The Black Star of Kingston by Smith S. D

Author:Smith, S. D.
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Story Warren Books
Published: 2015-07-13T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eleven

Dawn broke. After a fitful night’s sleep ashore, Fleck made his way to the docks. He saw Jimmi Docker, along with several others, as they loaded the last of the supplies onto Lillie and Natalia. Jimmi noticed him and came shuffling over.

“Mornin’, Cap’n Lefty,” Jimmi said, touching his unlit pipe to his forehead in salute.

“Good morning, Jimmi. How’s the loading been?”

“All completely good, except for the bad parts,” he said, plunging his pipe into his pants pocket.

“What do you mean?”

“Well, there was the small matter of a fire—”

“A fire?” Fleck said, his eyes growing wide. “The blastpowder!”

“It weren’t aboard ships, your honor,” Jimmi said, putting up his hands. “It were over in them trees. A very small fire indeed.”

Fleck sighed. “I’m awake now,” he said, shaking his head. “You scared me half to death.”

“Beg your pardon, Cap,” Jimmi said, looking into his empty hand as if it were missing something. He looked up, disappointed. “This was dark and early, and there was just a few of us here. We all went over and put it out quick-like.”

“Good,” Fleck said. “I think I’ll have a look.”

“Have a peek, if you like. It’s just some leaves burnt and a bit of paper.”

Fleck did investigate, but he found it just as Jimmi had said.

“The barrels haven’t been whispering to you again, have they?” Fleck asked, walking back onto the dock beside Lillie.

“I think they must have caught cold,” Jimmi said, taking his pipe out of his mouth and smiling wide. “I heard one sneeze.”

“We shall have to send Doctor Grimes down immediately,” Fleck said, smiling. “We need healthy barrels.” He nodded to Jimmi and boarded Lillie. Galt was there, leaning against the rail.

“Sleep okay?” Galt asked. Fleck shook his head. “Me either,” Galt said, blocking a yawn with his hand.

“We have work,” Fleck said, nodding to Natalia. Galt seemed almost ready to say something, but after a moment’s hesitation he nodded and moved toward the dock as Fleck went below.

* * *

Fleck checked Lillie’s cargo against his manifest. Both Lillie and Natalia had been resupplied during the night, and he wanted to be sure they had all they would need that day. Jimmi and the other dockers were hard workers, but Fleck felt the need to double-check them. He noted thirty-seven barrels of blastpowder, twenty-five pickaxes and as many shovels, eight wheelbarrows, and several casks of water, ale, foodstuffs, and other equipment. He noted the nails and other supplies necessary for building permanent structures at the camp. This is really happening. If not for losing Gavin, I would be very happy. He had seen all this material on shore the night before, so he didn’t examine everything closely. He was due to meet the king.

Galt returned and handed him the approved manifest from Natalia’s hold. Fleck nodded and handed him the one he had worked on.

“I’m supposed to meet the king,” he said.

“I’ll finish this up,” Galt said.

Fleck almost said something to thaw the cold relationship between himself and Galt. But he didn’t.

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