The Lost Star's Sea

by C. Litka

  06

  I waited in my little office until after the watch changed. I had half expected orders to get steam up. But when they didn't come down, I decided to wander up to the bridge to find out what the plan was now, since no one seemed to feel it necessary to keep me informed.

  After that very clear indication that we weren't welcomed here, I didn't think we had many options. Sending the launches out now would seem to be rather risky since any future efforts might well be met with force. Even with our springers and rockets, ten thousand people was not a force to be dismissed. All in all, you might've thought that spirits aboard ship would have been very subdued. But if you, like me, thought so, you'd have been wrong. As I made my way up through the ship, I found the crew gathered in the mess room and in their cabins laughing and talking like drunks. They seemed to be boasting about their fortune. TeyLin, the first mate and the 2nd mate, DisRay, were both standing watch on the bridge when I arrived.

  'The Captain?' I asked.

  'In her office,' replied TeyLin with a brief jerk of his head towards the doorway to the deckhouse just aft of the bridge. 'Big con-fab with ValDare, DeRaze, DeArjen, PinTin and BinCar. Been going on since the bird-people departed...'

  I glanced through the doorway and decided that I wouldn't invite myself in. I'd my pride.

  'I can't imagine there be all that much to talk about. They made it pretty clear we're not welcomed here. So why is it that everyone seems so happy? Is everyone that happy to be going home?'

  'Didn't the word reach you down in the black hole?' TeyLin asked, giving me a questioning look.

  'What word? I've been in my office awaiting orders.'

  'Soul stones.' he said simply.

  I stared at both of them. 'Soul stones? What are soul stones and what do they have to do with anything?'

  'Don't tell me you've never heard of soul stones!' exclaimed TeyLin. And then seeing that I was still at a loss, added. 'They're gems. Very rare, very valuable gems. The headpieces of the big wigs were encrusted with them. Or at least that's what they appeared to be. BinCar zoomed in on them and from the vid, they sparkled just enough to seem to have hidden facets characteristic of soul stones. That's what has everyone so elated. That's why they've been talking in there since the feathered crowd left,' this with another nod to the captain's office. 'I don't think the Captain was happy. ValDare had to know about them? Which is probably the true reason why we're here.'

  This wasn't the Unity, so I suppose the headdresses of the native chiefs might be considered fair game. Still... 'But they're on the chiefs' headdresses. I don't see how anyone could expect to get them. I mean, I'm sure we could take the Lora to their village, but I can't see sending anyone down to pry them off the chief's head. Leaving the protection of the ship now, and facing the whole, angry horde would be suicide. And even if we could intimidate them with our springers and rockets, all they'd have to do was take off and hide in the jungle. We'd never be able to find them. I don't see any profit in using force.'

  TeyLin laughed, 'I don't suppose they're ruling anything out. But I think they're hoping to find some soul stones on their own. Just one will pay for this voyage a hundred times over. No, we're not likely to go home without some soul stones. I'd imagine that they're thinking of ways to lay their hands on some. And as you saw, the crew is just as eager.'

  I considered that. As I said, this wasn't the Unity. Still, I shook my head. 'They're no doubt watching us. And having delivered their warning, I don't think anyone will be able to get off ship without putting their life on the line. They likely could put an arrow - or a hundred of them, through the cages of the launches before you cocked your springer for a second round. It just doesn't seem worth it for even a small chest of gems. ValDare has plenty of coins without risking his neck.'

  'It wouldn't be his neck he'd be risking,' he replied grimly. 'It'd be ours, if he can talk the Captain around. And even if he can't, I'm certain they'll make some sort of effort to find or take a few soul stones. I don't think you realize just how very, very rare they are. And how very, very valuable they are. I can't even imagine how valuable one of those headpieces would be back in the Principalities. You see, not only are they the rarest of gems, they're also reputed to have some sort of power over people, an almost hypnotic effect on most people. Amongst us broad-feathered folk they're said to be like a narcotic. Trust me, a single one is worth a vast fortune. Several vast fortunes. So you see, if those black stones on the headpieces of the elders are indeed soul stones - well, you can understand the crew's excitement. There may've been more soul stones on the old Lora's deck then there are in all of the Saraime. You could buy a small principality with one, and a big one with the soul stones of just one of those headdress and have a handful left over! And there were dozens of such headdresses on our deck. You can see why everyone's so excited, can't you?'

  I had a sudden vision of the Dragon-people that I had encountered. They wore a black gem on their collars... though I hadn't felt any telepathic pressure this time, I had a growing suspicion that if we were wise, we'd be raising steam within the hour. I also had a growing suspicion that we wouldn't be.

  'I wouldn't think it would be wise to anger people with these soul stones, if they have the power you say they have,' I said slowly.

  'Tell that to them,' he said with a nod to the back passageway. 'And, tell it to the crew as well. You saw what they're like. I don't think they're very concerned about that aspect of the gems...'

  'How does the crew figure on getting rich?'

  TeyLin laughed grimly. 'I'd bet they're all busy plotting that course as we speak. Even if they're only dreaming, they'll get their cut - we'll get our cut. None of us are putting out our necks for anything less than a cut of the proceeds.'

  'If they can lay their hands on any and get back alive. Which seems unlikely...'

  'Which they'll still try to do. Think about it, Chief. DisRay and I were just discussing it when you came up. DeArjen certainly knew about the soul stones. He couldn't have missed them. ValDare almost certainly knew about them too. Why else would he have come this far and taken so much time away from his business? He couldn't have trusted any subordinate with a chest of soul stones. He had to know. He came here to get some and I don't think he'll go home empty-handed without trying every way he can to lay his hands on even a few. He doesn't need a headdress worth to make this voyage worthwhile.'

  'Aye, he had to know,' spoke up DisRay. 'It's soul stones that brought us here. The Dragon-people nonsense was just a cover story. No doubt he was hoping to trade those trinkets for a few gems, but it doesn't look like that will sail now. You have to wonder what they're going to do now.'

  'They'd have to be crazy to do more than try to trade for them,' I said, without conviction.

  'I'm betting that they're crazy enough to do whatever it takes. I don't know what ValDare was thinking, but he's got a dragon by the tail now. Still, if they could get even a small stone, they could give us a fair cut of the proceeds and we'd all be, well, a lot richer....'

  'If they give us a fair cut...' said TeyLin.

  'They'd risk getting their throats cut it they didn't,' said DisRay, grimly. 'We ain't in the Principalities now.'

  'Do you really think it'll come to that?' I asked.

  'Oh, don't listen to DisRay. He's read too many adventure stories. We can keep this crew in check. At least our crew. Your black gang is another matter...'

  'They're not murderers. And well, I can deal with them, if they get ideas,' I added as confidently as I could. I could deal with them, but I didn't want it to come to that.

  'Right. But that leaves DeRaze's hunters. They're armed and they haven't struck me as people who'd either shy away from a fight with ten thousand natives, or cut a few throats. Not for a fist full of gems worth a principality. Hopefully they'll hammer out some sort of plan on how to get a few and how to divvy them up afterward,' said TeyLin. 'If not, well things might get very interesting aboard this old gal.'

&
nbsp; I hung around talking for a while longer, but it became clear that the conference was carrying on without me quite well, so I decided to return to my office to await the official word.