by Jaleta Clegg
Ghost watched him from her perch above the cleaner. She blinked green eyes and twitched her tail.
"Do you have any idea what's going on with him?" I asked the cat.
She lowered her chin to her paws and went to sleep.
Chapter 8
It only took half an hour to fix the engine. It was a loose wire and a few bolts that needed tightened. The port stabilizer was going, though. The new parts I'd installed were wearing too fast. The whole thing needed replaced as a unit.
Mart was still in his cabin when I went to call Clark.
Clark answered, short and terse, with only his name. Considering where he was headed and who he was going to talk to, I wasn't surprised.
"The port stabilizer assemblage needs replaced," I said, "all of it."
"I'll see if I can find one. Should be another hour or two."
"Call when you do and I'll pull it."
He signed off.
I sat in the chair, swiveling it side to side. I heard Jerimon banging around in the cargo hold, unloading the crates we'd brought from Verrus. I debated about helping him, but the temperature outside persuaded me not to.
I was saved from boredom by the hatch sliding open. Captain Everett of the Windrigger stuck his head in. He saw me and came all the way in. The hatch slid shut behind him, cutting off the cold air. "Jerimon told me you were working on the engine. I brought mail for you." He fanned out a handful of envelopes.
Everett had become a good friend over the last months. We'd seen him quite often on this cargo route. He was Family, a different Gypsy clan than Jasyn and Jerimon. His clan had rival business interests through the sector. It was friendly but it was still a rivalry. He'd give me anything if I needed it and I'd do likewise, but he wouldn't bat an eyelash at cutting me out of a trade deal.
"Jasyn," he read the name off an envelope and put it on the table. "Jasyn again, Clark, one from the Independent Traders Guild, and one for you."
Only two people would write personal letters to me. I ignored the legal looking document from the Guild and took the last envelope. My name and ship name were printed neatly on the front. It was common for ships, especially Family ships, to serve as an unofficial mail service. Letters caught up with us a lot more often since we were on a route that didn't change. It also helped that our status within the Gypsy Family was more solid. Lady Rina had adopted us into her clan. As far as I knew, that clan only had eight members, half of them on my ship.
I opened the envelope which contained a single sheet of paper folded into a packet. Something small and lumpy was inside. The handwriting was Darus'. The note was a single sentence.
Saw this and it reminded me of you.
It was necklace, smooth gold. A sleeping cat curled up on the chain. There was just a hint of smug slyness in the face, a hint of eyes not quite closed. Whoever the artist was, they'd captured a very catlike expression of mischief.
"Judging by the goofy smile on your face," Everett said, "I'm guessing Tayvis sent you that."
"If we were betting, you'd lose. Darus sent it. My father," I added, seeing the blank look on his face. I slipped the chain over my head. "What's new with you, Everett?" I poked in the galley, looking for Jasyn's latest baking project.
"The usual. We've been here five days trying to get the engine shaft balanced. The redesign tends to be unstable." He crossed the room and reached up to let Ghost sniff his hand. She politely sniffed his finger before lying back, squeezing her eyes shut. "Ghost looks happy enough."
"She's been a bit slower lately. I was going to ask you about that. She seems to be gaining weight."
"You've been feeding her like I told you?" He lifted her down from her perch. He sat at the table with her in his lap, stroking her soft gray fur.
I set what was left of Jasyn's latest batch of rolls on the table. Ghost purred up a storm as Everett scratched behind her ears and under her chin.
"Do you let her out often?" he asked.
"When it seems safe. She never goes far." I sat across from him and picked up the Guild envelope. And put it back down. I didn't want to deal with them yet.
"She'll feel better in about three weeks," Everett said.
"Is it some strange cat disease?"
"Something like that." He grinned. "She's going to have kittens."
It took a few minutes for me to comprehend that statement. "Baby cats?"
"Genetically, yes. It's a bit difficult to give birth to a different species. Not without a lot of help." He stroked Ghost and studied me. "There are times I'm convinced you have to be the most naive person in the Empire."
Ghost climbed out of his lap and sniffed the letters. She hissed and batted the one from the Guild. I laughed.
"I feel the same way," I told her as she wormed her way into my lap. I petted her as she curled up for a nap.
"They denied your appeal?" Everett helped himself to a roll.
"Blacklisted for life."
"Idiots," he said, referring to the Guild administrators who had made that decision.
I shrugged. Ghost gave me a dirty look for moving and jumped down. Mart's door slid open, he stood in the doorway. His face was shadowed, haunted by memories he couldn't remember. Ghost meowed at him. He bent down and picked her up.
Everett shot me a questioning look.
"Meet Mart, our new engineer," I said.
Everett looked at the grease on my hands and cocked an eyebrow.
Mart hesitated, holding back. He stroked Ghost, watching Everett warily.
"Everett is captain of the Windrigger," I said. "Jasyn's something distant cousin." Everett was one of the few people outside of my crew that I trusted.
Mart bobbed his head. He was doing a good job of acting shy.
"The last three didn't work out?" Everett asked. He knew something was up, but he wasn't going to pry unless I invited him to.
"The really good ones are either a pain to live with or want paid more than I can afford."
"I'm still surprised you're looking for one," Everett said. "You're better than most of them."
"I'm not fully certified. We've been dodging fines not having a fully qualified engineer on the crew. Whether they actually fix the engine or I do, doesn't matter."
The hatch opened again. Mart mumbled something about sleeping and retreated into his cabin with the cat.
"It's not my business," Everett said quietly. "But if you need help, Dace, you just have to ask."
"I know that, Everett, and thank you. I don't know what I need yet."
Jerimon came through the hatch. He handed me a form. "They need your signature."
"They haven't let you buy in?" Everett asked Jerimon.
"No," Jerimon answered. "I have a greedy sister. And Dace doesn't trust me."
"With good reason," I said as I scrawled my name on the form.
"Signed and delivered," Jerimon said as he took the form back. "Now we just need paid." He went out, leaving the hatch open behind him.
"Ghost approves of him," Everett said, referring to Mart not Jerimon. "That's something in his favor."
He was fishing for information. I wanted to share, but I wasn't sure if it was wise to share. I didn't want Everett or his crew to get tangled up in another one of my messes. Last time he did, he lost an engineer. I didn't want anyone else to die because of a decision I'd made.
"I appreciate your offer," I said.
"But you aren't going to take me up on it." Everett shrugged. "Promise me you'll satisfy my curiosity someday, then."
"Fair enough." I got up to close the hatch. The outside air smelled good but it was cold.
The strangest person I'd ever seen strutted towards the open hatch. Strutting was the only way to describe what she was doing. She wore a robe that managed to use every color known to man in the most bizarre patterns I'd ever seen. Things glittered and sparkled from necklaces wrapped around her neck. Her arms were solid bracelets halfway to her elbows. She had a thin veil draped over her hair. Dangles of gold coins
hung from the edges. The wind caught it and swooped it away.
The man following her darted after it, snagging it deftly. He handed it to her. Unlike her, he was wearing a shipsuit of burgundy and blue, colors I knew well. I'd worn them briefly, when I'd crewed for Lady Rina on her yacht, the Swan. The two of them proceeded up the ramp to the hatch.
"You are Dace, captain of this vessel?" the woman said, sweeping a glance over me. She tried for an exotic accent and missed. Her face was round. Her nose could only be described as pert. She had dimples and looked young. She was trying hard to look mysterious and exotic. I was trying hard not to laugh.
"Last time I checked, yes," I said.
"Good," she announced and swept past me into the ship in a flutter of multicolored fabric. I had no idea if she was fat or thin, it was impossible to tell under the robe.
The man followed her in, nodding to me. I shut the hatch and turned to face them.
"Larella Panichi," the woman introduced herself. She held out a hand wearing at least two rings on every finger.
"What are you doing on my ship?" I asked, trying to be polite.
Larella Panichi didn't answer. She spread her hands out, palms up, tilted her head back, and closed her eyes. She drew in a deep breath through her nose. It whistled. "There is a disturbance in the aura. Darkness," she said, trying to lower her voice. It didn't work.
"When we turn the lights out," I said. "Who are you and why are you here?"
She faltered in her pose. She dropped her hands and sighed. "I didn't impress you, did I?"
"Dace is hard to impress," Everett said. He sat back, eating another roll and enjoying the show.
"I'm a psychic healer," Larella said as if that explained everything. "Your ship feels spiky and purple."
At least it wasn't my hair that was spiky, although it was still purple when the light was right.
"Nice meeting you," I said as I reached for the hatch controls. "I like it that way."
"Oh, I blew it." She stomped her foot, which caught on her skirt. She teetered for balance.
"Lady Rina sent us," the man said as he stuck his head in the cockpit.
"To do what exactly?" I asked.
"Nice ship," he said turning back to me. He stuck out his hand. "Beryn. Caid said you were a tough one. He respects you. I'm his grandson."
I shook his hand, a little reassured. Caid was Lady Rina's engineer and her companion for most of her life. Beryn's hair was dark and wavy, his eyes were washed out blue. His handshake was firm and brief. He moved past me to look down the access hatch to the engine.
"Double Harrison, twin tube?" he asked.
"New Bentley half shaft," I answered.
He whistled and went to look.
"Lady Rina did send us," Larella said. "She gave me this for you. She said you'd need us." She handed me a sheet of much folded paper.
I unfolded it. It made no sense. Words were written in a pattern, radiating out from the center where the word Jester had been underlined twice.
"May I?" Everett asked as he reached for the paper. He saw it and his eyebrows rose. "Lady Rina read your cards."
"She was very upset afterwards." Larella tucked a stray curl of glossy brown hair behind one ear. She took the paper and spread it on the table. "I've never seen a reading like this before."
"So the Jester is in the middle," I said. "Does that mean this is a joke?"
Larella gave me a shocked look. "The jester means trickery and deceit. It's a powerful card." She traced out four names on either side of the central jester. "The lovers, the tower, the eye, and the horseman. Lady Rina wasn't sure what to make of it. I've never seen that combination before. Change, deceit, danger, and a journey to somewhere unknown. It could mean just about anything." She touched the eye. "Hidden knowledge."
"Lady Rina sent you all the way here from Besht just to tell me this?"
"I'm a fully trained medic," Larella said, almost as if she were embarrassed to admit it. "She sent us because she felt you needed our help. Beryn is an engineer."
"I like to choose my own crew," I said.
"May I?" she asked, one hand lifted in front of her. I had no idea what she was asking permission to do. She didn't wait for an answer. Her hand rose and hovered near my forehead. She frowned. "That is the oddest…"
Mart chose that moment to reappear. He was still holding Ghost, who seemed happy to sprawl along his arm. He glanced wildly around and settled his gaze on me. "Something called me."
Larella spun to face him, flares of wildly clashing colors dancing around her. Her necklaces clattered. She advanced slowly on Mart. He backed away in alarm. She raised her hands, brushing them over his hair without actually touching it. She had to reach up on tiptoes to do it. She dropped her hands and backed away.
"Mind wiped," she said, a mix of pity and disgust in her voice.
"Now I'm really curious," Everett said.
"So am I," I muttered.
"More visitors?" Jerimon said as he came in with a gust of cold air. He handed me the paperwork on our cargo. Larella turned around and he stopped, the papers dangling in the air.
"Lady Rina sent us more crew," I said. "I'm not sure why."
"Nice work on the engine," Beryn said coming up from the engine room. "Not much room to work on it down there."
"Keeps it from getting crowded," I said.
Jasyn breezed in, her hair wind tossed. She was smiling. "I think I found us a cargo," she said and stopped when she caught sight of Larella. "Interesting. Who are they?"
"As I was about to say," I said, "this is Larella, I can't remember her last name. She's a psychic healer that Lady Rina thought we needed. And that's Beryn." He was poking into access panels. "You can stop drooling now, Jerimon."
"You're working with us?" Jerimon said, ignoring me and everyone on the ship except Larella. He stepped forward, his hand out.
"Trouble," Jasyn said to me.
"Lady Rina sent them to us as crew. She read my cards and decided we needed help." I was thinking I could do without her help. The last time she tried, she convinced Jerimon we were destined to be soulmates. I didn't think that would be a problem this time.
Jerimon took Larella's hand and kissed it. I wanted to gag. She simpered, showing her dimples. The only way to describe her was cute and wearing weird clothes and too much jewelry. Just Jerimon's type.
"Which cabin is mine?" Larella asked Jerimon.
"Wait just one minute," I said.
"I think I'd better be going," Everett said. "Promise me you'll explain it some day, Dace."
"Some day," I promised.
Jasyn went out the hatch with him. I overheard some comment about kittens as the hatch closed behind her.
"We'll move Mart out of the end cabin," Jerimon was saying.
"They aren't crew yet," I objected.
"Lady Rina sent us," Larella said, as if that were justification for her moving in. She assumed since she was Family and we were Family, that our ship was her ship.
"It doesn't work that way on my ship," I said.
"Don't listen to her," Jerimon said to Larella. "She just likes to be cranky."
"I left my bags outside," Larella said and fluttered her lashes.
I rolled my eyes.
"Your right stabilizer is out of adjustment," Beryn said.
I gave up. Mart was the smart one, he'd locked himself in the end cabin with Ghost.
"Larella can bunk with me, but only if you promise you don't snore," I added. "And you also understand this is temporary, only until I can talk to Lady Rina. Beryn can bunk in with Jerimon." I dared Jerimon to object by glaring at him. He didn't even notice. His attention was all focused on Larella.
"Let me get your bags," Jerimon offered.
Larella gave him a fake shy smile. I tried to look on the bright side. I could have danced naked and Jerimon wouldn't have noticed. Jerimon went out with Beryn to fetch their luggage.
Jasyn came back in. Her smile was gone.
"They're staying," I said to Jasyn, "but only until I can give Lady Rina a piece of my mind."
"That might be hard to do," Jasyn said. "We just got the message. Lady Rina is in the hospital on Besht. They don't know how serious it is. How soon can we leave?"
"Do we have a cargo?" We wouldn't get far on our reserves. Cargo paid for fuel and docking costs. The inner worlds where we'd been trading were expensive. Jasyn knew it as well as I did. She and I both pretended we didn't hear Larella's shocked gasp.
"There was one shipment to Jewel," Jasyn said. "It's on the way. It's a Family company. An extra shipment they don't have a ship for."
"Can you make arrangements for it? We'll leave as soon as it's loaded."
"I'll call Clark while I'm at it." She frowned. "He's been gone a long time."
"Mart," I said to her.
She nodded her understanding.
"A death," Larella said, her eyes wide and shocked. "They say you can't foretell your own death, but maybe Lady Rina saw hers in your reading."
The hatch opened again. Jerimon and Beryn came in carrying several pieces of luggage apiece. Apparently, most of it was Larella's. I was rethinking cabin assignments when Jasyn came back from the cockpit.
"It can be loaded before nightfall," Jasyn said. "We can lift at midnight."
"Then we'd better get that stabilizer fixed," Beryn said.
I bit my tongue and didn't say what I thought of the whole situation.
Chapter 9
We made it by midnight, barely. It took Beryn on the outside of the ship and me on the inside banging and swearing to finally break the corrosion enough to get the stabilizer assemblage out. Clark showed up with the new one about dusk, just after the cargo arrived. He wasn't in a good mood. I made a note to myself to talk to him later. I guessed it had something to do with Mart.
Beryn opened the new stabilizer assemblage. That started a new round of swearing. It wouldn't fit in the collar. I ended up having to scour the used ship yards around the port looking for a new collar that was the right configuration. It still needed an extra thick gasket to get the seal right.
Then we found out the stabilizers wouldn't balance properly. The new one was more efficient than the old ones, mostly due to corrosion buildup. It took some creative wiring to get it to work even close to properly. I was going to have to replace the other three stabilizers sometime very soon. It was a good thing we had cargo to haul. They were going to be expensive.
