tray on a side table and
served.
The older man with two ponytails turned out
to be the captain. She snatched glances at him, surprised that he
didn't look as fierce as Farq. She gave him and Farq the largest
cakes. Sweating with terror, she was glad for the shade that the
awning provided. The remaining men were less intimidating. Her
heart slowed and her hands finally stopped trembling. She
approached the green-robed man with the last goblet.
His attention was firmly fixed on the
fountain of dust in the bowl. What was he doing? He scooped
handfuls of dust then let it drain through his fingers and wash
across the back of his scabbed and wrinkled hands. When he didn't
acknowledge her, she coughed.
"What?" he snapped without looking up.
"What?"
"G-gej-juice, sir." She held out a goblet and
plate.
"Not now. Leave it. Go."
She jumped backward into the table behind
him, and put down his refreshments. They clacked on the glass top.
She leaned forward to see what lay below. It was some kind of map,
but not like any of the ones her uncle had showed her. Instead of
winding roads, rivers, carefully drawn mountains and towns, this
was just a mess of crisscrossed lines and numbers.
Farq and the captain paced back and forth. It
wouldn't do to get under their feet, so she scurried across to the
rail at the very rear of the ship. Once there, she couldn't resist
leaning over and looking down.
A churning wake trailed behind the ship.
Purple and blue sparks flickered and glinted in the suns-light. She
snapped her eyes closed, wanting them to be a trick of the late
afternoon light. When she looked, the colors still sparkled on the
surface of the dust. She combed her hair with her fingers,
mesmerized.
A circular shape broke the surface. She
leaned further over the rail, immediately recognizing the creature
with the four stumps on its head. A spiny crest lay half submerged,
and she wondered how large the creature was. It swam effortlessly,
keeping pace with the ship. The head rotated and piercing red eyes
popped open, looking up at her. She squealed, forced to wrap her
hands around the rail to avoid tumbling over. Heart pounding, she
stepped safely back. The creature's gaze seemed to pierce right
through her. Did it just blink? She shivered. The head sank
abruptly, and she ran up and down the rail searching for it.
"What's this?" a rough voice croaked. "Who
left this on my chart?"
She whirled around, grimacing, startled to
discover every one of the officers glaring at her.
"Why, by the fins of Totalamon, is that girl
standing around on my command deck?" the captain shouted.
"Girl!" Farq stabbed his finger in her
direction, then at the deck at his feet, his face purple.
She froze, mouth agape, her heart threatening
to explode from her chest. He growled and stormed toward her.
Her mind begged her to flee, but her body
failed to respond. Only when his menacing shadow fell across her,
did she finally escape her paralysis. Her legs crumpled and she
collapsed to the deck, scrambling frantically away, fingers clawing
at the deck. Feeling the wooden rail at her back with no way to
escape, she wailed.
"Please, sir. I was waiting... to take them
away. The empty goblets. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be in the
way-"
"Shut up!"
His slap spun her head hard to one side,
cracking it against the rail post. She screamed. Her head was on
fire. Two blurry Farq's towered over her.
"Didn't you listen to a word I said?" he
roared. "Or are you too stupid to obey?"
He backhanded her across the mouth, his ring
slicing into her lip. She crashed flat on the deck, coughing and
gagging on blood.
"Never disobey me."
Whimpering, she cowered, tensed for the next
blow. His leg rose, and she wrapped her arms about her bleeding
face. His boot connected with her thigh. Sharp pain raced down her
leg, followed by agonizing pins and needles. All sound faded, and
her vision narrowed. A voice droned at her from the end of a long,
dark tunnel. In the other direction lay
served.
The older man with two ponytails turned out
to be the captain. She snatched glances at him, surprised that he
didn't look as fierce as Farq. She gave him and Farq the largest
cakes. Sweating with terror, she was glad for the shade that the
awning provided. The remaining men were less intimidating. Her
heart slowed and her hands finally stopped trembling. She
approached the green-robed man with the last goblet.
His attention was firmly fixed on the
fountain of dust in the bowl. What was he doing? He scooped
handfuls of dust then let it drain through his fingers and wash
across the back of his scabbed and wrinkled hands. When he didn't
acknowledge her, she coughed.
"What?" he snapped without looking up.
"What?"
"G-gej-juice, sir." She held out a goblet and
plate.
"Not now. Leave it. Go."
She jumped backward into the table behind
him, and put down his refreshments. They clacked on the glass top.
She leaned forward to see what lay below. It was some kind of map,
but not like any of the ones her uncle had showed her. Instead of
winding roads, rivers, carefully drawn mountains and towns, this
was just a mess of crisscrossed lines and numbers.
Farq and the captain paced back and forth. It
wouldn't do to get under their feet, so she scurried across to the
rail at the very rear of the ship. Once there, she couldn't resist
leaning over and looking down.
A churning wake trailed behind the ship.
Purple and blue sparks flickered and glinted in the suns-light. She
snapped her eyes closed, wanting them to be a trick of the late
afternoon light. When she looked, the colors still sparkled on the
surface of the dust. She combed her hair with her fingers,
mesmerized.
A circular shape broke the surface. She
leaned further over the rail, immediately recognizing the creature
with the four stumps on its head. A spiny crest lay half submerged,
and she wondered how large the creature was. It swam effortlessly,
keeping pace with the ship. The head rotated and piercing red eyes
popped open, looking up at her. She squealed, forced to wrap her
hands around the rail to avoid tumbling over. Heart pounding, she
stepped safely back. The creature's gaze seemed to pierce right
through her. Did it just blink? She shivered. The head sank
abruptly, and she ran up and down the rail searching for it.
"What's this?" a rough voice croaked. "Who
left this on my chart?"
She whirled around, grimacing, startled to
discover every one of the officers glaring at her.
"Why, by the fins of Totalamon, is that girl
standing around on my command deck?" the captain shouted.
"Girl!" Farq stabbed his finger in her
direction, then at the deck at his feet, his face purple.
She froze, mouth agape, her heart threatening
to explode from her chest. He growled and stormed toward her.
Her mind begged her to flee, but her body
failed to respond. Only when his menacing shadow fell across her,
did she finally escape her paralysis. Her legs crumpled and she
collapsed to the deck, scrambling frantically away, fingers clawing
at the deck. Feeling the wooden rail at her back with no way to
escape, she wailed.
"Please, sir. I was waiting... to take them
away. The empty goblets. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be in the
way-"
"Shut up!"
His slap spun her head hard to one side,
cracking it against the rail post. She screamed. Her head was on
fire. Two blurry Farq's towered over her.
"Didn't you listen to a word I said?" he
roared. "Or are you too stupid to obey?"
He backhanded her across the mouth, his ring
slicing into her lip. She crashed flat on the deck, coughing and
gagging on blood.
"Never disobey me."
Whimpering, she cowered, tensed for the next
blow. His leg rose, and she wrapped her arms about her bleeding
face. His boot connected with her thigh. Sharp pain raced down her
leg, followed by agonizing pins and needles. All sound faded, and
her vision narrowed. A voice droned at her from the end of a long,
dark tunnel. In the other direction lay
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