SEARCH FOR THE LOST SOUL (10 page)

His thoughts
seemed to be confirmed a short time later when they passed the last of the
large pleasure boats, arriving at an area with smaller boats. Even though these
boats also looked comfortable, Chris refused to allow himself the think that
one of them might belong to Loren. He decided to wait to see what the boat
looked like, but he continued to eye the boats they passed with envy.

Chris was
right to not set his hope too high. The boat that Dominic finally stopped at
was fairly large, with most of the upper deck covered by a large building. What
disconcerted Chris was the fact that the boat appeared to be made entirely of
wood.

As he
stepped onto the wooden gangplank that connected the boat to the dock he called
to Dominic. “Are you kidding me? We’re not going to cross the ocean in a real
wooden boat, are we?”

Dominic
waited until he had stepped onto the deck of the boat before turning to answer
Chris’ question. “Men have safely crossed the ocean in wooden ships for
centuries. And, this will not be the first time
The Deoiridh
has made
the crossing.”

Chris
frowned as he stepped gingerly onto the deck. He paused next to the gangplank
and examined the nearest side. “Hey, even the nails are made of wood.”

Dominic
frowned. “Of course they are. You will find nothing made of metal on this
boat.”

Chris
slapped the side of the boat with the palm of his hand. “I’d like to file a
formal protest against using this boat. I want a ship made with metal or
fiberglass or whatever material they make boat hulls out of.”

Dominic eyed
him, a slight smile playing at his lips. “Are you quite finished?” he finally
asked. He waited for Chris to nod before continuing. “Good. Now that you have
had your say I wish that you would shut your mouth. Your constant complaining
is getting on my nerves.”

Chris
frowned. “What are you going to do if I don’t?”

Dominic eyed
him for a moment. “I could place a spell on you that would accomplish the
effect I desire.”

Chris
hesitated; what Dominic said was true. Then he smiled. “I don’t think you’d
risk angering Kelly by doing that.”

Dominic
turned to look at Kelly who was peering over the side of the boat that faced
the water, watching the fish. He scowled at Chris then turned and disappeared
into the cabin. Chris smiled as he went to join Kelly at the rail; he had
finally managed to get one over on Dominic.

When Chris
turned around again a short time later he found Dominic standing at the
gangplank and staring at the docks, obviously waiting impatiently for someone
else to arrive. Chris assumed that they were waiting for the captain of the
boat; he seriously doubted that Dominic would stoop so low as to pilot the boat
himself and he knew that neither he nor Kelly would be capable of doing it.

More than an
hour passed before a portly elderly man with a tattered green duffel bag thrown
over his right shoulder boarded the boat. Chris moved to stand closer to
Dominic so that he could hear what the two were talking about.

“Are you
certain that Loren wants me to take
The Deoiridh
out. This is the season
of storms, some of which can be real hum dingers. It’s the most dangerous time of
year to attempt a crossing.”

“That can
not be helped,” replied Dominic. “It is most imperative that we reach Germany
as soon as possible.”

The man
sighed. “Very well. I will get you there safely.”

He started
to turn away but Dominic stopped him. “This is Christopher and that is Kelly
over by the rail. They are the other passengers.” Dominic turned to Chris.
“This is Egbert, who will captain
The Deoiridh.”

Chris nodded
his head. “Nice to meet you.”

Egbert
nodded in reply. “The pleasure is mine.” He smiled, showing several gold-capped
teeth.

Chris smiled
back, immediately taking a liking to the white haired man with the bluest eyes
he had ever seen. His ruddy cheeks were clean-shaven but he had a small tattoo
of a small bird of some kind just below his left eye.

Egbert eyed
the backpack that Chris still wore. “I would suggest that you stow that below
before we set sail. Don’t worry, it will take me a few minutes to ready the
boat for sailing so you won’t miss anything.”

Chris
grinned at him. “Thanks.” He turned and hurried over to the cabin, pulling the
wooden door open. The cabin itself was unimpressive, with six single beds
bolted to the floor and an armoire attached to the wall. Chris crossed to the
armoire and took a moment to figure out how to work the latch before placing
the backpack inside, next to the one that Dominic had been wearing.

He frowned
as he closed the door and relatched it; Dominic could have had the decency to
inform him that he should stow the backpack. He sighed as he wondered if the apprentice
was getting him back for his earlier dig. Well, he decided, Dominic would get
his eventually, he would see to it.

When Chris
left the cabin he found that four men had boarded and were busily hoisting the
large sail. He skirted the activity and went to where Kelly still stood at the
rail, bending over the side. Chris shook his head, what was she finding so
interesting down there?

It didn’t
take much urging for him to convince her to go with him to the bow of the boat
to watch as they sailed out of the harbor. They crossed the narrow space
between the rail and the cabin to the front of the boat, where they found
Egbert at the steering wheel. Egbert looked up at their approach and smiled but
returned to what he had been doing, which looked to Chris like caressing the
wheel.

Chris and
Kelly moved as far forward as they could so that they wouldn’t be in the way of
the working men. As they waited to start sailing Kelly leaned over the rail
again. Chris frowned and leaned over to see what she was looking at. After
looking for several minutes he couldn’t see anything that should capture her
interest to such a degree. He straightened and turned to look at her but
decided against asking her; if she wanted to tell him he would listen but
otherwise he wasn’t that interested.

Several more
hours passed before one of the sailors shouted something that Chris couldn’t
understand. Egbert shouted something back before one of the sailors jumped onto
the docks and slipped the ropes off the wooden pilings that was holding the
boat in place. As the boat began to move away from the docks the sailor jumped
back aboard with an ease that Chris envied. He turned his attention seaward.

The boat
moved slowly as the Captain eased it through the other traffic in the harbor. A
large brass bell located against the cabin wall began to toll and Chris turned
to see one of the sailors hitting it with what looked like a stone mallet of
some kind. He frowned, thinking that a hammer would have been a better
instrument to use, but then, Loren and all his cronies seemed to have an
aversion to steel in any form. He shook his head as he returned his attention
forward.

Chris had no
idea how much time passed before the boat finally made its way out of the
harbor. Once they were clear of the other traffic the sailors raised another,
smaller sail and the speed of the boat increased. Chris smiled as he felt the
salty wind hit his face; it gave him a cleansed feeling.

As the speed
of the boat increased, the ride became choppier. Chris began to feel uncomfortable;
he had never been on a boat before and he was certain that he was going to be
seasick. He hoped not; he didn’t want Kelly to see him in that condition.

Despite his
best efforts, he was soon leaning over the rail as he emptied his stomach of
the lunch they had eaten at the inn. He had no idea how much time passed before
he heard Dominic’s voice from behind him.

“If you will
stand I will ease your illness.”

Great,
thought Chris as he struggled to stand upright. Just what I needed, for Dominic
to have to come to my aid. He took deep breaths as he tried to ease his stomach
and looked up at the apprentice.

Dominic was
gazing at Chris with his usual stone-faced expression and unemotional black
eyes. After a moment he waved his hand through the air and said several words
in a language that Chris didn’t understand.

A moment
later Chris smiled as he realized that he was feeling much better. “Thank you,”
he said, mentally kicking himself for being forced into this position.

Dominic
merely nodded his head and turned away. Chris watched him go then rolled his
eyes when he had disappeared around the side of the cabin. He glanced at Kelly,
who was looking away from him in an effort to save his sense of manliness, a
fact for which he was grateful. After a moment he turned back to watch the sea;
at least they were underway. He only hoped that Dominic wouldn’t have to repeat
the spell, once was enough for him.

They were
four days out from Wick when Chris first noticed the black clouds on the
horizon. Although the days had been cold, making him grateful for the wool
lining inside his cape, the wind had been calm. He was appreciative that the
weather seemed to be cooperating with them as he continued to feel queasy, a
condition he bore in silence though Kelly had raised her eyebrows several times
at his lack of interest in food.

Chris
frowned as he watched the clouds, certain that they meant an increase in the
wind. And if the wind increased so would the swell and that would also increase
in intensity of his stomach problems. He doubted that he could stand any more
of the uncomfortableness and still keep it secret from Kelly; he was barely
maintaining as it was.

He walked to
the bow to discuss the clouds with Egbert but found the man in deep
conversation with one of the sailors; the one he thought was the first mate.
Although Chris couldn’t hear what they were talking about, the first mate
pointed in the direction of the clouds and he relaxed.

Chris waited
for several minutes for Egbert and the first mate to finish their conversation
but it appeared that it might continue for some time. He walked away, certain
that between the two of them they could handle the problem, if there was one.

As he moved
towards the cabin and the relative safety that it offered he remembered the
last words that he had shared with Egbert. They had concerned the sped with
which they would reach the coast of Germany. Egbert had laughed and said that
he couldn’t say; it depended on the wind. Well, he though, a storm would
increase the wind and they would arrive that much sooner. He found that he was
anxious for this to happen; he had decided that he definitely didn’t like the
sea days before.

As he
approached the cabin he noticed that two of the sailors were struggling with
the sails; they had taken the larger of the two down and were doing something,
he couldn’t tell what, to the smaller one. He watched them for several minutes,
trying to figure out what they were doing but quickly came to the realization
that he didn’t know enough about sailing to be able to tell. He would have to
trust them to do their job.

He pulled
the door to the cabin open and stepped inside. It took a moment for his eyes to
adjust to the dimness, Dominic preferred it that way, rarely lighting the
kerosene lanterns that hung from the ceiling. He frowned as he looked around,
noting that only the apprentice, who didn’t look up from the large book he was
reading, was inside. Where could Kelly have gone?

He backed
out of the cabin, wondering if Dominic had even been aware of his presence.
Probably, but he had been unwilling to stoop to the level of acknowledging
someone so far below him. Since Kelly hadn’t been in the bow of the boat so
that left only the stern.

He rounded
the corner of the cabin and was met with a gust of cold wind; in the short time
that he had been inside the cabin the wind had almost doubled in strength. His
frown deepened as he tucked his hair behind his ear to keep it out of his face;
he should have gotten someone at the castle to cut it before they left as it
was now much longer than he liked, reaching below his shoulders.

He spied
Kelly at the rail, standing next to the fourth sailor. This one was the
youngest of all the sailors, close to his own age. He had tried to strike up a
conversation with the man, curious to know what had drawn him to the sea but
the man he thought was the first mate had quickly spotted them and come rushing
over, shouting at the sailor to return to his work. Chris hadn’t been able to
even discover the young man’s name.

As he neared
the two of them, Chris noted that the young sailor had what appeared to be an
old telescope of some kind aimed towards the north. The sailor heard his
approach and lowered the telescope long enough to eye him then returned to his
observation.

“What’s
going on?” Chris asked Kelly after scanning the area and seeing nothing.

Kelly
turned, giving him a small smile. Chris felt his stomach tighten at the
expression; he craved such attention from her. He had come to realize that he
was more in love with her than ever, but, since she didn’t seem to share the
feelings, he didn’t press her in any way. The only concession he made to his
feelings was his constant desire to be near her, something she didn’t seem to
mind. If she only wanted to be friend, then so be it, it was the least he could
do after what he had done to her.

“Brant says
that there is another boat out there and that it’s been following us since we
left Wick. He says that it comes no closer nor moves further away, which is
what brought it to Egbert’s attention.”

Chris
squinted in the indicated direction but still saw nothing. Egbert must have
very sharp eyes to have spotted it. His head jerked upward as he realized that
she had called the sailor by name; she had obviously had at least some
conversation with him.

He turned
his attention to the young sailor, noting the fiery red hair and knowing from
memory the intense blue eyes. Just how friendly had she been with him? Was this
the type of man she was interested in? He felt a stab of jealously start to
consume him then pushed the feeling down, he had no right to feel this way.
Still, he didn’t want her talking to the young man. But, he quickly realized,
he couldn’t ask her not to talk to him, not without appearing to be a total
jerk.

The
queasiness in his stomach increased and he looked away from Brant but that
didn’t help. He hoped that his condition was worsening because of the weather
and not his feeling but he suspected the latter. His gaze came to rest on
Kelly.

Kelly was
holding her hair back with her left hand to keep it out of her face. Chris
longed to hold it for her, remembering the silken feel of it. He forced himself
to look away from her, taking deep breaths for control. It would be a good
thing when this quest was finished and he was removed from the temptation that
she unwittingly provoked.

“I think
I’ll go to the cabin,” he said a few minutes later. His voice sounded tight,
even to his own ears. He saw Kelly’s startled look at his tone but he offered
her no explanation. He turned and strode as rapidly as he could across the deck
to the cabin, jerking the door open. Hopefully laying down would help to settle
his stomach.

He crossed
to the farthest bed and lay on top of the covers, Kelly made all three beds
every morning. He closed his eyes and opened his mouth to draw in large breaths
but found that it wasn’t helping; he didn’t want to be sick again but was
certain that he was headed in that direction.

Dominic’s
calm voice came out of the dimness. “Your stomach is worse.”

Chris nodded
and immediately regretted the action. Despite his best efforts a groan escaped
his lips. He was just grateful that Kelly wasn’t in the cabin to hear him.

Moments
later he felt a presence beside the bed. He didn’t open his eyes, fearing that
such an action would increase the nausea. Suddenly it was gone. He took a deep
breath and opened his eyes to find Dominic standing next to the bed and looking
down at him with his expressionless face and dark eyes.

He sat up.
“Thank you.”

Dominic
nodded. “There is no need for you to suffer such things. It is an easy matter
for me to correct them.”

Chris eyed
him, wondering if the apprentice knew or even cared how he felt about him. He
had to admit that it was possible that Dominic had no idea how he affected
people. Maybe it would be a good thing for him to inform the other, he might
appreciate it. He decided against such an action, at least at present; all that
would probably do would be to increase the antagonism between them.

“I would
suggest that you stay inside the cabin until the storm is over,” Dominic said
as he returned to his reading. “Although there is little that will help once
the boat starts to rock, the stability inside the cabin should help.”

“Thank you,”
Chris mumbled. He sat up and swung his legs over the side, sitting on the edge
and wondering what he was going to do to pass the time. He glanced at the
apprentice who was already deeply involved in his book, he would be no help. He
sighed. There was nothing to do but stare at the wall of the cabin and try not
to think about Kelly out there with Brant.

He had no
idea how much time passed before Kelly returned to the cabin. “Whew,” she
commented as she struggled to close the door behind her. “That wind is really
blowing out there. Brant says the storm will hit at any time and I believe him.
It’s black as night out there.”

Dominic
didn’t even look up but Chris felt his stomach tighten at the sailor’s name. He
did his best to force his voice into the normal range as he answered her but it
sounded strained to him. “What are they going to do during the storm? Do you
think they’ll go into their cabin?” He had discovered the crew’s small cabin on
the first day, located at the back of their cabin and facing the bow of the
boat.

Kelly shook
her head. “I doubt it. They all have these black slickers on. I think they have
to be outside when the wind picks up to do their sail thingy.”

Chris smiled
at the word. Thingy. Where had she ever come up with a word like that? Must be
a farming word of some type. He was grateful for her presence; at least now
they could pass the time in conversation. He glanced at the bent back of the
apprentice; he was totally ignoring the two of them so Chris didn’t think that
he’d mind.

But, after
only a few minutes, Dominic looked up and frowned at them. Chris frowned in
response; they hadn’t been talking loudly and shouldn’t have bothered the
apprentice.

Dominic eyed
them for a few minutes. “I would like to teach you to play a game.”

Chris and
Kelly exchanged looks; both knew that the apprentice was more interested in
quieting them than teaching them a game. Still, it would help to pass the time.
As one they turned and nodded at him.

Without a
word Dominic crossed to his backpack and rummaged inside to pull out at wooden
box with a strange design of alternating colored points painted on the top. He
quickly crossed to them and dropped the box onto the bed between them. He
reached down and pulled the top off, revealing two rows of disks, one brown the
other white, a wooden cup and two wooden dice. He dumped the contents on the
bed and laid the two sides of the box side by side, creating a playing field of
sorts.

“This game
is called backgammon.” He quickly set up the pieces before spending several
minutes explaining the rules of the game to them. It seemed easy enough; simply
move the all your colored pieces to your backfield and then move them off the
board. The first one to do so would win the game.

The game
turned out to be a lot harder than it looked as Chris quickly discovered when
Kelly sent one of his men to the bar for the second time. He frowned as he
turned all his concentration to the game; there was no way that he was going to
let Kelly win this game.

*      *     *
    *     *

for more
than a day the storm raged, by the time the skies finally cleared everyone,
Dominic included, was ready to leave the cabin. Chris emerged from the cabin
with a smile on his face, breathing deeply of the clean air. He wandered to the
prow of the boat, standing behind Egbert so he wouldn’t be in the way.

After a few
minutes he pulled his cloak tighter around his body, the wind was cold. He
wasn’t ready to return to the cabin so he walked to the stern, where he found
Dominic and Kelly with a crewmember watching a spot on the horizon that Chris
knew had to be another boat. He squinted but couldn’t make out any details of
the other boat.

Chris moved
to stand between Kelly and the crewmember, a middle-aged man with coal black
hair and a handlebar moustache. Kelly was the only one to acknowledge his
arrival, which she did with a smile that didn’t reach her eyes.

“The boat
moved closer.”

“I can see
that. Do we have any idea who it could be?”

“Dominic
claims that there’s magic on board that boat; they’re shielding themselves from
his sight.”

Chris looked
from Kelly to Dominic in surprise; the apprentice usually wasn’t so forthcoming
with information. But then, he was a lot more open with Kelly than he was with
himself. He returned his gaze to the other boat and felt his skin start to
crawl. He turned to the crewmember. “Do they have pirates in these waters?”

The
crewmember smiled without dropping the looking glass. “They claim that there’s
not but who can say.”

“So who do
you think they are?”

The
crewmember laughed jovially. “Pirates.”

Chris
frowned at him and returned his gaze to the other boat. Was it possible that
there were still pirates sailing the seas? There was a lot of open water on
this planet, and with all the technology available today it shouldn’t be
impossible for someone with the right knowledge to block a distress call.

Out here,
with no one around for possibly a day’s sailing distance in any direction,
they’d be as vulnerable as the old English Galley’s in the Caribbean. Tales of
Blackbeard and Captain Kidd flickered through his mind and he shuddered.