The Bright Black Sea (120 page)

I was invited to sail aboard the
Indomitable
on its maiden cruise to train the pilots in the use of their new
helm controls, laser radar charting system, and autopilot controls
to steer the ship. Vinden's crew was also along, to instruct the
Cimmadarians on their new weapon systems and the general operation
of the ship's many subsystems, since it was very much like the
space ships we were all familiar with.

Sailing the Pela in an airship proved to be a far
more pleasant experience than manhandling an awkward spaceship
through the islands in a hurry and experiencing it only though a
viewpanel. The
Indomitable
cruised at a much slower speed
than the
Raven
– under 200 kph – so life aboard was
significantly slower paced, and with its flaps on its wings,
steering it was far easier as well.

Though it was rather cool and drafty on the open
decks sailing in this clime, there was an intimacy in experiencing
everything first hand that I found quietly enjoyable and very
picturesque. It was much like my zep holiday with Riv, except on a
much grander scale. We'd often stop and lay off the lush green
islands with their bright, fragrant flora and strange feathered
fauna, to send the boats out to hunt and gather food. The decks
would come alive with the cheerful chatter of my shipmates as they
gathered to banter with the eager hunting/gathering parties
preparing the half a dozen small cage-boats we carried along before
they set out for the islands. Once they'd gone, it'd grow quiet as
the decks emptied and the sailors returned to their dinners, tasks,
or hammocks – only the singing of the birds and the hissing of the
minor dragons that flirted around the ship looking for galley
scraps, and the sigh of the breeze that carried the lush scents of
foliage and strange flowers aboard – kept us company. It didn't
seem to be a bad life, all in all.

Over the course of the voyage I did get to see, close
up, what we were eating. The returning hunters would tie up
alongside the galley portal and offload the results of their hunt –
the wild-grown fruits and vegetables they'd collected and the
carcasses of beasts they'd shot. The beasts consisted of mostly
modest-sized feathered lizards, lizards being the more land-bound
type of dragons, and medium sized birds. All were something of an
acquired taste, but I thought it best to set about acquiring it, if
the Pela was to be my home for the next few years. Besides,
anything, even lizards, are better than straight synth-food.

I spent two watches on the bridge, or wheelhouse as
they called it, each round overseeing the pilots on watch – showing
them how to use the newest equipment, including a 3D holographic
display of the island within range of the laser radar. The
Cimmadarians caught on quickly, so I didn't have much to do, as the
cruise wound down. During one of those last watches, I was lounging
in the back of the wide wheelhouse, idly watching the bridge crew
go about their duties. The pilot stood behind the control console,
the large rudder wheel in hand, while the officer of the watch
paced behind her, moving from one patch of sunlight to the next
that was pouring through the clearsteel windows that wrapped around
the wide room that overlooked the ship. In the center of the room,
the navigation officer and two sailors had gathered at the chart
table, studying the 3-D holographic chart of the local islands to
locate their position, and chart the next leg of the course back to
Redoubt Island. The aft door to the upper deck of the midship
deckhouse and a couple of windows were angled open to admit the
fresh breeze and the rhythmic thumping whirl of the propellors aft.
A shadow darkened the door's patch of light, as Glen Colin wandered
in from the afterdeck and slipped beside me to help hold up the
wheelhouse wall.

'Looks like Vinden is trying to put you out of
business,' I said quietly, with a nod to the holographic chart and
the watch officers . 'It seems they can find their way home without
you.'

'Aye, we're mere ornaments aboard the Empress's
battleships.'

'Really? I thought you and your fellow guides were so
essential.'

'We are. Only the largest Imperial Navy ships have
computer charts, and only because the Empress doesn't believe the
battleships can be captured. The rest of the navy, and every
merchant ship and island trader, for that matter, relies on guides
of one sort or another. Aye, the Royal House is very protective of
its Neb technology. It keeps all the advanced stuff from the Neb
strictly to itself. Everyone else makes do with the current
standard of development in our corner of the Pela.'

'Why? Why wouldn't they want a fully modern navy, or
society, for that matter?'

'We'd not want that technology falling into the wrong
hands, would we, Cap'n?'

'But I thought Cimmadar is the most advanced and
powerful empire in the Pela.'

'Only as far as we know. And why do you think that
is?'

'Because of your Neb technology,' I replied.

'Which no one else has. The Empire is a sphere with a
vast, and very permeable border to patrol. In the outer reaches
there are times when various empires overlap us without knowing it
so there is always informal contacts across the various empires.
Eventually every innovation spreads throughout the neighboring
empires. To prevent our best technology from seeping out, the
Royals keep it strictly to themselves – the royal household. Our
solid core of strength at the center of the Empire, should the need
arise. But not before.'

'So why hasn't Cimmadar used its technological
advantage to expand and eliminate these potential rivals?'

'I think that the phrase,
as far as we know
,
is essential in understanding Cimmadar, Cap'n.
As far as we
know
describes the great unknown. You see, most Cimmadarians
have this gut feeling that sometime, somewhere, someone discovered
something no one dares mention, but which is dangerous enough to
make our rulers content to keep Cimmadar a hermit empire,' he said
quietly, adding, with a sly glance. 'The bigger you are, the easier
you are to find. But, that's just what people whisper around
closing time after a night at the tavern. And it's mostly just a
feeling. No more need be said.'

'Hmm...' And not liking to name names myself, I
changed the subject. 'Does Cimmadar import anything else from the
Neb besides technology?'

'Most of the trade is in fact decorative or luxury
items for the Iron Island.'

'The Iron Island?'

'The royal residence – an island with an iron core
large enough to provides the island with enough gravity to make it
seem like a small moon. But, as I said, outside contact is a
fiercely guarded royal privilege, so it brings in items to furnish
its palaces and keep the extended branches of the royal houses, and
merchant princes content.'

'A royal privilege, eh? So why were you smuggling for
Vinden?' I asked, switching to Unity Standard. 'Couldn't he have
gotten all he wanted through official channels, being Prince and
all?'

'In those days his Grandmother still sat on the Cloud
Throne, and his mother had not been named the heir, so he was a
young, male member of one of the non-inheriting family lines, too
far removed from the Royal privilege to be involved in the import
business or receive much more than a trinket or two.'

'And after his mother was named heir and ascended to
the throne?'

Glen Colin shrugged. 'The old Empress issued that
decree on her deathbed. Vinden's mother was only on the throne for
a couple months of rounds before Ossa returned and quickly
displaced her.'

It would seem that Empress Ossa was, indeed, a person
to be reckoned with.

'Does Vinden have any idea what Ossa has done these
last 70 years to secure her throne from his various counter
revolution attempts – besides hiring assassins to kill the
claimants in the Neb?'

He shrugged again. 'He had an agent on a drift world
where Cimmadar conducts its external trade with...'

'Kintrine?'

He gave me a sharp look. 'You did'na hear that from
me....'

'No I didn't. Go on.'

'But, since I've been sleeping in a pod most of the
last 70 years, I really couldn't say. Vinden doesn't tell me – or
anyone – much. But...' he paused, and fell silent, with a
shrug.

'But, given past performance, and the fact that he's
been on the run or hiding for the last 70 years, it seems
unlikely,' I said, watching him.

'You did'na hear that from me, either....'

I shook my head. I was certain Grandmama passed along
word of the reappearance and subsequent mysterious disappearance of
Tallith Min and the
Lost Star
. So if Ossa still employed St
Bleyth, she'd have gotten that word more than two years ago, time
enough to prepare for any possible return, even if she'd done
nothing in the last 70. The truth is that the
Starry Shore
could blow Vinden's slow, little fleet of Pela battleships to atoms
in an afternoon.

'Could Ossa afford to buy a couple of well armed
drifteer tramps and bring them in?'

Glen Colin gave me a long look. 'The Empress could
afford to buy half the Neb-blasted Patrol.'

He'd say no more, but , he'd said enough. Not for the
first time did I wonder what I'd gotten myself into.

Admiral DarQue invited me to his office near the end
of the voyage. By this time, with the help of the com link, I'd
come not only to routinely speak, but to even think in Cimmadarian,
and could catch and express subtle implications, which made my
interview with DarQue rather interesting. Min had clearly been
telling the Admiral about me. He made mention of my flexibility in
following orders and listened to the explanations I offered, not
committing himself in any way, but without expressing disapproval,
at least. And we talked of the battles I'd been involved in, and
though they were in a different medium than he was familiar with,
they had many features in common. He may be very modest, but I was
left with the impression, however, I may've seen more action than
he had.

Eventually we got around to the business he had
summoned me to discuss – staffing the
Raven
when it joined
the Cimmadarian Navy.

'Prince Imvoy has suggested four of his staff,
Zervic, Martong, Racken, and Crain as your crew. I gather they all
are experienced spaceship crews.'

My impression was that he wasn't quite happy with
that, so I replied rather boldly, 'More likely experienced pirates.
I may have to put up with some of his crew, but I'd rather not have
to deal with those four. I'm just a mild mannered merchant ship
captain, not a pirate chief.'

'Would you consider using some Cimmadarians?'

'Indeed, I would much prefer some of your people to
those Prince Imvoy suggested – if they were volunteers. I'm used to
working with people who are happy to be onboard and willing to
perform their duties. I'd be delighted to train your people in the
various operations of the
Raven
. It is a very automated
ship, so that I don't think it would take all that much time to get
a Cimmadarian crew up and running. Indeed, since the
Raven
is to be a part of your force, I'd think you'd want a little more,
shall we say, reliable, crew on board. And if Vinden wants some of
his people on board as well, I think we could find some better ones
than the ones he's suggested.'

'Who would you suggest?'

'In space, three people can run the
Raven
. If
I had two of Prince Imvoy's people – Ben Ton and Vikei seem to be
the best of that bunch – we'd have enough experienced people
onboard to train four or five of your crew. Say an officer and four
crew members. There are three cabins that can be used for sleeping
quarters in the crew section, and a workshop in the engine room can
used as a fourth one. Depending on how your crews bunk, male and
female, a crew of up to eight would be comfortable, perhaps a dozen
at most. So if you can find four of your crew and an officer, to
start with, I'd think that ideal.'

'Only eight?' The
Raven
was twice the size of
his flagship, which had a crew of a more than a hundred.

'The Empress, ran the
Raven
with only three
others for many years. It is the living quarters which limits crew
size..We arrived with seventeen onboard and we were pretty packed
in. I don't think the ship could accommodate more than ten or so.
We could rotate them in and out if you'd like more of them
trained.'

He nodded. 'I'll make it an officer and four, ah,
volunteers. Ben Ton and Vikei, you say?'

'Aye. I know Ben is a former pirate, but I think
former is the operative word. I'm far from sure about the rest of
that lot.'

'Alright, Captain, I'll see if I can find some
volunteers for you.'

07

The
Rift Raven
had returned, and was anchored
across the cavern entrance, by the time the
Indomitable
returned from its shake down cruise. They were in the process of
carefully warping the
Triumphant
into the grotto when we
hove into view. We tied up the
Indomitable
alongside the
island against half a dozen 30 meter long spars secured by cables
to keep its wings and propellors clear of the island. One of the
spars had a metal walkway with rope handrails attached for use as
the gangplank.

Once the ship was secured, I hurried down the
gangplank, and along the path to the harbor entrance, where, using
one of the
Raven
's anchoring cables, hauled myself, hand
over hand, to the
Raven
to greet my shipmates. All of them,
as it turned out.

'You let everyone come along?' I asked Molaye,
trying, and no doubt failing, to hide my alarm. 'And left the ship
in charge of Botts or rather Botts II?'