Bactine

by Paul Kater

  The carriage came to a halt in front of a building that had the shape of a boat. The carriage door opened, as a sign that the tour had ended. Daniel stepped out and walked up to the gate. It was closed. And remained closed. Behind him the carriage drove off. "And now..." Daniel wondered. He noticed a scratched brass plaque. On a hunch he held his ring against it. The gate swung open, allowing him access to the short greystone path that led up to the door of the building. "Swell. I'm really getting the hang of this." At the door to the building he looked for another brass plate. In vain. "So..."

  The door opened. A man in a black suit, wearing a frivolous crème coloured shirt and a deep red tie, said: "May I help you?"

  Daniel introduced himself. He needed the paper with the name again and carefully added 'president of the Ship Owners Society' again.

  "Oh, absolutely, sir. We are awaiting you. My name is Varning. Would you please follow..."

  Mr. Varning led Daniel up some majestic stairs and into a corridor that had a carpet thick enough to lose something in. There were paintings on the walls left and right, and lights burnt in small chandeliers everywhere. They stopped at a door, Varning knocked and proceeded inside without waiting.

  "Seigner Skinsh ko Talush, sir Daniel Zacharias."

  Daniel noticed that he was not a Seigner here, merely a sir. Not something he hated.

  From behind a large dark desk that looked like it was made of wood of course, a lean man with grey hair and piercing blue eyes stepped to Daniel, extending a hand. "Welcome, Mr. Zacharias. How was your voyage? I am pleased that you came here speedily. Would you care for some tea perhaps, or another refreshment? Varning, some tea for Mr. Zacharias please."

  "Certainly, Seigner," Mr. Varning smiled and with a correct bow he left the room.

  Seigner Skinsh ko Talush offered Daniel a seat and detailed the problems that the Society was facing concerning the increased number of pirate attacks on their ships. "It has become a real problem, Mr. Zacharias," Waldo Skinsh ko Talush said. "That is why we have asked for support from outside. Our people are past their wits and we see no way to stop the pirates. There has been a lottery to decide on who's ship you will be sailing first. The lucky person is the honourable Seigner Clelem Dandra ko Galem. You will meet him shortly, and he will inform you of the specific details. Do you have any questions so far, sir?"

  Daniel asked about weaponry and defence systems that were allowed aboard the ships, but the answer to that was rather vague. This did not appear to be Seigner Skinsh's forte.

  There was a knock on the door and Mr. Varning entered, announcing the arrival of Seigner Clelem Dandra ko Galem. Behind him was a man of average height, blond-grey hair and blue eyes, but unlike those of the president of the Society. His clothing was immaculate, almost too perfect to be real.

  After formal introductions, Clelem said: "Mr. Zacharias, you will be sailing on my ship, the Pricosine. My serving man, Mr. Slindris, will show you where it is once you have settled in. Until that time I will see to it that the skipper, Mr. Ulaman Xhylor, will be notified of your arrival. The Pricosine is in harbour at the moment, so that is a convenient coincidence."

  Clelem struck Daniel as a nice man. Very strict and formal, but he had an open and honest appearance. "Thank you, Seigner," Daniel said, "I hope I will be able to do some good for your ship."

  Clelem smiled. It was the smile of a man who was willing to forgive mistakes. "Very well. I trust that Seigner Skinsh will have a hydger for you, so communication and finding your way around will be simplified."

  Daniel was not sure what to say to that, as this was the second time this mysterious 'hydger' came up and he had not clue what it was. He just looked at the president of the Society, who nodded and reached behind him. From a side table he picked up a small box and handed that to Daniel.

  "There is a leaflet with the device that explains its workings, Mr. Zacharias," Seigner Skinsh said, being aware that Daniel might not know what to do with it. "If you care to examine the package, Varning will be able to elaborate on any issues you may encounter."

  Varning had been waiting by the door. He looked at Daniel as he opened the door. "Sir?"

  Daniel thanked his hosts and left the large office. Varning came right behind him and took him to a small meeting room.

  "The hydger," he started as Daniel unpacked the box, "is the communication device we use on the planet. It can hold addresses of the people you contact frequently and it can also hold coordinates for their houses if they allow you to store them."

  Basically it was like a telephone and a navigational system in one, Daniel discovered. It could also be used to send house coordinates to a carriage, which saved the trouble of papers and reading out the numbers. "Does everyone have a hydger?" he asked.

  "The people that matter do, sir," Varning said with a smile. He then showed Daniel how to enter the coordinates to the place where he would be living, and how to summon a carriage, using the hydger.

  Daniel thanked him and then was cordially escorted out of the building. Once in the street he took the strange book-shaped contraption, pressed the on-button and waited for the glossy display to light up. He chuckled at the weird technological thing he held in his hand and called for a carriage.

  -=-=-

  The carriage pulled up at the foot of a tremendously high building. It looked completely wrong here, as all the buildings he had seen so far had not gone higher than three or four floors. This thing was gigantic, he could not see where it ended. It had to be at least thirty storeys high. Still, this was the address, according to the coordinates.

  Inside he found elevators, much to what he had expected on this planet. A box with a fence, being hoisted up on what probably were chains of some sort. His hydger did not make the thing move. His ring did.

  The ride upwards was not as long as he had expected. The elevator let him out on a floor with a long unadorned corridor. The floor was made of a kind of stone, as were the walls, and the doors left and right were made of sturdy steel for a change. He found his room and to his relief also his gear. The boy at the Embarcado Circle had done well.

  The apartment was simple but clean. Just the way Daniel liked it. He took off some of the more unpleasant clothes and then stood in front of the window, taking in the view. He was seriously high up for measures on this planet. Then he started unpacking, wondering if it would be terribly impolite to change into normal clothes.

  9. The Pricosine

  The next morning Daniel heard a bell ring. He wondered what was going on as it rang again, accompanied by a modest knock on the door. That clarified things.

  Outside his apartment stood a man, small even to NGC6637-VIII standards. "Mr. Daniel Zacharias?" he asked, lifting his hat. The man was dressed in a brown suit, a blue tie covering part of his white shirt.

  "Indeed. That's me," Daniel nodded.

  "Good. My name is Gaguran Slindris. Seigner Clelem Dandra ko Galem's serving man."

  "Oh, right, I've been expecting you. Won't you come in?" Daniel stepped to the side.

  "I would prefer it if you could step out, sir. I am here to take you to the harbour and introduce you to the captain of the Pricosine, Mr. Xhylor."

  "Oh. Certainly." Daniel fetched his coat, made sure his ring and hydger were where he wanted them to be and followed Gaguran Slindris down the hall after locking the door. In relative silence the elevator brought them to the ground floor, where a carriage was waiting for them. Gaguran asked Daniel to take his hydger and then read out the coordinate address for the harbour. "You will be going there rather frequently, so it would serve you to store these numbers," he said. Daniel then operated the hydger and the brass plate to make the carriage go.

  As they were travelling, Daniel tried to strike up a conversation. Gaguran however seemed to want to keep to himself, so the newly appointed security man satisfied himself by watching the changing scenery outside the coach.

  The strange smell Daniel had noticed as he arrived on the planet was slowly getting
stronger. He had to ask Gaguran about it.

  "What you smell, Mr. Zacharias, is the water. We hardly notice it anymore, but people who are not from here... they do. You will get used to it. The smell is a result of chemicals in the water. Captain Xhylor will tell you all about this, and the ships that sail in it." He adequately cut off any of Daniel's questions that way.

  The carriage stopped. They were at the harbour. After leaving their transportation they walked onto the shipyard, using a small gate that was away from the main entrance. The main entrance, Daniel saw, was an extremely crowded place where carts, open carriage and many people carrying things were streaming in and out.

  Gaguran kept to the side, where the buildings were. Offices and warehouses lined up the long route they were walking along. Daniel gaped at the multitude of ships and the shapes they came in. It also struck him that they were all sailing ships. Very odd.

  "The Pricosine is too large to be moored in this area," Gaguran announced voluntarily. "About ten more minutes, Mr. Zacharias. I assume you can keep up with me."

  Daniel did not want to laugh. He had to slow down his sauntering, otherwise he would be pacing away from the short man within seconds. "I'll be fine, Mr. Slindris, do not worry or slow down on my behalf."

  Gaguran unleashed a barely noticeable nod and they continued. After a last turn, they had arrived. Three ships were tied to the quay with monstrous cable.

  Daniel stopped and stared. "Holy crap." The ships were not mere ships, they were floating villages. The last ship on the ropes was the Pricosine, its name blinked in the sunlight. It sported eight masts and was high as a mountain.

  Gaguran stopped also and nodded approvingly at Daniel's surprise. "Indeed, although I would appreciate if you were to watch your language somewhat, Mr. Zacharias. I am certain the lowly sailor folk would appreciate that expression, but I doubt you want to be counted among their ranks."

  They walked up to the gangway of the ship. It was laid out in a slalom kind of way and proved to be quite the climb before they reached the top. Daniel almost felt pity for the small man. Gaguran needed two stops to catch his breath, but he made it to the top without assistance or complaints. It was clear to Daniel though, that the man preferred to watch the ship from far away.

  The deck was an enormous space, as Daniel had already expected. As they crossed it, to reach the stairs that led up to a high building on the ship, he also noticed that the people who were aboard all ignored Gaguran. Not the best of friends, obviously.

  They reached the top of the stairs and from there stepped on a platform that circled a room on top of the high-rise. The view from there was spectacular. Daniel was almost able to oversee the entire harbour, which was a considerable feat. Gaguran did not have time for that though, he pushed on into the room. It turned out to be the bridge of the ship.

  "Captain Xhylor," said Gaguran.

  On the sound of Gaguran's voice a bear-shaped man rose up from a table. He was almost as tall as Daniel. His black hair was cut short and he wore sturdy grey clothes. A suit, Daniel thought, would look ridiculous on this man.

  "Mr. Slindris," the bear roared, "welcome aboard. How are you? And how is the Seigner?"

  "Enough of that, captain," said Gaguran. "This is the security agent we have discussed. Mr. Zacharias."

  The bear approached them and held out a hand that ought to be registered as a lethal weapon. "Ulaman Xhylor. Captain of the Pricosine."

  "Daniel Zacharias."

  The handshake was formidable. The captain grinned. This man was worth a good handshake. "Welcome aboard, Seigner Zacharias."

  "Daniel will suffice, Captain Xhylor."

  "Great. I am sure we'll get along well. Call me Ulaman. Mr. Slindris, I thank you for escorting the man up here. You must be busy."

  Daniel turned to a window and grinned at the way the captain was sending the serving man on his way.

  Gaguran Slindris did not mind the hint, though. He did not like being on the ship, so he said his goodbyes and proceeded the journey back to the street where he would call for a carriage again.

  Daniel immediately felt at home with the big sailor. Ulaman called for his wife, Xandree and introduced them. Then he gave Daniel the grand tour of the ship, which took just about the rest of the day. The knowledge Ulaman had of the ship was scary. Daniel was shown to a cabin he could call his and was also introduced to the crew, which was just a handful of people.

  Daniel was surprised to find that the cook was a woman, the only other female on the ship, together with Ulaman's wife. Draiky Trelodah was, to be honest, not the kind of woman that would get in trouble quickly. Her posture made it clear that she would start it, though.

  The fact that he had taken off his coat and jacket, rolled up his sleeves and also that he did not wear a hat was definitely in his favour. He was invited to share a meal with them, which he gladly accepted. As the crew was eating, Ulaman told Daniel that he should be present the next day before noon.

  "We're sailing around the mid-day hour, when the tide is there to help us out," the big man said. "It's not a big run we make, the cargo is not very precious, but we're one of the few that can carry the load."

  "I'll be here, Ulaman. No problem. I am looking forward to learning more about this world, so if you have time, I am all ears."

  "Harumpf. I need you to be all ears, Daniel. That is what you are here for. Ears and brains."

  The crew waited for Daniel's surprised face before they all laughed. He knew then that he would fit in with that gang.

  -=-=-

  Daniel was up early and packed some normal clothes in his bag. They would do on board. He picked up his special case also and made his way to the harbour. For that trip he had dressed in one of the suits. The previous day had shown him that the citizens of Skarak did pay attention to how he was dressed, the more as his appearance was quite off already, with his Bactine skin and his size. The people here were accepting foreigners, yes, as long as they followed the etiquette.

  Daniel wondered how long it would take him to walk to the harbour. His training as a soldier and his Bactine body would certainly come in useful, but the clothes proved to be the restricting factor. He called for a carriage.

  Once he reached the Pricosine, he quickly stowed his gear away and changed into something a lot more comfortable. He had talked about that with Ulaman who was all in favour of Daniel being comfortable.

  Daniel walked out on the deck of the giant ship.

  "Good morning!" The voice came from high up.

  Daniel looked up and saw someone wave. He waved back. "Good morning, Stroro!"

  Stroro Ettekos was one of the sailors. The man stood in the rigging halfway up the fourth mast and was obviously on his way up. Daniel wondered about the man's eyesight. He had to be related to hawks or their counterpart on NGC6637-VIII.

  As he was looking around where he could climb up also, he heard his name again, this time from behind. "Hello, Bilk."

  Bilk was a strange character. He only went by Bilk. He was not from the planet, but lived here since long and had done nothing but sail the boats for Clelem Dandra ko Galem. If that wasn't a sign of a good employer, nothing was.

  "You are early," said Bilk. "Ulaman is still at the house of the Seigner, for last information. He asked me to help you if you need something."

  "That's wonderful. Thank you. Can you tell me what the cargo is?"

  "We are moving soil today."

  "Soil. Like ground. Dirt." Daniel frowned.

  "Indeed. There is an island that has been damaged by a storm several weeks ago, and we are bringing them soil to rebuild a part of their island."

  "I see." Daniel frowned. "How important is soil on this planet?"

  "Not very important. Unless your island is in need of some," Bilk shrugged.

  There was no arguing with that.

  Ulaman returned not much later, and as everything was in place, the Pricosine was prepared for departure. Daniel was on the bridge with Ulaman and Lidrin S
tarhouse, who was the ship's navigator and best hand for the steering wheel.

  Daniel's hydger rattled, making him jump. It had not done that before.

  Ulaman and Lidrin laughed as he grabbed for the book-device, opened it and found the switch to answer what turned out to be an incoming call.

  The face of Seigner Clelem Dandra ko Galem appeared on the small screen. "Mr. Zacharias. I take it you are on your way to the Pricosine?"

  "Good morning, Seigner Dandra," said Daniel. "I am already on board, sir."

  Clelem's face twisted a bit. Daniel was not sure if that was because of the reception of this device, or if the man took offence to how Daniel had butchered his name. He looked at Ulaman, who was shaking his head. Damn. It was the name-bit.