⛵ ⛵ ⛵ ⛵. . . "Tour of the Gulf of Aden". . . (cont.)
[Last time...]
“Yes Asif! But may there not be the warship harboring on the east coast?!”
“With God’s help there will be!” Asif replied with a slight grin.
“Oh please Sir! Can we not just stay here in the north and watch from a distance?!” Abdul said worriedly.
“How can we watch what we cannot see my friend?”
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
[At the Palace...]
Commander Galligan led the group straight towards the main gate of the palace. Stopping just forty feet from its iron barrier, he stood silently and waited. The crew nervously eyed the tall walls surrounding the structure, fearing an assault from above and there was murmuring amongst them, but Galligan seemed completely unconcerned as he stood straight and silent.
“Whit’s he waitin’ fur?!” Seaman- Quarter Gunner Ilipino whispered to Seaman- Ordinary Seaman Teemitag.
“Ahh dorn’t knows mate...”
“Arrrh! Aboot time someain started shootin'!” Seaman- Landsman Errislravenhill whispered.
Finally, Seaman- Ordinary Seaman Andofzara stepped up to Petty Officer- Caulker Ickied and asked asked him a question privately, “Ho ye Sairrr, but Ahh havs a question?"
“Ask quickly mate…”
“Weel Ahh was wonderin' wa th' Keptin didne fire aw th' guns at ance?" Andofzara asked.
“Th' Silverton is at anchur mucker, firin' a foo broadside aw at ance coods heave th' ship sae violently 'att th' capstan timber coods split!" Ickied instructed, never taking his eyes of the top of the wall.
“Blye me!” Andofzara exclaimed in surprise as he pondered the fact.
Suddenly there was a loud fluttering of wings and the crew all looked up as Groober once again settled upon the shoulder of Ilipino.
At this, the Commander finally waved the group forward…
Standing dead-center in front of the main gate, he raked the irons loudly with the butt of his musket! A commotion was heard from within and finally, the head guard with six other soldiers came running across the courtyard to the gate…
“Stop! Stop the guns! The king will see you!” he yelled as he nodded to the soldiers to unlock the gate.
“Had a wee change o’ heart did he?” Galligan said as he gave the leader a hard eye.
“Silence you infidel! Show respect when you approach the King or…”
“Uir whit?” Galligan said, cutting him off.
The lead guard was furious and his face red as he tried hard to contain his frustration, but it was fear above all that now stricken his heart…”You must be respectful!”
The wide gate was unlocked and the guards stood three on each side as the crew began to enter after Galligan. But then there was a problem…
“Halt!” The leader yelled, “You may not enter with…with that creature!”
The officer pointed unsteadily at the messenger pigeon Groober. Galligan turned and stopped.
“Listen weel mah dandy mukker...we gang in wi' th' spyug ur we send th' spyug back tae th' ship. Hav ye forgotten awreddy whit 'att is aw aboot?"
The officer glanced nervously out towards the bay and then back at Galligan. It was obvious that he was caught between a rock and a hard place. With no further words spoken, he led the way to the interior court of the palace. There, sitting in a large golden throne sat a small, nervous man…King Radwan.
⛵ ⛵ ⛵ ⛵
"Firin' a foo broadside froms a thirty-six gun frigate in shallaw waters cood cauz th' anchur ta slip ten ta' fifteen links, uir e'en jump, causin' it tae strike an' puncture th' hull! A radge move 'att only mebbe a glaikit French Commander might order! As a result, seawater coods flood th' baw capstan well an' fire pump compartment an' sae forth. Hav Ahh made myself clear oan th' matter?
Oan anither topic men, Ahh see's 'att yoo're finally gettin' th' hang o' th' gam! Th' toor is afteraa, a joint venture! Haw! Haw! Haw!" 😉 - Keptin
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
"Confused? Ascared? Seasick? Need a private chat with the Captain?" - joshua.slane@aol.com
References: Pictures froms: www.freeimages.com, www.pexels.com, pixabay.com, steemit.com an’ www.google.com/maps. Data loosely interpretted froms: www.wikipedia.org an' sometimes reit from th' author's extensiff personal experience an' such.
Note: Thes is a wark o' fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, an' incidents ur either th' products o' th' author's imagination ur used in a fictitioos manner. Onie resemblance tae actual persons, livin' ur deid, ur actual events, is purely coincidental an' sae forth. Nane th' less, it is a high quality yarn!