21. Sin

CHAPTER 21

SIN

          Nephi and Hantuman were dragged across the deck and dumped like trash against some storage bins.  Tyreantum assigned two men to guard them.  But with their hands and feet tightly bound with strong cords, there was nothing they could do to free themselves.

Tyreantum tried once again to smooth his flying, ruffled strands of hair under his crooked feathered head band before giving additional orders to the men from the canoes and the other passengers. 

          Another boat had pulled alongside the ship.  It was a sleek vessel, made of fine wood, and richly decorated with the finest of fabrics.  It had oars for a twelve-man crew.  To have such an exquisite possession, the owner had to be a man of wealth and importance.

A ladder was positioned between the new boat and the rail of the ship.  Two men with red arm bands held the ladder in place, while another man reached out to assist someone climbing the ladder.  The man from the boat reached the top of the ladder and was welcomed on board the ship by assistance from several of them.

Nephi watched the arrival of the new man and recognized him right away.  He wore gold sandals and was dressed in a colorful blue robe with a long, golden sash around his waist.  He had a large gem stone pendant on a golden chain around his neck, and he had a golden head band on his head.

It was Alumon!

 The first thing Alumon did was to look over to where Nephi and Hantuman had been dumped.  He saw that they were tied, hand and foot, and completely helpless.  He said nothing, but nodded approvingly at the two guards assigned to watch them.

          Alumon loved that he could now place himself in charge.  He acted as if the ship and its contents were his.  He made sure that everyone else would believe that too.  He was pleased with himself.  He had been successful again when others had failed.  He didn’t care that Nephi and Hantuman could hear everything he said.  He gave orders to his men and commanded them to quickly carry out his demands.     

          “I want the timber unloaded right away.”  Alumon shouted the order to a group of men with red arm bands who were standing around with apparently nothing else to do.

          “I want my money first!”  Tyreantum marched up to Alumon and challenged him face to face.

          “Don’t you worry your little head feathers.  You’ll get your money as always!” snapped Alumon waving his fingers mockingly over Tyreantum’s head band.  “But only after you have delivered Nephi and Hantuman to prison, as previously arranged.  Got it!?  You know I don’t re-negotiate our deals, Tyreantum.  I thought you’d have already learned that fact by now.

          “The timber gets unloaded first.”  Alumon continued instructing the men.  “Get this timber off now.  Then, I want this ship prepared to sail again.”  Alumon’s intolerance for anyone challenging his authority showed.

          “Sail again?” questioned Tyreantum.  “To where?”

          “Back to the land of Zarahemla, you fool.”  Alumon displayed his air of superiority.  He glared at Tyreantum.  “Sometimes I wonder why you and your people don’t get it.  Because that’s where the timber is.  More timber means more money!  More money means more power.  Do I really need to go on?”

          “No, of course not,” replied Tyreantum.  “But without Hantuman to steer the ship, how do you expect to be able to get back?”

          “Idiot!  Don’t you think I can take care of that?” Alumon sneered.  “I know somebody else with quite a bit of sailing experience.  I have a man who works for me.  Sailing a ship is quite simple really.  There’s nothing to it.”

          “I want twice the amount of money you owe me before I agree on a deal for another shipment.”  Tyreantum started to haggle.  “Plus, I want an equitable share of the profits in addition to the fixed daily rate in taxes.”

          “Yeah.  That’s fair.  You owe us too!”  Some men joined Tyreantum and voiced approval for terms of a new deal.  They didn’t care whether it was Alumon or Tyreantum who made the plans as long as they got paid money for what they did.

          Alumon went on giving orders and totally ignored the remarks about more money.

“Here’s what we need to do.  As soon as the timber is unloaded from this shipment, I want supplies and provisions brought aboard for the next trip.  I want enough water and enough food for fifty people for at least a month.  The sooner all the needed provisions get stowed, the sooner you will all be wealthier.  Go to work!

          “Guards!”  Alumon motioned to the men who were guarding Nephi and Hantuman.   “Take these wretched prisoners out of my sight.  Make sure there is no way they could ever escape.  They would claim that a God had freed them.  I’ll have none of that!  How sadly does it appear that their God has abandoned them.  And just when they need Him the most!”

          Hantuman was the first one to be grabbed by the feet and dragged off clumsily to the back of the ship.  Another rope was tied around his ankles.  Two men held the rope while another man pushed him overboard.  Hantuman was lowered head first out of sight.

Tyreantum, upset that Alumon had assumed total leadership, saw that Nephi was temporarily alone, was helpless, and was somebody on whom he could take out his frustration.  He couldn’t resist abusing Nephi one last time.  He went over to Nephi and kicked him in the ribs.  Then he spat in his face.

          “Well, Nephi.  What do you have to say for yourself now, eh?”  Tyreantum didn’t expect an answer.

          “I’ll bet you’re wishing your wife were here to save you again this time like she did the last time, don’t you?  ---  Oh, wait.  That’s right.  --- You don’t really know the whole story yet, do you?

“It doesn’t matter now.  Let me tell you.  It doesn’t make a difference anymore.  Your fate is sealed this time.  You’re as good as dead this time for sure.  This time I’m getting the money I’ve been promised for killing you.

“You think I killed your wife, don’t you?  And, you’re right.  The thing you don’t know --- is that it truly was just an accident after all.  I was actually attempting to kill you!!

“She saved you, Nephi!  She saw the knife right before I was going to stab you!  She instinctively jumped between us to save you.  She started to attack me with her bare hands!  But I defended myself with the knife.  That must have been when little Timothy looked up and saw us together.  I managed to hit her on the back of her head with the butt of the knife.  She started to run.  I ran after her to the edge of the platform where I pushed her from the top and she fell to her death.

“After that, I couldn’t go after you as planned.  The commotion caused by your wife took away my opportunity.

“Was her skull broken by my hitting her on the head, or not until she fell off the pyramid?  Doesn’t matter, does it?  She was dead.  And so will you be before much longer!

          “So long, Nephi.  I won’t be troubled by you again.  I hope you die in pain!”

The guards returned to take Nephi away.  Like Hantuman, he was grabbed by the feet and dragged cruelly to the back of the ship.  They tied another rope to his feet and pushed him over the side, head first.  He was lowered into a canoe. 

Tyreantum watched from the ship until he saw that Nephi was tossed into the bottom of the canoe.  The canoe was paddled to shore by four men wearing the red arm bands.

Satisfied, Tyreantum turned around and watched as men brought up the timber from below.

He would never see Nephi again.