SOLO III
Demon World
Part 040
The ship sails south for a week. Out of a
sheer desire to keep busy, Gail and Ada have helped Cookpot make
gunpowder. This has tripled his production and he is more than
pleased. Also the smell of dragon dung has saturated their work
clothes, so there are no more Mates trying to sneak into their room.
The sea is calm the whole time, but the sky boils
with lightning and thunder heads. There are spotty scattered
showers. Very isolated, like a lone pillar of rain in the
ocean. The electrical storm overhead never lets up.
Lightning bolts, sheet lighting, green flashes, even pink
flickers. It's mostly silent. Just a continual display of
discharges and electric color. At night its positively beautiful.
One night leaning over the rail with Cookpot he
speaks on the matter. They day's alchemy is done and some of the
dragon paste is curing down in the galley. Cookpot notices how
facinated by the electrical storm Gail and Ada are. He has also
heard that they don't know what ship stranded them there. So he's
taken to offering unasked for explanations. "It started twelve
years ago with the rivers of fire. Ever since that burning oil
took over the oceans we've had this display day an night. But you
only really see the colors at night." Green and red flashes play
against each other in the sky.
The ship skirts along the coast of a continent then
enters The Thousand Isles. Between two continents are islands
scattered and packed in close. Like the continents used to be
one, was ripped in half, and the islands are the crumbs left over from
the tear. Island after island the ship sails on. They all
look the same. Green cluster of jungle, surrounded by pure white
sand, and briliant blue waters.
At the end of the week the gunpowder is done.
Thirty charges thanks to Gail and Ada's help. "This alone would
have covered you and the old man." Cookpot says.
And finaly the ship reaches it's destination.
Twenty seven ships are anchored on the west side of an island.
All along the beach are huts and verandas made of bamboo and palm
leaves. The beaches are covered with people and barrels.
Long boats are pulled up on shore. Commerce is happening, and no
small amount of celebration.
The captain has his boat untied and lowered to the
water, before the ship drops anchor. He, Lisa, and the three
remaining blunderbuss go ashore. Standing in the front of the
boat while it's being lowered down he says to the first mate "Take the
powder trades, but hold off on them." He points to Gail and
Ada. "Till I'm here to verify the deal."
"Aye Captain." The Mate says.
After the boat sets off for shore the first mate
Steers in closer to some other ships. There he drops
anchor. Boats start comming from the beach and from other
ships. Onboard each are some mates, barrels of goods, and the
first mate of the other ships. Fierce negotiations
commence. They have all kinds of goods, clothing, loot, cargo,
weapons, food stuffs, and caged animals for trade. They all want
gunpowder. Many of the poorer ones just try to trade for a bucket
of raw dung. So they can make it themselves.
Trading goes on till late in the afternoon.
Once complete the deck of the ship is littered with goods. After
the last boat rows away, all the mates come over too Cookpot. The
first mate puts his hand on Cookpot's shoulder. "We made a
killin." And the rest of the crew erupts with a cheer.
"Three times the normal powder ready, and all of it traded at top
barrel head." Cookpot is a little flustered and shy about all the
attention, but all the mates have to pat him on the back or shake his
hand.
The sun is getting low in the sky, setting on the
far side of the island. The tree line on the beach is getting
dark and large bonfires are springing up. Snatches of singing and
carousing can be heard.
"Aboard there!" A voice calls out from the
sea. It's a boat with two mates rowing, the first mate out front
calling out, and three women in white leathers sitting in the
back. "I'm here to trade for the look out!"
The first mate of the Profit runs to the rail and
answers him. "Turn about. No trade with out the
Captain. No. No trade without the captain."
Dejected the man sits down in the front of the boat
and the mates rowing turn the boat around. The three young ladies
just stare at Gail and Ada as the boat turns beneath them. Even
as they return to their ship they keep watching.
Another boat comes along side. Two mates are
rowing, a first mate is standing in the front, and in the back is one
young lady in white leathers. "Aboard there!"
Before he can even say more the first mate of the
Profit calls back "No trade without the captain!"
Undetered the lady in white leather pulls open the
lid of a large chest at her feet. In the last of the fading light
there is the glint of gold. "Ten thousand peices of gold, and the
best look out we have!"
The first mate of the profit pauses. He licks
his lips. But he answers as before. "No trades without what
the captain being here."
Later anther boat with six women, and three lookouts
pulls up to trade. After the first mate says "no" a bunch of
times, and they finally leave he says to Gail. "I think different
ships are pulling together. No on can trade that much." He
rubs his chin, steps closer, and speaks softer. "What doesn't
float is that Uncle, your old man, refused to come down. Why he
even made the Captain climb up there to talk to him one night.
Stayed up there all night he did. Don't know what he told him,
but in the morning he came down shaken and pale looking. I went
over to him and asked if he was all right. You know what he
said." The first mate pauses and looks hard into Gail's
eyes. "Said to me 'he can see ships at the trading beach' then he
went below deck. Didn't come out for a whole day. See that
what doesn't float. No one can see that far. No one.
But what really surprises me, is all these bucket heads seem to believe
him. The captain I mean. Why else we gettin so many crazy
offers for that old geezer." The first mate seems to have run out
of steam. He turns back to the rail and just looks at the
beach. "What are they saying on that beach?"
Two boats come rowing up in the darkness. Most
of the goods on deck have been lowered into the hold. The first
mate is sitting up on the rail, his feet dangling over. Like a
tired man he says "No trades without the captain!"
From one of the boats the Captain's voice calls out
"Aboard there!" Some lanterns are unhooded in the boats and all
the occupants are revealed. The Captain is rowing one boat, and
in the other boat is another Captain and his own first mate at the
oars. The captain of the Profit calls out "Bad news lads!
You gotta haul up all that cargo again. Traded us a new
ship. We crew the 'reef cutter' now, and a four master she be!"
The crew is stunned. Simply stunned.
Suddenly they all start dancing, doing jigs, locking arms, and skiping
in circles. The captain continues. "The Profit belongs to
Captain Nail now."
The first mate unrolls a rope ladder and the Captain
catches it. Looking up with a big grin he says "Pack your stuff
boys, we're moving up!" Nimbly the Captain come up the rope
ladder, swings over the rail, and land on deck. He and the first
mate shake hands. They grip each other at the wrists and shake
firm, leaning in close, like brothers. "Mate, get our three
guests over to the Triangle. The captain there will be expecting
them." They let go of each others arms and the Captain comes over
to Gail and Ada. "They'll take good care of you on the
Triangle. She's the luckiest ship in the world." Then the
captain remembers something and turns back to The first mate.
"Guzzler, you go ashore after you deliver them. We'll set up the
new ship." The captain puts his hand on the first mates
shoulder. "And you're gonna need to find us some new mates.
That's a right big ship, the Reef Cutter is."
Next