Final Voyage of the Remora

by Richard S. Tuttle

  "Holding Tyroma over the rail only got their attention," shrugged Mikal. "It was the words I spoke that hold the true lesson for them. We do each depend upon the rest. If they cannot understand that then they might as well throw themselves overboard now. This voyage has only just begun."

  "Ship off the bow!" shouted one of the sailors.

  Captain Gomery moved to the rail and peered past the bow. The ship was still only a speck on the horizon. Mikal pulled out a scope that had been given to him many years ago by the elven mage, Galdan of Glendor.

  "It seems to be heading for us," Mikal declared.

  Chapter 5

  Enemy Sighted

  "What can you see through that?" asked Captain Gomery as he gazed at the speck on the horizon.

  "Not enough yet," sighed Mikal as he handed the scope to the captain. "Look for yourself. I can clearly see the ship, but who knows if it will be hostile or not?"

  "She's rigged the same as we," mused the captain as he peered through the scope, "and we are on a sailing route known to the Zarans. I would be hard pressed to believe it was not a Zaran ship."

  "I cannot fault your logic," agreed Mikal, "but I'm not accustomed to attacking someone without knowing for sure that they mean me harm."

  "You're on a ship now," lectured the captain. "The law of the sea favors he who attacks first. It is not considered a draw when both ships sink to the bottom of the sea."

  Mikal fell silent for while as he contemplated his course of action. The Rangers had heard the cry of the sighting, and they had gathered on the deck to see what was happening. Tedi, Karl and the elves soon joined them.

  "Max," called Mikal, "get your weapons prepared for battle, but do not fire until I give the order. I am not sure it is an enemy approaching."

  The Ranger nodded and spoke to those around him. Clint McFarren moved to the center hold and opened the hatch, while Max explained to the others what they needed to know.

  "If we are to man all of the mechanical harpoons," explained Max, "we will need six men. Clint and I will take the bow. Who else is ready to try their hand?"

  Shawn, Tedi, and Karl immediately raised their hands. The elves spoke among themselves and Mikal approached the group.

  "I will take the last position," Mikal volunteered. "I think the elves might be able to do as much damage with the bows that they are accustomed to."

  "Alright then," nodded Max. "Let's head astern, and I will show you how these monsters work."

  Max led the group to the starboard side of the stern and pulled the tarp off the harpoon bow. He knelt next to the contraption and explained the purpose of the various levers. While he was detailing the workings of the weapon, Clint deposited half a dozen long, metal quarrels on the deck. Max picked up one of the lethal projectiles and held it up for everyone to see. The quarrel was nearly a pace in length and its tip was adorned with a sharp point and four sharp blades trailing it. The blades were tapered and positioned ninety degrees apart, resembling a long, sharp arrowhead no matter which angle you looked at it from.

  "The first thing you will notice about the quarrel," Max explained, "is the tip. Notice how the blades lie fairly flat against the shaft. This is how it must be when it is fired." He flipped a small latch, and the four blades sprang out perpendicular to the shaft. "If your quarrel looks like this when you go to load it, choose another one. These blades are designed to extend after they have struck the target."

  "What is the purpose of them moving?" asked Tedi.

  "There are several purposes for the design," answered Max. "The first purpose is to make its removal nearly impossible without further damaging the hull. The second purpose is even more devastating," he grinned. "If you will notice, the tail end of the quarrel has an eye to attach a line to. If we were to attach lines to these before we fired, we could then pull on the lines. If the lines held, we would pull a large chunk of the hull out with the quarrel."

  "If the lines held?" Karl asked with a raised eyebrow.

  "We never had a chance to actually test that part of it on a large ship," shrugged Max, "but it should work in theory."

  "Continue with the lesson," urged Mikal as he glanced at the ship on the horizon. "The details can wait for another time."

  "Right," Max nodded. "Each weapon holds three quarrels, but they are fired independently. Each has its own elevation lever, and the pull tension is independent as well. The lever on the left is for elevation, the one on the right for tension. Typically, the tension should be set for maximum. Use the elevation lever to adjust for distance."

  As dazzling as the design was, its operation was fairly straightforward. Mikal left the demonstration and returned to the helm.

  "How long until we meet?" he asked the captain.

  The captain handed the scope back to Mikal and said, "Half an hour if I maintain full sails."

  Mikal raised the scope and peered through it again. The ship was much larger in the scope now and he could pick out individuals on the deck. The ship looked nearly identical to the Remora, and Mikal had little doubt that it was indeed a Zaran ship. But what truly determined its status as an enemy ship was when Mikal spotted two K'sans onboard.

  "Enemy sighted!" Mikal declared loudly. "Prepare for battle."

  "So," asked Captain Gomery, "you are sure now?"

  "Without a doubt," Mikal answered. "We need to sink her before she can transport more of those foul priests to Alcea. Are you capable of maneuvering in such a way that will allow for more than three of our harpoon machines to fire?"

  The captain remained silent for several minutes, and Mikal waited patiently.

  "I can," Captain Gomery eventually replied, "but it will be tricky. The most I can get you are the two machines on the bow and two more on the starboard side. Any more than that will require a second run at her."

  "And how close will that bring us to her decks?" asked Mikal.

  "She will be in bow range," answered the captain. "And we will be within range of their bows as well."

  "Let's chance it," ordered Mikal. "I am not sure how well these harpoons will work, but that ship must be sunk."

  "Very well," agreed the captain. "The portside bow will fire when they are ready. As soon as they do, I will cut hard to port. This will bring our starboard side alongside hers, providing they don't try to ram us."

  "Do you think they will try to ram us?" asked Mikal.

  "Hard to say," answered Captain Gomery. "A captain's first impulse is to avoid a collision. If their captain reacts properly, she will also turn hard to port. At least that is what I am hoping for."

  Mikal moved away from the helm and intercepted Max on his way to the bow. He explained what the captain planned to do.

  "There is no sense in manning the other portside harpoons then," Max stated.

  "I agree," replied Mikal. "I want to use Karl and his bow along with the elves, so switch around the positions to accommodate that."

  "Done," nodded Max.

  Mikal continued onward and passed through the hatchway to below. He found Natia and Yolinda in the galley. He quickly brought them up current with the situation.

  "Two K'sans could mean trouble for us," Yolinda declared. "If they use magic on our ship, we could all go down together."

  "Which is where you come in," smiled Mikal. "You have to shield the ship against magic. Do not bother with a physical shield."

  "I am glad you said that," Yolinda replied. "I doubt that I could do both successfully on such a large object. Even a magical shield over such a large entity when faced with two K'sans might be more than I can handle for more than a few minutes. Can you sink their ship that quickly?"

  "We can try," Mikal replied grimly as he turned and left the galley.

  He moved quickly back onto the deck and towards the starboard harpoon at the stern. Tedi was sitting next to the contraption waiting for the action to begin.

  "We are going to test out Max's theory," Mikal stated. "I want you to attach lines to all three of your harpoons.
Feed the free ends into the winch, and make sure that you have plenty of line so the harpoons don't fall short of their target."

  "How will I know how far away we will be?" asked Tedi.

  "Bow range as defined by a ship's captain," smiled Mikal.

  "Not all that far then," chuckled Tedi. "I will make it a fair bit more than that."

  Mikal next found Karl and the elves. Karl was handing out jars of fire glue, and Mikal shook his head.

  "Avoid the fire glue if possible," warned Mikal. "I am hoping that we can sink the ship quickly and recover their water barrels."

  "Do you think we can do that?" asked Karl.

  "It's a long shot," replied Mikal, "but our chances would be zero if we torch the ship. In any event, there are two K'sans onboard her, so a quick sinking is preferable. And don't waste your arrows on the K'sans. Such weapons will not harm them."

  Mikal left the group and toured the ship, making sure that all of the warriors were prepared. By the time he had completed the circuit, the enemy ship was almost upon them. Yolinda handed him his bow and quiver.

  "The K'sans may sense my shield," she said softly. "When do you want me to erect it?"

  "I will give you the word," replied Mikal as he raised the scope to his eye and located the large black priests.

  Tense minutes followed as the two ships approached each other. Archers appeared on the deck of the Zaran ship, but there were not many of them, and they appeared unsure of the threat they faced, their bows devoid of nocked arrows. While the Zaran ship deployed their archers to the bow, Mikal had ordered his men towards the stern. The Alcean archery attack was meant to be the final attack, not the opening salvo.

  "Brace yourselves on something solid," Captain Gomery warned the archers. "We will be making a sharp turn soon."

  The captain dismissed the archers from his mind and concentrated on the forward harpoons. "Come on, lads," he mumbled tensely under his breath. "I can't turn a ship as if it were a horse."

  As if he had heard the captain's words, Max let his three quarrels fly. The long sleek harpoons slammed into the port bow of the Zaran ship, and angry shouts tore from the lips of the Zarans.

  "Now!" Captain Gomery shouted to his crew as he turned the wheel furiously to port.

  The crew of the Remora was waiting for the command. They immediately adjusted the sails for the new course and the bow of the Remora passed before the bow of the Zaran ship. The archers on the bow of the Zaran ship hastily nocked arrows and raised their bows, but the captain of the Zaran ship foiled their shots. To avoid the imminent collision, he also had to veer sharply to port, and unlike the crew of the Remora, his men were not ready to adjust the sails.

  The Zaran ship heeled heavily, and her sails luffed, her speed falling off drastically. The archers on her bow were not ready for the maneuver, and they toppled to the deck. As the two bows passed close to one another, Clint McFarren let fly his three quarrels from the starboard bow.

  Mikal watched closely with his scope as the ships began to maneuver. He concentrated on the two K'sans and saw that they were preparing to attack.

  "Shield!" Mikal said urgently to Yolinda.

  Mikal slid his scope into a pouch and nocked an arrow as two lightning bolts blasted off an invisible dome over the Remora, the bright, powerful tentacles streaming down to the water.

  "They are powerful," grunted Yolinda.

  The harpoons amidships fired, and the sound of cracking timbers shot through the air. Shouts of fear and confusion wailed from the Zarans as the Remora sailed swiftly past the floundering Zaran ship. Another twin blasts of lightning seared with brilliance as it struck Yolinda's shield. Men on both ships closed their eyes to the intense light, but it was over in a moment. The Alcean archers let loose a round of arrows that took out the captain and several members of the crew.

  Tedi fired his three harpoons at the center of the Zaran ship, and then swiftly rolled away from the contraption. The lines attached to the harpoons sang as the three coils of rope swiftly disappeared. Moments after passing the stern of the Zaran ship, the Remora bucked harshly as the lines went taut and began ripping out stanchions along the stern rail. The forward momentum of the Remora slowed as if it had hit a reef. A tremendous crack split the air, and the Remora bucked once more and began to pick up speed again.

  "Blessed sword!" gasped Mikal as he gazed back at the Zaran ship.

  A huge hole had been ripped from her side, and she heeled at an unbelievable angle.

  "Half sails," shouted the captain, "and prepare to come about to starboard."

  Chanz echoed the command, and the sailors worked swiftly to comply. Mikal stared at the swiftly sinking Zaran ship and shook his head in amazement. Max Caber appeared alongside Mikal wearing a beaming grin.

  "Better than I expected," he remarked. "She'll be gone before we can turn around."

  "That she will," Mikal agreed softly, "but I think you need to work on tethering the lines somewhat. Half the stanchions are gone from the stern rail."

  "That's easier to mend than the torn bodies of Alceans who might have been hurt if we had to make a second pass," shrugged Max.

  * * *

  Clint McFarren, Mikal, Yolinda, Prince Rigal and Captain Gomery met in the captain's quarters with the door closed. A Zaran chart was spread across the small table.

  "Tell the others what you discovered, Clint," urged Mikal.

  "It was when I went into the hold to get the harpoons," stated the Ranger. "I helped Shawn load the myric quills, and I know exactly where they were placed. When I got the harpoons, I noticed the quills missing, but I could not be sure that Shawn hadn't moved them. After the battle with the Zaran ship, I took Shawn into the hold with me. We searched the entire hold thoroughly. The myric quills are gone."

  "There is no longer a doubt about it," sighed Captain Gomery. "We have a saboteur onboard. How serious is the loss of these animal quills?"

  "Very serious," answered Yolinda. "They are almost essential to killing the K'sans."

  "Their loss greatly endangers this whole mission," added Mikal. "Worse, we are no closer to determining who the infiltrator is. The last thing we need is for a Snake to go around killing us in our sleep."

  "I am surprised that the attempt was not already made," commented Prince Rigal. "It is obvious that it must be a sailor. Why has he not struck yet?"

  "I mean no disrespect, Prince Rigal," Clint began hesitantly, "but is it possible that one of your elves could be from Zara? I mean, should we automatically assume that it is a sailor? Is that wise?"

  Prince Rigal visibly stiffened. "And what of your fellow Rangers?" the elven prince retorted. "I understand one of them was not even a Ranger until this voyage began."

  "Max Caber designed the defenses of this ship," countered Clint. "Without his help, we could not have destroyed the Zaran ship."

  "Everyone performed flawlessly during the attack," shrugged Prince Rigal, "even the sailors. What does that have to do with anything?"

  "Enough bickering," Mikal said softly, but authoritatively. "Prince Rigal, were both of your men born in Glendor?"

  "Of course," balked the elven prince.

  "Then they are beyond reproach," declared Mikal. "Likewise, I cannot believe that any of the Rangers, including Max Caber, is a Snake. While it is important to determine who is undermining this mission, it is more important to limit any further damage. I will not have our food supplies be the next target. I want the holds off limits to the crew."

  "Inconceivable," the captain shook his head. "A ship is in a constant state of repairs. You may post guards day and night, but the crew must be allowed below."

  "If you post guards," interjected Prince Rigal, "you will notify the saboteur that we know he is at work against us. Would it not be better to find a way to detect him?"

  "We could use fairy guards," offered Yolinda. They can hide in the hold and see who is sabotaging us."

  "I like that idea," Mikal brightened. "I should have thought of that soo
ner." He sighed heavily and peered at the chart before continuing. "With that decided, what are we to do about water? There has been no rain since the storm, and the Zaran ship left nothing of use for us. I am thinking that we must find an island to replenish our supplies."

  "I was thinking along the same lines," nodded Captain Gomery. "That is why I had the chart out. There are several islands along this route, but there is one that stands out from the rest. Turtle Key is not only larger than the rest, there are depth soundings written on the chart for the large bay on the southern coast. That would indicate that it is either a foul weather anchorage, or a stopping point on the way to Alcea."

  "Can we tell when we go by it?" asked Clint.

  "Not on our present course," the captain shook his head. "It is slightly off the route to the south. We will have to alter course to go there. If there is no water there, we will be delaying our journey needlessly and increasing the risk of dehydration."

  "Is there any other island between us and Zara which might be better?" asked Mikal.

  "No," Captain Gomery replied. "This is the only island with soundings before we sight Zara."

  "Then we truly have little choice," decided Mikal. "Set a course for Turtle Key. How long will it be before we reach there?"

  "Two days if the winds hold," answered the captain.

  * * *

  "Land ho!" shouted Tyroma.

  Everyone rushed onto the deck to watch the island come into view. Mikal used his scope to survey the island and then reported what everyone wanted to hear.

  "There are people living on the island," Mikal announced. "They most certainly will have water." Sticking a finger into his breast pocket, Mikal stirred a fairy to life.

  "Are we there yet?" chirped Bitsy as the blue fairy stuck her head out of the pocket.

  "That depends on where there is," chuckled Mikal. "We are coming up on an island. I want you to go and check it out. I particularly want to know about any soldiers or elves on the island."

  "As you command," saluted the tiny woman just before she leaped into the air and disappeared.

  "Why worry about the presence of elves?" asked Prince Rigal.