Lintang and the Pirate Queen

by Tamara Moss

  Bayani touched the girl’s shoulder. ‘Who are you?’

  The girl didn’t open her eyes. ‘P–Pelita.’

  ‘No, who were you before Pelita? Before you became a pixie?’

  She frowned. ‘There was fire. In the sky.’

  ‘A dragon?’

  ‘Dra … gon?’

  ‘Was the fire from a dragon?’

  ‘Stars. Stars falling.’

  Lintang had lost track of the conversation. So much was happening. Where was Pelita? Who was this girl? Why did she talk about the harvester, the Goddess of Death?

  Bayani exchanged a glance with Captain Shafira. ‘Is there a mythie that makes stars fall?’

  Pelita finally opened her eyes again. ‘What’s a mythie?’

  ‘You can ask her questions later,’ Hewan said. ‘I have to make sure she’s not in need of urgent medical attention. Xiang, if you please.’

  ‘Bayani, Bayani, Bayani,’ Pelita said as Xiang scooped her up. A tear rolled down her cheek. ‘Bayani, Bayani, Bayani.’

  Bayani lifted the back of her hair as if checking for something before Xiang took her away.

  ‘Why is she saying your name like that?’ Lintang said. Her mind was trying to bring the sparked memory to the surface, but the chaos had confused her. She was frightened – she just didn’t know why.

  Bayani said nothing.

  ‘What’s a mythie.’ Captain Shafira frowned at him. ‘That’s what she said.’

  Bayani nodded slowly. ‘And she spoke about the shooting stars.’

  ‘The shooting stars? As in, the ones that were said to go overhead before the mythie infestation? Bayani, that was over a century ago. You’re telling me that girl is a hundred and thirty years old.’

  ‘How else do you explain that she doesn’t know what mythies are? Besides, she’s an Islander, but she doesn’t have Nyasamdra’s mark. She was born before the sea guardian.’

  Lintang was sick of this. They had secrets, the captain and Bayani, and neither of them had bothered to say a word to her. ‘Tell me what’s going on!’

  The rest of the crew waited, silent. Xiang returned and stood by Captain Shafira’s side.

  ‘The mythies are humans,’ Captain Shafira said. ‘Just sick humans. It looks like Curall can turn them back.’

  ‘What?’ Yamini said.

  Lintang’s breath whooshed past her lips. It couldn’t be true. It was a mistake; an awful mistake.

  Xiang looked at Bayani, puzzled. ‘How did you know?’

  ‘Mratzi came to me when I was ill last season and explained everything.’

  There was a silence. The ship lurched as the swell grew heavier. Candles flickered in their frosted glass, and the lanterns swung above them.

  ‘Mratzi,’ Quahah said. ‘The harvester of stars.’

  Bayani stared at the ground and nodded.

  Quahah scrutinised him. ‘She just … dropped in for a chat? Do you often have the Goddess of Death over for a visit? Do I need to start brushing my teeth again?’

  ‘I …’ Bayani said, hesitating and glancing at Lintang. ‘I died in Sundriya.’

  Lintang sat down. It was a violent movement, accompanied by a painful thud when she hit the chair.

  She’d feared for him while he was away, of course she had, but he’d come back fit and healthy, and she’d assumed her worry had been for nothing.

  It hadn’t been for nothing. He’d died.

  ‘So Mratzi came to you to harvest your star,’ Xiang said, understanding. ‘But instead of taking you to Ytzuam, she told you that mythies are humans and let you live so you could … what? Spread the word?’

  Bayani hung his head. ‘No one believed me. The medic blamed the fever. Mother was going to leave me behind for more tests, but I didn’t want to stay in Sundriya. I just wanted to go home. I told them I’d dreamed the whole thing. I didn’t know what to do. My last hope was stowing away and seeing Leika of Zaiben –’

  ‘Who?’

  ‘The author of The Mythie Guidebook. I thought she could help, considering she wrote a whole book on mythies, except …’

  ‘Except I told him she wasn’t real,’ Captain Shafira said. ‘Leika is just a code name for a group of Vierzans who travelled the world collecting stories to compile into a single volume.’

  Xiang frowned at her. ‘You knew about all this?’

  ‘Bayani told me after we faced the sea guardian. I thought he’d probably imagined it because of the fever, but …’ She looked at him. ‘I was wrong. I’m so sorry I doubted you.’

  He gave a wan smile. ‘At least you let me explain. I can’t say the same for anyone else.’

  ‘You didn’t even try to explain to me.’ The words were poison in Lintang’s mouth. She felt sick. All this time … He had kept these secrets from her all this time.

  He’d died, and met the harvester, and discovered the world’s biggest lie, and he hadn’t told her any of it.

  ‘I thought you’d laugh,’ he said weakly. ‘Imagine if I’d walked up to you out of nowhere and said I’d met Mratzi. You’d think I was mad.’

  ‘It sounds crazy without proof,’ Captain Shafira said.

  Bayani stared at the ground. ‘You’re a storyteller, Lintang. How could you have possibly believed me?’

  ‘You didn’t give me a chance! I offered to help you. I wanted to help you. I …’ She trailed off, the words lodged in her throat.

  ‘What was Mratzi like?’ Mei said.

  Bayani looked at Lintang. Their argument wasn’t over, they both knew that, but they couldn’t continue with everyone else listening.

  ‘I couldn’t see her,’ he said, turning away from Lintang. ‘I could only sense her presence.’

  Mei nodded thoughtfully. ‘Did she speak Vierse or your native language?’

  ‘She didn’t speak at all. She kind of … pushed her thoughts into my head. It wasn’t words. It was ideas. She showed me images of humans and mythies being the same.’

  ‘What were the shooting stars, if they weren’t the Gods sending mythies to our world?’ Xiang said.

  ‘How did sickness begin?’ Eire said.

  ‘Is it contagious?’ Yamini said.

  Bayani dropped his head into his hands. ‘I don’t know. I don’t know anything else. I’m sorry.’

  ‘There are stories,’ Quahah said slowly, ‘of people becoming hosts to mythie eggs after slaying a mythie.’

  ‘But not everyone,’ Xiang said. ‘We haven’t.’

  ‘We’ve had the Curall,’ Captain Shafira said.

  Bayani glanced at Lintang. ‘How close were you to the malam rasha when it died? Or the sea serpent?’

  ‘Or the Caletromian mermaids?’ Quahah said.

  They all turned to Lintang.

  ‘I don’t know,’ she said. Who cared? What mattered was why Bayani hadn’t told her the truth in the first place.

  She turned away. It hurt to look at him. ‘I need some air.’

  ‘Lintang –’ Bayani said, but she ignored him, pushing through the crew to get to the door.

  ‘Lintang, wait.’

  Lintang stopped, only because it was Captain Shafira who spoke this time. She half-turned to face her.

  ‘You need to know –’ Captain Shafira started, but Bayani spoke over her.

  ‘Don’t. Please.’

  Captain Shafira frowned. ‘You have to tell her, Bayani.’

  Lintang brushed at angry tears. ‘Tell me what? No, let me guess,’ she said as Bayani opened his mouth. ‘Nothing. Nothing, nothing, nothing!’

  ‘I’m just trying to make it easier.’ Pleading crept into his voice. ‘There are some things you don’t want to know.’

  ‘If you don’t want to tell me, fine. You don’t have to. Who needs a best friend, anyway?’ And, before Captain Shafira could order her to stay and listen, she walked out.

  * * *

  THE MYTHIE GUIDEBOOK

  ENTRY #70: Lidao (Vierz)

  The lidao is a river mythie with an insatiable appetite
for shiny rocks. It’s amphibian, and is commonly mistaken for a toad. The only difference is its long tongue, which is blue instead of pink. In sunny weather, the sound of a bell will drive it away. In rainy weather, the sound of a bell will lure it closer.

  Diet: Gems, crystals and precious stones.

  Habitat: Riverbanks in Vierz, mostly near populated areas where gems are abundant.

  Frequency: Common.

  Behaviour: While they are usually slow, stupid creatures, these mythies can hop with erratic speed if chased. They live in burrows, and spend every waking moment searching for food.

  Eradication: Lidao can be captured by placing a strip of wood on their back, which causes them to become immobile. Once caught they can be squashed or pierced.

  Did you know? One recorded instance in the thirty-fifth year of the Bauei period claimed that a single lidao ate an entire warehouse of carnelian gemstones overnight.

  Danger level: 1

  * * *

  Gems and Bridges

  Lintang sat on her little hammock with her sack from home in her lap. She breathed in the euco oil, trying to commit to memory the soothing way it swirled in her nose and lungs. Even after everything, she was still being banished from the ship. As if Bayani’s betrayal hadn’t been enough.

  His extraordinary secret hadn’t made a difference. The captain’s word remained law. He and Lintang would be dropped in Zaiben, where they would have to find their own way home. Lintang hadn’t imagined it was possible to feel so miserable.

  She’d decided to wear her usual outfit to cover her scar, which was still searing with pain. Someone had sewn up her skivvy while she slept, as well as washed her dress and tights. It wasn’t quite the same, washing with sea water – everything was stiff and crusted with salt – but it was better than being dirty.

  There was a knock at her door. She tensed.

  ‘Lintang?’

  Lintang opened up to Avalon. He ducked his head so his dark hair fell over his eyes. ‘I’m supposed to take you to the captain.’

  Twip twipped from the crook of his neck.

  Lintang wanted to speak, wanted to tell him that she would miss him terribly, but her throat was dry and the words wouldn’t come.

  He gazed past her. ‘Don’t forget your sword.’

  She glanced carelessly to the corner of her room. ‘Don’t need it.’

  ‘Oh.’

  After an awkward silence, he held out the fur coat that was bundled in his arms. ‘From Xiang. Just in case.’

  Lintang moved to take it, but he held it at a funny angle and said, ‘Careful.’ There was a small bundle beneath the fur. A pouch. And, from what she could feel, it had Xiang’s darts inside.

  Avalon turned and headed down the passage without a word. She withdrew the pouch as she followed. It had a rope for slipping around her neck so she could hide it neatly beneath her dress. She wanted to hug both Avalon and Xiang, but they probably wouldn’t be allowed to hug her back. She tucked the pouch out of sight and slipped on the coat, instantly engulfed in warmth.

  They reached the mess to find Captain Shafira wearing a hooded cloak of deep-sea green. She stood with her back to the door while Xiang pinned colourful jewels in her braids.

  ‘Why couldn’t I keep my big mouth shut?’ Captain Shafira was saying quietly.

  ‘It’ll be fine,’ Xiang said. ‘Once we get back to –’

  Avalon cleared his throat. Xiang and Captain Shafira turned. Captain Shafira’s gaze fell to Lintang, who found herself unable to speak. Very soon, she would never see the Goddess again.

  Xiang finished pinning the last of the jewels in Captain Shafira’s braids. ‘Done.’

  ‘Thank you, Xiang. Remember our arrangement.’

  ‘Of course.’ For a heartbeat it looked as though Xiang might smile, but when she turned to Lintang there was only sadness in her eyes. ‘Safe travelling.’

  ‘Are you hungry?’ Captain Shafira.

  As if Lintang could eat. She shook her head. There was a lump in her throat that was threatening to turn into tears.

  ‘What’s going to happen?’ she said.

  Captain Shafira tied her red kerchief around her neck. ‘I’ll take you as far as the bridge into Zaiben. Once you’re in the city you can ask a vigil – that’s anyone in a grey uniform – for directions to Parliament House. Bayani and I discussed it, and we think he should try to convince the governors that mythies are human. Leika of Zaiben might not be real, but the governors certainly are, and they have the power to help. And, whether they believe him or not, they’ll still arrange to have a merchant ship take you back to Desa.’

  Lintang swallowed hard, her mind stuck on the first thing Captain Shafira had said. ‘You’re not coming into Zaiben with us?’

  Captain Shafira smiled grimly. ‘Considering I have a bounty on my head worth the cost of a small island, no, I think it’s better I keep away. Now, come on, the others are waiting.’ She swept out of the mess. Avalon gave Lintang’s hand one last squeeze before they followed the captain up the stairs to the sunny deck. It was a fine morning, no fog, although still cool.

  They headed for the rowboats, where the rest of the crew were rugged up, waiting for them. Everyone looked solemn.

  Lintang felt like Cass the village girl who had to be sacrificed to a river monster in one of her grandfather’s stories. Every step seemed to be taking her towards her doom.

  Zazi waited to lower one of the rowboats. Her large body cast a shadow over Bayani, who was already inside, holding a helping of fishcakes that steamed in the cold air. He smiled weakly at Lintang. She didn’t smile back.

  She put her sack of belongings in the rowboat. ‘Where’s Pelita?’

  ‘Sleeping,’ Captain Shafira said. ‘Hewan’s watching her. I’m sorry, but she can’t go with you. We have to work out what’s happened to her, and what needs to be done now. Obviously we can’t hunt the sirens anymore – maybe we can cure them, instead.’

  ‘Here,’ Dee said, passing Lintang more fishcakes. ‘For the trip.’ Her voice cracked on the last word. She sniffled and wiped her eyes.

  ‘Be safe,’ said Farah-the-clam-shell from Dee’s belt.

  Lintang climbed in next to Bayani.

  Quahah took off her woolly octopus hat and held it to her chest. ‘Take care, kippers.’

  Yamini stood by Zazi, hugging herself against the chill. She didn’t look sad that Lintang was going, but she didn’t gloat, either. Lintang had never thought she’d be envious of a cabin girl. It didn’t matter how horrible the chores were – at least Yamini got to stay.

  Captain Shafira hopped in the rowboat, and Eire handed her an empty sack. ‘I am not to come, Captain?’

  ‘No,’ Captain Shafira said. ‘I’ll be back soon.’

  Lintang took one last look at the crew. It really was like being sent to a river monster.

  Zazi winched them down, and before Lintang could properly grasp that she’d never see her or Dee or Quahah or Mei or Avalon again, they hit the sea with a jarring thud. Then they were off, heading towards the shore, Captain Shafira rowing backwards with swift, powerful strokes.

  Lintang bit into the fishcakes Dee had given her. They were probably delicious, but she was so upset that they crumbled in her mouth, tasteless. She stared dully at the misty coastline. The land rose and fell in folds like a blanket strewn over a bed, covered with clumpy grass of various greens. To the northeast were steep cliffs with a collection of grey clouds at the top, despite the blue sky all around.

  Zaiben.

  Bayani twisted to see behind them. ‘Where are they going?’

  Lintang turned too, and found the other three rowboats heading south.

  ‘To get timber for repairs and stock up on food,’ Captain Shafira said.

  They’d have a feast tonight. They’d play rouls and sing songs and tell stories, and Lintang wouldn’t be there.

  Captain Shafira stared over Lintang as she heaved at the oars, her attention fixed on her ship.

&nbs
p; Everything was different from their first journey together. Lintang stared at the captain’s boots, remembering the smell of leather and the feeling of utter awe of being chosen by the pirate queen. She’d been so desperate to make a good impression.

  And Captain Shafira had wanted her to do well. Hadn’t she said to Xiang that she wished she’d kept her mouth shut? Hadn’t she looked at Lintang with regret when she realised she was going to have to banish her from the ship?

  ‘I’m sorry.’ Lintang’s voice almost disappeared in the breeze. ‘I’m sorry I disobeyed you. I’m sorry I let you down. I’m so sorry, Captain.’

  Captain Shafira paused for barely a heartbeat as her gaze slid to Lintang. There was emotion in her eyes – dismay? Hope? Then she continued rowing as if Lintang hadn’t spoken.

  They drew closer to the rocks. Talrosses much bigger and darker than the ones in Desa plunged into the green water and surfaced with plump fish.

  The waves grew choppier. Droplets splashed onto Lintang’s bare hands, so cold they were like teeth against her skin. She was even too cold to pull Xiang’s coat tighter around her body. She clung to the edge of the rowboat as they rose and fell violently. Each dip had her losing her stomach, and her spine kept jarring as they hit the bottom. The wound on her arm stung from the jolts.

  Captain Shafira swung the boat around so they narrowly missed a jagged outcrop that had been hidden by swell moments before.

  Lintang wanted to ask if she was sure this was the best way into Zaiben, but the heaving sea took her breath and fear took her voice, so she placed her trust in the captain and prayed to Niti she wasn’t wrong.

  They were so close to the rocks now that she could see tiny perforations in them, like a sea sponge. Crabs watched them from small outcrops.

  Captain Shafira navigated around a curve of rocks, towards a hidden beach. She jumped out to push the rowboat ashore. Lintang and Bayani helped her drag it up, away from the later tides. Lintang’s legs were so wobbly she felt like a jellyfish trying to walk on tentacles. The ground beneath her seemed to be rocking. She’d been on the Winda too long – she’d forgotten what steady land felt like.

  Captain Shafira grabbed the empty sack and headed up the beach.