Lange onboard sweating it out, Lange onboard getting cold grits, Lange in his bunk in those pitiful few hours to himself when he could think on his home, on the vast seas between him and it. Reciting lines--fragments--from those books his sister Rachel used to read aloud. The carousing above over and only flatulence angry growling left over.

And when the crew came alongside the _Steadfast_, and murdered the husband in plain sight of the wife and the girl, whom they took below, Lange mopped blood and chummed the sea with the husband's body for the sharks. It was then the little dog came up from below. The little coward dog which must have hidden itself in the melee, and now upon the outer rail looked into the ocean as if for kibble. Lange didn't dare say anything about it, or call attention to it. And after a bit, the dog went back below. The pirates were satisfied and sailed away. Lange heard the two splashes astern. And wondered if that doggie could make it alone, about, maybe make it home.

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Galen over 13 years ago

Nuanced characterizations and a fairly complex plot. Well done.

babulus (joined over 13 years ago)

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Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommerical-ShareAlike 3.0

tags

sad short sappy

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