by Tamara Moss
The thought of all the adventures she was going to have kept Lintang fidgeting. When she couldn’t stay still any longer, she hopped out of the hammock and padded barefoot down the corridor to explore more of the Winda.
She peeked at the other cabins, the cargo hold, the large dining room and a stinky space that held slop buckets and green goop.
And then she found the kitchen. She heard it first. There was a lot of clamour and sizzling, with smoke drifting out to the corridor.
She poked her head in. The place was larger than she expected. A fire roared in an iron box, pots bubbled on the stove above it, and knives and ladles swung from the ceiling around a bright lantern.
A big woman stood at the counter. She had a shaved head and golden hoops dangling from her earlobes. She was hacking carrots with a cleaver.
‘Hello,’ Lintang said over the crackles and sputters of the fire.
The woman jumped so violently that the cleaver went flying out of her hand and lodged into the wall behind her.
‘Mother of monsters, you scared the petticoats off me!’ Which was strange, because she was wearing tight pants, a wide belt and a food-spattered tunic, without a petticoat to be seen. ‘Look, Ma, we have a visitor!’
Lintang peered behind the woman, but she couldn’t see anyone else.
‘You must be our Islander,’ said the woman. She picked up a large clam shell from the counter. ‘I’m Dee, and this is my mother, Farah.’
Lintang wasn’t sure where Dee’s mother was hiding until Dee snapped the clam shell open and closed and said in a squawky voice, ‘Pleased to meet you.’
Lintang blinked at the shell. Then at Dee. Then at the shell again. On the top side of the shell were two eyes drawn crudely with ink.
‘Look at her face,’ Dee said in the squawky voice, snapping the shell’s mouth again. ‘You’d think she’s never seen a mother-daughter cooking team before.’
‘Er …’ said Lintang.
‘Let’s take a look at you.’ Dee spun Lintang around with her free hand and lifted up Lintang’s hair to expose the back of her neck. ‘And there it is. That shiny scale’s worth a bundle on the black market.’
Lintang shivered.
‘Don’t scare the poor girl,’ said the squawky voice.
Dee dropped Lintang’s hair. ‘Don’t worry, I’m not going to sell you on the black market. To be honest, I’m worth more since I’m a crew member of the Winda.’
‘No one would pay a quartz for you once they realise you’re more trouble than you’re worth,’ said the shell to Dee.
Lintang turned to face her again. ‘So …’ she said slowly. ‘You’re Dee. And that’s your mother, Farah.’
‘She’s a bit slow, this one,’ said Farah-the-clam-shell.
‘Hush, Ma, don’t be rude,’ Dee said, and to Lintang, ‘What’s your name, starflower?’
Lintang drew a breath. ‘Lintang of Desa, village on the island of Tolus, daughter of Aanjay and Arif, child of Nyasamdra.’
Dee burst into screams of laughter. ‘Hear that, Ma? What a mouthful.’
‘I remember when you used to be able to introduce yourself so eloquently,’ Farah-the-clam-shell said.
‘Those days are long gone, old woman.’
Farah-the-clam-shell addressed Lintang again. ‘Best not reveal so much about yourself out in the world. The less people know about you, the better.’
Lintang was going to ask why, but a pot behind them started bubbling over.
‘Give us a grain, the stove’s turning dragon,’ Dee said, which was something Lintang didn’t understand, but Dee didn’t need an answer.
She tucked the shell into her wide belt and hurried to shut the iron box with her foot while scooping up the chopped carrots and tossing them into a pot large enough to hold a small child.
‘I suppose you’ve never seen anything like this before, have you?’ Dee said, yanking the cleaver from the wall. ‘This room’s called the galley. This is the stove. These big spoons hanging from the ceiling are ladles – although maybe you’ve got those at home?’
She explained about all the things in the room, and when Lintang’s stomach growled, she dug into a crate for a fresh loaf of crusty bread from last night’s feast. Lintang ate a slice thick with butter while they talked. Dee showed her how the smoke went up a pipe from the iron stove and would be released over the ship, and how the bellows worked.
‘Are you happy to be here?’ Dee said, unwrapping a cloth filled with lobsters from Desa and dumping them into the pot.
‘Definitely,’ Lintang said through her last mouthful of bread. ‘I’ve always wanted to travel the world. And you should’ve heard what I went through to get aboard. Captain Shafira had to give Mother her necklace as a promise to bring me home.’
Dee stopped stirring the soup. ‘Her necklace?’
Lintang swallowed her mouthful. ‘Yes, the gold one with the gems.’
Dee set down the ladle. She looked worried.
‘What is it?’ Lintang said.
‘Sorry.’ Dee ushered Lintang towards the door. ‘We’re busy in here right now. Why don’t you get yourself a copper basin from the cargo hold? You can keep it in your room with a pitcher of water. Always nice to wash your face first thing in the morning.’
‘But –’
Dee shoved her into the passage. ‘That’s a good girl,’ she said, and closed the door.
Lintang stared at it for a heartbeat before wiping crumbs from her mouth and walking away. She’d made another mistake, said the wrong thing again, but this time she didn’t understand why.
What was so important about the necklace? Eire had looked upset when Captain Shafira had offered it up, and the villagers of Desa had been horrified. Was it valuable? Was it a family heirloom? Would all the crew shut doors in Lintang’s face when they discovered the necklace was now in her village? How would she ever make friends this way?
The thoughts plagued her as she headed down the steps to the cargo hold. A pile of copper basins sat in a crate among silver pitchers and extra plates, and she was just reaching to pick one up when she heard a thunk further along. She paused, listening. Maybe it was something falling out of place with the movement of the ship.
Or maybe not.
She straightened and crept towards a collection of barrels. The floor was cold under her feet. It was a forest of shadows in here, with only a single lantern near the stairs.
She held her breath, listening, but there was no other sound. Then, through the scent of the euco oil came a cloud of spices, and –
‘ACHOO!’
Lintang jumped back, knocking the top layer off a pile of firewood. ‘Who’s there?’ she said through the clatter.
There was a familiar buzzing sound, and a ball of bright light zipped up from behind the barrels. Lintang placed a hand over her heart to make sure it was still beating. How embarrassing – she’d been frightened by a pixie!
Although … how could a tiny mythie sneeze so loudly?
Before she could investigate further, a sigh echoed through the silence and, from the same place the pixie had been hiding, Bayani stood up.
* * *
THE MYTHIE GUIDEBOOK
ENTRY #73: Mermaid (Caletrom)
The Caletromian mermaid (syrena) is a sea mythie under the predator category. It is the most dangerous of the mermaid species. It is a combination of humanoid and serpentine, and can be distinguished from a common mermaid by its snake-like tail.
Diet: Caletromian mermaids will eat any meat available, whether it be turtle, shark or human.
Habitat: Throughout the five seas.
Frequency: Moderately rare.
Behaviour: Caletromian mermaids release a calming drug called lunjin that puts their victims in a state of suggestibility. As soon as they catch their prey, they reveal their true face and drag the unsuspecting creature to the bottom of the sea.
Eradication: Staying on guard against the effects of the lunjin is the hardest part of killing these
mythies, as their humanoid halves are easily pierced with a sharp blade.
Did you know? Lunjin is now used during surgical procedures.
Danger level: 3
* * *
Choices
‘What are you doing here?’
Bayani flinched at Lintang’s shout and gestured for her to keep quiet. The pixie zipped around the room delightedly. Now Lintang’s eyes had adjusted to her bright glow, she could tell it was Pelita. She should’ve known.
‘We hid in one of the barrels,’ Bayani said.
Lintang exhaled through her teeth. Her fright had eased, and her frustration billowed like storm clouds. ‘You gnome. Now we’re going to have to turn around!’
‘No!’ Bayani clamped his mouth shut and tried again in a softer voice. ‘Please don’t tell anyone I’m here. I need to go to Zaiben.’
‘Why?’ She couldn’t believe Bayani – smart, mature, obedient Bayani – had stowed away. On a pirate ship, no less.
Pelita settled on his shoulder. Her white glow illuminated his face, and for the first time Lintang saw the cuts and bruises that must’ve come from being in the barrel while it was being transported. He was in last night’s clothes, looking quite rumpled now, with his red shirt torn in one place and his pants still muddy.
‘What were you thinking?’ she said, fighting a peculiar motherly urge to brush him down and wash his face. ‘What about your parents?’
‘I left a note in the school room explaining where I was. No one was there this morning because they were seeing you off. I needed enough time to sneak on board without anyone realising I was missing.’
Lintang frowned. ‘At least this explains why you didn’t come to say goodbye.’
His posture relaxed, and he dared a smile.
‘Don’t think I’m not angry with you,’ Lintang said. ‘Now come on, let’s go see Captain Shafira.’
His smile vanished. ‘We can’t, not yet. We’re still too close to Desa. She’ll make me go back.’
‘Maybe she’ll give you a fair hearing. If you tell her why you want to go to Zaiben –’
‘No. It’s not … She won’t …’ He blew his fringe from his eyes as if he had some excuse for being annoyed, when Lintang was the one who would get into trouble. What if Captain Shafira thought she’d helped him stow away?
‘You can’t tell anyone we’re here,’ Bayani said.
Pelita buzzed her wings in agreement.
‘You can’t do that to me!’ Lintang said. ‘I promised not to lie to Captain Shafira.’
‘Please.’
Lintang huffed like an angry gaya. ‘We’re not even going to Zaiben anymore. Captain Shafira’s dropping me back home when this is over.’
Bayani chewed on his lip, staring thoughtfully at a spot over her shoulder. ‘After we’ve passed Nyasamdra’s territory, I’ll come out of hiding and ask the captain to take me to Zaiben. We’ll be closer to Vierz than the Twin Islands by that stage – hopefully I can talk her into making the extra trip.’
Lintang dragged her hands down her face. Bayani was her best friend, but she was supposed to be impressing the captain, not keeping secrets from her. ‘Why are you doing this?’
‘I can’t tell you.’
‘Bayani!’
‘I’m so sorry,’ he said.
Lintang turned on her heel and stalked towards the steps. Bayani rushed to stand in front of her. ‘Please don’t tell on me. Please.’
Pelita alighted from his shoulder and fluttered away to investigate the toppled firewood.
‘Why shouldn’t I?’ Lintang said. ‘This is my chance to get away from Desa. I’m going to have adventures, and meet Nyasamdra, and slay sirens. You’ll ruin everything.’
Pelita started stripping bark from the wood, making a mess like the destructive little thing she was.
‘I know, but …’ Bayani grasped Lintang’s hands. His skin was cold. ‘Getting to Zaiben is the most important thing in the world. I need you to trust me.’
She frowned. The most important thing in the world? That sounded too dramatic for Bayani. It was more like something she would say.
Because she exaggerated and lied and never did what she was told.
And he always, always went along with it, or got her out of trouble.
He accepted her challenges to a duel when no one else would. He’d gone with her to pick panna leaves, even though they’d ended up being attacked by a malam rasha. And he’d convinced her to go to the temple last night, which was probably the only reason she’d ended up meeting Captain Shafira in the first place.
But if Captain Shafira found out Lintang had kept his presence a secret, it would ruin everything.
Before she could decide what to do, footsteps thumped on the stairs. Bayani threw himself behind the pile of firewood. Pelita burrowed between logs so her light wouldn’t show.
Lintang turned as Eire appeared. ‘Here you are,’ Eire said, scowling. ‘I look all over ship for you.’
Lintang hurried forward and snatched up a copper basin and silver pitcher. ‘Sorry. Was just getting –’
‘I am not caring,’ Eire said. ‘Captain wants you. Come.’
It took all of Lintang’s willpower not to glance back as she followed Eire up the stairs. She dropped the basin and pitcher in her room on her way to the top deck. When she stepped outside, she had to squint against the brightness. It had been so gloomy below in comparison. The sun was halfway down the sky now. It gave hic-coughs of warmth between gusts of fresh breezes. The sails snapped as the ship soared over the waves.
Eire scanned the deck. ‘Captain may be in cabin. Stay.’
Rather than return below, Eire headed to the front of the ship, where there was a door. Captain Shafira must’ve had a big room in the top deck all to herself.
Eire wasn’t gone long before the younger, unpleasant girl shoved past Lintang and growled, ‘Out of the way.’
Lintang edged to the side of the ship. It was better here, anyway – she could hold onto the railing as they rose and sank with the swell.
She stared back the way they’d come. The island of Tolus already looked so far away.
She didn’t have room to feel that ache again – she was too busy thinking of Bayani, and what reason he could have for stowing away.
And why had Captain Shafira summoned her? Was she somehow already aware that Bayani was below deck? Would she yell at Lintang? Would she bother to listen as Lintang professed her innocence, or would she believe Lintang a liar, just like everyone said?
While Lintang imagined the crew cheering as she was thrown overboard, movement caught her eye below. She glanced down to find two girls grinning at her from the waves. They dived and splashed, revealing their scaly tails as they followed the ship.
Mermaids.
Lintang had only seen a mermaid once before. She’d been on the reef with Father, helping haul in his nets, when he’d pointed at the mythie sunbathing on dry rocks by the cliffs. Father saw lots of mermaids while he worked. They usually brought the fishermen shiny objects or helped untangle bigger animals like dolphins when they got caught in the nets.
But the mermaid Lintang had seen that day with Father had a tail like a fish. These two mermaids had tails like serpents.
They continued to leap over waves as they chased the ship. They laughed with each breach of the water. They looked as though they were having fun. More fun than what Lintang was having … although at the moment, she couldn’t remember why she was upset. Watching them was as soothing as the euco oil had been to her lungs. She found herself laughing along with them. How lovely it must be to play in the sea all day, carefree, no household chores or adults to scold them.
Her insides felt buoyed with bubbles. When the mermaids beckoned her, she couldn’t refuse. She already felt as though she were one of them. She hefted herself onto the railing. A sound snagged in the wind – someone calling her name? – but she was already soaring over the side. The water rushed towards her, the wind tearing at he
r clothes. The ship lifted on a wave behind her, and she hit the ocean hard. Stinging spread across her body, both from the impact and the chill. It didn’t matter. Nothing mattered anymore. She was with the mermaids now.
Bubbles rushed against her face as the mermaids’ hands found her, welcoming her …
No. They were pulling her. Dragging her down.
She kicked out, the air in her lungs fast disappearing, but she weakened as the hands continued to wrench her from the surface.
Her senses returned, including the pain and the cold … and the panic.
She struggled to free herself. One mermaid shoved its face against Lintang’s, and it was grotesque, more monstrous than the malam rasha.
Splinters sliced at Lintang’s lungs. Her head felt light. An odd, floating feeling overcame her. She barely noticed the flash of steel, or the clouds of blood in the water, or the fact the mermaids had released their deadly grip. She drifted, dazed, as arms wrapped around her and tugged her towards the surface.
Captain’s Cabin
Lintang woke in a bed that rocked like a cradle. She tried to sit up, but the blankets tucked around her body constricted her movement.
The bed had four pillars, with plush red curtains and a springy mattress, not at all like Lintang’s straw mat at home. She realised it wasn’t the bed itself that was rocking – it was the whole cabin.
A single candle burned in its frosted glass container, illuminating the room. Several steps led up to a tall, paned window. Beyond the glass, the sky was creamy indigo and bursting with stars.
Her saturated clothes hung from a wooden chair. There was a finely carved desk covered in papil scrolls and sticks of charcoal and bottles of ink. Glass jars held precious stones that sparkled rainbow colours when they caught the candlelight. An hourglass hung from the back of the door, filled with running sand that made a steady shhhhh sound. A beautiful map stretched across an entire wall, blocked by –