was a long, black marble table with four chairs
on either side. At the end of the room was another door, which Kai assumed led
to the second level. Finally, a small booth that ran half the length of the
room was set against the wall, the lower half made of wood, the other of glass.
“Now, there are a few things you can do in here,” Carpenter explained,
gesturing toward a panel of switches on the wall. “From here you can turn on
the interior lights of this floor, as well as control the doors. You can lock
them as well as close the reinforced doors in case of a storm. You can also
close the reinforced wooden panels over the aft windows there. That’s all
self-explanatory.”
“And that room there?” Kwin asked, looking at the booth.
“That’s another place you can control the ship from in case it gets too
crazy out on top,” Carpenter said. “The area above deck is safe, but if you’re
caught in a storm it might get distracting. I wanted to put in an elevator to
fix that, but there wasn’t enough time, so I had to improvise.”
“This is… the most amazing boat I’ve ever seen!” Lindsay said, mouth
slightly open.
“Ship, dear. Not a boat. Boats are things that float in bathtubs,”
Carpenter corrected her, but looked too pleased with the praise to care. “I did
spend quite a lot of time on it. Now, I’m assuming you’ll want to leave as soon
as possible, so I’ll let you go. The deck below is just your rooms; you should
like those, but there aren’t any really complex features that I need to
explain.”
As they walked back out on deck, Carpenter whistled, and a few tools
appeared out of random locations on the ship, standing in a line in front of
him before hopping back onto the dock.
“They were just checking to make sure everything is ready for your trip,
and they say everything checks out. I’ll get off for you and start untying the
ropes if you’ve got everything you need.”
“I think we’re all set, what about you?” Alastor asked, looking around at
the others, who nodded instantly. “Good! I’ll set up what we need, then we can
depart.”
Carpenter started to head out, but Kai stopped him briefly.
“Thank you for this,” he said, unable to find the right words to express
his gratitude. “This means a lot to us, and you did a great job.”
“No problem!” Carpenter replied. “Though it means a lot more to the rest
of us; what you’re doing could change the entire Sanctum. As if you kids aren’t
famous enough already. Not only will you be heroes, but explorers as well!”
Carpenter chuckled, then stepped over the guard rail. Kai, Lindsay and
Elvia watched as the rest of his tools followed him off the ship, turning
around and looking with admiration at their handiwork as Carpenter started to
undo the ropes.
Alastor walked upstairs, and Kwin followed, evidently keen on being
involved in every step of the process. Kai was too fascinated and excited to
get to work just yet, though he could tell that despite his happiness at
directing this trip, his excitement couldn’t possibly match Lindsay’s. She and
Elvia stood close together, exploring the ship and chatting and laughing as
they did so. Kai couldn’t help but look at Alastor, who not only seemed
unaffected by Elvia’s change in attitude, but appeared completely distracted by
the ship’s controls. It didn’t help Kai’s suspicions, but he remembered what Kwin
had told them and decided to put it out of his mind.
“All aboard!” Alastor called from the upper deck. Kai joined him to get a
better view as they left, and the others quickly followed.
“Have a safe trip, you lot!” Carpenter shouted from the dock as he
finished untying the last rope. “I have no idea what’s out there, but I
guarantee you this ship will get you at least that – oi! Get down here, you
stupid thing!”
Kai looked around, wondering which one of them he could possibly be
talking to, when he noticed a bag of nails at the top of the
on either side. At the end of the room was another door, which Kai assumed led
to the second level. Finally, a small booth that ran half the length of the
room was set against the wall, the lower half made of wood, the other of glass.
“Now, there are a few things you can do in here,” Carpenter explained,
gesturing toward a panel of switches on the wall. “From here you can turn on
the interior lights of this floor, as well as control the doors. You can lock
them as well as close the reinforced doors in case of a storm. You can also
close the reinforced wooden panels over the aft windows there. That’s all
self-explanatory.”
“And that room there?” Kwin asked, looking at the booth.
“That’s another place you can control the ship from in case it gets too
crazy out on top,” Carpenter said. “The area above deck is safe, but if you’re
caught in a storm it might get distracting. I wanted to put in an elevator to
fix that, but there wasn’t enough time, so I had to improvise.”
“This is… the most amazing boat I’ve ever seen!” Lindsay said, mouth
slightly open.
“Ship, dear. Not a boat. Boats are things that float in bathtubs,”
Carpenter corrected her, but looked too pleased with the praise to care. “I did
spend quite a lot of time on it. Now, I’m assuming you’ll want to leave as soon
as possible, so I’ll let you go. The deck below is just your rooms; you should
like those, but there aren’t any really complex features that I need to
explain.”
As they walked back out on deck, Carpenter whistled, and a few tools
appeared out of random locations on the ship, standing in a line in front of
him before hopping back onto the dock.
“They were just checking to make sure everything is ready for your trip,
and they say everything checks out. I’ll get off for you and start untying the
ropes if you’ve got everything you need.”
“I think we’re all set, what about you?” Alastor asked, looking around at
the others, who nodded instantly. “Good! I’ll set up what we need, then we can
depart.”
Carpenter started to head out, but Kai stopped him briefly.
“Thank you for this,” he said, unable to find the right words to express
his gratitude. “This means a lot to us, and you did a great job.”
“No problem!” Carpenter replied. “Though it means a lot more to the rest
of us; what you’re doing could change the entire Sanctum. As if you kids aren’t
famous enough already. Not only will you be heroes, but explorers as well!”
Carpenter chuckled, then stepped over the guard rail. Kai, Lindsay and
Elvia watched as the rest of his tools followed him off the ship, turning
around and looking with admiration at their handiwork as Carpenter started to
undo the ropes.
Alastor walked upstairs, and Kwin followed, evidently keen on being
involved in every step of the process. Kai was too fascinated and excited to
get to work just yet, though he could tell that despite his happiness at
directing this trip, his excitement couldn’t possibly match Lindsay’s. She and
Elvia stood close together, exploring the ship and chatting and laughing as
they did so. Kai couldn’t help but look at Alastor, who not only seemed
unaffected by Elvia’s change in attitude, but appeared completely distracted by
the ship’s controls. It didn’t help Kai’s suspicions, but he remembered what Kwin
had told them and decided to put it out of his mind.
“All aboard!” Alastor called from the upper deck. Kai joined him to get a
better view as they left, and the others quickly followed.
“Have a safe trip, you lot!” Carpenter shouted from the dock as he
finished untying the last rope. “I have no idea what’s out there, but I
guarantee you this ship will get you at least that – oi! Get down here, you
stupid thing!”
Kai looked around, wondering which one of them he could possibly be
talking to, when he noticed a bag of nails at the top of the
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