Voyage of the Lanternfish

by C S Boyack

  "You're a good man, and a good friend."

  The ceremony took place three days later. The crew watched in awe as three new root monsters were pulled from the planter. These were over an inch taller than the others, and bigger overall. Boss said oba was strong here. He trimmed their leaves then twisted the stumps to make curled ram's horns.

  "One of em has three arms," Dan said.

  "No idea," James said. "Carrots and yams grow in odd shapes all the time. Doesn't seem to bother Mal."

  James sat in a chair on the quarter deck. The small anvil was set up beside him. Mal held up a lancet from the surgery. The crew cheered. Dan held up the ring, and they cheered again.

  Mal wrapped his hand with a strip of thick leather, then placed it behind James' earlobe. The root monsters all leaned forward from their place on the handrail. The crew grew silent.

  James gritted his teeth and silently prayed not to wince. Mal stabbed the lancet through his ear. Blood trickled down his neck. The monsters all cheered.

  Dan handed the earring to Mal. It was a thick band of gold, bigger in the area that would fasten. Mal shoved it through the wound, then bent the peg on one side through the hole on the other. He maneuvered James' head until the earlobe was over the anvil.

  Serang stepped forward with a ball peen hammer.

  "Alright, you have to give me a minute to –"

  Ping!

  Serang swung the hammer and immediately handed it to Johnny.

  "I wasn't ready."

  "It is done. It looks most handsome, my Captain."

  Boss raised his tiny sword. "Monchala!"

  The monsters responded with, "Ookey, ookey, ookey!"

  The crew joined in with the cheer of, "Ookey, ookey, ookey!"

  Mal handed the lancet to the Boss. "Give." He gestured to the new recruits.

  Boss handed out the new weapon. The monster with three arms raised the lancet. "Monchala."

  The other monsters remained silent and stared at him. He sulked and kept quiet.

  Fala ordered a rum ration served immediately, and the crew cheered her. Then she ordered a sugar ration, and Bill dispersed a pinch for each monster. They cheered too.

  The party lasted until the dawn broke. At one point, Mal grabbed James' ear and pinched stinging herbs onto the wound. "Hold until numb."

  James followed his instructions, but tipped his rum up in anticipation of speeding up the process.

  Serang opened a crock of her wine, and refused the rum.

  "Looks like she's starting another bender," Dan said.

  "I don't know," Fala said. "She recovered pretty fast from the last one. Nobody else is taking much duty tonight."

  By the end of the night, Serang collected bets from the crew by walking to the end of the bowsprit, turning, and lighting the lantern at the end of the figure head. She did this without stumbling, and during eight foot swells.

  McCormack opened the trap door then crawled inside the fish to light its eyes. "Looks pretty damned good," he said to Fala.

  "The fish, or the girl?" she asked.

  "Both, if the truth be known. I like the figurehead's ugly teeth and how you can see them when he's lit up. As for her, I've adopted a look don't touch policy."

  "Sound policy, mate."

  Dan wobbled into James' cabin then helped himself to part of his breakfast and a cup of tea. "Might as well get up and face the day."

  James moaned from his bed. "How much did I drink last night?"

  "More'n I ever seen you drink, and that's saying something."

  James ran out to his deck then vomited over the rail. "How are you so chipper this morning?"

  "I was just like you. Mal has some kind of drops you drink in a glass of goat's milk. They smell like frog piss, but the milk helps mask it. Ten minutes later and you feel like you can pass the day."

  "Have him bring me some."

  "Brought it with me, and if you hurry you might get some of your breakfast."

  James shuffled inside then sat down. He grabbed the glass of milk and stared at it.

  "Might want to hold your nose. The milk helps, but it doesn't go completely away."

  James held his nose and shot back the concoction. He immediately gagged.

  "Don't do it. We don't got a lot of milk. Let it settle and it works fast."

  James moaned and stomped his foot before choking the bile back down.

  Dan slid the plate across the table. "Saved you some pork and a biscuit." He leaned back and sipped his tea.

  "How are the crew?"

  "Decks are mostly empty. They're sleeping it off. Johnny's at the wheel, but he's got it roped to hold course. Seas are calm and we can afford to give them a few hours."

  "Maybe we can take some of the duty. Does Mal have enough cure for everyone?"

  "Nope."

  "Let's keep it to ourselves. They'll all think we're men among men."

  "I don't know about you, but I am a man among men."

  "Right. I remember how you squealed when the lanternfish nipped your little finger."

  "We can keep that to ourselves too."

  They walked out into the rising sun. High against the forward mast, atop the highest yard, Serang silhouetted against the rays of the sun. She moved her arms above her head in slow motion, then kicked high in the air. This led to a step forward, followed by a sequence of punches.

  "Looks almost like a dance," Dan said.

  "Uh huh... I mean, she must be practicing somehow."

  Serang swung back, bringing her fist around like a sledgehammer, before cartwheeling to the opposite side of the mast.

  Dan used the dipper and drank from the water barrel. "Awa?" he asked James.

  "Yes, please. I noticed last night, the men took up the monster cheer."

  "Means we need to get away from them for a while."

  "No. Don't you see, we're accepting them. We're all melding like a family. A proper crew. If we talk about Big Boogah, everyone on this ship is going to know what we're talking about."

  "If you say so."

  "Face it, mate. A ship develops its own culture. Maybe you'd like to climb the mast and spar with Serang."

  "Not likely."

  "Then climb it and let's adjust the staysails a bit." James swung onto the nets and started climbing the mainmast.

  Dan worked his way up the mizenmast. They tightened the lines and the ship accelerated in the breeze.

  "My captain," Serang yelled from the forward mast. "Would you like to adjust these staysails too?"

  "Aye. Start at the top then we'll all work our way down."

  They made adjustments until they reached the decks. Lanternfish ran straight and true.

  "Have you any more duties for me, my captain?" Serang yelled from the forecastle.

  "Not right now, thank you."

  Serang used the toe of her boot to flip the glaive into her hand. She spun it like a baton. "Then I must continue with my practice."

  She performed another kata using the weapon this time.

  Trouble watched from inside the chamberpot. He clambered out, grabbed his mop, and tried to duplicate her motions.

  She stopped and adjusted his hands and the placement of his feet. "On the thrust, you must twist your hips."

  "I I I I."

  When she finished, she leaned against the railing. "You may practice as you go about your duties. Is this pot finished?"

  "I I I I."

  She bowed to him, retrieved her chamberpot, then went to her quarters.

  James spelled Johnny at the wheel. Dan went to see if Fala was stirring.

  Days passed with calm seas and favorable winds. James and Dan took up sword practice once more. Dan organized practice sessions for the men, which Serang took charge of.

  Men took to wearing their shirts in the middle of the day, and eventually coats started showing up during the nights.

  James' readings told him they were in the shipping lane, so he adjusted course to the east. The winds took them furthe
r south, and men started wearing coats during the day. Even Serang started wearing some kind of raw silk toga that matched the covering on her hat.

  Chapter Twenty

  Two weeks later, they spotted their first ship.

  James stood on the forecastle and looked through his glass. "They can surely see us. Run up the Hollish flag before they figure us out."

  Men scrambled to carry out his orders.

  "Johnny, how fast can your crews move all the guns to the same side of the ship? I'd give them a full broadside, if we only had enough."

  "Take over an hour for that, and that's if I can use some of Don Velasco's men."

  "Damn!"

  "Do you think we can take her?" Johnny asked.

  "Possibly, using the mortars. She's a galleon, meaning she's on par with us. Our advantage is she's even slower than we are, and less maneuverable. If she's fully armed, she could outgun us." He looked through his glass once more.

  Dan chimed in. "Then it's a crapshoot. We either live or die right over there."

  "We faced longer odds when we took Lanternfish. The mortars seemed to make the difference. Besides, a galleon can carry massive tonnage. She could make a good haul for us."

  "Could take weeks before we see another ship, and she might be just as big," Johnny added.

  "Hollish is planning for war," James said. He paused before speaking again. "I spent a considerable amount of time in the library at Airstony. I studied the last war to find a way to carry out my mission. Just before the war, they gutted their fleet and rigged all the guns for land use. I wonder if they've done the same thing this time?"

  "Maybe," Dan said. "But what if you're wrong?"

  "I could be. People don't generally change what worked for them. Besides, she's flying two banners. One for the Hollish Navy, and a secondary one for the Earl of Grandelor."

  "If he's aboard, I say we sink her to the bottom," Dan said.

  "Not likely, but I agree."

  "If you can get in her blind spot, I can raise hell with the mortars," Johnny said.

  "If we were fully armed, we could go broadside with her and likely win. I don't want to take that chance, but I believe she's under gunned as well. More so, because it's the Earl's ship. She has gun decks, so the mortars can't do much down below. We can play hell with her masts, sails, and officers."

  "Them swivel guns are pretty good if you can get close," Johnny said. "We can target the gun ports and keep her crews too busy to shoot."

  "Good. I'm going to my cabin to think." He handed his telescope to Dan. "Keep me posted on any changes."

  James thought as he paced. "Our ship had been stripped of guns. That's why she was hugging the coast. Trying to avoid trouble. That galleon could give us a twenty gun volley out one side if she's fully armed." He walked out back then filled his pipe. He blew the smoke out his nose. "I know she's not fully armed. She's in this unused shipping lane. Hiding, just like our ship was." He leaned over the rail. "Except she's a naval ship. They would strip them last."

  He leaned against the end rail and watched the sea pass by the skeletal pirate. "Hollish rules the sea. Would they gamble that nobody would attack their ships until they could refit them all? ... They did it before, and I think they're doing it again."

  Dan burst into the cabin. "She's onto us. She's coming about."

  James placed his hat upon his head then ran for the door.

  He took the treads two at a time to the forecastle. "I think they want to trade supplies. We're flying a Hollish flag. Even if they recognize the ship, they'll know it as one of their merchantmen."

  "Depends on whether they've heard the story of Capitan Bloodwater," Don Velasco said.

  "I'm gambling they haven't. We're a long way to sea, and it takes time to get news to a distant ship. She turned to port, so I'll take the wheel and keep her on our port side. She's another big ship, and they'll have to adjust sails to make the turn. That'll give us a couple of hours. Johnny, move every gun we own to the port side of the ship and get them loaded. Use every man we have, including the officers. When you're done with that, move all the fake guns on the lower decks too. We want to at least look frightening."

  "Are you sure about this?" Dan asked.

  "No, but I'm as sure as I can be under the circumstances. Let's keep Serang aloft for any adjustments we might need, and Fala can be my runner. Choose a couple of fast fellows for runners below decks too. Boss, your crew is in charge of watching that galleon. If they open the gun ports, or change flags, if someone as much as spits over the rail, I want to know."

  Boss saluted. "I I I I."

  "We couldn't ask for a better angle. She doesn't have forward guns, but we have mortars. We can't be shot until we're broadside, and hopefully we'll have chewed her down by then. Let's get to work. Fala bring up the trunk of flags."

  Everyone disbursed, and the deck resembled ants scurrying back into their hill as the majority of the crew went below decks.

  Serang threw her glaive, and it stuck fast to the main topmast. Then she climbed the rope up into the rigging. Fala retrieved the trunk then met James at the wheel.

  Trouble came running. "Boss say, flag." He used his hands to demonstrate one beside the other. "This, this."

  "Stand by." James checked though his glass. "Yellow leads blue. They want to talk." He turned to Fala. "Find the one with horizontal stripes. We have to answer."

  Fala rummaged through the trunk then handed James a flag.

  "Not that one. That says we're on fire. The other striped one."

  Fala kept rummaging until she found the right one. James confirmed it, and she ran it up the mizenmast.

  The ship listed as Johnny's crew moved more weight to one side. It was enough to be felt underfoot, but not enough for the distant galleon to notice.

  By the time the enemy ship completed their turn, Johnny was at the forward mortar and ready for instructions.

  McCormack placed the grapnels then got waves of men into position. Old Chappie put out the planks in preparation of boarding.

  Flattop tugged on James' pants. "I I I I. Man say ship cut sails."

  "She wants us to come alongside. Nothing could be more perfect." He grabbed Fala. "Take the wheel. Just hold her steady for a moment, I'll be right back."

  The anvil bird paced back and forth across the wheel, while James talked to Don Velasco.

  When he returned, he pushed a hand against the bird's chest until it stepped onto his wrist. "I'll take it from here, thanks."

  "I I I I," the bird said.

  He placed the bird on Fala's shoulder. "We're taking down sail, but not stopping. They'll expect us to do that. I'm going to stop us right in her forward blind spot. That should give Johnny a dozen or more rounds before we even have to use the cannon. Fetch your weapons, and you might leave the bird in your quarters. It's going to get loud when that rear mortar goes off."

  For the next thirty minutes, the ship went silent. The only exception the fluttering of the sails being furled, and the creaking of lines against tension. Finally, James waved at Johnny to begin the action.

  The forward mortar fired, and a plume of black smoke belched from its mouth. James lost sight of the fizzling fuse as the shell arched high into the air. It exploded just above the galleon's forward mast, and blew the top half into toothpicks and streamers of canvas.

  The galleon turned to port in an effort to move its guns into position.

  James turned Lanternfish to port as well, which served to move his guns out of position. He personally trimmed the spanker sail over the poopdeck as the rear mortar went into action.

  The ships continued toward each other as the mortars kept up the fight. One of the shells evaporated the galleon's wheel, leaving her dead in the water.

  James turned hard to starboard, bringing Lanternfish broadside to the galleon. Both ships unleashed their cannon.

  Lanternfish took heavy damage along her top deck, and most of the mainsails were perforated by shot and shrapnel. The galle
on's guns were aimed too high.

  Johnny's men made no such errors, and as the ships converged, men moved to the swivel guns to target the galleon's gun ports.

  "Only target ones where you can see a gun," Johnny yelled above the din. "Don't waste a shot on an empty port."

  They were close enough that the Hollish master gunner heard the command. He issued similar orders to his crew. "Concentrate on the lowest gun deck, lads. Those are the ones that can put us under."

  Fortunately, all the guns on Lanternfish's lower decks were unmanned wooden decoys.

  Cannon and swivel guns belched for over an hour. Grapnels flew from both ships, and men heaved to pull them together.

  The Hollish got into position first then boarded Lanternfish.

  Johnny folded down all the leaf sights on his new rifle, leaving only the fixed fifty-yard sight. He aimed low and killed the first man across before dropping the rifle then charging into the fray with his cutlass and pistol.

  Fala moved into position to defend the wheel and intended to fire her blunderbuss at the first cluster up the stairs.

  Pirates flew from below decks with boarding axes and swords. They engaged the Hollishmen only long enough to make for the row of muskets McCormack placed out for them.

  Fala charged forward and unleashed her blunderbuss into a group of Hollish sailors. Two went down permanently, and three others got back up with pistols in hand.

  One crossed swords with her. Fala fought valiantly, but was disarmed once pushed against the wall. She reached for her derringer, but the sailor batted her shot wide with his cutlass.

  A blur dropped behind the sailor with a loud thud.

  The sailor fell into two complete halves across the deck. Blood sprayed across Fala's shirt and hat.

  Serang knelt on one knee and two fists. Her bloody glaive stuck deep in Lanternfish's deck. She stood, handed Fala her cutlass, then pushed around her to the upper deck.

  Serang went over the rail beyond the rear mortar, then climbed the rope down to the bosun's chair. She swung back and forth to build momentum, ultimately launching herself with a summersault onto the galleon's forecastle. She ducked behind the mast to avoid a volley of musket fire.

  The fire was designed to either kill her or allow her attackers to climb up.