Together, Janali and Kasen jogged through the gathering crowd and between the four Jedalor family guards with their shining iron breastplates and wide-brimmed metal lined hats. The guards were more than impressive in the family pleated skirts, bulging biceps under the leather, and steel plate arm bracers. Only the army was allowed to have firearms, so they had long dangerous swords kept in black leather sheaths. Each of them had their hair pulled back into a ponytail tied with leather straps combined with the warrior style face paints gave them a sweeping animalistic aspect.
The guards saluted as Janali passed.
“The armor looks new,” Kasen said, glancing back.
“My sister decided to update the guard uniforms recently.” Janali cut off further comments on Cybele’s excessive spending trying to fit in with the royal houses.
Kasen looked at Janali a moment one eyebrow raised, apparently reading Janali’s frustration.
“Stop that,” Janali said.
“What?”
“Looking at me like that. You’ve always been able to read everyone like a book. That’s why your horoscopes were always so accurate.”
Kasen shrugged. “Knowing when people are lying or nervous is very useful. You do it too.”
A dock mistress waited at the end of the pier, looking out into the bay where the Vibrius was just being brought in by a harbor pilot. Her crisp emerald green slacks with red side piping matched the loose fitting white cotton shirt with its billowing sleeves and tight cuffs. Over the shirt was the uniform vest with its several pockets for pens, inks, and seals. A wide belt over the jacket held a series of leather pouches with the imperial seal etched on their covers. From the back, they all looked identical, especially with the red wide-brimmed tropic-hat over the military extra short hair.
Kasen held back slightly as Janali stepped up. “Mistress...” The lady turned. Janali’s words froze in her throat at the sight of the commander of the entire capital docks. Janali didn’t need to read the neatly stitched name over the left pocket of the vest. She knew Colonel Nasso, the no-nonsense hard-nosed authoritarian commander who never once had personally met a ship other than the empress’s private vessels. They had met more than once over various items, each time Janali had been forced to wait hours on the colonel’s schedule in her offices. She’d tried, once and only once, to make small-talk with the colonel at an imperial celebration only to be so cut-off that she now purposefully avoided the colonel at any social gathering. The only consolation was that as far as Janali knew, no other house castatan had better luck with the colonel.
“Lady Jedalor, I’m here to inspect your ship,” she said almost like she was pronouncing Janali guilty of treason. Still, the colonel bowed halfway.
Janali bowed at the waist, a full thirty degrees showing she respected the imperial officers. “Of course, Colonel Nasso. I’m sure everything will be in order.”
The colonel frowned. “Lady, there are going to be a number of questions. The first is where is your sister? I would think the Vibrius’s return would merit better representation of House Jedalor.”
“Lady Cybele is meeting with the empress.” Janali’s face burned at the insult, but she managed to keep her tone polite.
The colonel looked at her a moment before frowning. “Perhaps you could request her to join us when her imperial duties are concluded.”
“I am Jedalor Castatan. You may deal with me.” Janali heard her own anger in the words; they were clipped and sharply delivered.
The colonel bowed her head slightly. “Forgive me, Lady Janali. Of course I will deal with you.” Colonel Nasso turned to Kasen. “Lady Clint, I trust I’m not delaying your business with the Jedalor family.”
“No. No rush. I understand the requirements,” Kasen replied, giving the colonel a slight bow and then putting Janali between herself and the colonel.
The family dock manager pulled up to the dock with a skiff, and the three ladies climbed down into it finding comfortable padded seats. Colonel Nasso took the seat Janali wanted at the bow. Janali sat in the second forward seat for the better view. Kasen placed herself behind Janali. Almost as far away from Colonel Nesso as possible. As the skiff moved out, Kasen touched the water and surreptitiously made the sign of the circle.
Janali scrutinized the ship for every detail she could as they approached its anchor point well out from the docks. The Vibrius was ill used, looking decades old instead of just one year out of port. Iron reinforcement plates along the port side were wrinkled like waves. The hull scratched as if by some giant beast. Exposed metal plates and bolts layered in rust creating hundreds of red streaks over the white and blue paint. The closer they came, the greater the damage appeared. Many hull plates had been hammered back into place and sealed with a black tar.
Janali chewed her lower lip as she inspected the ship with a critical eye. Something had torn into a major section of the hull. It looked like the machining shop had been compromised. She could see that the damage extended well below the waterline. She’d have to inspect from the interior to see just how bad the ship was damaged. She shook her head. “My poor Vibrius. What treated you so badly?”
“Ma’am?” Colonel Nesso asked turning to look at her directly.
“Nothing.”
“Mm,” the colonel said with a glance past Janali at Kasen before turning her attention back forward. Janali ignored the colonel as she followed every bent plate and traced the ship’s ribbing structures in her mind. Her hands twitched with energy on the bench. She needed to get rid of the colonel as fast as possible to truly inspect the ship.
The skiff tied off to the ship’s portable side landing platform. Janali led the climb up the chain-railed steel steps to the main deck. As her head popped up over the deck railing, a sailor dressed in a clean, pressed uniform sounded a pipe, and a gray-bearded officer with thick gold ropes looped from his solid gold epaulets called out in a deep baritone, “Attention on deck!”
She stood for a moment, shocked at the unexpected sight. She’d expected the crew to be in torn clothes, half starved, dirty, anything but clean, orderly, and in nearly perfect uniforms. This would have been how she’d expected a greeting if there hadn’t been the unexplained six month disappearance.
The sound of lines of men snapping their heels together was impressive. A large portion of the ship’s crew stood ready for inspection in three ranks. The traditional white sailor caps looked good with all the flowing hair. The traditional black under-eye sailor makeup gave them a masculine charm.
Janali stepped on to the main deck as emotions flooded her. She stood tall and cried out, “Welcome home! I know you’ve all been through an amazing adventure and worked hard to return home. Know that House Jedalor has never forgotten you. There hasn’t been a day that I didn’t pray to the Star Empresses for your safe return.” She beamed, and holding back the emotional flood, she saluted the captain and then the crew. “We shall never forget you or all you’ve done and been through.”
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As she finished, she heard someone say something. Looking at the crew, there were not all friendly or happy eyes looking back. Many of the crew looked outwardly hostile. Someone towards the back even said just loud enough for her to hear “... agreed, pretty speeches won’t cleanse her soul for our cursed voyage.”
“Silence!” ordered Commander Ardlee, the second in command.
Most of the sailors looked at her with neutral eyes, a few with upturned lips and some others with narrowed eyes and tight lips. Her gut turned over. Bad enough she blamed herself, but clearly, some of the crew knew this was her fault. Perhaps they were right, too. She needed to find out what happened. Ignoring the burning in her stomach, she faced Captain Reinvo, who regarded her with no hint of malice. He, like the other officers, had slightly more artistic eye makeup that swept back towards the ears.
She looked closer and could find no sign of starvation or illness. The ranks were shallow. She knew not all the crew could stop working a few had to be left in engineering, the bridge, and at key stations. Still there were not enough men present. She wondered if some were infirmed below.
Captain Reinvo stepped up and saluted. “Lady Jedalor, welcome aboard.” He then turned and saluted Colonel Nasso. “Colonel Nasso, I’m very pleased to see you personally.”
The colonel returned the salute. “Captain Reinvo, I need to see your manifest. How many crew present?”
The captain clicked his heels. “Thirty eight crew total, ma’am. You’ll find the manifest is complete.” He held out his hand, and Ardlee stepped over, saluted the air, and held out a clipboard with a thick set of papers slightly smudged with oil or dirt, their corners, and edges curled from use.
Janali’s throat had closed at the crew count. She prayed the missing men weren’t dead. But, what else could they be?
“Captain, where are the eighteen missing crew?” Colonel Nasso asked, taking the manifest without looking at it. Of course she’d know that information would have been in the port’s records.
“Sixteen were lost to an ocean storm. Two were lost to, ah,” the captain rubbed his neck for a moment, “better opportunities,” he finished.
“You allowed crew to jump ship mid voyage?” Janali asked outraged.
“Not exactly, ma’am.” He looked at Janali and then back to the colonel. “We were dry docked for repairs a long time. And I couldn’t blame them for taking advantage of the time. I released them from contract with proper separation. I can get the ships register if you desire.”
“Yes, do so,” Janali ordered.
“No, stop,” the colonel countered.
Janali turned back to the port commander. “This ship and crew are my responsibility.”
“Lady Jedalor, you’ll have time to review after my inspection.” Colonel Nasso tried, almost successfully, to keep her voice respectful.
Janali’s rank was elevated enough to lady over the proceedings. She wanted to get the formalities out of the way to inspect her ship alone. “Colonel Nasso, I’m sure there is nothing to be concerned with. You may continue your work while I meet with the captain.”
Colonel Nasso tapped the manifest. “Do not attempt to tell me my duties to the empress. I need both the captain and you to attend me.”
Janali had never been asked by a dock mistress to join the inspection; usually they were trying to get the owners and managers to stay out of the way. She swallowed, unsure how to read the colonel’s tone. Pushing aside the burning feeling surging up her throat, she bowed suddenly overly aware that some thirty men were standing nearby witnessing all of this. “Of course. I am at your disposal, Colonel. Do you wish the crew to remain here, or may they return to their duties?”
The colonel waved a hand at the men. “No, considering the state of the ship, I think we’d all be happier if they were tending to it.”
Captain Reinvo gave Janali a reassuring nod then called out, “Dismissed!” The men all saluted and then broke up, rapidly heading below decks.
The ship’s priest, Father Baenali, and one of the sailors who’d openly glared at Janali since she’d come aboard didn’t leave. Instead, Father Baenali motioned the sailor forward.
“Mistress,” Father Baenali said getting Colonel Nasso’s attention, “do you have any objection to my taking this man to the temple?”
Captain Reinvo and Commander Ardlee exchanged an unreadable look.
Colonel Nasso took a long moment to look the priest and sailor over. The priest had a worn leather pouch over his right shoulder which he placed a hand on protectively when the colonel’s eyes came to it.
Priests often had such pouches. But, Father Baenali’s hands were so tensely holding it they were going white. Janali was sure the colonel noticed this too.
Colonel Nasso pursed her lips. “Can you not wait until I’m finished?” she asked the clergyman.
Father Baenali stood as tall as he could. “I need to get to the temple as fast as I may. The Star Empresses require no delay in their service.”
Janali frowned, wondering why Father Baenali would be invoking the names of the Star Empresses. She whispered to the captain, “What is his hurry?”
Captain Reinvo softly hushed her, glancing at the colonel to be sure she hadn’t been overheard.
Colonel Nasso’s stern face became even more granite like before she asked the captain, “Have there been any illnesses aboard in the last two weeks?”
“No, ma’am. We’ve had no illnesses at all on this voyage.”
Colonel Nasso’s eyes went to the pouch, and Father Baenali actually pulled it back a bit protectively.
Janali was sure the colonel would demand to see what was in it, and her own fingers were twitching to know as well.
“You may disembark,” Colonel Nasso said.
“Captain, permission to go ashore?” the priest asked, coming to attention. The other sailor also came to attention, saluting stiffly.
Captain Reinvo bowed to the priest. “May the Star Empresses bless you, Father. Permission granted.”
Father Baenali smiled smugly as he stepped past the captain. He stopped before Janali and looked directly at her, his brows a hard line and face tensed showing thousands of wrinkles and hollow cheek lines. Without warning he growled, “You shall pay for your sins,” and spat in her face. The sailor with him sniggered.
Janali had never in her life been faced by such raw loathing. The hot and cold droplets of spittle forced her eyes closed, and her hands flew up to defend her face. She took a step back as she wiped the fluid from her face to open her eyes on the burning hatred in both the priest’s and sailor’s eyes.
“Get off my ship!” the captain bellowed.
“We’re going,” Father Baenali said, stepping over the gunwale to head down to the waiting skiff. The sailor stepped past and paused.
He looked back at Janali. “Khab!” He spat at her feet, then sauntered after the priest.
Janali looked around. There were so many sailors who had witnessed the confrontation. Her face burned, and all her happiness at the return of the Vibrius vanished. For a moment, she wished it had never come home. Colonel Nasso stood silently, considering Janali. Kasen put a hand on Janali’s shoulder but said nothing.
“Was that wise?” Ardlee asked the captain under his breath.
Captain Reinvo made a swift chopping motion, his eyes on Colonel Nasso.
Colonel Nasso didn’t miss the exchange and raised an eyebrow. “Well, it seems there is more here than meets the eye. I’ve decided to make this a complete inspection.” The colonel pulled out a flare candle and lit it. She waved it over her head looking towards the shore.
It was more than Janali could take. The flare would bring the army to the Jedalor docks. Janali’s shoulders sagged. When news of this got back to Cybele, she was done for. A house Jedalor ship suspected of smuggling. She put her back to everyone and grabbed the railing for support. Many of the smaller houses would pull back from House Jedalor, afraid of being tainted by this accusation. The larger houses would increase their rates or outright cancel their business. There would be no redemption coming if this stood unchallenged.
She needed one of those Janali miracles Kasen had mentioned earlier. Somehow she had to turn this around. There had to be something she could do. She just needed to gather enough data. She had little choice but to forge on.
Captain Reinvo stepped up next to her. “Milady. Fear not. Accusation is far from proof. Believe me, we have nothing to fear of the imperial laws.”
“What happened?” she asked softly. She trusted the captain; he’d worked for her family for many years. He’d even taught Janali how to sail when she was younger.
“Please milady, wait ‘til after Colonel Nasso is finished. I’ll explain everything.”
“I’d like to start with this sand in hold two,” Colonel Nasso said suspiciously before Janali could ask anything more.
“Sand?” Janali said. Her voice pitched too high as she spun to look at Colonel Nasso, expecting the officer to be smirking in jest. Colonel Nasso’s continence was far from any jest. The colonel’s jaw was tense, her eyes narrowed to black specks, and her finger pointed at a line of the ship’s manifest. The flare had been put in a metal holder on the side rail for such candles. It burned bright red but now Janali rallied seeing it as a challenge. This was another obstacle in her way. She would deal with it and the growing crowds on the docks.
The captain walked towards the cargo ladders. “This way, ladies.”
“Kasen, you can wait on the bridge. It’ll be warm and comfortable.”
“Are you joking, Jan? Your six-month overdue ship returns with sand! I have to see this for myself.”