The Scarlet King (3 page)

Jason stood in silence and watched with the
Captain who gave but occasional orders to the helmsman. All sails
were down except for the small storm sail. There was nothing for
the deck hands to do and no reason to risk their lives on the
pitching deck and above in the rigging.

Jason spoke, "The stars have shifted as we
sailed. If we could sail far enough, would we return to where we
started and the stars would again be in the proper place?"

The Captain answered not but simply looked at
Jason. He finally responded, "For one not of the sea you notice
much. Some of us believe what you say is true, others think there
is an edge, an abyss from which return is not possible." He then
asked, "How could the length of the journey be determined?"

It was Jason's turn for thought. He brought
out a small pad of paper and begin working with numbers. He finally
looked up from his work and said, "I would have a proper person of
numbers look at my work, but it would seem that the angle has
changed about thirty degrees in our month of sailing. If our world
is truly round it would take twelve months of sailing to complete
the journey."

The Captain nodded his head and said, "Those
of us who think the journey possible have arrived at a similar
number. Until the journey is made we shall never know."

Jason tried to respond but the gust of wind
tore the sound of his words away as the ship heeled sharply to the
side. The Captain's fatigue seemed to disappear as he shouted
orders to the helmsman. The ship stabilized and the more regular
pitching resumed. Jason had held onto the leather strap which
crossed the ceiling; his death grip on the strap was all that kept
him from crashing into the helmsman.

"The wind has begun to shift,” said the
Captain. “The seas will be more confused for awhile, but I think we
are now on the backside of the storm. It may be best if you stayed
below."

Jason responded, "If you think it necessary I
will go below, but I prefer to experience this journey to its
fullest. This is freedom such as I have never known. King I may be
but free I am not."

"As you wish. You must at all times securely
hold the safety strap."

They sailed on before the storm, driven ever
more to the east and the south. Jason seemed immune to the sickness
of the sea and stood watch with the Captain until hunger drove him
below. Jeremy was at table sipping his ginger tea and not looking
very good. Jason asked him of Edna and he replied, "She suffers
from the sickness of the sea. I suspect those of us of the Forest
were never meant for the sea."

Jason said, "The Captain thinks we are at the
backside of the storm, but says the seas will be unsettled for some
time yet."

Jeremy looked at the amount of food that
Jason was consuming and got even a little greener around the edges.
He asked, "Does not the sickness of the sea affect you?"

Jason shrugged his shoulders and replied, "It
seems not. The storm seems to have invigorated my soul. When I was
dangling from your thin rope
during my
rescue
[?]
I was afraid, but felt
more alive than I had for many years. For some reason I fear not
the sea but yet have the sense of being very much alive. I think I
could be one of the sea."

By nightfall, which was noted only by the
transition from the dark grayness to a greater blackness, the wind
began to finally die down. The flashes of lightning and crashing of
thunder had stopped, but yet the waves seemed to remain as high and
unsettled as before. For most, sleep was at best unsettled as the
waves, but Jason slept well and awoke refreshed.

When he entered the dining area he was
surprised to see the envoy, who appeared much worse for the storm.
Jason tried to be cheerful but the most he got from the envoy was a
head nod. Jason celebrated the breaking of the fast by eating
heartily. The envoy watched in silence sipping on some sort of tea.
He finally spoke up. "You seem to be unaffected by the sickness of
the sea. How is that?"

Jason shrugged his shoulders. "I know not
why, but the storm bothered me not. In some ways it was both
beautiful and exciting."

The envoy shook his head and mumbled, "I hate
boats and the sea even more." He then asked, "Do you know where we
are?"

"Your Captain says we are east and south of
the great turn and will have to sail to the north to reach your
homeland."

"How much longer must we tolerate these
conditions?"

Jason replied, "The storm has blown itself
out and the waves are subsiding. If I understood the Captain
correctly, we are about two weeks’ sail from your homeland."

"That is two weeks too long. I should have
traveled back across the ice field. Ships and the sea are for
others. I hope my medicine holds out, otherwise I may not be able
to tolerate two more weeks."

Jason started to discuss the dangers of
crossing the ice field in the winter, but the envoy would listen
not and just continued mumbling about the discomfort of the sea.
Jason finally left him to his tea and returned topside. The Captain
was absent, finally having given in to the need for sleep. The
helmsman nodded in recognition to Jason but spoke not. Jason
observed their course on the ship’s compass and noted they were
indeed sailing north by northwest. The ship sails were set about
three-quarters and the wind remained fairly brisk. The ship was now
happy slicing into the waves without the pounding. They were
obviously making good headway.

Jason was content to just stand and watch.
The helmsman would occasionally turn into or away from a wave to
try to reduce the rocking of the ship. Jason concentrated on the
rhythm and realized that the large waves came in a pattern. He
began predicting, at first to himself, when the next large wave
would appear. For some reason the waves came in a cycle. Every
twentieth wave was larger and somewhat diagonally orientated
compared to the rest. It was a question he would need to put to the
Captain, but it seemed as if it was a harmonic as in some vast
musical score.

Jeremy and Edna appeared on deck and Jason
joined them. Edna appeared pale but otherwise seemed to have
tolerated the storm. Jeremy had lost most of the green tinge. Jason
asked, "Have you broken the fast?"

Edna nodded in the affirmative and Jeremy
said, "We have had a little tea and some biscuits to eat."

They stood together watching the bow slice
through the waves with only occasional spray making it topside.
Jason commented, "It is a thing of beauty to watch a ship such as
this ride the waves, is it not?"

Edna responded, "I see the beauty when the
seas are settled and the wind favorable, but I saw not the beauty
during the storm."

Jeremy said, "For those of us of the Forest
the sea remains a stranger. It is a good thing Daniel was not here,
for he is even more sensitive to the sickness of the sea. A healer
is not much good at healing himself."

Jason changed the subject by telling them the
Captain was confident the storm was over and that they would arrive
at the Great City of their ancestors in about two weeks’ sail. He
reached into his pocket and pulled out a drawing of a city on a
hillside. Handing it to Jeremy he said, "I would you study this
picture and see if you can get a sense of the place we are
going."

Jeremy looked at the drawing and said, "This
is the drawing that Daniel made in the Cave of Knowledge, isn't
it?"

"Yes, it is your Daniel's drawing or rather a
copy of it,” said Jason. “It would be of benefit if we had some
knowledge of where we were going. Besides, maybe you can figure out
where the taverns are by looking at the picture."

Edna spoke up: "I would doubt that my Jeremy
would need a picture to find the tavern. If there is ale available
and an audience to listen to his stories, he will find it."

Jeremy carefully re-folded the picture and
put it in the pocket of his tunic and said only, "I will study
it."

They sailed on, and on the fifteenth day as
the sun was beginning its final descent below the horizon, their
ship sailed into the harbor of the Great City. Headlands on either
side of the harbor entrance rose to the height of small mountains
and fortifications were visible. The city seemed to wrap around the
harbor, and the inner harbor was filled with many ships.

The Captain had reduced sails and now had all
sails dropped. As the speed of the ship dropped, he turned it into
the wind and called for the anchor to be prepared. As the ship
speed bled off he had the anchor released. The breeze began backing
the ship down as the anchor line was let out. He called out,
"Secure the line."

As the line was secured their ship's motion
came to a halt, and they began gently swinging on the hook. Jason
was trying to take in everything at once. The envoy presented not
until the ship’s motion had stopped. He arrived on deck in the
elaborate travel dress of their warrior class. He spoke to Jason,
saying, "You must remain aboard until I have met with the Scarlet
King and made proper arrangements for your arrival."

As he turned to depart he added, "I will
never again venture aboard a ship."

Chapter 3

For three days the delegates who had
travelled from their homes to the peace conference waited not so
patiently aboard the ship the Red Dragon. In the distance they
could see the activity of the busy city, but they remained isolated
in the center of the harbor with only occasional supply vessels
coming alongside. On the afternoon of the third day a brightly
decorated skiff approached the ship. It carried a messenger who,
with great fanfare, was piped aboard the ship. When properly
presented to the Captain and the delegates, he carefully unrolled a
scroll and read, "The Scarlet King hereby welcomes his visitors
from the distant lands. In keeping with the customs of the Red
Kingdom an honorary reception is being planned for tomorrow
evening. It is expected that you will present yourselves to the
Scarlet King at that time."

The messenger continued in a low chant while
he carefully rolled his scroll and secured it. The chant seemed to
be in the high tongue but even Jason was unable to understand it.
With only a little less fanfare, the messenger returned to his
skiff and left. He had not even waited for a reply. All had
questions, but Jason asked first of the Captain, "What was the
chant the messenger concluded with?"

The Captain looked embarrassed and paused
before responding. "It is some sort of religious ritual that those
of the upper class recite that is supposed to protect them from the
evil spirits living in the lower classes."

Jason asked, "Was the incantation directed at
us, then?"

The Captain shrugged his shoulders and said
only, "Maybe. Or maybe against myself and my crew."

Jason and the other delegates withdrew below
decks and met near the galley to discuss the situation. The
delegates from the Northern Kingdom were adamant that they should
simply leave because of the insult implied by the messenger's
chant.

Jason counseled, however: "We have come to
try and establish peace. If we leave without trying, we are
subjecting our peoples to ongoing war. Even if we are successful in
our defense, it will cause great suffering and loss of life. Those
of the Red have inherited a Great City from their previous conquest
of our ancestors. I would we try to establish peace and trade as a
way to ensure our futures."

The discussion continued for some time. It
was Edna who made the decision by declaring, "I have come to try to
restore peace to the Forest. I would stay."

With the support of Edna and Jeremy, Jason's
position was accepted by all but not without some grumbling from
the northern delegates. The planning now began on how to present
themselves to the Scarlet King. Formal attire was deemed
appropriate for those of the Northern and Southern Kingdoms. Edna
and Jeremy would dress in the traveling clothes of those of the
Forest. Larby would dress in a somewhat similar fashion typical of
his people.

Preparations were ongoing until a large
launch powered by military personnel at the oars presented
alongside their ship. The delegates climbed down the ladder and
assumed their positions. The ship's master began calling out orders
and the synchronized rowing quickly moved the launch to the dock
side.

At this point brightly dressed servants
helped the delegates climb out of the launch and into the waiting
carriages. The carriages were upholstered with deep red cloth and
leather and the horses were immaculately groomed. They traveled up
cobblestone roads halfway up the hillside to the palace. With great
ceremony the horns were sounded and the palace gates opened. The
carriages moved into the palace yard flanked by military personnel
at full attention on both sides.

At a stand on the opposite side of the yard
under a shade canopy stood the envoy awaiting their arrival.
Servants again assisted them from the carriages and their arrival
was acknowledged with more horns. The envoy smiled not, but greeted
them only with a nod of his head. The stress in his face was
evident. He turned and led the way towards the great hall past a
large fountain that was covered in yellow crystals.

The palace guards stood at attention as they
passed; they were obviously fully prepared for conflict. With the
sounding of additional horns the tall doors of the great hall were
ceremoniously opened. The hall was far larger than the great halls
of the Northern and Southern Kingdoms combined. Huge paintings of
kings past lined the walls and all draperies were a very rich
scarlet color. At the far end of the hall was the dais, with a
throne which was raised high on the platform. The throne itself
appeared to be made of a solid block of stone, which had been
carefully carved and then lined with scarlet cushions. The steps
leading to the throne were of the same highly polished stone that
seemed almost translucent from the light of the many lamps.