WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:01.090 align:middle line:90% 00:00:01.090 --> 00:00:03.310 align:middle line:84% "Tomorrow," I said, "in the morning," 00:00:03.310 --> 00:00:04.990 align:middle line:84% after he had a good night's sleep 00:00:04.990 --> 00:00:07.450 align:middle line:84% and thought things over in the daylight, in the light 00:00:07.450 --> 00:00:11.093 align:middle line:84% that dispelled the dreams and brought them to reason. 00:00:11.093 --> 00:00:12.760 align:middle line:84% "It'll be too late, then, Dad," he said. 00:00:12.760 --> 00:00:15.640 align:middle line:84% "We'll never get her back if we wait." 00:00:15.640 --> 00:00:17.800 align:middle line:84% My boy looked so much older now when 00:00:17.800 --> 00:00:20.890 align:middle line:84% he spoke, older than I was, older than-- and more-- 00:00:20.890 --> 00:00:22.570 align:middle line:84% older and more knowing than the sea 00:00:22.570 --> 00:00:26.170 align:middle line:84% when it lies flat and blue in its bed. 00:00:26.170 --> 00:00:27.790 align:middle line:84% "I believe you, my dear boy," I said. 00:00:27.790 --> 00:00:29.950 align:middle line:90% "Of course, we must go." 00:00:29.950 --> 00:00:34.120 align:middle line:84% And off we went, down to the dinghy, the boy at the prow 00:00:34.120 --> 00:00:35.200 align:middle line:90% and me at the oars. 00:00:35.200 --> 00:00:38.320 align:middle line:84% And we rode out to the ship, glowing cherry red 00:00:38.320 --> 00:00:39.445 align:middle line:90% under the full red moon. 00:00:39.445 --> 00:00:42.420 align:middle line:90% 00:00:42.420 --> 00:00:45.510 align:middle line:84% And no sooner had we reached the ship's black hull 00:00:45.510 --> 00:00:48.600 align:middle line:84% than we were wafted aloft by a magical wind 00:00:48.600 --> 00:00:50.250 align:middle line:90% to its disorderly deck. 00:00:50.250 --> 00:00:52.530 align:middle line:84% And just as soon, as if on an elevator 00:00:52.530 --> 00:00:55.860 align:middle line:84% cloud, we floated below to the drab galley amidships 00:00:55.860 --> 00:01:00.300 align:middle line:84% and landed among a sullen, noisy crew and its unshaven, 00:01:00.300 --> 00:01:04.440 align:middle line:84% peg-legged captain, who got right down to business. 00:01:04.440 --> 00:01:07.290 align:middle line:90% "You can't have her," he said. 00:01:07.290 --> 00:01:10.150 align:middle line:90% "Then Death will," the boy said. 00:01:10.150 --> 00:01:13.780 align:middle line:84% The crew went silent and looked about apprehensively. 00:01:13.780 --> 00:01:16.150 align:middle line:84% I was astonished at my son's words, 00:01:16.150 --> 00:01:19.090 align:middle line:84% almost as I was by all the events that had led to them. 00:01:19.090 --> 00:01:23.410 align:middle line:84% He seemed so certain, my boy, of things unknown and strange, 00:01:23.410 --> 00:01:26.320 align:middle line:84% and it was clear that he was strongly in charge of himself 00:01:26.320 --> 00:01:30.520 align:middle line:84% and that I was now under his wing. 00:01:30.520 --> 00:01:31.870 align:middle line:90% Then the captain laughed. 00:01:31.870 --> 00:01:33.820 align:middle line:84% And emboldened by him, the others 00:01:33.820 --> 00:01:35.778 align:middle line:90% followed suit, but hollowly. 00:01:35.778 --> 00:01:38.070 align:middle line:84% "What do you know about this matter, my little fellow?" 00:01:38.070 --> 00:01:39.840 align:middle line:90% he asked nervously. 00:01:39.840 --> 00:01:43.100 align:middle line:84% "Enough to make you be sorry," my son said. 00:01:43.100 --> 00:01:45.500 align:middle line:84% "Sit down," the captain said, "and let's palaver 00:01:45.500 --> 00:01:47.570 align:middle line:90% like gentlemen of the world." 00:01:47.570 --> 00:01:50.900 align:middle line:84% He waved his arm, and suddenly, the grim galley 00:01:50.900 --> 00:01:53.630 align:middle line:84% glowed with rich furniture and golden lamps. 00:01:53.630 --> 00:01:55.100 align:middle line:84% And there appeared out of the air 00:01:55.100 --> 00:01:58.190 align:middle line:84% a huge, candlelit table with golden bowls 00:01:58.190 --> 00:02:00.080 align:middle line:84% of fruit and nuggets of chocolates 00:02:00.080 --> 00:02:02.120 align:middle line:90% wrapped in gold tissue. 00:02:02.120 --> 00:02:04.700 align:middle line:84% The captain beckoned my son to sit beside him, 00:02:04.700 --> 00:02:07.910 align:middle line:84% waving me to the table's other end, where I sat beside a man 00:02:07.910 --> 00:02:12.910 align:middle line:84% in silver trousers and a shirt so blue I could see the sky. 00:02:12.910 --> 00:02:15.120 align:middle line:84% "Well, lad, what have you got to say?" 00:02:15.120 --> 00:02:20.610 align:middle line:84% the captain asked, spearing a red pear with a silver knife. 00:02:20.610 --> 00:02:23.700 align:middle line:84% "Well, sir, I want Nana's soul, and I want it 00:02:23.700 --> 00:02:26.970 align:middle line:90% back inside of her." 00:02:26.970 --> 00:02:31.080 align:middle line:84% "I have her soul, but I can't undo what Death has done, 00:02:31.080 --> 00:02:32.640 align:middle line:90% and neither can you. 00:02:32.640 --> 00:02:37.320 align:middle line:84% So that's the final word on that," he said, 00:02:37.320 --> 00:02:41.920 align:middle line:84% slicing his pear to a sliver the weight of a breath. 00:02:41.920 --> 00:02:45.550 align:middle line:84% The crew murmured their approval of their captain's firmness. 00:02:45.550 --> 00:02:49.040 align:middle line:84% "Hear, hear," my tablemate called out. 00:02:49.040 --> 00:02:50.750 align:middle line:84% "I understand, Captain," my boy said. 00:02:50.750 --> 00:02:54.350 align:middle line:84% "Death has his power, and you have yours." 00:02:54.350 --> 00:02:56.370 align:middle line:90% "Quite," the captain said. 00:02:56.370 --> 00:03:00.020 align:middle line:84% "But you've stolen my nana's soul from Death." 00:03:00.020 --> 00:03:02.870 align:middle line:84% "Let's say we got it on its way to somewhere else. 00:03:02.870 --> 00:03:06.060 align:middle line:90% Right, my lads?" 00:03:06.060 --> 00:03:11.730 align:middle line:84% I understood at last that we were on a pirate ship of souls, 00:03:11.730 --> 00:03:13.980 align:middle line:84% that these pirates had waylaid my mother's soul 00:03:13.980 --> 00:03:18.352 align:middle line:84% from its true journey through the world's seamless mystery. 00:03:18.352 --> 00:03:20.310 align:middle line:84% "What do you do with the souls you've pirated?" 00:03:20.310 --> 00:03:22.020 align:middle line:90% I asked. 00:03:22.020 --> 00:03:24.030 align:middle line:84% "We shred them for mulch," he said 00:03:24.030 --> 00:03:27.330 align:middle line:84% with a big wink of the eye that was not patched. 00:03:27.330 --> 00:03:31.170 align:middle line:84% "We trade them," my table companion said. 00:03:31.170 --> 00:03:33.600 align:middle line:84% "Small souls for larger, large souls 00:03:33.600 --> 00:03:38.180 align:middle line:84% for grand souls, grand souls for noble souls." 00:03:38.180 --> 00:03:41.820 align:middle line:84% "Whom do you trade them with?" my boy asked. 00:03:41.820 --> 00:03:43.510 align:middle line:84% "Why, with other pirates, of course," 00:03:43.510 --> 00:03:46.290 align:middle line:90% the blue shirt answered. 00:03:46.290 --> 00:03:47.520 align:middle line:90% "Enough," the captain said. 00:03:47.520 --> 00:03:50.240 align:middle line:84% "We're not here for discussions." 00:03:50.240 --> 00:03:54.190 align:middle line:84% "My nana had a noble soul, I'm sure," the boy said. 00:03:54.190 --> 00:03:58.450 align:middle line:84% "Of great value, incredible value, of priceless value," 00:03:58.450 --> 00:04:00.040 align:middle line:90% the captain said. 00:04:00.040 --> 00:04:02.410 align:middle line:84% "So what have you got to trade to match her worth?" 00:04:02.410 --> 00:04:05.050 align:middle line:90% 00:04:05.050 --> 00:04:07.780 align:middle line:84% My son whispered into the captain's ear, whispered 00:04:07.780 --> 00:04:09.910 align:middle line:84% something that piqued the captain 00:04:09.910 --> 00:04:15.550 align:middle line:84% to cough up a sigh of a thousand fish-eyed bubbles. 00:04:15.550 --> 00:04:17.740 align:middle line:84% "Even if you could do that, why would I care?" 00:04:17.740 --> 00:04:20.019 align:middle line:84% the captain said when the last bubble burst 00:04:20.019 --> 00:04:21.475 align:middle line:90% into a little hand of a flame. 00:04:21.475 --> 00:04:24.050 align:middle line:90% 00:04:24.050 --> 00:04:28.270 align:middle line:84% "Because then you can always see him." 00:04:28.270 --> 00:04:31.210 align:middle line:84% "See what?" the captain asked nervously. 00:04:31.210 --> 00:04:34.120 align:middle line:90% "See him," my boy said. 00:04:34.120 --> 00:04:36.880 align:middle line:84% "Well," the captain said, "this needs some thought." 00:04:36.880 --> 00:04:38.980 align:middle line:84% He called his men together around him, 00:04:38.980 --> 00:04:42.670 align:middle line:84% speaking to them so softly that I could not catch his words. 00:04:42.670 --> 00:04:47.860 align:middle line:84% One pirate exclaimed, "To be trumped by a boy!" 00:04:47.860 --> 00:04:51.880 align:middle line:84% "Still," the captain said, turning to my son, 00:04:51.880 --> 00:04:54.820 align:middle line:84% "I don't see the usefulness in having his picture. 00:04:54.820 --> 00:04:57.340 align:middle line:84% It's not," he said in an aside to his crew, 00:04:57.340 --> 00:05:00.660 align:middle line:90% "that he's such a great looker." 00:05:00.660 --> 00:05:02.340 align:middle line:84% "But you might find a use one day," 00:05:02.340 --> 00:05:05.850 align:middle line:84% my son said, ignoring the crew's roar of laughter. 00:05:05.850 --> 00:05:10.080 align:middle line:84% "Maybe you will trade with him something he wants." 00:05:10.080 --> 00:05:12.620 align:middle line:84% "That's an idea," the captain said-- 00:05:12.620 --> 00:05:15.210 align:middle line:84% "That's an idea, captain," said the man with the blue shirt. 00:05:15.210 --> 00:05:18.510 align:middle line:84% "Maybe we can get him not to bother us so much, him always 00:05:18.510 --> 00:05:23.690 align:middle line:84% pestering us to give back the souls we've snatched." 00:05:23.690 --> 00:05:26.690 align:middle line:84% "What would he want to trade, my brave bucko? 00:05:26.690 --> 00:05:27.920 align:middle line:90% Nothing pleases him. 00:05:27.920 --> 00:05:29.150 align:middle line:90% Nothing interests him. 00:05:29.150 --> 00:05:32.030 align:middle line:84% Nothing satisfies him except the taking of life 00:05:32.030 --> 00:05:35.110 align:middle line:90% from everything that lives." 00:05:35.110 --> 00:05:38.110 align:middle line:84% "He may want," my boy said in a voice firm 00:05:38.110 --> 00:05:40.210 align:middle line:84% enough to drive a nail through a beam, 00:05:40.210 --> 00:05:44.210 align:middle line:90% "he may want not to be seen." 00:05:44.210 --> 00:05:46.070 align:middle line:84% "Show me, boy," the captain said, 00:05:46.070 --> 00:05:49.773 align:middle line:84% "and then we'll decide who gets what." 00:05:49.773 --> 00:05:51.440 align:middle line:84% "But you must first promise to give back 00:05:51.440 --> 00:05:53.360 align:middle line:90% her soul where it belongs." 00:05:53.360 --> 00:05:57.130 align:middle line:84% "Oh, I promise," the captain said with a wink to his men.