The Lost Star's Sea

by C. Litka

  01

  Either the explosion or the hopelessness of catching the more powerfully engined cutter brought the four pursuing Vantra dragon boats about. They were now more or less heading for us.

  'I think it would be wise to steer for that cloud bank?' muttered the Captain as she swung the tillers sharply about and pointed the boat for a cloud shrouded island off to starboard.

  Our strange change of course was noted by the Vantra boats, two of which altered course with the clear intent of intercepting us.

  On a converging course, the Vantra boats closed in on us quickly. We soon could hear the Vantras hailing us. Captain KaRaya waved reassuringly - but it didn't seem to fool them, and they continued to close.

  'How many darts do you have in that weapon of your?' she asked.

  'Enough, if they don't put a quiver in me first,' I replied, watching the Vantra boat get ever closer. They may've been less than a half a kilometer away.

  'Good to know?' But even as she said that, things began to grow vague as the first tendrils of the cloud bank began to swirl around us. She altered course slightly, sending us deeper into the mists, and then again when even the vague shadow of the Vantra ship was hidden in the whiteness. 'Full stop, Chief,' she whispered. 'Not a sound.'

  I slipped down and cut the steam flow to the engine, while opening the escape valve. As the propeller slowed to a stop, I climbed back to the deck and drew my darter. Silently, I stared into the whiteness all around us, waiting for a large shadow to emerge. In the silence I caught the beating of a propeller, but no shadow of a ship emerged from the mists, and then, it was gone. We waited. And waited. They could be playing the same game as us.

  Finally, the Captain gave a nod, 'Slow ahead.'

  I slipped back down under the deck and eased the steam valve to the engine open, as I closed the escape valve and added some fuel to the boiler, and then pulled myself back up to the deck.

  With the propeller whooshing softly astern, the tendrils of the cloud streamed by us, while we both strained our ears to hear the beat of another propeller, and our eyes to see its shadow-form.

  What we saw, eventually, was a dark shadow ahead - the island wrapped in the mist, which the Captain steered us around at tree top level, startling the birds and lizards resting in the branches.

  On reaching the far side, she nodded and said, 'Full speed. I think we've given them a miss.'

  'Aye.' I slipped back down, opened the engine valve, tended to the firebox, and watched my engine work until I was satisfied that everything was running smoothly.

  KaRaya, lounging against the ornate stern, the tillers before her, gave me a weary smile when I climbed out of my low, little engine room and settled on the stern edge of the hatch where I could keep an eye on the steam gauge and the little, puffing steam engine. Hissi was off, exploring the nooks and crannies of the boat's holds, no doubt hunting for bugs, which, from what I'd seen below, she'd have no trouble finding. I'd given her a stern warning, with a suitably vivid picture in my mind, to be careful and not to get caught in a draft that would carry her overboard and into the whirling propeller. She had replied with a dismissive hiss and a disdainful flick of her tail. Kids.

  'You're looking happy,' I said softly. I didn't say, but thought, "For a Captain who's just lost her ship." Still, I know too well the exhilaration of escaping certain death. I was feeling a touch of it myself. It overlaid the sore weariness that was creeping through my body, now that the press of events had slackened. Still, being alive instead of dead trumps all. 'It's good to be alive, isn't it?'

  'It is indeed, Wilitang. Though I'm dead tired,' she laughed softly, adding, 'Still, I'm alive and free. I saw my crew safely off, gave my passengers a chance of freedom, killed a few deserving Vantra, and rid myself of the great and unrewarding burden of responsibility of captaining a worker recruitment ship. Perhaps I should be more concerned about the owners' loss, but, between you and me, they're not pleasant people. I'm sure they have the Bird of Passage insured for twice its worth, so they'll have nothing to kick about - not that I'm planning to call on them for my wages, and references. They're the type of people who'd kick regardless. I'll write it all off to experience. Besides, I have this fine dragon boat as a prize. It'll more than cover my wages when I sell it on Tyrina. Aye, we've made out alright, you and I.'

  'So it seems. What now, Captain? Do we have a course?'

  'Oh, I'm just KaRaya now. Captain KaRaya is a creature of the past. Fair sailing and good riddance. I'll confess to you, my dear Wilitang, that I find being responsible a great, and largely unrewarding burden. And it always seems to end, ironically, in a disaster, differing only in its scale when compared to the disasters I experience when I'm carefree and irresponsible. It seems my fate is to go from one blazing disaster to the next. It doesn't matter if it comes about by being happily carefree or serious and responsible. So, if I can't avoid trouble, I might as well enjoy getting into trouble. To the Inferno Island with responsibility! What are your orders, "Captain" Wilitang?'

  'Oh, that's just an honorary title these days. I resigned my berth before I returned to find my friends, and like you, it's been one disaster after another since then. I have neither the wish nor the qualifications to assume command. I know nothing of the Principalities, or indeed, of this sort of sailing, so I'm afraid you cannot shed all your responsibilities yet, Captain. You're in command of this boat.'

  She shook her head. 'No, no, As I said, to the Inferno Island with responsibility! I've learned my lesson.'

  'It'll be Inferno Island indeed, if you insist on depending on me. I'll tell you what, I'll take on the role of Chief Engineer, if you'll remain Captain. A partnership of equals?'

  'Equals!' she laughed.

  'Well, that's how my chief engineers always seemed to look on it, outside of dealing with the owners.'

  'Saints and sinners! All I need is a Chief Engineer,' she exclaimed with another laugh, but leaning forward over the tillers, offered her hand. 'But a partnership I'll accept, Wilitang. Share and share alike - the spoils and the burden of responsibility equally.'

  I grasped her wrist as was the local custom. 'Fair enough, Captain. That is most generous of you,' I said and we sealed our partnership.

  She settled back against the bulwark with a sigh, closed her eyes for a while, and then opening, gave me a sly look. 'That settled, can you find your boat with your bracelet?'

  "Ah!" I thought. Still that was a rock in the drift. 'Yes. But not from here. I've long since lost the signal. But if you could find our way back to within a couple of rounds from where you signed me on, I could pick up the signal, and point you right to it.'

  'Huumm? That far... I'm out of reckoning because of the serrata... and this boat is much slower than the Bird of Passage, so it could be 40 rounds or more sailing through the islands?' she sighed.

  'I'm born and raised on an Outward Island trader, so I know my way around these islands. That's how I came to be captain of the Bird of Passage, even though I'm so young and beautiful?' she added with a glance at me and a carefree smile.

  'I was wondering how someone so young and beautiful found herself captain of a slaver.'

  'I became captain of a - a recruitment ship - because I needed coins and a change of scenery,' she replied archly. 'A plain Outward Island trader is my usual ship of choice, when I have one.'

  'Oh, I believe you. I'm hardly in a position to criticize anyone, having signed on as a five-copper a round stoker to a "recruitment ship" myself.'

  'No you're not, but getting back to this boat of yours. Are we in agreement that we're equal partners in that as well?'

  I considered that question - for several seconds. 'If you can get me to my boat, I'd be happy to extend our partnership understanding to my boat as well. I'll need someone like you to recover it, and I like what I've seen in you, so yes, you're in. But just so everything is clear between us - that partnership begins when we find my boat and not before.'

  She shrugged and exten
ded her hand again. 'Fair enough.'

  We shook on that again.

  'So how eager are you to find your boat?' she asked warily, or wearily. Hard to say at this point.

  'I'm not all eager if it means providing the main course of a village feast, if that's what you're suggesting. I'm a cautious fellow. What are our alternatives?'

  'I'm thinking we should postpone that project until we can reach one of the big islands. With the profits from selling our dragon boat we can hire a reliable, well-armed island trader that'll take us to your boat. I know where to look for it. I know the trade, and I know the reliable traders, which is important in the Outward Island trade. Reliable traders are kinda rare.'

  'Sounds like a plan. So, we sail to the Saraime?'

  'Right. If we sail towards the brightest sky - once we clear this cloud bank - we should strike the Donta Islands - they're not that far and the island chain is wide and deep enough that we'll not miss it, though I can't say exactly where in the islands we'd strike. Between the serrata, and currents we're likely to encounter in this little boat, it's beyond my ability to predict. Still, that's of no great matter. Most likely we'll find ourselves in the region of Tyrina, Daeri, or Krizar. They're the major islands in this part of the Dontas. I've sailed out of all of them. It'll take maybe eight to ten rounds to clear these Outward Islands and then another 20 or so to cross the Donta Sea in this little boat. The Donta Sea itself has few islands, and no native population, so once we're clear of the islands, it's just a matter of sailing on and waiting for the Dontas to appear, assuming my chief engineer can keep his charge running.'

  'And how likely is that? You realize I've no real knowledge of this type of engine except what I've picked up aboard the Bird of Passage.'

  She roused herself off the bulwark. 'Let's have a look.'

  She followed me down into the dim recess of the low deck and examined the hissing, thumping boiler and engine.

  'Ah, an Akino. Good. They're reliable machines. Traders who wanted to avoid finding themselves in the pot don't sell shoddy goods to the Vantra. I'm sure if you keep it oiled and the steam pressure up, we'd need not worry too much. But then,' she smiled, 'I'm not going to worry about anything anymore.'

  'And just to be clear. Even with this reliable engine, it's still too dangerous to search for my boat?'

  She shrugged. 'I've given up being responsible, but I'll not go back to being thoughtless and foolish... I've sailed these islands my whole life, in one capacity or another, and I'm not anxious to do it in a small boat - with a crew of two. A dragon boat might send any hunting party scurrying for the clouds - if they didn't wait to see how thinly it's manned. However, if we were to spend 50 rounds making our way back to your boat, well, we'd have to be mighty lucky not to cross courses with some tribal raiding party appearing from around an island that would be large enough to challenge even a fully manned dragon boat. The bigger islands have tribes who range far and wide to hunt and when in the mood, raid. And none have any love for the Vantra. The longer it takes to find your ship; the more war bands we'd have to fight off. Care to chance it?'

  'No. I think not. As I said, I'm a cautious fellow. And, well, I've no great need for my boat at present. I'd like to get my bearings before I? Well, I'm on a bit of a quest. But there's no point going off ill-prepared. I'm fine with giving these islands a miss and heading for the Donta Islands.'

  'A quest, Wilitang?'

  I gave her a glance. 'We'll have time enough for that tale, KaRaya. Let's just say I'm looking for a girl, a Simla dragon and a Temtre pirate and leave it at that for now. I think we both need to get some sleep, and the tale's a long one.'

  She grinned at me. 'If you weren't so right - about needing some sleep - I'd not let you off that easily. But it must wait. So, we're agreed to head inwards?'

  'Aye. If we can. If we have enough fuel and supplies.'

  'This boat had a crew of 20 or more, so food should not be a problem, though I'll tell you straight out, I'm tossing any meat that I can't clearly identify?' she said with her carefree laugh, that even on our short acquaintance, I suspected hinted as to how she found herself a captain of a slaver. 'We can survey our prize's supplies and cargo. We can toss out what we don't want, divide what we keep, and see where we stand with food and fuel.

  'Ah, it looks like we're clearing the cloud bank. I'm about at the end of my tether, Wilitang. What do you say I set a course and then grab a nap? You should be able to keep an eye on both the tillers and the engine.'

  'I'll certainly have to learn,' I admitted.

  'Aye, you will, if you want to see the Dontas, your ship, and that girl, dragon, and pirate.'

  As we cleared the clouds, she showed me how to use the two tillers, one to steer "up" and "down" the other starboard and port. 'You can use these straps here to tie the tillers in position. You should have plenty of time to attend to the engine, since the only reason to move the tillers will be to avoid an island, or their inhabitants in boats.'

  She set our course for the brightest spot in the milky blue-green sky. 'There are instruments to find that spot, but the Vantras wouldn't have any use for them since they just steered by the islands,' she said, and then, after a long yawn, added. 'Right. Just keep her on this course. Wake me if you see trouble, or can't keep awake yourself. I just need a quick nap, so don't hesitate.'

  'Aye, Cap'n.'

  And as she went forward and down into the open hold to look for a hammock, I took the helm, suddenly realizing how tired I was as well. Oh, well, I could always have Hissi nip my ear to keep me awake, though now, she'd probably take the whole ear off. She'd grown.