* * *
In the meantime, while the crew was busy maintaining the ship, and searching the rooms for Emit, the band continued to entertain the passengers down in the entertainment room. By this time most of the passengers were sitting at the table. In hope the storm might pass over soon, they did their best to ignore the unsteadiness of the ship; eating, laughing, drinking and guessing who each other might be as they took off their masks and exposed their faces.
Washburrn and Kyhawn stood in the dining area after searching the entertainment room and the rooms where the crew slept for Emit, but there was no sign of him. Careful not to disturb the passengers as they cautiously shared a few brief words with Dylc, second in command. Neither he nor Jayden, one of the new crew-Zacs assisting him, had seen Emit.
The four of them went threw the swinging doors that led into the kitchen where they continued their search. The smell of fresh seafood filled the air. With the sounds of cooks moving utensils around, and preparing the steam-rocks which provided heat for the meal-bar. One of the cooks standing at the wood burner said, “Dylc, sir, are we glad to see you. What in Gods creation is going on—two deaths I heard. And something about an old chest being aboard ship with ancient books.” The short, stocky, rough looking, sharp speaking new chief cook, with a purple completion named Durchir quickly added, “What is going on here? I joined on with the lot of you, thinking what a nice environment for one to work in.” He waved a large fork as he spoke. “I’ll be dang if that didn’t last long. A fire in a sleeping room. The passengers aren’t allowed to come and go as they please. And if that isn’t wicked enough, two Zacs killed. Most likely murdered!”
“Calm down," Dylc stressed, “The passengers are free to roam the ship as usual. Didn’t you hear the bell?”
“I heard the dang bell. That’s all fine and dandy,” Durchir remarked, with an increasing tone of anger. “Another thing, what’s this I heard, the only reason we were hired on was because ten crew-Zacs got food poisoning! No one told me about anyone getting food poisoned till this morning. Please sir, tell me just what kind of ship do you operate here? I can get a job as a head cook anywhere, but no—I had to get one on a demented ship!”
“Okay, I apologize for not telling you about some of my crew getting sick.” Dylc pleaded. “If it was from the food… we don’t have anything to worry about. It has all been replaced.”
“That’s fine and dandy, but what about the murders?”
“We’re dealing with that, but please keep your voice down. Nothing like this has ever happened aboard the Sealander before, and you can be sure it will never happen again,” Dylc twisted his mustache, trying dearly to respond as the captain would. “Keep in mind, none of the passengers need to know about any of this. The way it stands now all they know is that we had a fire in one of the sleeping room, and that’s the way we intend to keep it. Nothing is to be mentioned of the chest either.”
Durchir realized his anger and paused for a moment. “Okay then we’ll proceed as scheduled on the wall here,” he pointed.
“Very well.” Dylc bowed respectfully.
“You can be sure that Emit isn’t in my kitchen,” Durchir let them know. “If we see him, we’ll be sure to contain him for your convenience.
“Thank you,” Washburrn gave him a thin smile, as Kyhawn and he departed the kitchen, leaving it for Dylc and Jayden to deal with.
Washburrn turned and almost ran into another of his trusted crewmates, Tuenale, who possessed an old seafaring look about him. “Sorry about that Tuenale,” Washburrn said. “Have any luck?”
Tuenale shook his head. “No. I’ve been… for the most part… attending to the passengers needs.”
“Washburrn,” Kyhawn took in a deep breath as if he had been holding in his deepest thoughts, “I’d like to go in room 10.”
“No need to go in there,” Washburrn gave him an odd stare.
“There’s a clue in there that will help guide us to the murderers.” Kyhawn said, and with one hand over his chin he insisted, “I just know there is. And I’d like for you to come with me.”
“Sounds to me, a waist of time.” Washburrn glanced at Tuenale, then stared at Kyhawn as if he was trying to read his mind. “What makes you so sure?”
“Nothing. I mean it’s… something,” Kyhawn hesitated. “I had a dream. Can we just go there and look. You have the entire crew on the lookout for our main suspect, Emit. And we’re not even sure he was involved. Anyway, they’re sure to find him soon, but it doesn’t mean he killed anyone.”
Tobben and Shanel rushed in from the back door on the starboard side into the kitchen. A moment later they passed through the singing doors and approached Washburrn standing near the meal-bar. “He’s not out there.” Shanel quickly added. “Two passengers did say they’d seen three crew-Zacs standing outside room 10 prier to the fire.”
“We spoke with Dylc,” Tobben said. “He said Jayden and he would look into who those three crew-Zacs were. He said they had recently left the kitchen and we were to report to you.”
Washburrn nodded with a thin smile. “I’d like it if you two would take Kyhawn to room 10.” Washburrn glanced at Kyhawn, reached into one of his many pockets for his ring of keys, and took the key to room 10 off the ring. “You’ll need this key to get in. that’s if no one’s in there. Now go on.” He looked at Shanel and Tobben with an odd stare. “He’ll tell you why he needs to go there on the way.” He looked at Tuenale. “Let’s you and I search the sleeping rooms again and the livestock compartments. I need to get something from my room as well.”
Kyhawn looked at Washburrn. “Thanks.”
“Go on,” Washburrn said. “But I want you back here in twenty minutes.” He gave him a rigid look.
“Twenty minutes,” Kyhawn replied, as Tobben and Shanel took him out the back door to the kitchen and around to the stern under the second floor walkway, then around the corner to room 10. At the same time Kyhawn quickly told them about the chained bird falling into the room from the sky. “This was in a dream I had,” he explained.
As they approached they found Mekon and Nelg keeping watch, but what they were really doing is keeping an eye on room 4. And for the moment all of them stood under the second floor walkway somewhat protected from the rain. Shanel’s rosy colored face looked weary. Her eyes were puffy, but she spoke with a loud voice. “Things quiet out here?”
“Quiet? Sure,” Mekon nodded, “except for the rain, its been quiet.”
“Too quiet,” Nelg responded.
“You two can move on. Make your rounds,” Shanel added. “Make sure everything’s secured on the sun-deck. We’re in for a long wet stormy night.”
Kyhawn watch Mekon and Nelg while they went to the steps leading up to the second floor walkway. Their new crew-Zacs, he thought. And they’re not the King’s soldiers. Should we suspect them? Kyhawn noted there was no need to unlock the door. It had been busted open because of the fire. He turned to Shanel and Tobben. “Are you guys coming inside?”
“We’ll stay out here and keep watch. You go on in and find that clue,” Tobben’s green complexion glimmered under the lanterns light next to the door. He smiled as if Kyhawn and his dream stuff were a bit strange.
Kyhawn entered the room, closed the door, lit a few candles, and a lantern. He knew there must be a clue that they had overlooked. “Where didn’t they look?” Kyhawn asked himself. After searching the bathroom and the closed, he walked around the room a few time before he decided to get on his hands and knees and searched near the beds.
“This place is a mess. I’ll never find what I’m looking for in here,” he said to himself, starting to have feelings of doubt. What am I doing here? He shook off the thought. It’s here. I know it is. They just overlooked it. Whatever it is? He crawled between the beds, trying to avoid any contact with the bodies. Zeal and Willow said they searched the room. It must be something small. A chain … could it be that easy? Under the beds. It’d be eas
y to overlook something small. He placed the lantern he was carrying on the wooden floor next to one of the beds and searched, but didn’t find anything but a sock. He tossed it aside, suppressed his doubts, and moved the lantern as close to the other bed as possible. He searched for a minute or so without any success. He sat up and stared at the blanket draped over the edge of the bed, then quickly grabbed it and tossed it on top the bed. That should give me more light, he thought as he took a second look under the bed. His eyes opened wide as he got on his belly and eased under the bed a ways to grab a small chain. While under the bed in the shaded light he noticed there was something attached to the chain. Looks like it could be a bird, he thought. Yes … that’s it—a bird hanging from a chain. Is this the fallen angel Emaya told me about? A chained bird?
In the meantime the storm was getting worse. Tobben and Shanel had to help with a rigging that had come loose from a pulley.
Moments later Kyhawn’s dark brown eyes peered at the door knob. Someone was coming in the room. He sat between the beds with an uncomfortable chill as the two bodies lay before him.
It was Nelg. He’s one of the new crew members. What’s he doing coming in here. Kyhawn, suspected him as well. He was a new members of the crew. He quickly decided to hide under the bed to wait and see what his intentions where. I hope he didn’t see me, he thought as he lay on his belly under the bed with the two bodies.
The sheet on the edge of the bed hung low allowing him to see only the lower half of Nelg’s body. This might prove as my only protection from being seen.
Nelg walked over to the candles and blew them out. Then went between the beds and reached for the lantern, and walked around the room as if looking for something. He then got on his knees and began to craw around. Nelg was most definitely looking for something, Kyhawn thought, wondering if he should say something or not. This was odd, him blowing out the candles. He decide to remain quiet.
When Nelg drew near Kyhawn held his breath, eased back, and breathed as little as possible.
“Where is it…?” Nelg repeated to himself a few time. His voice was distressed. With one hand holding the lamp, he laid his elbow on the edge of the bed as if the bodies lying there didn’t bother him. He turned over a pillow lying on the floor, and with a look of disappointment he continued on. “Where is it…?”
While the dark shadows created by the lamp cast over Kyhawn like a wall protecting him from evil. The frustrated new crew-Zac continued to search for a while longer under the other bed, and elsewhere on the floor. He soon became disappointed with himself. “It’s got to be here. I don’t understand. It surely broke lose when my shirt got ripped.” he mumbled.
Nelg crawled over between the two beds again. With one hand holding the lamp, he slid his other hand under the bed.
Kyhawn eased back, closed his eyes, and hoped Nelg wouldn’t discover him.
Nelg’s hand swept right passed Kyhawn’s hand. Disgusted, he sat up in the middle of the two beds, got to his feet, and placed the lamp where he had found it. Dissatisfied, he kicked a few objects around, then went to the window to see if anyone was near. Seconds later Nelg had departed the room, leaving Kyhawn to his thoughts.
“He must had been one of them that murdered these two…? He must had been looking for this necklace. Why else would he be in here looking for something.?” Kyhawn said softly, bumping his head in the process, he let out a moan.
“This necklace… Emit… Nelg… falling angels… the peg-lock chest. Korts and Turner dead…? I need to tell Washburrn about this at once.”
A split second later, the Sealander jerked to a frightening halt. Kyhawn’s head hit the bed frame again, then the floor. Dazed, he watched the door upon. It was the last thing he saw before losing consciousness.