3. EMERALD OF THE HIGH SEAS
Chapter 1
BECKONING FLAG
Directly south of the island of Barbados, the large, snow-white sails of the Red Ruby billow in the wind. It is a swift, purposeful voyage without any delay, for skipper Simon Verbeeck is homeward bound. The prow of his elegant vessel points straight towards the Cape of Good Hope. The nose of the Red Ruby is fixed directly on the vast Atlantic Ocean, because after months of adventures with pirates, Simon Verbeeck is heading to Table Bay to have his vessel refitted and to take on fresh supplies.
A little way ahead of them to starboard lies a small island, almost like a pinprick in the vast ocean. The two men in the crow’s nests keep a meticulous watch on the sea and also observe the small island, for they have very strict orders from Simon Verbeeck that he does not want to run into a pirate ship. He is done with fighting for the time being and he wants an uneventful voyage back to Table Bay.
The man in the forward crow’s nest raises the small brass telescope to his eyes once more. At first, he thought it was just a case of sensory deception when he saw the movement on the islet. But now that he is looking at it more carefully, he realises that it is not sensory deception.
From up here, high on the mast of the Red Ruby, that object looks like a fluttering flag. A flag on a small island here in the expanse of the sea? Indeed, it is something that gleams and flutters at the top of an enormous coconut palm.
The lookout deems it prudent to share what he has seen. He knows the temperament of Simon Verbeeck when the skipper has given an order and it is not carried out meticulously. And Verbeeck’s order is that anything, however insignificant, must be reported to him personally.
Therefore, the lookout shouts to those working on the deck. “There is something on the island to starboard. It looks like a flag fluttering there at the top of a palm tree. Go tell the captain.”
The information has barely been shouted below when Simon Verbeeck comes bounding out onto the deck. His tall form moves quickly and purposefully to the ship’s railing. He snatches his large telescope and observes the peculiar phenomenon on the small, nameless islet in the eastern Caribbean Sea. Standing next to him is his right-hand man, Wilhelm Rieckert.
“What do you make of it, Captain?” asks Wilhelm.
He sees how Simon’s mouth tightens, how his eyebrows draw together in a frown.
“I can’t quite make it out,” says Simon. “It truly does look like a flag. But who would hoist a flag on this island? A white flag.”
“Not pirates, perhaps?” asks Rieckert with a laugh.
“Highly unlikely,” Simon assures him. “It looks to me like a small, uninhabited island.”
“Shipwrecked sailors, perhaps?” asks Rieckert.
“That could possibly be it,” says Simon, handing the telescope to Wilhelm. “You must see what you can see,” he says.
Wilhelm Rieckert observes the object for a long time and with concentration. “Well,” he says, “it can only be one thing, a flag.”
“Let us sail closer,” Simon commands. “Prepare a few cannons, in case of trouble. Get two longboats ready with an armed crew for each.”
“Are you not going ashore, Captain?”
“My dear Wilhelm,” says Simon. “You know me as a curious man. Surely I cannot see a flag fluttering on a deserted island without investigating! Who knows, perhaps they are shipwrecked sailors. That is all I can imagine it could be.”
They swing the large vessel in a wide turn in the direction of the small island. They begin measuring the depth, and they sail cautiously. They bring the large sailing ship to a halt before the outer coral reef surrounding the island. They lower the two longboats, and the armed men leap
