by James Somers
When they had finished their meal and conversation, Captain Hastings escorted Marissa to the archway where she bid him a good night. He would have walked her further, but she politely refused. The others, along with King Turin himself, had been retiring to their bedchambers at different intervals, and now only Louie, Meineke, Daniel and Captain Hastings remained.
“Are you ready to hit the sack, Daniel?” Meineke asked, rubbing his full, little furry belly.
“Not really,” Daniel said. “This is all so exciting—like a dream.”
“Well, I’m bushed,” Louie said. “I can’t keep up with you night owls any longer.”
“Yeah, me too,” Meineke said.
“I sure would like to see the Andromeda,” Daniel said. “It really sounds awesome!”
Meineke scratched the fur on the back of his neck. “Tomorrow, Daniel. Now let’s go get some sleep.”
“Daniel, how would you like to take a peek at the Andromeda tonight?” Captain Hastings asked.
“Whoa, really? That would be great.”
“Do you want me to come with you?” Meineke asked.
“Oh no, that’s okay,” Daniel replied, admiring the good captain. “You get some rest. I don’t want you cranky all day tomorrow because I kept you up.”
“Yeah, me neither,” Louie said.
Meineke appeared reluctant. “Well, all right then. You two have fun…together…without me.”
Daniel and Captain Hastings walked out through the archway with Daniel clearly excited that the regal captain would even ask him. Meineke followed them with his gaze, not feeling very good about them going off together. He liked Daniel quite a bit already. Daniel was his friend. Not many people were his friend.
Louie slapped him on the back and tugged him onward toward the female servants who stood by to escort them to their rooms. “Don’t worry, Meineke, he’ll be all right.” Louie wouldn’t admit it, but he actually liked the wil.
Meineke shrugged his small shoulders and followed the cherub captain and the servants to the suites King Turin had graciously provided for their overnight stay in the city.
CAPTAIN’S DISCRETION
Daniel supposed it must have been around the midnight hour by the time he and Captain Samuel Hastings made their way to the shipyards. Guards stood on night-watch duty all over the city along the way, but they seemed to know who the new captain was. Each one had greeted the captain with a salute as he and the boy approached, with one even giving Daniel a wink for his privileged place by the captain’s side.
The smell of the sea wafted stronger, the closer they came to the docks. Streetlamps spaced at regular intervals provided the only available light. Most of the buildings stood dark. The occupants had been asleep for hours now.
The moon cast its pale glow upon everything and revealed the first glimpse of the ships stationed in the shipyard. With masts jutting up into the sky and sails tightly furled, the ships had the appearance of trees in winter—their branches bare of foliage.
The shipyards unfolded before the pair as the captain led Daniel down to the docks. Daniel’s eyes fixed wide like saucers. He’d never seen so many sailing ships and nothing of this caliber. They’re beautiful.
“Whoa, there are so many,” Daniel said. “I sort of expected that most of Gennedy’s ships had been sunk, or captured by Captain Blackborne.”
“Well, you can’t believe everything you hear, Daniel,” Captain Hastings said. “Blackborne is a very real threat to shipping on the Waron Sea, but many cities like Gennedy have simply stopped sending ships out as a result. If you look closely, you can see Gennedy’s locks which prevent attacks here at the docks.”
Daniel squinted through the darkness to catch a shadowy glimpse of the wooden locks which every ship had to pass through to get to the sea beyond. “Wow, how does that work?”
“Since the wind is barred to some degree by the protective walls, each of Gennedy’s ships has a modified bilge system which can act as a water jet. It’s powered by ten men and allows for maneuvering speeds—enough to get the ships into the locks. The gate closes on this side and the ship passes through the lock to emerge from another gate on the other side. Even if an enemy vessel were to get into the lock it would be suicide. Trapped away from the wind with Gennedy’s soldiers sending down fire on the ship, it would be burned out before ever getting within reach of anything inside the city.”
“That’s really amazing,” Daniel said. “Gennedy seems so well defended.”
“Oh, it is.”
“It’s too bad that ole Captain Blackborne doesn’t try to get into this city with his ships. Then he would really get it, and no one would have to feel threatened by him anymore.”
Captain Hastings chuckled a little as they continued walking down the length of the docks. “I’d give the man a bit more credit than that, Daniel. After all, he obviously didn’t get to the place where he is feared by everyone by doing foolish things. Maybe this Captain Blackborne is cleverer than the people realize, and that’s why he hasn’t charged Gennedy head-on. I’d give credit where credit is due, though. He has managed to instill fear and has stopped all shipping on the Waron Sea.”
“Yeah, I guess that is true. He’d probably have to be a pretty smart guy to accomplish all of that,” Daniel considered. “But he is evil and everything.”
“Now why do you say that?” Captain Hastings asked.
“Well, I guess because of all of the things he’s done and being a pirate and all. Besides, you heard all of the things they were saying about him at dinner. He sounds pretty evil to me.”
The captain laughed again, this time more heartily. “Oh, lad, you are quick to believe aren’t you?”
“Well, don’t you believe those things are true?”
“Honestly? No, I don’t really believe those things. This Nathaniel Blackborne is merely a man, and men are motivated by different things. Some are motivated by money or power. And some men happen upon those things while in pursuit of something else entirely.”
“I’m not sure I understand what you mean,” Daniel said, puzzled.
“It’s not really important, lad. Only, we should not be so eager to pass judgment on a man without knowing the whole story and what his motives are.”
“You almost sound like you admire the guy.”
“Admire?” Captain Hastings seemed to consider that choice of words. “No, I can honestly say, I don’t admire the man, Daniel. But I do sometimes pity people like Blackborne who get themselves in so deep into treachery that they simply don’t know how to get out of it and so they continue on the way they are.”
“Well, that may be, but no matter what, he’s still responsible for his own actions.”
Captain Hastings stopped and looked at Daniel. He wore a grin on his face, admiring the boy’s insight and wisdom. After an awkward moment of silence, Hastings said, “You know, Daniel, you remind me of my own son, Justin.”
“Really, I didn’t know you had any children, sir.”
“Yes, but only the one boy. He would have been about two years older than you by now.”
“Would have been…do you mean?”
Captain Hastings stopped walking and looked at Daniel again. “Yes, Daniel, my Justin was killed several years ago. He was very much like you: insightful, willing to speak his mind, and so forth.”
“How did it happen?” Daniel asked, hoping he wasn’t being too nosy.
Captain Hastings became misty-eyed as he recalled the tragic incident which had claimed his son from him—the pain of the memory evident on his face.
“Justin had been captured by a band of rogues, but it was the military that was actually responsible for his death. You see, rather than negotiating for his release, they raided the pirate’s encampment and killed everyone in sight including all ten of their prisoners and my Justin.”
Daniel felt very bad for the captain—such a tragedy for this great man to have gone through. Captain Hastings looked as though he was fighting back tears at the rec
ollection of the events.
“I’m very sorry, sir,” Daniel said. “Didn’t anyone do anything about them killing the hostages along with the pirates?
Captain Hastings looked past Daniel, into the night, remembering. His face broke into a very odd smile—almost sinister.
“Oh, yes, justice was eventually served on the men responsible.” He looked back at Daniel. “Oddly enough, it was a band of pirates that made those men pay for their crimes. Isn’t that ironic?” he mused.
The captain began walking down the docks again. Boards creaked beneath their feet while the pungent smell of the ocean permeated everything.
“Do you know who the pirate was who killed those men?”
Captain Hastings smiled at the boy again. “Yes, I know him very well, as a matter of fact. But it’s not really important what his name is.”
“But—”
Hastings interrupted further questioning with a view of something magnificent. “Look, Daniel, it’s the Andromeda!”
One hundred yards away sat the most spectacular sailing ship Daniel had ever laid his eyes upon. He had always been very interested in such vessels, ever since seeing replicas on display of old British and French warships. Daniel had made studying them one of his favorite pastimes at Ekhart Academy.
As he and Captain Hastings drew nearer to the ship, he could clearly make out a raised forecastle and quarterdeck with multiple levels of windows and cannons rising above the main hull. “She appears to be a large frigate,” Daniel said confidently.
“Aye, that she is, lad. I’m impressed. You seem to know something about these glorious seabirds.”
“It’s a hobby. I’ve never gotten the opportunity to actually sail on one, but I’ve always wanted to.”
“Well, why hasn’t your father ever taken you? I’m sure a lad like you would adore the open sea. There’s really nothing quite like it.”
“My father…well, he doesn’t have time for things like that…doesn’t have much time for anything with me,” Daniel confessed. For some reason, he felt very comfortable around the captain. He seemed so fine a man and deserving of admiration.
Captain Hastings was different. He showed genuine interest in what Daniel had to say. Daniel had longed for that same thing from his father, but it had never manifested in their relationship.
Captain Hastings gave Daniel a thoughtful look. “Well then, lad, tomorrow will be a real treat for you.”
The pair continued walking past several men guarding the loading platform leading onto the vessel. The magnitude of the Andromeda became even more apparent as they came near the bow. The figure of a beautiful woman made of carved wood and overlaid with gold and silver adorned the bow. Her hair and robes flowed back against the ship terminating in the rich stain of the wooden planks which made up the outer hull of the vessel.
“She’s so much bigger than a normal frigate though…how many guns does she have?” Daniel asked.
“The Andromeda is a very advanced weapon, Daniel. She’s three times the size of a normal Frigate class ship and has one hundred and twenty cannons altogether. And we use explosive rounds for an extra punch. The cannons themselves are long-barreled for greater accuracy and we use shells which are cone shaped at the tip for maximum penetration. These cannons are then set to spring loaded recoil tracks instead of heavy rope.”
“Whoa, that sounds really cool.”
“Not only that, lad, but we also have our marines armed with muskets and, more importantly, crossbows. If we don’t wish to board a vessel and take her, then we can fire arrows dipped in pitch and set ablaze over to their deck or into the hull. We can burn them out with such a barrage before they even come within accurate musket range.”
“That’s so cool,” Daniel said. “I’ll bet you’ve seen some amazing battles, huh?”
“More than I care to remember, Daniel. But we do what we must do.”
“Captain, do you think you could teach me? You know, to sail and fight and stuff. Marissa and the others are all great warriors. I’m just this kid who isn’t much help to them at all.”
Captain Hastings bowed slightly at the waist. “Lad, it would be my privilege. Now, let’s get you back to your comfortable bed. We’ll both need our rest for tomorrow’s voyage and though the Andromeda is the king’s ship, I trust we’ll find softer beds waiting for us back at his stronghold.”
Daniel took another long look at the regal war bird and then set off with the good captain back toward the king’s palace. As the pair passed by one of the guards, standing at attention with his musket, Captain Hastings glared at the man and gave him a nod of confirmation. The guardsman, who was stationed to this post from among the newly handpicked crew, returned the nod.
ANDROMEDA SETS SAIL
Captain Hastings sat at the finely crafted wooden desk in his appointed suite within King Turin’s stronghold. A piece of parchment lay before him, nearly filled with details he knew would be of great importance and concern to King Turin. He dipped his quill into the inkwell and laid down another line of script. What he had written drew a sly grin across his face.
The captain finished the document with his personal signature, then rolled the parchment into a scroll. He then retrieved the candle burning next to his desk. He poured some of the wax into a silver ring which was set to the leading edge of the parchment, then allowed the wax to set before removing the ring. It left a soft but perfectly circular piece of red wax behind. The captain pulled a gold ring from his waist pocket and pushed the curious raised symbol on the ring into the wax, leaving its impression behind for the king.
Captain Hastings then placed this sealed scroll into a silver tube, made for the purpose of carrying important documents, and closed the lid at the end of the cylinder. The captain retrieved his tricorn hat; an elegant deep blue rimmed in gold and placed it upon his head. He then retrieved his cutlass from the bed and fastened the scabbard to his uniform at the waist. With a last look and primp at the mirror, Hastings went to the door of his private room. When he opened to the hall beyond, a royal courier stood waiting for him as requested.
“I want you to deliver this important document to King Turin the moment the Andromeda clears the outer locks. This is an urgent matter requiring the king’s personal attention. However, we need not spoil the launch celebration with the news this document bears. So, not until the Andromeda has cleared the final locks to the sea…understand?”
“Oh yes, sir,” said the young man. He was dressed in a uniform bearing the king’s personal crest, indicating his role as a royal courier and one able to approach the king. “This document will be delivered only after the Andromeda has cleared the last sea lock, sir.”
“Very good.” Captain Hastings handed the young man the silver cylinder. The captain then walked past him down the hall toward the stairs leading outside the stronghold to the launch ceremony taking place at the docks.
“Oh, sir?”
“Yes?”
“Good luck on your voyage to Corsica. Everyone knows the king’s passengers are in good hands with a man of your renown.”
Hastings nodded and tugged the brim of his tricorn hat. He turned and continued on toward the ceremony, another sly grin crossing his face as he thought upon the courier’s kind words.