The Call of the Ocean
he western walls of the corsair's cottages reflected the red glow of the evening sun, making the huts look like they were on fire. An unseasonable fresh and cool breeze crept up from the east, splashing the rippling waves with a monotonous rhythm against the shore and pulling the water with a gurgling sound back into the ocean.
The corsair deeply inhaled the smell of the salty spray, while he knew that he had been idle for too long already. He suddenly was terribly aware of his poor morale and physical condition.
| He looked at his horse Landlubber, who had been a faithful companion through his past journeys, and now looked old and frail, aged with the deprivations of
perilous travels. In his crock's dull eyes he realized his own reflection, and that he had almost become a lazy and fat landlubber himself. He fed a carrot to his old horse. When was the last time the terrible corsair Hawkeye Pike had ruled the high seas, defying enemies, sea serpents and storms? The breeze plucked at his tunic like it was trying to pull him out on the ocean, whispering with an enchanting voice "Follow me, follow me!" Hawkeye Pike could not resist. |
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While he watched his horse collapsing and dying from the carrot, which he had previously trained poisoning on and accidentally fed to his crock, he knew that he had to follow the call of the ocean. "Farewell Landlubber!" he muttered sadly as the sun was vanishing behind the towering black clouds secretly creeping up from all directions. The setting sun created a golden hemline around the clouds, and soon its last pale rays were swallowed by the opaque veil of an overcast sky. |
| Hawkeye Pike opened
the plank of the Grim Corsair III and entered his ship. He had stored most
of his belongings in two wooden chests, and carried them on board. He
examined the sky and frowned. The clouds had changed their color from grey
to almost black. He heard the far away rumbling of thunder, and near the
horizon lightnings flashed across the distant sky. "Shiver me
timbers!" he muttered softly. But his ship sure was seaworthy, so he
commanded "Raise Anchor!", and the ground tackle was pulled up
with a rattling sound. The breeze had now changed into a strong wind, and
the gusts pulled on his tricorne while the corsair commanded his tillerman
to sail directly into the eye of the wind. |
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The red flag on the top of the mast
flapped like it was waving the Red Skull Bay good bye. The vessel slowly
disappeared, and soon his sail melted into the black southwestern horizon.
Nobody ever heard of the corsair Hawkeye Pike again....
05/2000
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