Malspire (13 page)

“You have one officer, seventeen seamen and an engineer.”

“What? Where are the rest? Officers, men and marines?” I said, already knowing there were no more, but I wanted to squeeze the man.

The portly officer leaned back from his papers making his thin chair creak. “That’s all we've got. War on you know.”

"I know there's a bloody war on. I've been fighting it. I need more men!"

"Can't help you there, Captain Ardalrion." He made the word captain sound like a sneer. "No men to spare. No new officers arrived yet."

"So what am I supposed to do?"

"Not for me to say. Perhaps send a letter to the city Naval Office?"

That would take weeks, even months. I needed men now.  "Do you know who my father is?" I hated using his name but what choice did he have?

"Lord Admiral Lord Ardalrion. We are well are of you and your family here at the office." Smuddagon said like he didn't care.

"That's right. Do you know how much trouble I would get into if I leaned over that desk, pulled you out of this office and kicked every tooth out of that smug face of yours?" I had no intention of trying. For a start, he doubted I could have budged the fat swine, but Smuddagon got the idea. "That's right. I wouldn't be in much trouble at all, whereas you would have to get used to drinking your dinner through a reed straw."

"Listen," the officer said, sitting up now, nervous of the cold fury in my tone. "I can't do anything about it. There just aren't the men available."

I said nothing. Let the man fill the silence.

"Perhaps press gang them. Go to the taverns and inns, and take the men." He was gesticulating now, trying to be friendlier. "Just try not to rob the other naval ships of their crew."

"What is my officer's name?"

"Erm." He rummaged through more papers. "Kristan Olvan, fresh out of the Academy."

"I see. I need more crew. Take some men from the Sea Huntress. She has a full complement, and wouldn't miss a few. I only need two men: Mister Harl and Mister Jodlin"

"I can't do that, Captain Ardalrion."

"Can't or won't," I demanded.

"Can't! There is no order I can give. No paper I can sign. It has to come from the city." He was pleading now.

"I need men. I need officers!" I slammed the table with my fist making Smuddagon jump in his chair. "A surgeon, for the sake of the gods." I then looked him up and down. "You're an officer. You look like you could do with some time on a ship. Must get stuffy in here. Yes?" I stood up to grab Smuddagon. It was only a threat. I didn't want the bloated idiot on my ship but it had the desired effect.

Smuddagon raised his pudgy hands. "Wait, wait! There is a doctor. He's experienced, but he has just been discharged, kicked out of the Navy and told to make his own way back to Norlan."

"Why was he kicked out?"

"Well, he's a drunk. Always swimming with the fish apparently. Took the wrong tooth out of Captain Rantor of The Merciless."

"I like him already. Where is he?"

He told me so I had Willan, who was waiting outside, proudly polishing his new boots, go and find the doctor. I also had the personnel master sign the paperwork reinstating the doctor into the Navy and my crew.

"As for Mister Harl and Mister Jodlin," said the officer. "There just is nothing I can do about it, other than send a request to the Imperial Naval Office of Norlan."

A plan then came to mind, so I filled in the papers together with Smuddagon, and used my family signet ring to make sure the request did not fail. It would take weeks or months, but that was fine. I would have the two men in my crew within days.

"Send any men you can. I need crew!" At that I stood up and stormed out of the office. Pompous swine idiot fat moronic clerk, was all I could think. I returned to the ship and saw a line of men hauling buckets of water from below deck. "Carry on," I called as they stopped when they saw their new captain. "What's going on, Mister Horis?"

"Pumps are all broke, Captain. We're getting the water out of the bilges."

"Where's the engineer? I was told we've got one."

"Down below, me' lord. Having a look at the engine."

"Don't call me lord." I hated it when they did that. I was entitled to it but it made me uncomfortable. "Sir or Captain will suffice, Mister Horis."

Going below, down to the engine room, I saw the engine was being disassembled by a short fellow, covered in black oil. I assumed the man was getting on in years, and had grey or white hair, but even his hair was black with the stuff. He wore blackened overalls and eye protecting goggles. When he saw me, he did not seem to recognise my rank or did not care.

"Hand me that jug of spirits there, lad," said the man with a crackling, aged voice.

Looking round at the workbench, I saw the jug which had a large skull painted on the side. I handed it to him and the engineer grunted his thanks, then poured some on the rag, after which he took a swig of the stuff himself which was followed by an awkward dance and cackle.

"Not bad," he then wheezed holding it out to me. "Have some, lad. Put wind in your sails and fire in your arse. Made it me'self."

Tentatively, I took the jug and sniffed at it. My eyes watered so I put it down. "My name is Captain Ardalrion. I presume you are my engineer?"

"Captain?" He looked me up and down, but still didn't seem too concerned. Stepping forwards, the little man took off his goggles to reveal two circles of white skin with clear grey eyes. He knuckled his head. "Larrans Perti, Captain, at your service. Engineer? Aye, that'll be me."

"Good. How's the engine looking?"

"Well," he scratched his head. "Most of the bits are there, but rust is a problem. We need copper piping too. Someone's pinched a load of it. Brewing spirits on our piping a dare say."

"I see. Where do we get the piping?"

"Where? Only the Black Folk make the proper kind, the kind that'll last. But they'll have some Empire stuff down at the supply yard." He was referring to the Calionvar, the enigmatic black skinned people who originally introduced technomancy to the peoples. I had never met one but I had seen them at port both in the city and Umuron. Mostly they kept to themselves. The most unnerving thing about them, I found, were their eyes: Jet black as was their skin. Not just the pupil but the entire eye, so one never knew where they were looking.

"I'll write a requisition order for you. What else do you need?"

Together we created a list of items required to get the engine running and pumps working. It was a long list and there was a lot of work to do.

***

"Enter," I said.

In stepped a timid looking young man, clumsy in his pristine new uniform and long rapier. He stepped up to the desk, stumbling on the clumsy blade as he did so. Regaining his composure, the young man saluted smartly and introduced himself, "Junior Officer Kristan Olvan, reporting for duty, Captain."

I had spent the rest of the day working out what was missing and what was needed. With my cabin and desk set up, I sent runners with papers and orders for supplies and equipment. I had to spend a lot of my own money to grease the works but at least things were moving. Just as I was wondering where the hells my new officer was, there was a knock at my cabin door.

"About bloody time, Olvan!" I barked.

"Sorry, sir. I got lost…"

"Lost!" I got up and stormed round the desk. Looking him up and down, I was not impressed. The junior officer was very young and very nervous, very green.

"What do you know about ships, Olvan? What do you know about navigation?" I poked him in the chest with my pipe.

"Well, I went to the Ardalrion Academy, sir. We learnt…"

"I know what you learn at the Academy, Olvan. What do you know? Not, what did they tell you!"

"I... I…"

"Alright." I sat back down. "You're an officer. In fact you're my only bloody officer and so you're currently acting First Officer until I can find a man who's actually been to sea."

"I have been to sea, sir."

"Shut up. You will listen and learn, Mister Olvan." I tempered my voice now. The lad was shaking. "The men know the seas, and they'll teach you if you give them a chance. I know bugger all, but my father is important and so I'm the master. No other merit, mind you. I like drinking, gambling, women and fighting the enemies of the Empire."

"Captain," was all Olvan could say by way of acknowledgement.

"Now pick a cabin, stow your kit, and then report back to me. We've got crew to find."

I, Captain Ardalrion, spent the next days with Olvan at my side drumming up interest in the Lady Ocean. We managed to pick up another seven sailors with the promise of prize money, and glory. The glory was Olvan's argument, but prize money had a better effect on them. At low tide the ship was careened so the copper sheeting for the hull could be cleaned by an all hands effort which only took a couple of days chipping and scrubbing. A few planks needed replacing and again, I had to fork out copper and silver for the wood and tools. Perti got the engine running, but had to make do with Empire parts, not Calionvar as he would have preferred and warned me that the parts were unreliable.

It was time to get Harl and Jodlin so I went in search of the surgeon who I had yet to meet. Willan had fetched him, but the man had stayed in his cabin all the while. I found our new surgeon, Doctor Eebel, snoring in the medico's cabin. He was a tall and thin man. His hair was dark with white streaks. His clothes were of a fine make and cloth but they had seen better days. He stank of spirits and an empty jug lay on its side on deck next to an overflowing piss pot.

"Wake up."

The doctor groaned.

"Wake up!"

The man grudgingly opened his red rimmed eyes and looked round.

"Where am I?" He held his head and tried to sit up.

"On board the Lady Ocean. You've re-joined the Navy, and you're now my ship's surgeon."

"What? Oh, yes. Now I remember. Why?"

"I need you. I need a surgeon. You're the only one available."

"Oh, and I thought it was my exemplary record. I don't want to."

"Pardon?"

"I'm a civilian now. I want to go home in shame and spend the rest of my days as a country doctor where nobody knows me, and I can drink until I pickle in my own piss. Gods I'm hungry. How long have I been here?"

"You're a naval officer," I shouted. "You're a bloody disgrace, but you're an Imperial and Ardalrion Navy officer, and I have the paperwork to prove it, and I have a boot ready to kick you with and I have crewmen who would like nothing more than to give you twenty lashes and," The doctor was cringing from the tirade. His head was obviously hurting him, my voice just making it worse. "And," I went on, "drunk on duty is against naval regulations, but rules are meant to be broken, Doctor Eebel. I don't give a damn how drunk you are. As long as you get the job done, you can drink the bloody oceans dry for all I care."

Doctor Eebel scratched his unshaven chin in thought, looked again at me, and then shrugged his shoulders.

The truth was that I did not want a drunk doctor, but it was marginally better than no doctor, so I had Olvan hide away any wine and spirits. There would still be plenty about, but I wanted to make it harder for the drunk.

The first thing I did, after the surgeon had cleaned himself up was have Doctor Eebel do some paperwork. Two documents he signed and handed to me. He complained that this was breaking naval regulations, but I just told him to shut up and sign the damned things. Hung over and in dire need of a drink, the doctor relented.

That night I headed over to the Sea Huntress. Wanting to avoid Captain Crosp, I went to the closest tavern where I expected many of the crew would be found. Luckily both Harl and Jodlin were there. I was given a warm reception by the crewmen and half-heartedly snarled back at them, although I had to admit that I was touched by the greeting.

"Captain Ardalrion, sir," said Harl. "Pleased to see you, we are."

"Thank you, Mister Harl. How are the men?"

"Doing well. Shore leave has raised spirits, but we'll be off soon again. How's that ship of yours?"

"Fine. She needed work, but we seem to have her running and just about ready for trials. Two months we have to get her ready for duty. Two months to train the men and trim the ship," I said.

"Good, sir. The men have missed your presence at the card games."

"I'm sure they have. Running short on coin are they?"

Harl grunted a laugh. “Captain Crosp's been in a sour mood. We ain't allowed to mention your name in his presence."

"Oh, he just can't take it when a high born bugger like me walks in and steals the show. Thinks I'm a worthless inbred mongrel, or so he has told me on many an occasion, and he's probably right.” I surreptitiously looked round. I did not want any of the Sea Huntress's officers to see me talking to Harl and Jodlin. "Let me buy you and Jod some food and drink. I have a proposition to make."

The three of us took a back table with the food and wine, and I proposed my plan. On me I had the two surgeon's notes. They told of how both Seaman Harl and Seaman Jodlin had come down with Grotting Worms and how infectious the illness was. It told of how one can lose limbs and eyesight to the worms and how it passes by mere touch. The sick must be kept in quarantine for weeks.