The Orphan and the Albatross

By John Camillo

A young albatross finds safety with Tommy, amid the vast waters, beginning a relationship that would last across time.

Tommy, orphan, escapes the fire of London on a cargo ship which is then plundered by pirates...he is captured and taken to their haven, hidden in the wilds of a jungle. Short Shanks, a wild and crazy pirate, visits the hav

• Language: English
• Publisher: Shawline Publishing Group
• Release date: May 15, 2021
• ISBN: 9781922444981

John Camillo

It was always going to happen but it took a while for John Camillo to take up the craft seriously. Free at last to test himself in the crucible of moulded inspiration, his first work was a collection of poems, 'Tangled Twine', followed by his first novel, 'Bullseye', then an adaptation of Coleridge's 'Rime of the Ancient Mariner'. His learning curve is steep, benefits obvious in improved editing skills and story crafting. He is driven by the idea the more he writes, the sharper his skills become.

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ORPHAN AND THE ALBATROSS

Adapted from the poem ‘Rime Of The Ancient Mariner’

S.T. Coleridge

John Camillo

Illustrations by Demi Orfanidis

The Orphan and the Albatross © 2021 by John Camillo.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the author. The only exception is by a reviewer, who may quote short excerpts in a review. 

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. 

Printed in Australia 

First Printing: May 2021

Shawline Publishing Group Pty Ltd

Buy online at www.indiebookstores.com.au

National Library Submitted May 2021

Paperback ISBN- 9781922444974

Ebook ISBN- 9781922444981

To those who have taken too many hits and have been ready to crumble

Thanks to Demi Orfinadis for the brilliant illustrations and to Fran Henke, friend and motivator.

A calm Caribbean Sea, balmy conditions and a lone, large, armed sailing vessel sat heavily in the gentle swell on a casual bearing towards Bermuda. ‘PHANTOM’ was her name, chiselled into the bow. She was worn and scarred from battles against other pirate ships and pursuing naval galleons sent to rid the seas of marauders like captain Short Shanks Harris and his cutthroat crew. Her flag, the notorious skull and crossbones announced her identity and usually her intentions.

Anticipation of an event is often the greater thrill.  Not in the case of Short Shanks' targeted prey. The sight alone of the pirate banner could not be worse than the horror bearing down on it. Blood lust, awakened by liberal shots of rum and the thrill of the chase, always excited this crew trained by the brazen and fearless Short Shanks. He allowed and even encouraged the most horrid excesses in the butchering of commercial seafarers. Activity on the main deck on that balmy day would display the captain's sadistic disregard for the lives of others. A stowaway had been discovered and was about to meet his doom. Short Shanks was in charge of proceedings from his position on the quarterdeck. He relished the opportunity to remind everyone aboard of his most important and unshakeable rules. He was also about to conduct a selection process to fill vacancies brought about by recent departures. Pirates also die and some even desert, worn to despair, gorged on horror beyond their endurance. Short Shanks didn't care, replacements were never far away, lured by the romance of adventure or fear of capture by authorities for petty crimes.

To say it was a motley crew gathered for the ceremony would be an understatement. A broad spread of age groups. But one could never tell. Weather at sea erodes extremities, creases and carves its will upon sailors, and does terrible things to colour and texture of clothing. A raggedy lot and rough looking, scarred and tattooed they might have been, but nothing could hide the athleticism of this pirate crew, ready at a single command to leap into the rigging, haul cannons and ammunition into place, swing perilously from one ship to another. Men with nothing to lose and everything to gain. But this day they gathered as players in a dangerous game, giving noisy reception and raucous approval to every move. At the top of his voice, Captain Short Shanks stirred his crew.

It's the law of the brotherhood. Stowaways walk the plank. No exceptions. Do it today. Everybody, in your loudest voice, after me.

NO MERCY FOR THE WEAK (The crew repeated his call)

NO MERCY FOR THE WEAK.

PILLAGE AND PLUNDER (The crew obliged again)

PILLAGE AND PLUNDER.

GREED IS GOOOOOD (And again with enthusiasm)

GREED IS GOOD.

The unfortunate stowaway was blindfolded, arms stretched forward, unsteady, shoved and jostled towards the plank. There was no mercy here. The crew chanted. ''WALK, WALK, WALK.’

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He did so, feeling the sides of the plank with his bare feet while edging forward. He hesitated momentarily when the plank bent to his weight. He was right at the end of it. Silence descended on the crew for a second. Then, following the captain's waving gesture, in one yell as loud as thunder, a frightening 'WOOOOF' catapulted the poor victim into space, terror momentarily suffocating his voice before he could scream. Only his legs were free, air-sprinting in a futile attempt to flee, going nowhere. He tipped forward and belly whacked into the ocean swell, making a huge splash. It was the last thing he would ever do. His scream dampened by the gush of water into his lungs. The ocean swallowed him, and the crew forgot him in that instant. How cheap is a life, how quickly taken, how pointless? Here one moment and gone the next, gone forever and nobody to care. The poor soul was born to die a pointless death at the merciless hands of a sadistic madman. No god to save him, no hero to intercede. Disposed of like the carcass of a chicken starving men have picked clean.

‘Bring out the recruits.’

Every sailor knew what came next, they shivered with anticipation of the captain's second act. It was