She cursed herself for not bringing her smallsword with her. He sneered and shouted, “Out of me way!”Ĭecelia knew a madman when she saw one. The man fell against the wall, his lips bleeding from the attack. So disgusted she was that without thought, she rushed to the man, grabbed him by the arm, and smashed her fist onto his face. One of the men was whipping a boy no more than five years of age. Finding she couldn’t contain herself any longer, she opened the door, and to her horror, witnessed the most disgusting sight she’d ever beheld. She found herself confronting a thick old door. She scanned about her and made her way toward where the sound had come from. A cry, as though a child were whimpering for help. Once she landed at the bottom step, she stood for a moment to get used to the darkness.Ĭecelia looked around. The storeroom would be down there, and water, she was sure, would be there too. It was dark, though the hint of light from the moonlight shining through the window showed her there were stairs leading downward. Then she saw one door slightly ajar at the very end. She was lost for a moment in the darkness. She left the room then to find fresh water.Īll was in silence as she made her way through the claustrophobic corridor. Surely, she thought, the men will all be asleep by now. The rocking of the boat woke her in the middle of the night. She didn’t need to make friends with these men. After all, she told herself, she only wanted to get to the Demon Kingdom. No time to waste,” he said and left her before she could ask for her gold back and run off the ship.Īt dinner, she ate some cheese and bread and then went to bed, not wanting to go outside, for she did not want to bump into any of them. “How long will it take to get to the island?” she asked, turning away from the imposing stare.Ĭecelia dreaded the thought of spending that many number of days in the company of these men.