In Search of Spice (5 page)

“Umm, I don’t talk to them, I just know their habits and what they are going to do.”

“Whatever.” Sal waved her arm airily and fixed him with a glance. “Nobody else has a clue what you do and it’s frightening. Not just that, you know more about treating injuries than anyone else, you can read and write and you are the best archer anyone has ever seen. You seem like a centaur on a horse. Yet you are the only boy of your age without a girlfriend, hell, half of them are married.”

“Umm, well there’s Fiona...”

“She’s not your girlfriend. It takes a lot more than talking occasionally to have a girlfriend. You haven’t even danced with her and I bet you’ve never kissed her.”

Pat blushed.

“Do you know why?”

Pat shook his head, mute and without a clue what was happening.

“You are too different. You are too good for Fearaigh. Everyone knows it. What girl wants to get herself pregnant by you and have you disappear?”

Pat blushed again and started to protest, but Sal was not finished.

“Oh, sure, the girls like you, like you a lot. But they know damn well they can’t keep you. None of them want to get too close to you because they know they would burn in your flame.”

At this, Pat’s mouth dropped right open.

“And that’s why you are not coming home with us, Pat. You are too good for us and too good for Fearaigh. We love you, and we want the best for you. You need to fulfil your destiny, and that isn’t going to happen at home.” She leaned forward and kissed his shocked brow. He was speechless.

“Dad, how much money are we going to give him?” She raised an eyebrow.

“Well, I thought we would buy him an apprenticeship. I had thought of officer training, but it seems it costs a lot once you are an officer and we can’t afford it.”

“But, but, but Mum... and Fiona...and Gary...” stammered Pat. “Officer training? I couldn’t be an officer.”

“Of course you could. Don’t worry about Mum, she wants what is best for you, Gary’s the same,” Gary was their third brother who stayed at home with a broken leg. “And Fiona is getting married.”

“She is?” This was not just Pat, but Mikkel and Selwyn as well, while Connor also seemed surprised.

“Of course, that fellow from Yellow Pond, can’t remember his name. Anyway, Pat, is there a craft you want? Join the Priesthood maybe? Or become a soldier?”

Pat was distracted, his mind leaping around and not quite sure what to think about anything, so he answered the questions without thinking.

“Priest would be good, I like the thought of learning so much, but I am too old. You have to join when you are less than seven. And I need the outdoors. I suppose I could be a soldier, but I really would like to go to sea. I felt something special when I saw the sea earlier, and I do want to go and see the ships. Do you think I could work on one?”

At this, Selwyn leaned forward and spoke before a mistrustful Mikkel could stop him.

“I was talking to a fellow down the bar while I was waiting for you lot. He’s a sailor, and he was telling me there is a new ship just built, biggest ship ever built, that has just finished her trials and is due to sail next week. They’re desperate for crew, because lots of sailors won’t go near her, ‘cos she is a new type of ship and the Captain is mad, wants to sail over the edge of the world.”

“Really?” said Pat. “An explorer? That would be cool! There isn’t an edge of the world, Selwyn. Don’t be dumb.”

“Well, just shows - You’re the only person in Fearaigh who would think that. The rest of us think there is and you’ll sail over it if you get too close.”

“World’s round Selwyn. We just don’t know what is across the ocean.”

“Why doesn’t the water fall off the other side then?” asked Mikkel, staring at Pat.

Pat was used to this, it always seemed others failed to notice things or listen when others spoke. Come to that, there were not many others who could read.

“It just doesn’t. And the people on the other side probably think the same thing as us.”

His dad cut through and brought the subject back. “So, Selwyn, did the sailor say what sort of people they were looking for?”

“Err, no, not that I recall. Shall I go and ask him?”

“Buy him a beer and bring him over.”

Selwyn left and Sal turned to Pat.

“Is this really what you want Pat?

He nodded and smiled. “I would love to go to sea. It sounds so exciting, I would be an explorer.” All thoughts of home and Fiona had disappeared. His dad breathed a sigh of relief, tinged with disappointment, but smiled back when Mikkel grinned at him, understanding and reading his thoughts. Selwyn came back with the sailor.

“OK folks, this is Mep. He’s a fisherman and knows all about the ship.”

“Welcome, Mep. I’m Connor and these are my kids, Sal, Mikkel, Patraigh and Selwyn you’ve met.”

Mep grinned and ducked his head, winking at Sal. “Pleasure, folks. So ‘oo wanna go t’ sea then? Ya is it, youngun?

Pat nodded and smiled back at the affable man, trying to understand his broad accent.

“Have you sailed on big ships?”

“Norra me! I’m an inshore man, don’t git out o’ sight of land case I can’t git back. Make my livin’ from the fishin’. Jus’ sold a case ta the landlord so ya’ve a good fish pie or fried fish for supper.”

“What do you know about the big ship that is going off to explore the world?”

“The Queen Rose? Lovely lookin’ ship she is, bloody huge too, beggin’ your pardon ma’am. A carrack, they call hers. They’re havin’ some trouble fillin’ up her crew, so ya’d git a berth, no trouble.”

“What sort of job would I get?”

“Well, She’s a merchant, see. So she needs all sorts. Sailors, but also sojers though youall is expected to fit. Not that she looks for it, but pirates attack merchant ships alla time, an’ ya never know when yore gonna bump inna Spakka ship an’ they’ll always have a go atcha if’n they can. So they need sojers for dee-fence. Blademen, arrer shooters, pikemen, all sorts. But they also need cooks, chippies, all sorts o’ craftsmen ‘cos They’re gonna live on that ship for ages. I hear they’re even takin’ animals along so they need a farm boy to shovel shit, beggin’ ya pardon, ma’am.”

“I’m a range hand, not a farm boy!”

His dad interjected. “Is there some sort of apprenticeship I can buy him to help him on his way? How much money will he need?”

Mep looked at his empty tankard, which Selwyn took wordlessly and headed for the bar.

“Nope, don’t give him money. If ya want, ya give the Cap’n some dosh. Dunno how much a share is, but it gives him rights to some o’ the profits when they git back. These merchants are a team, see. Nobody gits any pay, they git a share o’ the profits when they git back. If ya put money in it, ya git more money at the end o’ it. Providing it makes money, o’ course. Don’t need any money on board, an’ ya can ask for some if in a port, but best not. You’ll want to go an’ get drunk an’ chase the skirts when ya git to port, but believe me That’s a bad idea. Many a sailorman never cum home again ‘cos o’ that. Ya can’t trust furriners, they do odd things.” He fell silent, eyes unsighted as a memory played.

“What do you suggest I do?” asked Pat. “I’m a good archer, and although I can look after animals I would rather learn to be a sailor.”

“He’s clever too,” said his dad, “how does he go about becoming an officer?”

“Waal,” said Mep, not knowing the answer. “Becomin’ an orficer takes time. Ya don’t just becum ‘un. Ya works ya way up through the ship. Start off as a hand, young ‘un, then learn ya way about the riggin’, That’s the sails an’ masts an’ shit, beggin’ ya pardon, ma’am. Ya do good, they make ya a bos’n, but ya mest asken the Cap’n if’n ya can figure that navvigashun stuff, that tells ya where the ship is, see. That’s the key to bein’ an orficer. Me, I can’t do that, why this ‘un stays where ‘e c’n see the land.” Mep grinned broadly, and Pat stared at him in amazement, seeing a new life opening up in front of himself, with a picture of shipboard life forming graphic images in his mind. New opportunities were rushing into his imagination in a tidal wave.

“Dad, I’ve got to do this. Sal, thank you so much. All of you. You are right, I have to go and this is just fantastic. Mep, how do I go about getting a berth?”

“Waal, laddie, ya jist rock up at that ship abaht an hour or two afta dawn. They’ll be up. An’ ya asken for the mate. He’s a verra important man, he is, yessir. He’s yer lord gawd almighty for the next year or two. He’s the one who decides iffen ya git a job or not. Iffen he ses yeah, and he will, laddie, no trouble ‘cos they are short o’ hands, then ya tells him ya want to put some dosh in tha ship, an’ he’ll take ya to the Cap’n to discuss it, so he will.”

Mikkel leaned forward at this point. “So why are they so short of ‘hands’? Why don’t people want to go? Is he a bad Captain?”

“Cap’n Larroche? Nah, ‘e’s sound as a bell, ‘e is. Lovely man, ‘e is. Runs taut ship, no trouble aboard, makes money for alla crew. Iffen anyone can go hexplorin’, ‘e’s ya man. But nobodies done it, see. It’s a new thing, see, an’ lots o’ folk liken me, scairt we is. See?”

They did. In the silence Mep drained his tankard and smacked his lips noisily. Pat jumped up.

“Let me get you another one.”

“S’arright laddie. Full tank I ‘ave. An I gotta talk to me mucker there. ‘Bout the fishin’ actual, so cummalong an’ ya might pick up summin’.”

He took Pat off with him, and Selwyn got up to join them, turning as he left and Pat was out of earshot and spoke to Sal.

“Fiona? Getting married? To that prick from Yellow Pong? Is she quite mad?”

“Don’t be an ass, Selwyn. Fiona will wait for Pat to come back for the next two years, if not more. But do you think he would have gone if he thought that?”

“But, but, you said all the girls were scared of him because he was so bright and different.”

Sal sighed. And sighed again, as she realised that all the men were looking at her in confusion. “Guys, the only reason that Pat is without a girlfriend is because he is too shy to ask them. Plus they are busy fighting as only girls can to ensure than he is never alone with any of them. They all want him more than anyone else because he is mysterious, different and bright. They know he is going to do well for himself and want to latch onto him for the ride. If he had ever gone to one of the dances, they would have fought over him.”

Mikkel roared with laughter and slapped his dad on the back. “See? Didn’t I tell you she was the one who had to talk to him?”

Connor looked worried. “Ah, that was all well and good while we were around and able to shepherd the wrong ‘uns away, but he won’t have anyone to do that now. What’ll happen if some bitch latches onto him without us to help?”

“Too late for that now, Dad. You can try and extract a promise that he doesn’t wed till he can bring her home, but he’s not fool enough to do that. Some girl will teach him a lesson or two, and it won’t be long now, I reckon. But he’ll have to learn how to handle her the hard way. We can’t help him anymore. It’s called growing up.”

Farewells

P
at woke and wondered where he was. He seemed to be lying in a blanket that moved and it came back to him. He was going to sea. He was a sailor. He was an explorer! They were going to find out what was out there beyond the edge of the world, the first people from Harrhein to venture out of sight of land.

His father had brought him aboard yesterday afternoon, and they had been delighted to take him, the mate pleased with his ability as an archer. He was in his hammock, something he had never seen before let alone used. The harsh weave scratched his skin, and he breathed in the smells, identifying them in his mind. Unwashed bodies, normal and ignored. The fascinating new smells of the sea and the tar that was everywhere on the ship. He carefully and gingerly sat up, managed to get his legs over the side and stood up without too much trouble.

Most of the other hammocks seemed occupied, snores and grunts coming quietly from most, but a pair of eyes were smiling at him from the next one. Big green eyes from under a rough black fringe, with a miraculously clear complexion transforming the strong regular features into beauty. He recognised the girl, Sara, who had joined up at the same time as he did.

She copied him and said, “Ha! I was wondering the best way to get out of this thing. I think it is awhile before breakfast, any chance of a wash, do you think?”

Washing had not occurred to Pat, but his bladder was pressing him. “Let’s have a look.”

They left the wardroom without a sound and went up on deck. They could hear splashing from the seaward side, walked over to some piles of clothing and looked down. There was a raft tied to the side of the ship and a couple of people were washing from it while a man was peeing against the ship. A rope ladder led down to it. Pat started towards the ladder.

“What do you need a ladder for, slowcoach?” cried Sara and he turned to see that she had stripped off her clothes and was running to the side of the ship. “Come on, get a move on.” she laughed at him and dived into the water.

Pat gaped. He had never seen anyone dive, let alone from that height. He stripped , but jumped instead of diving.

The water was chill but invigorating and he shook his head vigorously as soon as he came up, feeling the rush of blood and looking around warily for Sara. His limited experience of girls was that ones who talked to him would also likely try to duck his head under the water. She was looking at him with an evaluating eye from a few yards away, taking in his broad shoulders.