by P R Glazier
Chapter 17. Docking in Port Town
The sun was fully up and by the time they reached the dock a pleasing warmth was chasing away the chill air of the morning. Nar’Allia remembered Minervar’s description of Port Town; she decided that it had obviously not changed much since the day Minervar left all those years before. Once docked, the Ocean Belle’s crew, along with Amndo and Jonas, were led off and placed under guard in a shack of a building on the quay side, some kind of small warehouse Nar’Allia supposed. The Pnook guard on board the ship waited and eventually, on the return of their commanding officer, Nar’Allia was ushered over to the gunwale and made to wait. Tear’E remained under guard in the Ocean Belle’s main cabin for Nar’Allia had pleaded with the Pnook officer not move him just yet because of his suffering from concussion, to her surprise and great relief he had agreed.
Nar’Allia’s attention was again taken towards Port Town and the docks. An old battleship was moored on the quayside. The battleship was obviously resting on the bottom of the dock basin as it leaned over at a slight angle for its deck sloped down to the seaward side, from Minervar’s descriptions Nar’Allia knew the great ship of war had been scuttled by the Pnook in this place many hundreds of years in the past when the Pnook first arrived here after fleeing the Ognod invasion of their old homeland back on Dahl’Ambronis. The Pnook maintained a presence here for it was the only port on the coast of the Rust Desert and all entry into and exit from the Rust Desert by sea was via this place. This section of the coast was also the only place possible to have a port, for the thousands of kilometres of coast comprising the rest of the eastern seaboard of the continent was composed of high cliffs.
Once they had disembarked, she gazed along the quayside Nar’Allia noticed there was only one other ship in port at that time, a rather weather beaten vessel with flaking paint and a faded name upon her stern in letters that were made out to be like a vine snaking across a broad trunk of a tree. The ship was called the ‘Wood Nymph’, this made Nar’Allia smile, what in the Makers name were they thinking to call an ocean going ship the Wood Nymph? Along with the old battleship the whole aura of this place, apart from its less than savoury reputation, actually seemed to Nar’Allia to be slightly comical. However, Nar’Allia noticed the two cannon mounted on the ironclads deck pointing out to sea. She thought one, or both of these had been fired at the Ocean Belle not but a few hours before. Her smile faded from her lips as more sobering thoughts entered her mind. Anyway she found herself being unceremoniously shoved along the quayside and up the gang plank that led to the interior of the battleship.
Soon she found she was standing outside a door, again Nar’Allia thought about the tales that Minervar had told them many times, she knew this door led into the port authority office on-board the iron clad battleship. The Pnook captain stepped forward and knocked on the door almost immediately a voice from within responded by saying “Enter.” The door was opened with a click and clang of the mechanism and they were ushered into an office, much smaller than Nar’Allia imagined it would be. The only furniture was a desk and a chair. The desk was covered in paper and books as was the surrounding floor area. Ledgers and paperwork were piled high all around the edges of the room, she noticed that many had been damaged on their edges, mice she assumed, or worse rats. The chair was occupied by an elderly looking Pnook who scowled at the Pnook captain as if he had been disturbed in doing something of far greater importance than playing host to these people. But then he took sight of Nar’Allia and his eyes lit up for a moment and a very thin smile crossed his lips before the scowl returned once more as he addressed the Pnook captain standing to attention in front of the small group.
“State yur business adjutant, I have much to do today and am pressed for time.”
“Well sir we have apprehended a long wanted pirate vessel and its crew, the Ocean Belle is the name of the vessel. I have it moored under guard and the crew incarcerated in the dock lock-up. This, errr person claims captaincy of the vessel sir.”
The Pnook behind the desk looked to Nar’Allia, his eyes seemed to brighten and he seemed lost for words for a few seconds whilst he stared at her, then he gave an inward sigh. He slowly put the pen he was holding into an ornate brass inkwell that stood upon the desk, the pen dripped ink onto the wood as he did so, adding to the stain that was already there. He sighed once again and rubbed his inky fingers across the front of the already ink-stained shirt he was wearing. Then he put both elbows upon the desk and made a steeple shape clasping his hands together and extending both thumbs backwards rested his chin upon them. He then gently rubbed his brow with his forefingers whilst closing his eyes.
“So adjutant, the Ocean Belle is at last in our grasp, her crew captured and awaiting trial on piracy charges.”
The Pnook captain, the adjutant, nodded his head enthusiastically and was about to say something when the Pnook behind the desk held up one hand for silence and continued, “a crime first listed on our statute books ummm, remind me please how long ago now?”
“The adjutant strode over to a shelf full of ledgers one piled on top of another, he pulled consecutive volumes from the pile and added them to a second pile that rested upon the floor, eventually he came to the particular one he was obviously looking for. He pulled this out and laying the ledger in front of the Pnook behind the desk stood back to attention and said, “I believe that you will find the details in here dock master Sir.” He saluted.
The Pnook behind the desk slowly looked from the adjutant down to the ledger now placed in front of him. He opened the front cover and dust blew out from between this and the desk as it was laid flat. The Pnook began to go through each page consecutively, running his finger and eyes down each page as it appeared before him until on about the tenth or eleventh page he stopped and said, “Ah here it is. Merchant class vessel. Registered name - The Ocean Belle, Registered To - Captain Illusius Greol (human), First Mate – Master Føurnâl Vélt (Grûndén).” Here he nodded. “Apparently the vessel is wanted under city statutes 67521.09 – A 89/104 - C/G. Now remind me captain A/C/G?”
The adjutant continued to stand at full attention and he rattled of an explanation of the three statutes supposedly broken by the Ocean Belle, “leaving port without paying full excise duty charges and docking charges; wilful damage to port authority property and, assault on port authority staff, Sir.”
The Pnook behind the desk again nodded slowly and then said, “very good adjutant, now perhaps you could define piracy for me please as laid out in the city decrees?”
“Yes Sir, certainly Sir.” He coughed into his hand and then said. “PIRACY being the wilful and pre-determined attack upon the high sea(s) by vessel(s) (Pirate Vessel) upon another vessel(s) (Target Vessel) using excessive force and/or aggression with the prime intent of either, but not limited to the following; (i) appropriation of the Target Vessel cargo; and/or (ii) enslaving the Target Vessel crew against their will; and/or (iii) the intent to unlawfully take over the Target Vessel. Sir! It then goes on to describe in detail ……..” Here he was interrupted.
“YES. Yes. Thank you adjutant. Thank you for your expert knowledge, very commendable. So, the charges against the Ocean Belle, they fit this description do they adjutant?”
After some inward thought and expressions of obvious internal turmoil, the adjutant responded, saying, “Err, well not exactly Sir, ummm no.”
“These charges adjutant, they were levied against the Ocean Belle some time ago. This human captain ……” he glanced back down at the page in front of him and ran his finger along until he read, “Illusius Greol, a human, I suspect would have err ‘retired’ by now.” He then looked at the face of Nar’Allia standing in front of him before considering. “I see no humans before me and I suspect that none of the original human crew survives, apart from perhaps the Grûndén first mate, but he is certainly not here I fear eh?”
The adjutant shook his head from side to side and said, “no sir, I believe that to be the case sir.”
“So unless there are humans amongst the crew you have locked up that may be descendants of this Captain Illusius Greol, or any Grûndén that fit the description of First Mate” ……. Again he ran his finger across the page until he read, “Master Føurnâl Vélt?”
More inward thinking and turmoil showed upon the face of the adjutant as he replied, “ahhh, No Sir. Err, not exactly sir.”
“Not exactly, eh? Well partially then perhaps?”
“Well sir, yes sir, there are humans aboard sir, well one anyway.”
“And the name of this human adjutant?”
The adjutant removed a note book from his top pocket and flicked through its pages until he found the page he sort and then said, “he calls himself, Jonas Dreward sir.” Then with a hopeful expression he quickly added, “but I can certainly search the vessel sir, more may be hiding on board as stowaways or something?”
“That won’t be necessary adjutant, at least not for the present.” The Pnook behind the desk then turned to Nar’Allia and with a slight smile of amusement upon his face he said, “so to your knowledge, is this human Master Jonas Dreward related to Captain Illusius Greol?”
Nar’Allia replied that to the best of her knowledge this was not the case.
Seemingly satisfied the Pnook official behind the desk said, “then under the authority given to me at the Kings command I nullify all charges against the Ocean Belle under the premise that these charges made against the afore named accused as listed will never now be brought to court. Thus, I pronounce all those immediately under arrest to be absolved of the charges brought against them.”
Nar’Allia giggled more in relief than anything else.
But the Pnook held up an accusing finger towards her and said, “BUT, under one condition. I hereby levy a suitable payment be made to the port authority in the way of compensation for damages caused and payment in full of outstanding excise duty charges. This payment is to be collected and satisfied from goods and chattels on board the Ocean Belle, the choice and procurement of such goods to be at MY sole discretion which I will base upon their perceived market value, again such valuation to be made by myself.”
Nar’Allia went to speak to object at this unfair premise, but before she could utter a word the Pnook behind the desk in a raised voice said. “However, I believe the Ocean Belle was subjected to cannon fire without provocation adjutant?”
“Sir, we fired upon her only as a warning Sir, not to actually perpetrate a direct hit Sir.”
“Very admirable of you adjutant I’m sure, but as a gesture of good will and compensate for any damage caused to person or persons in mind and/or body or to property and/or cargo and as a goodwill gesture on behalf of the Pnook people, I waive all charges levied against the Ocean Belle.” He then winked his eye at Nar’Allia.
The Pnook adjutant started to speak but was interrupted.
“That is an end to it adjutant, case closed, please update our records accordingly and release all those incarcerated immediately. I will accompany the T’Iea girly, ummm, I mean the captain here to the Ocean Belle and proceed to inspect the vessel myself. Please remain here and assume my duties for the time being adjutant until you are relieved.”
The Pnook adjutant smiled and visibly drew himself up so he was standing as tall as he could, “yes, Sir.” He saluted the backs of the company as they left the room and made their way outside and back onto the dockside.