The Bright Black Sea (13 page)

I handed her a mug of Chantsom world cha and we
walked out of the little bistro bay into the wide awning deck, now
fleetingly bathed in a rich orange red light as our orbit swung us
around to the night side of Calissant.

Min stood watching the sun slip behind Calissant
before she turned to me in the deepening twilight and said, 'First
off, I've decided to accept your offer and sail with the
Lost
Star
– as a pilot.'

'As a pilot and owner,' I assured her. ''I was
thinking about it today, and I see no reason why it can't be done.
Molaye's finished her cross-training so you'll slip nicely into
that slot plus you'll be accumulating time on the bridge towards
your master's ticket requirements. You'll want to be Captain Min as
soon as you get your time in. All Calissant's tramp ship owners are
ship captains.'

'We'll see,' she said quietly. 'The owner on record
is now the White Bird Line. I'm merely shareholder in Spectre
Holding Co, which happens to be a major share owner of the White
Bird Line along with several other space related properties, like
my
Ghost
. Please keep my ownership status secret for now.
Owning a ship complicates things for Min & Co. Besides, a tramp
ship pilot is what I'll be most of the time.'

'I don't see you needing to act as owner in passage.
Now, however...'

'Yes, now we've things to settle. That's why I'm
here,' she said warily, watching me.

I nodded. 'Good. We need a real owner in charge.'

She stepped away and looked out across the nebula sky
for a moment.'I took your suggestion about Phylea and Min & Co.
I've appointed Phylea managing director and put into motion the
sale of my share of the firm to her and the staff. I can not be
both a shipowner and shipbroker without upsetting at least some of
our clients. Phylea will run Min & Co and I will run the
Spectre Holdings and the White Bird Line,' she glanced back with a
faint smile.

'I'm sure that's for the best, though I hadn't
thought you'd sell your share in the firm.'

She shrugged. 'Oh, I still control my brother's and
sister's shares, so it doesn't matter. I've also decided to take
the ship
out of the system, to either the
Aticor or Amdia system. This takes us beyond the operating sphere
of Min & Co and will keep the firm's reputation above reproach.
More importantly, it should offer us a better chance of earning a
profit. There were almost a thousand tramps sailing the Azminn
system, last year, next year there may be only five hundred, the
lucky ones just eking out a slight profit. If we leave now, we'll
be better established when other tramp owners seeking richer
orbits, send their ships to the Amdia or Aticor star systems as
well.'

I stared at her dumbfounded. It never occurred to me
that we'd abandon our old rounds.

'Plus there's that girlhood dream which you reminded
me of yesterday, to visit all the eight systems. I now have the
means. I don't see how I can refuse. We'll sail for Sanre-tay
either via Tiladore if we get the charter or empty and see if we
can pick up an outbound cargo for either Aticor or Amdia. I
understand that there's always lucrative work for a tramp willing
to sail the deep drifts out of those systems,' she added with a
smile, watching me (likely turning pale).

'If one is desperate enough to do drift work,' I
corrected her.

Azminn lay between two of the nebula's many bands or
drifts of dense dust and asteroid belts. Flourishing within these
drifts are large human colonies devoted to mining and heavy
manufacturing. And sometimes, less savory activities as well.
Azminn doesn't have a great deal of trade with the various drift
colonies but Aticor, which lays on the fringe of the Helgont Drift
and Amdia within the Myzar Drift are far more integrated into the
economies of the drifts.

'I admire your boldness. It's not a choice I'd have
the courage to make. I'm a rather cautious fellow, you see. I'd
have stayed serving our regular shippers, as we have for the last
fifty years. We'd have to tramp a bit more, but I think we can get
by.'

She offered a slight, cool smile, 'Any course has
certain risks, Captain. Most will be mine.'

'Yes, but I should at least mention that we discussed
alternatives and came up with several possible alternatives on the
voyage here. They're low investment, low risk and possibly
profitable options. For example, both Belbania and Kimsai are in a
good position to be used as transfer points for the small planet
trade ships. With smaller shipments the new norm, the small planet
traders are taking on longer haul cargo, though they'd be better
off making more shorter hauls. If the
Lost Star
was to be
put in orbit around either of these planets we could use the ship
as an orbital warehouse and transfer point making it easier for
these smaller ships to drop-off and swap cargoes, keeping them
operating in their optimal range. And there's the possibility of
using the ship as an orbital hotel or resort – look around, this is
certainly luxury on a modest scale, especially for Belbania and
Kimsai...' I paused. She looked mildly amused. I could see that I
wasn't going to change her mind. I hadn't expected to, but I had to
try.

'I've no intention of trying to talk you into
anything. I merely felt I needed to mention that with some creative
thinking there could be alternatives to going out of system that
wouldn't be a drain on your credit balance...' and seeing the
faintest smile touch her lips, if not her eyes I added, 'But that,
I suspect is not your primary reason for wanting to go out of
system.'

'Oh, it's one. But I don't really want to spend the
next five years just scraping by with the odd cargo or running an
orbital warehouse, whorehouse or whatever,' this last with a faint
leer adding, 'I might as well be a shipbroker.'

She was enjoying this a whole lot more than I.

'A hotel or resort. But I take your point. On the
other hand, I don't know the first thing about tramping in either
Aticor or Amdia.'

'Neither do I. Neb, I've only been a ship owner for a
day. Neither of us has the experience going in, but we can call on
spaceers who do, so I think we can get by' she replied. 'But first
I must decide on what I want in a captain – what mix of experience,
competence and leadership do I need? Any ideas, Captain?' she said
lightly with a sidelong glance my way. The deepening nebula lit
twilight made reading her already guarded eyes impossible.

'Someone you trust, to start,' I said warily.

'Yes, to start. I also need someone I can work with
and who can compensate for my lack of experience,' she replied
quietly. 'Luckily, I've three options and two of them in hand. I
have you, with your experience as the
Lost Star
's captain
and first mate. I also have two very experienced master spaceers
with the necessary tickets in Commander Vynnia enCarn and Boarding
Boat Leader Tenry Roynay. Both ex-Patrol with fifty years in the
service and have served us for decades since . The third option
would be to sign on an experienced tramp captain either here or on
Sanre-tay.'

She paused to watch me.

I'd nothing to say, though I was thinking
furiously.

'Before I can make my decision I'd need to know who's
interested and who's not. Knowing my plans, do you want to be
considered for the post or not?'

I'm no
Brilliant Pax of the Space Ways
. My
plans never included tramping other systems or getting nearer to
the drifts than an old spaceer's yarn. Neb, they never included
being captain of anything more than a planetary jump ship. I'm
pretty much an
ol'Captain Crofter
sort of character with
very modest ambitions. But there's a chasm between being cautious
and being a coward, and I felt myself straddling it. I stared out
to the nebula trying to ignore the knot in my gut. It was a choice
I really didn't care to make.

She gave me plenty of time to consider.

I knew now I could run the ship. Did it really matter
where in the nebula I was running her? I've not sailed the drifts,
but I didn't think we'd be too desperate. Azminn, Aticor, Amdia or
in some drift – with the gang onboard who've sailed these systems I
could sail the
Lost Star
anywhere in the Nebula, I guess.
Besides, she had far better options, so what had I to lose by
tossing in my cap?

'You know the limits of my experience,' I began
slowly, 'I'm open to the idea of staying on as your captain but I
wouldn't be upset if you passed me over,' I paused and added, 'The
hard decisions will fall to you, as owner. I'd try to make those
decisions rare, but they'll be yours. If I didn't trust you, I'd be
a fool to take the job, or even sail with you, but I believe I can
trust you, so I'm willing to sail with you, as captain or in any
other berth.'

'Fair enough. I think we can work together with that
understanding, so I don't see any reason why you shouldn't continue
on as captain of the
Lost Star
,' she said, which staggered
me.

'But what of the other options?' I asked, trying to
keep my alarm out of my voice.

'Neither Vyn nor Tenry were interested in the berth.
Tenry didn't want the responsibilities and Vyn felt that not only
does she know too little about the tramping business, but she
feared her style of command – Patrol style – wouldn't sit well with
a tramp crew. However, they're eager to sail with me, so we'll have
their extensive experience and first hand knowledge of all eight
systems and the drifts as well. Plus, being ex-Patrol, they're
familiar with the dark sides of those systems which should serve us
well. They know the ship's crew and I think will fit in quite
comfortably, so there's nothing lost by choosing you as captain.
Besides, there's not much in the way of captains to choose from
here – the most ambitious have left for Sanre-tay to find work, and
do I really want to deal with an old experienced captain? Perhaps I
could find a sweetheart of a captain who'd allow me to call the
shots, but why take the chance when I have you in hand?' she said
with a hint of a smile.

'A captain's job is to serve the owner, so I'll not
take offense,' I replied with a shrug. 'Though I have one question,
how do you see yourself fitting in as both a pilot and owner. In
one role I command you, in the other you command me. What can I
expect?'

'I'm out of the Z-line tradition where a ship's
captain is lord and master – someone not to be trifled with. I
don't intend to change, I see you as being in charge of the ship. I
intend to act as owner only when I must and only in matters that
normally concern the owner. Otherwise I'm determined to become a
tramp spaceer. I believe we can make that arrangement work. Don't
you?'

'I think so. Indeed, I'd hope you'll take the
opportunity to be a young, carefree pilot and let me do any
worrying. I'll not forget you're the owner when I need an owner's
decision.'

'I take it that you'll accept the appointment?'

'I'll give it a go. We can see how it works out.
We'll know by the time we reach Sanre-tay where you'd have more
options. Thank you, Tallith Min.'

'Good. I'll have Phylea prepare your contract. I'm
afraid it's Guild emergency minimum until we're out of
system...'

We talked only for a short time longer mostly on
details concerning the Tiladore charter, before Min, exhausted from
the long day, pushed on to the
Silvery Moon
.

I have to admit that after she had gone, and the full
impact of what I'd agreed to began to sink in and had me wondering
if the Dark Neb had actually prevented Molaye from running down
that buoy in order to land me in this orbit. It seems that from the
day I was appointed acting captain, I've never really had a true
decision to make, circumstances and the Neb have driven me along
some invisible chart line.

01

Illy radioed from Port Barque-nela during the second
watch wondering if there was any news. I told her things looked
promising, could say no more. I heard the gang prompting her with
more questions – rather surprisingly since it was early morning and
they usually kept rather late hours when downside – threatening to
find someone who would. Since the world of tramp shipping on
Calissant is small enough, they might actually turn up someone who
noted the new owner before it became a shell company, but that
wasn't my problem. I merely advised them to be patient and enjoy
their time on the beach while they had it.

After that, I studied
Tinlai's Complete Cargo
Handling's
chapter on stowing suspended animation boxes
(sleeper-pods) and spent several hours drawing up a tentative chart
for stowing and balancing the Tiladore Cargo. I may have been
tempting the Dark Neb, but it would keep my mind occupied, while
waiting for word on the charter.

The
Ghost
appeared early in the third watch
and hailed the ship .

'Hello '
Star
. I've brought a party up to
inspect the ship. Sorry about the lack of notice. An inspection is
required and we had the time,' said Min.

Astro and Orbit were off like a shot.

'I'd be delighted. Meet you at the port side
gangplank.'

I headed for the landing stage smiling. Inspecting
the ship is often the penultimate act of signing a new customer.
Min's offer to inspect the ship without notice was doubtlessly
meant to impress the Tiladore people with our competence. However
unprepossessing our exterior was, Miccall and Vinden had lavished
credits restoring the interior of the
Lost Star
to its
original elegance as a passenger/cargo liner. It always impresses.
Indeed, in three years as a trade inspector, I boarded almost a
thousand ships and never found a finer looking, better maintained
ship.