She identified assorted
sweet spices, jalak leaves of all types, dried fruits, syrups, and
sweet jams.
"What are you doing?" Cook asked from the
doorway, making her jump.
"Just looking, ma'am, nothing more. Trying to
find out where everything is."
The woman's gaze flitted around the room and
then at Lissa's hands and pockets.
"I told you to sharpen the knives."
"I did, ma'am."
"Already? Then you can't have done a good
job. I won't tolerate skimping, child."
"I didn't skimp, ma'am."
"Then let's take a look." The woman stomped
next door into the galley.
Lissa limped after her and waited patiently
while Cook opened a drawer and picked out a vegetable knife. She
ran a finger along its shiny, sharp blade, and then frowned at
Lissa. Putting it down, she reached for another. She gave a snort
and moved to the next drawer.
"Hmph. Not bad."
Her gaze shifted from Lissa to the doorway,
where Alice stood scowling at Lissa, lips in a wide pout.
Lissa's shoulders sagged and she uttered an
almost inaudible growl. How much had Alice overheard? She sighed,
no longer enjoying the pride in a job well done. Now Alice would
hate her even more.
Chapter 7 - Bandit
A gentle shaking woke Lissa the next morning,
and she opened one eye to see Branda's beaming face. Her return
smile morphed into a yawn, which turned into a yelp when her aching
jaw twinged.
"Chilled water, drink," Branda whispered and
offered a mug.
Lissa sipped, and Branda peered at her
swollen eye in the dim, pre-dawn light. Branda winced.
"You look awful. You work today?"
Lissa nodded, took another long swallow, and
climbed carefully out of her scheepa. She could barely see out of
her bad eye. It throbbed and itched.
"The physiker said no," she replied. "But to
be honest, I'd prefer not to have Cook mad at me. I'm sure I can do
something. At least I don't feel sick."
Branda wrinkled her nose and giggled.
"You need wash," she said. "Come."
"Oh, yes," Lissa replied, clawing her matted,
gross hair from her face.
She followed Branda down the hallway, around
the mast that penetrated the floor and continued up through the
ceiling, and toward the front of the ship, where the hull curved
inward. A deafening scraping sound could be heard from the deck
above, and Branda explained that the men cleared their scheepas and
set up the tables and benches every morning. The hallway ended in a
wide pair of doors with a mess of dried grass poking underneath. An
oglon bellowed from behind the doors and Lissa jumped.
"The manger," Branda said. "Where animals
are. I show you later."
She stopped before a door so tiny that Lissa
had mistaken it for a cupboard. The washroom resembled a tiny cell,
barely large enough for them both. Branda turned on a globelight
and showed Lissa how to stand in a low, wooden tub, and tug on an
overhead chain for water.
"Only two pulls. One to soak, one to rinse.
Half bell to breakfast." She slipped out and closed the door.
Lissa marveled at the washing device. It was
like nothing she had ever seen. She peeled off her clothes, making
a face at her sweaty, smelly body. A tug on the chain delivered a
deluge of freezing water, making her yelp and shiver. She applied
soapsand liberally, scrubbing her skin until it turned red. Ugly
black and purple bruises covered her legs and her right arm. She
spent extra time rubbing her hair, massaging her scalp, and teasing
it out with a metal comb. She winced at every snag, groaning and
cursing, but didn't stop until it hung heavy down her back. Then
she pulled the chain and rinsed. Her whole body relaxed. So much
better. The towel was thin and scratchy. As she dried herself, she
glanced at her heap of dirty clothes. If only she had another set.
Perhaps she could wash them before bed.
Cook blinked in surprise when she limped into
the galley a few moments after the bell rang for the fifth
time.
"Hmph," she grunted. "You're lucky. The
physiker ordered light duties." She paused a moment and then asked,
“You can
sweet spices, jalak leaves of all types, dried fruits, syrups, and
sweet jams.
"What are you doing?" Cook asked from the
doorway, making her jump.
"Just looking, ma'am, nothing more. Trying to
find out where everything is."
The woman's gaze flitted around the room and
then at Lissa's hands and pockets.
"I told you to sharpen the knives."
"I did, ma'am."
"Already? Then you can't have done a good
job. I won't tolerate skimping, child."
"I didn't skimp, ma'am."
"Then let's take a look." The woman stomped
next door into the galley.
Lissa limped after her and waited patiently
while Cook opened a drawer and picked out a vegetable knife. She
ran a finger along its shiny, sharp blade, and then frowned at
Lissa. Putting it down, she reached for another. She gave a snort
and moved to the next drawer.
"Hmph. Not bad."
Her gaze shifted from Lissa to the doorway,
where Alice stood scowling at Lissa, lips in a wide pout.
Lissa's shoulders sagged and she uttered an
almost inaudible growl. How much had Alice overheard? She sighed,
no longer enjoying the pride in a job well done. Now Alice would
hate her even more.
Chapter 7 - Bandit
A gentle shaking woke Lissa the next morning,
and she opened one eye to see Branda's beaming face. Her return
smile morphed into a yawn, which turned into a yelp when her aching
jaw twinged.
"Chilled water, drink," Branda whispered and
offered a mug.
Lissa sipped, and Branda peered at her
swollen eye in the dim, pre-dawn light. Branda winced.
"You look awful. You work today?"
Lissa nodded, took another long swallow, and
climbed carefully out of her scheepa. She could barely see out of
her bad eye. It throbbed and itched.
"The physiker said no," she replied. "But to
be honest, I'd prefer not to have Cook mad at me. I'm sure I can do
something. At least I don't feel sick."
Branda wrinkled her nose and giggled.
"You need wash," she said. "Come."
"Oh, yes," Lissa replied, clawing her matted,
gross hair from her face.
She followed Branda down the hallway, around
the mast that penetrated the floor and continued up through the
ceiling, and toward the front of the ship, where the hull curved
inward. A deafening scraping sound could be heard from the deck
above, and Branda explained that the men cleared their scheepas and
set up the tables and benches every morning. The hallway ended in a
wide pair of doors with a mess of dried grass poking underneath. An
oglon bellowed from behind the doors and Lissa jumped.
"The manger," Branda said. "Where animals
are. I show you later."
She stopped before a door so tiny that Lissa
had mistaken it for a cupboard. The washroom resembled a tiny cell,
barely large enough for them both. Branda turned on a globelight
and showed Lissa how to stand in a low, wooden tub, and tug on an
overhead chain for water.
"Only two pulls. One to soak, one to rinse.
Half bell to breakfast." She slipped out and closed the door.
Lissa marveled at the washing device. It was
like nothing she had ever seen. She peeled off her clothes, making
a face at her sweaty, smelly body. A tug on the chain delivered a
deluge of freezing water, making her yelp and shiver. She applied
soapsand liberally, scrubbing her skin until it turned red. Ugly
black and purple bruises covered her legs and her right arm. She
spent extra time rubbing her hair, massaging her scalp, and teasing
it out with a metal comb. She winced at every snag, groaning and
cursing, but didn't stop until it hung heavy down her back. Then
she pulled the chain and rinsed. Her whole body relaxed. So much
better. The towel was thin and scratchy. As she dried herself, she
glanced at her heap of dirty clothes. If only she had another set.
Perhaps she could wash them before bed.
Cook blinked in surprise when she limped into
the galley a few moments after the bell rang for the fifth
time.
"Hmph," she grunted. "You're lucky. The
physiker ordered light duties." She paused a moment and then asked,
“You can
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