Voyage of the Lanternfish

by C S Boyack

  "George thought it was absurd that I hid my skin, hid my skills, and knew nothing about magic. We travelled to the great library in Airstony. I learned all about goblins, their magic, and how it might manifest itself in me. Turns out it's all in the building of things. Do you understand?"

  "I think so. You can weave a bit of magic into things you build. Did you do that with the house?"

  "No. George and I prefer a simple life. That totem on the ridge helps keep Buwaya on her part of the island though. There are others around the island that help fence her in."

  "You're an interesting woman, Halfrid, but why tell me this?"

  "Because I want to show you something. I've been making it for years and years. It takes me a long time, because I am half human too." She reached over the wall then produced a wooden box. She handed it to James. "Take a look."

  James opened the lid. "It's a sextant. At least I think it's a sextant, there's an extra vernier on it."

  "Correct. So you know how to use it then? You don't rely upon a navigator?"

  "I am the navigator on my ship. This vernier has one notch per degree, and the minutes are interpolated by the position of the pointer."

  "Very good then. When you measure the stars and constellations you can plot your location on a map. Then you can determine the course to reach your destination."

  "Of course. My father taught me that when I was very young. Served me well when I went to sea."

  "Turn it over. What do you see?"

  "A keyhole? Why?"

  "The extra vernier does something special. I've worked on it mathematically for decades, but I've never been able to test it. I'm certain it works, though. You are aware that the stars move across the sky. Some are only visible in certain seasons, others are more reliable, yes?"

  "Yes."

  "That extra vernier moves the stars."

  "To what purpose? So you can move to summer at any time?"

  "No. It isn't that complicated. You take a reading where you are. You determine the coordinates of where you want to be. Move the arm across the extra vernier to that location. When you turn the key, it will transport you, your ship, and your entire crew to that location. The stars will be exactly as you placed them."

  "An amazing device. Thank you for showing it to me. Merchants would kill for such a device."

  "George will never be parted from his maps, you must know that by now. While we were in different rooms, George and I were sizing you up.

  "He learned that you are a focused and driven young man. Your motivation is a good one, and I am sorry for your woman. You aren't out to make a fortune shipping opium to Prelonia, or slaving. You also helped him up and down the hall, and were patient with his frailties.

  "I learned that you've surrounded yourself with excellent people. The idea that you not only tolerate Mal, but empower him is very special to me. I really like the woman too. She pitched in and helped make supper tonight. These are good people. The kind of people I wished I'd known growing up. Not the kind who pelted me with rocks when the summer sun started changing my skin."

  "I am fortunate to have met all of them. There are others on the ship who are very similar."

  "No doubt, no doubt."

  "So at the risk of sounding rude, where are you going with this?"

  "As I said, George won't part with his work. I, on the other hand, will - but I have my price."

  "I would help you without this gift."

  "I believe you. But the sextant is only yours if you agree to take our son with you."

  "Your son? You mean there is another person here? Where is he?"

  "He's just a boy, eleven years old to be exact. We made him hide in the jungle, because we couldn't be sure of you."

  James closed the box over the sextant. "I'm sorry, but we aren't merchants or cartographers. We– Eleven?"

  "I know what you are. Pirates, and don't try to hide it. It's nothing to be ashamed of. The royalty of the world press men into service all over the world. You grow the crops, and we'll sell them. You rig the sails, and we'll make a fortune in shipping. All a pirate is, is someone who decided to play by different rules.

  "It matters more to me that you're good people. That you're kind to one another. That you teach your skills to each other.

  "George is showing his years, but a dozen years ago he was a vibrant man. Eldon was born on this island. He hasn't played with other children. He has no mates. There are no girls here. He deserves better than a lonely life watching his parents wither away. People like you can teach him things George and I can't. You can show him the world, expose him to people his age, girls his age."

  "What kind of... Is he..."

  "He's a good boy, and he's learned from George and I both. He can read and do ciphers. He can make simple things. Your man Johnny can teach him how to build complex things. Serang can teach him how to defend himself. Mal can teach him the healing arts. Even Dan can teach him about loyalty and friendship.

  "He looks completely human, and doesn't grey in the sunlight. I make him wear his hair long to hide his ear."

  "His ear?"

  "I was lucky to favor my human side. Eldon does too, but he's still a quarter goblin blood. It showed up in his left ear. It's pointed on top, like an animal's. It's human shaped and not long like a goblins, but pointed just the same. You can hide it from your crew."

  "I wouldn't want him to. They can accept him for who he is."

  "Then you'll do it?"

  "Perhaps you would prefer me to enroll him in a nice school somewhere?"

  "No. You are a tribe, a family. Eldon needs that. I know there will be sea battles, and he'll be at risk. I know the dangers of the seas, but he's better off with you than sleeping in a city somewhere." She reached back over the wall then produced a rack of four small books. They sat on a wooden shelf, with sides to keep them in place. A leather strap kept them from falling out. "Let me sweeten the pot. These are charts. Tide, stars, formulas. You'll need them if you take the sextant."

  James sat dumbfounded.

  "Let me explain. Look at the sea, out on the horizon. It isn't a straight line."

  "Because the world is round."

  "Exactly. Do you realize what would happen if you moved your ship a hundred miles along a straight line?"

  "We'd appear far above the ocean and fall."

  "Exactly, or underneath it somewhere. There is a formula to adjust for the curve of the planet. You'll have to work in three dimensions. The curvature is represented as a constant, based upon my observations from right here. You can test it, then extend the decimal based on your experiment. I suggest no more than a mile or two at first."

  "How wide is the vernier?"

  "It isn't big. It will only move you a hundred miles or so, but I wouldn't recommend it until you purify the constant with some lesser testing." Halfrid pointed a finger to the second book. "Then there are the tides. Won't matter much here, but far from the equator they can be severe. A hundred miles might make a difference of a dozen feet."

  "It sounds very complicated."

  "It is, but I think you're up to it. You want to sneak into Hollish from the north, but there is no northern passage. If you can get within a hundred miles, this will put you right where you want to go."

  James looked at the box in his hand. "And just what job should I give Master Eldon?"

  "Anything you like. It's your ship, but I suggest cabin boy at first."

  "On a pirate ship?"

  "Why not? That gives him freedom to help in different tasks. He can work the galley, swab the decks, polish your boots. You'll figure out his talents soon enough then you can give him a better assignment later."

  They worked deep into the night on calculations. James insisted she walk him through several.

  "So if we leave our anchorage, we could move beyond the atoll and reefs into open sea as our first test?" James asked.

  "A safe distance would be about a mile and a half, but yes," Halfrid said. "You'll have to d
o it at night, so you can read the stars. Perform your calculations, raise your anchor, then adjust the sextant." She lifted a chain from around her neck. "Then you'll need this." She handed a small black key to him.

  James looked at the key, then the sextant.

  "Remember to adjust the constant after you appear. Higher if you bob up from too deep, lower if you drop a foot or so. When it feels right, you can try a greater distance."

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  James awoke on the beach outside the house. Something rustled in the bushes behind him.

  Serang stepped into the open. She fastened the buttons on her leather shorts, nodded James' direction and proceeded into the house.

  Breakfast consisted of wild rice and fruit. There was no coffee or tea to take the sleep away.

  Halfrid introduced Eldon to everyone. He stood straight, looked them in the eye, then shook hands. He wore a leather tunic that appeared to be sewn together with skins of the birds they ate. His long black hair hung down to his shoulders.

  Breakfast was a quiet affair, until Johnny slipped Candace a silver coin. The little marsupial slipped it into her pouch and Eldon laughed.

  "I don't like to leave the ship under someone else's control for too long," James said.

  "Does that mean you're leaving today?" George asked.

  "My men have been foraging and fishing since we left. I told them to keep to the beach, and I hope they didn't wander deeper into Buwaya's territory. We need to get back."

  George looked somewhat despondent, Halfrid more resolute.

  "You can always change your mind," James said.

  "No," Halfrid said. "Eldon is ready for this phase of his life. We are too, and it's simply time."

  "What are you talking about?" Dan asked.

  "It appears Master Eldon is joining our crew."

  "Where we're headed ain't no place for a kid," Dan said.

  "Nor for anyone else, but we're going anyway. Besides, Hollish has drummer boys at the front younger than Eldon. We're going to make him feel welcome, and find some useful tasks for him."

  Halfrid cleared the dishes. "Best get your things, Eldon."

  Eldon ran down the hall to a room they'd never visited.

  Candace hopped into George's lap and he hugged her tight. "Gonna miss that boy, but it's time."

  "We'll take care of him to the best of our ability," James said. "We'll step outside to give you a minute."

  They gathered up their sticks, flutes, and weapons then waited on the porch. James tucked the box with the sextant under his arm, while Johnny shouldered a bag containing the rack of books.

  When Eldon returned, he wore a large conch shell on a strap over his shoulder. It had been fitted with a rough metal mouthpiece.

  "Go ahead, son," Halfrid said.

  Eldon blew a long baritone note from the shell, then raised it a third higher.

  "Does that mean we're ready to go?" Dan asked.

  "Shhhh!" Halfrid hissed.

  A guttural roar spread down from the ridge and chills ran down their spines.

  "It means the pass is closed, Sir," Eldon said. "Buwaya is up there today, and we don't go up there when she's around. We'll have to go around the beach."

  "Do you know the way?" James asked.

  "Yes, Sir."

  Johnny grabbed Eldon by the shoulders. "Shipmates say, aye aye, and he's your captain."

  "Aye aye, Captain. I know the way."

  "Then lead on."

  They worked their way around the lagoon with the sun at their backs. Dan stuck close to the surf where the sand seemed to stay firmer. The beach became rockier once they turned south.

  Dan cracked open a couple of oysters from a tide pool. "I need something more than fruit in my belly. Practically lived on these things for years. Anyone else want some?"

  They spent some time to slurp down oysters, then continued on their way. Mal added more small shells to his collection until he ran out of corks.

  When they turned to the west, the fog rolled in once more. Thin at first, but thicker as they marched along. Dan moved away from the surf to take advantage of the rocks higher up.

  James pointed to a float in the water. "We have to be getting close. That looks like a fish trap of some kind. I'll wager Biscuit Bill has something special for supper tonight."

  "I hope so," Johnny said. "Ship rations get old after a while, and fruit was a nice break, but some fresh fish might be alright. Maybe an oyster stew to add variety."

  Mal spotted a large conch shell in the sand beside a tide pool then headed toward it. It was pink like Eldon's but had five long spikes along the mouth that curved back like fingers. "Make horn."

  He took three steps before Eldon grabbed his shirt. "No!"

  Eldon squatted in the sand, then used two fingers to draw a serpentine mark. He pointed at the shell, and the serpentine mark trailed behind it.

  Mal squatted down and touched the mark. "This?"

  "Stop!" Eldon yelled at Dan, who was going around the rocks beside the tide pool. He picked up some small shells then threw them at the conch shell.

  The conch moved and hugged the beach tighter.

  Eldon tossed a small rock and hit the shell with it.

  The shell turned around. A white serpentine neck slithered from under the shell. It had a beaked head like a dragon, but the horns on its head consisted of short stalks with knobs on the ends. The stalks slowly pointed toward Eldon and extended like the eyes of a snail. A white eel-like tail slithered from behind the shell, and the dragon raised itself atop four short legs like a crocodile. The shell was fastened to its back.

  The dragon drew its head back alongside its shell, and its wrinkled neck swelled like a bay frog before it croaked. The head shot forward and white steam belched from its mouth. It left a layer of salt crystals across the rocks as it spread.

  "Turn you to salt, Sir. The waves will wash you away," Eldon said.

  Dan stumbled back. His wooden leg stuck in a crack between the rocks and he fell. Water splashed as he landed, drawing the dragon's attention.

  The dragon rushed toward Dan then sprayed its breath once more. Dan's leg stuck fast.

  The mist spread closer to him. It covered Dan's wooden leg with salt crystals. Dan panicked and tried to unbuckle the leg, before rolling parallel to the crack in an attempt to free himself. He landed in the tide pool.

  The dragon stepped closer.

  James drew his pistol.

  "Monchala!" Trouble and his crew charged from the rocks. They jabbed the monster's tail with their glaives.

  The dragon spun about, and blasted them with his breath. Salt covered them from head to toe, slowing their attacks. Trouble used his glaive to vault toward the creature's head, but the creature was faster. Two more heads shot from beneath the shell, grabbed Trouble with one of the mouths, then shook him like a terrier with a dishrag.

  Army raised his glaive to remove the head holding Trouble, but the dragon slipped back inside his shell, Trouble and all.

  Dan freed his leg then splashed over to the rest of the crew. Slime covered him from face to peg.

  The root monsters beat on the dragon's shell, and tried to flip it over. Salt breath stopped them so they returned to beating on the shell.

  The shell flipped over and the dragon left it behind. He was long and snakelike, white from one end to the other, and had a large fin atop his back that he held the shell with. One head watched behind, another watched the humans, while the third focused on the sea. He waddled and slithered to the tide pool, then used his tail to propel himself to the open sea. With a last flip of his tail, he dove beneath the waves.

  James ran to the monsters. They were all shriveled and covered with a white crust. Mal flipped the shell over and Trouble's leg protruded from the inside. It was solid and white. He plucked the stiff monster out, then shoved him underwater in the tide pool. He swished Trouble back and forth until the salt washed away, then placed him on a rock.

  Trouble coughed an
d spat. "Ca ca awa." He looked like a shriveled version of his former self. The other monsters looked better, but were also crusty and dried out.

  Mal pointed to the water then said to Army, "All."

  The monsters grumbled, but followed his orders.

  "What are those?" Eldon asked. "And why didn't the dragon kill them?"

  "They're part of the crew, mate," Johnny said. "And we're damned lucky they came along when they did."

  "They ain't proper creatures," Dan said. "Maybe it doesn't work on vegetables." He wiped slime from his coat and spit it out of his mouth. "What is that stuff?"

  Mal placed a hand in the pool scooping up the slime. "Frog spawn."

  "Disgusting," Dan said.

  Eldon picked up the conch shell and shook it. It rattled inside. "They hoard stuff inside." He turned the shell and shook again. Pearls poured onto the beach.

  Serang picked them up. There were enough to overflow her cupped hands. "We should put them back in the shell and take it to the ship."

  "Dragon'll find another shell," Eldon said. "If we leave it, another one will claim it before dark. It's a good haul."

  Trouble's seashell slipped down over his face he'd shrunk so much. The other monsters looked at the shell, then at the conch shell, then back to Trouble. "Ooooooh!" They collectively said.

  "Bring them," James said. "Maybe some fresh water will help."

  "There's a little stream about a mile ahead," Eldon said. A breeze came up and pulled his hair away from his face.

  Mal grabbed Eldon by the animalistic ear. He turned his head around to check the other side, before looking at James. "Mule?"

  Johnny burst out laughing. Johnny pointed and said, "Mule. That's your pirate name, lad."

  "Is it a good name?" Mule asked.

  "One of the best," James said. "Pick up a couple of monsters and come along, Mule."

  They carried Trouble's team to the fresh water, built a small pool by placing stones, then sat the monsters in the water. James sat on a piece of driftwood then lit his pipe. "We'll give them some time to soak up as much as they can. The ship has to be close now."