The Blue-Eyed Aborigine by Rosemary Hayes

The Blue-Eyed Aborigine by Rosemary Hayes

Author:Rosemary Hayes
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: MBI
Published: 2011-05-20T16:00:00+00:00


Jan heard the ship’s carpenters at work making the scaffolds.

Only a few days left on this earth. He tried to pray, to ask for forgiveness for his crimes, for he feared hell even more than he feared the noose of the hangman. But how could God forgive him for what he had done? He had killed innocent people and forced himself on women. It had seemed right when he had been under the protection of the Under Merchant, when he had revelled in his reflected power, when the killing had been some sort of gruesome game. But Corneliez could protect no one now. He was gone, chained in the bowels of the Sardam.

And then the fateful day dawned.

The whole ship’s company of the Sardam and all the mutineers were assembled on Seals’ Island. The preacher was there, too, to say prayers with those who were to die. But all the remaining passengers, including Lucretia, stayed on board the Sardam. They had seen too much death already.

Jan looked up at the gibbets, ready for their human loads, and at first he was numb. But then, when the names were read out, he started to tremble. He wanted to be brave, but his body let him down and he felt warm liquid spreading in his trousers.

Corneliez went first. Jan forced himself to look at the man whom he had followed without question, the man who had made him feel important and who had made him think that to realise their dream of wealth and comfort, they had to kill everyone in their way.

The preacher started to pray, but the Under Merchant cut him short. He fought to the last, screaming and protesting, but finally he was silenced, and Jan shuddered as he watched Corneliez’s body twitching beneath the rope and heard him choking.

He didn’t look at the others. He waited his turn, shaking, with his head bowed.

‘Jan Pelgrom de Bye!’

As his name was called, he was pushed forward by one of the soldiers from the Sardam.

He looked up then – and caught the eye of Pelsaert, who had been watching impassively as each mutineer was hanged.

All at once, Jan struggled from the grip of the soldier who held him and flung himself at Pelsaert’s feet.

‘Please sir, I am too young. Please don’t let me die. I had to do what I did. The Under Merchant forced me and I had to obey him. Please!’

By now, the soldier had caught hold of him again. ‘Come on, boy,’ he said gruffly.

But Pelsaert held up his hand. He looked steadily at Jan and then said to the soldier, ‘Take him to the ship. I will give his case further thought.’

There was a long silence. Jan couldn’t breathe. The soldier pushed him back, muttering, ‘Should be made an example of… a mutineer is a mutineer.’ Dragging Jan along roughly, he threw him in a boat which rowed him out to the Sardam.

As Jan climbed on board, he saw the preacher’s daughter Judith on deck, talking to Lucretia.



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