Trident by Michael Aye

Author:Michael Aye [Aye, Michael]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Bitingduck Press
Published: 2014-04-24T07:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

Cap’n…cap’n, wake up cap’n.”

“Hex.”

“Aye, cap’n.”

“What is it, Hex?”

“The lookout has spied a light in the water, sir. He’s not sure if it is a boat or what. Says it’s too low down in the water to be a ship, even a small one.”

Rising up, Gabe could hear the normal sounds of a ship: the sound of water sluicing by the rudder, the groan of the timbers, and the occasional slap of a wave against the hull. How long had he been asleep? Only minutes it felt like. After putting on his britches, Gabe leaned over to put on his boots. As he did so, he felt a pain in his upper stomach and a burning sour taste as bile came up in his mouth. Chen Lee’s dinner, he thought. What was it Buck had said? Damn tasty but hard on the digestion. With nowhere to spit, Gabe swallowed, which caused him to cough.

Finally he wheezed out, “Give me something to drink, Hex.” He could hear his cox’n fumbling around and the clink of glass on glass.

“Here is a bit of something, sir.”

Gabe took note of the “of something”. Hex had grabbed the first decanter he’d found in the semi-darkness. The only light in the cabin was the one lantern that Hex had set down on the small table beside Gabe’s cot. Brandy, Gabe thought as he took a big swallow. Well, that beat the sour taste that had filled his mouth and burned so.

Stepping over the coaming and out onto the deck, Gabe could feel a cool breeze. It was a full moon, and so the deck was lit up well. Lieutenant Wiley must have the watch, as he was telling the first lieutenant he’d sent Midshipman Michael to the tops to see if he could make out whatever it was the lookout had spotted.

“Seaman Rogers has a keen eye,” Wiley was explaining, “but his descriptive ability is thin as a sailor’s purse after a night on shore.”

This made Gabe chuckle, which alerted the men around the wheel that the captain was on deck. “Captain,” the group greeted in unison.

“We are waiting on Mr. Michael’s report, are we not?” Gabe asked after nodding his greeting.

Hayes quickly advised, “We are south-southeast with a steady wind, sir, almost directly astern.”

Before Gabe could thank the master, they heard a thump as Michael hit the deck harder than planned.

“I bet his hands are burning,” Campbell volunteered.

Michael had taken the faster route down to the deck by sliding down a backstay. Indeed, he was blowing on his palms as he approached the wheel.

“You break that glass, young sir, and you’ll spend the rest of the voyage in the tops,” said Campbell, but his voice held no real threat. It was just his way of telling Michael to be careful. Looking up from his palms, Michael was smiling until he saw the captain.

When the youth didn’t speak, Gabe asked, “Are we to wait until surgeon sees to your hands, or are you able to report now?”

“Sorry sir, it’s much as the lookout says.

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