Pirates of the Caribbean: The Price of Freedom

obust…these days.” He cleared his throat again. “Not robust at all, I
would say she’s…well…let’s just say I believe time is of the essence,
my boy. She wants to know that you’re settled, and I agree. It wouldn’t
do at this time to deprive her of any bit of happiness, right? We
understand each other, don’t we?”
As Cutler sat there, trying to regain enough control to speak,
Jonathan Beckett looked back down at the desk. He pulled some
papers over to him, then settled his reading spectacles on his nose.
“I’m glad that’s settled, boy, and all for the best, I say. You run along
now, I’ve work to do.”
Cutler managed to say, “Mother wants me to be happy, Father.
She will understand if I choose to do something else.”
Jonathan Beckett looked up at his son over the tops of his
spectacles. “Cutler, you didn’t understand me, I see. I shall have to be
clearer, even though I don’t like saying such a thing aloud. Cutler, your
mother has a wasting disease. Some kind of unknown ailment the
doctors can’t diagnose or cure. She’s dying, boy. Seeing you settled
as a clergyman is her last wish.”
Cutler Beckett felt himself fill up with rage, as though there was a
hole in the top of his head, and vitriol was being poured in. How dare
he? How DARE he?
He sucked in air as though he hadn’t breathed in an hour, and
found himself on his feet, leaning forward across his father’s desk. For
once that assured, slightly mocking glint was gone from Jonathan
Beckett’s expression. He leaned away from his son, clearly taken
aback.
“How dare you try to use my mother to manipulate me, you devil?”
Cutler said, his voice low and so full of menace that Jonathan Beckett
actually looked frightened. “A ‘wasting disease’ is it? An ‘unknown
ailment?’ You lying, filthy hypocrite! I know what’s wrong with my
mother, and so do you! She has the damned pox, and you gave it to
her!”
Cutler leaned farther forward. His father pushed back in his chair,
his eyes wide and frightened. Guilt marked his features like a brand.
Cutler raged on. “Why it hasn’t brought you down yet, I don’t know, but
if I believed, I’d pray every day that it would! To claim you don’t know