Retribution

by Benjamin J Boswell

  “Very impressive,” said Esther, feeling even more excited after seeing it in action.

  “I agree,” said Mr. Najafi. “Ms. Graves designs worked beautifully, I must say.”

  “The blacksmith did all of the metal work,” said Ann-Marie, “and the ship’s crew did all of the construction and refitting, and of course the rigging crew have been working it and performing stowing and sail preparation exercises ever since the installation and refit of the fore keel-mast was completed two days ago. The men really deserve the credit here.”

  Esther nodded. “They have done a fantastic job, and they made it look so effortless. You really did put together a first class crew, Abdel. However, I’d say it was a team effort. If it weren’t for your detailed engineering designs Ann-Marie, the crews could never have demonstrated their skill and expertise.”

  “And your concepts, Esther, don’t forget that you’re the one who came up with the idea,” said Gregory, surprising Esther by his outspokenness. He seemed to be coming out of his shell nicely under Anne-Marie’s tutelage.

  “Oh, I’m sure others have come up with similar ideas, they just never had the support in the form of Ann-Marie, Mr. Najafi, a professional crew, and yourself, Gregory, to make the great ideas happen. What we have just seen accomplished is exactly what we all strive for. Well done, all of you.”

  “Thank you, Your Majesty,” Mr. Najafi said, and they all seemed to beam under her praise.

  Well, they deserved it, she thought. “Abdel, I’d like to see it prepared for sail, if you would?”

  “Of course, Your Majesty.” He called out the order and the crew reversed the procedures they had just taken, lowering the keel-mast back down and securing it to the metal casing with the second pinion, then let down the shrouds and stays and secured them to the mast. Since they were currently moored, they didn’t unfurl the sails. When they were done, they climbed back up into the hull of the Retribution and the hatches were closed.

  “As you can see, Your Majesty,” Abdel said, “Preparing to set sail is even quicker than stowing it.”

  “And how have the men handled working beneath the ship?” asked Esther. “I have read about others making similar attempts to use the keel masts for sailing. They had run into some engineering difficulties, but one of the other big problems they had was overcoming the fear that the airman had felt working beneath the ship.”

  “Well, as you know, Your Majesty, the Retribution has one of the best crews in the Hadiqan Navy—maybe even the world. I think that is one of the reason’s that made it possible. Even then, however, there had been some difficulties. Even though some of my best riggers volunteered, I think they did so out of pride for beings a Queen’s sailor and a sense of trying to show that they were the best, but I know they still had some pretty big reservations. We all sat down and discussed how best to go about it and they came up with some pretty spectacular ideas—such as using the belaying teams to help keep the slack out of the rope. I think they are pretty confident now. However, I don’t think that every crew can pull this off. At least, not yet. Maybe as people get used to the idea, it may be different, but as it stands…” He trailed off.

  “We’re going to need a bigger crew,” said Esther.

  “I had thought that as well, Your Majesty. Not only do we have both keel-masts that now need riggers, but there are also the additional propeller oar shafts as well. Ms. Graves thinks that we can free up a few men by the improvements we’ve made, but that’s not even close to being enough.”

  Esther nodded. “I’d like to take a closer look at the keel-mast, Abdel.”

  He raised a quizzical eyebrow. “And how do you propose to do that, Your Majesty?”

  “I’d like you to lower me down on a rope through one of the hatches.”

  Oluchi shifted nervously, but it was Mr. Najafi who objected first. “Your Majesty, do you really think that is wise?” His eyes flicked down to her stomach and back to her face. She could tell he was uncomfortable.

  “I know I haven’t always been very…careful, Abdel, but I think the risk is pretty minimal here, don’t you think.”

  Oluchi shifted again and she could tell he wanted to say something. “Yes, Oluchi?” she said at last, smiling up at him. “Go ahead and say whatever you want to say. You’re making me nervous standing there shifting about.”

  “If something happens while you are only standing on the rope, such as you fainting, or having a seizure, there will be nothing any of us can do, and you will fall.”

  Esther considered what he said. It was true. If she were to have another seizure, she wouldn’t be able to hold onto the rope and she’d fall. She contemplated that fact for a moment. She couldn’t stop living, however, just because something could happen. If she did, she’d never do anything and only stay in the palace and become that which she had feared when Asserius had proposed—a figurehead whose only purpose was to provide heirs to the throne. Was there a risk to what she had said she wanted to do? Of course. And perhaps that risk was even elevated slightly given Geoffrey’s eclampsia diagnosis. But she felt good and really believed that the risk was minimal. She didn’t plan it to take very long, but she really did want to examine the keel-mast—especially Ann-Marie’s metal casing design and its pinions.

  “I appreciate your concern and recognize the risks involved, but this is something I really want to do,” she said at last.

  Mr. Najafi looked into her eyes a moment, and, seemingly satisfied with what he saw there, nodded. He signaled for the platform to be brought back up into the ship.

  They walked over to where the hatches sat next to the braces for the keel-mast casing and Esther waited while Mr. Najafi told the crew what they were going to do. They ran a belaying line through a pulley set in the ceiling above the hatch and made a loop for her to step into. Mr. Najafi nodded to her and she put a foot in the loop and gripped the rope that run up to the pulley. Wishing she had worn leggings, she pinched a fold of her now altered lehenga skirt between her legs to keep it from revealing too much. With her foot firmly in the loop of the rope, she stepped over the opening and waited as they lowered her down through it. When she made it all the way through the hatch opening and had descended a few feet, she called up for them to stop. She examined the metal casing and pinions, satisfied that they were of sufficient strength to withstand the force that would be placed upon them. She shouldn’t have second-guessed Ann-Marie—she knew much more about these things than Esther.

  She didn’t really feel a need to look at anything else, but loved the feeling of being in the rigging again—even if it were on the underside of the ship. She knew that Oluchi and Mr. Najafi would never allow her to climb up into the rigging above deck, so she called up for them to lower her down along the keel-mast a little more.

  When she reached the spot near the tip of the keel-mast where a shroud was attached, she called for them to stop again. She was half-tempted to step off of the rope and onto the shroud and smiled at the thought—that would really give Oluchi and Mr. Najafi a heart-attack. And if Geoffrey found out about it…

  Instead, she looked out at the airfield and the clear blue sky, and just enjoyed the scenery. She felt one of the babes kick as she stood there, hanging from the bottom of the ship. They must like the view, she thought with a smile. Their kicks and movement were getting stronger every day.

  Finally, she reluctantly called for them to pull her up. She wasn’t a rigger anymore, but it was nice to have felt like one again, even if it was just for a moment.

  Chapter 29

  The Arrival of Riaseth

  Two days after her visit to the airfield, Esther lay in bed, propped up into a sitting position with pillows behind her, waiting for Geoffrey and Mrs. Stolman to arrive for her checkup. She was two days shy of twenty-two weeks and she had almost fully recovered from when she had fallen ill. She’d had no further episodes or seizures, but her energy levels were still a bit low, and Geoffrey insisted on examining her whenever Mrs. Stolman checked o
n the babes.

  A snow storm was supposed to be blowing in and it was the perfect day to be lounging about the Cielian palace. It was after nine in the morning, and she hadn’t even gotten out of bed yet. She was reading a book titled ‘Cultures of the North’ and although the writing style was a little dry, the material was very interesting. From what she’d read, Ciel and Rodheim seemed a bit more…sophisticated, culturally speaking. Lothaekin and Riaseth’s cultural practices seemed to hearken back to the days before even ancient Pax, when their ancestors raided the coasts of Hadiq and Madraus. Of course, when compared with the Barbarian Kingdoms of Madraus, they appeared downright civilized.

  A knock sounded on the door.

  “Come,” she said.

  Corporal Naudar poked his head in. “Dr. Scott and Mrs. Stolman to see you, Your Majesty,” he said.

  “Send them in.”

  It hadn’t been that long ago when Geoffrey and Esther’s midwife, Mrs. Stolman, would come and go without being announced, but as Esther recovered, proprieties were returning to normal.

  “You’re looking very relaxed,” said Geoffrey, as they walked in.

  “Yes, well my physician ordered me to take it easy, so I had to oblige.”

  “And how are you feeling today?” asked Mrs. Stolman, walking up to stand next to the bed. “Has there been any more movement?”

  “Yes, quite a lot actually, and stronger as well.”

  Mrs. Stolman nodded. “That is a very good sign. Your high fever had me worried.”

  “Me too.” Esther rubbed her hand over the cloth of her nightgown covering her stomach. “I can even start to feel the movement with my hand.”

  “Right now?” asked Mrs. Stolman.

  Esther nodded and her midwife placed her hands on Esther’s abdomen. She stood there for a moment, waiting, then she looked up at Esther and nodded with a smile.

  “Would you like to feel them move, Geoffrey?” Esther asked.

  Geoffrey gave Esther a surprised look. She gestured for him to come closer. He seemed hesitant at first, but then stepped up next to the bed. She reached out and took his hand, placing it gently on the swell of her belly. She moved his hand over the spot where she had felt one of them moving, then looked up at his face and waited. He stared down at his hand, focusing his attention. Esther felt a small kick and he looked up at her with a huge smile.

  “You felt that?” she asked.

  He nodded. He kept his hand in place and waited again, this time staring into her eyes. Esther felt another quick kick and he smiled again. “That’s pretty neat,” he said, straightening. “I’ve felt babies move before, but not with anyone I knew personally…only professionally. Can you tell if they are both kicking, or just one?”

  Esther shook her head. “I’m not sure. I’m hoping to be able to, eventually, but I don’t know.”

  Geoffrey looked over at Mrs. Stolman. “Yes, I would think so,” said the midwife, “The babies are in different locations, and she should be able to tell them apart pretty soon.”

  There was another knock at the door.

  “Come,” said Esther.

  Again, Corporal Naudar poked his head in. “Sorry to disturb you, Your Majesty, but the Adena has returned with Lady Adeline Ealdræd. Ms. Marigold thought you’d want to know. Lady Adeline should be here within a half hour.”

  “Excellent,” Esther said, sitting up. “Perhaps now we can get things moving.” She swung her legs over the edge of the bed and was about to stand when Mrs. Stolman held up a hand.

  “You heard what the young soldier said, Your Majesty. The Lady Ealdræd won’t be here for another thirty minutes. We can finish your checkup, then you can get dressed.”

  Esther huffed and blew the bangs out of her face. “Fine,” she said, swinging her legs back up into the bed, “but we have to hurry. I want to be dressed when Adeline gets here. If she finds out that I’ve been lounging about all morning, I’ll never hear the end of it.”

  - - -

  It was almost exactly thirty minutes later when Esther stood and smiled as Adeline entered the room. Now fully dressed, she stepped forward and gave the Ardmorran noblewoman a big hug. “It’s so good to have you back.”

  “It’s good to be back,” Adeline replied with a huge smile of her own. Then she frowned, staring at Esther’s face. “Are you okay?” she said, reaching out and turning Esther’s shoulder to look at her from a different angle. “You look…different. Thinner.”

  Esther nodded with a smile. “Yes, I am now. After I toured the timber mine, I came down with a fever. It had me laid up in bed for a couple of days.”

  “Ha!” said Geoffrey. “She was laid up for the better part of a week, and is still trying to recover from the seizure.”

  “Seizure?!” exclaimed Adeline.

  Esther gave Geoffrey a dark look, then turned back to Adeline, placing a hand on her friend’s arm to calm her. “It’s okay. I’m alright now. Or, I should be if I take it easy.”

  “Did the fever cause this?” Adeline asked.

  “Kind of. It’s complicated and we can talk about that later. Right now, I want to hear how it went?”

  Adeline made a face. “Well, he’s here,” she said, flatly.

  “He is?! That’s great!”

  Adeline grimaced. “I’m not so sure. It was really strange. He kept me waiting to even see him for almost two weeks, and then suddenly, he’s flowering me with attention. He wants to dine with me for every meal. We take carriage rides to show me the countryside, and he gives me a tour of his castle—which I might add, is even more opulently furnished than yours, but in a distasteful, grotesque way, like when you eat something that’s too sickeningly sweet. But he would never allow me to discuss the treaty or anything to do with business. After almost a week of being subjected to his not so subtle advances, he suddenly says that he’ll come and walks away.”

  “Ohh. I’m sorry you had to put up with that,” said Esther, now feeling bad for sending her friend to be with such an awful person.

  Adeline shrugged. “It’s alright. It comes with the job of being a diplomat. I’m used to it, although it’s usually not quite this bad. After being around him, I felt like taking a nice, long bath. But anyway, I received a note the next morning that he was preparing his ship to accompany the Adena back to Valsgärd and would depart within the hour.” Adeline quirked a smile. “I felt bad for poor Captain Marzban. They had to scramble to retrieve the crew of the Adena still out on liberty in time.”

  “I’ll be sure to give Captain Marzban my thanks. But at least Yngvarr’s here now, and that’s all that matters.”

  “I’m not so sure,” Adeline said. “His reaction to my being there and his sudden decision to come…it just doesn’t seem right. It’s too inconsistent. I think there’s something else going on.”

  “Well, all he has to do is sign the treaty. The delegations and I were able to work out all of the issues and the Cielian scribes have even drawn up copies. If he wants anything adjusted, you can handle it. I won’t even show up to offend his delicate sensibilities.”

  Adeline wrinkled her nose. “The thought of being in the same room with him again makes me cringe.”

  “As long as he signs the treaty, you can cringe all you want.”

  Chapter 30

  Storm

  Esther opened her eyes. The room was dark and she lay in bed, covered by a thick feather blanket. She could hear the wind blowing outside the windows. The snow storm that had been predicted to come yesterday had arrived with a vengeance, not long after Adeline’s arrival, and had been blowing snow in a blizzard-like fashion ever since. From the sound of it though, the wind wasn’t as strong now as it had been. She wondered what time it was. She wasn’t sure what had awakened her—perhaps just the needs of her bladder. That seemed to happen more frequently lately. She slipped out from under the covers and put on the slippers that she’d grown used to wearing the Cielian palace, and padded across the wooden floor to the privy. After she had finished
and washed her hands in the washbasin, she stepped back into the bedroom and was about to make her way to her bed when she stopped suddenly. Something didn’t seem right.

  She looked around the dark room, the only illumination coming through the windows from the waxing gibbous moon. She didn’t see anything out of the ordinary. The double doors leading out of her room into the foyer where her marine sentries stood watch were closed. As she listened, however, she thought she heard a muted sound coming from the foyer. She didn’t know what the sound was, but it disturbed her.

  She walked quickly to her bedside table and snatched her dagger from it. The only time she took it off was when she went to bed, or bathed, although she still had her little dagger strapped to the inside of her thigh in the holster that Geoffrey had given her for her birthday, but she felt more comfortable with the big Madrausan dagger. She walked quietly over to the doors and listened, keeping her head a few inches from the door in case it opened suddenly. She didn’t hear anything for a few seconds, but then a faint metallic sound drifted into her ears and she looked down to see the doorknob slowly turning. Her heart skipped a beat and she took a step to the left so that she’d be behind the door when it opened. She stood very still, clutching her dagger to her chest. She held her breath as the door slowly pushed open and a large man walked into the room.