by C S Boyack
"They learn the moves as part of the process. They will develop a sense of where the blade is and how it moves, then how to control it." She clapped her hands for attention. "Show the captain the vault we practiced." She drew a heart shape on the forward mast.
Army ran forward, put the butt of his glaive on the deck, then launched himself into the air. He imbedded the blade into the target.
Serang gave them sticks only then divided them into teams. "Remember what we learned. Ready, fight."
The monsters charged at each other across the deck. They met in the middle and started beating each other over the heads, like children swinging a piñata bat.
"It seems there is much work to do," Serang said.
"They are who they are," James said. "They aren't disciplined, and they aren't human. The vault is a good idea. So was getting them decent weapons. Teamwork and technique may be beyond them."
Army grabbed a glaive then stabbed it deep into Trouble's chest. Trouble looked down at the blade.
He looked back up at Army. "Ha. Ha ha ha."
The other monsters broke out in laughter.
"They seem pretty impervious, but don't let them slice each other's arms and legs off. I don't know if Mal can fix them."
"Perhaps we should only hand out weapons at the beginning of a fight, like we do with muskets."
"That sounds like another good idea."
The horn sounded from the crow's nest. Flattop leaned over and pointed. "Ship!"
It turned out to be a mid-class Hollish freighter.
Johnny said, "The men need this, Captain. We all know you have some kind of goal, but they signed on for booty. A happy crew will help you carry out your goal."
"Where are we going to put it all?" McCormack cautioned.
"That's up to you and Fala. Tie it on deck if you have to, but Johnny's right."
The fight ended with a couple of mortar shells to clear the top deck, and the Hollish captain surrendered. The size and armament of Lanternfish was too much for him to risk his ship.
The take amounted to palates of tanned leather, cases of sabers, and miles of hemp rope. More palates were woolen cloth, died the same color as the artillery uniforms they captured. The crew stripped the merchant ship of its canvas, leaving them one mainsail to limp home. They threw their guns overboard.
"Could have sold them guns," Johnny said.
"We've already got guns for sale," James said. "Not too many buyers, and I don't want an oversupply. Leather and rope are something everyone can use, even farmers. Besides, our brass eighteen pounders are better than those steel twelves anyway."
"What do you make of those sabers then?"
"Most folks we know won't want them. Figure a smith might appreciate the good steel. If you think about it, Hollish is gearing up for war. Leather makes saddles, bridles, and all the trimmings. They use rope for everything, and there are enough sabers here for an entire regiment."
"Plus that fabric. Lots of lead ingots in the take too."
"Exactly."
"I'm Prelonian, you know that. My country is Hollish's target. I'll wager the Prelonians would love to get their hands on this stuff."
"I'm listening."
"We can't sail Lanternfish into Airstony, we're still pirates, but that isn't the only city on the coast. The south coast is pretty wild still."
"We'd have to get a message to the Prelonian military somehow."
"I know a few men. There is a small navy presence down there."
"Hollish wants to take the south coast for its navy. We could be sailing into a war zone."
"We've got the biggest damned ship out here right now. If it is, we defend ourselves then sail right back out."
"Probably get a better price than we could on Lagarto. Those sabres are ready to go for military use."
"Right and our extra eighteen pounders might have some real value too."
"Topic for supper tonight. I want all the officers involved in this."
"Sounds good, mate."
Chapter Thirty
Supper was a quiet affair. Biscuit Bill slaughtered some captured goats, and the chops were reserved for the officers. There was mead, rum, and wine to spare, but the officers ate in silence.
James wiped his mouth with a cloth napkin. "Let's get this party started. I'm sure you've already heard the rumors, but we might get a better haul for our goods in Prelonia. The problem is, we have military supplies and not the kind of thing fishermen might be interested in. Even sailing in, could bring us under fire."
"I'd like to help Prelonia, if I could," Johnny said.
"I have no loyalties beyond this ship," Don Velasco added.
"My interest is in a better payoff," Serang said.
Dan paused. "Fala and I already talked about this. We're with you, whatever you decide. If arming Prelonia draws out the army, maybe we can save Bonnie and my father. Besides, Prelonia takes the ship closer to Hollish."
"My father is just upriver from Airstony," McCormack said. "You all know that. Airstony is certain to be blockaded by the Hollish, once they re-arm their ships. I'd love to see our guns give them a fighting chance."
"We'll need to make an arrangement before we just sail in," James said. "Any ideas?"
Johnny said, "My mates down there are all highwaymen, sometimes pirates, smugglers. If we can meet up with them, we can send a message to the Prelonian outpost on the South Coast."
Don Velasco refilled his glass. "Helping someone is nice, but the crew will expect a payoff. We cannot simply donate our profits."
"And we won't," James said. "How do you see this working Johnny?"
"Anchor off the coast. I go ashore and find my mates. Tell them the plan. We'll need to count dates, and set up some kind of signal before we sail in."
"You're my gunnery master. I'll need you before we sail in. If they fire on us, I want you aboard."
"Then we give them the plan, include a purse for their efforts, and I come back."
James tugged at his beard. "Might work. I need to think about it. If we do this, we're headed the wrong way. There is an island I want to visit."
"Men might be more inclined to go exploring if they know you filled their cups first," Fala added.
"Don't we have enough for a good cashiering?" James asked.
"Not much gold aboard the Hollishman. Not enough for a cashiering, but if we sold our haul, there'd be enough for double mugs all around."
"Don Velasco, reduce sail. I want to just drift tonight. If we move on, we can re-rig in the morning. Same applies if we turn back," James said. "I need to think."
"Favorable winds if we turn back," Don Velasco said.
"I understand, but I still need to think about this," James said.
After supper, James, Johnny, and Dan looked over charts.
Johnny put his finger on the map. "The navy anchors here at Fishneck, but they don't have much of a presence.
"These charts leave a lot to the imagination," James said. "How big is the fort? How well armed? How deep is the harbor?"
"It's a wonderful harbor, likely why the Hollish are interested. Fort's small. I never counted the guns, but no more'n ten if I had to guess. No idea how big they are."
"How many ships would be there?" James asked.
"No tellin, if they're making war plans. Might be dozens, might be none," Johnny said.
"On a regular day?"
"Probably two or three. Nothing this big, frigates and ketches most likely."
"Sounds pretty risky to me," Dan said.
"Under normal circumstances, we might sail in under cover of night, anchor, then run up a white flag. We'd catch them asleep and have the drop on them," James said. "If the war's already raging, they'll likely have a ship or two on patrol."
Dan walked out on the patio then filled his pipe. "That white flag sounds like a fair idea. Let em know we mean no harm."
Johnny and James joined him. James asked, "How well do you trust these people?"
"Th
ey're the same sort we are. Give them a reasonable profit, and they'll play along with us."
James pointed the stem of his pipe at Dan. "Have Fala put together a reasonable profit. Use the ship's portion. We're going back to Prelonia. I'll work out some of the details tonight, meanwhile, have Don Velasco bring the ship about."
Johnny clamped his pipe between his teeth, nodded, then headed out the door.
The Prelonian South Coast was a sparsely populated area, consisting of dry moors, wet bogs, and waterfalls. Its mountainous areas looked rugged, even though they were near sea level.
Lanternfish turned east along the coast, then moved through a thin layer of morning fog. The small fishing village Johnny directed them to still had lamps lit before the sun broke the horizon.
James waved at Serang to put out the lamps along the figurehead. He blew out the huge lamps around the poop deck, before handing the wheel off to Dan. He met up with Johnny beside the longboat as the men started lowering it.
"Just one day, are you sure about this?" James asked.
"My mates will give me an answer today, if I can find them. It'll take them two days to ride over the peninsula to Fishneck. It's going to take us four to sail around, then we'll know," Johnny said.
"Take Boss' and Flattop's crews with you. They seem to know how to behave."
"I'm going too," Serang said. She thumped the butt of her glaive on the deck for emphasis. "Someone might try to steal this chest."
James raised an eyebrow toward Johnny.
"It's alright with me, mate."
The netting went over the side. "We'll come back after dark. Light a lantern to let us know you're ready for us to pick you up," James said.
"Aye aye, Captain." Johnny, Serang, and the monsters climbed down to the boat.
James watched them row into the distance, then turned Lanternfish back to sea. He paced the decks, and fiddled with everything.
Finally, he approached Stuttering Lewis. "Can you weave netting?"
"Aye, C-C-Captain."
"We need some kind of netting under the bowsprit. We've run so many jibs out it's getting dangerous for the men."
"Miss S-sssss-Serang always d-d-does it."
"She shouldn't have to. Get some netting out there for safety."
"Aye aye, Sssss, Sss, Captain."
He turned to his next task, and Fala grabbed him. "Serang's always lecturing you about how you pick when you're nervous. You're doing it again, and you need to stop. We'll all find out what's happening tonight. The crows nest is manned, everyone is working that needs to be working, and you aren't helping."
James returned to his quarters, closed the windows against the chill, then lay on his bed. When evening came, they sailed back to the fishing village.
The longboat was already on the water, and they held the lantern aloft.
Johnny yelled up from the boat. "We got a problem. They'll do it, but they want protection."
"From what?"
"It's two days from here. Something called Old Hogar is terrorizing the countryside. They don't want to sleep out there without a guard."
"Where's the chest?"
"With them."
"Where are the monsters?"
"Guarding the chest, from them."
"How many guards do they need?"
"Few men with muskets or rifles ought to do it."
"Tie the boat off and come up here."
Serang and Johnny climbed aboard the ship.
"What's your feeling about this, Serang?"
"They will deliver our message, and are happy with the chest. They are frightened of this creature, and will not go without protection."
"Do you trust them?"
"I can defeat them, if required."
"Maybe we ought to call the whole thing off. Get what we can on Lagarto, and move on."
"But we're here already," Johnny said.
"Pick three men, give them muskets, and kit. Serang will have to go with them. That'll give our men confidence. This had better work though."
"Understood, Captain," Johnny said. He headed off to choose the guards.
James locked his hands behind his back and stared at the mountains beyond the fishing village. Rays of sunlight made the wispy clouds glow behind the mountains.
Johnny startled him by placing a hand on his shoulder. "Best get started, mate. Fishneck is four days by ship."
Serang rowed the musketeers toward shore. Lanternfish made sail then started around the peninsula.
Dan placed the rope on the wheel then sat in his chair. He applied salve to his stump as James approached.
"Seems like pretty country," Dan said. "Not covered with farms like the part we went through. It's wilder and more rugged."
A light drizzle started. James rubbed the sleeve of his jacket across the mouth of the mortar. "Probably worth exploring some day. We'd have loved those mountains and bogs as kids."
"Building a fort. Catching turtles. Seems there isn't time for all that now."
"We're lucky we did it then." He leaned against the mortar. "The whole country is on the verge of war, if it hasn't started already. You know the coast has more ships too. We'll have to be on our toes the whole time."
"Maybe we could run up the Prelonian flag. These are their waters, and we might buy some good will that way."
"Not a bad idea. I'll see it done. War is all about movement. If Hollish attacks, the Prelonians will have to move to stop them. That leaves a hole somewhere else."
"Meanin Airstony."
"Possibly. They'd have to move to stop the invasion, and Airstony seems the best source of troops."
"Leavin them open to that blockade, Johnny talked about."
"If not outright invasion. Remember, we captured a ship carrying artillerymen. They can carry infantry, even cavalry."
"I just don't understand any of it. Why can't everyone just live their lives?"
"Men like LeForge aren't satisfied with a good life. He wants to rule, and if he can't sit on the throne, he wants to pull the strings and make Reynard his puppet."
Dan pulled his wooden leg back on then adjusted the wheel.
"Think about all that movement," James said. "The same rules apply to Hollish. They can't invade without moving troops. Maybe they start by sending the Loremont soldiers across the border–"
"That'd leave Loremont unprotected," Dan said.
"Think bigger. The Loremont regiment wouldn't last long without support. They would soon need all of those cannons they took from the ships, and more troops to back them up."
Dan shook his head in confusion.
"Don't you see? There is always a void. You want to keep that void somewhere that your enemy can't get to. They'd never leave the palace unprotected, so they'd have to send support from Grandelor. Grandelor is so far from Prelonia it would be completely safe."
"How's that matter to us?"
"They'll have to strengthen the mouth of the river to protect Grandelor from that kind of invasion, but the mountains and distance protect it from the Prelonian side. If we can surprise the navy at the river, we'd have a good shot at taking the city after that."
"All we gotta do is beat the Hollish Navy at their own game."
"If we can slip down the northern route, we'd be upon them before they can wheel out their guns. It would still be a fight, but we pack a pretty good first punch."
"You ever been on that route?"
"No. That's why I want to find the Cartomancer, and he's on that island I want to visit."
"Timing is going to be important. They won't leave Grandelor undefended for long."
"Possibly, I mean, they gutted their own navy and hoped nobody would find out."
"That's what I mean. That won't last long either, and they ain't going to defend the river with empty ships."
"Good point. Ships work the same way. They can't invade Airstony without ships. That means those ships can't be somewhere else."
"You're fooling yourself now, mate. Hollish has
a huge navy. They got more'n enough ships. Even merchant ships can carry troops so long as you got some navy to protect them."
James turned to the coast. A pod of whales followed alongside the ship. "We'll get news in Fishneck. Locations of fighting, border skirmishes, ship movement, something. I hate to wait four days, but there is no other choice."
The next four days were all smooth sailing. They kept the coast on their port side, rounded the cape, then approached the port of Fishneck. Most of the ships they saw were fishermen, but one Prelonian merchant passed by in the distance.
Fala settled upon the Jolly Roger with the Prelonian flag flown underneath it. If the plan worked, Prelonia knew they were coming for the last two days. No sense in trying to fool anyone, and they wanted Prelonia to know who they were.
They were joined by a Prelonian frigate on the morning of the forth day. Swift and sleek, she moved into position to give a broadside, but left her gun ports closed. James saluted the captain, and he saluted back.
"That ship should make you nervous," Don Velasco said.
"It does," James said. "I'll wager we make him nervous too. Everybody just stay calm, and we'll be out of here in a couple of days. Take the wheel. I need to talk to my master gunner."
Johnny was on the first gun deck, standing beside the bells. "You ought to be topside beside the strings," he said.
"I don't think we'll have any trouble. Just wanted to make sure you were prepared in case there is."
"All you gotta do is pull the ropes." He pointed to the bells on the wall. "First rope is this deck. Middle one is the middle deck. Third one is the lower deck. Time it right, and we could fire one deck at a time almost constantly."
"Why do you have all three bells here?"
"So I know what's going on. The lower decks only have one bell each."
"And you have good men standing by the bells, right?"
"Yessir. I even have Stowaway on the lowest deck, but I'm going to replace him."
"Do you trust him that much?"
"What's not to trust? He came here of his own free will, even if it was different than you or I. I'm going to promote him to the aft mortar."
