The Tempest; Act 1, Scene 2 Part 2.2

"Forgive me, my child. I had deceived your mother on her soul. But I needed to do this for mine." Paul had gone down to his knees to seek his daughter's forgiveness. Miranda sensed her father's presence was lower than her eyes, so she turned around to reach out with her hands for his touch. Her hands touched his face which was leveled at her waist.

"Oh, dear father. How can you kneel before me?" With that, Miranda went down to her knees to be placed equal to her father.

"Father, I am sorry to had ..." Miranda could not utter the words from her voice. Her tears were flowing at the thought of her father's action. "You made a pledge with me to mother."

"Yes, I did." Paul held out his arms towards his daughter. "A pledge made in sorrow and remorse that she was to die for my sins. But the pain of ten years had dulled was once again revived when I met the old acquaintance. It stirred up the memories of betrayal and greed."

Paul looked hard at his daughter face; so innocent in looks but scarred by the works of the devil he was possessed then. He knew that the years of repentance did not bring joy to him or to her, but the thought of vengeance was his to exert on what was his in the first place. He was usurped by his own closest friend, of his throne on the dockyards.

It was Paul Miller's family that was to ruled the dockyards; not the Nates.

That day, he met Alan at the house who had earlier said he had important things to discuss. Paul received the man he once trusted and favored as his own kin. Alan came with Christopher and three others. He should had seen it then; the other three were kins. There were Brady, Steven and Charlie. Gonzales was there earlier to discuss the options on who to head the Union. He also had his own bodyguards, Simon and Garret. The later were good boys and had served him loyally.

"Darling, take Miranda upstairs." Paul slapped his wife on the buttocks. "I got some men's talk here."

Bernice was never smiling much when she found out that his work was involved in smuggling, bootlegging, extortion and also fixing up the Unions. It was the twelve years of marital bliss that shut her eyes off his personal sins. She went off like a dutiful wife, and left him with the boys. They convened in the library and had some drinks. Paul rounded up fast on the names and then the call for something personal came out. It was Brady who spoke out his mind.

"Paul, we been thinking..." Brady was no thinker but he was the one with the fast mouth. Alan stopped him and took over the statement.

"Paul, three weeks ago, after I got shot, I did some thinking." Alan voiced up in the incident when he took two shots in the chest but he offed the shooter. "I think we are letting the Digby too easily."

"Alan, we settled that. The Digby apologized and gave us the piece of action on the beach front. So let it rest." Paul replied but again Brady spoke up.

"Hey, Paul. It was Alan' life at stake there. He could had died." Brady was getting that sentimental looks. Before he joined Alan, he was a two bit hoodlum with a bad jaw from too many brawls. With Alan, he settled brawls with guns.

"I know, Brady. He is alive here now. So bagged it." Paul got up while Alan spoke to him.

"Paul, we do not think that the Digby should be let off that easily. It won't do well for our reputation." Paul looked to the man he considered as his partner.

"Alan, Digby came up the same time as we did. We used to work the tricks on both end of the piers. So we got lucky and he went inland to be with the bookies. We were once friends. So dropped any idea of vengeance." Paul came back strong with his words. "I had no need of a blood bath with them. I got the Irish and there are the migrants from Wales."

"Paul, I think you are getting soft." Alan placed his words out in the slow tone. "Its time we have a change of leadership."

Paul looked at the three men standing behind their leader. He looked towards Gonzales who stood off to the side. The attorney shook his head. Paul looked back to his partner in crime.

"So Alan, this is it. I stepped down and you take over." Paul gave up a mocking laugh. "The last guy who did this, was Andy Carnell. He ended up dead in the alley."

"No, Paul. I am not asking to be knifed nor you either. I am asking you be nice to stepped aside for me to take the Digby for their insolence."

"Insolence? You are the one who's insolence." Paul signaled his two guards. He turned to looked at Alan. "Backed off and we called it square. Or I would called you awak'd an evil nature."

"You are not only one who read Shakespeare. I did too but I am not the one who is evil nature." Alan replied. "We are all evil inside."

"No way...." Brady drew first. He shot at Paul but missed. Simon and Garret pulled their guns and so did the others. He was shot twice but he managed to jump to behind the desk in the library where he had the .45 strapped below the table top. He took it off and fired at the four men. Gonzales had ducked out through the lawn doors and for good reason, he was not involved. Paul saw Garret fall on being shot but he was past worrying about them. He was more worried on his wife and child. He rushed out through the second lawn doors into the outside. He heard the shots but he was also running. He ran to the kitchen door but it was locked. He broke the lock and went in. He heard the shooting upstairs. He ran up the back stairs and saw Brady. The rest was as said before.

"Father, it was all over for ten years. We had a good ten years of bliss here. Why destroy all this for vengeance?" 

"No, Miranda. It was not about vengeance. Its all about putting the justice before the dead ones. Your mother for one."

Paul stood up and walked to the window.

"Miranda, I needed to find justice for your mother." Paul voice broke down at the last words. "Here would be their prison when I taken their King."

Miranda got up and made her way to her father. She held him once more.

"It was Gonzales who came to me. He had known I was here; he helped me to secure the place with the slush funds I kept aside for my retirement. He secured all the legal rights and moved the inmates out. He was the one who supplied us all the food and drinks all these years." Paul explained one last time to his daughter. "This is my last chess game."

While Miranda was distracted, Paul had slipped the needle into her neck. He had got it from Gonzales to sedate her. Miranda slipped into a deeper sleep, which Paul gently lowered her down to the nearby couch to sleep.

"I am sorry, my child. I cannot go back on my plan. Please rest while I dictate their downfall."

Paul walked to the fire place where the hidden switch was located. He pulled at the switch, and the wall behind the fire place slide open.

The person appearing was an emancipated person which made his frame more mobile in the hidden tunnels. He was bald headed with his protruding ears that appeared like bunny ears. He came out from the fire place in a half crouched move and stayed at that. It was his way of appearing before his so called benefactor. His name was Ariel; an inmate of the place since is early years, never knew any home other than here, diagnosed as mentally retarded, he stayed too long there. He was also the servant of Paul Miller.

"Did you do it?"

"Yes." The ex-inmate replied.