Across The Sea by Eric Marier Page A

Rogalles would be much more valued than
the Roman treasure. Still, the Spanish captain was very ambitious.
He decided that he’d go after both.
    “Another note turned up. And
along with it, a gold coin. From Ancient Rome. This second note
read that the Spanish crew must make certain that no harm come to
the five captured men. If any did take place, the unknown author
would regard the Spanish as incapable of honouring any future
dealings and the treasure would be lost to them forever.
Immediately, the Spanish captain ordered his men to treat their
prisoners with the utmost of respect.
    “The captain then waited
anxiously for the next note to appear. His men found it within the
hour. This note read that three prisoners must be released at once.
Once the men were safely removed, the next note would surface, this
one being an actual map to the treasure. The Spanish captain
released the three men, and the map materialized. On the map was
handwriting requesting that another prisoner be immediately
released or the treasure would be moved from its mapped location.
The Spanish freed another Royal Navy sailor, and the treasure chest
was found exactly where the map indicated. Inside the chest was the
Ancient Roman treasure. And another note. This one requested that
the last prisoner be released. The Spanish captain laughed. He had
the treasure; why would he release his last prisoner? He shouted to
the forest surrounding them that he'd released the last prisoner
only if the man who wrote the notes revealed himself. Dreighton had
already anticipated that this is what would happen, and that he’d
have no other choice. He stepped out from behind the trees.
    “The Spanish captain could not
have been happier to see him. Spain would reward him beyond his
dreams for all that he’d accomplished on this island. Dreighton
ordered that he free the last prisoner. The Spanish captain laughed
again and commanded his men to fetch Dreighton. As the men
approached, Dreighton pulled out his sword. He yelled out that he
would only drop his blade if the last Englishman was released. If
not, Dreighton would not go with them freely and cause bloodshed
like none the Spanish captain had ever seen. The captain let the
last man run off, not caring for him much anyway, and Dreighton
dropped his sword. He was taken prisoner and, along with the
treasure, he was transported back to Spain.”
    “What?” Francis exclaimed,
confused. “That can’t be. What happened to him?”
    “No one knows,” Michael
answered. “He was in Spanish custody for almost a year before the
King of England was able to negotiate his release.”
    “That’s impossible,” Francis
argued. “Surely he escaped the Spanish ship. Surely he fought all
the Spanish sailors and got away.”
    “No. Francis, he couldn’t.
There was an entire crew on that ship. And Dreighton was only one
man. But the point of the story… is that he gave up the treasure
that the King sanctioned him to find... to save the lives of four
sailors. And then he sacrificed his own freedom… for one man. No
one who works at sea has ever forgotten.
    “You see, the Robert of
Dreighton in the stories you read is an embellishment of who this
man really was. He’s a character written to make everyone believe
that the Royal Navy is made up of heroes who can’t be beaten, or
who always make the right decisions. The adventures, the battles,
the enemies: that’s what was imagined to sell books.”
    Francis was crushed. He could
not grasp, all at once, what all this meant.
    “But heroes,” Michael said,
interrupting Francis’ train of thought. “Heroes are real.
And they’re not silly.”
    Francis looked up at his
brother. “What do you mean?”
    “What Robert of Dreighton did
on that island was truly heroic. And Francis, heroes... are
everywhere. There are heroes in our lives every day.”
    “Who are they?”
    “Anyone.” Michael smiled and
that spark lighted again in his blue eyes. “Anyone,” he