Dragon Clan #5: Tanner's Story

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Tanner knew the negotiations had been difficult the instant he saw Carrion. He sat to one side of the tiny Captain’s cabin on The Rose while the Captain sat at a desk built against one wall. Neither greeted Tanner and Devlin.

The crewman who escorted them to the cabin fled as if he’d been scalded by boiling water. Tanner held up his two purchases. “I paid more, but they were worth it.”

Carrion glanced at them and placed the new ones with the others on the edge of the small bed. “I’m sure you had your reasons.”

His voice sounded flat, perhaps hoarse, as if he had been shouting. There was not room for both Tanner and Devlin to enter without crowding the room. Tanner motioned for Devlin to leave and he fled so fast he might have hurt himself.

The Captain still had not spoken. He glowered at them, then turned away.

Carrion said, his voice soft but stern. “Captain Jamison, we have to talk.”

“This is my ship.” He turned away and refused to make eye contact.

Tanner started to speak, trying to smooth the way for them, but Carrion shook his head.

“Sir, we are offering you a proposition where you will remain captain and master of the vessel, and we will pay for outfitting The Rose.”

“You said all that.”

Carrion motioned for Tanner to ease to the door. Carrion stood also. Instead of shouting, he spoke in a voice only the three of them could hear. “Sir, if you do not accept our proposal, we will have little choice in asking the local constable to remove you from our ship. We will then hire another captain and crew.”

“You wouldn’t dare!” Captain Jamison was on his feet, red-faced, and ready to strike either of them. “It’s my ship.”

Carrion backed a few steps, forcing Tanner into the passageway where at least five men had been listening. They scurried off, two pretending to be scrubbing the walls and floors. The rest simply disappeared.

Tanner looked at Carrion and shrugged.

Carrion said, “Don’t worry. He just needs time to think it over. Find the first mate and have him meet us on the pier.”

“What if Captain Jamison sails off?”

“He’s got half a crew, the sheets are torn and rotted, as are the ropes and lines. The ship is filthy, more a flop house than a seagoing vessel. Besides, when sober and out from under the financial problems, I’m told he is a first rate captain.”

“If he doesn’t hang us.”

Carrion chuckled, “Go find the mate. I’ll be on the pier.”

Tanner opened a door and sniffed. He pulled it closed and hoped the mate was not in there. He went to the next and found two sailors snoring in hammocks. Two other hammocks hung empty. Tanner shook the closest. “Hey, where can I find the first mate?”

A groggy pair of eyes opened and took his measure. The voice growled, “Try The Clayborn, or maybe The Delta Blue.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“The mate took off right after we tied up here. He sailed on The Clayborn, but we heard he signed onto The Delta Blue not long ago.”

The eyes closed again. Tanner took hold of the edge of the hammock and said, “You will either sit up and talk to me, or I’ll dump your fat butt onto the floor.”

“I wanna sleep,” he protested, but sat.

“After the Captain, who is in charge?”

“Big Louie? He’s an officer of sorts, even if he don’t do anything.”

Tanner remembered a fat man sleeping at the head of the gangway. The man they had stepped over to the come aboard the ship during the night, but he had done nothing to prevent them. For all he knew, they were thieves or worse. “Okay, go back to sleep.”

On the deck were three sailors. Two lounged near the bow, talking and laughing. One stood alone. He held a paint brush and bucket. In his back pocket, a scrapper threatened to fall out. A patch of newly applied paint on a railing contrasted sharply with the worn, weather-beaten rest of the ship.

Tanner walked up to him. “Your name?”

“Seaman Fisher, sir. Can I do something for you?”

“How long have you been a sailor?”

“Nearly all my life.” He continued painting and inspecting his work when he took a step back.

“How many years?”

“Oh, probably thirty or so.”

Tanner wanted one more answer. “Why are you painting when nobody else on this ship is working?”

Seaman Fisher shrugged. “Because the others don’t care doesn’t mean I can’t.”

“Have you ever been a first mate?”

He stopped painting and took the measure of Tanner for the first time. Finally, he nodded, “Yes, I was. A long time ago, but things change. No open berths for the likes of me so I signed on as a seaman.”

“Come with me,” Tanner ordered, turning his back and heading for the pier.

Carrion was waiting. He said, “This the first mate?”

Tanner shrugged and said, “The first mate abandoned ship about a year ago. This is Seaman Fisher. He’s the only man on the entire ship doing any work as far as I can see. He used to be a first mate.”

Carrion stuck out his hand and shook the hesitant hand of the seaman. “So you know about ships?”

“I do.”

Carrion said, “I want it flat out. I ask, and you tell me the truth about The Rose. You up for that?”

Seaman Fisher grinned, “Want to check the hull first, do you? That’s smart. Bow or stern?”

“Bow. No reason, it just seems like the right way to do it,” Carrion laughed.

They walked to the bow. Seaman Fisher told them the planks were in good condition. The hull needed calking, but that was normal. The spars, decking, and most everything else needed cleaning and painting. Ropes, sails, and anything else subject to rot needed replacing.

“So, she’s a solid ship?” Carrion asked.

“Not if she sits here through the winter. She’ll probably be on the bottom.”

“I thought you said it was a solid ship.”

“Oh, she is, but with nobody taking care of a damn thing, she’ll go fast. All ships leak a bucket-full a day, or maybe two or three. Pumps clear it right out—if anybody does the pumping. If not, she sinks.”

“Has anyone been pumping?” Tanner asked.

“Me, but I’m moving on. There’s a billet open on a cargo ship due to arrive here in a few days. I guess I’m going to take it. So The Rose will probably sink.”

Carrion pulled a small silver coin from his purse and handed it to Fisher. “I need a first mate, I can trust. You’re it. I own controlling interest in this ship as of yesterday and together we’re going to save her.”

“Why the silver?” Fisher asked.

“I need you to give up that other berth and stay here. This will be a huge undertaking, but I want your advice and help.”

“I’m the mate? Does Captain Jamison know?”

“He does not. We’ll worry about that later. What is the first thing we need to do?” Carrion asked.

“Well, I guess I’ll leave, telling the Captain about me up to you. If he doesn’t agree, I’ll just give you back your silver and take the other berth. First thing, if it’s up to me, is that we run every lazy sailor on the ship ashore. All of them. Some were never even crew. They just sleep there.”

Carrion smiled, “Then what?”

“We will hire good men. First, we’ll have a surveyor come aboard and let us know what he thinks.”

“What does he do?” Tanner asked, knowing full well the answer.

“Well, he’s sort of an inspector for ships. He’ll tell us what we need in no uncertain terms. Then it’s up to us to find it, install it, and slap a coat of paint on it.”

“I like that,” Carrion said. “Instead of relying on the crew we hire someone who has no relationship with the ship. Where do we find a surveyor?”

“I know there are at least three in Racine. The harbor master will tell you where to find them. The Captain is staying?”

Tanner and Carrion exchanged looks. Carrion said, “I don’t know. But I have to go see about the surveyor. While I’m doing that, Tanner will speak to the Captain and if they do not come to an agreement, he will either escort him off the ship or throw him overboard by the time I return.”

Fisher laughed, “Things are going to be so interesting, I should give you back this coin no matter what happens.”

“Where’d Devlin get off to?” Carrion asked.

“Over there,” Tanner said, motioning with his head to where the boy was lounging with three others on the far side of the pier where the Far Seeker was tied up. Devlin was talking with three of the crew wearing black, and it drew a smile from both Tanner and Carrion.

“He doesn't want to talk it up with those,” Fisher said.

Tanner said, “He knows. I suspect he’s gathering information without telling them anything.”

Carrion said, “Okay, this is our plan. I’m going after the surveyor, Tanner is going to to Captain, and you’ll go over there and tell Devlin to help you. He’s to clear the ship of any warm or cold bodies. By the time I return we’ll either have a Captain or be looking to hire a new one.”

Fisher said, “Not that it’s any of my business, but it sounds as if you haven’t actually bought the ship. There are strict laws of the sea, and you need to learn them before you get into trouble. Just offering free advice.”

Carrion placed a hand on Fisher’s shoulder. “As the first mate, I expect you to tell me when I may be making a mistake. In this case, the debts the Captain has run up could all be called due months ago. He either pays, or the ship is taken to settle them. That was his bargain to secure the money.”

“And you own those papers. I see,” Fisher said. “Well, let me gather up Devlin and we’ll have the ship cleared before breakfast. As the acting first mate, do you want me to hire any crewmen?”

Tanner nodded. “That cook might be one to start with, but first, get them all ashore and be ready to rescue me if my meeting with the Captain doesn’t go well.”