Voyage of the Lanternfish

by C S Boyack

  "Doh je."

  "You're welcome, sweety."

  "I think we should have someone sweep up after Stuttering Lewis' carvings. Those chips will burn, either in here, or the galley," McCormack said.

  "That's a fair idea. I wonder if root monsters will burn too."

  "Touchy today?"

  "I didn't sleep well with all the tossing from the storm. I'm going topside, and I'll have someone see to the chips."

  "Aye aye, ma'am."

  Fala found Dan directing some of the men. "Want a sounding on that jellyfish every turn of the glass. If he starts swelling up, we ought to be able to tell. If there's any change, find me or Captain Bloodwater straight away, savvy?"

  "Aye aye, Mr. Philson."

  Day tuned to night. One day became three. The rains increased along with the ocean swell. The storm wall moved closer.

  Dan burst into the captain's cabin. "That jellyfish is starting to swell."

  Chapter Eighteen

  Boss and one of his monsters stared at the whale trawler from the railing. "That fih?" the underling pointed.

  Boss hit him over the head. "Non fih." He cleared his throat then spat a yellow clump on the whale trawler. "That boogah."

  "Ha. Ha ha. Big boogah."

  James nearly knocked them overboard as he strode by. He found Dan's men on the forecastle. "What have you determined?"

  "Well, Cap'n. Our soundings are getting shorter and shorter every turn of the glass."

  "How much shorter?"

  "Four feet this morning."

  "If he's two miles wide that must be thousands of barrels of water. Has anyone paid attention to the roll of the ship?"

  "No, sir. Ships always roll."

  "I didn't think of it either. If he's swelling we ought to tip one direction as he raises us." He stepped toward the main deck and raised his voice. "Get everyone out of the rigging. Anyone who doesn't need to be topside, needs to stay below. Stay ready for whatever comes. I don't know if the swell will wash us free, or the whale trawler will swim off, but we're going to take a pounding either way."

  He paced the deck and glanced from the black wall of the storm to the whale trawler below them. He headed back for the wheel to spell Johnny.

  One of the root monsters tugged at his leg and pointed. "This?"

  About a mile behind the ship, a light colored disk appeared in the water. It had a silvery tone, unlike the stormy sea, or the rusty color of the jellyfish.

  A black ring appeared around it, giving it the appearance of a single great eye. Other sailors noticed too and stared in wonder.

  A great black finger of clouds dipped below the storm and pointed toward the disk. A gigantic waterspout spawned from the tropical storm. It took on a silvery color as it sucked up water in its wake, then curved into an S shape and moved toward them.

  A mile or more of jellyfish tentacles pulled into the storm. They writhed and tangled in the unforgiving winds, dolphins and fish stuck to the tentacles went flying in all directions.

  The main topsail dislodged and flapped in the wind by one line.

  The ship lurched vertically. James fell against the wheel. He rapidly looked from the waterspout coming up behind them, bearing its new deadly tentacles, to the front of the ship. "Drop anchor!"

  "Captain?" Johnny said. "We can't reach bottom out here. What are you thinking."

  James pointed down at the jellyfish. "That might kill us." He pointed at the waterspout that was closing the distance. "That will kill us, so drop anchor."

  Johnny vaulted over the rail to the quarter deck, then over that rail to the main deck. He sprinted the length of the ship then pulled the pin to free the anchor.

  The anchor dropped. Rope spun from the spindle, but stopped as the anchor mired somewhere inside the whale trawler.

  The stern of the ship lurched to starboard as the waterspout caught up. James narrowly avoided a lashing from a jellyfish tentacle by diving behind the mizenmast.

  The whale trawler released its jet of water. The ship dropped back into the sea and began free floating once more. It drifted back toward the waterspout.

  Thick hemp rope spun from the capstan.

  "Hit the decks!" James yelled.

  The capstan cracked and bent as the rope reached its end, but it held tight.

  Lanternfish lurched forward against the current made by the jellyfish. Men rolled across the decks.

  The ship climbed the first gigantic wave and breached at the top. It flew all the way to the top of the next wave.

  Lanternfish shuddered as it made contact with the water.

  James gritted his teeth and worried about compromising his hull. Escaping the whale trawler and the storm were little comfort if the only reward were to sink slowly below the surface.

  The ship planed, and the jarring lessened. They sped along, snared in the whale trawler's head for over four hours.

  The jolting and jarring returned.

  "He's diving, Captain." Johnny yelled from the main deck.

  "Cut the rope!"

  Sailors attacked the anchor rope with knives, but the rope was nearly eight inches thick.

  Serang sprinted up the stairs to the forecastle. She made a cartwheeling action using only her legs to build up momentum. She brought her glaive down upon the rope and cut completely through in one blow. The blade stuck fast in the deck.

  James grabbed the wheel and tried to turn to port, but at this speed he couldn't budge it. "Help me!"

  Men clambered from below decks. It took four men to move the rudder.

  The ship veered just before the crest of the next wave, they surfed along its backside. Once in the trench between waves, they worked to turn back.

  The low spot between waves bought them some time to come upright and just surf.

  "Make sail," James ordered.

  Don Velasco appeared on deck then sent his men aloft. Serang climbed the forward mast and started unfurling sales before the men even reached her.

  A crew came onto the poopdeck to rig the spanker. This provided a bit more maneuverability.

  Dan placed a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Don't know how you even thought of that. You always were the craziest son-of-a-bitch I ever met, and age hasn't mellowed you. Let me take the wheel, and you check the damage."

  "Thanks. Head due east. I'll update you later."

  He yelled down to the main deck. "Boss! Get some men in the nest. In fact run them up all the masts. Let us know if you see another whale trawler."

  "Big Boogah?"

  "Yes there could be more of them about."

  The main deck was laced with jellyfish tentacles, and one huge tuna.

  "Don't touch those, or you're dead," James said. "We'll have to break out the oars or something to throw them overboard."

  Mal stepped from the surgery. "No. Want some."

  "Be careful. Those bulbs are like traps. If you trigger them, they shoot the poison into you. If that happens, you're dead before they finish deflating."

  "Powerful then. Keep others back." Mal retrieved his chamberpot and a couple of knives. He triggered the bladders until his pot was full of the deadly poison. Then he did as James suggested and threw the remains overboard using an oar.

  Biscuit Bill asked Mal if they could eat the tuna. "Yes. Poison has to go in blood. Cook to be safe."

  "Aye aye, Mr. Mal." Bill put a small crew to work butchering the tuna.

  Rough seas continued for the rest of the day. That evening, James gathered his officers for supper.

  "Girl cut clean through that rope," Dan said. "It's as thick as my leg, and she did it with one swipe."

  "I saw that," James said. "We've witnessed many miracles today, but we took some damage too. The capstan is damaged, and we might not be able to repair it until we reach port. Doesn't matter, since we don't have an anchor. The grommet for the rope tore clean off the side of the ship, so Johnny will need to get some men on a patch."

  Johnny nodded. "Aye aye, sir."

  "I
figure the whale trawler dove to get below the storm," Fala said. "He didn't like being goosed in the arse by that waterspout."

  "No he certainly didn't," James said.

  Don Velasco stood and raised his cup of rum. "We men also witnessed a miracle. I give you Capitan Bloodwater. He saved us all today."

  "Hear hear," the officers responded.

  "Honestly, I just guessed," James said.

  "Well, they're telling your story on all decks tonight," Dan said. "And we're drinking to you."

  Biscuit Bill came in empty handed. "Still got fresh pork, and we got tuna. I'm taking orders tonight."

  "Can you bring us half a platter of each? That way we can all pick. I might have some of both," Fala said.

  "Aye, ma'am. I kin do that. Meanwhile, I got fresh biscuits, and I brought extry butter."

  "You're a good man, Bill," James said.

  "Maybe tomorrow or the next one, we can talk about who's been pinching me sugar. I caught him in the act."

  "Who is it?"

  "One of the smaller crew members, if you take my meaning. I didn't take no action after our last talk. Figured to let you handle it."

  "And I will. Might even convene a court's marshal. Tonight, let's just celebrate being alive another day."

  After supper, James took a turn at the wheel. The root monsters gathered on the poopdeck for their own celebration. They related the story of Big Boogah.

  "...twirly whirly comin. Modders look back. Big Boogah go whoosh. Man try catch Big Boogah. Big Boogah fight back. Ship go pak-pak-pak crossa awa. Modders scream, Ahhhh. Fall down. Big Boogah keep goin. Then, down. Ship maybe sinkin again. Man say cut rope. Let Big Boogah go. Other man come. Flippy flop, big cut–"

  "She's a woman. You know, a female of the species," James interrupted.

  They looked at him with slack jaws.

  "A woman."

  "... Oman come. Flippy flop, big cut. Ship still racin. Man say, 'help, help, help.' Other men come, turn wheel. Too late. Big Boogah get away. Sad."

  The monsters all hung their heads.

  "And what would you have done with Big Boogah if we'd caught him?" James asked.

  "Non know," Boss said. "You head man."

  "I see. It's a good story lads. I wouldn't change a word of it, just your delivery. When big boogah fills with water, you should puff your cheeks up like this." He demonstrated, then made a raspberry sound as he released the air.

  The monsters fell across the poopdeck with laughter.

  The seas moderated over the next four days, and Lanternfish managed to skirt east of the storm. The monsters warned them in enough time to go around a smaller Big Boogah.

  Stuttering Lewis managed to repair the torn sails. Johnny supervised repairs and patches to any wooden items, and Don Velasco managed the wheel during the days.

  The crew came out relatively unscathed, except for old Chappy who crashed into one of the guns and lost one of his few remaining teeth. Mal found it, and added it to his necklace.

  Fala waited in the wagon and heated some sea water. When Serang came, she said, "I have something for you. Nothing fancy, just a chamberpot. All the officers have them, but we have a couple extra. Beats using the head in full view of the men."

  "Doh je," Serang bowed. "They look, but try hard not to get caught."

  "Well, they don't need to be lookin. Can't do anything about when they use the head."

  "Some of them wish to be seen as well. It's as if they think they are dangling bait."

  "Men. They're so damned proud of something so tiny and ugly."

  The women had a good laugh.

  McCormack folded up his ledger, then put it in a cabinet. "I need to go count the chickens, or something. I'll be back."

  The women laughed even harder.

  The anvil bird said, "Do je."

  Chapter Nineteen

  Boss stood atop James' desk. Beside him was the fat root monster who usually stayed near the crows nest. Biscuit Bill stood beside the desk, and Dan stood opposite him.

  James took his chair. "It appears we have a thief in our midsts. Someone has been pilfering sugar from the galley. Do you have anything to say about this?"

  Boss covered the other monster's mouth then stepped forward. "Every here be thief."

  "Don't play word games with me. We're pirates, and we take from others. But pirates are a crew. We treat our mates with respect. Now let me hear from him."

  The fat monster stepped forward. "No take sugar." He held up his palms in a gesture of innocence.

  "There appear to be sugar crystals on the brim of your hat. How did they get there?"

  The monster took off his hat and looked at the gritty brown crystals. He gasped in amazement. "How?" Then he licked his hat brim clean. "Taste of sugar."

  "You are trouble, mister, with a capital T. We share the goods aboard this ship, just like we share the plunder. It's Biscuit Bill's job to dole things out from the galley in fair proportion. If you take extra, someone else gets cheated. How is that fair?"

  "Modder no take clink clink, or chunky items. Modder only work and fight hard for head man."

  "Do you want a share of the plunder?"

  "Trubba only just... sugar."

  "Bill or I can give you sugar, but you can't just take it. Do you understand? You have to ask, then accept the answer."

  "I I I I." Trouble rubbed his chin. "Trubba have sugar now?"

  James rubbed the bridge of his nose. "You have to work for sugar. And you are going to be punished for stealing. The officers will empty their chamberpots every morning and place them in a designated spot. You will wash them clean every day. Is that understood?"

  Trouble saluted.

  "Ha ha," Boss said. "Trubba wash ca ca." He stepped ahead of Trouble. "Non fair. Boss lose modder. Make Boss sad. Need new modder."

  "You lads haven't had much to do since getting rid of the rats. You're doing a good job keeping the watch from the crows nest."

  "Found Big Boogah again."

  "True. I'll have Mal grow you one."

  "Seven."

  "Two."

  "Nineteen."

  "I don't think you understand how bargaining works. The window box grows three at a time." He held up three fingers. "Take it or leave it."

  "Boss take."

  "Bill, give him a few days with no sugar. Then only give him a tiny pinch. The others don't seem to need it, so he doesn't need much. After that, you can work it out, but no spoonfuls at a time." He turned to Dan. "Find a safe location where the chamberpots won't slide across the deck, then spread the word to the officers. Maybe have Stuttering Lewis whip up something that looks like a tiny mop."

  The men acknowledged their orders. James asked Dan to stay behind. He rolled out some charts on the desk. "We've moved into the southern half of the world now. We're far south of the main trade routes, and I don't want to risk finding that storm again. Look at this southern route." He pointed to the map.

  "Does anyone use it?"

  "Nobody but Hollish even knows about it. They use it in dealings with the Far East. If we take it, we likely won't find anything but Hollish ships. As a bonus, it takes us close to Tusconi."

  "Why we want to go there? It's halfway round the world."

  "They're a completely neutral country. They haven't been in a war for hundreds of years. They make armaments and sell them to other kingdoms. We need cannon, and they aren't likely to be prejudiced against pirates. We ought to be able to arm this ship properly, and we might take a couple of ships along the way."

  Dan placed two mugs on the desk then filled them with rum. "I'm having a hard time seeing how this helps Bonnie."

  "Lanternfish is one of the biggest ships at sea. She has real power, but no teeth. If we give her those teeth, we can sail upriver to Grandelor and make our demands directly to the Earl. They can't hide behind their walls either, because we have mortars."

  Dan clinked James' mug. "Even got monsters who can sneak inside and open gates, light fires
, and all kinds of mayhem."

  "It's not fast, but it's a plan with real merit. Next step is that southern route and some good hunting."

  "So how many times have you crossed the equator?" Dan asked.

  "This would be seven, why?"

  "Seems to me a sailor gets an earring when he crosses seven times."

  "The only ones I've seen do that were..."

  "You were about to say pirates. It's a fair look for a pirate."

  "Who gets to poke the hole?"

  "You made Mal the surgeon. I'm sure one of the boys can hammer out a coin and make a ring out of it."

  "I'll take it under advisement."

  "You're doing it, or I'm going to keep bugging you about it. We'll set it up on the quarter deck so the crew can watch. They love you, and will cheer after it's done. Gives them a bit of distraction after the storm and Big Boogah."

  "I'll talk to Mal. I have to tell him about the new monsters anyway. He'll need to grow them on deck. Plants need oba, or whatever they call it."

  "We can harvest them at your party. Kind of like a preliminary event. The crew will love it, and they'll see how we got the monsters."

  Mal was in the surgery bottling jellyfish poison.

  "You need to mark that stuff," James said. "Three Xs is the standard warning for poison. I don't want anyone else getting into it, and you might want to lock it up too."

  "I can mark with face paint," Mal answered.

  James sat on the surgical table. The shrunken head stared back at him from the opposite wall. "Do you know how to put a ring through a man's ear?"

  "Men of Malatook do this sometimes for victories over their enemies. I have seen it done many times."

  "But you've never done it?"

  "Figure it out. Surgery has tiny knives in drawer. Need to hammer it closed later. Need to have medicine too."

  "And do you have this medicine?"

  "Yes. Who makes ring?"

  "I don't know."

  "Need to make hole and peg. One hammer strike closes forever."

  "I'll make sure you're consulted on the design. We need someone with a steady hand to swing the hammer."

  "I will find this person."