The crew of the Mermaid
|
|
After weeks at sea on board Gisella, Lily finds herself on a new ship, taken in a pirate raid - the sloop Mermaid. Here you can read about some of the crew of the Mermaid: You can also read about some of Lily's tormentors and friends on Gisella. Or learn about the characters she meets in Malta.
Jem McGuire Born and bred in London, on the crowded banks of the River Thames, Jem signed up to join the crew of a merchant ship at age 14. He's been at sea ever since, working on whaling boats, long-distance trading vessels and even a pilot's boat in Portsmouth. Like all the best sailors, he knows instinctively how to make his ship hum. Even in unfamiliar waters, Jem can find the sweet point of the breeze, and the right set of the sails. The men trust him - but will Lily ever be able to trust him, after their first violent meeting? And does he know the truth about her father, Rafe Swann? The strong man of the crew, with wild red hair and enormous fists, Miller ("Milly" to anyone who dares call him that) is a natural rebel. He's been running away all his life - from home, from the Navy, from any ship's captain whose rule he can't stomach. And he's not too keen on Diablo. Miller was a bosun's mate on Gisella, but promoted to bosun aboard the Mermaid. That means he's in charge of what happens on the deck and all the equipment, including the weapons. You'd never pick a fight with Miller - not in a thousand years - because he's built like a polar bear with a roar to match. Francesco and Ricardo were pressed at a very young age into the fleet of the Knights of Malta. They weren't exactly slaves, but they had to work hard at the oars of the galleys. They were whipped, poorly-fed, and away at sea for months at a time. They didn't like it much. Who would? So they ran away as soon as they could, and became part of the great tradition of Maltese fishermen, who might also be smugglers or pirates or farmers or shopkeepers. But their life of freedom came to an end when they signed onto El Capitán de Diablo's crew - the worst mistake of their lives. There's no way two such rascals could live under the iron rule of Diablo. Francesco and Ricardo love an adventure, they throw themselves wholeheartedly into every escapade, and above all they love their home - Malta. Nobody knows much about Moggia. They never know what he might do next - they don't even know his first name. The other boys don't realise that he was kidnapped by pirates from his own home (Sicily) as a teenager, and has never known any other life but the way of the sea. He's a good sailor, and he loves it when the ship goes into battle, even though he's not very good at fighting. He just loves the excitement. Moggia tried being a fisherman for a few years, but it seemed too much like hard work. All he wants is to make a small fortune and to go home one day, get married and have lots of children, eat a lot, and never set foot on a ship again. But that's something he'll never admit to the others. |
||||||
 |
| ©2006 Kelly Gardiner |