Chapter 60
A New View Through the Monoscope
Chance of Mutiny: 47%
250 levels until fleet evolution.
But why? Why was the chance of mutiny so much higher? Promotions were going around, we had a new Captain, and my galleon had much more space. One of our Captains was even on a quest path… Was I a bad Admiral?
A cough of hot air blurred the lens of my monoscope. With a couple circular wipes using the fabric of my dress, the lens nearly vanished. A sharp sparkle of sun reflected from the cracked glass.
I brought the monoscope to my eye.
What a sunny day, what a salty day, what a sea-wet day. There was nothing but sea. There wasn’t a stripe of land from here to there, or there to yonder.
My sloops were farther out, trailing the ketch which trailed my galleon. On every sloop, goblins gathered around threads of sunlight that dragged in the sea. They wrestled long wooden fishing rods. 2 sloops were reeling big fish! The goblins shouted with reels and reel-hos until two hammerhead sharks were hauled up over the taffrails.
Good job snots! Into the barrels the fishies go!
On one sloop, the hammerhead sharks were quickly gutted and chopped; and the flesh, fins, and head were stored in a barrel. On the other sloop, only half the meat was stored away. The other half was taken below deck by the armful. What had been stored in the barrel was rolled over to Captain Wing-ears. Wing-ears took an inventory of the barrel, scratched his head, and shrugged. How long had those goblins been hoarding half of their catches? Why didn’t they want to share? Were my goblins starving? Was that why the chance of mutiny was up to 48%?
Or was it something else? Remember-not was atop the deckhouse sitting on a giant bulb of garlic. She hugged the paper-wrapped garlic stems and stared out over the sea. It seemed to me that she was sad, bothered by something. That couldn’t be the reason the chance of mutiny was 49%, could it? Just last night, Remember-not had said, “I’m doing this and doing that, sewing this and sewing that, going here and going there, and everyone else gets to be Captain.” But that wasn’t the case. Not everyone was promoted to Captain. “Why couldn’t I be Captain? I work hard.”
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Oh Remember-not…
Wow! Pinky-chew’s ketch was much further behind than only a while ago. The sloops were not only farther out, they were even further behind. As only sloops could sail, they zigzagged with the wind. Goblins worked tirelessly to man the helm and brace against the waves.
“Lower the foremast sails, please thank you!”
“Aye aye, Admiral!”
“Lower the mizzenmast sails, please thank you!”
“Aye aye, Admiral!”
Was that why the chance of mutiny was now 50%? I was working my goblins too hard? Of course! With a galleon that traveled at 3x the speed, and a ketch that sailed at 2x the speed, how could little sloops hope to keep up? I knew what being overworked was like, and I didn’t want to Gloom-glower my goblins. Nope, nope, no!
Birds circled the sloops. Flecks of insects swarmed the plants and chimeric colored barrels. Goblins cavorted about on all the decks, leaping and grasping for dragonflies and grasshoppers. They ate them! All the buggies were being eaten. Were the birds being gobbled up too? Not the bees; goblins left those alone. Swoll-cheeks had taught us a thing or two about bees.
I hoped my goblins weren’t starving! That’s what all the garlic and onions were for! Oh no, no, no… that must be why the chance of mutiny was 51%! They were hungry and overworked, and it was all my fault.
Some Captains waved at the galleon as their sloops slipped near. My Commodore waved. But other goblins did not wave. Those goblins crossed their arms and glared at me. Behind the hardest glaring goblins, smaller ones smiled with their pointy teeth. Those that glared were obviously amassing a following. Followings led to factions. Factions led to division. Division led to mutiny! No wonder the chance of mutiny was at 52%! It was all happening right under my nose!
I lowered my monoscope. With two knuckles, I rubbed my eye. My heart felt rock-heavy and tightly knitted.
All of a sudden my chance at a goblin-filled home seemed much farther away. I put Stiff-neck and Back-ache at the helm to balance each other out before I went below deck to my private forecastle.
I was just entering my skeleton key into the door lock when I froze. There were scratches all around the doorknob, long deep fingernail scratches. There were scratches at the bottom too and all around the hinges.
Oh no, no, no! Everywhere I turned it seemed that the chance of mutiny was growing! 53% was way too much! I had to do something before it was too late!