Notes of Destiny 23
(In The Brig With Lolly)

When Fortinato had been in the brig for a while,
He began to fear he was mad.
He wondered what they were doing to Windy,
And of what few rescuing chances he had.
Dark and Dank the brig of the ship was.
Musty and Salty was the air.
The wood creaked louder than the sound of the waves,
As Fortinato said a prayer.
But his prayers were interrupted,
By a voice that he wasn’t sure he heard.
It could just be hysteria playing tricks on him.
It could just be something absurd.
But then he heard her speak up.
Quite unmistakable this time.
Through a little hole in the cell next to him,
A voice came through with a whine.

Voice: “You gonna eat that piece of bread, mate?”
She said with a rasp in her tone,
She sounded like a little girl who was sick,
And he wondered how this became her home.

Fort: “Who are you? How long have you been there?”

Voice: “Three weeks ‘far as I can tell.
What’s with Tragic capturin’ you lot?
Why’s ‘e givin’ you ‘ell?”

Fort: “We gave his buddies in Fairwood a licking,
And beat them at their own game.
We kept them from burning The Sacred Forest,
All in Death Throat’s name.”

Voice: “Aye! Tragic said we were sailing there!
But I ‘ad no idea why!
It’s a wonder ‘e ‘asn’t made you walk the plank!”

Fort: “Will I ever again see the sky?”

Voice: “If ‘e’s keeping you alive after all that,
There’s one of two things that could ‘appen.
Either you’re valuable and will fetch a pretty penny,
Or e’s savin’ you for ‘is Cap’n.”

The little girl coughed
And her throat continued to rasp,

Voice: “What do they call you, boy?”

Fort: “My name is Fort. What’s your name, Lass?”

Voice: “I ‘aven’t been called by my name,
Since I left me ‘ome a year ago.
The mates aboard this ship call me Lolly.
And you’re free to do so.”

Fort: “Lolly, I have a friend,
She was captured with me.

What will they do to her,
If we cannot get free?”

Lolly: “If ya fear for ‘er dignity,
Don’t worry a bit,
They’d sooner shoot her dead- the li’l bit.
Tragic has a thing for
 taking care of women.
If I wasn’t so rambunctious,
I’d be on the deck singin’.”

Fort: “Is there a way we can escape this ship?
A way we can get back to land?”

Lolly: “Funny you should mention it, Forty ol’ boy!
It just so ‘appens I ‘ave a plan!”

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