A Sorcerer's Diplomacy by Guy Antibes

Author:Guy Antibes [Antibes, Guy]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2018-02-22T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

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S IPPA STOOD WAITING AT THE DOCK WHEN JAC’S CARRIAGE ARRIVED. Ricky jumped out and greeted his coach. “You came!”

Sippa smiled, flexed his arm, and curled his hand into a fist. “I didn’t sleep well last night.” He winked at Ricky. “I decided I couldn’t miss the opportunities that may arise in Dimani.”

Jac clapped his former coach on the back. “Good to have you along. Maybe you can help us improve our techniques.”

“Perhaps,” Ricky said. “I think my shoulder is nearly healed.”

Sailors took Ricky’s things to a single small cabin. “The new gentleman will travel with your other friend,” one of the men told Ricky.

He didn’t care. He wanted to spend most of their trip on the deck watching the ocean he’d never seen before. He took out his wood-cased metal switch. It looked much the same as the cane he took with him everywhere at Doubli. Ricky smiled at the thought that his only serious injury during the spring was the one he had inflicted on himself.

“I’m going up,” Jac said through the door. “The ship is getting underway.”

Ricky took the switch with him to the main deck.

The two of them were the only ones to make it on deck. Jac led him to the railing on the dockside of the ship.

“I never get used to watching a ship get underway. It has its own feel of excitement,” Jac said, watching sailors climb up the sheets and prepare sails for unfurling. Ricky paid attention to the scurrying around on the docks.

“Gangplank up!” one of the uniformed ship’s officers said.

“Gangplank up,” two or three sailors said as they hoisted the gangplank and secured it to the side of the ship.

Other nautical actions proceeded in the same fashion, with every order repeated. Ricky had to agree the process was mesmerizing. Finally, the ship slid away from the port, very slowly. Ricky had no idea how they did it. The sailors could be using sorcery for all he knew.

More sails unfurled, and the ship gradually sped up until it proudly proceeded to leave the harbor. Ricky became aware as the sounds from the dock gave way to the more constant mutterings of the sea slapping against the hull and the wind whistling through the shrouds. He grinned at Jac, who grinned back.

Ubbo finally emerged. “Ah,” he said taking a deep breath. “I hate all the commotion of casting off. Now, to see if I get seasick or not.”

“Seasick?” Ricky asked. “Is that where you get sick from the rolling motion of the boat?”

“Ship,” Jac corrected. “Some people get a bit queasy when they first arrived at Shantyboat Town, but everyone gets used to it. Not everyone does on the sea. There is a lot more roll,” Jac said. “If the weather gets too violent, I will get a touch of it myself.”

“A touch?” Ubbo said.

Jac narrowed his eyes. “Less than you, my friend.”

“Doesn’t take much, unfortunately,” Ubbo said.

“How many days to Dimani?” Ricky asked.

“Realistically, four days. With very good winds, I’ve traveled it in two, but not on the route we will use.

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