Captain Hook and Facilier: Piracy and Voodoo (English Version)

5. Painful secrets from the past

Towards evening, James and Scarlett entered their room and stayed with Glenn. The little boy had not yet fully recovered. "Don't worry, Glenn", James reassured him, making him sit on his lap, "You'll see that you'll get better soon. You will become a real pirate just like your dad and nothing will ever scare you again". After a while, the child took courage and asked him: "If I had been in Ramòn's place?", "What do you mean?", "If you had abandoned me and never recognized me, you would have tried to kill me too?". James, who wasn't expecting this question, replied: "Don't say that, little man! It's true, I've made mistakes in the past, but I never expected to find myself in front of a descendant of mine! You, on the other hand, were not a mistake at all. Your mother and I both looked forward to your birth and have always loved you. On this you can rest assured", "Really?", "Sure, boy. You, Charlie and Bethany are our most precious treasure". James and Scarlett hugged Glenn and the child smiled, happy for their affection. "Can I sleep with you tonight?", he then asked. "Yes, of course!", James replied, "Do you want me to tell you a good story before going to sleep?", "Yes, thank you, dad. Then I want to tell you one too", "Okay, whatever you want". Glenn, lying in bed between James and Scarlett, listened enthusiastically to his dad. When he was done, it was his turn to tell a good story. "Good guys", Scarlett said later, "Two wonderful stories. Tonight we will all have good dreams". Before going to sleep, however, Glenn turned serious and said: "Dad?", "Yes, son?", "Sorry if I disobeyed you", "Disobeyed what?", "For using the sword too soon against a man", "Glenn, don't worry. I am not angry with you. Given the situation, you did the right thing, really. You wanted to help me and you succeeded. I couldn't be prouder". He gave him a kiss on the forehead, wishing him goodnight. Scarlett, smiling, gave him a caress and sang a sweet lullaby for both of them, after which they fell asleep embraced.

They all stayed for a few days in that port, then left for a new adventure. It was three months before the family anniversary on Family Island and James, in the meantime, continued to donate more souls to Facilier during the various boardings. One day, he let Celia and Bethany into his cabin. After sitting them down, he asked them if they really were convinced of their marriage, having married them in a hurry during the fight against Ramòn's men. "Yes, father", Bethany replied, "We are good together. Thank you for marrying us", "Good, good. I'm happy. What about you, Celia? What does your father say about it?". She, smiling, said to him: "My father is happy for both of you, captain", "Very well. Anyway, now that you are married to my daughter, I welcome you to my family, my dear", "Thank you, captain". James smiled, then told them they could go. Soon after, he let Facilier in. Since his daughter now part of his family, he said that he too was now part of it, even if he was not fully convinced. After the past events, he was a bit worried, but having fought together he decided to trust him and welcomed both of them into his family. He offered him a good mug of rum and a cigar to celebrate the event. Facilier agreed, but then turned serious and told him: "Neither my daughter nor anyone else knows yet, but soon Celia will have a baby from Charlie". James, taken aback by this sentence, the rum went wrong on him and he coughed. Recovering himself, he replied: "Great Scott! Are you sure?", "I'm a sorcerer, it's my job! Anyway, Celia and Bethany will raise the brat that will be born, Charlie will never be the father of what he himself has generated against my daughter's will! Understand?", "Calm down, calm down! There is no need to fret! I'm fine with it, okay! Provided, however, that the surname he will bear will be mine!", "Oh, really? And why? Let's hear!", "Well, I welcomed you into my family! At least let me choose the surname!". After some discussions, they finally agreed. They resumed drinking and smoking, then Facilier pointed out that his soul had been very tormented for a few days. "And when has it never been?", James replied, "In these days in particular, after the clash with Ramòn", "I warn it, captain. However, given your generous invitation to the family, I'll be happy to help you avoid finding others like him", "I thank you. At least I can feel more comfortable for a while, with your help", "And I hope to be able to calm down too once I find the right place for me", "By the way: you want to become rich and powerful. Well, the life of a pirate is no different. Do what you want and live to the full", "Are you trying to convince me to stay here on your ship?", "The fact is that together we could dominate both worlds, and then there is no shortage of treasures", "Thanks for your generous offer, James, but I prefer to settle on the mainland. The sea is not for me, nor for my snakes". That said, his creeping friends came out along his shoulders. James drew back, disgusted at the sight of them. "Won't you be afraid of them?", Facilier said, amused. "What? Me? Not at all!", James replied, standing at a distance, "I just never really liked reptiles, especially after a very bad experience I had in the past", "Really? With a huge reptile, I guess", "It was a monstrous crocodile! That Peter Pan brat, after he cut off my hand, fed it to that beast and immediately continued to run after me to be able to eat the rest of my body, having enjoyed my taste!". James sat abruptly on his chair, shaking as he recounted what he had been through. Facilier ordered his snakes to go to Celia, after which he sat next to him, put his arm on his shoulders and said: "But now he's gone, or am I wrong?". James, recovered, replied: "I managed to kill him and then I stuffed him. His body is still on an island not far from the Neverland. On Monster Island", "Monster Island? Well, a really adequate name, after having left there the body of that beast", "In fact I called it that on purpose, since that place didn't have a name yet", "I understand. Anyway, I'll gladly help you get rid of that Peter Pan. If there is one thing I can't stand, it is the absolute lack of respect. That thug deserves a good lesson", "Indeed, but so far unfortunately he has always defeated me. He is stronger than it seems", "He hasn't yet met me and my Friends from the Other Side. We will give him a hard time", "Music to my ears, my friend". They chatted for a long time. James felt he had found a new best friend, and for Facilier it was the same. "Do you know that you bears the same name as an old childhood friend of mine?", the sorcerer said to him at one point, "It is a pity, however, that he chose a different path from mine". James, sadly remembering his best friend Roger, replied with a sigh: "I think I can understand you, you know? I too lost a dear friend many years ago. I tried to convince him to come with me, but he refused", "This is also why I no longer bonded with anyone, I didn't want to risk others attacking me or trying to hinder me in what I was doing". James noticed more and more things in common with Facilier. He smiled, glad he found someone who understood him. "Okay", he told him at one point, "If you want to stay on the ground, go ahead. I'll dominate the sea and you the mainland. Nobody will stop us", "Definitely". They drank and laughed, happy with their plans.