Today, maybe a few dozen guns exist in semi-secret.
“So,” I began casually, “Jacobi. After managing to get rid of Tethys, along with the quasis without any incident, why—?”
“That’s because we had O’Toole this time!”
“Which is why it’s no longer as much of a risk.” Five years ago, my then sole surviving techie went mad. I’d pulled the gun out to scare off a pirate captain that was trying to steal my frigate, along with my valuable shipment, with his sheer numbers. Just like today, the quasi-children had come. The techie had accidentally backed into one. He’d committed suicide a week later.
“They’re cursed beings. We should, at no cost, ever risk their company again.”
“I agree with the cursed part, but not the second part. I’d rather not have to deal with those kids ever again, but the gun is worth it.”
“Worth what?” Jacobi asked.
“We’ve beaten off Tethys every other time without the gun,” Mido said. “He’s too stupid to beat us. Next time we’ll be prepared to defend the landies if he tries to do that again.”
Jacobi sat back in his seat and folded his arms, as if Mido had won the argument for him.
“The way I see it,” I said, thumbing the rim of my mug, “is that keeping the gun will spare us from losing more techies. We had Jersey and Mike for only five years. I don’t enjoy losing crew members to this insane world we live in today. There are just as many pirates slinking around as there were a hundred years ago.”
“And plenty of captains trying to monopolize the shipping industry,” Mido said bitterly. He took some solace in a noisy sip of coffee as Sauna returned to the galley.
“Yep. The faster we stop sword fights, the longer the average lifespan of this crew gets.”
International trade and shipping were almost a luxury reserved solely for those who’d managed to find a way to stay rich after the Purge—the few days where a hundred nuclear bombs blanketed this unlucky mud ball of a planet. I was one of many captains that fought to keep trade and shipping fair. I knew how it felt to be broke and miserable. I didn’t wish that kind of life on anyone but Tethys. And, of course, that bitch who’d—
“We should hire techies who actually know how to sword fight then,” Jacobi said, resting his elbows on the table’s raised rim. “Or at least find a way to make the time to train them in self defense. It’d be better than having that thing in your coat.”
I finished my coffee, set the tin mug near the edge of the table, then reached for the toweled gun. “I’m not getting rid of it, and that’s final. End of discussion.” With utmost care, I returned the gun to its holster and chucked the towel back on the table. The crew that’d survived with me the longest would understand if I explained my reason for keeping the gun, if I told them.
“But, sir!”
I got to my feet and adjusted my coat. “Sauna, get the engine fueled for a trip to Virginia. Jacobi, go help him. The rest of you go help Sam. We’ll push off as soon as everything’s in the cargo hold.”
Jacobi unfolded his arms and stood. “Then consider this my last charter with you. I put in my request to be discharged in Port Chesapeake Bay.”
“Request denied,” I said calmly as I headed for the stairs. “You’ll find that any other crew is a bunch of wusses compared to us. Don’t insult yourself like that.” Jacobi was big enough to take on Tethys in an arm wrestling match. My crew and I didn’t share an undefeated record for nothing. “Besides, I pay better than most.” I climbed the darkened stairs and headed for the wheelhouse.
We escorted Tethys’ ship out of Newport without any problems. It probably helped that Scully hadn’t left the Harpy until Tethys had sailed a good ten miles from port. I diverted my ship south and slightly east, so we wouldn’t run into Long Island. It would take the better part of a day to reach Port Chesapeake Bay. Steam engines weren’t known for amazing water speeds. I set the frigate on auto pilot, meaning I’d strategically wedged two pieces of wood on either side of the steering stick, and headed for the galley. Mido was cooking up some cheeseburgers and fried potato wedges.
Sauna, Jacobi, and Mido joined me to lunch, but I was the only one with an appetite. It wasn’t surprising. Just being in the presence of quasi-children for a minute or two would kill anyone’s appetite for a few hours. I, however, hadn’t eaten yet.
Upon taking the biggest first bite I could manage of the best meal on Earth, Scully appeared clutching the back of his head and sporting dried up blood on his chin and nose. I hastily got up to let him in. He sat at the edge of the table and winced. Mido rushed out of his seat, fetching a wet towel and some ice. It felt like a brick sank down my esophagus as I swallowed. “What the hell happened to you?”
He scooted in so I could sit back down. “One of Tethys’ men, I think. I never saw. I musta fell on my face after receiving a blow to my head.”
Well, this is odd. “Where were you when you came to?” I’d seen him leave the Harpy. However, once he was out of sight, I’d forgotten about him and focused on piloting the ship.
“The lifeboats? I dunno. Everything’s real hazy right now.”
I pushed my burger towards Scully, even though his concussion would probably make him vomit it up later, if he decided to finish it for me. I got up and started running for the main deck. Tethys must have planted an assassin on my ship—no! That couldn’t be it. Scully wouldn’t be alive right now. But there definitely was someone who didn’t belong. I climbed the steep metal stairs to the deck, Sauna right behind me. Cool salty wind greeted us. I fastened three buttons on my trench coat and jogged to starboard side.
There was nothing out of place. Absolutely nothing. I was one of those people who could tell if anything had been moved in the slightest. The Pertinacious was like my own room. I knew exactly where everything was supposed to be at any given time. Sauna and I ran across the bow to port. Sure enough, one of the covers to a lifeboat had come loose, and there was some dried blood on the wood deck. Okay, so here was the crime scene; now where the criminal? Sauna peered inside the lifeboat while I checked for more blood. Instead, I found an oar left helter-skelter on the deck. So, one of Tethys’s men, with an oar, near a lifeboat. I handed the oar to Sauna, who slid it in its rightful place in the lifeboat. I fixed the tarp so that detail wouldn’t bug me for the rest of the day, then scrutinized the deck for more clues, but there was nothing. Absolutely nothing.
I knew this wasn’t O’Toole’s doing. He was an autistic prankster, but he never voluntarily touched anyone, not even with objects. He just jumped out of random places, trying to scare people. Kid stuff.
I checked the nearest of several hatches leading below deck and found it locked, as it should be. “Sauna, go check Scully’s keys. Make sure he has ‘em.”
“You got it, Captain.” Sauna pulled up his pants a bit, then ran off.
I continued working my way towards the bow, looking for an unlocked hatch to no avail. I ran the thirty yards back to my starting point and checked in the other direction. By the time I reached the fourth and final hatch, I knew I didn’t have to check. One of Tethys’s men was staring out over the stern, just standing in the open. Sauna rounded the wheelhouse, panting. He started saying what I already knew about Sam’s keys, but I quieted him with a hand. I pointed at the stern. He turned and gasped, then reached for the invisible sword on his hip.