Crime and Punishment (Silus Delmore)

[Substitute Author]

?Captain, what do ya think your doin?? They?re slaves!?

Overseeing the security of the cellar door, Silus replied with disgust, ?They?re more food for the Big Evil as far as I?m concerned. If the Big Evil eats them before us, then they?re worth keeping around, Tornear. Not to mention they were smart enough to escape under your watch.?

Now that the slaves had returned without the crew being ordered to look for them, Silus thought the chances for survival were slightly higher. The irony of the slaves? arrival and the tingling pleasure he felt knowing Ashira was most likely hating herself for ever agreeing to the alliance encouraged Silus? unusually high spirits?even after the short-sighted ferret had toyed with him. Leaning forward to watch another example of ferret worthlessness pound the last rusted nail into the wood over the cellar door, Silus smiled in satisfaction.

?Continue on; after you?re finished, feel free to rest for the night. Report to me in the morning at first light,? Silus said, leaving Tornear to his exhaustion. He?s not bad for a ferret and definitely worth keeping around for another day despite his obvious short-comings. For the past hour, Silus had organized the crew?the ones who could distinctly remember by name or face?based on usefulness, loyalty, strength, and intelligence; Tornear was loyal, which contributed somewhat to his usefulness. Others like Ashira ranked high on strength and usability, but not on the loyalty factor.

Silus grabbed an unlit torch, smelling the aged dirt and pitch from the holey rags. He lit it using the flames from another on the wall, enjoying the sight of burning cloth, and stepped outside heading for bed. Walking in silence and listening to the footfalls in the sand and the occasional flicker from the air-disturbed torch, Silus didn?t notice the otter walking beside him until she spoke.

?Long day??

?I?ve had longer, but thank you for asking,? Silus said, glancing at the otter long enough to see that she was still a beautiful piece of merchandise after being dead for almost a year. ?Tomorrow will be more profitable, I think. I have a night to decide my next plan of action.?

She grasped his paw and squeezed it: ?I think you should enjoy tonight; you haven?t broken a slave for a few months. Since you killed me, I?ve always been very interested in your new mechanisms and methods for destroying the soul of an innocent beast.?

?I don?t think I could top what I did to the otter family. I honestly can?t wait to get back and have the albino massage me. My home will be clean, my vault more filled, and I think I?ll pay a visit to the next slave auction.? Silus sighed, remembering the days of torturing slaves and dancing over the gold coins that seemed to flow from buyers.

?Separating them in different cells then faking their deaths for each family member was brilliant. The mother?s horror was only intensified when you actually killed her mate the second time. How long did she last after that??

?I think it was two days, but enough of this. We?re on this forsaken island miles away from anything worth..., ? he said opening the door, but pausing when he saw the slave otter?Kelsey wasn?t it??at his table, ?...while.?

Closing the door behind him, he heard the phantom laughing outside. He smiled amiably: ?Can I help you??

?Uh, yes. I was sent her by Tassle to ask where we were to sleep. A rat said I could find someone in here to help. So, Mr??

?Delmore, but please call me Silus. And you are??

?Kelsey. Silus, we need a place to sleep and I was hoping you could direct tell me the best place to?? she started to say, but Silus stopped listening when his otter started to massage his shoulders. After a stressful day, the paws rubbing across his back felt amazing, relieving the tension in his back muscles.

He watched Kelsey talk for a few more minutes before she realized that he wasn?t listening. She said his name a few times before stepping in front of him and waving her webbed paw in front of his face. Silus snapped back to reality, and looked at the otter standing in front of him. She was a beautiful specimen: strong, feminine, and most importantly, real; she would have made a quality addition to his household as a servant.

?Silus, are you okay?? she asked.

?I?m fine, thank you.? They stood in silence for a few moments until Silus reached and grabbed Kelsey around the hips; he leaned in to kiss her and was met with a slap to the face.

?What do you think you?re doing??

?Don?t worry,? he said, continuing his advancement. She looked very much like his otter that occasionally haunted him. Caressing the soft fur of her face, he saw the fear in her eyes but ignored it with another kiss. This time she didn?t slap him, but opened her mouth to scream.

Silus quickly reacted by cupping her mouth preventing any sound from escaping. Breathing heavily, Kelsey struggled in the weasel?s strong grip.

?Will you to be quiet?? he asked calmly. Through his grip, she nodded, but as he removed it her lungs expanded for yet another high pitched scream. Balling his fist, Silus punched her in the face, disgusted with everyone not listening. The anger he harbored for the past week released in a single punch broke Kelsey?s jaw. The ghost otter stood behind him jumping in excitement and squealing with delight.

?I so missed this part of you Silus!? the apparition blurted out as Kelsey, crying in pain and in fear stumbled up against a wall. For Silus, it had been a long time since he heard the scream of a helpless victim, saw the blurry eyes beg for mercy.

Kelsey screamed again, glimpsing the anger in the weasel?s eyes as he stepped toward her. Another pawstep, another scream. Silus grabbed the helpless otter, spun her around, and forced the horrid screams to abruptly end.

?I asked for you to be quiet.? Silus, holding the otter fiercely in his paws, kissed the back of her head, and then with a gust of strength, he twisted. The otter?s neck broke with a satisfying snap; the body went limp. Petting her head, Silus grinned inwardly because she reminded him of the ghost otter?s touch. So soft.

Silus hefted the body onto the chair to look at his work. The body slumped back and looked at rest except for the head angled oddly and the misaligned jaw. Even dead, she was beautiful. He knelt beside the chair, and lifted the head to kiss her on the lips. It was awkward: Silus snorted in disgust when the slack muscles and broken jaw failed to meet his standards, but at least there was some warmth to it.

Rising, he pulled the body off the chair and dragged it to a spare room, closing the door. Returning, Silus sat down in the same chair. What should be the cause of her death? Admitting his guilt was obviously out of the question as well as blaming the slaves or somebeast important like Ashira. He would have loved to blame her and execute her for her disobedience. She deserved it, just as everyone else did who failed to remain loyal. When he thought about loyalty, he remembered a brief meeting with Vonni.

The fisher had brought forth two rats that sold something?Silus couldn?t remember?against his will. Vonni cut off both of their tongues and tails and forced them to carry them in a bag for two weeks. Vonni had told Silus that the smell would serve a reminder to the offenders of their betrayal and to serve as a warning to others.

But chopping a tail is too frivolous for murder. Execution, however? If he killed a certain ferret, then perhaps the rest of crew would understand the seriousness their new captain intended to uphold and loyalties would be renewed. In the morning, an execution would take place.

~

Silus woke to Tornear knocking on the door. Opening it, Silus flashed a brief smile and beckoning for the ferret to sit, Silus said, ?Tornear, I have something special for you.?

?Thank you, Capt-oof!? Tornear didn?t get to finish because Silus had drawn his dagger and hit the ferret in the back of the head with the pommel. He crumbled to the ground unconscious, and Silus gagged and tied him then left for breakfast.

The food was bland and so was the general conversation until Tassle arrived with a concerned look on her face: ?Silus, I?m worried about Kelsey; she didn?t return last night.?

?Really?? Silus feigned shock. After she nodded, Silus took another bite and said, ?I?ll look into it. If I find her, I?ll send her your way.?

Silus slinked back to his room to find Tornear conscious and frightened. Sitting on his bed, Silus began to tell Tornear the events about to unfold.

?Tornear, you have been a very loyal follower, but I?m afraid that your failures exceed your usefulness. You are to be executed today for the murder of Kelsey the otter. Now, I realize that you are innocent, and as a reward, I?m willing to make your death painless. If you don?t cooperate, however, I?ll gut you and force you to walk around a pole with your intestines staked to it. Understand??

The ferret burst into tears, shaking his head in protest. Silus drew his dagger and cut the ferret?s shirt right above the belly-button. After repeating the threat and drawing a small amount of blood, the ferret nodded.

?Good boy. I?ll be back shortly; I just need to arrange a few things.?

Roughly an hour later, Tornear was dragged in front of the crew and ex-slaves and tied to a makeshift pole. As the ferret burst into tears, Silus noted that even the native rats congregated in the back of the crowd to watch the proceedings.

?I gave the order that the woodlanders were not to be harmed,? Silus began. ?It was a simple command given out of the common interests we share against the great evil. Mark my words that disobedience and failure to cooperate will not be tolerated for any beast on this island.? Silus looked directly at the island rats, hoping they perhaps they understood that his speech applied to them as well.

Silus continued, ?The punishment for betrayal will be harsh, swift, and decisive as demanded by the harsh conditions we find ourselves in. Out of necessity, Tornear, who disobeyed my orders, must pay the penalty of death for murdering the otter. He was found in my quarters over the body having apparently breaking her neck.?

Silus walked to Tornear, who started screaming into the gag. Drawing his dagger, Silus held it up against the ferret?s throat.

?You did good, Tornear, you did good,? Silus whispered. He applied the pressure the pierced the fur and skin, slid the blade across cutting the neck, and causing the ferret to struggle madly. Blood frothed from the wound, soaking the shirt and ground; some even had climbed into the ferret?s mouth and was saturating the gag.

Turning away from the dying beast, Silus held up the bloody dagger. ?Let this serve as a warning.?

~

As Silus was walking back to his room, the badger jogged through the small crowd to catch him. The badger placed a paw on Silus? shoulder as the weasel reached forward to open the door.

Silus looked over his shoulder calmly, ?Can I help you??

?We need to talk.?

Silus nodded, opened the door and ushered him in.

?I don?t think we have met before. I?m Captain Silus Delmore,? the weasel said, pulling out a chair and sitting in it.

?Ulrick.?

?Well, Ulrick have a seat. I am sorry for your friend, but on with the business. You wanted to talk to me??

Ulrick nodded his stripped muzzle, ?It?s apparent that you are sensible, and I think we can benefit from each other?s talents.?

?Do you speak for yourself or the slaves??

The badger smirked, ?For myself.?