Free The World Duology (World Odyssey / Fiji: A Novel) by Lance Morcan, James Morcan

thrown up at the grotesque sight – a sight that would be with him for the remainder of his days.
    The rigger’s head had remained recognizable until the bald-headed eagles and other birds of prey picked it clean of flesh. That had only taken a few days.
    Nathan had learned the skull would soon be consigned to a nearby cave that housed the countless skulls of former enemies. He prayed that would happen sooner rather than later as he just wanted to forget the recent ghastly events.
    The young Philadelphi an lived in hope Intrepid’s owners, or someone at least, would start searching for the missing vessel as soon as it was realized she was missing. Realistically, that wouldn’t be for another month or two, so he was resigned to surviving as best he could until then. One day at a time, Nate , he told himself. One day at a time .
    #
    Life as a slave of the Makah was a trial for the hardiest and most resilient of slaves. For Nathan it was considerably harder. As the only white at Neah Bay, he was looked down on by slaves and villagers alike, and often treated with disdain.
    He’d quickly discovered there was a pecking order amongst the slaves. The biggest and toughest – and those with the most allies – had first choice of discarded clothing and food leftovers the villagers sometimes threw their way. And they had first pick of the female slaves if they were so inclined, as most were.
    The female slaves, who lived in separate lodgings, were outnumbered three-to-one by the males. Consequently, they were in constant demand, and a major cause of infighting amongst the male slaves.
    Nathan’s lot changed for the better one fine day. He’d had his eye on a new arrival at the village – a shapely young maiden who had been captured and enslaved following a raid on the inland village that was once her home. She was one of a dozen slaves the Makah had brought back to Neah Bay after that raid.
    The young maiden had caught Nathan’s eye immediately. He found her very sexy and instantly desired her. So, too, did a number of his fellow slaves.
    It came to a head during a work party which saw a number of male and female slaves working together, gathering berries for a potlatch their Makah masters were planning. They were watched over by two bored Makah braves who filled in time by chatting about their latest sexual conquests.
    With some clever maneuvering, Nathan found himself working alongside the young maiden. What a goddess! He caught her eye and smiled. She returned his smile and he felt his pulse race. “Hello,” he stammered in English. He inwardly cursed that he hadn’t even learnt how to say hello in the native tongue.
    The young maiden responded with something unintelligible to Nathan’s ear, but she said it with a smile and he imagined she was also saying hello .
    It was that moment that Sasqua, the self-proclaimed leader of the slaves, chose to interpose him self between the two youngsters. A big, raw-boned bully who stood even taller than Nathan, Sasqua elbowed the white aside and leered all over the young maiden who shrank from him as he gazed at her with undisguised lust.
    By now all the slaves were watching. Even the two Makah braves had stopped chatting to see what happened next.
    Sasqua wasn’t concerned about the two lookouts. They were only there to ensure the slaves didn’t try to escape. Besides, the slave boss looked after them on occasion , supplying them with the prettiest of the female slaves, and they were only too happy to look after him. It was a secret arrangement that suited both parties.
    Nathan knew he needed to assert himself if he was ever to gain the respect of his fellow slaves. He’d been looking for the right moment and sensed this was it. It’s now or never . Looking around, he caught the eye of his ally Baldy, the bald Mowachaht slave. Baldy nodded almost imperceptibly. It seemed the Mowachaht had anticipated what Nathan was planning and was indicating he was ready to back him