Chapter 63: The Gates of Hell Part 2

"Thomas gave himself to the work on this ship. By the nature of the Kestrel as a research vessel, our tasks are more dangerous." If a certain self-centred Lord obeyed orders, we would have made it clean. "Thomas made himself indispensable to the scientists who worked aboard the Kestrel. He will be missed. He had a family back in Anglia. Two sons with salt water running through their veins, and a daughter who keeps house in place of their mother who died a few years back of a fever. We will be their extended family. They will not be forgotten by this crew, as Thomas will never be forgotten."
Cal nodded and two sailors lifted the board to let the cloth-wrapped body of her deceased crewman slide into the water, chains wrapped around his body to make him sink rapidly into the blue depths. They saluted one last time, then Cal dismissed them.
"I hope we can get back on schedule." Lord Sifton blocked her way into the ship.
"Did you read the contract you signed when you hired the Kestrel?" Cal put her hands behind her back so he couldn't see how close he was to getting decked.
"I pay you to take me where I want to go."
"I suggest you take a closer look." Cal met his insolent gaze with steel. He looked away. "While you may choose destinations and the path we sail, all passengers agree to obey the Captain and crew at all times. You were ordered to remain in your berth. Going out on deck in the Gates put my ship and crew at risk, not to mention you and the other members of your expedition. Your foolishness killed my man."
"I will be sure to send proper recompense to his family." Lord Sifton stepped back as Cal growled at him. "I wanted the full experience of the Gates of Hell. I couldn't get that tied to my bunk. I'm sorry he died, but it was part of his job."
"Lord Sifton, stay out of my sight. If you disobey me or my crew again, I will have you locked in your cabin for the duration of the voyage."
The man's mouth flapped a few times, but even he couldn't brush off Cal's threat. He fled away toward the lab. Cal turned away and walked at a measured pace to her cabin. Not until she'd closed and locked the hatch behind her did she allow the tears to flow. Cal lay on her berth until the storm of grief passed. It wasn't good for discipline for the crew to see their captain crying.
***
They sailed up the coast of Congu, stopping occasionally to allow the scientists to go ashore. To Cal's eyes, they didn't bring much in the way of samples back on board. Lord Sifton and his three cohorts appeared to be more interested in their endless card game and the depletion of the store of brandy they'd brought with them.
After a week of steaming northward, they made a stop at Lusundi. The crew left for shore leave as Cal and Joliu went over every part of the engine room.
"Without the feed hopper," Joliu said. "We'd never have made it. Spent as much time in the air as on the floor. Finding coal of the quality we need for the hopper will be hard."
"Bundo said he has some connections."
"Good thing." Joliu polished an already gleaming spot of the engine.
"Go ashore, I'll take watch. I'm in no mood for carousing."
"Not safe, Captain." Joliu waved at his deep brown features. "My ancestors came from Sombi. They aren't on the best terms with the Congu. I'd rather not be stabbed for something my great-great-grandfather did."
"Okay then." Cal left him in the engine room. One of the crew sat by the gangway.
"Going ashore, Captain?"
"Looks like it."
"You may want to try the White Moby." He pointed down the dock. "Take the third road, it'll be on your starboard hand half a block along. The folks there are honest and they'll keep you safe."
"Thanks, Hank."
Cal checked to be sure she had her coin purse safe, then walked off the Kestrel. She turned and looked back at the old girl as she did every time she disembarked. Then Cal headed off to find the White Moby. Safe sounded good tonight.
The streets around the harbour bustled with wagons carrying freight to and from the ships, as men carried huge bundles on their backs. Women and children wove through the crowd with baskets or bags. Bundo told her vendors would sell direct to the ships, but one needed caution when bargaining. She left it with him. The fever which forced Captain Henrichs ashore also affected the purser. Maybe Bundo could try the purser's job? Thinking about what Joliu had said, Cal took a closer look at the people around her. They weren't as dark-skinned as Joliu, and their facial features were finer. Cal had never noticed.
She'd never bothered to notice. Some scientist.
The White Moby interrupted her musings, but she determined to follow through later.
The tavern had a broken harpoon hanging on the wall along with floats and a bit of net. That was the extent of its decoration. The tables looked hard-used and mismatched; the chairs worse, as if someone had used broken chairs to make a whole. Paul sat with a couple of other crewmen, Jorges and Franz. They were new on this trip. The men laughed, waving their tankards and keeping a small crowd mesmerized.