Enlightenment

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

They fell into a daily routine. Work until lunch, do their studies afterward. Then more work on the ship before dinner, followed by more studies while the daylight lasted, if the ship was not in heavy weather. The study periods after lunch were often intense, the sort that left with one or both having headaches. Tempers often flared.

In contrast, the early evening sessions were mainly the two of them sitting in the late afternoon sun reading for pleasure, each with a book of her choice. The crewmen learned to leave them alone during those times.

It was Sara who often fell into a funk after studying. They had mutually agreed that no spells on incantations should be made while on the ship. Both feared the possible results, especially if mistakes were made. There were also the reactions of the rest of the crew to consider if they know what Sara did. Magic was accepted in some societies, rejected in others, but the average person resented it, feeling the use of magic was an affront to hard work.

No matter how many times it was explained that magic cost the user in some way, that nothing is free, they didn’t understand. Most believed a love spell could make them marry someone they didn’t like. More than a few believed their bad marriages were the result of spells. How could I have ever loved her? Gamblers who lost, blamed magic. Gamblers who won praised magic—until they lost.

The truth was far simpler. A spell could trigger a temporary stronger attraction between two people who already liked each other. But spells didn’t change a roll of the dice, or turn of a card, at least those cast by reputable sorceresses. However, it could allow insights into who might be bluffing or over-betting. But those same things can also be the result if an insightful gambler who knows the habits of those he plays against.

Prin sat in their usual place, rereading the books about horses when she raised her eyes and found anger or frustration clearly written on Sara’s face. “What’s wrong?”

Sara shook a thin, handwritten book in her direction.

“So?”

“There is so much in here I want to try, spells, incantations, potions, and more. As you know, I’m only a little ahead of you in my studies of sorcery in the basement of the barn at home. My mom and dad left me alone to practice, but they didn’t like magic, or me becoming a sorceress. We kept it a secret as if they were ashamed of me. As long as I only made a few love charms for the local girls, they ignored me and my work.”

“You know that dry spell where rain doesn’t get you wet. And your arrows are enchanted, so they don’t miss. You know those spells, and probably more,” Prin insisted.

“The dry spell was sold to me by a gypsy passing through our village. She taught me. The enchanted arrows were bought from a mage at a fair, but I can’t replace them. But . . . there is so much in here, in these books, and I can’t try any of it.”

“In all the books, or just that one?”

“This is the second of the diaries. Well, I need a better name for them than that, because they are not diaries in the usual sense, but workbooks of the progress of a sorceress named Tamara. The books were blank pages, and there is a blue haze over each page that forms into words. I don’t think anyone without our powers can read her printing.”

“Let me see.”

Sara showed her two pages as she continued, “With the first book, she was about my age and worked with another sorceress in Donella, an old lady who taught her many spells for health, hiding things. She even sold spells for locating what you’ve lost or misplaced, which is the opposite of hiding. That last could sell in the marketplace.”

“That sounds fantastic!” Prin said.

“Except I can’t learn, use, or practice any of them. Also, there are some that I think will help us at home, but there is so much in the books that I’ll miss the importance. I’m leaving markers between the pages, but I have to try some of this.”

Prin shut her book with a slap of sound. “You know what? The bos’n asked if I have any plans of things to do while in Gallium. He said something about us taking a trip to a place called the Highlands while we’re ashore. I think we all have to leave the ship while workers repair everything.”

“That makes you happy?”

“Maybe. What if we must leave, but instead of a trip, we rent an apartment for thirty or forty days, however long it takes. You could learn your new spells there.”

“Can we?”

“Let me go find the bos’n and ask him. Don’t get your hopes up, yet.”

“I assumed we were going to be working on the ship all day long while they repaired it.”

Prin was already on her feet. She spotted the bos’n, still wearing a bandage on his head from the fall in the hold, moving along the railing near the mainsail, inspecting everything again, preparing a final list for the shipyard.

“Will we be working on the ship when it’s in port?”

He shook his head, and her smile widened. He said, “All the crew must find other arrangements. If you cannot afford a place, the ship will pay for a bed and food in a local seaman’s home, just as if you were aboard.”

“But, we can find our own place to live? Or maybe travel?”

“Just make sure we can locate you. For crewmen, missing a sailing is about the highest crime you can commit. Besides, I’d hate to replace you. You’ve become a valuable member of the crew.”

She started to make a joke to cover her embarrassment, then paused. He was grave and right. In her short time with the ship, she had worked at numerous jobs, trying to learn and fit in. She liked the steady work, the feel of the ship moving through the waves, and the excitement of unknown locations waiting for her to explore. She even became friends with the new cat that followed her about the ship.

That thought brought up another problem. “What will the ship’s cat do while the ship in being refitted?”

“Starve, if it stays here. Oh, it’ll be okay, but will probably move to another ship.”

“It’s a good cat. I see it hunting every day.”

“Then, perhaps you should do the ship a favor and take it ashore with you. Bring it back, and everyone’s happy. Just don’t spoil it by feeding it too much.”

“Can I name it?”

“Can I stop you?”

She couldn’t hold in the smirk at his comment. “Sara and I were thinking of renting an apartment.”

“I see. Well, I have a few suggestions, if I may share them.” He waited for her to nod. “There are parts of the city that are better to stay in, especially for two young girls. There are a few you’ll wish to avoid.”

“Can you point them out?”

“As we sail into the harbor, come see me. The view is better from there, and perhaps it will help you avoid mistakes.”

Prin’s feet barely touched the deck as she went back to where Sara sat. The sight of Jam slinking behind the hatch cover didn’t upset her as his constant spying had days earlier. She’d found he refused to learn to read and would not join them in their studies. That had been her biggest worry, that he would somehow find and read what they did. However, between much of the writing being only for the sorceress, and his lack of reading abilities, those worries were at rest. She also knew of him leaving the ship in Gallium and being put on another. That reduced her concerns, but even Sara didn’t know about that.

The following morning the captain summoned Prin to the wheelhouse, which had only happened twice. She was the third person in the small room, the captain stood at the wheel. As she entered, the captain turned to the bos’n, “If you’ll excuse us?”

The bos’n left, leaving only the two of them, her standing near the door wringing her hands and wondering what she had done, or failed to do. He said, “We have a problem.”

Her heart sank. “What have I done?”

“No, not that sort of problem. Another kind. It seems that my son has been talking to the crew, telling all kinds of tales, and lies.”

“I’ll ignore them if I hear them,” she said, relieved.

“I appreciate that, but one of the others of the crew listened to a strange story before we left Indore. It was about a mage searching for a girl matching your description. There’s a reward. A large one. He thinks you are that girl.”

Prin said nothing. She didn’t want to lie, but neither would she confirm the story.

“Jam is asking for him to join together to capture you and then they can split the reward. I spoke with him earlier and explained that you are here because my cousin El asked me to take you away from danger. You are safe on this ship.”

She waited. There was more to the story, or he wouldn’t have brought her to the wheelhouse. “I believe the bos’n has explained to you that Jam will not continue this voyage with us. However, he refuses to do as the bos’n orders, so he has brought this on himself. He intends to spread the story in Gallium in hopes of receiving a partial reward. He says that if there are people there searching for you, he plans to turn you in.” He drew in a long breath, then continued, “He is my son, and I love him, but nobody on this ship will disobey my orders or causes me to break my word.”

“If you can delay him on the ship a day or two, Sara and I can make our way to safety.” Prin tried to keep her feelings from showing.

“That is why you’re here, now. I expected such an honorable response, but that’s not the way a captain does things on his ship. I do not want you to do something rash, so we’re having this talk.” His eyes were no longer on her, but looked out the windows on the front of the wheelhouse to the sea ahead, and down to the deck where Jam lounged in the morning sun as if he was a paid passenger.

He continued, “At the harbor, this ship will anchor, and I will order a longboat. I am going to find a ship ready to depart, and my son will be its newest crewman. Hopefully, when he manages to get back to Indore, he will be a better man.”

“You don’t have to do that for me,” Prin said.

“I’m doing it for him, not you. But, I wanted you to understand, so you don’t disappear because of rumors my son spread. We may replace another crewman, too. The one who conspired with Jam.”

“Sayed?” she asked, not wishing it to be true.

He shook his head, and she stopped guessing. The ship was small, and so was the crew. Six, in all, plus the cook who never spoke so didn’t count. Five were instantly eliminated by his denial. She had passed only a few words with Sammy, but had seen Jam talking to him more than once, and they seemed cozy. Sammy, the man who steered the ship at night and stood apart at meals and other functions, although he should be excused from most because of staying awake all night, and at other times, he didn’t befriend her.

Sammy seemed to be a loner and something of a malcontent. She had tried speaking to him several times when she first joined the crew, but he rebuffed her with every attempt. She said to the captain, “I have done nothing wrong. I want you to know that, but there are dangerous men after me. They have tried to kill me several times, and have killed my father.”

“Powerful, wealthy men, I hear.”

“Yes.”

“Prin, I accepted a duty to provide a job, and protection, for you. El has already told me most of this, and I have no need to know more of your personal story. But the actions of my son threaten my honor and my authority as captain of this ship. What takes place is because of that, and nothing you might have done, or who you are. It is just a case of a crewman thinking he is better than the others.”

“Jam is a nice kid.”

“Not yet, he isn’t. And without discipline, he will not become a nice man. His birthright should give him no favors on the deck of any ship, but be believes otherwise. I should not be speaking to you in this manner, but I wanted you to know I’ll hold up my end of our agreement. But what happens to Jam is because of him and his choices.”

“I respect that. You’re his father. Would it help if I spoke with him? Would you give him another chance?”

The captain slumped and hung his head. “No. Before you came, he had ninety-nine infractions of my one-hundred rules, and I kept telling myself that one more would bring consequences. This has been building for a couple of years, so all I ask is that you do not allow the situation to grow worse, and say nothing. Not even to Sara.”

“Yes, sir.”

He turned away from her, and she understood he was dismissing her. She opened the door and heard a small sound that might have been the door hinge squeak, or a grown man stifle a sniffle. She went on deck and directly to the bucket and swab she used for the decks. It had been two days, and if she kept them mopped, she had little need of a scrub brush, which was much harder work.

“You’re wasting your time.”

She turned her head as she pulled the first bucket. Jam stood there, although she didn’t know how he’d managed to get that close without her hearing him. “It’s my job.”

“They’ll clean and scrape the deck in Gallium when they refit the ship.”

“Watch your feet,” she sluiced the water across the deck.

He didn’t move, his expression was insolent. “First time a rich girl like you ever swabbed a deck, or mopped a floor?”

She paused in mid-stride and fixed him with a look that caused him to back a step. He apparently remembered the knife she threw past his ear. She said, “Let me tell you something, Jam. For the last seven or eight years, I woke up each day before the sun. I even got up before the bakers did in the Earl’s castle. And when I was up, I went to the morning kitchen where the food was prepared for all the people in the castle, and in that kitchen, I started the fires for eight ovens so that when the cooks arrived, they were ready and warm for cooking.”

She advanced a couple of steps and shook her finger at his nose. “Eight ovens. I split the kindling, fed the wood, warmed the ovens, some hotter than others, and then I fed them more wood while the cooks made the food. Over seven years without missing one single day, because I was not allowed to, or I was beaten. You have not seen a day in your life where you worked as hard as I did. Every. Single. Day. For seven years.”

“I thought you were some rich girl they’re after.”

“Because I sort of look like that girl they talk about? Men are chasing after her, and some think it is me. They’re trying to kill her, and that makes killing me okay because I look like her and we’re near the same age. It’s true, I’m running away. There is a reward posted, that’s also true. But, your uncle El is helping me, and don’t you think if I were the one they wanted, he would have turned me in and become a rich man?”

“But . . .”

“Shove it, Jam. You’re a stupid, insolent kid who has made not one, but several mistakes about me. If I were you, I’d just shut my mouth and hope everyone around forgets just how stupid you’ve been.” She swung the mop so hard the handle almost flew out of her hands. The deck had nearly dried while she had raged at him, so she pulled up another bucket and rinsed the deck.

Her eyes went to where Jam had been and searched for him, then she looked up at the wheelhouse and the captain. He gave her a curt nod and turned away. That’s because he didn’t hear what I said.

The bos’n appeared carrying the clipboard that had almost become an extension of his hand lately. He said, “You might want to go below and spend some time with the cat. It’s said they cure anger. By the way, when you’re down there you’ll notice you can hear about anything said up here. Not eavesdropping on you, but your voice was a little loud.”

So, he had heard her, too. She fled to the small hatch and slipped below. The cat was there. She went to it, sitting near the animal. The former ship’s cat hadn’t liked anyone. This one liked only Prin, but she had never touched a cat. There had been some running loose at the Earl’s castle, but they belonged to the Royals, and it was forbidden to touch them. Servants can’t afford to feed pets, so she hadn’t owned or touched one.

She had touched dogs, of course. But cats were different. She held out her hand, half expecting it to bite her. Instead, it sniffed, then stood and stretched. As if moving at half speed, it moved to her side and rubbed against her arm, making the purring sound she’d heard about. She wrapped her arms around it and cried.

When she finished, she stroked the cat for a good part of the morning. It twisted and turned to make sure she ran her hand over every part of its body, then it stood and moved back to the top of a crate where it could keep watch on most of the hold without moving.

Shortly after, Prin heard the gong the ship used to announce a meal. If she didn’t go, she’d face more questions than if she did. When she sat at the table, only one person was missing—Jam. She didn’t say anything and managed to avoid the captain’s inquiring expression, but as she and Sara prepared to study after the meal, she saw the captain and bos’n with their heads together.

While they often spoke together about the ship, they normally had their say out loud, often shouting from the bridge to the deck, and back. The idea of them speaking confidentially caught the attention of all at the two tables, and when everyone stopped talking, they realized others were listening and sat up, quietly. Prin looked at Sara and gave a slight shrug that Sara ignored. The other conversations began again, but not with the usual enthusiasm, and as bowls emptied, so did the tables, until only Sara and Prin remained.

Sara said, “Today I want you to read one of the books to me. Out loud. Try to add a little expression to your voice, and let’s see if you’ve improved as much as I think.”

She selected the book about a colt searching for its mother lost in a large herd of horses. Along the way, the colt met a variety of animals that tried to help it, and all of them talked as if they were human. She read a few pages without incident—then realized the story may as well be about her.

“Something wrong?” Sara asked.

“Water. I need a drink.” Sara passed a mug to her, and Prin pretended it cleared her throat. She read more than twenty pages of text with only a few places where she slowed over a word.

Sara said, “Okay, here’s where you’re at. I cannot teach you more. You must read on your own to get better. Oh, if you can’t figure out a word, I’ll help, but now it is about practice.” She handed Prin another book, one they had bought in the bazaar in Indore when Sara bought several to hide the one she was interested in. “This book is not about a horse. It is the story of a warrior that defeated the enemies of his king.”

Prin let the book sit on the table, untouched. “It sounds boring.”

“Perhaps. But the warrior lived in a distant land. A city across a sea. Interested yet?”

Prin shook her head.

“The city where he lived is called Gallium.”

“Really?”

“Within those pages are stories of places, how the people live, what they believe, and the king of Gallium protects his city from the invaders of the Green Sea we have never been to, but he tells of it.”

Prin had already picked the book up and opened it to the beginning. The print was smaller, the letters had little fancy scrolls, but the first line caught her breath. It said, “I was not born a prince.”

It may as well have said, I was not born a princess. The line gripped her, and she needed to read on, to hear the story of the man who must have become a prince.

Sara said, “Right now we have afternoon work to do.”

“Just a little longer,” Prin whined.

“Work comes first, but I heard that day after tomorrow we may see Gallium. You only have two days to read that.”