Voyage of the Lanternfish

by C S Boyack

  Halfrid led George into the room by letting him lean on her forearm. He walked with a cane, and she led him to a soft chair. George wore a strange band around his head with a selection of lenses he could swivel over his eyes. "What the hell do you lot want?" George asked.

  James paused, then let his guard down. He addressed Halfrid. "Life must be tough out here. Perhaps we could take you somewhere. There are peaceful places with doctors, tailors, bootmakers–"

  "Don't need anything. We're old, not helpless," Halfrid said. "Best tell him what you want. He's not a patient man."

  James turned to George. "We're looking for a specific map, one that might let us sail into Hollish from the north."

  George swiveled a lens in front of his left eye, then looked James up and down. "From your accent, you're Hollish. Why would you want to sneak in from the north when you could sail right into Maldron or Grandelor any time you please?"

  "The Earl of Grandelor has started a war with Prelonia–"

  "Again?"

  "I'm afraid so. One of the things he's done is take my fiancée captive, and I mean to free her. I have the tools for the job, but I'd rather not face the entire Hollish Navy along the way."

  "King Reginald always was stupid. He'd let Davis LeForge do anything he wanted."

  "Reginald is dead. Reynard is king now."

  "Who the hell is that?"

  "Well, he's Reginald's son."

  "He didn't have a son, last news we had. LeForge will run rough-shod over a boy king."

  "And he is."

  "And he's got your girl?"

  "Yes. She's Mister Philson's sister." James gestured toward Dan.

  The old man nodded and grunted. "What's he doing with her? Marrying her off for some kind of alliance?"

  "We don't actually know. He walled her in a tower, last we heard. Whatever it is, we aim to put a stop to it."

  "Suppose you intend to kill him too."

  "That would be a bonus at this point."

  "He's a relative of mine, you know."

  James paused, a blank look on his face.

  "Don't look so surprised. The Cartomancer's temple was in Hollish. Kill him if you want. After all he's pulled he deserves it." George looked at Serang, then to Johnny. "Her, I understand. What's a Prelonian doing on this adventure? Thought you were at war with Hollish."

  "I'm the gunnery master aboard the ship," Johnny said. "How did you know I'm from Prelonia?"

  "A Cartomancer has to be observant. We put great stock in details. I could tell by your carriage, the cut of your cloth, the style of your boots. I think I have the lay of the land." George pointed at James. "You, come with me. The rest of you, try to stay out of trouble. Halfrid and I don't eat much, but we might manage some fruit or something."

  Halfrid nodded. James offered an arm to George, and the rest of the group went with Halfrid.

  George's workroom was organized chaos. Racks held rolls of homemade parchment. The drafting table held over a dozen bottles of ink in various colors, along with an assortment of dividers, quills, compasses, and scales. A small stove heated a copper pot that seemed to be distilling blue ink into an inkwell.

  George pulled bundles of maps from one of the racks then headed for the table. He grabbed a fat chocolate-brown marsupial by the scruff of the neck and lifted her to the windowsill. "Look out, Candace." Candace climbed up the wall then looked down at them with huge brown eyes.

  George rolled out the maps. He named them as he placed them. To the West, "Hollish." To the northeast, "Saphelon." To the north, "Nothing at all. Nobody claims it, nobody lives there, not even wild men. This coastal map is perfect though." He rubbed an empty spot to the east. "Of course, you know this is Prelonia. Don't need that map today."

  James pointed to the map of Hollish. "So Maldron, Grandelor, even Loremont."

  "Correct."

  "We're looking for a way to sneak around Saphelon, then come down the wild coast to the river. We'll have to take whatever fights we face at that point, but I have enough guns to take Grandelor, or at least sue for my fiancée."

  "You're taking about the Northern Passage. You're crazy, lad."

  "But if we could find a way–"

  "Ain't no way. The Cartomancers looked for it for a hundred years, even they didn't find it. Nothing up there but crushing ice and slow starvation. Better to face a dozen warships than all that. That's why nobody lives up there. There's no food, and it'll freeze you solid."

  "Damn! It looks like we go with Mr. Philson's plan to take a wide sea route."

  "Probably for the best, son."

  James leaned in close to the map. "Look at the detail. I can see the canals in Grandelor. And down here, I can even see my father's old farmhouse."

  "Every mark on there is spot-on accurate too. Least it was, the last time I was there." George turned back to the rack of maps. "Look at this one." He spread a map of Grandelor over the others.

  The map looked like what someone might see if they were in the air above the city. Every building, every small alleyway was represented in incredible detail. The lake even had a stylistic sculpin drawn in the deepest part.

  "And you drew all of this? It's beautiful," James said.

  "Pfft! Beautiful. It's accurate, and that's what matters. If you were to measure these buildings, you could go there and find the exact same measurements on the site. Ain't seen nothing yet, though." George rummaged through some drawers. "Damn it, Candace. Have you been playing with my lenses again?" He rummaged some more, then pulled out a wooden box. "Nevermind, here they are." He placed the box on the table then opened it. Two rows of glass lenses were held in place vertically among the slots. He placed a round lens on the paper, then moved it into place. "Look there."

  James looked down on the image of the wall at two cannons. In light green ink it said "two twenty-four pound smoothbore cannon." James moved the lens, and the words disappeared.

  "Move it around, there's a lot more," George said.

  James slid the lens across the parchment. Various terms revealed themselves. Barracks for 100 men. Gatehouse, twenty-four men. Blacksmith's shop.

  "Gimme that." George placed another lens on the map. "Try this one."

  Blue meandering lines appeared through the town. James slid the lens following one until it read, flood line. He moved the lens over the lake and another blue line read, lowest water ever recorded.

  Candace crawled down from the wall then reached for the lens with broad flat fingers.

  "Ach! Keep your mitts off my lenses you little thief." George scooped her up and placed her on his shoulder. She wrapped her thick tail around George's shoulders. He handed her a cracker and that seemed to satisfy her. He took the lens back, then placed another one. This one consisted of two lenses that could be adjusted for distance. "Look at old LeForge's keep, then twist the lens."

  James looked down and deep pink lines seemed to detail every stone in the tower. Every room was completely mapped out. He twisted the lens, and experienced a brief sensation of vertigo. The image dove down into the page, revealing a dungeon, and a cellar. When he twisted it the other direction, it detailed all seven floors of the tower, right up to a bird atop the flagpole. "Amazing, you've detailed every stone."

  "Eh, the stones are representations. Even the Cartomancers only took detail so far. The thickness of the walls, and measurements are accurate though. Got lenses that show drainage ditches, how the locks work on the canal system, even old man LeForge's escape tunnels."

  "Escape tunnels, you say?"

  "Doubt even Davis knows about those. They were built before his time, but they're there."

  "I would dearly like to see those."

  George put the double lens away then pulled out another one.

  "George! Captain! Time for some fruit and drink," Halfrid yelled from the other room.

  George painstakingly put the lenses back in the box. A look of panic spread across James' face.

  "Time's relative, isn't it, Lad? I got t
he rest of my life to look at these maps. But that won't be very long if she cut up fruit and we refuse to come out." He stroked Candace behind the ears. "Come along, sweetheart. I'm sure momma cut some up for you too." She squeezed her tail tighter for support.

  James passed him his cane, and offered a forearm. He looked back at George's office as they walked down the hall to the big room.

  Their snack consisted of various fruits from the island, plus the monkey nuts they'd picked along the way. Halfrid mashed some mangoes and strained them for juice to wash it down with.

  "I've got a bird hanging out in the spring house. I'd best get it cooking if we're going to have him for supper," Halfrid said.

  "I'll help you." Serang popped a bite of fruit into her mouth then stood up.

  The spring house consisted of a natural stone crevasse, improved by building a roof and door. Ice cold water had been diverted to trickle down the stone, over the roof, then down the walls. The inside was actually cold, despite the heat on the sunny side of the island.

  A bird the size of a turkey hung by its feet from a hook. Halfrid had already stripped it of its skin and feathers. Its wings were no bigger than Serang's little finger.

  Serang shouldered the bird. "We'll never get him roasted before sunrise."

  "We'll have to cut him up. I'll roast the big pieces for tomorrow, then we can stir fry some for tonight," Halfrid said.

  They began the cooking. Dan, Johnny, and Mal drifted down to the beach then lit their pipes. They inspected the outrigger canoe. James and George returned to the map room.

  "You're pretty good with that knife," Halfrid said.

  "I spent many hours in the temple kitchen. Later on, I did the cooking for my master," Serang said.

  "Do you cook on the ship?"

  "No. We have a wonderful cook. I am the weapons master."

  "I'm not surprised. With your training, a bunch of sailors could really learn something."

  "It's a challenge sometimes, but they try hard."

  "Because they respect you. The temple gave you a family, and it was a respected family."

  "Were you in Cheng Shi Hua very long? You seem to know a lot about the temples."

  "We were there about six months. Originally, we intended to resupply and move on. That's when we learned about the destruction of the cartomancers. George needed time to think. It's a good place for thinking. We decided to come here. The world was done with us, so we decided to be done with it too."

  "You've turned it into a beautiful home. It's impressive that two of you could sail here, then build this all by yourselves."

  "It was a small ship. Two of us could handle it. George is a wonderful designer. He drew the plans for the house while we sailed here. He's worthless at building things. I built the house."

  "All by yourself?"

  "Mostly. George is good at measuring and cutting. Beyond that, he needs some help. I've always been good at building things."

  "You seem like a remarkable team."

  Halfrid lifted a Dutch oven onto the counter then placed the larger pieces of the bird inside. "Do you suppose I could use some of that huangjiu? We can make a nice dipping sauce using some bits of fruit and your wine."

  "Of course." Serang produced the crock, then removed the seal.

  "We'll save some for drinking tonight. George always loved your uncle's huangjiu."

  They cooked together for several hours. Mal collected seashells, while James went over maps and charts. Dan and Johnny took a nap under the palm trees.

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Halfrid yelled for everyone to come to supper. The sun set rapidly, and the men came in from the beach. James' voice seemed agitated as they came down the hall.

  "Since there is no northern passage, at least sell me the maps of Hollish. I'll pay double for the lenses that let me see the passages into that tower."

  "No. This is my life's work, and I'll not be parted from it," George said. "Besides, what would you pay me with? I can't go down to the corner tavern and spend your gold. We don't need a damned thing here."

  "Livestock then. Canvas, cloth, mead? We have a well stocked ship."

  "Slaves maybe?"

  "We don't have slaves. I won't stand for it. My men are all there because they want to be. I could take you somewhere peaceful. Somewhere that others could look in on you as you age."

  "This is someplace peaceful, and we don't need anyone snooping about."

  "Gentlemen, enough." Halfrid raised herself up to make her point. She was an imposing figure, and as tall as James. "We'll not have raised voices at the first supper we've hosted in over twenty years. Now put Candace on her stool in the corner and make her stay there."

  George placed his pet on her stool then sat at the table.

  "She really is adorable." Serang scratched Candace behind the ears before taking her chair.

  "She's a damned thief," Halfrid said. "I lost my salt shaker for two weeks once. Turned out Candace had it in her pouch the whole time."

  Mal tried a bite of food. "This is bird I know."

  "We saw some tracks on the way here," Johnny said. "Mal knew immediately what it was, and we kept an eye out for one."

  "What about that other track?" Dan asked. "The big one."

  "We spotted a bird track that was half the size of a man," James said. "What does that belong to?"

  "That'd be Buwaya," George said. "Only she ain't no bird. Doesn't have a thumb in the back like a proper bird track."

  "We found a carving up on the ridge. Was an ugly man with a sign that said Buwaya," Dan added.

  "That's the reminder that we're crossing into her territory," Halfrid said. "In your case you were leaving it. Lucky you didn't run into her."

  "If she isn't a bird, what is she?" Johnny asked.

  "Don't rightly know," George said. "She walks upright like a bird, but she's more of a gigantic crocodile. Lives on the big antelope that roam the interior. They're too big for us to eat, so we leave them alone. It's not worth the risk of crossing paths with her."

  "It is wise to leave creatures like that alone," Serang said. "I wish my father had."

  "How big Buwaya?" Mal asked.

  "She's about thirty feet tall," George said.

  Mal sat with a blank look on his face.

  "He doesn't understand," James said. "Like one of the palm trees."

  "That is big crocodile," Mal said.

  "All she does is roam around, eat antelope, and pine over her mate," Halfrid said. "He swam off to another island one day and we haven't seen him since."

  "Are there more islands?" Dan asked.

  "Three of em, lad," George said. "The fog keeps all of em hidden. The others aren't as big, and there isn't much there for food. He can eat fish and goats, but we like a bit of fruit and some greens."

  Serang poured the remaining huangjiu. George lifted his glass and said, "Ganbei."

  Serang smiled at his knowledge of formal drinking, and they all drained their cups.

  Johnny and Dan helped clear the table.

  Halfrid said, "I would speak with you, Captain. Will you come outside with me?"

  "Of course." James grabbed his hat.

  "Serang, will you take the roaster out of the coals and put it off to the side for the night?"

  "Yes, ma'am."

  James followed Halfrid out the door.

  "I have a porch built atop that rock." Halfrid pointed at a huge rock down the beach. "It's a wonderful place to watch the stars and listen to the ocean. We should go up there."

  They strolled in silence. Apparently, whatever Halfrid had to say would wait until they got there. Stairs were carved into the side of the rock, and they climbed the ten feet to the top. A short brick wall circled the patio area, and she'd carried low chairs up to stargaze.

  James checked his position by looking at three different stars. They were north of the equator, but just barely. Due south of the border between Hollish and Prelonia, even if it was a month away.

 
; "I know what you're doing," Halfrid said. "Are you content knowing where you are?"

  "Sorry, old habit."

  "Not at all. A man of the sea should know such things." She sat on one of the chairs then beckoned James to do the same. She paused briefly, while James moved his chair so he could see her.

  "You may have noticed that I'm not very feminine–"

  "Not at all, we all come in–"

  Halfrid held up a palm to stop him. "Most kind, I'm sure, but it's the truth. It's what I like about you, your kindness. Now to get on with my story.

  "I'm what you might call a child of conquest. In the far northern reaches of Saphelon, there are small bands of goblins. They keep to themselves, and stay in the uncharted lands for the most part. When they need things they can't get any other way, they raid.

  "My mother's family lived in a small farming community. The goblins raided and killed her entire family. Raiders did what raiders do, and I was the result."

  "I'm so sorry. Do you mean to tell me you're half–"

  "Yes. You may have noticed my size, and should have noticed my grey skin. If I get too much sun, I'll turn charcoal grey all over. That little fact led us to move from town to town. Whenever someone figured it out, we moved again. I learned to cover myself in the sun, and we could hide it for a while."

  "You look completely human to me."

  "I favor the humans. I was lucky that way, I suppose. But I'm not acceptable in either crowd, until George came along. George didn't care one little bit. We met along the north coast of Saphelon, and I sailed away with him.

  "You remind me of George, a little bit. Your group isn't something you'd find in the Hollish Navy. Women, Blacks, Easterners, a one-legged man."

  "I take people as they come. There's good and bad everywhere."

  "A truer statement was never made. Goblins are great builders. Building all this is a natural talent for me." She waved back toward the house. "My mother nurtured these talents, and we made dresses to sell, that kind of thing.

  "What I didn't know, is that goblins have a bit of magic about them. It will skip generations, then show up in one of their children. As a half-breed it shouldn't have shown up in me at all, but it did. I first noticed it in a scarf I knit. It tried to strangle my mother. I gave up making things and worked as a laundress for years after that.