The two of them glared at each other for a moment and then Vepolas slowly nodded, her expression becoming thoughtful.
“I see. It is true that that species is thick-headed. At least they were, thousands of years ago. And now that they have returned, I have no doubt that they are again.”
She looked closely at Deborah and seemed to approve of the captain's defiant stance. She smiled down at her.
“I am Vepolas. And you?”
“Deborah. Deborah Martelli.”
The captain relaxed as well and actually bowed with a natural grace.
“Pleased to meet you.”
“As am I,” Vepolas replied. “There is no need to be concerned about that creature. It is gone. I used an old trick to confuse its senses. It is now chasing a phantom ship and will do so for several days. By the time the enchantment wears off, it will be a thousand miles away and will have forgotten about this vessel. And if you wish to be less attractive to those monsters in the future, you might want to change the appearance of this ship.”
The captain frowned and looked around the deck. Several levels of the ship rose above them to what Simon assumed was the bridge and, except for patches of rust and discolored paint, the Defiant gleamed in the bright sunlight.
“Change her appearance? What do you mean?”
“Walk with me, Deborah,” Vepolas said in a friendly tone, surprising Simon. “We shall discuss it.”
The two of them wandered off toward the bow of the ship, speaking almost intimately, and the wizard looked down at the others.
“Um, what just happened?” he asked, bewildered.
“She likes the human captain,” Ana told him matter-of-factly. “I think it is the recognition of another strong female, like to like. It bodes well for this ship. Vepolas may have some ideas on how to keep it safer against sea monsters.”
“Huh. Well, that's good. Thank you, Ana, by the way, for suggesting I summon her. She may be a bit difficult, but she did save the Defiant.”
“My pleasure, sir wizard. May I stay for a while? It is good to get out of the water realm occasionally.”
Simon grinned as both Kronk and Aeris nodded their agreement. The boys were obviously quite fond of her.
“Of course. Stay on Earth as long as you wish. And if you'd like to join us at the tower, just let me know before I head back and I'll bring you along.”
“Ah, that would be lovely. Thank you again.”
Ana and the others began chatting excitedly and Simon watched for a moment with some amusement. Elementals or not, they reminded him of a group of enthusiastic teenagers sometimes.
“Your friends really helped us out today,” someone said and the wizard looked over his shoulder and saw Barnaby approaching. Behind him at the stern of the ship stood a man wearing a simple brown robe. Another mage had apparently taken his place and was powering the ship.
“We owe them,” the small man added.
He join Simon at the railing and both of them turned to look out to sea.
“Finished your shift?” the wizard asked.
Now that the danger was passed, his stomach was starting to feel a bit queasy again and he wanted to take his mind off of it.
“I have, yes. Danny's taken over for me. And since we have the time, I thought I'd offer my services as tour guide. Care for a look-round at the old Defiant?”
“Ah, that would be great. Thanks. I don't have my sea legs yet and I could use a distraction.”
Barnaby laughed lightly and nodded his understanding.
“Don't feel bad. I've been living here for a year now and I spent a good portion of the first few months puking over the side. Not exactly good times. Follow me and we'll poke around the place.”
Simon caught Aeris' eye and nodded at Barnaby. The elemental waved, showing he understood and the wizard followed the mage toward the nearest door.
“So how many people live here now?” he asked as they entered the ship.
“A hundred and ten at last count, I believe. It does vary somewhat. People occasionally decide to leave and we've had a few births, always exciting occasions. And a couple of deaths.”
“Deaths? From what?”
They were walking down a wide hallway with narrow doors on either side. Simon was pleased to see that the floor and walls were kept clean and all he could smell was the salty sea air and a slight scent of rust.
“Oh, you know, the usual. Someone was up in the crow's nest last month and got excited when he spotted a distant monster. He slipped, fell out and broke his neck. Such a waste. And tragically one young woman died in childbirth a few weeks before that. We lost both mother and child that time. The entire ship was depressed for quite some time after that.”
“Don't you have a cleric on board?” Simon asked as he ducked his head and entered a large room.
“We do, yes, but even the gods can only do so much, I suppose.”
Barnaby stopped and looked around at the room they had just entered.
“This is the main dining room,” he said.
The area was larger than Simon had thought it would be. The ceiling rose up at least twenty feet above them and in the center was an amazing chandelier. The old light bulbs it must have once held were long gone and many candles were inserted in their stead. None were lit but light was streaming in through a row of high windows and the room's details were easy to see.
There were dozens of neat round tables, each covered with a white tablecloth. Plates and cutlery were laid out ready for the next meal and every table had a small candelabra as its centerpiece. It was all rather more elegant than Simon had imagined.
“This place looks amazing,” he told the mage. “It almost looks like I might have pictured it back in the old days, before the dragons returned. How is this even possible?”
“You can credit Captain Martelli for it all,” Barnaby replied, obviously pleased by Simon's reaction. “She will not tolerate slackers. Nor will she put up with a dirty living environment. She says, and rightly so, that a lax attitude toward cleanliness invites disease. Everyone's quarters are inspected at least once a month and offenders are punished accordingly.”
Simon followed the mage out of the dining hall and they continued along the corridor.
“And people tolerate that kind of intrusion?” he wondered.
“Yes, of course.”
The pair stopped at the top of a narrow staircase and moved to the side to allow some people to pass. They received plenty of curious looks but Simon was used to being stared at by this time and ignored them.
“You have to understand, my friend,” Barnaby said seriously, “that before coming to live on the Defiant, many of these people were living in very harsh conditions. Humanity has been Changed, yes, but the majority of people cannot use magic like you and I can and have only their wits and whatever skills they've developed to hunt for food and to defend themselves. Between the dragons that are constantly harassing us, and the monsters that have been reborn by the dark gods, humankind is lucky to even still exist in the world.”
A group of sailors, men and women both, climbed up the stairs and greeted Barnaby. The young mage seemed to be popular and he smiled and waved as they passed by.
“Here on board,” he continued, “people's lives are completely turned around. Magic provides clean water, warmth, and protection. In return, all the captain requires is that everyone pitches in to perform whatever chores are required to keep the ship afloat and livable. Other than that, they are all free to do as they please. That's not much to ask, is it?”
Simon nodded approvingly.
“Not much at all.”
The mage led the way downstairs and Simon followed.
“So where do you get your food?” he asked.
They entered another corridor, this one wider. Doors were spaced out on either side every twenty feet or so and the wizard guessed that this was the living area. Several people stood outside of the doors, chatting amiably. Mage lights shone from the ceiling
every few feet illuminating the corridor with a bright warm glow.
Three children chased each other around the area, laughing and yelling. They were cheerfully tolerated.
“When needed we drag nets behind the ship. You'd be amazed at the amount of seafood we can collect in only a few hours. The ocean is teeming with fish again and we eat well. We also have a garden on one of the lower decks, if you can believe it. Last year, just after I arrived, a woman came aboard who is, in her own words, an herbalist. I've never met anyone who has such a way with plants. She can grow anything. The captain had tons of earth brought aboard and we conjured up as many mage lights as she asked for. And for a few months, every time a hunting party would go ashore, this young woman, Elaine, would go with them to search for seeds and whatnot. Well, now we have vegetables and fruits growing in the bowels of the ship. Weirdest thing I've ever seen, but thank God for her and her talent.”
“I see. I knew an herbalist once too,” Simon told him, feeling a pang of regret for his old neighbor, Heather. Who knew she'd turn out to be evil?
“Did you? Where is she now?”
Simon just shrugged, ignoring the question, and carefully made his way down the hallway, trying to avoid the playing, laughing children.
“As you can guess, this level and the two below it are the main living quarters,” Barnaby told him as the tour continued. “Just up ahead is a small section of the ship that's reserved for the magic-users. I'll take you through there and then we can either go back up to the main deck or down to the garden.”
“Thanks. Where is the kitchen, by the way?”
“Hungry?”
Simon chuckled.
“No. I was just wondering how anyone could cook for over a hundred people day in and day out without electricity.”
Barnaby grinned at the wizard.
“Ah, I see. The galley is actually next to the dining hall that I showed you earlier. The head cook and his staff use wood stoves instead of electricity or gas. We go ashore occasionally and cut down trees for fuel. Our blacksmith devised an ingenious system of piping to funnel all of the smoke from the stoves to the outside. She's a clever woman. And our head mage, Veronique, discovered a spell to remove the salt from sea water, so that we have an endless supply of fresh water. That is really at the heart of our survival. Without available drinking water, the Defiant would have been abandoned long ago.”
They reached the end of the corridor and were faced with a heavy metal door, tightly closed. There was no handle and Simon looked at Barnaby quizzically.
“How do you get in?” he asked as the mage just stood there, apparently waiting for something.
“The door is enchanted. It will only open to the touch of a magic-user. Would you mind doing the honors?”
Simon locked eyes with the mage.
“You saw me summon a major elemental. Are you not convinced that I am who and what I say I am?”
Barnaby blushed, looking even younger than his small frame and large eyes made him appear.
“Yes, of course I am. But Veronique insists that any visitors to the mage's section of the ship pass this 'test'. Of course the captain and crew may come and go as they please; they simply have one of us open the door for them. But if you don't want to do it, I totally understand. I meant no disrespect, I assure you.”
The mage moved to place his hand on the door, but Simon stepped forward and put his palm on the smooth metal.
“Your house, your rules,” he said with a wink.
Barnaby relaxed and smiled in appreciation.
“Thank you. I'm sure that Veronique will be pleased with your courtesy.”
There was a burst of light from the door, like a camera flash, and then it snapped open and swung back.
“This way, please,” the mage said politely and stepped through the opening.
Simon followed and the door closed behind him with a solid thunk.
The corridor continued beyond the door but the walls in this section were painted with amazing colors. Swirls of blue, yellow, purple and every shade in between flowed into and around each other. But instead of a confusing mess, the colors evinced a harmony that was pleasing to the eye and calming to the senses.
“Wow, it's so soothing,” Simon said as he followed Barnaby. The colors also seemed to emit their own light. There was no need of torches or other sources of illumination.
“I agree. This area was renovated by Veronique and her sister when they first arrived on the Defiant. They were artists in their old life and it definitely shows..”
“Her sister is a mage as well?”
“Enchantress actually,” the mage told him.
He lowered his voice and looked up and down the corridor before continuing.
“Sylvie was born with a birth defect. When she Changed, it followed her to her new form. But at the same time, she gained so much more that she isn't bitter about it. However, I thought I should warn you before you meet them.”
“What sort of birth defect?” Simon asked carefully.
“She's blind. Totally blind. But her magical senses are so finely tuned that she can probably see better than you or I can. In her own way.”
They stopped at a four-way intersection.
“Apparently she was rather famous as a sculptor back in the old days. She crafted her works by touch alone and I'm told that they were extraordinary.”
He pointed down the corridor in front of them.
“Straight ahead is our practice room. That's where we experiment with new spells. It's heavily shielded to protect the rest of the ship. Phoenix, Danny and I have our quarters to the right.”
He turned left and motioned for Simon to follow.
“The sisters live down this way. I'm sure that they are waiting to meet you.”
“How would they even know that I'm on board?”
“Veronique is very powerful. I don't know how her powers measure up to a wizard's, but she is certainly the strongest of the mages on board the Defiant. And Sylvie has senses beyond my understanding. She probably felt you arrive when you Gated here.”
“Amazing,” Simon said.
He felt a little nervous about meeting these obviously formidable women but was also powerfully curious. He didn't know much about mages and their magic. Granted, he was friendly with Tamara and her brother, but they had never really shared intimate details about their powers. All he did know was that wizards were supposedly the most powerful of all spell-casters and that he was probably the only one in existence.
At least so far, he said to himself. That may not last.
The walls of the hallway that led to the sisters' quarters were hung with numerous paintings, all of them abstract. The style was powerful and mesmerizing.
“These are Sylvie's?” Simon asked Barnaby and pointed at the paintings.
“Yes. Gorgeous, aren't they?”
They stopped for a moment to contemplate the artwork.
“How does she choose her colors?”
The mage shrugged.
“No idea. Since she's been blind from birth, how she can even have a preference is beyond me. But I'm told that she is the one who picks the colors, decides the style of the work, and all of that.”
Simon approached one of the paintings, a large canvas at least six feet high and even wider than that. Powerful waves of color were streaking in seeming random directions across the flat surface and yet there seemed to be some sort of underlying cohesion. It was tantalizing and he had to stop himself from reaching out and stroking the canvas to feel its texture.
“It calls to you on some level, doesn't it?”
The wizard looked over his shoulder at Barnaby and smiled sheepishly.
“It does. But I have no idea why. You feel it too?”
The mage nodded and stared at the painting as he stroked his chin.
“All magic-users feel it but, oddly enough, regular people don't. That's Sylvie's talent, I suppose. Come along and meet her. It will help you to understand her b
etter.”
Simon tore himself away from the fascinating picture as Barnaby continued leading him down the corridor.
At the end of the hallway, a large door made of a dark wood swung open as they approached. Barnaby stopped and Simon looked at him curiously.
“Go ahead,” the mage told him and gestured toward the door. “They will want to meet with you alone. I'll wait for you out here.”
Simon looked dubiously at the open door.
“Are you sure?” he asked.
“I am. Don't worry,” Barnaby told him with a reassuring smile, “they don't bite. It's just their way. I'll be here when you're done.”
The wizard nodded and took a deep breath. He walked the final few steps to the door, hesitated a moment and then stepped through into darkness.
Chapter 13
“Welcome, young man,” a silky female voice said from somewhere ahead of him.
Simon had stepped into what felt like a large space that was very dark. A mage light floated just over his head, illuminating him but blinding him to everything else.
“Please come in,” a second, more delicate voice told him.
The globe of magical light moved forward and rose higher. It split into two lights and these lights split again and again until the room was lit up as brightly as a sunny day.
The area was as large as the dining room up on the main deck. Every flat surface was covered with color, lines of paint that flowed and swirled into each other. It was a riot of shades that immediately delighted the senses and Simon actually gasped out loud as he took it all in.
There was a scent in the air, jasmine, and he inhaled deeply. It immediately seemed to help him relax and his upset stomach settled down as well.
Ahead was a long conference table. It had many chairs around it and on one side sat two women. They were both staring directly at the wizard and he couldn't tell which one was sightless and which wasn't.
“Step forward, Simon O'Toole and join us,” the woman on the right said graciously, speaking with a noticeable Parisian accent.
She was pale and slim with very dark eyes that met his easily. She was wearing a dark green robe under a mantle of stiff verdant cloth. Her hair was short and black.
Tales from the New Earth: Volume Two Page 56