by Brux, Boone
“Alrighty.” She slowly spun and walked in the opposite direction, scanning the deck, and then walked to the side and looked over. “All good here, Captain.”
Okay, so maybe I had no idea what I was doing. It wasn’t like anybody had handed me The Complete Guide to Ferrying the Dead. This was all gut instinct. I walked around of the front of the ferry, taking extra time to examine the two giant masts on either side. Besides having no idea how or when I was going to get the sails unfurled, everything seemed in order.
“All good up front.” I edged my way along the thin walkway next to the hull and stopped at the back of the ferry. “How about you?”
Mara joined me. “All good here from what I can tell, and cabin space seems good too.”
“Then—” I hesitated, “I guess it’s time to address the passengers.” I climbed onto the back of the pontoon and held up my hand. “Can I have your attention please?” All eyes focused on me and the crowd fell deathly silent. “First, I want to apologize for the wait. We had an unforeseen emergency but have found a temporary solution.” I pointed to Mara. “For now my associate and I will be captaining the ferry.” A deafening cheer erupted from the mob. Appreciation, gratitude, that’s what I was talking about. I could get used to this. No wonder Charon loved his admirers. He had a new group every time he ferried. Holding up my hands, I shushed the souls. “If you could enter in an orderly fashion, no pushing please, we’ll get you loaded and be on our way. For those of you who don’t get on this time, we will be making multiple trips, so please be patient.”
The excited din of the crowd escalated again. I jumped down from the pontoon and joined Mara on the opposite side.
“Now what?” she asked. “The barrier keeping the souls out is still up.”
“Hal said the ferry would know. I just figured that also meant letting the people in when it was time to leave.” Suspicion that he’d been feeding me a line of malarkey crept through me. I patted the top of the glass dome. “So, let’s do this.”
Nothing happened.
“We’re locked and loaded, so anchors away.”
The barrier between the ferry and souls remained solid.
I glowered at the boat. “Come on, ferry. Ready and willing. Time to hit the road.” My voice grew louder with each phrase. “Giddy up! Move’em out!” Frustration gripped me. I clenched and unclenched my jaw. This was Charon’s boat and he’d probably programmed his preferences into it somehow. I gave Mara a knowing smile and said, “Let’s get this party started.”
Instantly the barrier disappeared and the souls surged forward. Both of us stepped back, the instinct to get out of the way kicking in before we remembered that the souls passed through us.
The spirits poured into the belly of the ferry, leaving me with no clue, or even a close estimation, of how many souls it held. I guess that wasn’t my problem. All I needed to do was get them safely to wherever we were going. Yet another mystery to be solved tonight.
“Excuse me.” The spirit of the woman wearing the sequined cruise-wear running suit stepped to the side, pulling her short, round, silent husband with her. “Can we upgrade to first class? We always travel first class.”
“I’m sorry, ma’am, there’s only one class,” I said.
“Of course there’s a first class.” She puffed up like an angry ostrich. “There’s always a first class. You just don’t want us to have it.” She pulled out a spectral pen and notebook. “Who is your superior? I’m going to file a complaint about this.”
I slid a glance to Mara and back to the woman. “That would be God.”
“Well, he’s certainly going to hear about this when I get to Heaven.”
“Who says you’re going to Heaven?” Mara took a step forward, flames flickering in her eyes. “I suggest you sit down and shut up before we take a detour and drop you off in a much—” She paused for effect. “—hotter location.”
The notebook fell from the woman’s hands, disappearing when it hit the deck. She stumbled backward, her eyes rounding to the size of gold coins. Grabbing her husband’s hand, she shuffled back into line, but before the flow swallowed them, I caught the faintest smile turn up the corners of her husband’s mouth.
When they were gone, I said, “Nicely done.”
She gave a haughty toss of her head. “I still got it.”
“And then some.” I shuddered. “Remind me never to piss you off.”
“Don’t be silly. I’m a pussycat.” The way she stated that told me she was anything but.
The stream of souls slowed. Several had made it to the edge of the ferry, but were pushed back onto the bank when the barrier sprung upward again. It was a handy tool that made doing a headcount unnecessary. The doors to the cabin slowly closed and locked, sealing the souls inside. Pressing our faces to the glass, we surveyed our passengers.
“They’re fine.” The scene reminded me of a cattle call but at this point, with so many souls to ferry, that’s exactly what this was. “Don’t you think?”
“Yeah.” Mara’s reply didn’t instill confidence. She stepped back. “They’ll be all right.”
“To the bridge, then.”
Skirting the dome, I watched the black watcher lap against the carved pontoons. From everything I’d read or had been told about the River Styx, dangerous things lurked under the surface. Even the shallows were treacherous. We climbed the stairs to the helm and I stopped at the giant wheel positioned at the front. Everything looked the same. Couch, chairs, kegorator, just as we’d left it.
I was prepared to shout “Let’s get this party started” again, but when I took hold of the wheel, the ferry came to life. The stings of party lights overhead winked on the stereo flashed a few times before roaring to life.
Mara slapped her hands over her ears, and then yanked open the glass door of the entertainment center and cranked the volume knob to low. She leaned in, reading the cassette tape. “Party Tunes from the 60s, 70s and 80s.” Craning her neck, she looked over her shoulder at me. “On or off?”
“Off for now. I need to figure out how to drive this thing first.”
She silenced the music and shut the door, joining me at the wheel. “Now what?”
“I’m not sure.” I inhaled, held my breath for a second, and then whispered, “Forward.”
Loud creaks emanated behinds us. While I remained rooted at the wheel, Mara investigated the noise. The sound of ropes sliding through rings hissed and thunked to the deck.
“It’s the sails.” Her breath caught and she jumped back. “They’re unfurling.”
I twisted to see but didn’t let go of the wooden spokes. More ropes slithered down the masts, losing their hold. The creaking increased. From the sound, I would have sworn the masts were about to snap.
Slowly, three, thick, wooden poles lifted away from the main mast. At the bottom was the longest pole; the next one was half the length, the top pole being the shortest. As each rose, the sails opened into huge ribbed fans. They reminded me of dragon wings or the sails on a Chinese junk. Aged by time, the yellowed fabric expanded and stretched tight when the poles locked into place.
The sight rendered us both speechless. I’d never seen anything like this ferry, nor did I think any manmade vessel could come close to its magnificence. Toss in the whole supernatural higher purpose aspect, and the situation became awe-inspiring.
I lurched backward when the ferry began to move. My grip on the wheel tightened, and the sound of rocks scraping against wood quickly faded as we moved into deeper water. Afraid I’d screw something up, I stood wide-eyed and white-knuckled, my gaze riveted on the widening river in front of us. I was afraid to breathe, or move, or look away.
“You all right?” Mara asked, coming to stand next to me.
“Uh-huh.” I didn’t, well, couldn’t look at her, certain if I turned my head we’d run aground or sink. “I got this.”
“You’re doing great.” She covered my hand with one of hers and rubbed. “But I think you can relax a li
ttle.”
“I am relaxed. Don’t I look relaxed?”
“No, you look like one of Medusa’s stone statues.” Moving behind me, she gripped my wrists. “Let go of the wheel for a second.”
“No.” If possible, my hold tightened. “We’ll crash.”
“No we won’t.” She wedged her fingernails under my palms. “I promise.”
“You don’t know any more about this than I do.” Thrusting my hip sideways, I tried to bump her away from me. “Those souls in there are counting on us.”
“Well, that was their first mistake,” she said. I gasped, my head whipping toward her. “I’m kidding, but seriously.” She released me and leaned her hip against the front half-wall. “Do you think Charon stands here the entire trip, glued to the wheel?”
That did seem pretty unlikely, but he’d been running the river for millennia. “No, but let me get used to steering this thing before I start slacking.”
“Fair enough.” She turned and pointed down river. “Styx stays like this for quite a while. It’s wide and deep, so a good place to get your bearings and figure out how the ferry works.” Then she straightened. “I’m going to sit over here. Yell if you need me.”
“Okay.” I nodded. “Good idea. I’ll practice.”
I spent the next half hour or so, who knew because there was no time in this dimension, trying different steering techniques. Right off the bat it became clear that the wheel was strictly for show. No matter which way I turned it, the ferry continued on course. At one point something along the far shore caught my attention. As I concentrated on the spot, the ferry began to turn in that direction.
“Thought-controlled.” I refocused on the river, and again the boat slowly veered back on course. “Brilliant.”
There went the nap I’d been planning on taking, and I’d have to limit my beer consumption or we’d end up parked on the left bank having a beach party. Feeling more confident, I focused down river and kept that course fixed in my mind. Then I slowly backed away and sat on the leather chair. Mara watched me with a querying expression, but didn’t say anything. I counted to twenty and then stood to check our course.
“We’re still headed in the right direction.”
“I take it you figured out how this thing runs?” She stood and followed my gaze.
“Thought. If I keep focused on our course then the ferry stays on course.” I sat down again. “Once I know the river better and with a little practice, I should be able to relax more.”
“What about the wheel?” Mara took her seat again. “Is it important?”
“Only to Charon’s ego.” I propped my feet up on the coffee table, resting my elbows on the wide rolled arms of the chair. “It’s for show—doesn’t guide anything.”
“I wonder if he’s overcompensating for something.”
“No doubt.” Still not completely comfortable with putting the ferry on autopilot, I stood and took my place at the helm again. “Considering how many reapers there are in the world, I think he overcompensates in a lot of areas of his life.”
“I don’t even want to think about that.” Mara rested her hand on the front wall and pointed down river. “Around that next bend the waters become more turbulent.”
“Are there rapids or rocks I need to watch for?”
“No, nothing like that, but…” She shifted from one foot to the other, her gaze darting downstream and back to me. “Don’t slow down. Actually—” She hesitated a second. “—if you can speed up some after we turn that would be best.”
“Why?” My heartbeat quickened. The small amount of calm confidence I’d gained evaporated. “What’s there?”
“It’s nothing, really. I mean…I’m not a hundred percent certain. It’s been a long time since I’ve been in this area of Styx, but I think—” She swallowed hard. “I think that’s where an abyss of lost souls is.”
“An abyss of lost souls?” Panic raced through me. “Is it dangerous?”
“Ehhhh.” Her face scrunched into an, I don’t want to lie, but I don’t want to tell you the horrifying truth, either grimace, and her shoulders shrugged, holding near her ears. “Maybe.”
“You mean yes, don’t you? When has an abyss not been dangerous?” I gripped the wheel, my breath coming in short pants. “You can’t say the word abyss without it not being scary. Abyss of Lost Souls—terrifying. Abyss of Magic—nope, not going to mess around in there. Abyss of Kittens.” My voice grew uncontrollably loud. “Still scary!” I glared at Mara. “How did those souls get lost anyway?”
“I don’t think we should get all caught up in how those souls got sucked into the abyss. She patted my hand and her voice took on a soothing lilt. “Let’s just maintain a positive attitude and keep this ferry moving.” Her petting stopped and she squeezed my fingers. “As fast as you can, because I’ll be honest, there is no coming back from that.” She pointed toward the water. “Once lost, always lost.”
My grip tightened on the wheel. “Like…forever?”
“Forever and ever.”
“Right.” Even though the gigantic wheel did nothing as far as steering the ferry, holding onto it helped me focus on our course. “I can do this.”
“Maybe I should warn the passengers and ask them to stay calm.”
I nodded, but didn’t take my eyes off the river. “Good idea.”
Mara opened a small door near the stairs and extracted a microphone. “Attention passengers.” Her voice reverberated from speakers placed around the ferry. “In a few minutes the water might become a tad rough. We ask that you remain calm and seated until we’re through this turbulent stretch of river.” She sounded like a flight attendant. Her smooth announcement even calmed me slightly. “When we’re safely through, I’ll let you know and you’ll be able to move around the cabin again. Thank you for your cooperation.” She replaced the mic and smirked. “Like a pro.”
“Warning the passengers was the easy part.” I flicked my head toward the bend. “Now it gets tricky.”
She joined me at the wheel. We each gripped a spindle and leaned forward, stretching to get a glimpse of the river ahead. When the ferry began its slow turn I expected to see roiling water. Instead, Styx was glassy calm. I gave Mara a questioning glance, but she shook her head.
“They’ll come,” she whispered. “Wait for it.”
“Okay, that was super creepy and not helpful at all.” Refocusing on the stretch of river, I slowly blew out the breath I’d been holding and urged the ferry faster. “Go baby, go.”
The pontoons split the water, gliding almost as if on top. Neither of us spoke, each waiting for the slightest hint of turbulence. Mara hadn’t expounded on what connected rough water and the abyss, but I’d seen enough movies to figure it out.
A muffled thump sounded from the underside of the right pontoon but the ferry didn’t so much as rock. The breath froze in my throat, and both of us inched forward to peer down at the water slushing between the floats. Thankfully, unlike a catamaran, the ferry had a two-foot wall around the deck. Anything trying to get on the boat would have to climb over the sides.
Another thump resonated from under the pontoon, and then another. My hand shot out and I gripped Mara’s arm, but I couldn’t take my eyes off the river. The water began to roil, both around the ferry and up ahead. In the overcast light, I thought I saw an arm reach out of the water and then disappear into the inky depths.
“Holy crap.” I released Mara and latched onto the front wall. “Was that a person?”
“If you can call them that.” Mara pointed to the left pontoon. “And there’s another one.”
Before I could utter a curse, two more arms shot out of the water and grabbed onto the ferry. Though subtle, I felt us slow down. “No—no—no.” I leaned over the edge. “They’re trying to get on board. We need to get them off.”
“I’ll do it.” Mara grabbed my shoulders and gave me a solid shake. “You need to make us go faster.”
I nodded and moved back to the wal
l. Instead of using the stairs, Mara vaulted over the front wall and landed on her feet. She broke into a run, snagging a spiked pole from its holder against the left mast, and jogged to the front of the ferry.
“Man, that was so cool,” I muttered.
I couldn’t take my eyes off her as she spun and jabbed at the ghostly white and blue mottled limbs. The heavy thuds hammered the underside of the ferry, making it rock. Cries from the passengers erupted every time we were knocked to the side.
“Lisa!” I focused on Mara, but was having a hard time breathing—or thinking. Nearly paralyzed with fear, I couldn’t move, let alone focus. “We need to go faster!” Without looking, she swung the pole, catching one of the invaders across the throat as it rose above the wall. “Snap out of it!”
Right, I needed to shake it off, and we needed more speed. My breath huffed out of me but at least I was starting to think clearly again. I picked a calm spot on the horizon, and leaning forward over the wall’s edge, willed the ferry faster. The pull on my body was instantaneous and the boat surged forward. I could do this. We were going to be okay.
Mara’s scream wrenched the air. My gaze snapped to her an instant before the white hand that was wrapped around her wrist yank and pulled her over the side.
Chapter Eleven
“Mara!” Desperation and panic propelled me down the stairs and to the spot where she’d disappeared. I leaned over the side, not considering that I could meet the same fate. Among the chalky wet limbs, fighting to keep her grip on the edge of the ferry, glinted blood red fingernails. “My God, Mara!”
Scooting forward, I grappled for her wrist but the lost souls blocked my attempts, clawing at me. Sharp nails gouged deep furrows in my arms and blood trickled down my wrist. Pain shot through my arms, but I ignored it, bending lower. “Hold on! Don’t let go!”
Tears burned and filled my eyes. I blinked them away, not wanting to give into the fear and desperation. The long spear rolled toward me and knocked against my boot. I wiggled back enough to grab it, and then swung it over my head, bringing it down hard on the white arms. The sickening crunch of bone meeting metal ricocheted through me. My stomach heaved and vomit rose up my throat, but I didn’t stop. Again, I jabbed, sending one of the lost souls melting into the blackness.