I don’t remember much of the next three years. I remember waking up in mud of pigsties with massive pain in my head and I remember that Skymie and Scurvy stuck with me for most of that time but not much beyond that. The two of them told many of the things I now know I did to me, though I do remember something that happened with three maids I found bathing in a river south of Philadelphia. I will tell that story later in this story.

The first day that I fully remember was the day that that time in my life came to an end. I awoke on the floor of a barn with an empty cask of whisky under my arm. I had no clue where I was or what I had done the night before but the memory of Laela burned in my head. I looked around for another bottle or cask so that I might dull this memory again but found nothing.

I heard a squeak from the rafters and looked up to see Skymie looking over the edge of a rafter. He seemed to be watching me as if he was trying to make sure that I wasn’t going to get angry at him but I couldn’t figure out why. I tried to remember if I had done something to him to make him fear me.

“Did I wrong yoo in some way my little friend?” I asked doing my best to smile. “If so forgive me and come down here so that I may gain yor forgiveness farther.”

He popped his head out farther and said. “You done no wrong here Mikey.” He squeaked. “I worried you get rage when finding booze gone.”

“No though I wonder where it is.” I said. “Why I’m in here I canna remember. Where is Scurvy.”

“He with Nate.” Skymie said. “Nate took bottle. He say you need to dry out.”

I rubbed my head trying to remember any of what he was saying happening before I came to be in the barn. “He was probably right. I can’t remember anything about the day before this one. I might not have needed to drink so much.”

I walked over to the door and checked it, finding it was locked. “So what did I do that they had to lock me in here with you?”