Ahoy matey’s, readers, and friends!
We have come to the final installment of this quirky little tale. Thank you for adventuring alongside Henry and I these many months!
While it took [MUCH] longer than I originally planned to get this series out to you in full, I promise I had good reason, which I will share this October.
And so, without any further ado…
Years later, when Henry looked back over the memories of his time in Port Royal and the many strange encounters he had there, nothing could compare to those final hours.
Instead of waking up to the sight of Port Royal’s bustling harbor just beyond the windows, Henry found himself staring out at the sea.
He sat up abruptly and ran to the glass. For miles in every direction there wasn’t a speck of land to be found. Only the endless rolling waters of the Caribbean.
“Agnes!” Henry gasped. “Agnes, wake up!”
His sister groaned as she rubbed her eyes. Clearly, she hadn’t suffered a near sleepless night as Henry had. Agnes yawned, stretched, then sauntered over to Henry.
“What is it?” She puzzled for a moment before her eyes widened like a frightened owl’s. “Where are we?”
“Your guess is as good as mine,” said Henry. But before he could utter another word, the door to Captain Bluebeard’s quarters opened, and in walked the man himself.
“Where are you taking us?” demanded Henry, though he could scarcely hide the fear in his voice. “And where is Grandfather?”
Captain Bluebeard’s eyes crinkled, as though smiling, but his thick beard made it impossible to know for certain. “He’s having his morning meal. What say you?”
Henry frowned. “What say me, what?”
Agnes rolled her eyes. “I say we would like some breakfast.”
Without waiting for Henry, Agnes followed Captain Bluebeard out the door.
“Wait! Agnes!” Henry cried as he ran after her.
How his sister could be so flippant after everything that had happened to the pair of them in the last twenty-six hours was nothing short of flabbergasting. Henry followed Agnes and Captain Bluebeard through a dark corridor and out onto the main deck.
The sun was bright overhead, and the turquoise sea shone and sparkled in its light. There was absolutely nothing to hint of a coming tsunami or earthquake, but then again, he had no idea how far away they were from Port Royal now.
A table had been set in the middle of the deck, with all the fineries one might think of when dining with a pirate captain. Linen napkins, golden plates, pewter tankards, large silver platters covered with fruit, cheese, bread, fish, and peculiar looking cakes.
Henry took a seat apprehensively beside Agnes. While he didn’t think Captain Bluebeard would poison them, he wasn’t so certain about the crew. For all he knew, they were being lured into the middle of the sea to be thrown overboard.
“The food isn’t poisoned, lad,” Captain Bluebeard chuckled as he plopped a small roasted fish upon a piece of slightly burnt toast. “You’ll need your strength about you today.”
Agnes helped herself to a small mountain of grapes, cheese, and toast. Henry’s stomach grumbled, betraying his savage hunger. And he had to admit the captain had a point. If Henry had any hope of making it through the day, whatever it held, best to do it on a full stomach.
After he’d satisfied his grumblings, Henry took a quick survey of the deck. Grandfather, Tsunamina, and the Whaler Witch were nowhere to be seen. The crew mingled about, carrying on their various duties. Still, the sky and weather showed no signs of impending doom.
“Where are we?” Henry demanded, feeling a little braver after having eaten. “And where is Grandfather and Tsunamina?”
Captain Bluebeard studied Henry for a moment, his sea-green eyes twinkling. “They’re below deck, until I can decide what to do with them.”
“Decide?” balked Henry. “We need them to get back home. Our mother will be worried sick. We told you all of this last night!”
“Aye, you told me,” Captain Bluebeard leaned back against his chair. “Unfortunately for you, any lad who has the blood of Todd Murray running through his veins doesn’t warrant immediate trust from me. Loveday’s grandson or not.”
“But it’s true,” Agnes rebutted. “Our mom is in the hospital and she already hates not having us around. You don’t understand! If she thinks something has happened to us, if we never come home…it will break her heart!”
Henry’s own heart seized in his chest. “And it’s already been broken once before.”
A strong wind blew through the deck, rattling the cutlery and whipping the linen napkins into the air. The ship rocked side to side, pushing Henry dangerously close to upchucking his breakfast. Once the wind settled down, Captain Bluebeard stood.
“You could come with us,” Henry blurted out. “Meet our mother yourself. I mean, she’s your niece after all, and she looks a lot like Grandmother.”
But the captain simply stared down at Henry as if he’d spoken a foreign language. Without a word, Captain Bluebeard ordered two members of the crew to watch Henry and Agnes, then disappeared below deck.
“Do you really think he could?” Agnes asked.
Henry plunked his head down on the table. “Could what?”
“Come with us?”
“I don’t know,” Henry shrugged. “Two days ago I didn’t think we could travel through time. Now look at us.”
A loud commotion broke the quiet of the main deck. Henry sat up, and immediately stood beside Agnes who took his hand in her own. Shouts and cries bellowed from below deck. The smashing of barrels and snapping of ropes followed by a rich, maniacal laugh.
“Oh no,” Agnes whispered. “Henry, we need to hide!”
But the door leading below deck exploded open, sending a confetti of splintered door all around. A wave of sparkling blue mist, like from the Whaler Witch’s grotto, spilled out onto the deck. Henry pulled Agnes close, and dragged her beneath the table. Thankfully, being in the open air prevented the mist from blinding them completely as it had done before.
“Fools!” the Whaler Witch’s voice echoed throughout the mist. “Imbeciles! Did you really think you could contain me by mere man-made ropes and chains? You’ve had your fun, and now I’ll have mine.”
The mist rushed forward, as if being sucked away by an invisible force. Henry watched in horror as the Whaler Witch stood a few feet from them, her arms outstretched. The sound of rushing water filled the air, and beyond the ship, the sea began to surge and churn into a mighty whirlpool.
Members of the crew screamed. Some ducked for cover and hid in barrels. Others ran to the wheel and tried to maneuver the ship away from the merciless pool, but it was useless. All around the Whaler Witch’s blue mist swirled in the air, guiding the ship toward the thundering whirlpool.
“What are we gonna do?” Agnes whimpered.
The ship began to tilt, and the table they hid beneath began to slide slowly forward. Henry clung tightly to Agnes. “We need to get to Grandfather and Tsunamina. Let’s go!”
Henry held tightly to his sister’s hand as they crawled away from the Whaler Witch and toward the now obliterated doorway below deck. But Captain Bluebeard stumbled out, blocking their way, a thick gash across his forehead. His once light eyes dark with fury.
“Enough of this!” He demanded of the Whaler Witch.
As tall as she was, Captain Bluebeard still towered over her. Her beautiful face broke into a wide smile as she placed a slender hand on his cheek. There was no denying the witch was violently smitten with the captain. She whispered something in Bluebeard’s ear.
Captain Bluebeard peered over at Henry and Agnes, then nodded.
“No!” Henry cried out. “Agnes, come on!”
They scrambled to their feet but Captain Bluebeard was on them in a moment. As if Henry and Agnes weighed no more than a leaf, he scooped them up in his mighty arms and threw them over his shoulders. The ship bobbed and pitched as the whirlpool drew it nearer. Henry kicked and screamed, but his flailing affected Captain Bluebeard no more than a puppy pawing at an oak.
“You can’t do this!” Henry protested. “Please! You have to let us go. Let Grandfather and Tsunamina go!”
Captain Bluebeard led them down into the darkness of the hull. Twice he nearly fell over as the ship continued to tilt and pitch. As he kicked in a door, invisible to Henry in the darkness, the ship began to gather speed.
A grimy lantern swung from the ceiling, illuminating the class tanks holding Grandfather and Tsunamina prisoner. The ship jerked again, this time sending the tanks careening toward the ground, where they shattered with a great splash.
Captain Bluebeard set Henry and Agnes down. “Don’t move.”
Henry got to his feet with some difficultly, “You have to —”
“On your Grandmother’s grave I mean it lad, don’t move!” Captain Bluebeard snarled so dangerously, Henry froze.
In the weak light of the lantern, Henry watched as Captain Bluebeard hoisted Grandfather, still in his merman form, onto his back.
“You two grab Tsunamina,” the captain commanded.
Confused, but unwilling to be parted from Grandfather again, Henry and Agnes did as they were told. Tsunamina’s tentacles coiled themselves along their arms, and they followed the sound of Captain Bluebeard’s lumbering footsteps back up to the deck.
The ship was speeding along the outermost rim of the whirlpool now. Henry tried not to look beyond the ship at the surging water. The Whaler Witch stood at the railing, her long hair flying in the wind, a far-off look on her face. When she turned and saw Captain Bluebeard, the love-struck smile returned, as if she were under a spell.
Captain Bluebeard plopped Grandfather on the opposite side of the deck, beside the railing. Henry and Agnes waited as Tsunamina, still a fully formed octopus rather than octolass, uncoiled her tentacles.
“Take them home,” Captain Bluebeard ordered Grandfather as he pressed something into the palm of his hand. “Now.”
Henry couldn’t believe his ears. “You’re letting us go?”
The Whaler Witch cackled her wild, fearsome laugh once more. The ship groaned, and the unmistakable sound of wood snapping intermingled with the roar of the whirlpool.
Captain Bluebeard knelt down and took Henry by the shoulders. “Take care of your mother and sister, Henry. And forgive me, if you can.”
“Come with us!” Henry shouted over the noise.
“A captain always goes down with the ship. Murray, get them out of here. Now!”
The next thing Henry knew, Grandfather’s arms were clamped around Henry. Agnes shouted as Tsunamina coiled herself around the girl.
“Hold your breath, Henry!” Grandfather shouted before pulling them both over the side of Loveday’s Revenge toward the raging sea.
Henry gasped and sputtered out the salty sea water, his lungs ablaze. The impact of hitting the sea made him feel as though he’d fallen from a very high tree onto solid ground.
He rubbed his eyes. He could hear Agnes groaning alongside Grandfather. As his vision cleared, he stared ahead as if in a daze.
They were back in Grandfather’s study.
In a large puddle upon the floor, Henry, Agnes and Grandfather lay sprawled and soaking wet. The painting of Tsunamina’s tentacles returned to its original state. Brush strokes of oil paint and nothing more.
The many shelves were still lined with all of Grandfather’s treasures. The mollusk shell returned to its place before Agnes had touched it. The house beyond was quiet. And outside, the rhythmic sound of the waves within Whale’s Cove surged against the rocks below.
“But we didn’t get to say goodbye,” Agnes said softly as she traced one of Tsunamina’s tentacles in the painting. “To either of them.”
Henry sat up. All at once the water evaporated from his hair, skin, clothes, and the floor. The last traces of their impossible journey, gone.
Grandfather got to his feet and took each of them by the hand. His eyes were red with tears. His whole being smaller somehow, the way one does when overcome with regret.
“Can you ever forgive me, children?” Grandfather asked, his voice hoarse. “What would I have done if you’d have been killed, or lost to your mother forever? This was all my doing.”
He looked pointedly at Agnes, and then Henry. “All my doing, do you understand? I am so, so sorry.”
Agnes embraced Grandfather in a tight hug, as quick to forgive as she was to find trouble. “What did the captain put in your hand, Grandfather? On the ship?”
“Oh,” Grandfather chuckled, “a secret of sorts between us creatures of the sea.”
Henry thought of Captain Bluebeard, the story he told and the sacrifice he made. He thought of Grandfather, and the life he led and the words he spoke.
Neither perfect. Neither a villain.
Henry embraced Grandfather, and determined then and there to forgive them both.
The telephone rang from the floor below. Henry, Agnes, and Grandfather all stared at each other in turn.
“Mom!”
Henry ran from the study and dashed down the grand staircase as fast as his feet could move. Sirs Huckleberry, Gawain, and Clennam remained at their posts, though Henry was fairly certain Sir Huckleberry’s helmet twitched as he passed.
Henry picked up the ancient receiver and held it to his ear. “Murray residence, Henry speaking.”
A wide smile broke across his face. “Sorry, mom. Yes, everything is fine. We’ll leave right now. We lost track of time.”
The remaining weeks of summer were blissfully uneventful at Grandfather’s house. They whale-watched from the deck, made s’mores in the fire pit, and explored the many secret passages and rooms of the house. Henry made his way through the endless library, while Agnes made a detailed inventory of all the pirate artifacts in the Pirate room.
But, sadly, summer eventually came to an end as it always does. Henry, Agnes, and Lovely’s last night at Grandfather’s house, they all sat around the table indulging in piping hot bowls of clam chowder and freshly baked sourdough. Henry and Agnes were unusually quiet, while Lovely and Grandfather chatted away over the usual boring things grown-ups find so interesting.
“Well kids, time for bed,” Lovely said with a sympathetic smile. She gave Henry’s shoulder a slight squeeze and ran a finger against Agnes’ cheek. “We’ve got an early start in the morning.”
“That’s right,” Grandfather sighed. “You’ll need a good night’s sleep for the work ahead of you.”
Henry frowned. “Work? All we’re doing is sitting in the car for nine-hundred hours until we get back home.”
“I wish we could live here,” Agnes put on her best pleading, pouty face and whimpered like a hurt puppy.
Lovely shook her head. “How could we possibly all fit in this little seaside shack?”
“Shack?” Agnes protested. “Grandfather’s house has more rooms than a castle!”
Henry looked at his mother, then Grandfather, and back again. “What’s going on?”
Grandfather shrugged. “Nothing a good night’s sleep won’t fix. As I said, you’ll need your rest. The mover’s get here in the morning.”
Agnes gasped. Henry stood. “You’re moving?”
Grandfather crossed his arms and winked. “No, you’re moving. All three of you. Here, with me. The movers are delivering your things in the morning, and hauling boxes up the grand staircase isn’t for the faint of heart.”
That night, as Henry climbed into his majestic four-poster bed within the tower, he watched the moonlight glisten upon the dark waters of Whale’s Cove. His heart was half jubilation, half misery.
Moving into Grandfather’s house filled his heart with a tangible gladness. Years to come of happy dinners around the table, and living in the magical house.
But at the same time, he thought of Captain Bluebeard. The pirate and uncle Henry had barely known, but had given his life to save him, Agnes, Grandfather and Tsunamina.
A shadow glided through the moon’s reflection on the water below. Henry sat up. Something big was making its way into the cove from the open ocean.
Henry grabbed the old spyglass from his nightstand and rushed to the window. He peered through the hole and brought the mysterious object into focus.
A man stood at the wheel of a battered, ancient pirate ship, his electric blue hair and beard bright in the moonlight. A woman stood beside him dressed in an unmistakable pearlescent top and skirt. She, too, was looking through a spyglass.
Henry clicked his light on, and waved frantically
Captain Bluebeard and Tsunamina waved back.
THE END.
Thanks for reading Henry and the Ne’er Do-Well’s!
What an adventure it’s been. Read up, me hearties!
-Ali | Periwinkle Twist