Ships and Stories

Ships, like their crew, have stories. Ecstasy’s was one few believed upon the sight of her captain. The decks and cannons could tell stories enough for a lifetime, and more stretched before her. As much as Gennie studied the lines on the back of her hand they flowed to the grain of the rail she rested on. 

The city of Topolis was close to the coast Gennie had obtained Ecstasy. A nostalgic irony seemed as fitting as the last piece of a puzzle falling into place so near where it all began. Solange de LeRenard had attracted as many enemies as Captain Blackstrap or any other name Gennie curated. She collected names like coins, she had not set out to create a reputation, though each name birthed a legacy all its own. And the allies and enemies that went with these monikers seemed to swap camps more often than not. 

Before she was Blackstrap’s Ecstasy, the opium trade junk was the Mei Hei Feng. A marvel of seafaring and weaponry, coveted before it was treasured by a young navigator on a ship with a much darker past. 

***

The captain’s footfalls rattled toward Gennie as she remained head bent over rolls of charts, maps, and notes. When the door banged against the wall, De Xavier stood, sword in hand. 

“Where are we?” His voice, a controlled explosion as the captain sought to retain charm.

This was an ire only Gennie could draw forth. 

Gennie’s gaze wandered the cabin to level with the captain’s glare. “In the archives.” 

De Xavier swept into the room. HE jabbed a thick finger into the middle of one of the maps. “No. Cinta.” He hissed the name as he stabbed the map. “Where. Are. We.” 

Gennie rested her palms on the edge of the desk, leaned over the table and cocked a shoulder toward the captain. She followed the point of the captain’s finger where it dented the map up to his smoldering eyes.

“The ocean.” Her grin was lazy.

The captain swept the papers off the desk. “You are the worst navigator I have ever had the misfortune to know, no less have on my ship!” He rounded the table toward Gennie. “We are lost! Again!”

Gennie stood her ground. The captain had yet to take a hand to her, or any of his crew. The man closed the distance between them to burn his stare into her. 

His temper leveled as Gennie snapped a paper beside her face. She pointed to near the base of the map. “Here. I am never lost, as you are never wrong. We are merely exploring the unintended.”

He the map with both hands. “This map is not any language, nor any place I have seen.” He flicked the paper with the back of his hand.

“Because it’s not any language or place you’ve been, captain.” Gennie slid to peer around his shoulder.

She pointed again to their location then traced a path down, across, and off the western point. “We came this way, off the tip of Africa. We must have caught some current that pulled us here.”

“How do I know you did not draw this map, yourself?” The captain accused over his shoulder. 

Gennie shrugged. “Because I don’t know Arabic.”

De Xavier shook the map. “How do you know it’s Arabic?”

“You are going to ask how I know a language? Vraiment?” Gennie had begun her voyage on Despair as a captive, but quickly turned navigator and translator. 

Her training and lessons had given her as much value as learning to navigate and translate the captain’s moods. “But, I cannot read it. Only recognize. My guess, we are in the Indian Ocean, possibly near Indonesia.”

“When you learn to read it, get us out of the Indian Ocean, away from Indonesia. This is not making your release look promising.”

As soon as the door latched behind the captain, Gennie dove for the shelves of books. She had no idea what to look for, but she had to find it quickly. She was not foolish enough to think De Xavier wouldn’t toss her overboard.

A thundering shudder rocked Gennie from her perch against the table. The next buried her under books, maps, and scrolls.

The door flew open as Gennie pushed the avalanche off her legs. 

“Captain wants all hands on deck. Now!” Talena, the first mate, blocked in the doorway. She was a beauty as deadly as she was maternal, and fell into action when she saw Gennie on the floor. “Are you okay?”

Gennie allowed Talena to guide her to her feet. “What was that?” 

Talena lifted Gennie with ease of a child picking up a doll. “You’ll see.” 

Talena took the steps to the deck two at a time as Gennie followed, curiosity overcoming any reservations she should have harbored.

The decks were an explosion of barked orders and clamoring crews. Talena fell in with the others as quickly as she burst from the stairs. Gennie barely caught her footing as the galleon shifted under her and swept into position. Gennie had only seen the ship’s full fire power when it had been inflicted upon the Lenore. Then she had been on the wrong side to fully appreciated the beauty of the dance. 

The eight hundred ton sea goddess was a prime example of Spanish engineering. Masts, like spires, stabbed the sky as billowing black sails rippled the air. A pair of sailors hoisted the jack. Crossed bones behind a skull, a map clenched in boney jaws, flanked by a blade and goblet. 

Gennie sidestepped a pair of silver-banded eights as they were rolled into place. At least seventy cannons aligned the split decks, and more rumbled below. Like fiery eyes, a twin pair of swivel mounted five-pound cannons roared to life. A half dozen more eights lined the rear rail. Despair lacked speed, but her size and weapons made Despair a ship to fear.

Gennie had not been allowed above decks for more than short spans of time. 

“Cinta!” The captain beckoned her to the helm. 

Grateful to have a purpose in the chaos, she hurried to his side. He shoved a spyglass in her hands. Gennie leveled the device to the horizon and balanced the focus. 

The captain directed her gaze. “There.” 

In the half-light of morning, the shape was difficult to make out. It was a ship, that much was clear, but unlike any either had seen. 

“You have seen strange things in those books. Tell me, Cinta, what manner of ship is that?”

Gennie’s voice was stolen by the mysterious vessel.

De Xavier reclaimed the scope. “How far do you think that is?” 

With naked eyes, Gennie squinted out at the ship. “I wouldn’t know. Too far to fire upon?”

The captain remained captivated by the strange ship.

Realization flooded over Gennie. “It fired on us?” 

For the first time Gennie saw fear in the Captain De Xavier’s eyes. “Not enough to cause severe damage. What disturbs me more is where the attack struck.” 

Gennie followed the captain’s stride to the main deck. 

“Talena!” De Xavier bellowed. “You have the deck. Prepare for anything!”

Talena saluted with a nod before firing a glare at Gennie.

The captain continued below the decks to the bilge ladder. 

De Xavier held out a hand. “Ladies first.” 

Gennie stared down the opening as she gathered her scattering thoughts. She toed the steps, De Xavier following when she called the all clear from the waist high water. De Xavier removed his coat and sword belt, draping the items over his shoulder before descending fully into the water. 

“There.” The captain directed Gennie’s attention to a glowing section a few feet away.

A cluster of carpenters hurried to patch the damaged hull. It looked struck by a battering ram. Shards of wood darted the water.

“That was at long range.” De Xavier whispered.

“We have the water under control, though we’ll need to make land if the repairs are going to hold.” A carpenter swept damp hair from his eyes. 

“What weapon is this?”

“Captain.” Gennie put a hand on the man’s arm. “De Xavier.” 

He looked down at her, fear omnipresent in his gaze.

“I do not mean to be contrary, but you are certain this damage was inflicted by that ship, and not a reef?”

“It was not a reef, Cinta. A reef drags. Shallow or deep, its mark leaves a scar, not an impact.” 

“I knew that. I did. This weapon. No other ship has such a thing, or defense against it.”

“The thought crossed my mind.” Intrigue had begun to replace all other emotions.

“With your permission, I’ll return to the archives.” Gennie shivered with the chill of the water and anticipation of her research.

***

Gennie poured over volumes in a miriad languages. Deciphering stories, misinformation, and indiscernable scrawling. Gennie stumbled through languages and dialects as diverse as the peoples that derived them. In the company of native speakers, she could find at least one with a language common to both of them. Written words were almost as easy, as long as the language was Latin based, Eastern symbols eluded her still. Not only were the languages and letlers confusing. Sailors were a superstitious lot, myth and fear, and dehydration induced fantasies that could be lost in translation.

“The captain demands to know if you‘ve anything on the mystery ship.” The gunner, Richie, interrupted Gennie’s reading. “I’ve no interest in what it is, just in how to best send it to the bottom of the sea.”

An energetic man and more than a little psychotic, with as much love for chains and knives as powder and shot. Richie annoyed more than frightened Gennie, but she would not tempt the man’s temper.

“No. If I understand this, sinking her is the last thing we should do.” The statement educed the same response one might get for taking a toy from a child. 

“We’re not goin’ to pay that beast back for the holes it put in us?” Richie pouted.

Gennie held out a book with an imprint of a vessel. “Tell the captain I need to see him.”

Richie turned to her once more. “And you’re sure we shouldn’t sink it?” 

Gennie rolled her eyes.  

“Richie tells me you’ve found something?” De Xavier’s demeanor less inflamed than before. 

“Here.” Gennie indicated the page she had shown Richie. 

“A drawing, surrounded by other drawings, as far as I can tell. That helps only so far that the thing exists, but not how to overtake it.” De Xavier paced.

Gennie opened another book, this one in English. “From the East India Company.” She pointed to a symbol at the top corner of the page. 

The word Junk stood out on the page beside a symbol. With her other hand she found the same symbol on the page with the drawing.

De Xavier pulled the East India Company book from under Gennie’s hand. 

“I had never heard of such a vessel, and would never have attributed it to our opponent if not for that drawing. They are describing the same beast, and now I am certain of something more.” Gennie crossed her arms.

De Xavier looked from the book. 

“I want her.” Gennie stated. 

De Xavier lowered the book to stare at the woman. “What?” 

Gennie swallowed. “I want her.” 

She waited for De Xavier laughter to rattle the walls. For him to tell her no, or simply take the book and walk out. 

When he did none, she continued. “I want my freedom. I want a crew. I want that ship.” 

De Xavier smiled. “What you ask for is a different cage.”

“I know why you keep me. Even though I am a terrible navigator, and worthless on your skilled crew.” 

“That is not my point. Do you think I’m free? I’m slave to this crew, to this ship. Commanded to have capable crew to maintain her. A crew of slaves will work very hard, for a time. And then they won’t.”

“And I have done as you bid since boarding this ship.And so much more! I want that Junk.” Gennie repeated, undaunted.

“Or what? You will revolt?” De Xavier coughed out the words.

“No.” Gennie leveled with the man. “But there are many unique features the Junk offers. It would compliment your galleon.”

“You’re offering a partnership?” De Xavier was incredulous.

Gennie was smart, willful, she would not foolishly strike a deal.

De Xavier nodded. “Then you shall have her, Cinta.” 

Gennie breathed. “Now tell me the secrets of your would be prison.”