– 21 –

Looking around us, even we remained open-mouthed.
We didn’t know how to answer, and even if we had stayed on the ship during that change, it was the first time we could see it after the transformation.

Al had the fateful drawing I had done It was soaked, but all the changes I had made were still clear, and with much attention he walked around the deck, checking that everything was in order.

He walked, and it seemed that he wanted to find even the smallest imperfection, but after the whole round of the deck, he came back to us, with the same question as when he met us: “How was it possible?”

Even the pirates, after a quick check of the cannons and ammunition, have gathered around us, waiting for our answer, which didn’t come as they had hoped.
In the end, Al found something that was missing.

From a such perfect ship, what it was missing? The only thing that he had took care, inside a leather envelope, right after that Gareth had sent him to retrieve it: their precious Jolly Roger, and only when he has pulled it out, everybody have looked Gareth, as their captain, but at this time Gareth has felt himself, very in awe, and without any preambles, he has looked at us, as if we had give him the permission to give the real Captain of that magical ship, «the order» to hoist the most important flag.

“Al, you have shown yourself to be the true captain of this wonderful ship. You have shown great courage.
You took care of the crew and thought of recruiting new pirates to restore our credibility. I didn’t understand the real emergency and let it go.
When you quietly told me everything, just in those few minutes, I realized that I wasn’t facing the smallest creature, but the biggest, and that’s why I’m giving you my “captain’s testimony” with this last order.

Al has listened to him in total respectful silence, and when he has shared a quick look with us, we understood that in Al’s choice had good arguments, and as long as Gareth was a rough boy, Gareth was after all a normal pirate, and Gareth understood why their captain had chosen Al to be at his side, instead of another one with muscles and less gray cells in head.

At that moment, the crew had needed the support of a big creature like themselves, and big pats on the back and some moment of real pirate life, instead of asking what to do with a small creature that those big and wild pirates could crush with one hand, while Al could organize everything for the best without any pressure.

Al looked at everyone, stared at Gareth with solemnity, has taken their Jolly Roger, and taking a look at all that large group of pirates, has unfurled the black flag and he has started to climb the foremast with such agility that everyone has seen him only when he stopped to fix the Jolly Roger on the flagpole.

During his fast run, we had seen only a black spot reaching the top, and only when he had stopped did he hoist the Jolly Roger, which was already fluttering in all its beauty, and immediately thereafter from the deck: “Hooray for Al!”
Al was a little green dot next to the Jolly Roger, but we could see all his embarrassment.

Only when he has descended, a musician pirate has started to play his violin, and when we have recognized the same joyful melody in the tavern, we have shared a sweet look, and Luke has invited me to dance with him, and all of a sudden, on this ship it was breathing a party air.

Everyone had to celebrate the new captain, and when one of his pirates asked him, “What are you going to name the ship?”, Al looked at him, and without a doubt, he answered with the name that his dear old captain had named the ship: Freedom.”
X

Daria

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