Punch’s Cousin, Chapter 453

Mr. Punch sobbed as he bent over the side of the dock. He was overcome with fear as his borrowed body was gripped by a wave of queasiness. He vomited again. Loudly and painfully—afterwards, shaking, sputtering and spitting.

“Chum?” Punch cried pitifully.

Robert helped Punch into a sitting position and sat with him on the edge of the dock, unashamedly cradling the man in his arms, rocking him softly.

“Me vittles is comin’ up outta me.” Punch moaned. “I don’t understand, I don’t.”

Robert smoothed Punch’s sweaty chestnut hair, wondering if—deep inside—Julian, too, was suffering.

“Help me,” Punch whimpered.

“I will, dear Punch.” Robert whispered.

Punch nodded slowly.

“Let me look in your mouth. Will you?” Robert asked.

Punch nodded, looking up and Robert and opening his mouth slightly. Robert studied Punch’s gums and teeth and smiled, patting the man’s smooth cheek. “You may close your mouth now.”

“Do I got the Yellow Jack?” Punch asked nervously.

“No.” Robert smiled.

“Then, why’s me vittles tryin’ to escape?” Punch asked. “It’s horrible, it is.”

“I know, dear Punch.” Robert replied softly. “I think you’ve just been overtaken by nervousness. It’s not unusual for our worries to make our bodies ill.”

Punch put his head on Robert’s shoulder and wept. Robert looked around, and seeing that only the members of their party were nearby, placed his arm comfortingly around Mr. Punch’s borrowed shoulders.

“We must remain strong, Mr. Punch.” Robert whispered. “Remember who you are.”

“Who am I?” Punch sniffed. “I don’t know no more. Seems to me I’m still meself—still ol’ Red Nose. But, sometimes, I feel like I’m more Julian than I am anyone else.”

“The longer you dominate this body, dear Punch, the more you become the Duke. At least, that’s what I’ve noticed.”

“Does that mean that me master’s dyin’ inside me?”

“I don’t know.” Robert sighed. “I’ve never encountered anyone like you before.”

“Poor chum,” Punch replied sincerely. “You love me master as much as I do.”

“But, I love you, too.” Robert answered quietly.

“I just wanna go home, I do. I wanna go back to the tall house in Belgravia. I wanna sleep in the big bed near the fire and take tea in the big blue drawing room. I wanna play with the babies and the dog Toby and take them in a carriage to Fallbridge Hall. And, when I get there, I’m gonna take all the portraits of the Duchess off of the wall and hide them away in wardrobes where their cold eyes won’t make no one shiver.”

“We’ll go home.” Robert nodded.

“Not if you ask Mama Routhe.” Punch began to cry again. “She says we can’t. Yet, it can’t be do, it can’t. There’s the ship—right there—so close I can smell it with me new small nose. Why? Why, Chum? Why can’t we go home?”

“We can.”

“No.” Punch blubbered. “Marjani don’t think we can neither. I know it. When I threw that awful gris gris in the water…”

“These people—though they mean well—have their own set of beliefs. Though they believe, it doesn’t mean they’re true. Some cultures believe in many gods—creatures with the heads of elephants and dozens of arms. Just because they believe and because they take comfort in those things, that doesn’t mean that we must.”

“But, there’s got to be one truth.” Punch looked up at his friend. “How do we know which is the one?”

“We must keep trying until we find it.” Robert smiled. “Now, you see, you feel better. Don’t you?”

“Don’t feel like I’m gonna unswallow me breakfast no more.” Punch nodded.

“Good.” Robert said, rising. He offered a hand to Punch and helped him to his feet. “Now, you must stand and smile. We need not worry the children nor the servants. Think of all we have.”

“Such as?” Punch wiped his eyes.

“Look over there. Two healthy baby boys. Look at them. Fuller will grow strong and brave. He will be loved by Cecil and Adrienne who are now safe from harm. And, there—there is Colin. You and I will raise him to be a fine young man and when we’re gone, he will be the Duke of Fallbridge and he’ll be a fine man like…”

“Like me master.”

“Yes.” Robert nodded slowly. “Who else is there?”

“Marjani and Columbia.” Punch nodded.

“And, we’ll take them to a new land where they’ll have opportunities and freedoms that they never imagined. Think of what Columbia can do with her life. And, Gamilla, there. She will enjoy a new, exciting world. Gerry and Charles, too. Remember when we first met Gerry—a poor simpleton under the sway of that mad Arthur. Now he’s a loyal, courageous young man. And, when he heals, he will thrive. And, Charles will be free of his brother’s evil influence.”

“Coo.” Punch whispered.

“And, all of this is owed to you, dear Punch.”

“But, Mama Routhe said we can’t leave. She said Marie cursed us and the sea.”

“Do you believe that?”

“Did you believe that you could hear the thoughts of other folk?” Punch asked.

“Well, no.” Robert replied.

“And, yet, you do. Don’t ya? Sometimes you hear. Don’t ya?”

“Yes.” Robert nodded. “But one thing does not make all circumstances true.”

“I ‘spose.”

“Look again at all of those people who rely on us.”

Punch did as instructed.

“Don’t we owe it to them to continue?”

“We do.” Punch smiled.

Robert returned the smile.

“Let’s go, then.” Robert took a deep breath. “In about an hour we’ll be on that ship and far away from Marie Laveau, Iolanthe Evangeline, Ulrika Rittenhouse and Edward Cage, and these worries of curses and black magic will be nothing but memories about which we’ll only joke one day as we watch Colin play in Belgrave Square.”

“You truly believe that, do you, Chum?”

“I do.” Robert grinned.

“Here,” Punch nodded. “I believe, too.”

Punch hooked his arm through Robert’s and together they walked briskly back to their party. As they walked, Robert forced himself to keep smiling because, in his heart, he did not really believe.



Did you miss Chapters 1-452? If so, you can read them here.