Of course, the more manpower, the better. But the odds were entirely against us. This was a small desert island. There was a limit to its resources. It would be hard enough for me to survive on my own, let alone sustaining two grown men. Water for two men. Food for two men. A ship big enough to support two men. And we had to scrounge up all of this out of nothing? It was ridiculous.
What if we only found enough food for a single person? Would I have to split provisions with a total stranger? In fact, splitting them would be the ideal circumstance. What if one of us tried to hoard it all? What if he made the bold and friendly suggestion to cooperate, only to betray me when it counted most?
People turn on each other, even in the best of times. And this was a life-or-death situation. No one else was watching us. Could I really trust the other man who was here with me?
So, no, I wasn’t going to help him. I didn’t need a companion. From the moment I set out to sea, I was determined to make it on my own, without anyone else’s help. At least I wouldn’t have to worry about anyone betraying me.
But then I realized that when I first saw Ace, and when he spoke to me, a part of me had felt hope. It was pathetic. That part of me was weak.
I thought he’d come to rescue me.
Even though that couldn’t be the case.
My excitement rapidly subsided. It felt like I was outside myself, observing my life as though I were a stranger. Despite all my self-determination, once I was alone on a deserted island, I was happy to come across another person. So much for that.
It hadn’t lasted long, though. There was a certain kind of loneliness I felt around others that I didn’t feel when alone. Paradoxically, once I was with another person, no matter the circumstances, I found myself facing the emptiness inside myself.
“By the way, I didn’t catch your name yet,” he said.
It had been only minutes since we first met, but Ace already seemed totally comfortable around me. I hated it. I’ve always had a great dislike for telling people my name, or having them ask me like they were entitled to it.
“I’ve got no name to tell the likes of you,” I murmured. I wasn’t going to tell him my real name, certainly not on our first meeting, when I couldn’t trust him yet. The day that I decided to make it on my own, I abandoned my old name.
“How come? We’re friends already,” said Ace. When did we become friends? “C’mon, you can at least tell me your name.”
“Pipe down. You want a name for me? I can give you a pen name,” I said, deciding I’d have to play it tough if Ace was going to be so pushy.
“A pen name?”
“Ace is a good name to have. I might even use that when it comes time for me to write a chronicle of my adventures.”
I didn’t really mean to say that. Suddenly I felt odd. While it came up in the flow of conversation, what was it about this place, and these circumstances, that caused me to mention my childhood dream just then?
Ace’s expression clouded at the thought of me using his moniker.
“Hold on, now. That’s my name.”
“And I told you, it’s a pen name. I can choose to call myself whatever I want.”
“Don’t. I aim to achieve greatness with this name. I don’t need you copying me.”
Greatness, he’d said. That told me something about what kind of man this Ace was—as well as the reason he’d washed up on this island.
“Did you find any treasure?” I asked, ignoring the previous topic.
Ace took the bait. “Why, you know something?”
“Nah… Just the rumors…”
“Great treasure always comes to powerful pirates. That’s what I always believed. And what happened? I lost my ship, and there’s no treasure. No bounties to collect, and I can’t leave. This island is the pits,” he said.
From the way he spoke, it sounded as though he hoped to make a name for himself by finding some legendary treasure, or taking out an infamous pirate, or the like. To think that he wound up stranded on this island due to nothing more than garden-variety hubris…
There had long been a tale about this island possessing treasure, perhaps because of its natural beauty. It was a famous story among sailors in the area. But none of them dared approach the island. Of course they didn’t; the moment they landed, they were doomed to stay. Even if there was treasure to be found.
Besides, rumor of treasure was common fodder for sailors. It wasn’t like they knew anything about the island. They just pointed at a picturesque island in the distance and made up whatever story they felt like telling.
Wherever he picked up the story, Ace clearly took it seriously and made his way here intentionally. So he was the type of person whose ambition was his downfall. The thought of working with him to survive seemed even less plausible now.
“I know! You can be Deuce!” Ace blurted out. “For your pen name, right? Deuce. It matches with Ace, y’know?”
“Huh? What d’you mean, ‘Deuce’?”
Deuce. As in a two of cards or dice? It also means bad luck. Well, that certainly fit my current situation. I had to admit, it was a clever name… However, just to be sure, I checked with Ace.
“Do you know what Deuce means?”
“Nope. It just sounds similar, doesn’t it?” he said simply. I had to assume he really didn’t know. With a serious expression on his face, Ace continued, “Sadly, Ace is my name. I can’t give it to ya. So I think you should use Deuce for your pen name. And it sounds similar, anyway.”
“Shut up about ‘sounding similar,’ already!”
“Look, you didn’t give me any other name to call you by. And besides, let’s say you decide to go by Ace. If we’ve got two Aces on the same island, we’re going to get confused about which is which. Just think about it! If we’re alone, and I’m supposed to be Ace, and I’m calling you Ace, then who am I supposed to be?!”
“Um…you’re still…Ace. Besides, I was only talking about the pen name I’m going to use eventually. Later on down the line. I wasn’t claiming I was going to start calling myself Ace today…”
“Well, my point is, that isn’t convenient for when I want to talk to you. So I’m going to call you Deuce! Got that?” he asked. I didn’t like it, but he was a free man. I wasn’t planning on hanging around with him, anyway.
“So, Deuce, now that’s out of the way, there’s something that’s been on my mind,” Ace continued, leaning forward to stare me in the face. “Does everyone where you come from wear that sort of thing? Or is it for some kind of festival?”
He was referring to the mask that covered my face—my eyes, specifically.
“Oops! Or is it something I’m not supposed to mention?” he added with concern. Ever since his introduction, there’d been something oddly formal and polite about his manner. But he didn’t need to worry. When I went to sea and abandoned my name, I also chose to hide my face.
“No, I just wear it because I want to.”
“Okay, then I’ll call you Masked Deuce. The coat seems to suit the name, too. Yeah, I kinda like that,” Ace muttered, satisfied with himself.
“Don’t you dare call me that weirdo name!” I snapped. I couldn’t let him throw me off my game. This strange Ace fellow had a way about him that was different from other people.
And the whole point of the mask was so that oddballs like him wouldn’t be able to learn my identity. It’s much easier to stay out of unnecessary trouble if people can’t recognize your face.
“Listen, I’ve been wearing this mask from the moment I headed out to sea,” I explained. “Even if the Navy happens to develop an interest in me, they won’t be able to identify me this way, see? It’s common sense, get it?”
It was a symbolic act, in a way—a sign of my personal determination. When I chose to live on my own at sea, I left my real name and face behind on land. Then I finally felt like I was alive for once. The failing medical student was no more. I had no regrets about my choice. There was no place for me on dry land.