by H. N. Klett
Her dad did not like dealing with the Queen’s officers, but as head of a merchant guild, he spoke with them on a daily basis when back in port. Langen was different. His smile didn’t go all the way to his eyes, and that made her not trust him. He may not have left any marines on the ship with them, but Hailey was certain they were watching, and if anything was amiss, the Vigilant would be on top of them at a moment’s notice.
Why had he stayed behind? The portly Captain Langen didn’t strike her as the physical type; he was the kind of man who knew that words could be deadlier than his sword. Hailey suspected that he knew full well that Orin at one time had the book and opted to stay to sniff it out. She suspected the captain would question Orin about it after several drinks had hopefully loosened his tongue. Thankfully, her mountain of a father could handle not only his wine better than most in their village, he could more than handle any book-loving sea captain who asked too many questions.
The book!
Instinctively, Hailey reached to make sure the book didn’t show too much in the lines of her shirt. She felt for it as discreetly as she could, looking as though she were trying to smooth out her shirt but looking awkward while doing it.
Thankfully the crew was too occupied with their duties and getting underway to pay any attention to her. The book was still there, its soft leather and cold silver resting against her back.
Was this book a piece of the Queen’s magic? She had seen many Crown representatives perform miracles during her travels with her father. Their officials and nobles could project their images across whole other continents to talk with one another with magic mirrors. They could summon light from globes with a wave of their hand. They rode around towns in coaches that had horses of steel that never tired or hungered. They seemed to never get sick or age.
A book that wrote itself and projected living maps seemed to pale in comparison. Why would the Crown dispatch warships to search vessels for something so minor?
The ghost pirates were searching for the book, too, if she were to believe what the book told her. They were coming for it. They were coming for her.
But what about this book made it such a great prize as to make the Queen come down from her high tower and the dead rise from their graves to search for it?
Chapter 4
As the Arrow neared the dock, Hailey knew she was in trouble. She wasn’t afraid of the marines who waited for them on the docks in their bright red uniforms as the ship slid into its slip. She wasn’t worried about her father grabbing her the moment Captain Langen left the ship. She was, however, worried about the scowling face that looked for her from the docks. Grandmother Rose was not happy.
The moment the gangway hit the dock, Grandmother Rose shoved her way past the marines without a glance and stormed onto the deck of the ship. Her eyes were instantly on Hailey and the look of distaste worsened.
“Child, who let you out of the cabin looking like that?” Before Hailey could respond, she continued, “No matter, dear. Where is your father?”
She didn’t wait for a response. Instead she stormed her way to the captain’s quarters, where Captain Langen and Orin were just beginning to emerge from the doorway like a pair of old friends. She moved in on her son like a hawk, Hailey quickly in tow.
“Orin! You are late!”
It took a moment for Orin to focus on her, but when he did, he sobered immediately under her scornful gaze.
“You said come as quickly as I could, and I did,” Orin mumbled, trying to conceal his slight slur. His mother was one of the most prim and proper women the western world had ever known, but it never stopped her from getting what she wanted. Her wit and sharp tongue were legendary. Her will was iron bound and she was without mercy when opposed. After a lifetime of tongue lashing, even the mighty oak that was Orin fell to her scorn and withered under her gaze.
Hailey had grown to resent Grandmother Rose for it, especially now that she was standing there glaring at her. Hailey knew her grandmother meant well, but her methods were merciless at best and cruel at their worst, and it had taken a toll on both her and her father since she’d moved in. Hailey watched the once confident and bold man that was her father slowly being chipped away, crumbling under the relentless pecking and harping of Grandmother Rose.
Sensing the tension, Captain Langen stepped forward and came to his fellow captain’s aid by taking Rose’s hand.
“Madam, I believe I am at fault. I had to detain him for questioning. Queen’s business, ma’am. Please forgive me.” He then removed his hat and bowed his head low, having placed his forehead on her hand.
Lady Rose burst into full bloom. Her features softened with a smile and her cheeks glowed with happiness. It was not often that someone from the Crown, let alone someone with as high a status as a Crown ship’s captain, would bow and beg forgiveness of anyone less than a noble. Grandmother Rose was a firm believer in decorum and knew her place. She recognized just what a great honor this was and was truly touched.
“My dear sir, you honor me.” She curtsied.
Captain Langen stood up and put his hat back on. “The honor was all mine, my lady.” He smiled at her, but Hailey noted that again, the smile didn’t quite reach his eyes.
During the exchange, the marines had come aboard once more and stood at attention behind Rose; her yellow dress seemed to glow in contrast to the red of the Royal Marines.
Langen addressed both Orin and Rose. “I’m afraid I must take my leave of you. Matters to tend to, you know.”
Rose beamed at him. “I understand.”
Captain Langen addressed the sergeant. “Be sure to collect all the books and bring them aboard my ship.” He gave Orin a sly smile and wink. “The wine didn’t make it, I’m afraid.”
With a nod from the sergeant, one of the marines moved quickly into the captain’s quarters and returned with the small stack of books. Orin and Hailey’s treasured volumes of history were becoming history before their very eyes. They followed each of the leather-bound volumes cradled by the marines as they made their way out of the cabin.
Orin looked ill and started to sputter. Given his station as the head of one of the largest merchant guilds in the west, he could have protested. Surely allowances could be made, he thought. Orin looked pleadingly at the man whom he had come to think of as a friend as well as fellow book aficionado but was rebuffed.
The cold, hard look that Langen gave him in return and the grave stillness in which he delivered it amounted to an altogether wordless reply. Orin knew that if he opened his mouth, even his status and social standing would not save him from the hangman’s noose that day.
“I’m sure you understand. Queen’s business and all,” Langen said, nodding slowly. The eyes of the marines searched them both, like dogs trained to sense if anything was amiss, ready to loose themselves of their burdens and jump into action. Hypnotically, the stupefied and defeated head of Orin bobbed, matching Langen’s movement.
Both Hailey and Orin watched as the collection of banned books, stack by stack, were carried out and down the gangway and out of their lives. It had taken Orin and his wife a lifetime to collect them. Orin looked and felt as though he had just lost a child.
Seeing this, Langen patted Orin on the shoulder and leaned in, whispering in confidence to him, “Not to worry! I’m sure our paths will cross again soon. You are welcome to come visit them at any time.”
He stepped back, bowed to the three of them, tipped his cap, and waddled down the gangway, following the marines back to his ship to look over his new prizes.
Reflexively Hailey reached back and felt for the book, checking to see that it was still in place. Hailey wondered if it were only the books that would have been marched down the gangway if they had found it.
“Hailey!” her grandmother snapped, bringing both her and Orin out of their daze. Hailey jumped with a start, hoping that her grandmother had not noticed her feeling for the book. Even if she had, she dismissed it quickly and grabbed Hailey’s hand
.
“Come along, we have to have you fitted for your dress for the party tomorrow night.
“Party?” Orin asked, folding his arms.
“Yes! We are hosting a party to greet the new bishop in the colonial mansion. That is why I asked you to come back so quickly. I’ve been up to my neck in preparations trying to get it all ready.”
Orin opened his mouth to speak, but Rose cut him off.
“No sense talking about it. Right now I need to get Hailey to the dressmaker to get a dress made.” She patted Orin on the cheek, turned from him, and snapped at Hailey, “Well? Get your things!”
Hailey knew better than to delay when her grandmother was in a hurry. She shot past the two of them and went into the hold and quickly reappeared with her duffel bag.
“Now wait a minute. I need to talk with Hailey,” Orin said as he tried to stand between Grandmother Rose and Hailey, but Rose evaded him quickly.
Though Hailey’s grandmother was a little old lady, her grip was of iron and her will was just as unbendable. She grabbed Hailey’s arm and pulled her along, around Orin, and down to the gangplank.
“You can talk with her later, we need to go. Now. Come, girl,” Rose called over her shoulder.
And with that, Orin lost his second child of the day, this one to his mother. Like with his books, he could only stand on the deck and watch his mother take his child in tow and storm down the docks and into the crowds of the city.
The town of Daden was one of the first colonies on the isle of Arwend, so its city center was larger, greener, and more established than other colonies. It had been built into a prosperous center for commerce and trade. Being one of the first stops out from the capital city of Davos on the other side of the globe, it became the hub for the growth and expansion of the “new lands” found to the west of Phesin.
The city center was surrounded by a giant canopy of green leaves, which had formed over the years as the tree homes planted by the early settlers bloomed and flourished with the help of shapers like Grandmother Rose. With knowledge passed down from the Ancients, shapers manipulated the quickly growing trees into the large homes, hotels, and businesses that made up Daden. They coexisted with their environment instead of conquering it, just as the Ancients had wanted. It took iron-willed people like Hailey’s grandmother to help mold it into the lush green haven it was.
The shaded roadways winding up from the docks were clogged full of horse-drawn carriages and carts carrying cargo from the ships to be sold in the market. The additional crush of passengers from the various vessels pressing their way into the town only led to even more congestion.
Hailey’s grandmother may have been a practitioner of charm and decorum and a bastion of the social order but not when she was in a hurry. She yanked Hailey through the crowds, weaving her way up the long ramp to the town square.
Once in the square, Rose slackened her pace, but not her grip on Hailey as they plunged into the heart of the market square. Grandmother Rose plowed onward, determined to make headway against the tide of people who were ahead of them in the section that was known to locals as Farmer’s Row, Hailey firmly in her wake. Hailey was bombarded by the sights, sounds, and smells of the marketplace, telling her senses and her heart that she was home.
Spices and fruits from all around the world were spread in a colorful array in bins, filling the air with a bright and spicy perfume. Hopeful sellers chattered with reluctant buyers as they dickered over prices of their wares. Meat vendors called out, trying to tempt customers into buying fresh cuts from their butcher stalls.
The crowd flowed forward, the current of people carrying them along slowly through Farmer’s Row. Each stall became an eddy into which a few people would drift off as the river ran its course. Grandmother Rose made sure to keep an iron grip on her granddaughter as she plunged them through the heart of the stream of life, determined to get to the dressmaker.
Chapter 5
Hailey didn’t play with dress-up dolls growing up. She liked being a dress-up doll for her grandmother even less. She stood on a small platform in front of the mirrors in the dress shop while Anton, an impish, gray-haired, and bespectacled tailor, danced about her, taking her measurements and pinning fabric. In the mirrors she could see her grandmother pacing about in worry.
“Oh, Anton, do you think it will be ready in time?”
The little man mumbled consonants around a mouth full of pins, sounding neither positive nor negative.
“It simply must be done in time. Everyone is going to be there. It will be the event of the season.”
“Ow!” Hailey yelped at accidentally being stuck with a pin.
“Stn stll,” was all the little man mumbled, grabbing for another pin out of his mouth.
Hailey couldn’t decide who to glare at first, him or her grandmother. Both seemed equally guilty at that time, so she settled on glaring at everyone, including herself, in the mirror.
She hated herself for not defending herself against her grandmother’s constant bullying. Grandmother Rose was trying to make her into something she wasn’t, but she didn’t have the courage to say no.
She knew the moment she did, her grandmother would just redouble her efforts and eventually break her will. Like the sea constantly pounding on the shore, eventually even the toughest stone would give way.
“Hailey, I’ve set it up so that most of eligible bachelors are going to be there early that evening, which will give you ample time to speak with them. Choosing a future husband is a difficult task and takes time. This will give you a good opportunity to get to know your potential suitors and help you decide when the time comes.”
Hailey knew that her grandmother meant well and she was doing this out of love, but she really didn’t want to think about marriage right now, if ever. She had never really taken an interest in boys.
Grandmother Rose was just following the doctrine that the Church of the Ancestors, the only church and educator in the world, drilled into their minds for decades. It was said it was written in the Book of the Ancestors that true happiness can only be achieved through elevating one’s status in life. Since women couldn’t hold any position of real meaning, marrying the right man was the only way to advance themselves.
The book was said to be a wondrous thing handed down to them from the Ancients. A magical book that contained vast amounts of knowledge that only the Church and the Queen could read. A book very similar to the one Hailey still hid beneath her clothes in the changing room.
“I don’t see why I can’t just be a captain like my dad.”
Anton stopped working on the dress and looked at her disapprovingly. Hailey looked at them both, embarrassed. Hailey’s grandmother broke the long silence.
“Heavens, no, child. Have you lost your sense? Whoever heard of a woman captain?”
Grandmother Rose looked embarrassed for her and Anton went back to work on the dress.
“So you met Grandfather at one of these gala balls?” Hailey knew the answer; she just felt like lashing back a little. But Grandmother Rose didn’t seem to notice.
“Stars above, no. If I had the opportunities you have, I might be in the governor’s mansion!” she tittered to herself. The little man continued to circle Hailey as she stood there. “No, I met your grandfather at one of the smaller merchant events. He was the best pick there, the son of a strong merchant family on the rise. I was nothing more than the daughter of a farmer who had to borrow a dress for his daughter for the evening. He was surrounded by women, each one plainer than the next and trying to get his attention. None of us were very highly ranked in society and he and his family were a step up. Quite the catch.”
She trailed off and stared for a moment, forgetting herself and becoming lost in the memory. Hailey stood there watching her reflection in the mirror. Catching herself, Grandmother Rose shook her head and continued.
“Well, I worked my way through the swarm of ladies and made him accidentally spill his punch on me. Of course, being a ge
ntleman he went with me to the kitchen to get a towel and some water to clean up my borrowed dress. Once we were alone, I was able to charm him enough that he sought me out the next day after the party. We began our courtship and a few months later we were married.” She sighed. “Best move I ever made,” she said, looking wistful.
“So you only went after Grandfather for his position?”
“Well, he was handsome, too, dear. But yes.”
“What about love?”
“Don’t be silly, dear, be practical. In life, you shouldn’t let your heart steer where the head is needed. Marry for position, reliability, and the ability to provide for your family. If you have all that and an open ear to your suggestions, then naturally love will follow. My dear, his hand may steer the ship, but you are the one who sets the course.”
“What about Dad and Mom?”
Her grandmother’s face fell into a frown. “Yes, well, that was your father’s mistake…” She caught herself and decided to plow on. “We were doing quite well, I had even set up for him to meet with a noble’s young daughter, but he had a mind of his own. Met your mother in some tavern over in Jakar, the daughter of some boat maker.” She shook her head. “Completely ruined my plans.”
Hailey was about to reply, but was cut off. The little man took the pins out of his mouth and declared, “All done!” He helped Hailey down from the platform and scooted her towards the changing closet. “Go and change out of that if you could. And be careful!”
Once inside the changing closet, Hailey could hear her grandmother harassing the little man.
“Oh dear, Anton, do you think you can have the dress ready in time?”
“I will do my very best, madam. There are several other dresses ahead of it because of the ball, but I should get to it in time.”
