Treasure of the sea |Lesbian story|

CHAPTER XXII

"I just want to make sure the clothes are your size, Miss Adler."

Arenis was amused. She probably hadn't had so much fun in ages. I flushed violently when she, realizing I wouldn't move the dress so quickly, grabbed it and shook it off me. I remained under that analysing gaze for an infinitely long moment. I brought my hands in front of me, shoulders hunched and head down, as if to hide. Arenis said nothing, just stared at me. Then she adjusted my neckline, fastening the drawstrings that hung from my collar.

"Well, you will wear these to work from now on. That's an order, Miss Adler. Those skirts are only a hindrance, both to you and to my men."

And so, I was forced to learn to climb. Soon, working shifts on the lookout proved to be my favourite job on the ship. The view, especially at night, from up there was spectacular. The sea was flat and mirrored the firmament. In London one did not see such a scene at night; there were too many buildings and oil lamps to see it. But in the middle of the desert of the sea, where darkness surrounded everything, the scenery was incomparable. Billions of tiny dots of light shimmering endlessly, and the blackness of the night expanding into the infinity of the cosmos. By day, the sea water was clear and smooth and had a turquoise colour, reflecting the sky. The wind lashed my face and gave me a pleasant feeling. The white sails, unfurled and billowing with wind, seemed even bigger up there. It was quiet there. The voices of the sailors hardly came up that high. There was only the sound of the wind and of the ship creaking and crashing on the waves. I was trying to delude myself that this existence on the Galatea, or rather Black Star - as the Captain had renamed her a few days before - would not last much longer. I had convinced myself that I would escape very soon. Yet it was only a trick I had played on myself, to get by, to make my life in the middle of the sea bearable.

"You know, it's impressive how you can learn so quickly," Dilthey told me one evening. He was teaching me how to tie the various nautical knots. We were below deck in the common room. It was almost empty at that hour. There was old pirate Jones, with a glass eye, who drained bottles of rum all day and then went and sobered up there; the deckhand Quinn, who was snoring with his head resting on the table; and Ostwald the Short, who merely peered out of the porthole as he sharpened his cutlass, humming ungainly.

Dilthey had retrieved some ropes and at that moment was showing me how to tie an English knot. I memorized it right away.

"I'm used to learning," I revealed.

Dilthey sneered, amused. "It's been nearly a month, and look at you! Learning maritime knots! It seems as if you have got used to all this."

"It is only mere appearance. If I didn't obey your orders and learn fast, I'd end up a prostitute in a filthy brothel. Anything is preferable to that. And no, Mr. Dilthey, I am struggling with all my might to not get used to this situation. Habit is a condemnation; it makes normal something that is not."

Contrary to what one might believe, it was precisely when night fell that the Black Star began to be noisy. During the day, the men had no time to waste and just went about their business in peace. But as soon as evening came, after the sailors had stuffed themselves with food and rum, the real revelry began. The men would gather on deck and Eddie would pull out a mandolin and play folk songs for hours. The mates would sing the lyrics at the top of their lungs and dance, downing bottles of rum as if they were guzzling water. Drunk, they would rock on the spot, dancing and clapping their hands enthusiastically.

"May I ask you to dance?" Quinn asked me.

"I'm not in the mood, kid."

"Come on! Come on! I bet you know a lot of dances!"