[NR] Blessed be this morning, DEAMON!

Lord Pooky lord_pooky at hotmail.com
Thu Mar 27 23:18:43 PDT 2008




As told by Admiral Haddock of the Ansteorran Royal Navy:


Once in the Admiral's cabin, the ship's doctor went about the task
of treating Pooky's wounds and injuries with a variety of
ointments, salves and poultices in a quiet, business-like manner,
hoping to finish before the Admiral arrived.
Rob Haddock entered his cabin quietly.
"How is he, Bones? Were we in time? Will he live?" Doctor Gervais
looked his friend in the eye. "I don't know, Rob, time will tell.
He is very weak."
Bones exited, saying, "I'll check on him hourly".


Sitting in the chair vacated by the doctor, he said, "You're
safe, now, Pooky, among friends." He watch for any sign of
understanding. "Pooky? It's Rob Haddock. You are in my cabin on the
Esmeralda. We've been 12 days at sea, searching for you."
I have news for you, old friend, Lord High Admiral Garrett has
appointed you to head the recruitment and Training
Squadron ............ Commodore Pooky."
"we'll have you home in Ansteorra,, within a fortnight, my
friend."
"You know, you've had cap'n Mac of the Iron Lotus worried about
you. Well, him, and the rest of us, too."
Rob sat and talked to Pooky until the doctor returned, then left
only long enough to let Bones do his job.


As told by Captain Mac of the HMS Iron Lotus:


Awash in the salty fog and moonlit night, a cold wind stirred the
strips of tattered canvas mainsail. A creaking came from far below,
as though the vessel was groaning in labored breath, tired and weary
from far too many months wandering aimlessly through the mists. It
was quiet, far too quiet, like the eerie silence of a graveyard after
an autumn rain, with only the random patter of water dripping off the
spars and rigging. gloomy beams of moonlight faintly cut through the
haze to illuminate a haggard appearing figure clutching the helm, as
though he had gone mad from cabin fever. The figure muttered
incoherently to himself as he steered the vessel through the fog, for
all the good it would do... the endless fog seemed to him a living
beast who had swallowed up the HMS Iron Lotus, and was even now
slowly digesting the vessel. Hope turned to madness long ago... Now
it was the only way to pass the time, standing watch at the lonely
helm. One by one, crew members had seemingly vanished from the ship,
until the Captain found himself alone on the deck with the demons of
his mind plaguing him constantly. Was there any crew left below decks?
He thought he heard the muffled sounds of boots scraping below decks,
though that could have only been the creaking of the ship's bones...
he couldn't be sure. The mind played tricks when you're this long at
sea. Was that the voice of his first mate? It could have only been
the wind... the heartbeat of the ship's drums had mysteriously
vanished, he couldn't be sure how long ago now. Seconds trickled by,
seeming like hours... days. Or was it hours and days that were flying
by like seconds? The ship's bell hadn't tolled in so long he had lost
all sense of time. Confound this damned fog... no way to sight the
stars... not that the daylight was any more visible for sighting in
this infernal soup. The Captain continued to mutter, his hoarse voice
keeping pace with the wind... "Yo, ho... all together, hoist the
colors high..."


As told by the First Mate of the HMS Iron Lotus:


It's completely dark below, yet still too bright. Not sure at first where on
the HMS Iron Lotus I succumbed to my drink last night; it seems I fell or
was laid in my own hammock. I try to shake off a vague memory of rat
hunting, belly rubs, and clawing the masts.


It's quiet. For a panicked moment, I'm not sure I am even on the Lotus. What
ship is this? The only sounds are the lap of the sea and the creaking of her
bones. Though the relative quiet is a blessing to my throbbing skull, it
fills me full of uncertainty. Where is the Heartbeat of the Iron Lotus?
Surely she isn't dead?


Holding my skull in place with one hand, for it threatened to fall off, I
grope through the dark with the other hand. I stop my fumbling for a moment
so I can hear something other than the clomping of my own feet. I hear the
voice of the Captain above. He sings a song...


As remembered by Commodore Pooky-Pan:


{If ever there was a day in my life I did not feel pain, I remember it not...
my head pounds as though I'm inside my drum and my skin feels as though
I scraped my hide raw with sharkskin.}


{Good Friend that Haddock! Inspired me to DREAM of the sea and now he found
me floating on the bladder of hell and pulled me aboard. G_D knows I love that man!
I have long called Him HERO and so He shall be for three more forevers...
Lord of my G_D, if you would give me a prayer I would ask that you trade my body
for his. Then he may be free of his painful torments, walk the earth as a Dutch Titan,
and stand head dry at depths of a fathom off shore and in the sea. "This I do pray to
you, oh Lord" that you know Him to be worthy. (laughing at the thought) Such pain as
His, would do very well to cleanse my soul.}


{I should dress and find Him on deck. Tell him I'm ready for duty. I do not know how
long it's been since He rescued me and that I have been bunking in His cabin. These walls
grow ever smaller and I haven't seen the sun in ages. I am as cold as floating ice-land.
Oophta... never have I been so heavy, but I do have legs.)


*O* Oh Jericho! The sun is blinding! Ah but look at this day it is fresh and anew! 


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