Read Online The Seventh Magic (Book 3) by Brian Rathbone - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Brian Rathbone
Ads: Link
Before the words had left his mouth, she stepped up and smacked him on the back of the head. "You'll be the death of me yet."
Fasha stuck her tongue out. Nora massaged her temples. "This is why I cannot leave the Trader's Wind to either of you."
And there was the heart of the matter. For years Kenward and Fasha competed for the right to inherit the greatest trading ship the world had ever known. The thought had always made him a little sick. Where was the adventure in buying and selling? If he were truly honest with himself, he'd done much to make sure his mother would never leave him the ship, though some of the things he'd done for fun probably had the same effect. The look on Fasha's face was worth the trip.
"Don't gape, girl," Nora said. "You look like a fish."
Kenward had never really expected to inherit; he'd just enjoyed making his sister work for it. She was the far more practical of the two and a darn fine sailor, not that he'd admit it out loud.
"Since there is no one to inherit, I've decided not to retire. I’d rather die on my ship, knowing she's well cared for." Kenward smiled in spite of himself. She'd probably outlive them all. "If I left the ship to you," she continued, turning to Fasha, "you’d rather be off flying that giant canoe your husband carved out of a tree, and just think how jealous your brother would be."
Kenward laughed.
Nora glared at him. "And if I left the mightiest trade ship in the world to you, my dear son, you'd probably dock her on top of a mountain, and then your sister would kill you. Can't have that."
Fasha nodded, glaring at Kenward.
"So now what?" Kenward asked when no one else would speak. "You go die on your deck, Fasha gets to play house in her big canoe, and I get left to rot in the woods?"
"Something like that," Nora said.
Grubb winked at him, and Kenward found himself confused.
"This is the way I see it, Kenward. If I leave you alone, you'll build terrible airships that fly just long enough to crash into something."
Onin, who had been otherwise silent, could not contain his laughter.
Nora stared him back into silence. "If I put you on the Trader's Wind , you'll find a way to sink us. If I put you on the Dragon's Wing , your sister will kill you. You leave me little choice, my son."
It was all true, but Kenward couldn't help it. He was who he was, and nothing could change that.
"If the Trells build airships," Nora continued, "then we're going to build the best airships the world has ever seen. Is that clear?" The smile finally came to his mother's eyes, and his sister threw salted fish at him--just like old times. "I can't have just one of the greatest airships. I'll need at least two. And I'll need a captain for each. Think I'll have trouble finding any?"
"No, ma'am," Kenward said, tears in his eyes. Never before had his family so deeply believed in his vision. He had no illusions that building airships in partnership with his mother and sister would be a drama-free experience, but he also knew their tenacity, attention to detail, and just pure desire to make him do things better would improve the end result.
"So why have you brought me out here to the middle of a tainted land?" Kenward asked. "There are no sailable waters within many miles from here."
"Fool boy. If you're building airships, what do you need water for?"
"Drinking mostly," Fasha said. "And washing."
Kenward made a face at her.
"What do you need to build airships?" Nora asked as if speaking to a slow child.
"Lightwood."
"For certain applications, yes, but not and entire ship unless you're desperate."
Kenward took offense on behalf of the Serpent . The fact that the ship no longer existed kept his mouth shut. No sense providing an easy target. It was among the first things one learned as a part of this family.
"Balsa, spruce, cedar, lightwood, and shakewood combined with a ready supply of rope weed," Nora said. "Now that would be how you build airships. A correct tool exists for every job
Fasha stuck her tongue out. Nora massaged her temples. "This is why I cannot leave the Trader's Wind to either of you."
And there was the heart of the matter. For years Kenward and Fasha competed for the right to inherit the greatest trading ship the world had ever known. The thought had always made him a little sick. Where was the adventure in buying and selling? If he were truly honest with himself, he'd done much to make sure his mother would never leave him the ship, though some of the things he'd done for fun probably had the same effect. The look on Fasha's face was worth the trip.
"Don't gape, girl," Nora said. "You look like a fish."
Kenward had never really expected to inherit; he'd just enjoyed making his sister work for it. She was the far more practical of the two and a darn fine sailor, not that he'd admit it out loud.
"Since there is no one to inherit, I've decided not to retire. I’d rather die on my ship, knowing she's well cared for." Kenward smiled in spite of himself. She'd probably outlive them all. "If I left the ship to you," she continued, turning to Fasha, "you’d rather be off flying that giant canoe your husband carved out of a tree, and just think how jealous your brother would be."
Kenward laughed.
Nora glared at him. "And if I left the mightiest trade ship in the world to you, my dear son, you'd probably dock her on top of a mountain, and then your sister would kill you. Can't have that."
Fasha nodded, glaring at Kenward.
"So now what?" Kenward asked when no one else would speak. "You go die on your deck, Fasha gets to play house in her big canoe, and I get left to rot in the woods?"
"Something like that," Nora said.
Grubb winked at him, and Kenward found himself confused.
"This is the way I see it, Kenward. If I leave you alone, you'll build terrible airships that fly just long enough to crash into something."
Onin, who had been otherwise silent, could not contain his laughter.
Nora stared him back into silence. "If I put you on the Trader's Wind , you'll find a way to sink us. If I put you on the Dragon's Wing , your sister will kill you. You leave me little choice, my son."
It was all true, but Kenward couldn't help it. He was who he was, and nothing could change that.
"If the Trells build airships," Nora continued, "then we're going to build the best airships the world has ever seen. Is that clear?" The smile finally came to his mother's eyes, and his sister threw salted fish at him--just like old times. "I can't have just one of the greatest airships. I'll need at least two. And I'll need a captain for each. Think I'll have trouble finding any?"
"No, ma'am," Kenward said, tears in his eyes. Never before had his family so deeply believed in his vision. He had no illusions that building airships in partnership with his mother and sister would be a drama-free experience, but he also knew their tenacity, attention to detail, and just pure desire to make him do things better would improve the end result.
"So why have you brought me out here to the middle of a tainted land?" Kenward asked. "There are no sailable waters within many miles from here."
"Fool boy. If you're building airships, what do you need water for?"
"Drinking mostly," Fasha said. "And washing."
Kenward made a face at her.
"What do you need to build airships?" Nora asked as if speaking to a slow child.
"Lightwood."
"For certain applications, yes, but not and entire ship unless you're desperate."
Kenward took offense on behalf of the Serpent . The fact that the ship no longer existed kept his mouth shut. No sense providing an easy target. It was among the first things one learned as a part of this family.
"Balsa, spruce, cedar, lightwood, and shakewood combined with a ready supply of rope weed," Nora said. "Now that would be how you build airships. A correct tool exists for every job
Similar Books
