The Legend of the Lightscale: Book Two of The Scale Seekers

by A. R. Cook

  Desert Rain was glad for that fact too. She did not want to become a frog nymph every time she wore her bandana.

  She found herself getting up and going over to the front door, opening it slowly so as not to cause creaking. She slipped outside, sitting down outside the door, listening to the throbbing Bayou beat in the distance. Kurl lifted his head out of the mud, glancing over at her. Desert Rain smiled at him, rubbing her arms, a bit chilled by the cool night air. She sat there for some time, her mind as jumbled with thoughts as ever.

  “I’m beginning to think-kk you have a sleeping problem,” she heard a voice say as the door creaked open behind her.

  She turned to look up at Mac. “I’ve always been a light sleeper.”

  The lizard had two cups in his hands, and he handed one to her. “Didn’t-tkk have any warm milk, so I made some warm tea. Thought-tkk it’d help you sleep.” He sat down next to her. “What’s bugging you, Gila?”

  She sighed. “You have to ask?” She sipped the tea, which was made from some potent spice that caught her by surprise. “I feel like everything is up in the air right now. I wish I had a better idea of what I was doing.”

  Mac shrugged. “Hey, we’re doing all right-tkk. We got ourselves a boat-tkk pretty darn quick-kk. I gotta say, some coincidence, you knowing old man Rotter’s nephews-ssck like that. Glad they ain’t as smart as the old rat-tkk.” He grinned. “I loved seeing their eyes-ssck pop outta their heads when they saw that crystal. I had a feeling they’d fall for it-tkk.”

  “Which reminds me,” Desert Rain said, her voice getting sharp, “what made you think it was okay to steal a crystal from the Ahshi, after they showed us such hospitality?”

  Mac put his hands up in surrendering fashion. “I never stole nothing! They let me have it-tkk, honest! I thought-tkk it might make an extra coin or two around here, so I asked if I could have one, and they said it was-ssck fine. That is frog-honest-tkk truth.”

  “Still, that doesn’t mean you should ask for gifts from them.”

  Mac shrugged his shoulders. “Forgive a merchant-tkk for doing what he does-ssck best. Besides, it got those Vermin boys-ssck interested, right? Now we know they’ll show up at the dock-kk tomorrow instead of leaving us high and dry.”

  “And what do we tell them when they find out there are no actual diamonds to be gained from this venture?”

  Mac smiled his showman smile. “You leave that to me when the time comes-ssck.”

  “When the time comes…” Desert Rain clutched her cup tightly. “How is it you’ll know what to do when the time comes, Mac? Because I know I won’t.”

  Mac gulped down his tea. “Things have a way of working themselves out-tkk, Gila Gul. I’m always getting into pots-ssck of hot water, but I haven’t been cooked yet-tkk. You gotta know how to slip out-tkk of the pot before that lid comes-ssck down on you.”

  Desert Rain looked over at him, into his warm, kind eyes. She felt the need to ask a question that had been on her mind for a while. “Mac, what exactly is a ‘Gila Gul’? To you, I mean?”

  “A Gila Gul? It means…it’s like a…” He scratched his head in thought. “It’s-ssck a good friend, someone a lizard can put his trust-tkk in. And there isn’t too many folk-kk like that for a lizard.”

  “Oh…” She nodded to herself. “Just a friend, then.”

  Mac’s eyes widened, and then he laughed. “Yes, a friend, Dez. I wasn’t trying to come on to you or nothing. Trust-tkk me, from past experience-ssck, I’m not exactly the dating type.”

  “Dating? Oh, no!” Desert Rain laughed. “That’s not why I was asking. I was curious—about the Gila Gul thing.”

  “Besides-ssck,” Mac nudged her with his elbow, smirking, “I know a fellow who’s-ssck got his eye on you, pretty lady. I wouldn’t want-tkk to intervene.”

  Desert Rain set her cup down at her side. She put her arms around her legs, hugging her knees to her chest. “I don’t think you realize just how mean of you that is.”

  Mac was surprised at this. “Who’s-ssck being mean? I was saying…”

  “Look at me, Mac! I’m not the kind of girl that guys chase after. And I’m fine with that! But I don’t need any reminders either. So can we please drop the joke?” She looked away from him.

  “Hey, hey now…” Mac put a hand on her shoulder. “I was teasing you. I wanted to see you crack-kk a smile for once. You’re always-ssck so troubled all the time. You have a bit-tkk of a low self esteem, don’t you?”

  “You are the second person to tell me that! And no, I don’t. I know what I am.” She tugged absentmindedly on her ears.

  “I know what you are too. You’re the one person to treat-tkk this lizard like more than a bum, even when you knew he’s Bayou Folk-kk. You’re a good person, Desert Rain. And I don’t-tkk find too many of those. That’s-ssck why I chose to face that Nasty with you. Lizards-ssck don’t let their Gila Guls go fighting Nasties-ssck alone.” Mac laughed to himself. “A tad sappy, I know. Chiriku would’ve belted me for saying that-tkk.”

  Desert Rain chuckled.

  “You see? There’s that-tkk smile.” Mac put his arm around her. “It’ll work-kk itself out, I promise. Cut my heart out in a fit-tkk, drown a beetle in my spit-tkk.” He spat on the ground.

  Desert Rain thought to herself a moment. “Maybe this is part of that whole ‘design of destiny’ thing again.”

  “What?”

  “You, me, Chiriku, and Gabriel. Destiny must have decided to bring the four loneliest people in Luuva Gros together.”

  Mac grinned. “I hope Destiny decides-ssck to let us get some sleep tonight-tkk. We’ve got a big day tomorrow.”

  “I don’t know if I can sleep right now. My mind’s too busy.”

  Mac took in a deep breath. “Then let me tell you a li’l story from when I was a newt-tkk—”

  “Good night, Mac.” Desert Rain patted Mac on the shoulder, and then hastily picked up her cup and slipped back into the house.

  Mac looked over at Kurl, smiling. “Work’s-ssck every time,” he said.

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  The S.S. Vermin

  The Bayou port was not a busy place, except for a few small fishing boats bobbing aimlessly in the harbor. The wooden pier was one of the few structures in the Bayou that looked like someone had taken time to build it, probably because fishing was a main source of food in the Bayou. If one took a long walk down the pier, past the fishing boats, past the floating booth of the beaver who took care of docking and maintanence fees, past the children who fished and swam near the shore, one would find a one-masted trading ship of impressive size in a secluded part of the port. This cog was the S.S. Vermin (it had been the Merry Mariner before it was sold to the impulsive Vermin brothers), and Chiriku summed up everyone’s feelings about it when the foursome came to see it early the following morning.

  “You can’t be serious,” was her reaction.

  The size of the S.S. Vermin was all that was impressive about it. Everything about the ship was about as well-kempt as the Vermin brothers themselves. The railings of the boat were battered and splintered, barnacles were visible all along the broadsides, the sails were ragged around the edges, and there was the haphazard paint job of the blocky, dripping letters of the new name bequeathed to it by its new owners. It looked so weather-beaten and waterlogged, they could imagine it floating ten yards out to sea and then sinking like a rock.

  The Vermin brothers were already there, although Gimch was the one doing anything resembling work. He was hauling packs and barrels up onto deck, while Goude lounged on the dock and Gank leaned over the water, swatting aimlessly at guppies swimming by. The two lazy brothers would not even waste their time here if there wasn’t the underlying fear that their uncle might show up out of the blue. Gimch, apparently, was used to this behavior from Gank and Goude, for he went about his work, not encouraging his brothers to get off their duffs and help him.

  Gabriel, however, took the initiative, grabbing a barrel and lifting it with mi
nor trouble. Once he got it on deck, he lifted the top off, and observed that the barrel was full of semi-clean water.

  “This isn’t sea water, I hope,” Gabriel commented.

  “I got it from one of the local pumps,” Gimch replied in an impatient tone. “Of course, it wouldn’t have taken me so long to pump and drag the barrels here if I had had another pair of hands.” He cast a quick glance at his brothers.

  Desert Rain, Mac and Chiriku also came up on deck to have a look around. The second that Chiriku came on board, she wobbled and had to lean against the rail. “How long will it take to get to wherever we’re going anyway?” she asked, gripping the rail tightly, despite the splinters.

  Gimch scratched behind his ear, thinking. “Well, the guy who sold it to us said he could make it from here to Mautaun Island in under a week, given good wind and calm waters. My brothers and I wanted to make this trip for a while, but…” He glanced down over the rail at Goude and Gank below, “Stubborn and Stupid tend to sink more than swim.”

  “I’M NOT STUBBORN!” Gank shouted up to them.

  “For the millionth time, you’re Stupid!” Gimch yelled back.

  “YOU’RE SMELLY!”

  Chiriku took a loud gulp, wrinkling the corners of her beak. “You mean I got to be on this piece of junk for a week? Someone, knock me out and wake me when we get there.”

  Mac grinned at her. “You don’t-tkk come from a line of sea birds-ssck, do you, Chi?”

  She grimaced, and then leaned over the rail.

  “Who was the person who sold you this ship?” Desert Rain asked Gimch.

  “I don’t know, some old possum,” Gimch replied with a shrug. “Weird guy. He didn’t say why he didn’t want it anymore. He let us have this boat for real cheap.”

  Desert Rain decided not to inquire on the previous owner any further. Gimch might say this possum had a green staff and could dissipate into sand, and that would be too bizarre for her.

  Gabriel went about checking the supplies on board, including the barrels of dried food that had come with the boat, and some buckets of fresher food the Vermins had provided. It was not a glamourous spread, mostly powdered spices, grains, uncooked rice, some fruit that did not look too overripe, a bucket of fish, and some coffee grounds. There was enough rice to feed seven people for a while, but not enough of the other foods. Gabriel could go with one meal a day if need be, but he had the feeling those Vermins could eat their weight in food a day. There also was not enough fresh water; they had but two barrels. If they planned to use it to cook food as well as drink it, it would all be gone in a couple days. Gabriel shook his head. There was serious work to be done before they went anywhere.

  “Do you have anyone else who could help crew this ship?” he inquired.

  Gimch shrugged. “My brothers and I have sailed a boat by ourselves before.”

  “And it crashed, didn’t it?”

  Gimch grinned crookedly. “Kinda.”

  “I bet you’ve never sailed as far out to sea as we’re going to. This isn’t an hour tour. We’re going to need everyone to work on this ship. And I mean everyone.” He marched over to the rail, looking down at Goude and Gank on the dock. “You two, get up here.”

  Goude opened a lazy eye, and curled his lip. “It’s our ship. You’re not captain.”

  Gank laughed hysterically. He immediately stopped laughing when Gabriel strode down the walkway to the dock, took his walking stick and slammed the end of it between Goude’s legs, missing his crotch by half an inch. Goude sat up with a start, staring with wide eyes at Gabriel.

  “What the—” Goude did not even finish before Gabriel grabbed him by the collar of his tattered shirt and hoisted him up onto his feet.

  “I’m going to make this very simple.” Gabriel’s eyes were dark and intense, boring into Goude. “You either work, or you can take a dive tied to the boat’s anchor. Is that clear?”

  Goude nodded vigourously. Gabriel released him, and the Vermin hustled up onto deck. The man cast Gank a firm glance, and that’s all it took for the rodent-boy to scramble his way up onto the boat. Gabriel followed casually, tapping his walking stick on the ground as he walked. He assembled the others.

  “For the next few hours, I’m giving you all a crash-course in manning a ship,” he said. “If anyone’s planning on giving me trouble, get your carcass off this boat right now.”

  Chiriku clicked her teeth nervously. “Uh, maybe I can wait on the dock until you need me—”

  Gabriel gave her a fierce stare.

  Chiriku gulped. “I suggest you get me a bucket then,” she said.

  After several grueling hours of training and supply gathering, Gabriel’s slap-dashed crew awkwardly fumbled with ropes, jerkily raised the sails, and sluggishly hoisted the anchor. The cog, after several close calls in colliding with other boats or the dock, floated lethargically out of the port.

  Anthron had been courteous enough to let Desert Rain keep the map, as he apparently had made many copies, so Gabriel took time to look it over and check the compass that the Vermins had with them—although it was the cheapest knick-knack he had ever seen. After steering them into open waters, Gabriel put Desert Rain at the wheel, telling her to keep the wheel straight for now. Then he went about making the three Vermin show that they had learned the proper way to handle the ropes. Mac and Chiriku, not having any immediate tasks to attend to, shared the activity of clinging to the boat’s rail. Mac, apparently, was not as ship-savvy as he thought.

  Desert Rain kept her hands tight on the wheel and shivered against the chill wind sweeping off the ocean. She could not remember the last time she had been on a boat, and she had certainly never steered one before. She imagined that the endless expanse of water was the same as the endless expanse of desert sand from back home, and it helped calm her a little.

  This wasn’t so tricky. She could do this. Gabriel knew what he was doing. Why he was so determined to keep his promise to Alana, Desert Rain had no clue, but she was glad he was here. Without him, she would have had to put all her faith in the Vermin boys sailing ability, which it was clear it was not too good. She glanced over at Chiriku and Mac leaning over the rail, and she grinned. Finally, something they can do together, she thought.

  Night came swiftly, and Gabriel steered while the rest of the crew sat down to dinner. There was an improvised kitchen below deck, with a tin stove that they managed to heat up with Mac’s tinderbox. Desert Rain cooked the fish, knowing they would go bad if not eaten soon, and boiled a few cups of rice in a pot that was lying around. She brought some of the food to Gabriel, but he waved a hand at it, saying he would eat when his steering shift was over. The Vermin, on the other hand, were more than delighted to get their hands on the fish and rice, gulping it down as if it were nothing. Chiriku wrinkled her face at their deplorable eating habits, but kept herself quiet. She ate—suffice it to say—like a bird, since her stomach was still adjusting to the unending rocking of the cog.

  Mac went about lighting various lanterns that were strewn around the deck. Once he had created a cheery atmosphere, he turned to the others and asked, “All right-tkk, anyone know any sea chanties-ssck? I’ve always wanted to sing some of those-ssck, but I’ve never been on a boat-tkk when I want to sing them, and it always seemed wrong to sing them if you’re not-tkk on a boat.”

  “Dear Divine Beasts, please don’t sing,” Chiriku whined, holding her head in her hands. “I’m already nauseated as it is.”

  “BONES!” Gank suddenly erupted. “PLAY BONES!” He rummaged through his pockets and pulled out, literally, finger-long bones, painted with different numbers of stripes.

  “I’m not playing bones with you anymore,” Gimch stated. “You always cheat.”

  “NO CHEAT! PLAY BONES!”

  “I want to hear more about those diamond people,” Goude said, coming over to sit by Desert Rain. “So, how many diamonds are we talking about here?”

  Gank and Gimch, immediately forgetting their squabble, also scoot
ed over, staring with wondering eyes at the Hijn.

  Desert Rain’s ears twitched twice, and she hadn’t even said anything yet. She gulped and tugged on her fingers. “Well, there are…these people are—”

  “Up to their ears-ssck in gems,” Mac finished for her. “They own six—no, seven mines-ssck, and they’ve got the finest-tkk homes you ever did see. Tall spires of iv’ry with diamonds-ssck of all kinds, sparkling in the sun. And they have diamonds-ssck in their clothes, their dishes, even their servants-ssck got diamonds.”

  The Vermin brothers listened in dreamy fascination, soaking up Mac’s every word. Desert Rain felt guilty that she was allowing Mac to go on this way, giving the three boys false hope, but it wouldn’t do any good to shatter their good mood now. She hoped Mac really did have an idea about how to break the truth to them gently, whenever he was planning on doing that.

  Chiriku shook her head, rolling her eyes. “I bet they sneeze diamonds too,” she mumbled. She lied back, closing her eyes and trying to imagine that she was on solid ground. She winced as she heard a musical, resonating tone, a sort of high-pitched wail. She opened her eyes and huffed, “Mac, what did I say about singing?”

  “That wasn’t-tkk me,” the lizard replied.

  They all heard the sound again, and it was coming from the sea. There were no other boats in sight, no lights from any distant towers. Theye were enveloped in the darkness of night, the glow of Ia Ternaut reflecting in silver slivers across the waves. Through that darkness came that unearthly wail, or a cacophony of wails. The wailing reverberated strangely, and no one could be sure what direction it was coming from.

  Gank screamed and fell flat to the deck on his belly, putting his arms over his head. “GHOST!” he squeaked.