The Libertine
By William Holden
Hindsight is everything. Looking back, I realize I would have fared better if I had let him kill me. At least then I would have reunited with my mother and father in heaven. Instead of living a life of lies and deceit on the streets of Kralendijk, the capital city of the Isle of Bonaire, one of the Dutch colonies in the Caribbean. However, when the time came and death faced me, I chose to live. Thinking back to those moments between life and death, and knowing what may become of me, I wish I would have let him fire his flintlock upon me—but I did the unthinkable. I reached out and caressed Captain Blair’s leg.
I would like to feign ignorance for my action, but, alas, there is no comfort for me there. I knew the risks involved in expressing my less than ac
