The Dubious Heir by Lydia Clark

cover briefly while a deck hand walked by while on watch. When the sailor was out of sight, Dale slipped out from underneath the cover and went in search of Treea's cabin. He had a vague idea of the layout of the ship from visiting similar ships in the past for a quick card game where he would allow the other player to win on purpose. It was his way of securing a future partner who would set him up with a wealthy female client as he had done with Hurley. In fact, he had been on this ship once before, but not for Hurley but for Captain Pellesi, who Dale had allowed to win not just one hand but two.
    The captain had laughed heartily that night. "I know you let me win," he said to Dale, "I never gamble, me and card games do not belong together."
    After the game, the captain had sent Dale home with a small bolt of silk fabric for his Mum as his way of thanking Dale for entertaining his pride by letting him win a couple hands of cards.
    Dale never told his Mum where that bolt of silk had come from. He only told her his client had paid him well that night allowing him to afford such a luxury. In turn, she had made dresses for her clients to buy at a hefty price making her able to pay off a debt or two she had acquired over the years.
    He quietly made his way about the ship in search of Treea's room. When he found it, he almost was caught by another sailor passing by on his way to take over the next watch. Dale had avoided being found by ducking into a dark alcove and holding his breath until the Sailor was well up the stairwell.
    It was dark inside Treea's cabin. He had brought a small candle to use in order to search her room. But the swim to the ship had made the wick of the candle very damp and hard to light. It had taken a few tries with the flintstone before it took. Almost immediately, he found the diary sitting on the table on the other side of the room. While Treea slept in a hammock hanging from the ceiling in the middle, swaying back and forth with the motion of the ship, he crossed the room.
    She looked beautiful, by the way, her hair framed her face. The sight of her made him yearn to touch her, kiss her, be with her the way they were the first night they had met. Her face showed sorrow and pain as though she were having a very troubled dream. Was she dreaming of her Pop?
    Dale walked softly across the room to where the book sat. He reached out to pick it up off the table expecting to feel the cold steel on the back of his neck. The cold hard blade pressed against his skin in a warning that never came. He couldn't believe it. She never once woke.
    Treea moved once in her sleep while Dale waited to make sure she did not wake before he stole away into the dark waters. His stealth he attributed to his elven heritage. Keeping in the shadows when a deck hand passed close by before he dove off the side of the boat.
    Come morning when Treea awoke, she found the diary gone. She questioned every hand on deck. No one had seen or heard a thing during the night. There were only three people beside the one who had given the book to Hurley, who knew she had this book. That would have been Hurley, herself, and the heir. Since the heir was still missing and she knew for a fact that Hurley was dead there was only one possibility, maybe two. It was either the person who had given the book to Hurley or the Heir who had taken the book.
    Since Hurley had died knowing who had given him the book this other unknown identity bothered her. Could they have been in cahoots with the heir all along? Maybe this was some kind of revenge against Hurley to see him find his death. He did have a few enemies that even Treea knew about. There was even a couple of the deck hands who didn't like Hurley enough to see him find his end. But, did they dislike their captain just as much?
    Treea didn't think this last was such. They had always seemed pretty loyal to her Pop. Only Hurley used to try and override his orders from time to time. It was one of the causes