“Most captains prefer to drop anchor a ways out and use their long boats or call for a ferry,” Churro told Lewis. “There’s room for ships to pass through the maze, but it’s treacherous and not a friendly place. Not only that, but if the wind drops, so does the smoke.”
“Are there people in the maze?” Lewis asked him.
“Oh, indeed. In the bowels of those abandoned ships out there lives a society that is mostly self-sufficient and isolated,” Churro was leaning on the rail, staring into the maze. “Some people there have never set foot on dry land. Do you have a preference, in or out?”
“I’d love to have a closer look at the maze,” Lewis answered. “Is there a time advantage to one way or the other?”
“Probably could save a day or two if we went through the maze to the docks,” Churro said, without moving his eyes away.
“Let’s check with Captain Waymer first.” Lewis said.
Churro nodded and walked away, toward the starboard rail, mid ships. He signaled Waymer’s ship and a sailor scrambled to get his captain. Churro and Waymer waved their arms in complex patterns and made hand signals.
“He says if he can follow us he doesn’t have a fear. He also said his pilot is better than mine,” Churro snorted.
An hour later, they were half way through the maze. Lewis could see people moving around on the rope bridges and catwalks, most of them staying at a respectful distance, some just standing and staring at the two passing ships. Suddenly Captain Churro leaned against the starboard rail and shouted to a man moving along a walkway with a group of others.
“Hoy, Lon! What’s been happening here?”
The whole group stopped as one, and one man stepped forward. “Hoy, Dane! Something’s always happening here. But nothing ever changes. And to the Wind Rider?”
Lon and the others jogged to stay alongside the ship.
“I lost the Wind Rider, but like a magic thing she found me and all is well again. I want you to meet the man that helped her to find me, this is Lieutenant Lewis of the Romeo Company,” Churro said to Lon.
“Hoy, Lieutenant, are ye a merc?” Lon shouted.
“Hoy, Lon. You could say that.” Lewis answered.
“Are ye going to the city?” When Churro nodded, Lon continued. “Can I come aboard?”
Churro nodded again, and then turned to the nearest sailor. “Trail a long line from here.” The sailor ran and fetched a rope, tied it to a rail, and dropped it overboard. Lon ran ahead about a hundred yards, the others turned and walked the other way. When the Wind Rider came abreast of his position he jumped over the rail and grabbed the rope as he went under. They pulled him up on the long line. Once he was aboard, Churro introduced him to Roquette and Telini. He stared at Roquette for a moment. But when she met his eyes and leaned forward a fraction of an inch, he shrugged and turned to Lewis.
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“Do you have a munitions supplier?”
“We do OK, but we’re always looking for connections.”
They talked about the maze, Dontil and the general state of the world. Lon told Lewis about a merc company that operated out of a city called Temple, on the eastside of the island. He invited them to come by and see him at the northwest corner of the maze. At one hundred yards out Lon said goodbye and leaned backwards until he fell over the rail and disappeared under the water. Telini looked a little concerned, but Captain Churro just shrugged it off.
Both ships maneuvered into the docks and the dock crews tied them off and set up the gang planks. Up close Dontil looked worse than from afar. The afternoon light had a bruised twilight look to it, darkened by the smoke. Everything, even the people, had a dark grey hue, and the noise level caused them to speak a little louder.
Twenty soldiers marched up to the docks as Lewis was disembarking. They split into two groups and stopped in front of both of the gang planks. Their leader extracted a paper from his pocket and read it in a loud voice.
“By order of the Governor of Dontil, one Lieutenant Colonel Skobin, any ship that would show up at these docks shall declare its name, purpose of visit, passengers and crew, cargo, including but not limited to that contained in the holds, excluding the personal effects of the passengers and crew. That ship shall pay a docking fee of one hundred credits, thirty-three kolas or fifteen grams of silver. Failure to pay docking fee will result in impoundment until a suitable arrangement is reached.” He took a breath and looked at Lewis, lowering his voice a little. “Is this your ship?”
“No Sir, Major,” Lewis said, looking at the man’s insignia. “This ship belongs to Captain Churro, and is contracted to DeLeah Shipping out of Ascore. This ship’s name is the Wind Rider and the other is the Deepwater Cutter and it belongs to Captain Waymer and is under similar contract. We are sailing without cargo and our mission is to obtain grain for Port Mist. I have three one hundred credit vouchers to pay the docking fees. The lists that you requested will be here shortly.”
“And who might you be?” The major asked, taking two of the vouchers. “You only have two ships. Where did you get these credit notes?”
“I am First Lieutenant Lewis, here representing DeLeah Shipping,” Lewis told him, and handed him the letter that Sir Trun had written.
As the major read the letter, Lewis saw his brows furrow, then one eyebrow went up and he handed the letter back to Lewis.
“Please remain here for a moment.” He told Lewis. He turned and spoke quietly to his NCO, then strode off to the other group. In a few minutes he came back and stood before Lewis.
“It would be my honor to help you get what you need in Dontil. My name is Major Hardwin. If you choose to stay in the city, would you prefer base housing or civilian housing?” The major asked.
The other soldiers were gathering into a formation farther back from the ships. Lewis looked at the ships and saw the crew members all standing by the rails and Team Romeo descending the gang plank. He turned to them and made a motion, right to left, fingers down and they fell into a line behind him as he turning back to face Major Hardwin.
“Thank you Major; we will take you up on your generous offer of temporary base housing while we conduct business in Dontil. Please allow me to present Team Romeo as it stands before you,” Lewis told Hardwin, and introduced each by rank and surname. The major shook each hand and remembered every name.