Solcar - 10. Sydney 1825

“Wait. You want me to do what now?”

“I want you to hire your brother Mario and his friend Troy as managers for Prime.”

“I’m not sure, Colt. Mario doesn’t graduate from college until next month, and I know he wants to travel some before he starts working.”

“Not a problem, he can start at the end of the summer. Troy’s bored with his job at the catering company. We know he’s good after what he did for us last year. Hell, people are still talking about how our three events were fabulous—the best of the Christmas 2014 season.”

“I guess, but would he want to work at a bar?”

“Tony, Prime’s no longer just a bar. It is the bar in all of Manhattan right now. And you’re working so many hours we barely see each other. That’s not what I thought would happen when we moved in together.”

“I know, Colt, I know. But losing two managers, one right after the other, has me a little shy about relinquishing too much control. I still can’t believe one was stealing and the other sexually harassed every employee―male, female, gay, or straight.”

“Babe, it’s now April; you’ve worked hard the past few months to fix all the problems. You can’t keep this pace forever― it’s time to get help.”

“You’re right as usual, Mr. Mann. I have to run. Would you please call Troy and set something up so we can get together? I’ll call Mario later on.”

“You got it. Now go make sure New York City’s in crowd gets properly liquored up to start their weekend. I’m going to read for a bit, and I’ll see you there at 10:00 pm.”

“You and that small leather-bound book of yours… Love you, babe.”

● ● ●

Most on the vessel despised the captain. He had worked his way through all the men without any regard for us, content to satisfy his urges by buggering all crew members and the majority of the convicts on a regular basis. The majority of us walked away from his cabin in pain due to the considerable size of his endowment. As soon as I was able to leave the ship without being noticed, I did. I lost myself amidst the crowd milling around the wharf and made my way to the center of Sydney.

I had to distance myself from the monster before I gave in to my hatred. He deserved to die for what he did. He took away what was most precious to me as we left England. Those events would remain with me for the rest of my life, but it was time to start anew. Let us see what this new world has to offer.

“I’m certain it’s your best option, Sinclair,” said my father-in-law as he handed me fresh bread and a chunk of cheese. He had once again managed to visit me in jail. “It would give you a chance to start over.”

“I guess it won’t be any worse than my current situation.” Life in Britain was hard. Farmers replaced by machines moved to the cities, where they crowded into every available space. Many of them, and plenty of us city-born, could not find jobs―hunger was a constant companion. At the end of the day, we are another day older; that is all you can say about the life of the poor. People steal things to survive, I did, and that is why I am imprisoned once again.

“I can arrange for you to have a place as a hand on the Poseidon. It is one of the better ships making the voyage from Portsmouth to Port Jackson―the Captain’s an old acquaintance.” My father-in-law knows plenty of people in the city. He has protected and helped me regularly since his daughter died while giving birth to my son. “The prisons are full. Being a repeat offender, you’ll be transferred to a Hulk soon, and eventually wind up in one of the ships making the voyage anyway. Transported as a convict.”

With the jails at capacity, prisoners were kept in old, rotting prison ships called Hulks. These were usually old naval or merchant vessels unable to go to sea anymore but could still float safely in the harbour.

“But what about the lad? I shall not abandon him.”

“At fourteen, he’s old enough to be a cabin boy. My friend has agreed to take him on in that capacity.” I was thirty-two and had no future in England; my boy and I could start over half a world away. There, I could hope for a better life for the two of us.

“Please make it so, sir. I promise to work hard once we arrive in the new land, and I shall take care of your grandson to the best of my abilities.”

Sometimes, all our planning and all our efforts are for naught. The captain was approached by a wealthy merchant seeking a place for his young nephew. The rapscallion had tempted more than one man into sodomy and gathered a reputation that meant trouble for his relatives. On the ship, his cravings would be satisfied by the randy sailors; in London, the uproar would diminish. The social standing of the family would be preserved. When the lad was older and learned discretion, he could return to England.

They had already put out to sea when Sinclair discovered his son had been returned to the dock. His position was given to the errant nephew in exchange for a few coins. Sinclair Duncan was headed towards the Southern Hemisphere while his boy remained in England. As the tears flowed, he wondered if he would ever see his son again.

● ● ●

Wiping away the tears, Colton closed the small leather-bound book. He was very aware the end was near. This was to be the last year of his punishment, the last year of his exile, and the last loss. But he could not lose Tony. He would not lose Tony...