Ink Blot? | Previous Challenge Entry

how it works

TITLE: Ink Blot? | Previous Challenge Entry
By Carole Robishaw
01/21/10
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Apprentice Thomas was once again the fulfillment of the old cliché “haste makes waste” as he ran around the room attempting to get things cleaned. His master, who was one of, if not the greatest, mapmakers in the known world, was due to return any moment. Thomas was in charge of keeping the pens clean and the many bottles of beautiful colored inks filled. But Thomas had been busy, practicing copying maps on scraps of parchment, and had lost track of time. Running between the table and the shelf, he tripped. He caught himself before total disaster struck, but some ink splashed out of the uncapped bottle. Praising God that the spill had not been his usual disaster while cleaning it up, he failed to notice the spot that had landed on the newly completed map that was to be delivered to Captain Warren that very afternoon.

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Captain Warren had been sailing in these waters for more than a decade and knew them well. He also knew that storms came up very quickly, and sometimes they could be very bad, indeed. This one threatened to be one of the worse he had ever seen. There was no way he was going to outrun it and there was nothing for many leagues between his ship and the closest shore.

“Captain, can we make this island?”

“Island, what island? There aren’t any islands out here.”

“Well, sir, according to the new map there is. Maybe one has been discovered since last time you were here.”

“NO! I know this area better than the back of my hand, and there aren’t any islands here.”

The navigator took a deep breath, then; “Sir, I’d trust my life to this mapmaker, he’s the best, if he’s put an island on this map, than it’s there. Not only that, but it looks like it might have a small bay on the back side, one large enough to protect us from the worst of the storm.”

There was no time to argue. The Captain knew it was impossible, but ordered the ship to sail to the bearings of the island on the map. The howling wind was bearing down on them, tossing them like a toy on huge waves when they spotted it.

“God’s Grace! There really is an island there.”

Silently the entire crew thanked God as they made their way into the bay. The storm blew past. They gathered to praise God for the island and His protection.

The Captain ordered the dinghy over the side and they explored the island. It was beautiful. There was fresh water that tasted heavenly, and game and fruit trees abounded. They spent a day repairing sails, filing water barrels and gathering food. Then they sailed on to their destination.

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“I’m telling you, there was an island. We landed there. We never would have survived that storm without it. We were under God’s providence, I’d say.”

“And I’m telling you it’s impossible. I’ve sailed those waters a decade longer than you have, and that’s always been the most dangerous stretch. Sudden storms and too far to the mainland. Many a good Captain has been lost there.”

“Well, were else did that fruit you’re holding in your hand come from, then. It was like stepping into heaven. A tiny taste of paradise, that island was.” Captain Warren wore a look like he’d truly seen an angel as he recalled the safe haven they’d found.

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“An island, you say?” Master Mapmaker Wallace looked at his friend and shook his head. “I never added an island to that map. As far I know, there is no such place. Why, that looks like nothing more than an ink blot. How did that get there?”

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