by Jim Proctor
Fluffy stirred and stretched. Then her ears went up. She heard the ship now, too.
“They’re here,” he said softly. For a moment, he considered taking Fluffy and Occisor down to the hangar and preparing the airship to launch. He could outrun them without any difficulty. But then what would he do? Once they lost him, they would come back here to wait for him. He had hated all the years he spent running the last time one of her hunters had found him. He didn’t want to go through that again. If that wasn’t enough of a reason, Jaz would be crushed if he vanished now. She was just beginning to come to terms with losing Milla. He wouldn’t do that to her. He couldn’t. That left only one choice.
Angus climbed the stairs and entered his bedroom. Sitting at his desk, he opened his journal, picked up a pen, and began to write.
An hour later, he carried the journal down to the living room. Picking up his cumulus and an oil lamp, he walked to the hidden door and opened it. Down the spiral stairs he went, walked to the last row, and proceeded to the end. He placed the book and the cumulus on Jazeen’s shelf. He doubted any visitor would find the door, and he hoped Jazeen would think to look here. It was a risk he had to take. With a sigh, he went to the stairs, climbed back to the living room, and then secured the door. Holding out his hands, he closed his eyes and began chanting softly.
“There,” he said. “Now only someone who already knows the door is there will be able to find it.”
Sitting in his chair, he made himself comfortable. All he could do now was wait.
Chapter 22
Venandi stood at the bow railing looking toward the island ahead. This was the fourth island they had studied. The first had shown no signs of anyone living on it. By the time they had reached the second, it had been too dark to look for structures like a landing pad or a house. However, all the islands so far had been dark. For a moment, he thought he had seen a faint light ahead, but as they drew closer, this island was completely dark like the others. It was probably just moonlight reflecting off the waves at its shore, he thought.
When island four was behind them, Venandi walked to the wheelhouse door. He was glad he had taken Dolus’ suggestion and had the GPS antenna replaced while they were in Port Lawrence. Dolus was a good pilot, but he never would have found these islands in the dark without the GPS. His mate had also convinced him to have the fuel injection system recalibrated, and he had to admit that the engine sounded a lot better.
“Take us back, Dolus. Go around and pass over that island again. I want to have another look.”
“Did you see something, sir?” Dolus asked as he put the ship into a turn.
“I don’t know. I thought I saw faint lights, but then I blinked and they weren’t there anymore,” the captain said. He turned and walked back to the bow railing, watching as the ship made a full circle and lined up on the island, now just a shadow against the waves. Shading his eyes against the moon, he watched. The island was dark.
Returning to the wheelhouse door, he said, “There’s nothing there. Set a course for island five.”
“Yes, sir,” Dolus said, looking at the GPS screen and adjusting their heading. “We should be there in about twenty-five minutes.”
“All right. I’m going back to the railing. Even the dim lights in here will ruin my night vision,” Venandi said as he turned and vanished into the darkness.
To Venandi’s growing disappointment, the fifth island was dark. With a sigh, he turned and walked to the wheelhouse.
“We should stop for the night, Dolus. It’s well past midnight. If Beaph lives on one of these islands, he’s probably turned off all his lights and gone to bed by now. It would be pointless to continue.”
“Yes, sir. Where will we go?” Dolus asked.
“Let’s head back to the mainland and go east. I saw a mooring tower back there. Maybe we can negotiate to use it for the night,” Venandi said. “We’ll come back and examine the islands in the morning. It shouldn’t be hard to spot an airship tied up next to a house in broad daylight.”
“Where was the mooring tower, sir?” Dolus asked.
Venandi approached and looked at the GPS. He pointed. “Right here. This is the resort the commercial airships fly to.”
“Very good, sir. I’ll take us back there,” Dolus said.
“I’ll contact them and make the arrangements if anyone is still awake,” Venandi said.
* * * *
Before sunrise, with the eastern sky aflame with color, Venandi and Dolus cast off their line from the mooring tower and set their course for the eastern-most island. The sun would be up before they reached it, and then they would study the island carefully.
The air was calm, giving them a smooth, uneventful flight. However, the weather reports for the area concerned Venandi. A storm was coming in from the east. By two o’clock, they would have to turn north and make good speed to be safely out of the storm’s path.
“Bad luck, having another storm to deal with,” Dolus said.
“Yes. I think we may be on the verge of finding Beaph, and we’re going to have to leave the area,” Venandi said.
“Well, if Beaph is here, the storm will keep him grounded, too. We shouldn’t go any farther north than we need to, so we can come back quickly before Beaph has a chance to get away,” Dolus said.
“Yes, I agree. We’ll go north to a safe distance. After, we’ll turn east, loop around behind the storm, then and follow it back to the islands. That way, we’ll be in the area on the tail of the storm,” Venandi said.
Twenty minutes later, Venandi was standing at the bow railing with his telescope in hand. The first island was coming up. Looking through the telescope, he saw nothing but rocks and trees. He hadn’t expected anything else. If Beaph had a secret landing pad, they probably wouldn’t see it until they were above the island.
A few minutes later, with the island almost directly below, Venandi gave a hand signal, and Dolus brought the ship to a stop. Rocks and trees, nothing more. Through his telescope, Venandi looked for any sign that someone was living on the island. The only movement was the frantic flight of seagulls, having been disturbed by their engine. With another hand signal from Venandi, Dolus accelerated, setting his course for island number two.
The second island was much like the first, with birds being the only living things using the place. Still, they hovered there while Venandi examined the entire island closely through his telescope. Then, with the signal given, Dolus set course for the third island.
The sun was climbing the eastern sky behind them as they went, rising above the bank of dark clouds clinging to the horizon. Black as ink, they were, alive with lightning, looming like the very walls of hell.
The wind was picking up, making it difficult for Dolus to hold position over island three. The dark clouds behind were getting closer. Soon, they would have to turn north and run at full speed.
Venandi examined the island closely. Someone was living here. There was a dock with two boats tied up. A well-used path from the dock vanished under the cover of the trees. At the top of the hill, a large house stood alone in a small clearing. There was, however, no sign of an airship landing pad. The witch had said Beaph was not fond of boats. Still, it was a possibility. Who knows if Beaph might have developed an affinity for boats as a necessary part of seclusion on a small island. Jogging to the wheelhouse, he said, “Someone lives here, though I doubt it is Beaph. We might have to come back for another look later to be sure. Head for island four. I really want to check it out before we leave. I still think I saw lights there last night.”
“Yes, sir, Captain. Heading for island four,” Dolus said.
As Venandi returned to the bow railing, Dolus stepped to the doorway and took a quick look to the east. Shaking his head, he ran back to the wheel and checked their course.
A short while later, the ship hovered over island four, though the wind gusts were pushing them around quite a bit. Venandi looked through his telescope. There was no sign of a landing pad, and
no dock. There was, however, a small stone house on the top of the hill, though it was mostly hidden by the trees. This was curious. A house on an island with no visible facilities for any vehicle. The island was far too small for even one person to live off the land. He wished he could see more of the house. It could be an old, abandoned structure. Looking back over the stern, he collapsed his telescope and walked to the wheelhouse.
“There’s a house, Dolus. After we check the other islands, we’ll check this one more closely. The storm is overtaking us. Let’s get out of here.” Stepping inside, he closed the door. “Turn north and make your best speed. I’ll watch the storm and tell you when to turn east.”
“Yes, sir. Heading north at best speed,” Dolus said.
* * * *
This storm was much smaller than the one that had nearly killed them a few weeks ago. Over the course of an hour, they had flown north, turned east, and then made a broad turn to starboard until they were following the storm as it moved eastward over the island chain. They would reach island five on the heels of the storm.
On their way to the fifth island, Venandi had Dolus descend to one hundred meters altitude and circle island four once. The stone house appeared to be structurally sound. If it had been abandoned, it couldn’t have been left to the ravages of time and weather for long.
Completing the circuit of the island, Dolus began to climb and turned toward island five.
Venandi walked to the stern of the ship and peered through his telescope. The absence of a landing pad was an obvious indication it wasn’t Beaph’s home. However, his dealings with the Black Witch had taught him that where witches and wizards were concerned, even obvious clues might not be as they appear.
Venandi walked into the wheelhouse and stared at the chart. Picking up a ruler, he began to measure, jotting numbers in the margin.
“Let’s say we spend ten minutes examining each island. We have another twenty minutes to island five. Island six is thirty minutes beyond five. Another twenty minutes will get us to seven, and eight is an hour beyond that…” he added his figures. “Nearly three hours to check the remaining islands, and another two hours to fly back to island four.”
“It sounds like you have a feeling about island four, sir. If that’s the case, we’ll still have three or four hours of daylight left by the time we get back there,” Dolus said.
Venandi nodded. “I do have a feeling about island four, Dolus. There’s a house in good repair, but there’s no dock, no boat, and no landing pad. Nothing adds up to what it should be. It reminds me of the Black Witch. With her, everything feels wrong, though there is no outward appearance to warrant the feeling.”
“So you think island four is where Angus Beaph lives?”
“It’s just a gut feeling, Dolus. That’s why we’re going to check the other islands before we go back. I may be completely wrong.” He dropped his pencil on the table and threw up his arms. “Hell, it’s only a hunch he lives on one of these islands. I don’t know, Dolus. Am I losing my touch? I got my information from a first mate who likes strong liquor in large quantities. Maybe he made up the whole story for some free drinks.”
“Begging your pardon, sir, I will admit there was a change in you after we left the witch’s place last time. But I don’t believe you’ve lost your edge. You’re the best bounty hunter in the business. Your instincts and gut feelings are a better guide than this here GPS. If I thought you were chasing a wild goose, I’d have said so back in the last port,” Dolus said.
Venandi looked at his first mate for a while. Finally, he said, “Thank you for your confidence in me, Dolus. It means a great deal, especially since I’ve lost confidence in myself.”
“We’ll find him, sir. He’s here, on one of these islands. You’ll see,” Dolus said with a smile.
Venandi looked at the clock. “It’s nearly lunch. I’m going down to the galley for a few minutes to put together something for us. We’ll eat in the wheelhouse between islands.”
Dolus nodded. “That’s fine by me, sir.”
Ten minutes later, the captain returned with several sandwiches on a platter, and four bottles of beer. He proffered the platter to Dolus, who picked up a sandwich and took a big bite.
“Thank you, sir. Mighty tasty,” he said.
Venandi set a bottle on the console. He then pushed aside the chart and put the rest of the meal on the table.
“Island five is just a few minutes away, Captain.”
“Thank you, Dolus. I’ll go and have a look, and then I’ll have my lunch on the way to six.”
Island five was a rocky mound with only a few stunted trees. There was no point in hovering here. Ten minutes saved. Venandi walked back to the wheelhouse.
“It’s just a big rock. On to number six, Dolus.”
Sitting at the table, he began to eat.
Four sandwiches, four bottles of beer, and a few hours later, they had examined the remaining islands. Six and eight were rocks, like five. Seven was large, low, and covered with trees, but there were no signs of anyone living there.
“Back to island four, Dolus. If he’s on one of these islands, that’s the one,” Venandi said. “In fact, I’ll take the helm for the trip back. I’ve had the luxury of walking around all this time, while you’ve been stuck standing at the wheel. Go and stretch your legs. Take a nap, if you’d like. I’ll call you when we get there.”
“Thank you, sir. I’m going to stretch my legs as they take me to the head. I’m way overdue, if you know what I mean,” said Dolus.
“I’m sorry. I’ve been so wrapped up in finding Beaph, I forgot everything else. You should have said something,” Venandi said.
Dolus was already halfway down the stairs. The captain stepped to the helm and looked at the GPS. A moment later, he turned the wheel and adjusted the propellers, and the ship began a hard turn to starboard. From belowdecks, he heard a muffled expletive.
“A bit of a warning would be good next time, sir. Still, no harm done. I have another pair of pants in my cabin that don’t smell too bad,” Dolus said. “Oh, and another pair of socks. Can’t do anything about the shoes, though.”
Venandi smiled and shook his head. If Beaph wasn’t on island four, their next stop would be the nearest port where they would do their laundry.
* * * *
“Dolus!” Venandi yelled. “We’re approaching island four! Dolus!”
A minute later, Dolus clomped up the stairs, yawning and rubbing his eyes.
“Sorry, sir. I was sound asleep, and it took me a minute to get moving.”
“Are you ready to take the helm?” the captain asked.
“Yes, sir,” Dolus said. “Um… no, sir. Those two beers I had earlier… I’ll be right back.” He turned and ran down the stairs.
When his first mate returned, Venandi went to the bow railing, telescope in hand. Sunlight slanting through the trees illuminated the side of the stone house. Venandi extended his telescope and peered at the structure, confirming that it was, indeed, in good repair. Still, he saw no signs of any vehicle or any facility to accommodate one.
Dolus descended, circling the island slowly. Venandi had moved to the side railing near the wheelhouse door, sometimes using his telescope, other times relying on his unaided eyes.
“I need to get down there, but how?” Venandi called through the open door.
“The winds have calmed down. You could shimmy down a rope,” Dolus suggested.
“And how would I get back up? Those trees must be twenty meters high, and you’d need to stay some distance above them. It would be a long climb. I think I can manage it, but what about Beaph? If he’s there, how would I get him up here?” Venandi asked.
“I don’t suppose you could carry him on your back?” Dolus asked.
Venandi turned to look at him, wearing a broad smile. “Twenty years ago, perhaps,” he said.
“Well, sir, there’s some rocks down there on the north shore that stick out into the water. I might be able to hold
position there, giving you a short climb,” Dolus suggested.
“It’s worth a try. I’m still not sure if Beaph can climb up even there, but I suppose I should first find out if he’s here,” Venandi said. “Take us down there.”
Several minutes later, with Dolus holding the ship steady above a jetty of rocks, Venandi tossed a rope over the railing and climbed down. Waiting to descend the final few meters between crashing waves, he quickly slid down and ran along the rocks to the shore. Dolus moved the ship away and climbed to circle the island until needed.
Venandi checked his dagger to be sure it slid easily from its sheath. Looking at the hill before him, he saw a path leading under the trees and set off quickly up the slope. If Beaph was here, he must have heard the airship and would be expecting company. There would be no element of surprise.
At the top of the hill, he stepped out into a small clearing. The ground here had not been cleared. Rather, the trees had been kept at bay by the boulders and rock formations, bare of soil. He made his way to the door, weaving around boulders and jagged stones. As he raised his hand to knock, the door opened. He leaped back in surprise. Standing in the doorway, smiling broadly, was a small man, roughly half Venandi’s height.
“And who might you be?” the little man asked.
“My name is Venandi.”
“Well, Venandi, my name is Angus Beaph and this is my island. Why are you here?”
Venandi drew his dagger. “I’ve come to acquire something called a cumulus. I am to take it to Terrania and deliver it to the Black Witch.”
Angus nodded. “I expected as much. You can put that knife away. You won’t be needing it.”
At that moment, a large black cat appeared in the doorway next to Angus. Venandi held the dagger out, point facing the cat. The cat hissed at him. A flying creature of some sort landed on Beaph’s shoulder. A streak of flame shot over Venandi’s head, and he dove for the ground.