New reader? Start here.
Back to Part 031 – Forward to Part 033
The sub was quiet when Patel emerged from his capsule. He stretched and yawned, and looked around to collect his bearings. By this time he was getting used to the sub and its crew. Their adoptive crew talked little of themselves, and were more than happy to hear of Patel and Tami’s travels. Their chats often came around the small dinner table. There were too few seats, and one of them always ended up standing; Tami was always eager to give her seat to the young Frankie, often forcing the girl into the chair.
They were under, from what Patel could see, which meant he couldn’t tell if it was night or day. Though they insisted on work, the Captain would not hear anything of the sort. He treated the Travelers as guests on an extended stay, which meant more often than not, the Travelers spent their days doing nothing. Patel could feel himself getting more restless by the day. In the mean time, he had learned what little there was to the layout of the ship. There was a clock on the helm, and Patel went to check it.
Just before he stepped into the tiny bridge, he could hear the Captain and Jace talking quietly in low, concerned tones. Patel stopped outside the bridge. He leaned against the portal, listening.
“For a couple of days now,” Jace said.
“Did they think we wouldn’t notice?” The Captain said.
“It appears that way.”
“Do we have an idea of who they are?”
“None,” Jace said. “They’re running on just a registration number.”
“And it’s not registered to anyone?”
“No one we know.”
The Captain suddenly stepped outside the bridge, catching himself and Patel in surprise at the same time.
“Can I help you?” The Captain said, much further from his normal cheerful demeanor that Patel had seen.
“Excuse me, sir,” Patel said, stepping back from the door. “I was just coming to see what time it was.”
“Oh,” The Captain said. “Of course.” He stepped aside for Patel to pass.
Patel nodded and, as he stepped inside, asked “Is everything okay?”
“Oh fine,” The Captain said. “Just a random thing. We may have a friend or two behind us, but it could be nothing.”
“Is it pirates?”
The Captain smiled. “I’m not too concerned about pirates. And right now, you shouldn’t be either.”
Patel nodded. He scanned the helm for the clock set to Lat Standard Time. “Would there be a chance of Burian Lake-”
The Captain laughed. “Burian Lake. Hey, Jace, are you afraid of Burian Lake?”
Jace emerged from a panel just underneath the helm, holding a pair of needle-nose pliers in rubber-gloved hands. She looked up at the Captain and laughed.
Patel smiled, if only because it seemed like the thing he should do. “I’m… I’m missing something.”
“What does Burian Lake look like?” The Captain asked, leaning against the wall of the bridge.
“He’s-” Patel stopped almost as soon as he started. “Well, he’s…”
“He’s two meters tall, missing an eye, a sword for a hand. He’s fox, panda, human, part Krakken, bloodthirsty. He is the most wanted man in the world. So what does he look like?”
Patel didn’t have an answer. He felt his cheeks flush, something the Captain seemed to pick up on.
“I don’t mean to embarrass you, kiddo,” he said. “But no one knows that Lake looks like. No one knows what his boat looks like. Who’s his crew? Surely, to do the damage he’s done, you’d think he’d have an enormous crew. ‘Burian Lake has sunk a hundred boat and killed a thousand men.’ Do you know anyone who he’s killed? Here’s the secret: no one does. He’s a figment of people’s imagination. I will tell you right now, Burian Lake is not planning on killing you.”
Patel, still flushed, looked down at Jace, who gave a little shrug and nodded in agreement with the Captain.
“Well,” Patel said weakly, “thanks for the time.”
“Of course,” the Captain said, his cheer returning in large, lapping waves. “Breakfast in 30.” As Patel rounded the corner back to his capsule, he heard Jace say to the Captain, “You really shouldn’t play like that.”
“But it’s fun!”
Tami had opened her capsule as Patel got near. She sat in her doorway, looking up at him. “Any word?”
“I didn’t ask,” Patel said, sitting down by her door. “I can, however, tell you that it is five thirty in the morning in Lat.”
“We’ve been on this boat for over a month.”
“I know,” Patel said. “But. I did overhear them talking. We’re being followed.”
Tami sat up, her ears perking, her tail twitching. “Do you think it’s Captain L-?”
“Shh!” Patel looked back into the gallery, but found no one inside. “They don’t know who it is,” he said, dropping his voice. “They don’t seem worried, though. Which means we can surprise them.”
Tami’s ears dropped.
“Don’t do that,” Patel growled, staring at the wall. “It’ll be fine.”
“You said that about the last time,” Tami said, not looking at Patel.
“It was still pretty easy.”
Tami looked away.
“I think,” Patel said, letting his head fall back against the wall, “I have a pretty good handle on their navigation system. If I get the chance, we can take the boat ourselves.”
Tami made an entirely uninterested noise in the back of her throat. “That sounds like a wonderful way to get us killed.”
Patel opened his mouth to answer, but Jace stepped into the module. “Breakfast,” she said. While the Travelers stood, she continued. “There’s a pretty strong hurricane happening, so we’re going to make a quick stop in one of the 21 Kingdoms Outlying Territories. You’re welcome to take a few hours on the shore.”
Patel nodded.
Tami stretched. “Any messages from out contact?”
Jace turned back to the gallery. “All’s quiet. We can try to reach them when we land.” She went over to the stove and helped the Captain plate their breakfast.
“Landing!” Patel whispered to Tami. “There’s a perfect chance to get the boat.”
Tami sighed. “Whatever,” she whispered. “Just figure it out.” She stepped into the gallery, joining the crew for breakfast.
[g]
PSST! If you’ve been enjoying the series so far, please stop by and drop me a vote on top web fiction. You may do so with this link. Thanks! It’s much appreciated.
Jace just set off a serious lightbulb in my head. I won’t spoil it here, tho.
I’m so curious. =D