This story contains graphic but completely fictional depictions of sex among men and men, and men and underage boys and/or girls, and even nekkid women show up now and then. If this offends you, if it is illegal for you to read or download this, or if you are under 18, please go away.
Seaward Plantation
War clouds chapter twelve
Twilight deepened into night after Pan and Bacchus spirited Lieutenant Thomas away for a bath--and more. Appleby sat chuckling to himself, shaking his head, love for the twins alternating with amusement at their daring and with appreciation for their healthy sexual drives. As he rocked and thought about these matters, Portia walked by on her way to the cabin and detoured briefly onto the verandah. She and Appleby rocked in the cool night air, talking softly of their son, of the new hope that the arrival of the Union Navy had brought. Portia tugged her shawl around her in a breeze.
"Well, Portia," said Appleby, "do you have any feelings as to who the father is? Hector or Bundit, correct? Not that it matters I suppose, but it is almost like a game to wonder about it."
She smiled in agreement. "No, really no feeling at all. And no preference, they are both good men and it will be a beautiful child." Appleby nodded his complete agreement. She continued: "What a strange and wonderful world this is, master, how unlike other places that we read and hear about, that nobody would mind or fight or fuss over such a thing." Again Appleby nodded and reached over to squeeze her hand. They rocked like that a few minutes more. The sound of splashing in the bath room had ceased some minutes earlier. Portia sighed and pushed her growing body out of the rocker. Appleby rose to steady her as she walked down the steps. She kissed him on the cheek and went off to her cabin. Appleby turned and went inside, lowering lamps as he went.
There was a damp track from the bath room up the steps. Coming to the second floor, he passed the twins' room, which was empty. Stepping as quietly as he could, he walked down the hall to the room prepared for Ezekiel Thomas. The door was nearly closed, but he could just see through the crack. In the dim lamplight he could just make out a tangle of brown and white limbs, he could just hear the sound of heavy breathing and exclamations of surprise and joy. Smiling to himself, admiring Pan's and Bacchus's skill, he went quietly back to his own room.
There he found a statue of a Greek god in his bed, reading a book by lamplight. But no, on second glance it was Cassius. Well, he thought, he might be excused the mistake.
"Oh! Master Mark! Is it alright if I sleep with you tonight? Pan and Bacchus put me out to give a room to Lieutenant Thomas. Although," and here he frowned with a little annoyance, "it appears to me as if they had just as well have kept him in their room!"
Appleby laughed softly. "I expect you are right, they will need but one room among the three of them tonight. And yes, of course, Cassius, you know you are welcome."
Appleby took his clothes off, neatly hanging them or putting them in a hamper for laundry. Cassius set his book down and watched the proceedings, smiling. As Appleby, naked, walked to one side of the bed to slip in, he noticed a tenting in the sheets. Grinning broadly at Cassius, he slid beneath the sheets and turned to the beautiful mulatto man.
"How now, Cassius?! Are you so fearful still of an invasion that you take a revolver to bed with you and keep it under the sheets?" And he reached over and grasped the top of the "tent" gently. Cassius laughed and squirmed, turning toward Appleby, and the two slid together in a warm embrace.
For a long time they lay side by side simply holding one another, running hands through hair, Cassius pulling out Appleby's long brown locks while Appleby ran his fingers into Cassius's thick black curls, enjoying the different textures of their hair. Arms around each other, rubbing backs, chests pressed tightly together, they enjoyed the physical closeness of the embrace. They kissed, pulling on each other's lips with their mouths, nuzzling noses and pressing cheeks together. Hips slowly began to pump, pushing forward into groins, as movement increased and became more passionate. Breathing picked up speed, became heavier, kisses more insistent.
Appleby pushed Cassius over onto his back, then reversed position as he climbed on top. Pushing his groin up off of Cassius's face somewhat with his knees, Appleby let the mulatto take his stiff red cock into his mouth. Cassius swallowed the dick as far as he could, then moved his hand up to pump it while he pulled his mouth off of it. He sucked and nibbled Appleby's heavy ballsack, licking the back of it, taking little bites of the skin around the puckered anus. Meanwhile, Appleby was bobbing his head up and down on Cassius's reddish brown penis, pressing his nose down into the testicles and nearly choking on every downward push. Appleby's hands slid under Cassius's flawless, muscular thighs and grasped the undersides tightly, kneading and massaging them as his mouth was busy sucking and pumping. Cassius moved Appleby's penis back into his mouth where he, too, sucked and pumped, pushing his head up and down quickly. He grasped the white man's muscular butt with his hands and kneaded it, raking the skin with his light brown fingers, probing the anus with his thumbs.
Both men picked up speed in their sucking and bobbing, while each moved his hips up and down to match his partner's movements. From their bellies and thighs, from deep in their guts, gathered a stirring, an electric charge, a wave of lightning--and then an eruption as Appleby, moaning and snorting through his nose, pushed his penis down into Cassius's mouth as waves of semen flowed out and down. At nearly the same time, Cassius erupted in a high pitched whine, his mouth full of the white man's discharging penis, while he pushed his own rigid dick up into Appleby's willing mouth and sprayed his semen upward. Grasping each other's thighs, butts, backs, both men labored hard for the charged moment, and then Appleby collapsed downward onto Cassius even as Cassius lay back flat on the bed, spent. Each released his partner's rigid cock, and each organ flopped against flesh, leaking a thin final stream of semen. Cassius pulled Appleby down tight into him as he gasped for breath, while Appleby lay his head on Cassius's hairless, hard brown thigh and panted. By degrees, calm returned. Each man licked the other, cleaning penises, thigh, chest. Then Appleby rolled off and reversed position. Once again, he and Cassius embraced, and holding each other, fell asleep.
The next morning, having coffee on the verandah, watching the morning sun rise, Appleby looked up to see Ezekiel Thomas step out onto the verandah with his own coffee. The lieutenant sat next to Appleby, who cordially bade him good morning. Thomas replied quietly, uncertainly. He rocked for a moment. Then he spoke.
"Last night, sir.... your servants, uh, I'm sorry, I mean, your friends.... Pan and Bacchus.... well....I fear I must apologize...I believe I must tell you.....this is very difficult, sir."
"Pan and Bacchus and I did much the same thing my first night here," Appleby said, softly. "Perhaps they intend to establish some sort of tradition of initiation into the ways of Seaward," he said with a smile. "It was a wonderful, healing experience for me. And for you?"
The young man blushed a deep scarlet, stammered and seemed not to know which way to look. "It... it was.....I have always heard it was unnatural."
"Well, how could that be when you naturally did it?" Appleby smiled gently, remembering the kind of upbringing the youth must have had and how it was for himself eleven years and more ago. "I thought so also at one time, but when it happened to me, my first night here--and with those two!--nothing felt more natural."
Thomas looked at him sharply, searchingly. Then he sat back and rocked a moment more. "Yes, to be honest, it was that for me as well. I do not intend to give up women, sir!" he said, defensively--Appleby could hardly suppress a laugh. "But yes, it was.... remarkable."
Appleby nodded and smiled indulgently at Thomas, with an understanding feeling for his blonde youthfulness and inexperience. He reached over to squeeze the young man's forearm very quickly. "I have not given up women either, Ezekiel. There is very little that people give up on Seaward. Most find that they gain a great deal. Freedom, acceptance, love. That is what we are fighting to protect here. Anyway....Pan and Bacchus are hard to resist, are they not?"
Thomas laughed out loud, then coughed as if to restrain himself. He looked at Appleby searchingly again, then nodded. "I think I am coming to see that Seaward is a place of great freedom, although it is very strange to me still. But yes, I can see that this is no ordinary place. I think....I think I will enjoy my week here very much. I think I will learn from it. Perhaps I will learn about myself most of all." Appleby nodded agreement. That conversation began what for Thomas was indeed the most memorable week of his life.
It was a week of cool, crisp weather. Another, smaller group of Union ships sailed by in the middle of the week, seeming to bypass the harbor of Charleston to head farther south. The people of Seaward were once again occupied with the tasks of everyday life, chores that Ezekiel Thomas eagerly began to join in with. The second and the third night he also spent with the twins, in his bedroom or in theirs. Their bouts of lovemaking grew somewhat louder each night as the irrepressible twins tutored Thomas in the ways of intimacy. The third night, coming up late, Appleby met Bundit in the hallway. The Siamese man was heading down to the bath room--he nodded at the closed door of a room from which muted gasps and moans were issuing, rolled his eyes dramatically, winked hugely at Appleby, and walked on grinning. His head and shoulders shaking with laughter, he turned into his own room for the night. It was clear that the lieutenant was learning the ways of Seaward, night and day.
Appleby and Portia attempted to send another letter to Marcus. Whether it would ever reach him they did not know, but they had to try. During the week they received another, very brief letter from him reassuring them as to his safety. He was still stationed in Maryland, he said, and the First Massachusetts had been involved in some skirmishes, but no major battles since the battle at Manassas. Marcus mentioned his friend "Hi" again and said he was doing well also, that they were still best friends. Again, the letter hinted at having seen injury and death, but Marcus kept such horrors in the background, shielding his family--although they would not be shielded. Portia and Appleby sat on the verandah for a long time after reading the letter, looking out farther than they could see, seeing into the past.
Midway through the week, Cass and Juno called an evening meeting of the community. Ezekiel Thomas attended the meeting as well, which was held in the hay barn, but sat in the back to observe. Juno rose to speak.
"Well, everyone knows that Cass and I are now both alone," she began. A brief wave of sadness washed over the group as they were reminded of Priam's loss again. Apple, sitting near Thomas, leaned over to whisper an explanation in his ear. The officer nodded solemnly, reminded again of the sacrifices the community was ready to undertake to preserve their freedom. "And we know the main house is getting mighty full." Did her eyes flicker toward Ezekiel Thomas? At any rate, he blushed a bright red again, and momentarily turned his face away. "So, we have an idea." Cass rose.
"To make it simple, we thought we would move in together.....or, I will move in with Juno. There's plenty of room in the loft, and a bed up there. That will free up my cabin. It has a loft, too, more than one could move in." The proposal sparked a buzz of discussion around the barn.
Hector asked, "Who should go?" More discussion, and then Cassius spoke. "How about our friends from Ashley Plantation? It would be just the right size." The proposal was considered, and Samuel, Aaron, and Hammond seemed pleased at the suggestion, delighted with the thought of getting their own well-appointed house. In the end the plan was agreed to all around, and everyone volunteered to help the trio make their move the next day.
The group dispersed to go their own ways for the night. Appleby, stepping into the night air, found Troy standing in the moonlight, seemingly waiting for him. "Can we walk up the path a little ways and talk, master?" Troy asked. Readily agreeing, the two strolled off under the trees, arms around each other's shoulders.
"What is the matter, Troy?" asked Appleby. "Is anything wrong?"
Troy smiled brilliantly, his white teeth gleaming in the frame of his dark skin. "No, nothing wrong at all. Something right, I hope. You know, master, every time Athena has a child, I have to move out for her recovery, and I've always moved in with you." Appleby nodded, squeezing his friend's shoulder. "Yes, I know Troy. To tell you the truth, I have been looking forward to that again as Athena's time draws near." Troy nodded and they walked on a while.
"Well, master, I was thinking. You know, Athena isn't just mine alone, hasn't ever really been only for me. I guess I'm probably not even the father of the new one that's coming, which is alright with me, I'm happy for Cassius or Bundit."
"Yes, I know, Troy."
"Well, Athena and I have been talking about it, and what with Cass and Juno's plans.... Master," and here Troy hung his head like a boy asking a girl for a date, "Could I move in with you? I mean, really move in, for good. Maybe... maybe share your room? I mean," said Troy, backtracking quickly, "not that you'd have to be only with me either, just...." he seemed at a loss for words.
Appleby's heart was full as he turned toward Troy and held his meaty biceps with both hands. Looking deep into his friend's eyes, Appleby held the gaze for a moment, then kissed him lovingly and hugged him tightly. "Yes," he said. "Yes. Do you remember what Priam called us once?" He pulled back and looked at Troy, who returned a puzzled, amused expression and shook his head. "He called us an old married couple."
Remembering the time, Troy threw his head back and laughed. Recovering his composure he said, "Alright, well, I guess maybe that's what I'm asking about, master."
"Yes, Troy. Move in with me. Of course we won't give up others, but Troy: if I had to give up all others but one, you would be the one." Troy nodded and whispered, "Me, too."
They stood together embracing tightly for a long time, unwilling to let go. Eventually, Troy pushed back a bit and said, "Let me talk to Athena. Probably I'll come over tomorrow, when Mama moves." Appleby nodded, and they strolled back again, hand in hand, until Troy peeled off to go to his cabin. Alone but not alone, his heart full of peace and content, Appleby made his way to the main house and up the stairs to the second floor. He drew up short as he noticed the door to the room that was to have been Ezekiel Thomas's standing halfway open, with lamplight coming from within.
He stepped quietly to the door, curious but not wishing to intrude. Peering around the door he saw Thomas, a towel wrapped around his waist, sitting on the edge of the bed, alone, drying his hair with another towel. In that first moment, Appleby was struck for the first time by the young man's good looks--really, he should say youth, he could not have been more than twenty or twenty-one. Blonde hair just over the ears, blue eyes, a small nose slightly up-turned, his complexion a healthy light tan from serving on ships. In an instant, Appleby took in his physique: thin, even boyish without heavy muscular development, rounded pads on his chest and a belly that, while not fat, had the curved contour of a boy's abdomen. Thomas suddenly saw his visitor and half-rose, startled.
"Forgive me!" cried Appleby, "I saw the light on. I...I did not know this room was being used tonight."
Thomas blushed and looked sheepish. "Well..... Pan and Bacchus thought I should...uh, sleep...well, not alone, but....they encouraged me....." He hung his head, shaking it and smiling sheepishly. "They thought I should branch out. I don't know who to ask."
Appleby smiled, amazed at the twins' sexual tutelage of their new conquest. "Pan and Bacchus are inclined to be very....eager, Ezekiel. Don't feel obliged. Everyone here sleeps alone some times, even Pan and Bacchus." Thomas looked up with a boyish smile, seemingly grateful for the reprieve and grace that Appleby's remark gave him. And something in that smile hooked Appleby. Was there a resemblance to the lost boy that Robert Ashley had been? Appleby only knew in that moment that he wanted the youth. Not without stratagems himself, he spoke as nonchalantly as he could: "Actually, I too was going to bed without a partner tonight. Sometimes you find one, sometimes you don't. I'm sure you would prefer simply to rest."
Thomas caught something in his voice, maybe an invitation-- or maybe it was simply something he wanted to hear. He cocked his head to one side and looked steadily at Appleby. "No, I'm not sure I want just to rest. Pan and Bacchus have opened up something new in me. I....would like to keep exploring it.....to keep that going."
A contract was made through their eyes. "Then why disturb these sheets tonight? Would you like to come to my room?" Appleby asked. Thomas nodded and simply rose, a towel in one hand and another around his waist, awaiting directions.
"Come," said Appleby, and taking the youth's willing hand led him down the hall to his own room, shutting the door behind them. Standing close, Appleby reached for the knotted towel, which came undone easily and fell to the floor. Thomas's penis, curved downward underneath a small patch of brown-blonde pubic hair, was beginning to rise, slowly. The youth kept his eyes downcast, in expectation, not knowing what would come next. But his eyes flickered up as Appleby began removing his own clothes, tossing them aside onto a chair. Once they were both naked, Appleby stepped closer and pulled Thomas to him.
The youth heaved a deep sigh, then grasped Appleby around the chest fiercely, fingers clawing at the older man's back and shoulders. A little shorter than Appleby, Thomas put his head on his shoulder and pushed his groin into Appleby's, grinding and humping. Momentarily taken aback by the suddenness of the attack, Appleby quickly regained mastery of the situation. Reaching around to the youth's smooth, rounded hips, he pulled them up into him, nearly lifting Thomas off the floor. The young man gasped and turned his face toward Appleby. Their mouths met, and Appleby invaded the youth's with his tongue. The gesture was returned, as Thomas went through the brief repertoire he had learned from Pan and Bacchus. Grappling at each other, passion built to a steam boiler pressure immediately. Their rampant cocks slid against each other between their bellies.
Appleby was in the grips of a powerful passion, born of the novelty of this new body, of Thomas's inexperience and the possibility of opening up new delights to him. The older man simply wanted to possess the man-boy immediately. Breaking away, he pushed Thomas to the bed, and the youth went willingly, lying on his belly, pushing his hips up somewhat and spreading his legs--Pan and Bacchus had evidently taught him this much. Reaching for lubricant, Appleby coated his own penis, now painfully erect, and then quickly greased the youth's anus.
It was happening very quickly. Thomas pushed his hairless, smooth, rounded bottom up and back like a cat in heat. Crawling between the youth's spread legs, Appleby positioned his swollen dickhead against the anus and pushed the head in. Thomas cried out and clutched the sheets, but did not protest. Appleby waited a moment for the sphincter to loosen, and then in one motion pushed himself all the way in, mounting the youth entirely. Leaning forward, resting the palms of his hands on Thomas's shoulders, Appleby now straddled his impaled bottom, his thighs on either side, and began plunging his rod down in and out of the youth's ass. Thomas gasped and moaned in counterpoint to Appleby's thrusts, the wet sound of the rigid cock sliding in and out of his bottom keeping rhythm. Appleby's fingers kneaded and raked along the youth's thin back as the tempo increased.
Feeling the crisis approaching, Appleby swung his legs back in alignment with Thomas's and lowered himself onto his back. He slid his arms underneath the thin frame and squeezed tightly, his hips pistoning as his seed gathered. With a cry, he slammed his groin forward, semen pouring down into the waiting rectum--then some quick back and forth strokes and he pushed forward again, holding it as he crushed the youth's torso in his hug. Slowly his grip released, slowly his breath calmed.
Pulling out of Thomas's ass, Appleby straddled his butt once more but, pushing himself up, he rolled the youth over onto his back. The blonde man's rigid red cock sprang up, waving in the air. Appleby scooped up some lubricant and smeared it on the hard rod, then on his own rectum. Scooting forward some inches, Appleby positioned himself over the dickhead and lowered himself. The rigid dick, not overly large, went in easily as the youth gasped again. He grasped Appleby's muscular thighs with both hands and moaned as the older man began to rise and fall in a kneeling position, sliding himself up and down on the rigid cock.
Excitement and inexperience brought Thomas to orgasm very quickly. Thrashing his head left and right, his shoulders rose up off of the bed and his fingers dug into Appleby's thighs painfully. Inside of Appleby the rigid penis shot out waves of semen. Crying out, uttering inarticulate sounds, Thomas rode the wave of his ecstasy and then crashed on the beach. Falling back flat on the bed, he continued to moan and gasp as he recovered breath. Appleby lowered his head, crouching over the youth's chest, and kissed him on the lips and neck. With a plop, Thomas's penis slid out of Appleby's ass, trailing a thread of semen. Appleby rolled off to the side and put a hand to Thomas's cheek.
"Good?" The youth looked wide-eyed at Appleby and nodded. "Good" he whispered, and swallowed hard. Rolling toward Appleby, he pulled him into an embrace. Lying on his back, Appleby pulled the youth over half on top of him, offering his chest for a pillow, and the two of them drifted off to sleep.
There was a festive mood on Seaward the next day, as everyone who was not on watch joined in moving Cass into Juno's cabin and the three Ashley men into Cass's cabin. Help and advice on appropriate decorations of the cabins were passed all around. As soon as those arrangements were complete, Troy emerged from the door of Athena's cabin and turned to embrace her affectionately. With no fanfare, Troy carried sacks with his belongings over to the main house, where Appleby had made a place for him in his second floor bedroom. With Troy's belongings put away, he and Appleby stood smiling at each other for a moment, then embraced tightly. Although Troy had spent many a night and many an hour in that room, it was a homecoming.
That night, Samuel on the cemetery watch and Hammond on the pier watch both sent word to the main house of strange lights to the south. Since they were at a distance, most of the people of Seaward went to the high ground of the cemetery to observe them. The cause of the lights was too far to see even with a spyglass, but there was definitely some intermittent flashing and glowing off to the south, somewhere on the mainland south of Charleston. Surveying the scene, Ezekiel Thomas nodded. Turning to the group he spoke.
"I am not at liberty to tell you what I think it is, but I do believe I know what it is. We must all hope for the best success for the Union," said the lieutenant. It seemed clear that some sort of battle was going on, but the people would have to wait to learn what it was. The phenomenon was to be repeated every night until the night before Thomas left, but he refused to speculate any more about it.
It was the next morning that Appleby sought out Bundit, to have a talk with him that he had been meaning to have for the whole week. As the two worked to dig manure into the fallow part of the vegetable plot, Appleby broached the subject.
"Bundit.... you know that the Navy will come for Ezekiel in a few days."
"Yes, and I have yet to take my chance with him!" Bundit replied, smiling wickedly. Both men laughed at the thought, although Appleby was also sure that Bundit meant it seriously.
"Well, good luck in that adventure, Bundit. But at any rate," Appleby continued, "I just thought I would mention to you... I think they might take you as a recruit. You have experience. It would be a chance to get away, as you have long wished. And I think you need not worry about the Union Navy doing to you what Robert Ashley did!"
Bundit stopped in his work and, leaning on the spade, looked into the distance. In a moment, he spoke. "I have thought of that, master. It has tempted me. But there was something about my misadventure at Ashley....maybe I came to realize what I have here. I still yearn for the sea sometimes, but, as we told Marcus so often, it is a cruel, hard world out there. Also, there is still a war going on. I think I will wait, master," he concluded. Appleby nodded and reached over to embrace Bundit, glad in his heart that he had made that particular decision.
The remaining nights of his week's sojourn on Seaward, Ezekiel Thomas continued to expand his horizons of sexual experience. During the day he labored at everyday tasks with the people of the island, any pretense of investigating the community or keeping it under surveillance now quite gone. It was clear to him from a military point of view that the island posed no threat to Union forces, and indeed might serve as an asset in deterring rebel occupation of its ground. It was also increasingly clear to the lieutenant himself that he did not wish to leave, and that it would be difficult to return to the ship.
The second week of November was off to a good start as the morning of Thomas's departure dawned. Not knowing when a ship would come for him, he rose early, slipping from Bundit's bedroom early before the Siamese man had awakened, to go downstairs to the bath room. After bathing, he walked in the fresh, cold morning air to the kitchen, where there was coffee and food waiting, prepared for any in the community who wanted to stop by. Cass and Juno greeted him, joking with him about his week's many changes and adventures. But their lightheartedness could not completely overcome the sadness he felt at leaving.
Returning to sit on the verandah, he bade good morning to different people who came by on their way to one task or another. Soon Appleby came out onto the verandah to join him.
"Well, Ezekiel.... you are to leave today, I take it?" The youth nodded.
"Appleby...I want to thank you for everything you have done for me. My life has been changed in this week. I.... I hope I may return some day. I would gladly invite you to my home in Maine, but why would you want to leave paradise?"
"You may return any time you like," said Appleby. "Need you serve in the Navy forever? Yet, you may find it confining here."
"I must serve out the rest of the war. If I survive, of course, none of us know what our fate is. But if I may, when the war is finished, I would like to return. I may find paradise confining, but at the moment I cannot imagine it to be so. And I am....I am very sorry to be leaving." Thomas's voice choked, and he halted.
Both sat silently, companionably, as Thomas composed himself. In command of himself again, he continued. "Appleby, is there anything I can do for Seaward once I leave here? I do not know where I will be posted in the future. Of course, I will support the island in the strongest possible terms in my report to Captain DuPont. But what else can I do?"
Appleby thought for a moment. "Thank you, Ezekiel, we would very much appreciate your speaking with Captain DuPont on those terms. And with anyone else you may be able to influence. I wonder, though.....if you are ever ashore in the Maryland or Chesapeake area, the First Massachusetts regiment is stationed there, or was a few weeks ago. My son, Marcus...." Now it was Appleby's to choke up. He turned his head for a moment, but Thomas spoke first.
"Yes, of course... he serves as a drummer boy, does he not? Your and Portia's son.....well, he should not be too hard to find. Shall I drag him back here kicking and screaming?"
Now Appleby had to think hard about the charge to give Thomas. He was tempted to say "yes," but instead--
"No, Ezekiel, you need not do that. In fact, please do not, if he does not want to come. Although," and Appleby sighed hugely, "I would give anything to have him back. But not under compulsion. There are all different sorts of slavery, and none of us want to participate in any of them. Not even the slavery that comes of love, or something that looks like love, an unwillingness to let go that is disguised as a hug. It has been hard, harder than you can imagine, but no.... if Marcus comes back, it will be because he wants to, and he will come back to a welcoming love, not a confining love."
Thomas nodded. "I understand. Nevertheless, I shall try to find him, visit with him. I should be honored to do that. I will send you letters if I may, and let you know, if I ever encounter his regiment, what the news is." Appleby rose, thanked him, and they shook hands heartily.
It was later that morning that the bell sounded from the cemetery and then from the pier. The watch on the cemetery had seen the approach of a man o' war, and the pier watch signaled the approach of a longboat. Hoisting his bag, Thomas walked down to the pier, surrounded by his new friends and intimates. There were many quick embraces, small handmade gifts were offered to him, and words of support and "till we meet again" offered up all around. Appleby was sure he saw the young officer turn his head to wipe a tear away more than once. In good time, the group arrived at the pier as the longboat was rowing to within hailing distance.
It was Captain DuPont again. He maintained his stern military demeanor, but Appleby could detect a twinkle in his eye, and wondered at the cause. He also wondered why the commander of the squadron himself would come ashore, when a lower officer could have been sent. The captain stepped onto the pier and shook hands with Appleby and Thomas, the latter also returning a salute.
"Well, sir, and how was your week here on the island? Have you good news to report?" asked the captain.
"It went very well, sir. I have good news to report, and the summary of it is that the Union has no better friends than the defenders of this island."
DuPont nodded, looking closely at Thomas and Appleby, then around at the people gathered. "Very well, you may give me details later. I think that you all might want to know," he said, raising his voice, "that naval and Marine forces have taken Port Royal, to the south of Charleston. The battle was won yesterday. It is but one battle, and it will be a long struggle, but the Union has a foothold on South Carolina soil."
"A second foothold, then, sir," said Appleby, "for it has one here as well."
DuPont looked at him frankly and searchingly for a long moment, then nodded. "We shall return, sir, to see how you are doing here. If you would record as well as you can the shipping that you see coming and going out of Charleston, I would be much obliged. Lieutenant Thomas, are you ready to return to your duties aboard ship?"
The youth snapped to attention and saluted. DuPont nodded to Appleby, then turned to reenter the longboat. In that moment, Ezekiel Thomas turned back, took in the whole crowd in a long, sweeping glance, and this time he really did wipe away a tear, but not so that his commander could see it. He bowed deeply, gracefully, then stepped into the longboat. Pushing off, they made their way back to the U.S.S. Congress, and to the war now brought to that part of the South. Would Ezekiel find Marcus? With him he took not only gifts but the deepest hopes of some of the hearts on Seaward.