The Dream Sanctum: Beyond The End by Kay Solo Page B

dock.
    It was a majestic craft. Finely-polished dark wood lined the sleek deck
and hull, and was bordered and stabilized with shining metals of black, silver
and gold. It was nearly sixty feet long, and appeared to have two levels below
the deck. A cabin stood on a raised platform near the back, undoubtedly where
the ship could be directed from, and a set of stairs on each side led down to
the lower deck. Below the cabin, a set of tinted glass doors opened into the
floors below, and a set of sturdy wooden doors to match the rest stood open on
each side, appearing as though they could be closed over the glass doors for
greater reinforcement. Finally, a number of silken, triangular sails hung
folded on three masts that lined the center deck.
    “Good lord,” Alastor murmured in a tone of pure admiration, walking over
and running his hand along the smooth wooden hull. From his side, Elvia showed
her appreciation by raising an eyebrow as she studied the ship. “You really
went all out on this.”
    “Don’t say that until you’ve had a look around!” Carpenter replied,
though he was very clearly pleased at the compliment.
    “Oh, can we go and look?” asked Lindsay, looking positively ecstatic.
    “Of course! Hop on in and check it out. There isn’t much above deck, but
start there anyway. You can all check out the cabin as well. I hopefully made
everything simple enough so that any one of you can take control of the ship
necessary. Anyway, get on, get on!”
    The others did so without hesitation. Even Kwin looked impressed as she
stepped over the wooden guard rail from the dock.
    The deck of the ship itself was simply furnished, but aesthetically
masterful. There were a few cushioned benches fastened to the deck near the
railing, as well as some in between the masts. A row of angled, tinted glass
encased in a thick border of wood provided shade and relief from the elements.
    “Looks are only the beginning. I spent a good while trying to figure out
how to get her as functional as possible,” Carpenter announced proudly. “Check
out the control panel. It’s so simple even… even…” He looked around at everyone
and decided not to take that route. “Well, the point is that anyone can do it.”
    Kai looked over Carpenter’s shoulder and saw that he was probably right.
There was a lever that released the sails automatically and folded them back up
when they were finished. Another lever raised and lowered the ship’s anchors,
and a simple wheel controlled its direction. Two switches were set side by side
under the word ‘Lights,’ which was engraved into the wood in an elegant type.
    “What do these do?” Lindsay asked, looking as though she wanted nothing
more than to try it herself. Carpenter smiled happily and guided her forward.
    “Go ahead and try! It’s bright outside so it won’t be as effective, but
you can see. The left switch is for the deck, and the right switch is for the
hull.”
    Lindsay flicked the left switch; the dark glass panels, which before
looked quite ordinary, were now alight with a clean, white glow.
    “And that’s not all. Say you wanted a bit more sunlight,” Carpenter
continued, turning the lights back off and pressing a button under another
engraving that said ‘Sun Screen.’ The glass panels started to move, gliding
silently until they had disappeared into their wooden frames, letting more
sunlight wash over the entire deck.
    “Always the small details with you, isn’t it?” Alastor said, looking very
impressed.
    “Hah. Wait until you see what’s below.”
    Eager to see the rest of the ship, Kai led the way. As he approached the
glass doors, they opened automatically, revealing a wide, elegantly-furnished kitchen.
The stern of the ship had a number of tall windows that stretched from the
floor to the ceiling. A full stove, microwave, oven and refrigerator stood on
one side, while a bar, complete with stools and a glass holder, was set on the
ride. In the center of the room