Devil and the Deep Sea

This is the story about the final adventure of Haliotis, a "nine-hundred ton, iron, schooner-rigged, screw cargo-boat", that has been used for various missions of doubtful legitimacy, in various parts of the world, with several changes of name. "Fate and her owner, who was also her captain, decreed that she should deal with embarrassed crowned heads, fleeing Presidents, financiers of over-extended ability, women to whom change of air was imperative, and the lesser law-breaking Powers."

As Haliotis, flying a British flag is noticed by a gun-boat in the region of present-day Indonesia where big boats are not found, it is pursued by a gun-boat. The gun-boat fires a warning shot, which unintentionally damages the forward engine of the Haliotis. An officer boards the gun-boat boards the Haliotis and finds pearls that have been stolen from a ship earlier. All the crew members of Haliotis are arrested.

The gun-boat tows the Haliotis to an island harbour. During this time, the ship's engineer Wardrop tells the captors that the engine of Haliotis is irreparably damaged. The Governor of the island consigns the crew to an army taking part in a local war in the interior. Of the island..The crew of Haliotis is now stuck between the devil and the deep sea.. Either they stay imprisoned on the island or take part in the war in the interior of the island. They decide to fight the Governor’s war and get stuck on the island for months

Meanwhile, The Governor tries unsuccessfully to sell the boat, and he removes all the useful items from Haliotis.

Help now comes to the crew through an unexpected source. The incident of a ship flying a British flag being fired on, becomes a diplomatic affair, and the island’s Governor is told by his superiors to withdraw the crew from the war.. While the crew are waiting to be sent to the nearest English port, the Governor confines them to the Haliotis. Again, the crew goes through a harrowing time on board Haliotis as useful items have already been removed from the ship and it resembles a barren ghost house.

The crew does not lose hope. For more than two weeks, the crew, with ingenuity and hard work, reconstruct the engines, as directed by Wardrop. Eventually they start the engines: they are not working well, and Wardrop says, "She moves, but — but she's breakin' my heart. The sooner we're at Pygang-Watai, the better. She's mad, and we're waking the town."

Haliotis manages to sail slowly to a harbour of a nearby island, which is frequented by gun-boats. Here the crew sinks the vessel, so that the gun-boat later runs into it and sinks.Sweet Revenge!

The END

Discussion points:

1. Sometimes we have situations in life where we face a choice. The outcome of both sides of that decision may not be optimal for us. But we have to make a choice knowing fully well that both paths are sub optimal. The crew is faced with a tough choice.They make a choice and stick with it.

2. In such situations, we think, agonize, scream, shout , get stressed, but things will not change with that.. Acceptance of reality is the first step in the journey.. we cannot wish the situation away. We have to get prepared to face the consequences. We might loose money, important career milestone, a loved one, health or something important but we need to accept the reality

3. The second step is to have faith that the power that has given this challenge will show us the way out.. That power may want to teach us a lesson with this. It may be teaching us to be patient, or to give up attachment to something material/ emotional/ physical. The lesson has to be learned. There is no escape. The crew also realizes that there is no escape and accepts their reality.

4. Once a path has been chosen based on various parameters, one has to stick with it.. because it will hurt, and will be costly emotionally/ physically/mentally but so is the other path..so better to stick to it rather than cry and scream.. If we quit this option and chose the other option, it will come with its own costs and pain will be repeated. So better to stick to the option and get on with it..

5. Staying put and swallowing the bitter pill is the most difficult thing to do.. but sometimes doing it and biding the time is the best solution.. during this time, prepare harder to face the next challenge.. Don’t let the crisis go waste. We must build the muscle and keep strengthening ourselves..

6. How do we know it will all be ok? Maybe it will be, maybe it will be not. Nobody knows. In the story, the crew finally gets its freedom back. The lesson for us is to not let this incarnation go waste. We need to learn the lesson that is being taught. If there is no escaping the pain, bear it with all courage. As Master Co says.. Pain happens but suffering is a choice..

Story Credit: The Devil and the Deep Sea" is a short story by the British writer Rudyard Kipling, first published in 1895 in The Graphic's Christmas number. It was collected with other Kipling stories in The Day's Work (1898). The expression originated in shipboard life during the age of sail when most European nations had a large number of sailors seeking to discover new countries. The devil here is a sharp spiked tool which would be used to poke at the captive to walk the plank. The captive walking the plank would have had the deep blue sea before him and a sailor with the devil or spike in his hand.