Lone Ranger Chapter 48

48.

The rowboat of Charon was twelve feet in with the three planks across designed for the seating. There was the hanging oil lamp in the fore and to the rear which lends light to the boat and the water. The boat was coated in some dark shade blending it to the scene of the dark chamber. Charon himself was standing at the rear with the long staff into the water. The figure was short by height and was dressed in a shapeless gown that reached from over his head to below his knees. He was barefooted and with the hood covering his head, his face was not seen. He was pushing the boat with the staff and soon docked at the river bank. The rower then grabbed hold of the two bodies on the boat to discard them by the river bank.

“Aye, the misfortune mislaid on the journey.” Falstaff placed on a grim expression and then saw the confused expression on Lance. Falstaff soon explained.

“They think that the passage to Hades could be done by themselves but they forget the road to Hades has many surprises.” Falstaff looked at the bodies and shrugged his shoulders.

“A big price to pay for not paying the fare.” Falstaff continued on and then stepped away. The bodies on the river then engulfed by the river water and the river flowed the bodies back against the flow. It was intriguing then for a small part of that river was flowing in reverse sweeping the bodies in it. The bodies soon submerged and the river bank reverted to its original state.

“Aye, the River Styx is alive and well. With some unusual ways of reclaiming its own set of souls. The souls here will remain as part of the river till eternity I guess.” Falstaff smiled. “Never cheat on the river or Charon.”

Falstaff then looked at Charon and held out his hand with the gold coins. 

“Eleven coins for us.” Falstaff reached for his guineas in the bag and they boarded the boat. Once on board the boat, the eleven found themselves drawn to another dimension. It was no more a boat but then a ship with a huge deck and the bridge that overlooked the deck which at that moment throng with guests. On the deck were rows of tables with the gambling boards and the spread of buffet with a wide array of delicacies. No servants were serving the refreshment but one need not look far to sought one. The drinks stands are well spaced out and with it the ongoing flow of the servings. It was the sight of the server that amused the drinkers. It was poured out from the machination that resembled the trunk of the elephant although no one fancied the pudding served at the other end of the elephant.

“The drink is sweet nectar.” Falstaff took a whiff of the trunk that was pouring. “I may recommend the pudding if you don’t mind the serving protrusion.”

Tonto took to laugh at the dry humor but Lance was more fixated on the others there. Most of them were plying the trade of luck with a score at the buffet servings. There were about a hundred of them in various dressing according to their taste and credence or placed on them at the moment of death. Lance looked at one which caught his attention for the man was dressed in his long johns and appeared to have a poor run of luck from his adultery antics. He saw another was a lady in her fine dressing but the hair was disheveled with the crochet stick end pierced into her temple.

“There are many who get onto the boat and never leave,” Falstaff told Lance. “It’s truly a nicer death that way.”

“I wondered if one could die here in Hades.” Lance sank his thoughts into the vocal sounds of his. He was overheard by Falstaff who explained the workings of death after death.

“They won’t come back undead if that was your line of query. They will revert to the start of their journey once more. It’s the way of Hades here. Once sent here, we remained forever unless we are banished to the physical life trough once more.” Falstaff smiled. “I don’t envy that I much prefer life here despite the battling. I will know as I did love a longer living life than from the start of the time and to the English being shoved over by the colonists. Sadly I died then not by the hands of Man but the brother of mine. I was banished here but I fought on to stay on the right side. Lucifer was a good lad.”

With that, Falstaff silenced his words. Lance was to ask when he was stopped short by Tonto who changed his focus towards the far side.

It was Vance Hawkins. He saw Lance.

“The Lone Ranger, I presume.” That call turned several heads. “I never thought to see you going to Hades. Or was it to hunt us who had escaped your pursuit?”

Lance glared at the man who was killed by Tonto. Hawkins had his face disfigured with the bridge of the nose and part of his left cheek torn. The man approached them and glared at Tonto.

“I do not expect you to be here so soon.” Hawkins voiced out with disdain. “Since you are here, we can resume our battle once more.”

With a swirl of his right hand, a group of twenty figures stepped up to face them. They were the Legionnaires of Vlad Tepes. 

“You destroyed an army of mine. For those destroyed, they were banished here. Since I was also destroyed by you I am now gathered here with them at the edge of Hades. I do not know if you knew this or place here. It’s called Limbo; a halfway or neither place for we are not in Hades or anywhere.” Hawkins saw the rifle and the tomahawk. “Your weapon may well be bloodied soon.”

“Aye,” Tonto replied.  “I will make sure you to be there for your next reading at the funeral.”

They were to clash when the whole deck jolted as if it had hit something hard. The assembled on the deck screamed and Lance ran to the bridge above. He was followed by Tonto and Falstaff although the later was heaving in deep breaths. He reached the ship bridge and met the one steering the so-named boat. He was dressed in the formal Captain’s uniform with the peaked cap. He was tall with the slim look complete with the wide shoulder. It was the look of a true commander. He was not alone and there were two on the bridge dressed like sailors. The Captain saw the newly intervened trio and jumped into an acute irritation.

“Leave the bridge now!” The Captain hollered out his command. “I got a ship to steer here.”

 The other two jumped into action but Falstaff held them off.

“Captain Nemo, I would like you to withhold the command. We are here to help. He is the Lone Ranger.”

“Blimey! Another typecast.” Captain Nemo cried out. “I have seen the likes of Queen Mary to the Norse Gods before they were sent off with their arses tumbling down the stairs. I was not surprised they could holler louder than the siren wailings.”

“Bloody sirens? I knew them from my days at Dover.” Tonto had to impress the Captain.

“Mutations of the demon. I doubt they ever exist with my high seas sailings but I saw more of them here than then.” It was then the bridge was rocked once more and the eerie sound vibrated through the area.

“If they keep on yelping like that, I will bloody keel over my sword.” Captain Nemo moaned his disgust with the Sirens. “I still got to get them off my deck.”

“Perhaps we can help.” Lance volunteered. “We are new but we know all about demons.”

Captain Nemo glared at Lance and then broke into a smile.

“Lone Ranger, do your worst. I will keep us towards the sea and the devil off your back with my finer steering.” Captain Nemo then nodded to one of the sailors to lead them.

The scene on the deck where the Sirens were harassing them was not your scenic view of the high seas.