Vladimir was manic. He paced back and forth, never ceasing his rhythmic steps. “I have tvelve guns I create. Each one has ability to discharge both spear and intense burst of air. I test it myself in vat. Ve have six diving apparatus. Only vun,” he pointed a finger high in the air, “can be used independently of ship. Rest must stay near so that the hoses and pumps can give them air. I have bomb big enough to close thirty foot in diameter hole. I have tventy small bombs for protecting ship—all vork undervater. Ve still have three catapults, but very few items to launch.”
“I don’t give a damn about what we lose,” Drucilla slammed her palm on the table. Vladimir paused and looked at her. “We need food, we need water, and that’s it. I don’t give a damn if we lose everything else on this ship.”
Vladimir pursed his lips, and then he continued pacing, “Ve have few arrows. Ve have few archers. Ve have lots of bullets but few guns. I try to fix flamethrower, but it goes no further. Artisema fix two to launchers.”
“How is she?” Drucilla interrupted again.
“She sleep now,” he cut the air with his hands creating a sweeping ‘x’ in front of his body, “Should see so much suffering.” His hand tightened into a fist which he pulled to his chest.
Drucilla nodded. “And, how will we blow the explosive?”
“Explosives, they are quite old, but they should explode on own. Vhat ve vill do is attach explosives,” he pantomimed each action with curt, forceful movements, “to drill bit. Ve lower drill bit into hole, and then,” at the same time he said the next word, “BAM,” he slammed his hands together with a loud clap which caused everyone to jump. “Kraken no more problem.”
Drucilla nodded. "Good, this may work. Bard.”
“Yes,” he looked Dru in the eyes.
“She will be in her hole, correct?”
“Everything I’ve heard says so, I just can't believe it's all real. Kaiku could have just been a Mega, but there's no rationalizing this into something less. Every story I have heard of the kraken—even normal octopus, they return to their dens whenever injured. She was inking there at the end, with Mr. Pit and Riddle landing their hard hits. It takes a normal octopus twenty-four hours to regenerate their stores for protection. I am assuming it will take her longer considering her size. Regardless, the faster we can get to her, the higher the chances of her staying in her pit we have.”
“Have you heard anything, and I mean an-ee-thing, else that may help us?” She asked.
Bard shook his head and shrugged, “I mean, I’ve heard a lot of things over the years. Half of its scuttlebutt. The other half, well, who knows?”
Drucilla was annoyed by this answer, “Tell me everything, Bard.”
Bard spit out the facts. He hated not being able to tell the full stories. They were good stories, but there was no time for such pleasantries.
“Okay, uh, well, chances are there will be other monsters. I mean, that’s how this works right? Any time we’ve seen a toxic environment,” he paused. Everything about this planet was toxic. “I mean, a more toxic environment than normal, other creatures have mutated. I wouldn’t be surprised if the only other animals we see or run into are going to attack us and be overpowered. Some of the stories talk of serpents. Some have mentioned the cultists. I would bank on us running into all of them if we want to be prepared.”
Drucilla bit her upper lip. Her eyes were wide as she stared at the map and nodded as she digested Bard's words.
“I miss the days of honest whaling. Let's get this the fuck over with.”
22.
Drucilla ordered the crew to rest. The winds were favorable. She stayed at the helm throughout the entire night. Bard woke up to piss just after the darkest hour to find her pressed against the steering well staring into the darkness with such intensity she did not notice him sneak past the open hatch.
The next morning the air calmed and the sails sagged with the lack of pull on the waves. The rowers were set to work. Many of the crew members already suffered from extreme fatigue. Kalak and Bard rowed until their arms surpassed the shaking from muscle failure.
“I think we should let the men rest,” Kalak tried to appeal to Drucilla.
It was Vladimir who snapped at Kalak, “No, ve go full speed!”
Kalak’s face turned dark red. “If you keep riding your crew down, Captain, there’ll be no fight left in them!” He sputtered.
Vladimir stepped toe to toe with Kalak. “You,” he jabbed Kalak in the chest, “Do not talk to the Captain like that!”
Kalak swiped his hand away, “I am not talking to you, Vlad,” he growled.
Drucilla looked up. Her face was void of expression. She did not say anything.
Bard wanted to act but did not know what to do. It looked as if Vladimir and Kalak were about to go at it. Their eyes deadlocked. They stood at nearly the same height. It was hard to tell who would win that fight. Kalak was thick and robust. Vladimir had a slender build despite his height, but it was easy to see he had scrapped his whole life. He stood with the posture of a boxer, his shoulders held back in anticipation.
The tension broke with the sound of Drucilla’s voice. “Look,” she pointed to the horizon. The sun illuminated the silhouettes of a boating fleet.
All other thoughts dropped away. Boats crawled at a slow pace towards the Penny Dreadful. The fleet moved too slow to be a militant or organized threat prowling the waves. As they approached it became clear the vessels were composed of boats and ships varying in size and shape. One was nearly twice the length of the Penny Dreadful, but the rest were fishing boats and dinghies and personal sailing vessels.
Drucilla stepped towards the railing and braced one of her feet on the lowest rung, leaning into the scene. She snapped her spyglass open and looked critically at the potential threat. Bard joined the Captain at the railing, eager to see what kind of day this may be. Drucilla passed the glass to him.
She sighed. “It’s hard to call it. What do you think?”
Bard put the ring to his eyes and focused my attention on the horizon. They were making progress towards the Penny, or at least, the whaleship was moving towards them. Bard could make out human activity speckling the distant decks breaking the horizon. He looked critically at the string of ships. At first glance, nothing caught his eye, but as Bard swept back to the more massive ship, he spotted a form smaller than the rest. After closer inspection, he saw it rush across the deck again followed by two others of similar size.
“Captain, second boat from the left flank.”
She took the spyglass from him and trained her eyes on the deck of the ship Bard had pointed out. She kept her sights trained on the boat for a while as the distance between them lessened.
She stood erect and looked at Bard, “Children.” It seemed as if a smile lingered there in her eyes at the good news. They would not risk their children unless it was a necessity.
“What are your orders, Captain?” Kalak rasped.
“We will conduct ourselves under the assumption that they are a friendly fleet. Have our men muster on the upper decks, ready to fight, but not unless I give the order.” Kalak nodded and departed immediately to call the crew together. “Abigail, send up a flare to request parlay, Bard have the boat readied, we'll go meet them.”
“Aye, Captain.”
Abigail's flare was met with a similar one from the lead ship.
“What should we do now?” Bard asked once he had the boat ready.
Abigail sighed and motioned for Bard to scoot over on the bench. Bard made room and Abby slumped down into the spot beside him, resting her head in her hands. “I don’t like this situation,” she said.
“I understand your concerns, but the children on board are a good sign.”
“Yeah, but if they are enemies, they are isolating what they know to be our two most important members aboard our ship.” She tilted her head into one hand to look at Bard, her kinky curls spilling over her wrist and forearm.
Bard grabbed her free han
d in both of his and admired the smooth complexion before meeting her eye contact again, “We don’t have much of a choice at this point, Abby. You heard Vladimir. If we must evade or attack this armada, we will not be able to finish this. No one else is going to fix this situation, and it will only get worse the longer we wait to take action.”
Abigail shut her eyes. It was easy to see the strain in her features. She nodded in consent to what he was saying. Her shoulders rolled forward as she let out a heavy exhale.
23.
The small raft bobbed up and down. Drucilla and Vladimir both let their oars float atop the water as they watched a speedboat skip over the swells towards them. Neither of them spoke.
As the engine of the small boat sputtered to a halt, Drucilla pulled her oars in and stood at the bow of the small, woodcraft. Vladimir followed suit, crossing his arms across his chest and standing on the bench to increase his height.
No one exchanged words, even after the ambassador boat from the fleet lashed lines towards the hunting vessel. Vladimir, Drucilla, and one of the men on the speedboat helped attach the Penny’s ship for towing into the fleet. Vladimir and Drucilla boarded, along with their two sailors. No one exchanged a word as they rushed over the waters, mist, and wind roaring in their ears.
It was not until they boarded the Samanai, indicated by the name painted on the side of the largest ship in the small fleet, that anyone spoke to them. No one checked them for weapons, which was a good sign in Vladimir’s mind. A small party met them. The man in the center was tall, handsome, and in his mid-thirties. He held himself with an air of dignity. Crows feet from laughter and worry etched around his eyes. A single strand of grey hair streaked through his dark locks.
“Hello, my name is Captain Ferdinand of the Samanai.” He extended his hand to Drucilla.
She accepted his greeting with a firm shake. “I am Drucilla, Captain of the Penny Dreadful.”
The man stroked his neat beard and gestured towards the interior of the ship, “Welcome aboard. Please follow my first mate to the dining hall.”
Drucilla couldn’t help feeling a flutter of nostalgia as she looked at Ferdinand’s first mate. He held himself with dignity. He was slender with a strong, defined jaw. She could see the bond between them and for a brief moment let Mr. Pit slip into her mind before banishing the feelings once again to focus on the task at hand.
The first mate guided them down a wide passageway. The people onboard were either confined to another portion of the ship or asked to clear this specific way. The group of men surrounding Captain Ferdinand seemed to create a protective perimeter around Vladimir and Drucilla. Drucilla could empathize with the Captain’s protection of his people.
The dining hall they were led to was not grand, but it was much larger than the cafeteria on the Penny Dreadful. The chairs were bolted to the deck and covered in moth-eaten, stained fabrics of deep green. Two people laid out a humble meal of lentils, salted pork, and dried figs. There was no water served with dinner. Drucilla assumed this was due to a lack of it. Instead, they poured light amber ale into the cups and mugs varying in shape and size.
Drucilla and Vladimir were directed to sit apart from one another, separated by the Captain. The first mate sat on the opposite side of Vladimir, Ferdinand took the head of the table, and on the other side of Drucilla was a grisly, stout man with a long scar cutting horizontally under his eyes, across both cheekbones.
The two crew members serving the meal started dishing out portions to each person at the long table the moment Ferdinand took his place. The silence continued to hover around them. Drucilla did not acknowledge the constant stares of the crew. She waited for the Captain to sip his ale first before she cautiously took a chance on the pale liquid. It was crisp and light on her tongue, well made in comparison to the harsh spirits they drank on the Penny.
“How do you like it?” Captain Ferdinand asked.
“It’s good, thank you,” Drucilla answered.
The Captain folded his hands in front of him, “I must be honest with you, Captain Drucilla.” He was earnest in his words, “I have heard of your ship before, and I must say my crew is on edge by being in your presence.”
“If you know who ve are, you know ve are no threat unless provoked,” Vladimir said.
“On the contrary,” the Captain turned his attention, “Every story regarding the Penny Dreadful warns of how she is followed by or follows after great danger. I have lost too many of my people as it is.” He turned back to Drucilla, “I need to know what threats you bring with you.”
Dru could see the sincere concern in his eyes. She looked at Vladimir, and then proceeded to address the Captain, “We intend on cutting through the blackwater to a location where we believe the cause of it—“
"Kaiku’s mate, the kraken,” Ferdinand interrupted, "We know this story."
“Yes,” Drucilla took a sip of the ale, “We believe we can trap her in her lair and have pursued her from Atoll Sparta.”
The Captain’s brows sank in deep concern, “And the kraken fled before you?” He asked.
“Yes, she should have passed this point already. Have you seen her?”
“No, but that is not to say she did not pass beneath us unnoticed.”
Drucilla looked at Vladimir for a moment, hoping he would weigh in on the situation, “The beast vas injured. She most likely avoided active threats.”
Ferdinand nodded in agreement, “It is possible. Either way, in good consciousness I must recommend traveling around the blackwater instead of through it. Our clan lost half of its boats and people trying to cut across.” Drucilla could see the sadness in his eyes as he admitted this.
“What caused their loss,” Drucilla asked.
“Some of the boats were eaten through by the oil. It has a mind of its own, creeps up the sides sometimes. Some of the ships lost to deadly worm-like serpents. I have never seen them before. They did not appear often, but at first, they caught us off guard, and we proved to be easy prey. They were attracted to the smaller ships and though lacking eyes, seemed aware of any ships straying too far from the rest.” He stirred the food on his plate around with his fork. “That’s why our formation is so tight at this time.”
Drucilla nodded. “I understand your plight, Captain. We too have lost more than we can bear over these last years. Your clan will suffer no harm by my men as long as the same courtesy is returned.”
Captain Ferdinand stretched his hand out to Drucilla. They shook on the agreement. An air of relief washed over the room. The Captain led the crew in dining as he took his first bite. His men started to whisper one at a time, breaking the awkward silence prevailing.
“Tell me, Captain Drucilla, do you believe you have a chance at succeeding at taking down the kraken?” Ferdinand asked.
“Yes, I do.”
“It is bold of you to take a single ship on this mission. If it were not your previous successes with the Mega or the Panzer Fish in Seattle I would think you were mad for taking responsibility for this.”
“At this point, it is personal, Captain,” she looked at him.
He could see what she said was the truth by the way she looked at him. “Ah, I understand.” After a moment, the Captain raised his glass and held it there until the table quieted, “Captain Drucilla of the Penny Dreadful, I wish you success on the daunting mission ahead of you. Fair winds and following seas, I pray your crew to live to hunt for many years to come.” The table exchanged cheers and drank deep.
Vladimir, the Captains, and the first mate ate in relative silence while the rest of the table chattered over their meal.
Ferdinand addressed Vladimir, once Drucilla was engaged in conversation with the first mate.
“Do you believe in your Captain?” He asked.
Vladimir stared down at him, “Absolutely.”
“Do you, honestly, believe she will succeed.”
“Vitout a doubt.”
Captain Ferdinand nodded, and the two stood in silence u
ntil Drucilla appeared from the control room.
“Well, I suppose we should take our leave now,” Drucilla said.
The Captain led them back through the passageways, this time without his crew members huddled around them. Just as Drucilla and Vladimir were about to exit, the Captain stopped them, “Drucilla,” he said.
Drucilla paused and listened.
“I would like to send you with two of my boats.”
Drucilla turned and looked at him, puzzled at the potential sacrifice, “I cannot be responsible for the deaths of your people.”
“You won’t be responsible. I will, and they shall only be volunteers. Plenty in our clan would rather fight than run, but who run only because I compel them to do so. I would recommend you going around the blackwater, but if you must cut through it, your chances for success will increase with the guidance of those who’ve already made the journey and fought those worms. Your courage inspires me, and it shall inspire the others who go back with you.”
“I cannot express my gratitude sufficiently, Captain. It would be an honor to hunt alongside your people.”
“They will lead you as safely as possible through the blackwater.”
“Thank you again, Captain,” Drucilla shook Ferdinand’s hand before they boarded the speedboat to transport back to the Penny Dreadful.
24.
The fleet passed by the Penny Dreadful in silence. Bard made eye contact with some of the passengers riding upon the various vessels. The children which he perceived as jovial, playing on the upper decks, looked dirty and distressed by their voyage once he was up close. He imagined them making it to safety because the Penny’s mission ended successfully. He tried to keep their faces frozen in his mind alongside the deaths of his heroic shipmates, and the burning of his home—Atoll Sparta.
“What will you do when all of this is over?” Abigail asked.
Blackwater Kraken (The Dystopian Sea Book 3) Page 10
