Janali climbed up to the aft deck to watch the skiff head for the docks. It was too late to safely dock the Vibrius since there was only an hour of light left. They’d have to wait for the morning sun. She regretted that the crew couldn’t disembark. She was sure they wanted to get back to their port homes. It must be maddening to be so close and yet have to spend another night aboard the ship.
That thought brought her mind back to the priest and sailor. She needed to find out what was really going on. She went to the bridge and found the captain there with Commander Ardlee and Lieutenant Metallo. Again, the three men were talking in hushed tones.
She stepped onto the bridge, and the men snapped to attention.
“It’s past time you explained everything to me.”
The captain nodded. “Yes, ma’am but not here. Come.” He stepped out making stay motions at Ardlee and Metallo. He led her to his cabin and locked the door.
“Start with the sand.”
“It’s not ordinary sand,” he said opening a locked drawer and pulling out a small cloth bag.
“We all know that.” A shiver ran through her at the thought of the priest. “The question is, is it trouble?”
Captain Reinvo shook his head. “The sand? Not directly and I doubt the imperial labs will figure it out before you show them its use.” His demeanor began to show stress cracks he’d been hiding. He gave her the bag.
The bag held a teardrop shaped crystal as transparent as a diamond. It was the size of her palm and reminded her of the gaudy crystals that some houses hung from their gas lights. She almost dropped it when it caught the lantern light and gleamed as if on fire. She held it close to the lamp and watched the purest rainbows she’d ever seen a gemstone make dance on the cabin’s ceiling.
The captain produced a small square mirror from the same drawer, handing it to her. She practically forgot about the crystal as she examined the mirror. She couldn’t believe what she was looking at for a moment. The mirror was lighter than expected, only an eighth of an inch thick, and instead of reflecting back on a silver front surface, the nearly perfect reflection was coming through the thin glass pane from the back and was completely flawless as near as she could tell. In every way, this mirror was superior to any other glasswork she’d ever heard of.
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In her hands, she held the foundation of a powerful manufacturing base.
“These are made from that sand, aren’t they?”
“They are glass constructs, made from the sand,” the captain confirmed proudly.
She held her breath. “That sand...it’s from my trade goods, isn’t it?”
The captain nodded. “Yes, mistress. It is yours.”
“Where on Terra did you find this sand?”
“That is the problem and why I brought so much back.” He leaned in closer to her. “Lady, please believe me. Lieutenant Metallo, our navigator, charted our course beyond the edge of Terra and back.”
Mirror and crystal forgotten she stared at the man a few seconds. Before, she’d have sworn he was as grounded and intelligent as a man could get, but she wasn’t so sure now. “That isn’t possible.”
He stood and went to his desk bringing back a small navigational chart showing the progress of the ship. The course went beyond the edge of the world.
She stared at the map, her hand coming up to touch it lightly. “This cannot be right.”
Someone started banging on the door, making both of them jump.
“Captain!” Lieutenant Metallo called, his voice filled with panic. “Please come. It’s Father Baenali, and he’s returned with more priests.”
The captain grabbed the chart and quickly folded it, stuffing it into a shirt pocket in his closet before he unlocked his cabin door. Lieutenant Metallo was visibly shaking, and he held out the ship’s telescope.
Captain Reinvo grabbed the lieutenant’s shoulder. “Calm down, man. We’ve weathered worse storms. What is happening?”
Janali stood behind the captain, looking at the young bridge officer. He hadn’t been sweating before. Now, his brow was beading with droplets. He had a simple look. But she found she actually liked it. He wasn’t some bragging muscle bound ox like her sister tended to introduce. He was lean, but strong. His uniform made the captain look like a shabby beggar. Something about his tone and fear pulled at her. She wanted to shush him like a child and tell him everything would be okay.
The captain agreed, and they followed the lieutenant out to the ship’s deck.
When they came out, the light was still bright enough to see clearly, and Commander Ardlee stood at the aft railing. When he saw them, he pointed at the docks. They turned as one. Coming towards the ship was a skiff. Janali’s heart thudded in her ears; four priests in dark blue habits with the yellow hooded scapulars of the Perlustration sat regally in the center of the skiff.
Rowing the boat were six southern Ayzebel soldiers from the Holy Nacitas Guard in their traditional white striped burgundy pantaloons and black leather armor. Their long flowing hair was falling past shoulders that visibly bulged as they rowed with a great deal of force, leaving a respectable wake. Her breath stopped as she realized the lead priest held a tall staff mounted with the eight-rayed circle inside of another circle—the symbol of the Holy Nacitas Perlustration—marking him as a full investigator with nearly unlimited authority in the empire.
She tried to recall if she’d put everything in her labs away. She’d been in such a rush to get to the docks. She might have left something out. Maybe the catch on the special gear’s hiding place hadn’t been fully secured and had reopened after she left.