Hilltown Ch. 9 addendum

[hafoc]

Maggie's knuckles stopped in mid-air, a fraction of an inch from the wood of the aft cabin's door. She was afraid to knock. Silly! She'd been through so much in her life. She'd seen so many dangers and faced so many desperate fights, suffered so many injuries. And now she was afraid to knock on the door of Captain Hardy, a woman she thought would soon be her friend!


Her hand wouldn't move. She couldn't wake the Captain. Ashamed, but not sure of what she was ashamed, she lowered her eyes and started to turn--

The door opened. Captain Hardy was still dressed in her day clothes, thank goodness! She lifted an eyebrow. "May I be of some assistance to you, Officer Blood?"

Officer Blood? Not Maggie? This was going to go badly. "Nothing, Captain. Light under the door, ah, well, I wondered. Um. You're awake late."

Captain Hardy's smile was thin. "The Captain always has much to do the night before the ship sets sail. On the other hand, trainee deckhands--slash--security officers do not. You have hard work, new work, to perform tomorrow. You need your rest, which is why I told you and the rest of the crew to turn in early. Should you not be in your berth, fast asleep, Officer Blood?"

"Yes, Ma'am. Yes, I'm sorry, and-- Well, Captain, there is something. I don't know how to say it."

"Officer Blood, I still have to doublecheck the medical supplies manifest and certify that the life raft survival kits are complete. It's midnight, and we set sail at dawn. I had hoped to get some sleep this night. If you have something to say, please spare me the hesitation. Speak, and then go to your berth and leave me alone."

Maggie found she was standing at attention. "Yes, Ma'am. I'm afraid, Captain. I think that when we set sail tomorrow morning, we're sailing straight into disaster."

"I see. And is there something special causing your jitters? I'd expect better of somebody who was in the Continental Police."

"I've had dreams, Captain. Nightmares."

Captain Hardy's face went blank. Was there a hint of concern in it? "Dreams. Do continue."

"I'm sorry to bother you, Captain. It's just some nightmare, I think. But he was wondering-- I was wondering, I was, just what course we sail on the morning."

"That's none of your business, really."

"Is there any reason not to tell me? But you don't need to. You'll sail east of south, as all the other ships have when they set sail for the Southern Lands."

"That's where they are."

"And that's where all ships searching for them have gone, for as long as dreamers set sail from Hilltown. I would guess you will sail direct for Hill's Island, where the Eagle was lost."

"Maggie, I know you're of a seafaring bloodline, if you don't mind the pun. But you've never been on a long voyage yourself. What would make you think there's something wrong with sailing for Hill's Island? It's the only land we've ever found, far from the Continent. And it has to be close to the Southern Lands. We saw birds from Earth there!"

"It isn't."

"Isn't what?"

"Isn't the only land we've discovered far from the Continent. There's also the Cray Archipelago."

"You want us to sail for the Crays?"

"Aye, Captain."

"Don't 'aye Captain' me. Maggie, are you out of your mind? The Crays aren't all that far offshore, they don't count. Besides, they're out of our way. They're southwest, from here."

"Are they far out of our way compared to the total length of our voyage?"

"Well, no. But what could we possibly gain by going there? Other than visiting the park and staring at the kirin, of course."

"Nothing at all. Except-- hmm. Captain, did it never occur to you that maybe the problem with going to the Southern Lands isn't with the Southern Lands themselves? Maybe whatever kills ships is here, near Hilltown. You know as well as I do that this place has more vortex effects than any other place in the Continent. Hell, the vortex effects here are so bad that most people don't even try to find a wristwatch that works! What if the real source of disaster is here? Or southeast of here, where--"

Captain Hardy snorted. "You aren't going to give me that Lost Continent bullcrap, are you? I don't care what the University geophysicists say, there never was any Lost Continent stretching southeast from Olgraffa. And even if there was, the seas and islands are not haunted by the ghosts of the Old Ones!"

"Oh, really? And just what do you think the dragons are?"

The Captain looked scared for a moment. "Um, not ghosts, anyway. They're--"

"Look, Captain. If we sail first to the Crays we'll get a couple hundred miles offshore, along a route where no ship's been confirmed lost to a vortex since the Continentals started keeping records on them. True, the seas south of there are uncharted, but we know the seas directly between here and the Southern Lands are rotten with vortices and littered with the bones of dead ships and sailors. Our odds of survival just can't be any worse if we try to go around!"

Captain Hardy tapped her fingernails on the door handle. "You may have a point. I'll consider your suggestions. Now, go to bed, Maggie."

"I will. Thank you."

"Maggie?"

"Yes, Captain?"

"If you should happen to have any more dreams-- any special ones, I mean, especially if one of Them is in it, be sure to tell me about it. I'll listen patiently. I promise. Will you do this for me? Tell me, and tell me everything."

"Aye aye, Captain."

"And don't say 'aye aye.'"

"Yes, Ma'am."