Fate of the Free Lands

by Jack Campbell

  So, after several days at Julesport ensuring the new settlers were making a good start of things, Jules took the Sun Queen out of port. They’d noticed when sailing along the eastern side of the Jules Sea that a haze was barely visible sometimes in the west. That haze might be the top of a mountain range, so the ship headed west to find out for certain. By the time the sun dawned on the second day out of Julesport it was obvious there were mountains ahead.

  “Looks like Altis, doesn’t it?” Ang commented as the Sun Queen drew near to the land. There some low areas visible, but most of the land was rocky, with mountains rising from the coast and on inland.

  “Let’s head south and see how far it goes,” Jules said. “From the feel of the ocean waters, this land must come to an end not far south of here.”

  Sure enough, another couple of days brought the Sun Queen to a place where the land curved west. Past an area where a big river flowed down from the inland mountains, the land began curving north. Over the next week, their course confirmed that what they’d found was a large island, with a smaller island north of it. Rounding the northern coast of the smaller island and heading east, they reached the coast and ran south to Cape Astra, entering the Strait of Gulls.

  And so, eventually, back into the Sea of Bakre.

  As the Sun Queen sailed clear of the overcast that seemed to be perpetually present over the Strait of Gulls, Jules looked up to see how the sails were drawing. Not far above the mast, a bird that wasn’t a sea gull was flying overhead.

  She saw the bird’s wing slice through the edge of a high cloud and realized that it wasn’t small. It was high, and very large, and the shape of the bird brought up unpleasant memories. “Trouble up high,” Jules told Ang.

  He followed her gaze, his face hardening. “You should get below before you’re seen.”

  “Let me know if it comes lower and stays over us,” Jules said, heading for the ladder down to the main deck.

  Reaching her cabin, she shut the door with an odd sense of relief. It wasn’t as if that wooden door could stop the beak and claws of the huge Mage birds she’d encountered before. But she still felt safer. If the Mage riding atop that bird hadn’t seen her, it might not realize that this was her ship and she was aboard.

  She’d gotten out of the habit of wearing the Mechanic weapon. That clearly had to change now that they’d returned to the Sea of Bakre. Jules slid the “holster” the Mechanics had given her onto her belt, then brought out both Mechanic revolvers. She had a total of three cartridges left, so Jules put all three into one weapon and put away the second weapon, which without cartridges was only useful as a bludgeon.

  And then could only sit in her cabin, hoping the Mage wouldn’t attack her ship.

  Eventually Ang came down from the quarterdeck. “The Mage bird flew on north. Maybe it’s heading to Altis.”

  “Maybe.” Jules remembered something she’d heard a Mechanic say. “You could explore like that, couldn’t you? I mean, if you could fly.”

  “Sure,” Ang said, rubbing his chin. “I guess you could see a long ways from that high up. Do you think the Mages are exploring?”

  “Or maybe they’re trying to find out where new settlements have been established in the west,” Jules said.

  “Why would Mages care about that?” Ang asked, then answered himself. “They want to keep us scared of them, so they want to know where we are. That way they can show up wherever we go.”

  “Maybe,” Jules said.

  The Sun Queen kept on to the east, aiming for the trade routes off of Landfall where rich merchant ships might be found. There’d be greater risk of encountering Imperial warships close to the Empire, but the last place Jules would be expected was back around the area where she’d narrowly escaped.

  Jules avoided looking toward Dor’s Castle as they sailed past without stopping.

  The winds and the weather cooperated as the Sun Queen beat her way east. Whether that was a good omen or a bad one offered the subject for many a debate. On two consecutive days ships passed them heading west, their decks covered with escapees from the Empire. Neither seemed likely to have much money aboard, so the Queen let them pass.

  They were only about a day out of Landfall, if the winds held, when another ship was sighted. “Sloop three points off the port bow!” the lookout called.

  “We’ve captured three of those sloops,” Ang said, “but odds are he’s an Imperial warship.”

  Jules checked the sails and the wind, then looked off to port where the tips of the sloop’s masts were coming into sight. “He’s got the weather gage on us. If the winds don’t shift, we won’t be able to outrun him.

  “Get the crew ready for a fight.”

  Chapter Eight

  The sloop had gotten close enough for the hull to be visible from Sun Queen’s quarterdeck. “We can’t outrun him,” Jules said. Usually nervous and excited before a fight, she was feeling uncommonly tired, perhaps because this was a fight to be avoided if at all possible. The Sun Queen couldn’t take on an Imperial sloop by herself. “We’ll try to draw out the engagement until night so we can slip away from him under cover of the dark.”

  “That’s our best choice,” Ang agreed.

  But a moment later the lookout called down again. “She’s the Storm Queen!”

  “Why isn’t that idiot flying his flag?” Jules grumbled, relieved and annoyed.

  Instead of a fight, the crew of the Sun Queen waved as the Storm Queen came close, the two ships loosing their sails to drift alongside each other. Storm Queen put a boat in the water that rowed across the gap between the ships, Liv supervising dropping the Jaykob ladder of rope and wood to allow Captain Lars to climb up to the deck of the Sun Queen.

  “How’s hunting?” Jules asked Lars as he reached the deck.

  “Mixed bag these days,” he said, smiling. “I heard you’d been captured. I’m glad to hear that the rumor was wrong.”

  “I was captured,” Jules said. “Long story. Why the personal visit?”

  “I have a message for you,” Lars said, offering her an unmarked, sealed envelope. “From the Mechanics.”

  “The Mechanics?” Jules took the envelope as cautiously as if were a knife with a poisoned blade.

  “We were in Jacksport and some Mechanics showed up, gave me that, and told me to give it to you when I saw you. I didn’t bother telling them that I’d heard you’d been captured, because they wouldn’t have cared. You know Mechanics. ‘Just do as you’re told.’ I ran into Captain Erin on the Storm Rider a week ago and found out she’d been given the same orders and maybe the same letter.”

  Jules drew her dagger and slit open the envelope, pulling out a single sheet of paper that had been folded over. Unfolding it, she saw only her name and a single line of text. “Go to Caer Lyn, anchor in the harbor, and wait for instructions,” she read.

  “They want you at Caer Lyn?” Lars frowned. “But they want you to anchor out rather than tie up?”

  “There are Mages in Caer Lyn,” Liv said. “As we all remember all too painfully.”

  “Yes,” Jules said, not trusting herself to say more. It had been at Caer Lyn that two Mages had snuck aboard the Sun Queen, somehow invisible until they revealed themselves, and killed Captain Mak. She’d killed both Mages afterwards, but that couldn’t bring back Mak. “Maybe that’s why the Mechanics want us to anchor out.”

  “It’s still very risky,” Liv said.

  “So would be ignoring orders from the Mechanics,” Jules said. “Could you tell how the Mechanics felt when they gave you this message?” she asked Lars. “Did it seem like they wanted to talk, or like they wanted to kill me?”

  “It was like they could barely force themselves to talk to a common,” Lars said. “Just the usual do this or else Mechanic attitude. I can’t tell you more than that.”

  Jules rubbed her neck, gazing at the letter and remembering what Mechanic Hal had said at Julesport. “I think I know what this is about. If I’m right, we should do as th
ey ask. Lars, how is Caer Lyn doing? Are the Imperials trying to take over?”

  “No,” Lars said. “From what I’ve heard, Imperial warships are gathered near Landfall and Sandurin, or else scattered through the Sea of Bakre searching for a certain woman of the prophecy.” He eyed her with a speculative look. “Erin slipped ashore in one town along the coast. From what she heard in the taverns, you’ve got the Imperials chasing their tails. But their attempts to guard their major ports and search for you farther out are leaving the rest of the Imperial coast open, making it easier for people to flee for the west. We were waiting around here for a couple of ships that have paid us for a safe escort as far as Dor’s. That’s why we ran down on you. We thought you might be one of them.”

  “Making money the honest way?” Ang asked.

  “Not entirely, since the people on those ships are breaking Imperial law by leaving the Empire,” Lars said. “A lot of trade along the coast seems to have broken down because of all the ships that are being hired to haul people west. If you’re looking for money, either carrying people yourself or serving as an escort is a safer bet than trying to find someone hauling cargo between Landfall and Sandurin.”

  “We’ll keep that in mind,” Jules said. “Oh, there are some updates to the chart of the western waters. You should copy them so you can pass them on to Dor when you get there.”

  Lars watched with interest as a copy of the newest chart was brought out and shown to him. “Pretty big islands out there. But mostly rocks?”

  “That’s what they look like from the coast,” Ang said. “There’s a decent harbor here on the south tip of the big one, though.”

  “The mainland coast from the top of the islands down to Cape Astra didn’t offer any natural harbors,” Jules said. “If people don’t head for the west coast inside the Sea of Bakre, I’d still recommend the south coast near the straits and on down.”

  “I’ll pass that on,” Lars said. “Is there anyone at Julesport yet?”

  “Yes,” Jules said. “There’s a settlement.”

  “Congratulations, Jules of Landfall.”

  She grinned. “As of now, it’s officially Jules of Julesport.”

  * * *

  After Storm Queen had headed back out to wait for the ships she’d be escorting west, Jules called the crew together for a vote. “This is risky, so I’m asking for a vote before we do it,” she explained to the crew gathered on the main deck and lower spars of the masts. “The Mechanics want me to bring this ship into the harbor at Caer Lyn and anchor out, waiting for them to do something. All of us who were aboard the last time this ship was at Caer Lyn know why I’m reluctant to return. But this meeting might be very important not only for our safety, but for the safety of the settlements in the west. And if we stay anchored out, and only allow any Mechanic boats alongside, no Mages should be able to sneak aboard. So I’m asking your approval to run this risk.”

  “None of us are going ashore?” Gord asked.

  “Not as far as I know,” Jules said.

  “There will be Mages in Caer Lyn,” Ang said. “They don’t need to board the ship to harm those aboard it.”

  “That’s true,” Jules said. “But it’s also true that the only one on this ship that they want dead is me. They don’t care about the rest of you.”

  “Why do I feel insulted instead of relieved?” Marta said, drawing laughs.

  Keli cleared his throat, gaining everyone’s attention before speaking. “If one of those metal Mechanic ships is there, and if they want our captain kept alive, they’ll have a lot of weapons to use against any Mages that try anything.”

  “I thought you’d be against going there,” Liv said.

  “If the captain is right that this is about the safety of the settlements in the west, then I’m all for it. We can’t pretend the Mechanics don’t have a say in things, and so far our captain has convinced them to do what benefits us.”

  “Another thing,” Cori said, “is that if we don’t go, the Mechanics are going to run us down with one of their ships sooner or later. I don’t think it’d be a good idea to have them mad when that happens because we never went to Caer Lyn like they told us to.”

  Gord nodded. “It’s risky to go, but it’s risky to not go.”

  “I only have three cartridges left for the Mechanic weapons,” Jules said. “That’s another reason. If the Mechanics give me a few more cartridges it’ll help defend us against Mages the next time they make a try at us. And it’ll help deal with any Imperial warship that comes to close quarters.”

  “We can deal with Mages,” Mad announced from where she stood with the other guards.

  “Oh, we can, huh?” Cori asked. “You ever dealt with a Mage?”

  “I have! Stared him down on the road to Landfall while he stood right in front of me!”

  “She did,” Jules said. “I think I was more scared for her than she was.”

  “This is a pretty straightforward matter,” Ang said. “I think Cori has the right of it, that not running this risk sets us up for more danger in the future. Does anyone else have anything to say? No? Then I call the vote. Do we proceed to Caer Lyn as the Mechanics have ordered the captain to do, taking all precautions we can while there to ensure no Mage gets aboard our ship?”

  “As long as we anchor well out in the harbor,” Gord said.

  “Aye. We’ll anchor well out from the piers. All in favor?”

  Jules saw almost every hand raised in agreement and felt herself smiling. “Thank you. Let’s head north for the Sharr Isles.”

  * * *

  Wary of Mages seeing them, Jules kept the Sun Queen loitering outside of Caer Lyn until the afternoon was well along.

  They finally made their way into the harbor as the sun was setting, a flaming beacon flaring to life on Meg’s Point to help guide ships entering and leaving. From what Jules could see, Meg herself didn’t live there anymore, her fishing shack gone. The lumber from the shack had probably been reused somewhere else in the buildings of the Caer Lyn. “I hope Meg didn’t die,” Jules said, remembering the elderly woman who’d lived on the point long enough to give her name to it.

  Liv shrugged, leaning on the quarterdeck railing as she looked over the harbor. “Why? She was old, that one. Hers wasn’t a life cut short. And if she died, she did so doing what she loved in the place she loved. Can’t ask for more than that, I say.”

  “You’re pretty wise sometimes,” Jules said as the Sun Queen glided over the waters of the harbor. The sun, well down in the sky, was already blocked by the heights inland, casting the harbor into shadow.

  “Does that mean you’ll listen to me next time I tell you that you’re being stupid?”

  “Probably not,” Jules said, wondering what Liv would think when she found out about that night with Ian. As she probably soon would. Jules had been feeling more tired than she should, and what had been a fairly regular monthly event was overdue. But those things didn’t add up to a certainty. Not yet.

  Every other ship entering the harbor at Caer Lyn tried to tie up at one of the piers or anchor as close in as possible. That left plenty of room farther out in the harbor for the Sun Queen to drop her hook. But before they did so, Jules took the ship past the piers, where one of the metal Mechanic ships was tied up. As the Sun Queen sailed past, Jules stood on the quarterdeck rail facing the Mechanic ship, holding a lit lantern in one hand, the Mechanic revolver on her hip easy to see.

  As soon as they were past the Mechanic ship, Jules jumped down and went to her cabin. It felt wrong to be hiding, but the risk of being seen by Mages and having them attack the ship wasn’t worth any amount of her pride.

  She had the stern windows open, and heard Ang shout the command to let go the anchor.

  There weren’t any other ships within a hundred lances of them. The nearest land, on the opposite side of the harbor from where the town of Caer Lyn had first sprung up, hadn’t yet been built on.

  Figuring that the Mechanics were unlikely to be
stir themselves this late in the day for the convenience of a common person, Jules decided to get a meal and try to sleep so she’d be ready for anything in the morning, even if the Mechanics showed up really early.

  Those tentative plans went out the window as Ang knocked on her cabin door. “There’s a boat heading for us, Cap’n. Looks like everyone aboard it is a Mechanic.”

  “Blazes.” The Mechanics wanted to see her that quickly? In a way, that was reassuring. If they’d decided to kill her then they’d probably have just waited until tomorrow to do that.

  Jules hastily donned her best shirt and pants, gave her boots a quick buffing, and washed her face. After making sure the Mechanic revolver was secure in its holster at her belt, she got out the second revolver in its holster. The Mechanics might well want that weapon back, or at least would want to be sure she still had possession of it.

  “They’re coming alongside,” Ang called. “We’ve already got the ladder down.”

  Jules came out of her cabin into a harbor where darkness was falling rapidly now. Ang stood at the head of the rope-and-wood Jaykob ladder, a lantern in hand as he looked down.

  “You know who we’re here for,” Jules heard in the superior tones of a Mechanic. “Send her down.”

  She walked to the head of the ladder, nodding to Ang and others seeing her off. Artem and Mad stood off to one side, looking unhappy at not being able to accompany her. “I’ll be back,” Jules said. “Keep the ship and everyone on it safe.”

  She went down the ladder, pausing at the bottom to check the boat. Eight Mechanics sat in it, but no oars were in use. One of the Mechanics gestured to her, pointing to the middle of the center seat. Jules dropped down into the boat, sitting where directed, and was startled when two Mechanics sat down on either side of her. Two of the remaining Mechanics sat on the seat in front of her, and three behind, while the last sat at the very stern.

  This looked like the sort of Mechanic boat she’d seen at Western Port, moving somehow under its own, mysterious power.