The Lost Star's Sea

by C. Litka

  05

  Most of the regulars of the first main meal - a mixture of the most senior ship and expedition crew members - had found their places and were loudly talking when Hissi and I entered the mess room and took our places near the middle of the long table. Meals are served four times a round aboard ship, corresponding to the four main divisions of a round, altered to straddle the change of watches, so crew members could either eat before or after their watch.

  The stewards were waiting at the kitchen door for KimTara to arrive.

  The smell of the food was as thick as the conversation. The smell didn't tell very much - every meal smelled, and tasted just about the same. This wasn't a passenger liner and Captain KimTara wasn't all that particular, so we got mostly thick stew-like meals in about six (alleged) varieties. The bread was baked daily, so it was warm and fresh, and we had high quality preserved fruits and sweets, so I couldn't complain, too much.

  The first main meal was the one the ship's captain traditionally presided over. To the minute, the Captain slipped in and took her seat at the end of the table without a word. Conversation ceased. As chief engineer, my place was on her right, though she had Hissi take this first spot, no doubt because Hissi had the same conversational skills as she did, and relieved her of any responsibility to carry on a conversation - on that side - anyway. To my right was the first mate and my first assistant engineer and purser and half a dozen senior crew members. Our passengers, the members of the expedition in attendance, sat to the left of the Captain, which usually included cousin ValDare, Scholar PinTin with his two students, BinCar the photographer, and DeRaze, the dragon hunter and some of his crew. She nodded to the stewards and they began serving the covered plates and side dishes. Only after everyone had a plate in front of them, did she start to eat, signaling that we could as well.

  As usual, she said next to nothing during the meal, mostly a monosyllabic conversation with her cousin. He never seemed to mind the rather one-sided conversation. He was used to her ways and carried on both his and her share of the conversation. She ate lightly, and as soon as she finished, rose and excused herself with a nod, releasing a flood of pent up conversation and laughter.