The Hellhound Consortium

by B A Simmons

  As the guards dispersed slowly, one of them mumbled an apology as he returned to his post. The officer of the watch returned shortly after this and escorted them through the gate. They returned to Lord Tremblay’s armory, inside the Citadel, however this time there were no workers hammering, chiseling, or sawing away on intricate and deadly contraptions. Lord Tremblay sat in the office as he had when they first met. Upon their entrance, he rose and heartily shook all their hands, pausing to examine the unfamiliar face of Doctor Morris.

  “Welcome back, Englemans. You are indeed welcome,” Tremblay said with enthusiasm. Then, turning to a servant, he ordered refreshments. “I see you have brought a friend with you this time.”

  Mark spoke as they accepted Tremblay’s gestured invitation to sit. “This is Doctor Geoffrey Morris. He’s our schoolmaster on Engle Isle.”

  “A doctor eh?” Tremblay seemed intrigued. “Is this an honorary title or do you hold a degree?”

  Doctor Morris smiled somewhat abashedly, “Two actually.”

  Seeing the surprise on all their faces, he continued. “I received a degree in world studies from the University at Deep Port, but I also had previously earned a degree from the Royal College on Isle de France.”

  “I’m impressed. And you chose to become a teacher on Engle Isle?”

  “As your lordship is well aware, there are persons of great talent and intellect on that little island. I have never felt my time or efforts wasted there.”

  “Agreed,” Tremblay said. “Now, let us come to our business. I am eager to hear your report.”

  Doctor Morris interjected, “It’s clear that rumors have preceded us here. I’m curious, if you’ll indulge us, to hear what you know already. Mark and Rob can then fill in the gaps and correct the embellishments.”

  Tremblay hesitated, but seeing no logical reasoning to reject the request, he sighed. “We know that you took possession of the Duarve ruins on Alimia and discovered a previously unknown well there. It is rumored that you employed poison, which killed several soldiers as well as livestock. Afterward, the Falcons searched the island. Discovering your presence, they attacked the castle ruins and drove you out. You then managed to ambush them and capture a ship. All of this our spies have confirmed through sources within the Falcon Empire.”

  Mark let a wry grin sneak up on his mouth. “This is accurate, without giving details.” He reached into his tunic and retrieved a piece of parchment and handed it to Tremblay. “This is the report written by John Cooper, your liaison officer. He sends his apologies for not reporting in person. His wounds kept him from traveling.”

  “I’m glad to hear he survived, and I hope he will make a full recovery. Did you have many casualties?”

  “Two others were wounded in the initial fighting on Alimia. Since then, we conducted a raid on the island in which one of our Engle Islanders was badly wounded. Shortly after this, a Falcon ship came to Engle Isle. The first ever. We were forced to sink her.”

  “Forced?”

  “We tried to make them believe we were just backward islanders, as you once put it. But something led their captain to suspect we were hiding something. So, we used the huller.”

  Tremblay’s eyes lit up upon mention of his favorite tool of destruction.

  “Please.” He leaned forward. “Describe what happened in detail.”

  “The ship sank,” Rob said bluntly.

  Mark cast a quick scornful glance his way before continuing. “It worked well. Their ship was just outside the entrance to the bay before anyone knew what was happening. They’d taken on a lot of water, which threw off their ballast. As they turned, the ship listed and sank.”

  Mark paused a moment, considering whether to go on with the report.

  “Our people became excited,” Rob said, “over vehement, in fact. Several boats were launched. At first, the Falcons thought we were coming to rescue them. Then they saw how many of our people carried weapons. It was a bloodbath. Some of us managed to capture a half dozen of them alive while the others were killed. A couple of them, expert swimmers, fought back. One of our friends, George Beckworth, was killed.”

  “What did you do with your war prisoners?” Tremblay asked, putting special emphasis on the word war.

  Mark answered, “We marooned them on a small, desert island near Engle. They have enough to survive and another of our ships will check on them in a few weeks. We should report that we’ve taken two more Falcon ships since. One was scuttled as our people were capturing her, the other is now part of our forces. We’re recruiting from Isle de James and hope to find additional soldiers and sailors here tomorrow.”

  “An excellent start to your resistance campaign. I am disappointed not to have a report on the use of the torpedoes we gave you, but I’m sure the opportunity hasn’t presented itself yet. I’ll wait. Excellent use of the huller. I’ll be sure to pass congratulations to Mister Yates.”

  Rob disliked Tremblay’s lightheartedness. It seemed the defense minister wasn’t considering what their success against the Falcon Empire had cost them. His indignation got the better of him and he opened his mouth again.

  “Aside from giving us your congratulations, are you going to launch ships against the Falcons? Perhaps a little more direct support?”

  Tremblay did not appear to have the patience he displayed during their first visit. “With this initial success, I believe I can convince our council and His Excellency to grant permits for privateers. These could then support you by specifically targeting Falcon ships in both our regions.”

  “Privateers?” Rob said.

  Doctor Morris interpreted, “You’re going to encourage pirates to fight against the Falcons with us by granting them clemency so long as they don’t go after any of your vessels.”

  Tremblay did not respond directly, but his eyes gave affirmation to Morris’s words.

  “Have you visited Mister Bartholomew yet?” Tremblay asked.

  “Yes, we’ve just come from there. I believe he’s given us what he can,” Mark confirmed.

  “Then you should be set. I wish you the best of luck, and may Ayday speed your voyage home.”

  There was no invitation to lunch, no tour or gift of new weapons. They were escorted back to Fallen Dome City without so much as a pat on the back from Tremblay.

  Once the gate had been shut behind them, Mark turned on Rob.

  “What is wrong with you? You just offended our biggest supporter!”

  Rob bit his tongue to keep from voicing his true feelings. “I’m sorry, Mark.”

  “You wanted to free Alimia from the Falcons as much as any of us. What’s happened?” He turned to Doctor Morris, “Is it you?”

  “I support your cause, Mark. I may not approve of your methods, but I support your cause.”

  “My methods? What were we supposed to do, ask them kindly to leave?!”

  “It’s too late to see what might have resulted from negotiations. If you’d come to me for advice at that point, I would have told you to at least try before starting a war you can’t win.”

  “Can’t win?! We are winning,” Mark was red with indignation. “Do you know how many of them we’ve killed? How many ships we’ve taken from them? We’ve only lost two of our own and had a few others wounded. I’d say that’s winning.”

  Doctor Morris remained calm. Looking Mark dead in the eye, he said, “Oh Mark, if that’s how you measure success, this will be a long and torturous war for both sides.”

  “They will give in! They will realize that losing so many of their young men and ships to us makes their conquest of that island meaningless. They will withdraw!”

  “It’s not the cause or the fighting,” Rob said suddenly.

  Mark turned to him, “What?”

  “I don’t like fighting. You know that it’s never been my strong point. And yes, I do want to see Alimia free again, just as much as you do. But there’s something else, Mark. There’s something else I want more than anything.”

  �
�What is that?”

  “It’s that same idea that made me long to leave Engle Isle. It’s what has been at the forefront of my mind ever since. It’s why we called our ship the Entdecker. I want to explore the world. I want to discover more about these islands than who lives there and what we can trade on them. I want to know the history of the other races. I want to know the history of our own race. Mark, I need this more. I want to follow you, yes, but I’m not happy doing it.”

  Mark hesitated a moment, casting his eyes down the busy street. “Then leave.”

  “Mark, I’m sorry.”

  “I’ve already done more than mother ever asked me to. I can’t keep you safe whether you’re with me or not. You and Doctor Morris should go.”

  Mark left the two of them standing there. Rob felt a painful ache in his throat. It was as if there were words caught there, desperately trying to escape, but nothing would come out.

  At the same time, his shoulders felt lighter. It was as if the responsibility of being the dutiful brother had been lifted from him, and he stood taller for it.

  13 – Big Nose Isle

  By the time he had arrived again at Safe Harbor, Mark had returned to his stoic form. Only Anna was clever enough to recognize something was wrong. Edwin brought up the absence of Rob and Doctor Morris, to which Mark replied, “They’ll be along.”

  Indeed, the two did come back, a couple of hours later, to the Anna Louisa, but only to gather their personal belongings. They bid farewell to Edwin and the crew and left to find the harbormaster.

  No one said anything of their departure. The rest of the afternoon was spent visiting as many taverns, inns, and public squares as possible. They announced their recruitment of professional sailors and soldiers. They made clear that all recruits were to be present at the Safe Harbor docks the following morning with all their belongings in hand and ready to sail.

  Early the next morning, after another bout of nausea, Anna left Safe Harbor alone and ventured into the city. She told Mark she wanted to do some shopping, but he suspected her true intention of seeing a medic. The cause for such a visit had already occurred to him; he half hoped and half feared what she might discover.

  No sooner had she left then the first of the recruits arrived. Mark and Alistair began to interview them.

  “My name is Piers, I’m a sailor, and I’ve done some fighting against pirates from Murphy’s Isle.”

  “I’m Jonas, I was a carpenter’s apprentice, but I’m looking to strike out on my own. I’ve worked on ships before. I figure you’ll need someone who can repair your ships after battle.”

  “I’m a soldier. Been fighting all my life. Mostly ’gainst pirates and the like, but I also fought for Lindal up north o’here. Oh, my name’s Gus.”

  There were more who came even before these interviews were done. “I can sail,” said one. “I’m a good fighter, and I’ve got my own sword,” said another. Seven made the claim of having worked at Aura Isle, fetching timber out of the water. Six others were experienced herbalists and farmers, looking for a life away from their fields and flocks. All of them had been to sea at least once before, including fifteen professional sailors and fishermen. Three more women joined them, including one called Karen who was a professional medic. Just a year earlier her husband, also a medic, had been taken by the Falcon navy after they boarded the ship he was serving on. Another named Janet came with a list of recommendations from previous employers. Mostly they cited her integrity, but also her excellent cooking skills as well as her temper. She’d been fired by three of them for starting brawls.

  One man, a timid-looking fellow, spoke so quietly that Mark had to ask him to speak up. He looked at the others nervously before stating, “Maya name iss Bernardo. Ay am ah say-lor and servant.”

  “Your accent?” Mark said. “It sounds like your native tongue is Iyty.”

  “Yes, ay wass-ah born on Isle d’Marta.”

  “That’s in the Falcon Empire,” Gus said. “You’re a Falcon!”

  “Ay am-ah no Falcone!” Bernardo protested. “Pleece, ay wass only ah servant to a Falcone family. Maya mudder wass-ah servant also.”

  “Why aren’t you still a servant?” Alistair asked.

  “Ay-ah ran away.”

  Gus placed his hand on Mark’s shoulder. “Beg-pardon sir, but can we trust an Iyty? E’en if what he says is true, where are his loyalties?”

  “Not all Iyty are loyal Falcons,” Mark said. “We’ll watch him, of course, but he could provide us with information that will be useful.”

  In total, thirty-one people came to join the fight against the Falcon Empire. Five were turned away because of their youth and inexperience with anything sailing or combat related. Each of those accepted signed contracts and, as an extra precaution, Mark had each of them swear loyalty to the cause of freedom for Alimia.

  Anna returned with a furtive grin on her face. Neither Edwin nor Mark paid attention to her at that moment as they fervently readied their ships for departure. Each was hurriedly packed with the new people and gear along with added stores of food and supplies that included new sets of armor and weapons from the Dome’s armory. They felt the urgency of making it through the straits before dusk, when krakens would awake—hungry and hunting.

  Once they had set sail, Mark found Anna on the quarterdeck. She was doing her best not to lose her lunch, a condition she had often been found in during the three weeks from Hellhound Isle.

  “What did the medic say?” he asked her.

  She looked at him with bright eyes, despite the obvious discomfort she felt. “I wondered when this would happen,” she replied. “Honestly, I’m surprised it didn’t happen sooner. I’m worried now, about how this will affect us.”

  “I love you no matter what.”

  “It’s not that. I know you’d never leave me. I mean, us in this fight. You’re the leader of our war against the Falcon Empire. You have enough to worry about without . . .”

  Mark couldn’t help but smile, “Then, it is what I thought?”

  “Yes, Mark Engleman. You’re going to be a father.”

  True to his stoic self, Mark did not cry out for joy. He shed no tears of happiness. Instead, he simply held his wife close to him as the Entdecker carried them across the waves. However, after she announced it to Tom, the rest of their crew figured it out. Led by Alistair, they let out a “hoorah” for them both. Perplexed by the outburst, Edwin sent a signal message asking what it was all about. The reply was simple: baby.

  Nearly four days later, they arrived at Cici. The sleepy little port on the eastern shore of Big Nose Isle was just as they remembered it from their first brief visit. They were greeted cheerfully by the harbormaster.

  “Welcome to Cici. My name is Howard, the harbormaster and mayor of our good town. How may we be of service? Can I interest you in any of our fine pottery? Or perhaps you’ll be needing some pitch?”

  Mark greeted the man with equal cheer. “Hoy, sir! We are interested in pottery and in bitumen as well.”

  “Ah, would that be fresh or distilled bitumen?”

  Mark considered his answer before asking, “Which mixes better with fish oil?”

  “Fish oil? Why would you . . . oh!”

  “We’ve need of something to discourage pirates,” Mark said.

  “That would be discouragement indeed. If you’ll come with me, I can walk you through our wares and help you decide.”

  Mark and Howard spent the better part of two hours discussing the intricacies of creating a firebomb. In the end, they devised the right mixtures of bitumen and fish oil, as well as the best pottery to use. Mark determined that they could store a dozen of them in each ship, and when thrown against the hull of an enemy ship, the bombs would immediately catch fire.

  Four dozen were made by the people of Cici in a day’s time. The delay gave Mark time to test his new recruits on their combat abilities. Mark, Anna, and Edwin were invited to supper at Howard’s home. Anna discovered that Howard’s wife, Jud
ith, was a midwife for the town and was more than glad to provide some antinausea herbs.

  “How far along are you?” she asked.

  Anna smiled, “The medic at Fallen Dome said I was between eight and nine weeks.”

  Judith placed a hand on Anna’s belly and closed her eyes. After a moment, she opened them again and said, “I predict a boy.”

  “Really?” Anna asked, somewhat embarrassed.

  “I’ve never been wrong yet.”

  There was a vigorous discussion of politics, and after Mark had explained their need for firebombs and a force of mercenaries, the three men debated the issue of Fallen Dome’s reaction to increased Falcon aggression.

  Howard explained, “Why, just in the last two weeks, we’ve had at least half a dozen ships come to port here to escape marauding Falcon vessels. I’ve heard that they’re boarding ships as far north as Aruth, but Baron Somerhays doesn’t seem to want to do much about it. I petitioned them for a garrison of soldiers to protect us, but he’s not even responded yet.”

  “What about Aruth?” Edwin asked. “What are they doing about it?”

  “I don’t know. They’re a bit strange up there. They elect their barons rather than pass the title down from father to son. Goes against tradition, but who am I to judge? I was elected mayor here after my father died. He was the mayor before me and my grandfather before him, but we always hold an election.”

  “I know Lord Tremblay, the defense minister on the Dome, is actively trying to get the barony more involved. He’s going to authorize privateers to go after Falcon ships in the area.”

  “Privateers!” Howard spat. “Just more pirates looking to legitimize their violent thievery. That just means we’ll be seeing more of those ruffians from Southport around here looking to take advantage of us decent folks.”

  “What can you tell us about Southport?” Edwin asked.

  “Well now, I’ve never been there myself, but its reputation is sinful. Murderers, thieves, whores, and swindlers. Pirates, all of them. You’ll best stay away from there.”

  Neither Mark nor Edwin responded verbally. They nodded to Howard and thanked him for his hospitality. The conversation ended, but as the guests left, Howard expressed his hope to see them again.