Read Online On Discord Isle by Jonathon Burgess - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Jonathon Burgess
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it’s a miracle that we haven’t noticed them until now. Someone remind me to have a bit of a chat with Gabley’s ape soon.”
He trailed off as he continued his inspection. Lina glanced back at the crew. Everyone was looking at each other, the same unspoken question obvious on each face. They were all feeling poor at the moment. Twice now they’d been back to port since the Yulan adventure six months ago, with nothing to show for it, thanks to Fengel and Natasha’s constant fighting.
Lucian still hadn’t spoken up. Sod it . Lina cleared her throat. “Well?” she asked. “Aren’t we going to get them?”
The crew spoke up all at once.
“Can we?” asked Jonas Wiley.
“Why in the Realms Below wouldn’t we?” asked his brother Nate, hands still swathed in bandages.
“They’re running already,” said Sarah Lome. “We’d have to fight the wind.”
“That just means burning fuel, which we’re doing already,” replied Reaver Jane.
“We haven’t taken a real prize in months,” lamented Henry Smalls.
“But can we?” asked Elly Minel.
Lina glared down at them. “Well, why not?” she demanded, raising her gaze to the others. “I know what we’re all thinking; the captains are gone. But that was the point. We got rid of them. It’s not like we need to ask permission, for Her sake.”
“But who’s gonna lead us?” whined Oscar Pleasant.
“The Breachtown heist is one thing,” said Andrea Holt. “We already know what we’re about there. Someone’s got to make the big moment-to-moment decisions, though. Do we...elect someone else captain?”
Uneasiness washed across the faces of everyone present. Lina knew how they felt. They didn’t hate Fengel and Natasha. It was just impossible to get anything done with the two of them around. Kicking them off the ship hadn’t been undertaken lightly.
The weird thought from a moment ago still had a hold of her, though. No kings, no sheiks . An idea came to her. “We don’t have to,” replied Lina. “Look, Lucian’s normally in charge anyway, right? So when we need ordering, he takes the lead, and nothing’s changed there. For the big stuff—”
“Yes,” said Ryan. “That’s the trick. Big stuff, like course changes and fuel and whatnot.”
Lina glared at him. “Let’s do it by committee,” she continued. “The officers who run things normally. Lucian, Reaver Jane, Sarah Lome.”
The crew looked to those named. Lucian collapsed his spyglass and shared a glance with the other officers. Then he gave a shrug.
“Could work,” he said. “I’m mighty tired of an empty purse, and we’ve got to try this sometime.”
“I guess it couldn’t hurt,” said Sarah Lome.
“We’ll take a Crewman’s Vote on it,” said Reaver Jane. She frowned and folded her arms. “Committee’s going to need one more on it, though.”
“Who?” asked Lucian. “Three’s a good number.”
“I want Lina Stone,” said Jane.
Lina started. The crew stared at her. Her heart fell into her stomach. “What?” she asked. “Why me?”
“Because you keep coming up with these ideas. And if everything goes tits up, you’re going to be the one we blame for it. Official scapegoat. Now, let’s have that vote. All in favor?”
“Hold on,” called a voice. Lina, along with everyone else, glanced back to Oscar Pleasant. “I’m sorry, but this doesn’t seem like a bad idea to anyone? I mean, really, a committee?” The pirate was ratlike, disheveled. No one really liked him much. Even his one-time friends avoided him of late.
Lucian gave him a frank stare. “Do you have a better idea, Mr. Pleasant?”
Oscar looked away and then shrugged. “Well, I mean...no. Not really.”
“Right then,” said Reaver Jane. “Now, all in favor?”
Most every hand shot up. The remainder went along once they saw which way things were going.
“That’s that, then,” said Lucian. “Ship’s Committee, to the helm. Everyone else to your stations.” He grinned.
He trailed off as he continued his inspection. Lina glanced back at the crew. Everyone was looking at each other, the same unspoken question obvious on each face. They were all feeling poor at the moment. Twice now they’d been back to port since the Yulan adventure six months ago, with nothing to show for it, thanks to Fengel and Natasha’s constant fighting.
Lucian still hadn’t spoken up. Sod it . Lina cleared her throat. “Well?” she asked. “Aren’t we going to get them?”
The crew spoke up all at once.
“Can we?” asked Jonas Wiley.
“Why in the Realms Below wouldn’t we?” asked his brother Nate, hands still swathed in bandages.
“They’re running already,” said Sarah Lome. “We’d have to fight the wind.”
“That just means burning fuel, which we’re doing already,” replied Reaver Jane.
“We haven’t taken a real prize in months,” lamented Henry Smalls.
“But can we?” asked Elly Minel.
Lina glared down at them. “Well, why not?” she demanded, raising her gaze to the others. “I know what we’re all thinking; the captains are gone. But that was the point. We got rid of them. It’s not like we need to ask permission, for Her sake.”
“But who’s gonna lead us?” whined Oscar Pleasant.
“The Breachtown heist is one thing,” said Andrea Holt. “We already know what we’re about there. Someone’s got to make the big moment-to-moment decisions, though. Do we...elect someone else captain?”
Uneasiness washed across the faces of everyone present. Lina knew how they felt. They didn’t hate Fengel and Natasha. It was just impossible to get anything done with the two of them around. Kicking them off the ship hadn’t been undertaken lightly.
The weird thought from a moment ago still had a hold of her, though. No kings, no sheiks . An idea came to her. “We don’t have to,” replied Lina. “Look, Lucian’s normally in charge anyway, right? So when we need ordering, he takes the lead, and nothing’s changed there. For the big stuff—”
“Yes,” said Ryan. “That’s the trick. Big stuff, like course changes and fuel and whatnot.”
Lina glared at him. “Let’s do it by committee,” she continued. “The officers who run things normally. Lucian, Reaver Jane, Sarah Lome.”
The crew looked to those named. Lucian collapsed his spyglass and shared a glance with the other officers. Then he gave a shrug.
“Could work,” he said. “I’m mighty tired of an empty purse, and we’ve got to try this sometime.”
“I guess it couldn’t hurt,” said Sarah Lome.
“We’ll take a Crewman’s Vote on it,” said Reaver Jane. She frowned and folded her arms. “Committee’s going to need one more on it, though.”
“Who?” asked Lucian. “Three’s a good number.”
“I want Lina Stone,” said Jane.
Lina started. The crew stared at her. Her heart fell into her stomach. “What?” she asked. “Why me?”
“Because you keep coming up with these ideas. And if everything goes tits up, you’re going to be the one we blame for it. Official scapegoat. Now, let’s have that vote. All in favor?”
“Hold on,” called a voice. Lina, along with everyone else, glanced back to Oscar Pleasant. “I’m sorry, but this doesn’t seem like a bad idea to anyone? I mean, really, a committee?” The pirate was ratlike, disheveled. No one really liked him much. Even his one-time friends avoided him of late.
Lucian gave him a frank stare. “Do you have a better idea, Mr. Pleasant?”
Oscar looked away and then shrugged. “Well, I mean...no. Not really.”
“Right then,” said Reaver Jane. “Now, all in favor?”
Most every hand shot up. The remainder went along once they saw which way things were going.
“That’s that, then,” said Lucian. “Ship’s Committee, to the helm. Everyone else to your stations.” He grinned.
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