The Perils of Archipelago

by B A Simmons

  “But you left them. You possess that knowledge. I know you do, that’s how you knew how to use the battery in Edwin’s lightning spear to power the tablet.”

  Morris grinned, “I left them, but not until I met you.”

  Rob’s face scrunched up. “What?”

  Morris said nothing more but pointed down the trail. There, Piers and Tom appeared with freshly caught fish. They filleted the fish and spread them out to dry on a makeshift rack Jacob had constructed.

  “Where’s Jacob?” Rob asked.

  “He’s building his own mangle nell,” Piers said.

  “You’re joking.”

  Piers shook his head. “He wants to defend the island should any pirates or Falcon ships discover it.”

  Rob laughed, but at the same time thought the idea was sound. They would need to keep the island under their control, but to do so permanently would mean that someone would have to stay, permanently.

  It was a matter to think over but not right then. Rob walked through the annex again and found Morris’s notes. He returned to his teacher, who just then seemed as old as they always suspected he was. The two spent the rest of that day reviewing and discussing what could be done to open the door. They had little time to figure it out. The next ancient power satellite would be over them tomorrow.

  26: Nemo

  Doctor Morris and Rob sat together on a knoll near the east shore of Hellhound Isle. Here, they watched the sky darken as the sun set behind them. Hours earlier, they had worked out a plan for testing the door once the electrical power was restored to it. Meanwhile, Morris wished to continue the discussion they started at the hut but needed to avoid the others.

  Morris pointed up to draw Rob’s attention to the Ayday Star. “Look there, our herald of doom.”

  “What? Why is that a herald of doom?” Rob laughed.

  “You know, of course, it’s not a star. But do you know what it actually is? Oh, I wish we had a telescope here with us.”

  “A telescope, like a far-see?”

  Morris coughed, “Like a far-see but much more powerful. With one of those, we could see the Ayday Star for what it really is: a star ship.”

  Morris turned his head to see Rob looking at him. The look was not of disbelief, but rather that of satisfaction.

  “You had already figured that out, hadn’t you?” Morris said.

  “It made sense, as a theory in my head. You said that Captain Meecher came from Earth in a ship made of copper and steel. After what we learned at K’ork-eatop, I figured out that Earth was a different planet. Yet, the ship of copper and steel in the Meecher story can’t be the same as the Ayday Star. That one was sunk by a car-dun. Unless the car-dun from that story is metaphorical.”

  “No, it was as literal and real as the one that lives around this island. The Ayday Star is a ship made of copper and steel, large enough to contain other smaller ships made of the same materials.”

  Morris paused to allow a coughing fit to pass. He took a sip of water from a canteen Rob offered him.

  “Was it too large to land on this planet?” Rob asked once Morris was able to breathe properly again.

  “Yes, but that is not the reason it orbits us still. When Meecher discovered this planet, he broke the laws of our ancestors. Not only was he not authorized to explore other worlds, but by not reporting its existence, he defied wisdom and safety. He decided instead to bring desperate people from Earth, poverty-stricken refugees, to colonize this planet. He was an unscrupulous man, greedy and stubborn. Everything his name has come to mean to us. These people paid him everything they owned to escape their poverty and, in return, they were dumped on Isle de Prime without knowing what was there.”

  “You mean the Duarve, the Quillian, Orics, and Ferlies.”

  “They thought the planet to be uninhabited by any other intelligent life. They soon discovered they were not alone. The perils of Archipelago are many.”

  “Archipelago?” Rob said.

  “It’s what our ancestors decided to call this planet. It’s an ancient Engle word for a group of islands. But, to the point of this story; Meecher left the first group of colonists here and traveled back to Earth for more. His greed overcame his sense of safety and respect, and he brought double the number of people as the first group. When they arrived here again, the star ship, the Stellar Survivor it was called, was damaged. Meecher didn’t even have the tools to fix it. They could not return to Earth, and they could not maintain the ship. It was abandoned up there. Since then, nearly four hundred years ago, it has circled our world and captured our imaginations. Except for those of us on Isle de Prime and, I suspect, the leadership of the Servi, no one knows what it truly is.”

  “You said today that you hope we can return to Earth. How would that be possible if the ship is damaged beyond repair?”

  “For that information, Rob, you must go to the Isle de Prime. There is too much to explain without the diagrams and books they have there. It will be sufficient for me to say this for now: There is some truth to the religion of Ayday.”

  They sat in silence for a few minutes while Rob allowed what he’d just learned to sink in. He remembered something from their previous conversation.

  “What did you mean when you said you only left Isle de Prime after you met me? How could that be possible since I’ve never been to Isle de Prime?”

  “Nemo,” Morris said.

  “I don’t know what that means.”

  Morris smiled. “It means no one.”

  “No one? Geoffrey, you’re being enigmatic on purpose again.”

  “Yes, I am. Sorry. It’s another ancient word, like entdecker and a few others I know. Nemo means ‘no one,’ but it was used as a name once. Rob, I am a Nemo. Or rather, I was.”

  Something clicked in Rob’s mind, and he remembered a story his Uncle Tim had told them years ago to frighten them. A story of men who kidnapped children and took them to be their own sons and heirs. They took curious children who asked too many questions—who went exploring beyond the limits of their society.

  The story had worked on Rob for a while. He knew he was one of those children and so became convinced he had to hide his curiosity or be taken from his family. That is, until Doctor Morris arrived on Engle Isle and started his school.

  Rob realized what Morris meant and stood up, looking down at the frail-looking old man.

  “They’re real? You were one of them? You’re a Nemo?”

  Rob made as if to walk away but came back. He grew frustrated as his mind raced, putting together bits of memory that hadn’t connected until that moment.

  “Rob, please sit down, and I will explain.”

  He did not want to sit but forced himself to trust Morris once more.

  Morris continued. “The Nemo Society is a group of men and women from Isle de Prime who place themselves on the other isles of men and attempt to influence their affairs for the better. We observe and assess each community to see what should be done to help them. More often than not, we leave them alone and let them progress at their own pace. Occasionally, more action is necessary. For example, when the Falcon Empire rediscovered the technology of black powder, we ensured that other powerful islands, such as Fallen Dome and Aruth, could rival them. We don’t want a group of people like the Falcon royalty controlling all islands. Back-channel politics, black markets, and education are our main tools.”

  “So, you never kidnapped children from their families?” Rob asked.

  “On certain islands, we have discovered that ignorance and superstition have taken great hold on the people. Education is not enough, and political influence can only go so far before violence ensues. It has been our practice to rescue bright and intelligent children from these communities and take them to Isle de Prime where they can receive an education otherwise impossible to obtain.”

  “You were going to kidnap me, weren’t you? Have you taken other children?”

  Rob’s tone sounded indignant. He could hardly believe what
he was hearing. Morris remained calm and looked on Rob with compassion and patience.

  “It was something I was prepared to do should my first plan fail,” he said. “When I asked the Council of Elders for permission to teach, they gave me a list of topics and ideas that were tabooed by Engle Isle tradition. I was told that if I taught them, I would be banished from the island. I agreed to leave them out of my curriculum but, as you are aware, I subtly included them. Here and there, without most of my students even noticing, you learned about the world your elders had forbidden.”

  Another coughing fit came, but once Morris stopped and could breathe, he jumped right back in. “It worked, however, in identifying which of my students were curious about the world and audacious enough to defy tradition. This is where you stood out from the beginning. You were only, what . . . ten years old? But you had such a keen mind already. I determined that if the council revoked my permission to teach, that I would take you with me from Engle Isle.”

  “I suppose it’s a good thing they never realized what you were doing,” Rob said, feeling calmer.

  “I was censured several times, but no, they never banished me. More importantly, I figured that when the time was right, you would defy your island’s traditions on your own. You, Rob, became the catalyst for a great change among your people. They owe you more than they’ll ever realize.”

  “Not that I would have been able to do that without your influence. So, in reality, it’s you they owe.”

  Morris shrugged. “Perhaps, but that’s not important. You will likely never set foot on Engle Isle again. Even after this war is over, your heart will lead you elsewhere.”

  He started coughing again, badly. Rob lifted him up and carried him back to the hut. Morris fell asleep on the cot Rob placed him on. However, he continued to cough sporadically through the night. When morning came, he ran a fever.

  Piers made him tea using fresh Chillfever leaves. It settled him, but he was too weak even to walk. Rob remained by his side, wiping sweat away with a cloth.

  “Rob,” Morris whispered. “Go run the test. The satellite won’t be overhead for more than a few hours. Go!”

  A hesitant Rob stood and left his mentor to light the oil lamp and delve into the Duarve House. Rob tied a piece of linen around his face to mask his nose and mouth. When he entered the main corridor, he noticed the lamps affixed to the ceiling glowed with a dim blue light. More to Rob’s interest, the glass buttons on the panel next to the locked door were illuminated from within.

  Using the list of possible combinations Doctor Morris had suggested, Rob began pressing the three buttons in a series of combinations. He pressed these buttons for hours until his fingers were sore from the effort. His frustration grew a bit more as each of them failed to produce results. No chimes, buzzers, or indicators let him know if he had the correct combination; the door simply did not open.

  Rob groaned in frustration and brought his fist down on the panel. To his surprise, something different happened. The lights behind the buttons changed color. Their usual amber became a crimson hue for a few moments before changing back. Rob realized there was a tactic they had not thought of.

  He pressed two buttons at the same time followed by the third. The buttons again changed red. He waited a moment for the amber color to return then tried a different combination of two before the third. This time, the buttons glowed green and, with a hiss, the door opened. Cool air collided with Rob’s face, bringing a satisfactory smile with it.

  He pulled on the door to open enough to look in, but then pushed it closed again. He wanted Doctor Morris to share the experience with him. Racing back into the hut, he found the teacher still asleep on the cot. After a moment of deliberation on whether to wake him, Rob decided it was worth the risk.

  He shook his arm, yet the old man did not stir. He tried again with gentle pressure, calling out his name. Nothing. Rob held his hand under Morris’s nose to feel for breath. Shallow, but it was there. Rob sat on the edge of the cot, unsure how to proceed, but feeling the pull of the newly opened room on his mind.

  Piers entered the hut and, seeing Rob sitting by the sick man, looking distraught, seemed to assume the worst.

  “Is he . . . ?”

  Rob shook his head. “No, he’s just asleep. I should let him, but I’ve got something wonderful to show him.”

  Piers brightened. “You opened the door?”

  Rob nodded. Piers would have to do in place of Morris.

  He led the mercenary back to the door and again, pried it open to its farthest extent. Piers held the lantern, and Rob took up the oil lamp. They saw faint reflections of their light from objects inside.

  “It’s too narrow for both of us to go at the same time,” Piers said. “You should have the honor.”

  Rob took a deep breath and stepped through. His lamp did not give him much to see by. Even when Piers joined him with the lantern, they could only see a foot or so around themselves.

  The floor and wall around the door looked no different from those in the rest of the house. Yet, Rob noted a matching set of buttons near the door, with a fourth button a few finger widths away. He pressed this button, and they both startled at the blue light that bathed them from a lamp fixed into the ceiling less than a foot above their heads.

  With the entire room illuminated, Rob noted how it was identical in space to the one across the corridor. The number of artifacts strewn about made their eyes sparkle with joy. It explained to Rob why the rest of the bunker seemed devoid of any equipment, tools, or other objects. They had all been placed in here for Aweth’s younger offspring to use in its survival. Some objects Rob remembered seeing in the ruins at K’ork-eatop, but others were completely unfamiliar.

  He saw a small light glowing on a familiar-looking tube. Picking it up from the floor, he handed it to Piers.

  “Point this at me and look through that end.”

  Piers followed the instructions and then laughed at what he saw.

  “I can see your shape, but it’s a mass of colors—red and orange outlined by blue.”

  “Amazing, isn’t it?”

  “How did you know it would do that?” Piers asked.

  “I found one of those on Kudo Isle, the same place Doctor Morris and I found that flying ship.”

  “Of course. Are there any other objects you recognize?”

  There was one Rob noticed; one he could never forget. In a corner, near one of the large pipes leading into the ceiling, lay a Duarve weapon just like the one Yskiu had at K’ork-eatop. Rob went to it, hesitated to touch it as the memory of Yskiu’s confrontation with Archie came to him, but then lifted it from the corner.

  “What is that?” Piers asked.

  “I don’t know,” Rob said and put it back. “Look at this,” Rob said, taking up a new object and pressing a button at the top. Part of the device spun and emitted a low humming sound. Rob then placed the spinning end a short distance from the wall. Within seconds, a circular piece of wall fell to the floor. Rob lifted his finger from the button and grinned at Piers.

  As he stooped down to pick up the chunk of wall, Rob realized that something wasn’t right.

  “Where is it?” he said.

  “Where’s what?”

  “Where’s the Duarve? Aweth’s offspring. The journal said it was locked in here, and they diverted the air supply to allow it to survive. It’s not here. There’s no body. Where did it go?”

  27: Betrayal and Madness

  Edwin brought the Anna Louisa to berth at Port Edward with a sigh. The journey from Isle de Martha had been long, especially since they had not stopped at Isle de Joc. The only money Edwin had was in Falcon credit and, while Seth would have taken it, it would have seemed an insult. Rather, Edwin figured he could find a merchant or two on Copper Isle who would be more apt to accept such currency. Find them he did. A furniture maker whom Marcel had helped contract with the Duarve on the island to supply him with lumber; he accepted a note of credit from the Falcon bank an
d in exchange, filled the Anna Louisa’s hold with beautiful chairs and tables made from a rare wood. These Edwin planned to sell at Port James, not only to convert the credit to cash but make a little extra in the process.

  A mercantile shop accepted Falcon credit and provided Edwin and his crew with replacements for the equipment and personal goods they’d lost at Pearl City. Ches and Ian were rewarded for their service with nicer clothes and their own weapons and armor.

  The shop owner also provided Edwin with some valuable information: “If you’re interested in ship defense, we’ve got plenty of Falcon-made crossbows on hand at a discounted price.”

  “Why so many?” Edwin asked.

  “Seems the Falcons are upgrading their sailors’ defensive weapons. I heard them say something about new and improved hand cannons.”

  Edwin bought six crossbows with enough bolts to turn a nessie into a pin cushion. He stopped by the Silver Swan but was disappointed to find no information about Rob, Pete, or any of the Hellhound Consortium. He passed by to see if Paul and Pamela had any news, but found the shop closed. A neighbor said that they had gone away on holiday, though where, he did not know.

  With a full cargo and a happier crew, Edwin set sail again that same day and a week later landed at Port James. Within a day, he found buyers for the furniture, turning a nice profit on the sale. He paid his crew and set them out into the city for some well-earned shore leave, even Ches and Ian.

  Alone on his ship, he began composing a letter to Rob, which he hoped would be picked up soon. He related his business and dealings in the Falcon Archipelago and Three Sisters islands, along with the bit about the Falcons upgrading their hand cannons.

  “You always did write like a meecher,” a voice behind him said.

  Edwin spun around to see a woman with short, dark hair standing in a sailor’s tunic on the dock next to him. She carried a satchel and wore a short sword at her belt. It was a full five seconds before he realized it was his sister.