” he said. “But Captain, I think you better have someone check around Missuh Maul’s bunk for more gold. I’s up on deck last night, saw him coming out of here about this same time.”