Kincade dangled below the Raven Claw, one end of the line tied to the ship below and the other end in Grover's tender care. Kincade was being lowered by a winched down foot by foot. With each crank turn, Grover gave a sailor's grunt and a new curse for the fateful day he signed the articles to join this crew. Then, finally, Kincade started to lower toward the ship below. With each turn of Grover's winch high above, Kincade jerked to a halt and bounced several times, then felt in his gut he was falling for the length of an average life.

Looking up, the Raven's Claw and if just it hung in the air. It was the first time in all these months that he had seen the whole ship in all its terrible grandeur and glory. It was massive. The length from bow to stern was at least eight hundred feet, looking down at the ship. The shadow eclipsed the prize, which seemed to be no more than two or three hundred feet long.

The prize was an iron-sided ship and would have easily fended off the shots at sea level. But was not safe for man or creature from above. The wooden decking was wrecked. In places, Kincade could see pools of blood. A clear result of the relentless barrage of volley after volley of shot.

Kincade's feet touched the deck, and the line supporting him went suddenly slack; the deck and Kincade's ass traveled quickly to meet each other with a stiff thud, Kincade's breath forced out of his body.

"Fuck, that hurt," Kincade said, wincing and lifting his legs up to allow him to roll back and rock slightly from right to left.

"Lad, no time for lallygagging about," Boson appeared; his face was full in Kincade's vision, concealing Grover and the Raven's Claw. However, the sounds of Grover laughing were evident to all.

"Come on, lad. Don't want to keep Captain waiting. He has a task for us, well your you." Boson continued excitedly, fussing with the harness and pulling it off Kincade with little regard for his comfort. Then, as he pulled him up, half hauling him, he walked him over to where the Captain and Wallace stood before a cabin door recessed into the deck.

"You. Get this open," Captain Stevenson ordered, pointing his finger at Kincade. "And you, help him," he said, pointing at Boson. Wallace added, "And Boson, be quick about it, you bumbling fool."

"Aye, lad, let's be quick about it," Boson offered, grabbing Kincade by the arm. He spun him around until he came face to face with the cabin's iron door.

"Steady on, Boson. What is going on here?" Kincade asked in a muted tone.

"This lock is the problem," Boson pointed to a lock built into the door.

"Gods and small fishes, that is amazing work," Kincade offered, and he stretched out his hand to feel the lock. He saw that the enclosure was ornately carved with two dragons wrapped around the sides. Long gashes had been carved into the lock.

"It's warm. Why is it warm?" Kincade asked.

"They tried to shoot it open," Boson replied, flicking his eyes over to a group of oafs. They were armed to the teeth. Each carried a short cutlass, pistols, and custom-built short rifles.

"I have personally had a go but could not work it out," Boson said.

"What do you think is behind this door?" Kincade asked.

"The crew, more than likely. Or, what is left of them," Boson replied.

"Right, and we have to get it open so Wallace's bully boys can slaughter them," Kincade said quietly.

"No. We have to get it open so Wallace doesn't slaughter us!" Boson corrected.

"Ok. So, let's review. We have two dragons that move," Kincade moved each dragon independently of the other. He then drove them together, feeling around the lock.

"Why is there not a keyhole?" Kincade asked.

"That was my problem. I could not see how to unlock it. It has these moving parts, lad," Boson moved the heads of the dragons. There was an audible click, and he pushed on and pulled at the door. It, however, remained closed.

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

"See, lad? I tried to pull on the door, too. No luck that way, either," Boson offered.

"Why am I here? And, what do you think I can do?" Kincade asked.

"Lad, you've got a way, these tricky machines. And, that Captain is not be crossed once he has issued an order," Boson added.

"Alright, man. Let me look and see if I can do anything," Kincade frowned. "I move one of the dragons and push the door. And, the result is?" Kincade spoke aloud.

"Nothing. That is the response," Boson offered in assistance.

"I move the other dragon and push the door," Kincade continued, talking to himself.

"And, nothing again, lad. I have done this. Next is to push them both, and you will hear a click. A click that, to my ears, says it is unlocked, but you push on the door and nothing. That's a nasty piece of work," Boson offered. "And Wallace is looking at us. He has a look. It's not a good look either," he said nervously.

"Boson, you are not helping. I have a process that I am going through, just like that storybook detective. You must eliminate all false possibilities first so that the only possibility you have left is the correct one," Kincade chided Boson.

"Wallace, report," Captain Stevenson commanded.

"My lovelies are just about to finish their assigned duties. Or I will be feeding the sharks just a little bit more today. Sir." Mr. Wallace offered his response in earshot.

Kincade stepped back from the door and took stock of the problem domain. The doorway was indeed iron. The lock was likewise iron with no keyhole. The three massive hinges opposite the lock would allow the door to swing open.

He had moved the dragons, and there was a click, but he could not pull the door or push either. "So, what could it not be?" Kincade thought. He moved his hand closer to the hinges and examined each of them.

"Lad, it is not about what it isn't. It's about what it is," Boson whispered in his ear.

"Not really, Boson. We have been asking ourselves what it could be. We have both come up with naught. So let's change the tack just a little and ask what it could NOT be. Let's examine what we excluded because we thought we knew how it works, so we didn't eliminate it. Let's ask ourselves. What can't it be? Then test the assumptions in that," Kincade offered.

"Seems daft, if you ask me. But we got no other ideas, so," Boson trailed off. Working on the middle door hinge. Kincade pulled and tested the hinge. He attempted to twist it.

"Boson, you got a knife?" Kincade asked.

"Naw, lad," Boson replied.

"I need a knife," Kincade called out to no one and everyone.

One of Wallace's thugs stepped forward and pulled out a small blade with a single cutting edge. He offered it to Kincade, handle first.

"That do?" the soldier asked.

"Yes. Thank you," Kincade replied, accepting the knife with its whalebone handle. It had a scrimshaw scene of a mermaid on a rock, naked from the waist up. She had oversized breasts and a fishtail that was carved in a way to make it look like it beckoned. Kincade took the knife and ran it around, then under the hinge.

"What is it, lad. What have you discovered?" Boson asked.

"This is not a real hinge," Kincade offered in an almost whispered voice, tucking the knife into his clothing.

"Boson, I can open this. What happens if I open this," Kincade asked.

"That lot swarm in, kill everyone, and we take this ship," Boson offered.

"Then what will happen to us?" asked Kincade.

"What do you mean? We got a contract. We will continue until the contract is up," Boson's look was a genuine surprise.

"What will happen if we do not open the door?" Kincade continued his line of questioning.

"That crazy man, Wallace, will likely toss us both overboard," Boson offered.

"I don't want to go with Wallace. So you need to promise me that you won't let me go with Wallace," Kincade said insistently.

"Aye, lad, that is easily done. I will protect you from Wallace, and you will make me look good. You got my word," Boson agreed.

"Good enough for me. Call the Captain over then, and let's get on with it," Kincade directed.

"Captain, if you would like to come over here, I got somein for you," Boson called out. Both Wallace and the Captain made their way over to the door.

"Report," Mr Wallace commanded. Boson greeted both men with a short bow and then lifted a knuckle to his brow once for each man.

"Well, you see, I was able to work it out," Boson offered.

"Well, why did you need that one there, my lovely?" Wallace snarled and pointed at Kincade. Boson's eyes opened wide. He took a step back towards the door.

"Well, it is like this, you see. I wanted Kincade to confirm some of the more complicated engineering concepts," Boson argued.

"Well, then show us the more complicated engineering, then," Mr Wallace rolled his eyes as Boson looked at Kincade. He jerked his head to the side.

"Show the man what I found out. About the H-i-n-g-e," Boson commanded as he realized he was not actually told how the door opened.

"Boson, if you can work the two dragon heads, please," Kincade required.

"Right, you are. Then you will work the hinges as I planned," Boson continued.

"Will you two lovelies just get on with it," Mr Wallace demanded. Kincade rested one hand opposite the obvious lock with that final command, pulled on the center door hinge, and pushed.

The door swung in and opened without a sound. And a shot was fired from the darkness inside.