“Yeah yeah!”
“Good. Let’s go home. Dason, what happened on the Queen last night?”
The first mate’s smile vanished and his shoulders slumped. “They woke me up at swordpoint. Widzen and Ibe were nowhere to be seen. That bastard Jerot with the stupid hat started giving orders. Turns out he was their First Mate. They cut the line, came about, and fired a broadside at the Horizon.
“Return fire smashed the rail, there, but Tirpa didn’t fire again. Jerot sailed by dead reckoning to the island, where we found Towers and the rest of his men. You guys showed up about a half hour after we did.
“Anybody got a cigar? They took mine.”
Naffen Purple passed him one.
Dason sniffed at it and bit off the end. “Ah, Hanarran! Thank you my good man, thank you.”
The Smilers took the now completely dismasted brig under tow and resumed their voyage. The wounded and maimed recovered and adapted as best they could. They were all in good spirits. Sturo fashioned wooden prosthetics for Finve and Kostek, and made a lifelike foot for himself. Perndil altered his boot to work. Sturo still had difficulty walking, but seemed to be at peace as long as he had tools in his hands.
Then there was Afnir. He had appeared to be adjusting to his new situation, but something had changed. Immediately after Stafa, he’d smiled when Dason informed him that his injury didn’t excuse him from his share of the debt to Stess Adena and her competitors.
“Don’t worry; we’ll make sure you get pretty ones.”
“They don’t have to be pretty,” he’d said while fondling imaginary curves. “Just shapely!”
But now, even that prospect didn’t cheer him. He rarely appeared on deck, and he didn’t want to talk to anyone, Sako especially. Afnir spent his days drinking in his hammock until he passed out. The other hands were always a little edgy around Afnir. He was a constant reminder that some things, maybe, were worse than death.
One fine morning, three weeks after Dason’s rescue, the convoy sailed into Swag Bay. Word spread rapidly of the unusual ship and which Crew owned her. The townspeople began to gather. Few had ever seen an Alarfaji xebec, and then only at a distance. The fact that one was here, and under the control of the newest Crew was strange enough. That she was accompanied by two prizes was amazing.
Dragon , Hack and Slash and Felicity were in, along with four Kimbulan runners. Felicity was preparing to put out, but the Blue Hats had stopped work and lined the rail. Factors were pushing through the growing crowd to reach the long dock.
Sako stood tall on his helmdeck. He lit a cigar and pretended not to notice all the attention. The crowd grew as family members and sweethearts arrived, shoulder-to-shoulder with local merchants and some girls from the Row. Interest was evident on the balcony of Castle Heights, as well.
Sako saw Stess Sanfora with Betta, and looked for Afnir. Betta had always liked Afnir. Drac had vied unsuccessfully for her attention back when Afnir had first gone to sea.
Thard was with the former captain. He’d seen Stess Sanfora as well, and was talking quietly in Afnir’s ear.
The former slaves were astounded by the cleanliness and prosperity of the town. Perndil noted with pleasure that no matter how well dressed, the people had old, worn shoes and many were barefoot.
Sako addressed his men as they were tying up. He welcomed the former slaves to their new home and spoke of the trust they now held to keep this place secret from all outsiders. Tomorrow at noon, he’d need volunteers—“And you’ve all volunteered,” said Dason, to handle their end of the download. The sooner they got their loot off the ships, the sooner they’d be paid in full. The men scattered into the crowd.
Ellor had already divided up the gold from the cabin, so the men at least had something to spend until the final distribution. Soon only Sako, Dason, Ellor and Perndil remained. Sturo was swept back aboard when most of the shipyard workers swarmed him to examine the xebec. They disappeared below.
Ellor’s female cousins arrived next, and showered him with affection as they carried him away, chair and all. Dason’s family came up with Sako’s mother, and Tesser Nive chose this moment to inform his parents that he was joining the Crew. He had just turned sixteen.
Safa Pizi held onto her son like she’d never let go. Sako endured the embrace with quiet embarrassment. He loved his mother but, like any young man in his twenties, was afraid to be seen as a child. Safa stepped back finally and looked him over intently, noticing every new scar.
“I saw Afnir, the poor dear. Is that why you’re captain now?”
“No, that happened after I was elected.”
“You sound regretful. You didn’t cause it to happen, did you?”
“It was his plan that led to it, but I approved at the time. I wish I hadn’t. He won’t talk to me anymore.”
“He blames you, then?”
“I’m not sure, Mum.” Sako sighed. “He’s also angry because we had a long run of bad luck while he was captain; said he felt like a Komiver. Then I was elected and things turned around so well—like we were charmed. The guys feel like I caused the good luck, which only makes him feel worse. Enough of Afnir. How is Da?”
Safa smiled sweetly, and Sako knew all was well. The love his parents felt for each other had always been an anchor in his life.
“He’s fine. We had our first fight in months over which of us would come down to greet you.” Her smile grew impish. “We settled it by coin toss.”
“Which you won, obviously.”
“Actually I lost, but I pouted like a little girl so he sent me. He misses you terribly. So do I.” She took his arm. “The Arms is so…empty when you’re at sea.”
“It’ll be full tonight. I’ve invited the whole Crew for dinner on me.” Safa’s eyes widened in shock. Sako showed her the ornery smile that few had seen. “Don’t worry, Mum. I told them that clean clothes and baths were required.”
“Speaking of baths, don’t you like the sailor soap?” She wrinkled her nose.
“Couldn’t afford it. We spent every last penny and coal on food.”
“Well, you need a bath. I’ll make you a sandwich while that water’s heating.”
“Thanks, Mum, but right now I have some business to take care of.”
“Up at the castle? It can wait. You’ll not impress the Captain if you smell.”
“Actually we need to see Tergil. We have debts to pay.”
“And what will you pay them with?” she asked tartly. “Promises? Your cargo still sits on your ship, you know.”
“Yes, and Tergil will buy the ships themselves. I plan to clear our debts to him with them.”
“You owe that much?”
“We never paid for the Merciless, Mum. I’ll be home as soon as we’re done with Tergil, I promise.”
The dinner party went very well. The Smilers were clean and barbered. Many sported new clothes and weapons. Only two hands declined the invitation. No one was surprised at either. The first was Afnir of course, and Helnik was known to be a solitary sort. Someone mentioned a wife and child who’d died or been killed before he landed in the slave pens. Gomeneg and Safa got on famously.
It was decided at dinner to buy a Crew House and hire a servant to help care for it and Afnir. That night those who’d survived Gull Stut Island paid their debts on Cathouse Row. Sako was pleased. All debts were paid and they hadn’t even sold any cargo yet.
39
Aboard the Mermaid
Mermaid ’s navigator wasn’t as busy as Speed’s was to the south. There were significantly fewer islands to the north of that first inkspot on the charts than Calwin was finding to the south.
Captain Sweetwood, like Calwin, found that several islands were home to hostile natives, by following the smoke of cookfires. Then the lookouts spotted an actual smoke column, but this time it was a volcano.
Sweetwood explained to his lookouts in biting tones that in the future, he expected them to be able to tell the difference between a smoking mountain and
a secret pirate port.
Mermaid chased a suspicious sail for three hours, but lost it in a sudden squall. It was ten days before they encountered another. The Imperial frigate was running before the prevailing wind, so it was easy to close to signal range. In response to Sweetwood’s ‘I-Y’, a Kimbulan flag was unfurled.
‘ Reefwalker out Dalarville. Bound Colada’
‘Where most recent stop?’
‘Large island no natives. Free coconuts and breadfruit’ Coconuts and breadfruit could be purchased cheaply in the Chains, and Sweetwood pointed out as much.
‘Other cargo for Colada. Breadfruit and bananas for Dalaria. Coconuts keep to Vakgen’
“Rather glib, Sir,” the First Lieutenant commented.
“I’ve noticed that these Kimbulans often lack respect,” said Sweetwood.
“Shall we board and inspect?”
“No…we’re not in Tayan waters…and I suspect the knave might just run out his guns if I were to suggest it.”
“Surely we could take him!” the Third Lieutenant huffed.
Sweetwood bestowed a withering look on the man. “To what purpose? Are you proposing I turn pirate?”
“No, Sir,” the officer answered meekly.
But Sweetwood wasn’t finished. “Were I a merchant captain, I might not appreciate being boarded in my own waters, or on the high seas for that matter, by a foreign warship. These Kimbulans are anarchists, but they serve a useful function. I’ll have a lesson for you, gentlemen, in a moment. For now, ask if he’s seen any pirates.”
They received a negative reply shortly.
“Thank him and wish him a safe journey.
“Now.”
With that one word, Sweetwood had the complete attention of his officers. “Of all the merchant runners that sail the Buxacan Sea, whose are the most heavily armed?” Sweetwood expected immediate answers from his officers, regardless of their rank.
“The Kimbulans, Sir,” said the second most junior midshipman.
“Very good, Ster Stoneblue. Why?”
“They fear the pirates, Sir?”
“Almost. Lieutenant Wood, more cannon and a larger crew equals less profit per voyage. Why would a merchant shipowner do such a thing?”
“They’re anarchists, Sir. There’s no Navy to protect them because they have no government.”
“Precisely. And what does this mean? Midshipman Brick.”
“Without a government or navy to protect them, Sir, they have to protect themselves.”
“Very good.” Sweetwood clasped his hands behind his back and began to pace in front of his officers. That usually meant that the question and answer portion was done. Now would come the lesson he meant to teach.
“There is no law above the Line, gentlemen! Ships of the civilized nations are taken every week up here. There is great profit to be made for both the merchant class and the Empire. But this is where the pirates live. They know these waters. The Kimbulans live here too; surely they love these pirates not. They can be useful allies, but not if we behave as pirates ourselves. This is why we will board no Kimbulan ships. Am I understood, gentlemen?”
“Yeah yeah, Sir!”
They encountered another Kimbulan ship, whose captain also claimed to have been harvesting fruit. Sweetwood surmised that this was how the Kimbulans maximized their profits. The coconuts cost nothing, after all, except the provisions to sail to the source first.
Then they came upon the fishing boats. The lookout swore he’d seen three when they appeared on the horizon, but there were two when the Mermaid closed to within hailing distance.
These were crab boats, and they were half full, according to Pallo, the captain of the larger. They hadn’t seen any pirates, or any other ships for that matter, since leaving port. They really didn’t have time to talk, unless Sweetwood wanted to purchase some crabs. The captain considered the hopeful expressions on some of his men, and ordered the provisioning lieutenant to buy some.
That evening after the crabs had been served, Midshipman Brick came to Sweetwood’s cabin with one of the hands.
“Yes?”
“Sir. Some very interesting information has come to my attention, Sir. Go ahead, Ostan, tell the Captain what you told me.”
“Yeah yeah, sir. Before I was pressed, I worked a small fishing boat out of Gateway, sir.” The seaman paused nervously.
“Go on.” Sweetwood showed neither interest nor impatience.
“Yes, sir. Them…them boats we saw today, sir? They was too small to be where they was, sir.” Ostan took a deep breath and plunged on. “Midshipman Brick says we’re three hundred miles south of Kimbula, sir. But boats like that, they can’t stay out to sea more than two days, sir!”
“What are you saying, then…Ostan, is it?”
“Yes, sir, Ostan.” The hand beamed at hearing his name from Captain Sweetwood. He now had the confidence to finish what he had to say. “Crab boats, sir? They work an area where they put their traps, sir. Them’re what’s called ‘pots’, sir. They need a whole day to put ‘em over and draw ‘em back up with the catch, sir. Half a day’s sail to where they wanna put their pots, sir, and no more. “Then…then it’s half a day home. One and a half and a half is two days, sir.”
“I see. So you believe that these fishermen came from somewhere nearby.”
“Yes, sir! And I never heard of no Kimbulans this far south of their big island, sir. They gots a few small islands….” Ostan belatedly realized that the Captain probably knew exactly which islands were settled by Kimbulans, and stumbled to a halt.
“I see. Thank you, Ostan. You’ve done very well. You may go about your duties.”
“Yeah yeah, sir!” Ostan beamed again at the unusual praise, saluted, and left the cabin.
“Ster Brick, please send the navigator in to see me with his charts.”
“Yeah yeah, Sir.” Brick immediately turned to go.
“Ster Brick.” Brick halted, fearing that he’d done something wrong.
“Your name will be mentioned in the dispatch,” Sweetwood said with the slightest hint of warmth. Such would guarantee the boy a place at the next Lieutenant’s Board.
“Thank you very much, sir!”
The navigator’s chart showed no islands in range of the crab boats, but then these waters were virtually unknown to the Empire. Sweetwood decided to continue due east.
Just before dawn, they raised an unknown island. Every officer aboard studied it through their looking glasses. There was a bit of beach on the island’s southeast edge, and a gash in the greenery nearby that indicated a possible inlet. The island was heavily wooded but a little too steep to be so flat. Lieutenant Wood told them he thought it had once been a volcano.
“I can’t put my finger on it, but something is very strange about that beach,” said Stoneblue.
The Gunnery Lieutenant agreed. “I wouldn’t think a finger of beach should curve in that direction…”
“It’s a dock!” Brick said excitedly. “Painted to look like the beach!”
“By Stess, he’s right!” said Wood. “And look. There are houses at the back of the beach, painted so as to blend in with the trees!”
Several exclaimed in amazement as seeing became perceiving.
“It might be nothing more than a fishing village,” said Sweetwood behind them. He studied the houses intently with his own telescope. It was a Viste, the highest quality looking glass that existed. They were quite expensive. “Painted so to conceal it from savages and pirates while the men are out fishing.”
“I’m not so sure, Sir. See that tree across the inlet from the houses? Rather tall and thick to be so close to shore.”
“Very good, First Lieutenant. I hadn’t noticed. It’s a watchtower, I believe.”
“Then they’ve certainly seen us by now, Sir.”
“Agreed. Nothing for it but to sail right up and ask who they are. Put the men at quarters, if you please.”
The Mermaid reefed her sails as she rolled ever clo
ser to the village and inlet. Now even the least perceptive of the Imperials could see the uneven line that continued across all the little houses. Below the line, they were painted to match the beach, and above the line, no house had less than four shades of green in the shapes of leaves. There were even a few flowers incorporated in the designs.
Finally they were at an angle to see that the inlet was large enough to accommodate the Mermaid. A strong current pulled the warship around and through the notch. They were in a sizable bay.
Wood saw a well thought out shipyard with a dry-dock, and two ships under repair.
Brick saw a prosperous looking town with clean, well-cobbled streets leading uphill past well cared for buildings made of brick and stone.
Stoneblue had eyes only for the long, three-masted, fore and aft rigged ship moored almost dead ahead. She was like nothing he’d ever seen before. Peripherally, he noticed three other moored ships.
Sweetwood saw the fort, with its crenellations, cannon and the row of windows on the top floor that looked like nothing so much as the gun deck of a war ship.
The First Lieutenant saw a small islet to one side, with three massive links that led into the water. A horrible suspicion dawned on him and he looked to the starboard. There was an identical islet, complete with chain. He was about to shout a warning when the Mermaid struck the chain boom and came to a dead stop.
Sweetwood got back on his feet in time to see the flags unfurl. He saw The Noose, The Flames, and StrongArm’s banner on the square-riggers, and an unfamiliar flag on the xebec, evil eyes over a bloody sword.
Then he noticed the flag over the fort: a blue-eyed skull over crossed sabers. Anford. I should have expected as much. Sweetwood did not let his astonishment slow his reflexes.
“Hard to port! Starboard gunners, stand ready!”
With the bow held fast, the current would swing him about. That would put the starboard guns in line with Thirteen Twists. He would fire one broadside and complete the turn that would take him back out through the notch.
Guns boomed on both sides and Mermaid shuddered. The reports were so close that Sweetwood thought for a moment that they were his own guns. Then he saw that the islets also held batteries of carronades. They had been covered by tarps.
Buxacan Spicerunner Page 26