Master Chief Arlan stepped away from the door. “Aye, Captain Delkaro. I’ll be returning to my quarters if you need me for anything else.” He gave Askaro a slight shove toward the door.
Askaro entered and the Master shut the door behind him. He wasn’t sure what to do or say as he’d already been announced.
The Captain stood up. His expression was serious. “I have now heard all the various reports of what occurred this morning at the end of Sixth Watch. All those except yours. Explain your actions, young man.”
Askaro swallowed down his fear. “I had paused on deck on my way to the rope pit to examine the clouds on the horizon when I heard a rope slipping through a pulley. I looked up and saw the loose end of the Starboard Main Course sheet. Knowing the damage a loose rope could cause, I leapt from the deck railing and grabbed the rope. I landed on the main yard deck and the rope was belayed. That is all, sir.”
The Captain’s right eyebrow arched. “That is all? Did the consequences of your actions occur to you?”
Askaro felt his chest tighten. “I’m not certain to what you are referring, sir. I knew that the sail and riggings could be damaged and that men in the riggings could be hurt.”
Captain Delkaro leaned forward and planted his hands on his desk. “And what of your safety?”
Askaro’s heart seemed to be beating in his throat. “I’m just a slave, sir.”
The Captain’s face darkened. “That may be how some aboard this ship feel but I do not share that view and neither does your father. You are my grandson. The only one I have. The ship be damned! It can be repaired.”
“With all due respect, sir. The Falcon is your ship. Not only is it the only one you have but it is the only thing supporting the crew above an open ocean many miles from land. A loose rope could not only damage sails and rigging but it could rupture the dirigible and damage a hot air compartment.”
The Captain’s cheek twitched and one corner of his mouth turned upward. “Spoken like the grandson of the Captain.” His face softened into a sea of wrinkles. He came around the desk and put his hands on Askaro’s arms. “You will be a great Sky Wizard in time.”
His knees trembled and his throat felt raw. “How can that be, sir? I’ve read the charter. I know the laws. According to Master Bruvano, he’ll own me tomorrow.”
Delkaro pursed his lips. “The ship’s charter is not the same as the laws of the Sky Realm. When your father claimed your mother as a prize bride, that changed a few things not written in the charter. I know Bruvano thinks he owns you. By the ship’s charter, it may appear that way. However, by the laws of the Sky Realm, because your father took your mother as wife, and has been faithful to her all these years, you are his legal heir, not ship’s property.”
Askaro nodded, not daring to argue with his grandfather. “What will happen when we reach Rokathalon?”
Delkaro grinned. “So you’ve heard. I was wondering how long it would take that rumor to get around.”
“Actually, I heard father telling mother about it. I haven’t said anything to anyone else and I won’t.”
The Captain chuckled. “It doesn’t matter. The news will spread fast enough on it’s own.” He pulled Askaro toward the chart table in the corner of his Ready Room. “Have a look at where we’re headed.”
Askaro was familiar with sky charts but he’d never seen a map like the one his grandfather rolled out on the table. It was all small rectangles surrounded by lines. “Is this the city?”
Delkaro smoothed the map with his hand. “Ah, fair Rokathalon, the crown jewel of the Sky Realm. How wonderful it will be to walk in the hanging gardens again.”
Askaro studied the map, trying to make sense of what he saw. He noticed names on many of the rectangles and realized they were buildings. The lines must be roads. “Where do we dock?”
His grandfather pointed to the edge of the map. “This is the port. Because of her size, the Falcon will dock at the Grand Portal.”
Askaro found the contour lines he was familiar with from sky charts. “This isn’t a series of docking towers like Perath. The dock seems to be built at the very edge of a steep cliff.”
“Indeed. The city is built at the top of a mountain range and covers several peaks. The Capital of the Sky Realm is built for defense. It has never been conquered.”
“I’ve read about the King in my studies. Where does he live?”
Delkaro pointed to a large rectangle that contained others on the opposite side of the map. “This is his castle. He wasn’t much older than you when the Falcon left. His father had recently died and left him a vast kingdom. Laharas has grown into the role by now, I’d imagine. He was quite impressed by the Falcon. He came by many times while she was under construction. I think he wished he could have sailed away with us instead of staying behind to deal with all his royal affairs.”
Askaro couldn’t imagine a king wanting to be an airman. Why would he want to leave such a grand city? He studied the labyrinth of streets, none of which seemed to be straight. “How does anyone manage to find their way?”
His grandfather laughed. “A question I often asked myself when I was bewildered in the maze. Oh, give me the open sky aglow with stars.” He sighed. “When we were building the Falcon, I often had to navigate the city. The trick, I discovered, is to use the towers.” He pointed to them on the map.
Askaro read some of their names. “Sunrise Tower, Garden Tower, Cloud Tower. There are quite a few.”
“And each one is different. The other advantage is that they are tall enough to always have sunlight on them during the day where as in the narrow streets, shop lights can cast confusing shadows. As long as the sun is shining, the towers act as a set of reflecting compasses.” The Captain paused and looked at him. “And why would that be?”
Askaro grinned. “The sun would shine on the east face of the tower in the morning and the west face of the tower in the evening.”
“Exactly! And in the winter, with the sun low on the southern horizon…” There was a demanding rap on the door that connected the Ready Room to the Bridge. Delkaro’s brow wrinkled. He turned to face the door. “Enter.”
Mister Carton walked in a few steps. “Begging your pardon, sir, But Mister Rickton requests your presence on the bridge. He says it’s urgent.”
“Very well. Inform him that I’ll be there in a moment.”
Carton saluted and shut the door. The Captain rolled up the map and tucked it back into its slot. “We’ll be there by tomorrow if the wind holds.” He put a hand on Askaro’s shoulder. “You’re close enough to sixteen. It’s time you started learning your new duties. Come along. Let’s go see what has ruffled Mister Rickton’s feathers.”
His grandfather opened the door to the bridge and pulled him in. Askaro had never been allowed in the room before. Only Officers and assigned Masters and Crewmen were allowed on the Bridge.
The Second Mate stood by the port side window. He turned toward the Captain, started to say something, but paused. He stared at Askaro for a moment then cleared his throat. “I’m sorry to disturb you, sir, but those clouds we’ve been watching to the north have advanced quickly and are building.”
The Captain frowned. “I’d hoped to outrace it but the crosswinds have slowed our progress.”
The main door to the bridge opened and Helmsman Fantori entered. “A man can’t even take a few minutes of rest. This had better be important. Why did you…?” His face contorted slightly. He managed to get it under control and straightened to salute. “Captain.”
“I’m glad Mister Rickton had the foresight to call you back to the bridge early. Not that I don’t have confidence in Master Geldon but I’d prefer to have the Helmsman at the wheel if a storm is threatening.”
Mister Fantori nodded and went to the wheel to relieve Master Geldon. The muscles of his back tensed under his cotton shirt. Askaro remembered to
breathe. He knew the Helmsman hated him as much as the Slave Master did. He was startled when his grandfather pulled him toward the port side forward door.
“Let’s go out onto the weather deck and get a closer look at these clouds.”
Askaro followed the Captain out onto the narrow deck that ran across the bow of the ship between the tall bow sprit above and the colorfully painted falcon’s head below. They were sheltered from the worst of the winds except for the breeze created by their forward movement. It was a dizzying view with the vast rolling ocean several hundred units below. The sun was about a hand’s width from the horizon. It was only coming on Fourth Watch but summer was nearly over.
Delkaro walked around toward the starboard side motioning for him to follow. Mister Fantori sneered at Askaro as he passed the large starboard side window. The north wind tugged at them as they moved beyond the shelter of the hull. The Captain leaned on the railing. “Were these the clouds you had stopped to observe this morning?”
Askaro looked toward the north. The sky was now filled with a mass of dark billowing clouds. Occasional streaks of lightening danced between them accompanied some time later by low rumbles of thunder. Askaro gripped the railing. The storm was almost upon them.