When we were in front of my quarters, the men knocked insistently. I half-closed my eyes, completely filled with terror. My ears were ringing. Was this what people felt at the point of death? Powerlessness, confusion, uncertainty, trepidation...

I heard a female voice, muffled and distant. My mind was still wandering; I couldn't keep my attention on what was happening around me. I forced myself to focus, to understand, to be present in reality and to push away the fear that was blurring my vision.

"We found her, ma'am."

"Why is she completely soaked?"

"We washed her. She smelled like a sewer, maybe more."

"Send her in. I'd better handle this from here on out. You bunch of scurvy dogs are only making things worse."

"We do our best, ma'am."

"And don't call me ma'am! You know I don't like it!"

It had been weeks since I had heard a female voice, but only the hoarse, tobacco-scraping voices of sailors.

One of the two men pushed me inside the cabin. I walked with difficulty, my knees were saggy and my dress weighed down by the water didn't help the situation.

I noticed that things in my quarters had been moved. The table had been set aside and the chairs too. On the first there were a dozen or so codes, manuals and nautical maps strewn on top of each other, without too much regard.

"Leave, now," the woman ordered. "And close the door on your way out. Oh, and tell Quinn that as soon as I've finished with the lady he's to come and dry the floor; this girl is making a real mess of this wet dress."

They closed the door behind them, leaving us alone. I lifted my gaze to the woman and glanced at her. The first thing that struck me about her was her clothing. She was wearing men's clothes, a jacket, shirt, canvas trousers and leather boots that went up to her knees. I had never seen a woman dressed like that and at first I found it bizarre. She had high cheekbones and marked features, giving her an almost androgynous appearance. Her blue eyes studied me warily and curiously, the same way one would study a painting.

"I owe you an apology," she began. "My men take a rather crude attitude with women, usually."

"Why don't you throw me overboard and be done with it?" said I, bravely. I marvelled at my own words. I was not wont to act with such impetuosity.

She stared at me. "It would certainly be unwise of me if I gave you to the sea so rashly."

"If I am to be a carnal vent for beasts... so be it. Come on, what are you waiting for? All I wish is to follow my crew into death."

I cared nothing for the pain, the humiliation I felt for being in that state, for being washed like an animal by those brutes. At that moment I felt only a great anger towards those people, an anger that gave me the courage I needed to speak to her in that way.

"I'm afraid you've misunderstood greatly. I have no intention of having you raped or killed."

"Then where are they!? There were twenty men on this ship!"

"We traded, so to speak, with the other ship. The ship we had before was severely damaged after a botched boarding. We desperately needed a new ship. One that was sturdier, larger and, possibly, with a well-stocked food hold. We were in a rather critical situation, I dare say. And it was chance that brought us to the Galatea. As soon as we saw her in the distance, we decided to take her. A magnificent ship, I must admit; I never owned one so fine."

"Will my crew make it to the coast, albeit in a battered ship?" I insisted again.

"Certainly. We left them the minimum dispensable to survive to the shores of America. We took the rest of the supplies ourselves. We're fully loaded."

I felt the rage growing inside of me. How dare she? How dare she look so smug in front of me? She was proud of what she had done, I could see that clearly.

"You see, I was very surprised that your men were so well prepared for combat. You don't often find sailors who are also capable of wielding a weapon. I asked them if they would join our crew, but they all refused. Every last one of them. Honourable men," she chuckled. "But despite all their skills, victory was ours and we took the ship."

"So, they're all alive?"

She sighed. "Not all of them. During the assault seven of your crewmen died."

I shuddered, shocked by the terrible news. I hoped with all my heart that Phillips had survived. Which of them was dead? Who had died in that barbaric and cruel way? Tears came to my eyes to think that seven lives had been cut short at the hands of the woman who stood before me. I imagined their cold bodies lying at the bottom of the sea.

I swallowed several times. "What are you going to do with me now?"

"Judging from the clothes and items I found in this cabin, I deduced right away that there was also a woman aboard this ship. A passenger, or rather... the only passenger. To charter a ship for the Americas and a whole crew so well trained seemed very expensive to me. You must come from a very wealthy family. Your men claimed you died of consumption a week ago, but here you are... alive and well before me. At first I believed their words, but then, once I read your travelogue, I realized they lied to me." She brightened into a pearly smile. "You always write the date in your travelogue, Eveline Adler. The last entry was made two days ago."

My stomach felt empty, and not from hunger. The idea that the woman had read my travelogue made me feel terribly violated. I had put numerous reflections in there, reflections that shouldn't have been read by anyone but me.

"I thought therefore that they had hidden you somewhere, so I sent my men to search the ship, and they found you. I do believe I killed two birds with one stone. Isn't that what they say? And the funny thing is, I didn't even want it. What dumb luck, hmm?"

"I cannot understand," I sentenced, gruffly. I couldn't stand those ravenous eyes on me.

"I have read your mail, the letters you have so well preserved in your casket. I know your family is awaiting your arrival in Charlestown with much ardour, especially your sister, Mary. Ah, but allow me to introduce myself. It seems to me very dishonest that I know you so well and you don't even know my name. I am known as Arenis, but you call me Captain."

"I don't care."

"Rude of you, don't you think?" Her eyes lit up with irony. "Well, at this point, we might as well get down to serious business. First of all, I must thank you; that gold is a real fortune."

Her tone was cheerful, filled with sympathy, as if I had just done her a favour, as if I agreed with it all.

"You don't have the right... You can't-"

"Of course I can," she interrupted me. Her expression had changed. She squared me, threatening, her lips tense. She didn't want to hear contradiction. Then, when she was satisfied that I had no intention of continuing to protest, she relaxed her face and continued speaking, as if nothing had happened. "I have earned a ship, some gold, and you: the educated daughter of a rich merchant. Now tell me, how much do you think he is willing to pay, your father, for the ransom? I think very much. Very much indeed. And I will ask a price so high as to assure me and my men a life worth living."

Deeply troubled, I thought of my parents, the scare they would have as soon as they found out I had been kidnapped by pirates. It wasn't fair for those people to take away all of my father's fortune; a fortune he had so hard built throughout his life.

Arenis, noticing my state of mind, stared at me, almost sympathetically, as if I were a child who had just discovered the cruelties of the world. "We are making our way to Charlestown, and when we arrive, we will contact your family and let them know that you have been abducted."

"What if they don't pay the ransom?" I asked, stiffly. I could feel the palpitations growing inside me; I understood that I was afraid of the answer.

"Then there will be no more reason to keep you aboard this ship."

That's what I figured. I hoped my parents had the good sense to shell out all the money those bastards would demand for me. I didn't want to end up drowned at sea. It was what usually happened in the stories I had the pleasure of reading. Long poles set on the edge of the ship, hands tied behind the back, and fearsome pirates holding cutlasses and daggers, ready to kill the unfortunate man if he didn't jump overboard.

"Are you going to kill me?" I whispered, my voice broken by the sudden pressure that gripped my insides.

"You can rest easy for now. I will not harm you. Usually the families of the kidnapped expect to receive their loved one back without the slightest scratch, otherwise they insist on paying less."

I wasn't at all convinced by what she was saying. I knew not to trust her. That woman was as beautiful as she was dangerous, I could feel it. Arenis went to a pantry. She took out a glass and filled it with water. Only then I realized how thirsty I was. The sight of water distracted me from my thoughts. As soon as I realized that the glass of water was meant for me, I immediately grabbed it and brought it to my lips eagerly.

"Easy," she suggested, as soon as she noticed I was draining my water all in one breath. "It's not good for you to drink so fast."

I ignored her. The water went all too soon.

"Again?" asked Arenis, with a smile. She picked up the glass again and refilled it. "I will order the cook to prepare you a light meal. You will eat here with me. You look very undernourished. How long has it been since you've eaten?"

"Why do you even care?"

"Now, now, what manners. Answer me, come on. You have evidently been ill."

"Could I have my letters back?" I asked, not humouring her. In that situation, I felt a desperate need to reread my mother and sister's words. Those letters represented what brought me closest to them. My mother's tiny handwriting and Mary's sumptuous handwriting were like an imprint of themselves, smeared on the writing paper. I felt them more distant than ever at that moment.

"No," replied Arenis, taking revenge for my recalcitrance. "As I believe you must have a very happy stay on my ship, you will lodge in the First Mate's cabin. Mr. Dinnington will have no objection to letting you have it, as he is accustomed to sleep below deck with the rest of the crew. Of course, the cabin in question is not so spacious and luxurious as this, but I beg you to be content. I will give you your clothes; I am not so depraved as to deprive a woman of her clothes! As for the rest of the crew, you need have no fear. They won't harm you as long as I want them to. Just avoid provoking them, that's all. They haven't seen a woman in months."

"You are a woman," I observed, confused.

She burst out laughing. "Oh, some have already tried, and I'd better not tell you what happened to them. I certainly wouldn't want to make myself look bad! So, now I cordially invite you to get out. You will find Mr. Dinnington on the bridge deck. Tell him to escort you to your quarters."

"I will not let you get away with this, do you know that? You stormed my ship, killed seven of my crewmen, stole my family's fortune, and kidnapped me... Once we're in Charlestown I'm going to turn you all in. I'll have you hanged for everything you've done!"

Arenis smiled, amiably.