Off Center (The Lament)

by Power, P. S.

  "It might be a little big, but it will fit. Take and put your things in the sack. Everything on you that might not fit in. I don't know what you people are thinking walking around like that." She waved, meaning his jacket, but the man snorted, pulling it off quickly and laying it in the snow, so that the inside of it was facing upward. Then he dumped the sack onto it, making a jumble of ships gray clothing come out.

  The man didn't seem to want to give up his weapons at all, but she didn't mention that, just watching him strip. He went all the way to the skin, but in pieces, which surprised her a little bit. His underwear had to be changed out too, since it was strange and long, meant for cold weather no doubt, but he did it without blinking, right in front of her. It left his male parts dangling for a bit, and she found herself blushing. That at least got the man to dress more quickly. It was either do that, or suffer the cold.

  He packed the sack carefully, placing his weapons in the bottom of it, but keeping a knife that he had, which got her to shake her head.

  "No, I don't even know what the handle of that thing is made of. That stands out. The ship isn't dangerous or anything. Even the Guardians aren't, as long as you kind of avoid them a bit. They know to look for your type now, so might catch on, if you talk too much around them. The others not so much. Remember though, avoid the Judge. If you can't, then try to tell the truth as much as possible around her. It's better for you to come clean and tell them everything, than to lie and get caught. Better for you not to have to at all though, so keep that in mind?" She thought it sounded reasonable and so, it seemed, did the much more normal looking man in front of her, since he slung the bag over his shoulder and took a step, but then stopped.

  "Or should we bury this? I hate to lose the gear, but mission accomplishment is the primary task." He stared at her closely, meaning it was a test of her goodwill no doubt.

  For her part she nodded.

  "That's good thinking really. It's half and half, really as to the answer. If you give up the weapons, then you won't have any on the ship. You have to have permission to carry them and as a low level helper or whatever they call what you'll be doing, that isn't likely to happen a lot. On the other hand, if you get caught with them, we're both going to be captured, most likely. That would be annoying. It's up to you. I can see costs and benefits both ways." She really needed to take more drugs, she decided, since the tension of this was starting to hit her. She was trying to think like a person in her supposed position would, but that was hard to do, given that she didn't know what it all was really.

  For the time being, sticking with the truth seemed to be about the best idea. Or riding it as closely as she could. There was the whole part of things where she was supposed to be working for the enemy after all.

  "We can hide it under this log. How long will the airship be in the area, do you think?"

  Zeke was still watching her closely, as if expecting a trick or a trap. Like she'd do that to her new friend?

  Tilting her head to buy a little time, she thought out loud.

  "We're here until the trial takes place. Will Butcher, your friend, I'm willing to bet, was accused of touching a little village girl. He's sick and can't stand trial for it right now. The Doctor on The Lament, Doctor Millis, is caring for him. I'm supposed to be helping with that, since being useful is my thing. It lets me go almost anywhere I need to. Plus, I'd rather not be out on the streets again, so it doesn't hurt to know how to do a lot of things. I found the room under Will's place earlier. That's why I figured someone would be along and managed to lose Guardian Mara. I told her that I went to use a bush and stumbled on you shivering down the road, half naked." She shrugged and picked up her air rifle, waiting to see what the man would do with his bag.

  "I see. Can you get me in to see the sick man?" While he spoke the man tucked the sack under the log and then buried it in branches and snow. It wasn't well hidden really, since he was hurrying.

  Sloppy of him, but probably not a real issue at all. No one would be there to look at it. If it snowed again it wouldn't show at all. That seemed likely too, given the chill in the air and the heavy cloud cover that showed through the evergreen trees above her.

  "As soon as he can talk, I probably can. It will need to be when you're off work. If you seem lazy, Captain Mina will just kick you off. She'll help people, but you have to pull your weight, plus a bit, if you want to secure a position, and anyone that's coming out of the cold like you are would be doing that, don't you think?"

  The man nodded. He wasn't very large, only a few inches taller than she was, but had a fit look to him. Sort of like a Guardian, she realized. Except that he moved too predictably.

  "You have a point. You aren't half bad at this, are you? Are you sure you aren't from back when I am? Most of the people here that I've met have been pretty innocent seeming. It's why we were told not to worry about the clothing or gear, since no one would recognize it and just think it was a different style from someplace else. It's not that different." He walked then, coming up alongside Pran as she headed back to the ship.

  "Except that we don't have machine milled clothing, do we? Fire-arms either. This, is an air-rifle. Most won't even have anything like that. When people go armed, they carry a truncheon or stick, for the most part. It doesn't come up that often for most people. Really, most of the problems lately have been because of you lot. When did you say you were from?" It was a very funny way of saying things, but he'd mentioned something like that twice now. She was supposed to get information, wasn't she? Hopefully he wasn't just having a game with her for fun. Playing with the little Bard girl that was too stupid to know better. He didn't seem to be, but that didn't mean anything.

  After all, time travel didn't exist. So if he was claiming that, he was lying, wasn't he?

  The man took a breath and looked at The Lament through the trees.

  "Later on that part. It was a while ago. How do we play this?" He waved to the ship. It was enough for her to get the idea.

  "Um... Well." Pran didn't have a good lie for him, so just decided not to, since that was actually working pretty well so far. "Try to say very little and speak like I am as well as you can. Your accent is weird. Don't make a lot of eye contact, and be very polite and humble. Yes, sir. Very good ma'am. That kind of thing. Offer to scrub the floors and toilets, do the laundry or whatever is needed. They'll stick me with the laundry, so if you can get on that duty, we can use it as a time to meet and prepare for whatever is coming next. It's a pain, and no one wants to do it. It's sort of fun when we're up in the air though. The room is on the bottom deck and has a metal grating for a floor, so you can see how high up you are. You aren't afraid of heights, are you?"

  "Nope. I'm not afraid of hard work either." He said it as if the words had meaning, so she nodded, as if she understood. It was part of not seeming like an idiot after all, seeming to understand things.

  "Good. So, remember the plan. Let me do most of the talking, but if they ask you questions, mumble a bit, hide your accent and be so humble people want to hit you."

  That got Zeke to smile and look down at the ground in front of him, practicing already. He followed her, but she stopped him at the door, speaking before he could stiffen up or get edgy.

  "Wait for me here, Zeke." Pran spoke loudly enough that it was obvious she was performing for an audience, which the man understood almost instantly. "No one is allowed on the ship without the Captain's permission."

  That wasn't a real thing, but she acted like it was anyway, and went inside to see about wrangling someone around to help her. Clark met her almost inside the front door, standing about twenty feet down the hall. The door was still open behind her, so she waved him away frantically. She couldn't speak without being heard, and didn't let her feet slow, but she knew her eyes were wide. If the first thing that Zeke saw was a giant Guardian standing there, inspecting him, he was going to be a bit suspicious. For his part Clark flickered in the air and vanished, only to appear about fifteen seconds
later in front of the armory, letting himself in to hide.

  Pran went up the wooden interior stairs to the main bridge, feeling a bit like a kid that was called up in front of the class to perform for the first time at school. She'd been on the bridge before, but only a few times. When she got there, the Captain looked at her coolly.

  "Yes, Bard Pran? We haven't forgotten that you and the other Bard are needed in the village later. Roy has been put in place as your driver. We have the others getting the sledge out for you."

  She grinned and looked down herself, having recently mentioned that ploy to someone else.

  "Oh, thank you ma'am, that's very kind. I... Well, this is a little awkward, but I found a man that might be a good fit here, at least until we reach a larger port. He was traveling to find work, since his village didn't have anything for him. He says that he'll work hard, and help with the laundry." She tried to sell the man in a way that would seem real, since there were three others on the bridge and anyone, including the Captain, might be in with the techno-cultists.

  Though, come to think of it, as long as Zeke hadn't been lying to her, he might not just be that at all, but something stranger.

  Captain Mina stood and stretched, her hands going over her short salt and pepper colored hair.

  "I'll give him an interview, but no promises. We do have a few open billets however. Most don't want to work as hard as a ship's hand has to however. Let's go and see?"

  Chapter seven

  Pran half expected to be put to watching the new spy herself, having to hold his hand as she drained bits of information from him. That didn't happen at all, and Bill, the Second Mate was called for using his personal bell ring, which had him along and at the front of The Lament fast enough that he actually beat the Captain there and was interviewing the man himself already. Mina didn't even bother interrupting, just looking at him, for a bit and shrugging, as Bill did all the hard work.

  "So, you know that you aren't going to be Captain in a day, right? You'd have to Apprentice first and that takes years. Normally done by the young. As a ship's hand you pretty much just do what you're told and try to stay out of trouble as much as possible. If you want the job, and the Captain agrees, then you get base pay, and the lowest percentage. Until you last six months. Then you get a step up, which is livable. The winter is the hardest time for us, since most things that travel do it by air, so it isn't the slow season, like on a farm. You ready for that?"

  Zeke didn't look up, but nodded, and kept his voice low and polite. Pran didn't think she could have done better herself, and she'd been trained for it.

  "Yes sir. I'm ready to work, sir."

  That got a nod from the Captain, which Bill saw.

  "All right then. I'll be putting you with Apprentice Roy for now. You do what he says. He's a boy, but smart and better than half way through his training, which means a lot on a ship. That trouble you, taking direction from a kid?" He waited his blurry looking eyes looking over his spider veined red nose. Searching the new man for any sign of resistance.

  "No, sir. Sounds fine, sir."

  The other man smiled a tiny bit, and turned to the Captain. "If he can keep that attitude up, and works hard, he'll fit in well. Probably be a keeper even. Provided the work matches the desire to impress us."

  Mina nodded.

  "Fine. Welcome aboard. Bill, see he gets a room and put in with Roy, back in engineering. We won't be going up today, unless there's another blow coming in, so arrange for everyone to head into town later, to see the show, if they want to go. If not, remind them that this is their free time. I want everyone to be weather aware. Sober too. This can change fast, so stay alert." That was for the Second, no doubt.

  He didn't seem to think it was an insult at least, and just moved off at a quick walk, taking the new man along with him. The Captain stood next to her, looking off into the woods for a bit, then she stepped away from the craft, her hands empty, and waved for Pran to join her.

  "See that line in the clouds? Just back of the tree line to the North and West?" She pointed, so that it was clear what she meant.

  There was indeed a line, made up of slightly darker clouds, ones that were moving slowly.

  "Yes, ma'am. Does it mean snow, do you think?"

  The woman shook her head a bit.

  "No, I don't think so. Freezing rain or hail, most likely. It's colder now, but that looks a bit too dark for snow. As long as the wind doesn't come up, rain or snow aren't a problem. Ice on the balloon is. If that happens we'll either have to leave the area until it lifts in a day or two, or we'll have to deflate, so we can try to cover the fabric. Either way means that someone will be stuck here. At least if the Guardians don't come with us. I was told that this new man is like the others? In with those Techno-freaks?" She didn't seem scared at all, just a bit wary.

  Pran couldn't know if she was on their side or not, but had a feeling that she knew, already, so lying wouldn't work.

  "I don't think they're freaks, ma'am. Just people with different ideas. Zeke seems to be a good enough person so far. He is one of them. A military sort, I think." She didn't want to say too much, or make it seem like she was doing one thing or another. It was a bit of a pain, she realized, but by telling everyone the one story, for the most part, she thought she might make it. "I promised to see about getting the new man in to see the prisoner in the sick room. Only when he's off duty. He promised to put in full work and earn his place here."

  Waiting, Pran figured that the woman would council her to pay attention to the man, or something along those lines, but instead she just gestured at the sky again.

  "I'm not in love with this layover. I can see that we need to let the Judge do her job, but the weather here is being unreasonable for this time of year. I've rarely seen snow this early, even this far North. Your new Master is going to think you don't want the job, if we wait too long to get you there. I'll keep Jacques updated since he knows her personally, and you can get in touch with her over the radio, if this lasts too much longer. I don't want you to lose out on that. It's a good Apprentice spot."

  That was a bit of an understatement. It was the very best Apprentice spot. So much so that she wasn't certain the offer was real. Captain Jacques however was the High Councilor of the Airship fleet. Also Captain Mina's husband. How that worked out, she didn't know, but no one had bothered confiding in her either, yet. Amazing, considering that she'd been around for nearly two weeks, and everything. It was like they didn't like her or something.

  Pran had to fight a tense giggle at those thoughts, and made herself not be internally sarcastic. Captain Mina was a good person, she thought, who helped people when she could. Even if it meant taking risks. She'd taken one on Pran after all, hadn't she? Just now, letting a known spy come aboard. She didn't have to do that, but did, because Pran had an idea. Maybe she did like her after all?

  "I should get with Bard Benjamin and make certain we have everything ready for the show. Are we leaving about six?" She didn't want to be pushy, but going by sledge sounded slow to her, and a half a kilometer, while not far at all, wasn't exactly a few moments away either.

  "Six-twenty. That will get you there in time and let us all eat first here. So you have about an hour or so." She looked at her big brass colored watch, which was in a pocket on the front of her tunic. It was a plain thing, with a tan leather jacket over it, for warmth. It made the woman seem official, but also like a working person, which was probably the point.

  Then she was dismissed to go and do that, so she ran, trying to figure out where Ben might be. It turned out he was in the mess hall, having gotten them an early supper. It was real food too, not just crusts of bread and some hard cheese. It probably meant the cook thought she was going to be sleeping with the Bard sooner or later.

  Pran looked at the woman through the open door, and figured she was probably correct. The lady was a bit plain and sturdy of build, rather than lithe, but she wasn't ugly and if she was willing to spread her legs, m
ost young men would probably take advantage of that. Benjamin was gaily dressed and had some light make-up on already, so looked pretty good. A fact that probably wasn't lost on him.

  He looked up and smiled, pushing a full plate of food at her from across the table. He waved for her to sit and took several bites of braised beef in gravy. It smelled good.

  "Sit, please. I was worried someone had stolen you away before the show. We don't have a lot of time to get ready. Are you doing your make-up like you did last time? I have to give you that it was pretty striking and it might play well with the people here, since they've all seen you already. I think you should go with red though, rather than orange this time. Maybe a green trim to it?" He might have been teasing, since what he was talking about had been a disguise. The one that she'd shaved her head for, and she'd painted half her face a solid color to throw people off the scent.

  This time she didn't really need to do that, but Bard Benjamin wasn't really wrong either. They were being paid, if with wood planks, and these people deserved a whole show for that, didn't they? Make-up was a bother, but the little extra touches could make or break a performance. She didn't have fine clothing to wear, so going with that might just work.

  "That seems like a plan. I don't have anything to wear. A skirt or dress would be good, since they all seem to think I'm a boy there. I guess I could go naked and paint my entire body, but that sounds a bit cold." She deadpanned the words, since she was a bit body shy, and figured that Ben knew that, but he played along, making it hard to tell if he were being serious or not.

  "Hold that back for a bit. For one thing we'll need more paint and at least six hours to get it ready. That could be impressive, if we do the designs right. We'll probably want someplace a little less..."

  "Country?" She added the words and took a bite of her food, not feeling hungry yet, but knowing that it was time to eat. It was still good. Warm and tasty.