I Am No Orphan!
"I.. I can't tell you."
"What do you mean, you can't tell me?"
"I'm not supposed to, sir."
"After saving your life, don't you think I have a right to know?"
You don't want to look at him. "Yes, but... but, I promised my father not to say who I am."
"Your father?"
"Yes, because he's--" Just in time you stop.
"He's what?" The face has grown dark, he leans closer.
"Please, I can't tell you, I just can't."
"And why not?"
"If anyone found out who I really was, not just me but that person would be in terrible danger."
"Do you really expect me to believe that? How do I know you're not some fugitive?"
You don't answer, only clutch the blankets tighter around you. At this, the other man turns back to both of you, concerned. "Hey, Captain, maybe we should let the kid alone for now. I mean, poor thing's just little, what kind of trouble would a child be in? Didn't you just say no one would be in this kind of blizzard without a reason?"
To your intense relief the Captain seems to agree. "Da, da, Dmitri, you're right. Whoever this young person is does not matter now. For now, we settle in, stand guard, wait. Still," turning back to you, "you will have to speak soon enough. If you really are in trouble you will have to tell us who you are."
"We might be able to help, you know," from Dmitri.
You sit back, uncertain, and then-- "Selkirk! I have to find Selkirk! He's supposed to take care of me. Where is he?" Frantically you scan the rough little room. You see guns, blankets, another two beds, several sacks of things, but no Selkirk. "Please, I have to find Selkirk!"
"Sorry, you were found alone."
Alone? All alone in this great wide world? Your last link to your home, gone. Now you really do start to cry. The Captain pulls his chair closer to you and lets you sob.
"What do you mean, you can't tell me?"
"I'm not supposed to, sir."
"After saving your life, don't you think I have a right to know?"
You don't want to look at him. "Yes, but... but, I promised my father not to say who I am."
"Your father?"
"Yes, because he's--" Just in time you stop.
"He's what?" The face has grown dark, he leans closer.
"Please, I can't tell you, I just can't."
"And why not?"
"If anyone found out who I really was, not just me but that person would be in terrible danger."
"Do you really expect me to believe that? How do I know you're not some fugitive?"
You don't answer, only clutch the blankets tighter around you. At this, the other man turns back to both of you, concerned. "Hey, Captain, maybe we should let the kid alone for now. I mean, poor thing's just little, what kind of trouble would a child be in? Didn't you just say no one would be in this kind of blizzard without a reason?"
To your intense relief the Captain seems to agree. "Da, da, Dmitri, you're right. Whoever this young person is does not matter now. For now, we settle in, stand guard, wait. Still," turning back to you, "you will have to speak soon enough. If you really are in trouble you will have to tell us who you are."
"We might be able to help, you know," from Dmitri.
You sit back, uncertain, and then-- "Selkirk! I have to find Selkirk! He's supposed to take care of me. Where is he?" Frantically you scan the rough little room. You see guns, blankets, another two beds, several sacks of things, but no Selkirk. "Please, I have to find Selkirk!"
"Sorry, you were found alone."
Alone? All alone in this great wide world? Your last link to your home, gone. Now you really do start to cry. The Captain pulls his chair closer to you and lets you sob.