Curse of the Sea: Book One of The Admiralty Archives

by Joni Parker

  “Fine, like I took a nap. Did I really shrink down?”

  “Yes, you were about a foot long. We measured you.” He held his hands a foot apart to show him. “Do you feel dizzy or nauseated?”

  “No, I’m fine.” Jeffrey shrugged. “It really does work.”

  “Walk around.”

  Jeffrey took a short stroll around the room.

  Lord Odin rose from his chair. “As you can see, there are no ill effects from this potion; you’ll be completely safe. It’s the best and fastest way to get you home.”

  “May I ask what would happen if we didn’t take the counter-potion?” Captain Jonas hoped to avoid this step altogether and leave Alex behind.

  “You’d stay small for at least thirty days.”

  “It takes thirty days?” He grimaced.

  “If it means I’ll get home, I’ll take it,” one of the sailors said. The rest agreed.

  Captain Jonas sighed. “Very well, Lord Odin. We’ll take your potion. We’re prepared to leave as soon as possible.” He turned to Captain Williams, the American woman. “Captain Williams, you’re the next senior officer, so you’ll have the con.”

  “Roger that, Captain.” She grinned. “Send that ship back real soon.”

  “I will.” Jonas turned to the senior enlisted man. “Master Chief, muster the first group at the ship at zero-six-hundred hours in the morning.”

  “Aye, aye, Captain.” The Chief snapped to attention. “They’ll be there.”

  Chapter 6

  ECSTASY’S SHUTTLE

  The next morning, the sailors stood in ranks on the dock near the little red ship. They wore the uniforms of their home countries—the United States, Great Britain, France, Canada, and Italy. Alex came up from behind with the Commandant, Lord Odin, Colonel Jeffrey, Prince Darin, and the Elf healer, Canfis. She wore her brown uniform as she would have worn if she were reporting to her foster father, Colonel Penser. This was official business. Her brown cloak fluttered in the breeze as the group converged at the ship. Ecstasy stepped out on deck.

  Captain Jonas stepped forward. “Ecstasy, we’re ready to begin. Are you?”

  “Yes, sir!” He saluted and stomped his foot. “How do you want to do this?”

  Lord Odin went up to him. “We’ll bring ten people on board at a time and administer the potion. Once that group is finished, the next ten will board. Alex, pay attention. You’ll have to do this on the other end.”

  “Yes, Grandfather.”

  The first ten people filed onto the ship with Lord Odin, Alex, and Canfis. They gave each person a cup of water with the shrinking potion. Once they shrank in size, Alex and Canfis placed them in a bin. The next group came in and the same procedure was followed until the final group. One last cup of water remained and Captain Jonas stood beside it.

  “I want to monitor the situation, so I’d like to remain as I am. I’d be more than happy to administer the counter-potion.”

  “Alex will do it, Captain. There’s no need to worry,” Lord Odin said.

  “May I ask, why send your granddaughter?”

  “As I told you before, Alex has experience doing this. Well, if you wish to remain as you are, I believe the ship can handle the extra weight.” Lord Odin turned to Alex and held her in his arms. “Have a safe trip and come back right away. You have several more trips to make.” He released her and stepped back. “Oh, give me your weapons, Alex. You’d better not take them.”

  Alex took off her sword belt and wrapped it around her sword. Then she undid the buckles that held her Elfin Blade in place on her right thigh, removed a knife blade from each boot, and gave him the cuffs around her wrists that held her assassin’s blades in place. “I’ll probably need my eating knife.” She patted the knife on her belt. “I think that’s all. What about the keys?”

  “I’ll hold them until you get back. Canfis, give me a hand with this.” Lord Odin handed him some of her weapons and took the leather pouch with the keys.

  Captain Jonas bit his lip as he watched her remove her weapons. She’d been armed all this time with several hidden weapons. What else could she be carrying that no one could see? What about that blue light?

  Ecstasy held his hands together, worried. “Are you certain they’ll be all right? They look like babies in cradles.”

  “Yes, they’ll be fine.” Alex had the blue bottle of reverse potion in her hand and placed the glass tube in her pocket. She sat on one of the red sofas while Captain Jonas sat on the opposite side of the room to monitor activities.

  Ecstasy waved for Lord Odin and Canfis to leave the ship and closed the door behind them. “Let’s begin.” He waved his wand in the air as if he were conducting an orchestra and said a spell:

  “Wand of mine, it’s time to depart,

  Prepare the ship and give her a start.”

  The ship’s sails unfurled; the ropes untied and coiled up on deck, and the gangplank pulled in. Captain Jonas stared out of the small porthole, watching the action. The ship moved from the dock and turned into the wind.

  “Here we go.” Ecstasy waved his arms again.

  “Wand of mine, move out fast,

  Off to London and don’t be last.”

  The ship picked up speed and lifted out of the water. Ecstasy slipped his wand into a slot on the console.

  Alex sat on the sofa—her hands clenched tightly; her knuckles turned white as she felt the ship rise. But the flight was smooth and she relaxed until lightning cracked.

  “Ecstasy, why does your ship create lightning?” Alex asked.

  Ecstasy shrugged and looked puzzled.

  “Friction creates static electricity, which creates lightning.” Captain Jonas turned back to the porthole and watched with interest. He calmly strolled aft to check on the sailors in the bins. Then he sat down on the other sofa as Ecstasy sat down next to Alex.

  “Don’t you need to steer this?” the Captain asked.

  “No, I told it to go to London, so that’s where it’ll go.”

  “It could go to a different London. There are many cities with that name.”

  “No, the ship knows to go to London, England. It’s the only London I know.”

  “Is it possible to see where we’re going? I’d like to see how we go through this portal.”

  “Certainly.” Ecstasy waved his arms at a curtain and uncovered a large window across the end of the room. The Elf Seas spread out before them. The continents appeared to be emerald green islands in a blue lake, surrounded by a line of billowing clouds, hiding any view of what lay beyond the edge.

  Captain Jonas stepped closer to the window and touched the glass. “Won’t this window get too hot?”

  “Oh no, it’s made of special materials. Nemesis, my late husband, said it was made of aluminum something or other. They use it on the space station. Isn’t it wonderful?” Ecstasy stared out the window, a tear running down his face. He wiped it away and glanced at Alex—his feelings about her were conflicted. On the one hand, she’d killed Nemesis, his true love, but on the other, she’d spared his life. Was she a friend or foe? “How’s everyone doing? Alex? You’ve never ridden in my ship before. Isn’t it wonderful? Let’s have some tea.”

  “Oh, yes. Was Nemesis really your husband?” Alex asked.

  “For three wonderful years.”

  Captain Jonas pointed to the clouds. “Alex, what lies beyond those clouds?”

  She shrugged. “The edge of Eledon, I think.”

  “You don’t know?”

  “We can’t get close to it. It pushes us away.”

  “Where’s this portal?” The Captain gazed out the window.

  Ecstasy pointed up to the right as the ship turned in that direction. “Coming up.”

  A white ring appeared in the upper right-hand corner of the window and moved to the center as the ship sped toward it. A clear bubble surrounded the ship as it headed into a dark tunnel. Sometime later, it shot out the other end. The moon was so close, its craters and mountains could be
seen clearly and it was so bright it was nearly blinding. The bubble around the ship disappeared.

  “What was that bubble?” The Captain asked. “Where did it go?”

  “It provides some protection through the wormhole. Don’t you just love this view?” Ecstasy stared for a few moments and went to the kitchen. He brought out a teapot, three cups, and a basket of pastries, placing them on the table. “I made these scones myself. Here’s some coddled milk and jam. They’re yummy.” He fixed one for Alex and handed it to her.

  Alex sat down on the sofa and took a bite of the scone and sipped the tea. “These scones are delicious, Ecstasy.”

  Captain Jonas sipped his tea and ate his scone. He raised his eyebrows. “Excellent. Just how does one become a wizard, Ecstasy?” He sat stiffly on the sofa, trying to relax, but beads of sweat formed on his brow. His anxiety was rising rather than falling. He calmed his nerves by talking.

  “I noticed when I was young I could do things other children couldn’t. One day, I turned this nasty, awful boy into a toad. Of course, I turned him back again but he never bothered me again. I’ve never looked back. What made you join the Navy?” Ecstasy smiled.

  “It was my duty. My family’s history is full of famous seamen.”

  “Really?”

  “Did you ever hear of Captain Joseph Pallis or Captain Horace Bertigam?” Alex fixed another scone, slathering it with coddled milk and jam.

  “Yes, those names sound familiar. Captain Bertigam was captain of the HMS Crystal Star and was lost at sea in 1625. Captain Pallis was a rival and contemporary of his. He was also lost at sea, about five years earlier on the HMS Watchman. How do you know them?”

  “They used to live on Seaward Isle.”

  “Impossible. They lived in the seventeenth century almost four hundred years ago.” The Captain glared at her.

  Alex shrugged. “This island does strange things to time. Why did you name your ship, HMS Camelot?”

  “I didn’t name it.” He chuckled. “We have a protocol for naming ships and the name was selected by a committee and approved by Parliament and the King. It’s quite a rigorous procedure.”

  “King Arthur approved it?”

  “King Arthur was a legend. He never existed.”

  “Yes, he did. I met him.”

  “You have a vivid imagination, young lady.” Captain Jonas sipped his tea.

  A red light flashed in the room and a female voice said, “Approaching Earth.”

  “Wait, here’s the best view.” Ecstasy pointed excitedly at the window as the ship turned to the right and the blue planet came into view.

  Alex’s jaw dropped and her eyes opened wide.

  “Isn’t it wonderful?” Ecstasy clasped his hands together. “It won’t take us much longer. You might want to rest for a while.”

  “I don’t think I can, Ecstasy.” Alex shook her head. “That’s the mortal world? It’s beautiful, like a blue sapphire.”

  “I just love this view.” Ecstasy held his hands together in front of him and sighed.

  Captain Jonas pressed his hand against the wall. It was cool to the touch. “How can this ship do this?”

  “Magic can do wonderful things.”

  “I don’t believe in magic.”

  “I can tell. You need to loosen up a bit. There’s a lot in this world you can’t explain without a little magic.” He waved his hands in the air and looked over to Alex. “Alex is very magical.”

  She choked on her tea and started to cough.

  “You are.” Ecstasy nodded at her.

  “Well, I shall check on my crew and make certain everything’s all right. Are you prepared to administer the potion, Alex?” Captain Jonas glanced at her. “I expect this will be done expeditiously.”

  “I can only do ten at a time, Captain.”

  “I can help you carry them.”

  “It’s not that. They need room to get bigger before they can get up and move around. It takes a few minutes for the potion to work and a few more for them to recover. It’s best not to rush it.”

  “I’m going to check on them.” The Captain headed back.

  Ecstasy snuggled closer to Alex after he left. “I have to talk to you privately. I have a problem. Nemesis’ brother is looking for me. If you think Nemesis was bad, his brother is worse. Just listen to his name…Malicious.” He shuddered.

  Alex chuckled. “Malicious? He sounds bad.”

  “He is and he’s coming for me. I need your protection.”

  “How do you know?”

  “Read this.” He got his wand from the console and waved it. “Reveal firegram.” Red sparks flew out of the tip and formed letters in the air that read, Where’s Nemesis?

  Alex waited for the rest. “And?”

  “That’s it.”

  “It doesn’t say he’s coming for you.”

  “But he will, as soon as he finds out his brother’s dead.”

  “Well, tell him I killed him. That’s the truth. He’ll come after me.”

  “No, he won’t. He’ll come after me for not protecting him. I told him I would. Gosh, I loved that man so much.” He dabbed tears from his eyes. “People just don’t understand.”

  “Then tell him another wizard in the Octagon did it. They’re all dead.”

  “Oh, don’t be silly. Oh, wait.” A mischievous glimmer came to his eyes and he waved his wand. “Firegram, prepare reply.” After wetting his lips, he said, “Nemesis is dead. Stalker did it.” The message appeared as flaming red letters floating in the air. He waved the wand again. “Send reply.” As soon as it disappeared, he giggled. “That should do it. Stalker is on the other side of the globe. Thank you.” He put his hand on Alex’s. “Did you bring your wand?”

  She showed him her necklace with the green stone and removed it from the chain. After squeezing it gently, her wand appeared. “I did.”

  “Allow me to give you your first lesson.” He pulled a silk flower out of a vase. “Make the flower rise.”

  “How?”

  “Just tell your wand what to do, like ‘Wand of you know, do this.’”

  “Wand of Spiritus, make this flower rise.” She waved her wand with a flourish. “Rise!” The flower shot up to the ceiling and fell to the floor.

  “Gently, Alex. That’s too strong.”

  This time, Alex waved her wand gently. “Rise,” she said softly. The silk flower hovered in the air.

  “That’s it. Well done.”

  Captain Jonas cleared his throat and stood in the doorway, watching the lesson. He sat down on the sofa. “How much longer, Ecstasy?”

  “Not much. Let’s get everything cleaned up and prepare for landing.” Ecstasy patted Alex on the knee and grabbed the flower out of the air, returning it to the vase.

  Alex pursed her lips and changed her wand back into a green stone. Class was over.

  Chapter 7

  LANDING

  Through the front window of the red ship, the Earth grew. Details of the planet became visible—mountain ranges, rivers, deep gorges, forests. Alex was mesmerized—it was the most fantastic sight she’d ever seen. The ship slowed and there was some noise outside.

  Ecstasy put his wand back in the console. “The sails have to come down during this part. If I don’t, they’ll burn up. I forgot to do it once; I can’t believe the mess I had—no sails. It was simply awful.” He waved his hands. “Oh, I have to close the curtain during this part, too. Sorry. You can look out the portholes if you want to watch.” Ecstasy pulled the curtain shut as bright flames flashed outside.

  “Prepare for landing,” Ecstasy said. “Captain Jonas, please sit down and buckle your seat belt. This is the only tricky part. Landings are always difficult on Earth. There are cross winds and rough seas to deal with. Sit down and relax. This ship has done it many times.” He waved his arms once more.

  “Wand of mine, it’s time to land,

  Find us privacy and hide our hand.”

  The ship slowed further, making wide c
ircles in the sky before coming down on the water in a rough and bumpy landing. The little ship was tossed in the waves and slowed to a stop. Water lapped against the sides.

  Ecstasy waved his hands, opening the curtain. “Ta-daaa!” The ship was in a thick fog bank and rocked on the water. “Ew! Fog again. Well, that’s privacy for you. We made it in record time.” He tapped his watch.

  The ship cruised on as they stared ahead, searching for land. Slowly, a harbor came into view with warehouses and quays stacked with cargo. The ship continued past the Tower of London and pulled up to a metal dock, jutting out into the water. Ecstasy waved his arms in the air and lines flew off the ship, tying it to the dock and the gangplank was lowered.

  Captain Jonas turned to him. “You can’t stop here. You have to have a permit.”

  “I always stop here. No one else has ever asked me for a permit. Alex, you can begin now.” He waved her to the back.

  Alex took the potion bottle and went to the back room. Captain Jonas followed behind. She lifted out the first passenger—it was Jeffrey. She placed him gently on the rug, but Captain Jonas stopped her and returned him to the crib.

  “Captain, I wanted Jeffrey first so he could help me.”

  He placed another man on the rug. “He’ll help you.” Captain Jonas went back for one more until ten were lying on the floor.

  Alex groaned, placing them further apart and put a drop of potion in the mouth of each one. By the time she finished with the last man, the first one was restored to full size. He sat up and stretched.

  Captain Jonas patted him on the back and helped him up. He took him aside and spoke to him privately.

  “Alex, this is Leftenant Malloy, my administrative officer. He’ll assist you with the rest of the men. Ecstasy, I’ll go ashore and find help. I’ll be back.” The Captain pointed to five men and led them off the ship. The fog was extremely thick, but he could see well enough to get his bearings. His group soon disappeared.

  Alex and Leftenant Malloy worked on the rest of the passengers. It was a slow and tedious process, but continued smoothly. Soon, the ship was so crowded that sailors waited outside.