Read Online The Night of the Swarm (Chathrand Voyage 4) by Robert V.S. Redick - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Robert V.S. Redick
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right here,’ he said, thumping a fist to his chest. ‘Where are yours, exactly?’
A frigid silence followed. Then Ott said, ‘Captain Rose may have his reasons for delaying your execution—’
‘He does,’ said Rose. ‘The word is seamanship, and it cannot be wasted.’
Fiffengurt did not smile – Rose would get no smile out of him, not in this lifetime – but a certain grim pride showed in his face.
‘Seamanship,’ said Ott, ‘just so. Yet this voyage will end one day, Mr Fiffengurt. And when you step ashore, so shall I.’ He turned back to the others around the table.
‘As for the Shaggat: hysteria is rarely permanent. Through all the years of his ascendancy he was prone to fits. They form part of the legend of his greatness.’
‘They can’t have been like
this
,’ ventured Elkstem, the sailmaster. ‘He’d never have been able to lead no rebellion. He was screaming like a stuck
pig.’
‘I doubt we shall ever see another display like this morning’s,’ said Ott. ‘And if we do – well, Doctor, I did not add you to this mission because I loved your
company. You earned great fame with diseases, but your talents go further, don’t they? Before the miracle with the Talking Fever, you had another specialty. A rather lucrative one, at
that.’
Chadfallow started. ‘You’re mistaken,’ he said.
Ott raised an eyebrow, smiling.
Dr Rain snapped his fingers. ‘
“Ignus Chadfallow, Sedatives and Stimulants,”
’ he said. ‘Remember, Ignus? You gave me your card at the Medical Academy dinner,
in the spring. I have it right here . . . .’
The old man fumbled in the pockets of his threadbare coat, at last producing what looked like a mouse’s nest. Tearing open the fluffy wad, he extracted a crushed and soiled square of
parchment. He held it up, beaming. Chadfallow stared in disbelief.
‘That card is twenty-six years old,’ he said.
Ott leaned over and snatched the card from Rain. He squinted. ‘“
Compounds to Induce Tranquillity and Peace of Mind.”
Capital, Doctor; the Shaggat Ness is in good hands.
Besides, we do not require the murdering genius of his youth. All he needs is that apocalyptic impulse, and enough coherence to put his fanatics once more on the path of war.’
‘And the Nilstone?’ asked Rose.
Ott shook his head. ‘The Nilstone is behind us. And despite the Shaggat’s obsession, the cursed thing was never part of our plan. It nearly killed him, after all. Let it remain here
in the South. If it has truly caused the death of Arunis, so much the better. Our concern is to finish the task His Supremacy placed before us, with all dignity and speed.’
‘Dignity,’ said Chadfallow.
He spoke the word softly, but it still conveyed the bitterness of a lifetime. Captain Kurlstaff, breaking his silence, said, ‘I like this doctor, Rose. But the spymaster wants him
dead.’
‘Hold your peace, Ott,’ said Rose. ‘I have not brought you here to bicker like tarboys.’ He turned to Fiffengurt, and barked suddenly: ‘Where in the Black Pits is
the first mate? Did I summon my deck officers or not?’
‘I conveyed your order to Stukey myself, Captain,’ said Fiffengurt. ‘He only grunted at me through his door.’
‘Uskins missed his noon log entry as well, sir,’ put in Mr Fegin, who had recently been promoted to the rank of bosun. ‘Perhaps he’s ill?’
Rose looked at the doctors, who shrugged. ‘He’s not been to sickbay,’ said Chadfallow.
The captain’s fury was a live coal in his chest. ‘Find the duty clerk, Mr Fegin,’ he said, very low. ‘Tell him to inform Mr Uskins that if he is not here within three
minutes he will be tied to the mizzenmast with a vat of excrement from the chicken coops, and not released until he drinks it.’ He paused, then shouted: ‘Go!’
Fegin was off like a greyhound. The captain spread his hands flat on the table, glaring at the faces around him. ‘Why do ships sink?’ he asked them. ‘Imprecision,
A frigid silence followed. Then Ott said, ‘Captain Rose may have his reasons for delaying your execution—’
‘He does,’ said Rose. ‘The word is seamanship, and it cannot be wasted.’
Fiffengurt did not smile – Rose would get no smile out of him, not in this lifetime – but a certain grim pride showed in his face.
‘Seamanship,’ said Ott, ‘just so. Yet this voyage will end one day, Mr Fiffengurt. And when you step ashore, so shall I.’ He turned back to the others around the table.
‘As for the Shaggat: hysteria is rarely permanent. Through all the years of his ascendancy he was prone to fits. They form part of the legend of his greatness.’
‘They can’t have been like
this
,’ ventured Elkstem, the sailmaster. ‘He’d never have been able to lead no rebellion. He was screaming like a stuck
pig.’
‘I doubt we shall ever see another display like this morning’s,’ said Ott. ‘And if we do – well, Doctor, I did not add you to this mission because I loved your
company. You earned great fame with diseases, but your talents go further, don’t they? Before the miracle with the Talking Fever, you had another specialty. A rather lucrative one, at
that.’
Chadfallow started. ‘You’re mistaken,’ he said.
Ott raised an eyebrow, smiling.
Dr Rain snapped his fingers. ‘
“Ignus Chadfallow, Sedatives and Stimulants,”
’ he said. ‘Remember, Ignus? You gave me your card at the Medical Academy dinner,
in the spring. I have it right here . . . .’
The old man fumbled in the pockets of his threadbare coat, at last producing what looked like a mouse’s nest. Tearing open the fluffy wad, he extracted a crushed and soiled square of
parchment. He held it up, beaming. Chadfallow stared in disbelief.
‘That card is twenty-six years old,’ he said.
Ott leaned over and snatched the card from Rain. He squinted. ‘“
Compounds to Induce Tranquillity and Peace of Mind.”
Capital, Doctor; the Shaggat Ness is in good hands.
Besides, we do not require the murdering genius of his youth. All he needs is that apocalyptic impulse, and enough coherence to put his fanatics once more on the path of war.’
‘And the Nilstone?’ asked Rose.
Ott shook his head. ‘The Nilstone is behind us. And despite the Shaggat’s obsession, the cursed thing was never part of our plan. It nearly killed him, after all. Let it remain here
in the South. If it has truly caused the death of Arunis, so much the better. Our concern is to finish the task His Supremacy placed before us, with all dignity and speed.’
‘Dignity,’ said Chadfallow.
He spoke the word softly, but it still conveyed the bitterness of a lifetime. Captain Kurlstaff, breaking his silence, said, ‘I like this doctor, Rose. But the spymaster wants him
dead.’
‘Hold your peace, Ott,’ said Rose. ‘I have not brought you here to bicker like tarboys.’ He turned to Fiffengurt, and barked suddenly: ‘Where in the Black Pits is
the first mate? Did I summon my deck officers or not?’
‘I conveyed your order to Stukey myself, Captain,’ said Fiffengurt. ‘He only grunted at me through his door.’
‘Uskins missed his noon log entry as well, sir,’ put in Mr Fegin, who had recently been promoted to the rank of bosun. ‘Perhaps he’s ill?’
Rose looked at the doctors, who shrugged. ‘He’s not been to sickbay,’ said Chadfallow.
The captain’s fury was a live coal in his chest. ‘Find the duty clerk, Mr Fegin,’ he said, very low. ‘Tell him to inform Mr Uskins that if he is not here within three
minutes he will be tied to the mizzenmast with a vat of excrement from the chicken coops, and not released until he drinks it.’ He paused, then shouted: ‘Go!’
Fegin was off like a greyhound. The captain spread his hands flat on the table, glaring at the faces around him. ‘Why do ships sink?’ he asked them. ‘Imprecision,
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