The Secrets of the Kraken

By Grant Cravens

Captain Cait Molyneux was so close to being able to live her own life again. The weird, ancient map she agreed to transport was going to get her out of debt, win back the respect of her family, and maybe even patch over the scars of a mutiny. That map would keep Cait and her crew sailing.

Unfortunately for Cait, a map that strange tends to attract unwanted attention. Suddenly, Cait finds herself chasing murderers, running from pirates, dodging sea monsters and hurricanes, picking up strange but adorable runaways, and a person from her past she never wanted to see again. Why is her family so interested in that map, and what would they do to get it? And what, exactly, are the Kraken hiding?

Reviewers have said: 
“I have never wanted to see a book made into a movie as badly as this one.” Anel Cronje
“The characters in this book are amazing!” Snub, via Amazon 
“The best book I’ve read all summer.” Elma E. Young 
“Refreshing as hell… I love all of these characters so much.” The Better Books Bureau

If you love Terry Pratchett, Firefly and Cowboy Bebop, found families, and character-driven adventures, don’t miss The Secrets of the Kraken.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Grant Cravens
• Release date: Jul 29, 2017
• ISBN: 9781386520399

Book preview

The Secrets of the Kraken

The Secrets of the Kraken

Grant Cravens

Published by Grant Cravens, 2017.

The Secrets of the Kraken

Grant Cravens

Copyright © 2017 Grant Cravens

All rights reserved.

For Sara, Erin, Roy, Jack, Jakob, Milly, and everyone who’s supported me in making this happen.

Contents

Prologue

Act I

1. The Docks

2. Cargo

3. The Rose

4. The Kitchen

5. Kidnapping

6. Pirates

7. Burian Lake

8. Evening Chat

9. Nina of the Kelonio

10. Customs

11. Buan Chuimhne

12. There's Always Tea

13. Chou

14. Logan

15. Tre

16. The Question of the Travelers

17. Dinner

18. Ebe's Map

The Servants of the Gods

Act II

19. The Grace of Nibiru

20. The Gimble Molyneux

21. Consulate

22. Tradition

23. The Wrong Boat

24. The Bloody Square

25. Xiphos

26. Kitten

27. Ebe’s Treasure

28. Closing In

29. The Storm

30. Toby

31. The Goodship Firebrand

32. Who's Afraid of Burian Lake?

33. Auburn

34. Betrayal

35. Search

36. Confrontation

37. The Hunt

38. Not Enabling

39. Home

40. The More the Merrier

From the Molyneux Family Archives

Act III

41. Normalcy

42. The Narwe Canal

43. The Circus

44. Of Maps and Blood

45. Stuck With Each Other

46. La Ambicio

47. The Decline and the Rose

48. The Doctor

49. Respect and Recovery

50. The Prime Meridian

51. The Hold

52. New Archer Revolutionaries

53. A Lousy Pirate

54. Departure

55. The Kelonio

56. La Ambicion de Tami

57. Fire on the Sea

58. Johan the Bashful

59. No One Of Consequence

60. Rose

61. Reunion

62. Arden

63. The Sandtribe

64. University

65. Onward

66. Tami

67. Just Cait

Excerpt

Act IV

68. The Bloody Shallows

69. Billy

70. Xiphos

71. Escape

72. The Goddess

73. Cait

74. La Ambicion de Tami 2

75. Birthday

76. Tre

77. The Price

78. The Sun Rises

79. Getting the Frankie Back

80. Scars

81. Stealing a Goddess

82. Helen

83. The Rose and the Decline

84. Galle

85. Pieces in the Game

86. Tea

87. Nigel's Fortune

88. The Raid

89. Goddamn Tea

90. A Clean Start

91. Jace

92. Amalia's Hope

93. Preparation

94. The Voice of the Kraken

95. The Secrets of the Kraken

96. Players of the Game

97. The Council of the Ancestors

98. On the Throne of the Gods

99. The Prime Meridian

Afterword

About the Author

Prologue

The Gods found Ta Ante fragile and alone, and they saw fit to give life unto her. The Seven Gods descended onto the planet and set to work. They pounded out the mighty Oceans. They shaped the land, throwing great handfuls of rock into the seas until they became the islands and the mountains. They planted the mighty forests and the tundra and the grasslands, and combed over the land until it became desert. And then the Gods created life, spending many days on their work, making different animals for the vast lands of Ta Ante. When they were satisfied with their creation, they reached into the heavens and delivered mankind to its new home.

The Gods made mankind as many, each shaping their own people to reflect themselves. They spread their people across the world; Tiamat the Industrious giving his people to Lat, in the center; Ong the Clever giving his people to Lingguo in the south; Anunaki the Strong giving her people to Ysa in the north. Ummo the Resourceful sent his people to Zentralia; Bielek the Mysterious sent her people to the deserts; Nibiru the Playful sent her people to the Islands. The Gods gave them language and arts and understanding and life, and the people of Ta Ante flourished with these glorious gifts. The world prospered, and the six great kingdoms grew.

Time passed, and the people forgot about the Gods, and the Gods became angry and jealous. The Six Gods went to Ebe, the Seventh, who controlled the Seventh Tribe, the servants to the Gods. They caused six great disasters in the lands of the Six Peoples, and sent their messengers to speak for the Gods. The people turned the messengers away. The Gods flooded the land, raising the oceans, and still the people looked away. Angry and ignored, the Gods took away what they had given mankind: their language, their arts, their understanding. They allowed only life, and when mankind still ignored them, the Gods took life away too. As a final demonstration of their anger, the Gods took away all the adults from Ta Ante. Collecting their messengers, the Gods left Ta Ante as they had found it, fragile and alone.

But the Gods could not ignore their children. When they are sure none of the other Gods are looking, each lets slip pieces of their great work for all to be seen. The Gods give these ideas to inventors, to the great artists, and to the noble scientists, so that mankind can be happy, as it had been millennia ago. For now, the Gods wait in Mingulay for the time when they can be one with mankind again.

Act I

Cargo

1

The Docks

Captain Cait Molyneux realized she had a problem the moment she arrived at pier nineteen.

Cait sat motionless in the passenger seat of her little delivery van, the one Xiphos called The Dinghy, while the rest of the docks moved around her. It was sunny on the docks in New Haven, in the part of Lat that meandered down south of the equator. Rows of palm trees peeked out over the tops of warehouses along the piers. Seagulls screeched above, teetering on the wind, resting on the dormant floodlights, shouting to one another. Except, waiting at the end of the pier was a boy and a man. They didn’t move either.

Tre Bourgous filled out the driver’s seat more than anyone had ever intended. He held on to the steering wheel like a little old lady holding her handbag while waiting for the bus. Tre was lion, which made him naturally big, but he stood a little taller over the rest of his kind. Cait found him useful for intimidating even the most intimidating. Of course, most people had never seen Tre sneak away in ports to feed the birds. He looked over — down — at Cait, who still stared out the windshield of the Dinghy, and nudged her. Cait blinked, and then looked up at Tre.

Cait’s problem was that all of her old problems suddenly became very quaint. The boy was part of that. The other part was that she couldn’t just leave him. She didn’t blame the boy, of course. He had no idea, and Cait was certain none of this was his fault.

We are at the wrong pier, Cait said. Cait was red panda. She spoke with a soft, assured Doric Highlands accent, tempered by a woman who had been educated in Archertown, and at the Civilian Naval Academy. Hers was an accent that was heavy with the weight of books, and sometimes Cait liked to drop her accent on people when needed.

Tre nodded. He looked back at the boy. He tilted his head at her, his ears up, alert. Cait followed is gaze, watching the boy fidget next to the man. He was a mutt of some sort, with dirty brown fur. The man next to him, human, was much larger, pale skinned and muscular, meant to intimidate his ward into submission.

Cait shook her head. I need your help. She stepped out of the van, shoulders back, and strode briskly to the man. Tre followed, letting himself loom as much as he could. Cait had caught a hint of a smile when she left the van, but she was sure now that he looked like a contained tsunami behind her. She knew it was exactly what the human wanted to see.

The human handed Cait an envelope with the boy’s papers and a key for his cuffs, and pushed the boy forward. Tre grabbed the boy’s cuffs and pulled him to the van, making a show of flinging open the back door and pushing the boy in. Cait sniffed at the human and, bored with him already, left him alone on the pier. She climbed into the van, and Tre piloted back to Cait’s boat.

As soon as they were far enough away from the human, Cait moved to the back with the boy. She pulled his hands up by the chain between the cuffs and unlocked them, freeing the boy. The boy said nothing, pushing himself back into the corner, and rubbed his wrists. If Cait hadn’t looked closely, she would have thought he was eleven or twelve, but his papers said he was fifteen. He was a Colony boy, that much was obvious; everything about him screamed Colony: He had combed his headfur down across his eyes, parting at one side and moving to the other. Whatever product he had put in it was starting to lose its grip, and his headfur began to slide down in front of his face. His clothes were stylish, dressy for the Colony, but sloppy for most other countries in the world, and everything about his outfit said Continental. Cait could guess he was probably a spoiled brat, based on what she knew about the Colony, which was probably how he had found his way into her care.

I do not know where you were told you were going, Cait said, if you were told anything at all.

The boy didn’t say anything. He pulled his knees up to his chest and stared at the wall.

The papers that man gave me says you are to be sent to the Goodship Firebrand.

The boy shuddered. A tear began to well up in his eye.

I do not intend to take you there. You are going to stay with me, at least until we can find a solution for you. Do you understand?

Nothing.

I know things look bad, but you can trust us, myself and my crew. We will make sure you stay safe.

The tear ran down the boy’s cheek. Cait sighed, and patted the boy on his head. He flinched. Cait drew her hand back. She looked over his papers.

I know it does not seem much better than being with that… man, but trust me when I say things will get better.

The boy shrank into himself, holding himself tighter. Cait sighed again. She leaned back against the wall of the Dinghy. He might not believe her now, but if the Firebrand was what she thought it was, she had just saved his life.

Cait pulled the radio mic from the front of the van. Cait to Billy.

Billy, came Billy’s voice after a moment.

Go to pier sixty-one and pick up the package waiting there for us. Sound the departure bell. I want to leave as soon as possible.

Billy clicked his response, and Cait put the radio away.

She longed for old problems.

2

Cargo

Cait found her boat, The Rose, brimming with activity as her small crew worked to prepare for departure. The manifest Tre prepared told her there’d be a few bits of cargo, and that Billy was still out getting the last pieces. With nothing for her to do in the cargo bay, Cait checked in with her only passengers, the Travelers.

Travelers were once a small group of globe-wandering aristocrats from Maasburg in the Twenty-One Kingdoms. Most Travelers were college aged who rejected a campus-bound education. Their program had structure, and those who participated could study their craft in the epicenter of their profession. Artists went to the Twenty-One Kingdoms, scholars and future bureaucrats to Lingguo, sailors to the Confederated Ocean States. Many captains provided lessons as they shuttled Travelers to their next destination. Cait found her Travelers weren’t in any hurry, and they filled the void left by mechanics, so she was happy to sign off on their papers. The small fee the program offered her didn’t hurt, either.

Cait settled the Travelers in, though by this time Tami and Patrick were both familiar with how the Rose worked. When Cait found them, they had already set about cleaning and organizing the crew quarters. With everything in order, Cait started to the bridge. She had given the order to leave over a bell before, and The Rose was still silent. She turned a corner, and Xiphos collided with her, falling back against the wall. Xiphos gained her bearings and, out of breath, gave a sloppy salute.

You are late, Cait said, starting up the steps to the bridge.

Are we in a hurry?

Yes, Cait said flatly. Is there any good reason why you are tardy, ensign? Xiphos followed her, panting as she went.

Yes, Xiphos said, darting around Cait as they entered the bridge. She began flipping switches, powering on the command console and starting the ship’s systems.

Well? Cait folded her arms across her chest, her ears flattened against her head, and captured Xiphos in her intent gaze.

Uhm, Xiphos said, shrinking under the weight of Cait’s stare.

Ensign, when I sound the bell to leave, you come. Do you understand?

Xiphos nodded, her ears sliding back. Yes, captain. She spun around and continued down the startup checklist. Xiphos was cat, of unknown nationality, mostly gray, with a white V starting just below her headfur line and splitting around her muzzle. She kept her headfur long, letting it fall down past her shoulders. On her non-standard-issue over-sized coat, Zy-Fis Har-ee was written out in phonetic simplified Latanian script.

The Rose hummed to life.

Get us out of here as soon as possible, Cait said, dropping her voice.

Xiphos took her seat at the helm. She pulled a flat monitor mounted on an arm closer, adjusted the helm’s chair up so she could look out of the view port. Are we in trouble, captain?

Cait exhaled hard through her nose. Just get it done, ensign.

Captain. Xiphos turned her chair to the view port and pulled the Relay mic down off its hook. Rose to New Haven harbor master, requesting a departure push.

Cait left the bridge. In the reception gallery, Cait found Tre bolting the hatch shut, sealing the Rose.

All aboard? She asked.

Tre nodded. He pointed towards the cargo bay.

Billy?

Tre nodded again.

Thank you, dear.

Cait had been avoiding the cargo bay lately, spending her time instead as close to the bridge as she could be. The cargo bay looked a lot larger than it was. Its lack of cargo made the expanse at the rear of the ship feel hollow. But this cargo, this cargo was worth venturing into that hollowness.

It was only a small crate, small for something that was paying her so much. Billy had pried it open, giving it the customary inspection before they left port. He stood over it with his hands on his hips.

Billy always came off as imposing at first. He was human, tan-skinned, and bore a striking resemblance to the human on the dock: tall, his receding hair shaved close to his head, generally large, and had an uncanny ability to look very mean. He was in his late fifties, though fit and still as active as ever. As a doctor, though, Billy was one the gentlest that Cait knew. When she had set out to fill the position, Billy came well-recommended.

Billy looked up at Cait. Bad news. The birthday stripper didn’t make it. He tapped the crate with a booted foot. He brightened. But the good news is I think we can get our deposit back.

This is it? Cait asked. This is the painting?

This is it, Billy said.

How was the client?

Fine, Billy said, waving his hand in the air a little. Didn’t seem to mind the mix up. He pulled an envelope from the pocket of his leather jacket. Ten thousand leagues up front, another hundred-thousand when we deliver.

Cait inspected the bills inside.

Where’d you find this guy? Billy asked, staring at the painting.

Referral.

What, from our copious patrons?

Cait sighed. It is a lot of money, dear. I do not want them to think we are ungrateful by asking a lot of questions. This will pay off our debts, with enough left over for a bonus for each of you.

Billy made an approving sound in his throat. He rubbed his chin with his hand. After a moment, he said, It’s a weird painting, Cait.

Cait nodded. It looked off as soon as she saw it. On the surface, it was a map of Ta Ante, a map of the world. A long twig of a continent, Lat stretched across the middle of the map, skipping back and forth over the equator. Lingguo was a yellow blob in the south east corner, Ysa in the north, its collection of islands purple. What was now the Twenty-One Kingdoms divided Lat in the west, and the Sandtribe had its own territory sketched out where Lat dipped south of the equator. The minor neutral islands made up the rest of the map. The ocean’s coloring was sparse, because it could be assumed where there were not wisps of land, there was water.

The gods graced the sides of the painting, dressed in robes that corresponded with their patron lands. They looked down at their creation like distant but proud parents.

The Kraken Depths stood out, a sea monster’s head and tentacles breaking the surface of the ocean. No ship that entered the Depths ever left. Cait considered the monster. The kraken were terrifying now, they must have been more so in tiny wooden boats. She shivered.

It is, Cait said.

It’s bad luck, Billy said.

Cait rolled her eyes. It is a painting, Billy.

It’s not right.

Pack it up, Cait said. We will be underway soon.

3

The Rose

Cait boarded the bridge just after the Rose pulled out of the harbor. Their perpetual Travelers were settling in, Tre doling out their responsibilities, while Billy prepared dinner for the crew. Travelers typically preferred to cook their own food, but Tami and Patrick had stayed long enough to earn a seat at the table.

The Rose’s crew was too small for a ship her size. There were five of them, only five, and she could have used many more. Everyone had to pull double duty at the very least. Tre found their guests and cargo, arranged docking at ports, and put out the call for temporary and, over-optimistically, full-time hands. Billy the doctor often acted as chef, having a fortunate lack of sick or injured. Xiphos manned the helm at night and cleaned during the day. Nina handled guest relations and often cargo organization. And Cait ran all of it, filling in for every role when it was needed. Things had been easier when she had the crew, but that was before the Ugliness.

Xiphos sat in the helm’s chair, a comfortable seat that pulled up to the wheel and the controls. To her left and right were two dark-glassed monitors on adjustable arms, displaying information about the ship, weather conditions from the Relay, flags from passing ships, and generally anything else a helmsman could want to know. She sat in the eye, a clear, shallow dome that extended out past the curve of the Rose, giving the impression that Cait and her crew traveled in a giant sea cyclops.

That is to say, the Rose looked weird. Of all the boats on the sea, the beautiful at the top of the spectrum, and the utilitarian at the bottom, the Rose sat below utilitarian and eyed beautiful suspiciously. She was jet-driven, water inhaled through what looked like a giant gaping maw under the eye and forced through tubes in the hull. Her cylindrical body was common for subs, though she was more wide than tall. She was noticeable from every angle, and Cait loved her.

Cait placed a hand on Xiphos’s chair, and the cat looked up at her, her neatly-brushed headfur falling away from her eyes.

Captain? She smiled.

How long until we are on course? Cait looked over Xiphos’s head to the monitors, watching her little boat leave little dots behind it. A pulse went out, and tiny waves made blips across the screen. Behind, the busy port blinked back a mass of iconographic boats and abbreviated names. A few ships in front of them sent back identification.

Not long, Xiphos said. She punched a few buttons on the side of a screen. About fifteen minutes before I can open her up, then it’s a three-day straight trip.

Cait nodded. I will be in my office. When we are on course, switch to autopilot and report to me. I have a job for you.

Xiphos nodded, trying to contain a smile. Her tail twitched at her side, and she focused back on the ocean outside the eye.

Cait’s office sat just outside the bridge, standing guard to her own quarters. She didn’t like being separated from the crew, but she was always seconds away from the bridge, and that was far more important.

Her quarters weren’t much bigger than a normal crew bunk, except she had the luxury of not having to share with another person. And headroom. Glorious headroom.

The office was just large enough to accommodate a desk and a few chairs, and a filing cabinet. Cait sat down, returning to the manifest she had left earlier. She poured herself water from an electric kettle, added some Molyneux Tea, and went back to her study.

The painting wouldn’t leave her alone. Billy was right about it being weird. The detail was precise, and given what little she knew about the materials used, it had to have been old. It felt like a hoax, but it wasn’t perfect enough to be a hoax. Or — Cait closed her eyes and inhaled the scent of the tea — it was a fake, and it would be best not to think about it too much.

The chime on Cait’s door sounded. Xiphos stood outside, hands behind her back.

You needed me, captain? She asked, still trying to contain her smile.

Cait stood, and started down the narrow stairway to the crew quarters. I need you to look after something we picked up today.

Xiphos followed along, hands still behind her back, her tail still twitching with interest. I’m not sure I get it, captain. Are we expecting trouble? She tilted her head.

I hope it is nothing, but Nothing never likes to behave like it should.

Is this the thing from the collector? Am I guarding it? There’s rumors-

Rumours? It has only been an hour.

Xiphos’s ears fell back a little. Sorry.

Xiphos and Billy had built a little alliance early on. They both shared the same stubbornness, the same practiced obliviousness to Cait’s authority. Cait didn’t doubt Xiphos knew the painting was on board before she did.

It is not the painting, Cait said, ducking through the hatch into the crew quarters. His name is Tobias."

The boy sat on the couch in the middle of the crew quarters, alert, watching all around him. His ears perked when he heard his name, and then dropped almost immediately. He shrank a little.

Xiphos stared at Tobias, her hands moving to her hips. Her ears leveled out, her eyes narrowed, her mouth pulled up into a tight slit. She looked back up at Cait. Really?

Cait tilted her head. Is there a problem?

He’s a Colony boy. You want me to watch over a Continental. What’s he going to do? What does he know about sailing?

You know a lot about sailing, do you? Cait asked, her hands disappearing into the pockets of her coat.

More than he does. Much more. Xiphos balled her hands into fists.

Hmm, Cait said. Then you can teach him.

Xiphos started to speak, but faltered in the trap she had fallen into. She folded her arms across her chest and turned to squint at Tobias. He gave her a worried look back, fidgeting with his hands and trying to look small and harmless.

You are going to be in charge of Tobias here. Make sure he has reasonable work to do.

Xiphos opened her mouth to speak.

Reasonable, ensign, Cait said. You are to make sure he stays safe, to train him on how we work on the ocean, and what you know about working on a ship. That is to say, I am placing his success in your hands. If he gets hurt, you will be the first person I come to. If he disappears in a port, I will want to know why you are not with him. Am I being clear, Xiphos?

Xiphos fumed behind her folded arms.

Ensign Haari, have I made myself clear? Cait raised her voice. Tobias jumped.

Yes, captain, Xiphos said.

Do you understand, Tobias?

The boy looked up at Cait and nodded, his eyes wide.

Good, Cait said. Xiphos, give Tobias a tour of the Rose. I will be in my office.

Cait left the crew quarters, and Xiphos and Tobias were alone. Xiphos didn’t move, still staring at Tobias. Tobias fidgeted, trying his best not to be noticed by Xiphos.

You’re Continental, Xiphos said. It wasn’t a question.

Tobias nodded.

What are you doing here?

Tobias looked up at Xiphos, searching her for intent. He shrugged.

Most of you wouldn’t leave the Continents unless you had to. So what is it? Break the law? Run away? Her ear twitched. Stow away?

Tobias shook his head. He tried to shrink away even further.

After a moment, Xiphos unfolded her arms. Whatever. Come on.

Xiphos started her tour in the crew quarters. Around the center of a cramped open area were the cabins, narrow rooms with two bunks a piece, enough to house two crew members and their belongings. Currently, each crew member had their own bunk, their empty bunk often used for storage. Tami and Patrick shared one cabin; Cait never bunked Travelers and her crew in the same berth. There was a kitchenette off in one of the corners of the common area, complete with an electric kettle, rumbling its way into a boil, and a coffee maker, the pot still half-full from that morning. A few plates had been stuck on a rack next to the sink, ready to be washed. A crew member had commandeered a quiet corner next to the washer to hang some clothes to dry. In the center of the common area was a Relay receiver, with a collection of comfortable-looking chairs and sofas crammed around it. It had been left on, its volume turned down, and a man mumbled news from its speaker.

It only works on the surface, Xiphos informed Tobias, scowling at the receiver.

In the narrow sections of a wall were a few well stocked bookshelves, with a bar across the books to keep them from falling off. Tobias spotted a chart with what looked like crew names and responsibilities, and little initials next to each one.

Xiphos took Tobias through the back entrance of the crew quarters, out into the cargo bay — she waved her hand absently at the expanse — and up some steps to the guest quarters.

Their foot falls echoed on the hard wood floor as they stepped in through the hatch. Small tables were arranged on one side of the semi-circular room, made from a warm, dark wood. Little lamps sat on the top of each table, brushed metal with dark green glass shades. Looking closer, Tobias noticed a fine sheen of dust on each lamp. Across the room, on a bigger table sat an intricately built shah board, its pieces finely carved from light and dark crystals, gleaming in the low light of the room.

Tobias’s eyes drew themselves to the ceiling. It curved into a shallow dome, lit by a ring of lights that shone dimly. Xiphos lifted a panel on the wall and the dome hummed. Very slowly, the dome split open, revealing the sky above through a shallow glass bubble. The humming stopped, and the room fell silent again. Xiphos wandered into the guest kitchen.

Not that we have a chef anymore, she said, her voice low. Or a mechanic. Or a service staff for guests… Or guests. She stood in the kitchen, hands on her hips, her back to Tobias, and let the silence stand between them.

Footfalls pinged up the steps from the crew quarters, and a girl ducked through a hatch. She looked a lot like Cait: red panda, with white headfur that reached down to her chin, held back from her face by two small clips. Tobias figured she was likely older than him, but younger than Xiphos. She dressed simply, a t-shirt and a pair of pants, comfortable work clothes. And her walk was confident, like Cait’s, a walk that commanded people get out of her way while she moved. Tobias shrank away when he saw her, feeling his face flush. Xiphos, however, stood up straighter, her tail standing out. She took the girl by the hand and pulled her closer. The girl nuzzled Xiphos.

Who’s this? She asked.

Tobias, Xiphos said, disdain dripping from her voice. He’s a Continental.

Neat! The girl said. I’m Nina, Cait’s niece. Are you a Traveler? You don’t look old enough to be a Traveler.

Cait says he’s with us now, Xiphos said.

Ohhh, Nina said, turning her gaze to Tobias. "Tre mistera…"

Xiphos narrowed her eyes. She stumbled her way through a couple awkward syllables, countering Nina’s Merchant with Beiish. Nina rolled her eyes. I can’t. Work to do. She kissed Xiphos on the cheek and said something in Beiish. Tobias couldn’t understand, but Xiphos blushed.

Nina gave Tobias a smile. Welcome aboard, Tobias. She started towards another hatch on the other end of the room.

It’s Toby, he said, his voice small.

Nina stopped, tilting her head. Yeah? Well, see you ‘round, Toby. She set off out the hatch, her footsteps pinging up to the bridge.

Xiphos stared down at Toby, her eyes narrowed, her tail twitching behind her.

She’s nice, Toby offered.

Don’t even think about her, Xiphos growled.

Toby drew back. I wasn’t-!

Xiphos exhaled sharply out of her nose. Whatever. I’ve got work to do, too. She ducked out the hatch and back to the cargo bay, leaving Toby in the silence of Cait’s guests.

4

The Kitchen

Not knowing what else to do with himself, Toby hid in the crew quarters. He hadn’t yet been assigned a bunk, so he sat down on one of the comfortable-looking couches and stared at the Relay receiver. It wasn’t any different than the receivers they had in the Colonies, a small box, covered in knobs and dials, and a screen attached to it through some plugs. Most people could use a Relay receiver with little trouble; it was simple enough to turn it on and tune to the major stations, to national news or local repeaters. There were smaller knobs for enthusiasts, who could pluck transmissions out from over the horizon, ball game broadcasts and tide reports, and pirate sightings.

Toby turned the dials until they clicked onto broadcasts: The local New Haven station, the National Lat Broadcasting Trust, a faint signal that may have been from some of the outer COS islands. In between the noise, he thought he heard Linian. After searching over the dial a dozen times, Toby stood, and started to scan the bookshelves.

A quick survey of the titles on the shelves caused his heart to wrench. The Rose, he could see now, was a COS ship. He should have known that when Xiphos called him a Continental, but he hadn’t been thinking. Sure, the COS and Lat and the Colonies all spoke Latanian, but the COS wrote things with a different, almost alien alphabet. Traditional Latanian, which he was used to had twenty-six letters. COS Standard had forty. Toby couldn’t read any of these books. Not knowing what else to do, he started to pace the perimeter of the crew area.

It was on his fiftieth lap around the little crew area that Toby realized he hadn’t seen anyone aside from Xiphos or Nina in a while. The Travelers were not around, and the rest of the crew was busy. So he did laps.

His stomach grumbled at him, but he didn’t know if he was allowed to take food; Xiphos hadn’t said so. So he did laps. He went back to the book shelf, and still he found he couldn’t read any of the books, just like an hour ago. So he did laps.

The Rose suddenly heaved. It had been rocking back and forth slightly, but most of it had been dampened out by counterweights in the ship. This was sudden, fierce, and it threw Toby off his balance. The intercom crackled.

All crew prepare to dive. It was the captain.

Toby thought about what that meant. He sat down on one of the couches and gripped the arm. Dive… Dive…

And then it struck him: The Rose was a submarine. It made sense, of course. They were diving because the weather had gone bad. The weather over the oceans always went bad; everyone knew that, even in the Colonies. The only ways to get across the oceans safely were in the quick and nimble Storm Runners, or subs.

The nose of the ship tilted down and almost as abruptly as it began, the heaving stopped, and The Rose was suddenly very quiet. He had heard the noise of the air passing by the boat, the sounds of the waves crashing against its side. Now there was the steady hum of the engines, and that was it.

Toby stayed on the couch. His stomach rumbled again. He thought about going up to the bridge to find Xiphos, and asking her about the kitchen, but every time the thought crossed his mind he tensed. Xiphos hadn’t been particularly friendly to him before, and he couldn’t imagine she would be now. He whimpered, and then spun his head around to make sure no one had heard it. There was still no one around. He sat alone and played absently with his hands.

Footsteps plinked into the guest quarters, and Nina strode in, carrying a clipboard. She spotted him on the couch, and when Toby tried to hide, it only interested her more.

She smiled at him. Hi, she said, giving him a little wave. Toby turned away, feeling his face flush. He pulled his legs up to his chest and hugged them. Nina continued on until her mind caught up with her momentum. She stopped a few feet away from the hatch on the other side of the crew quarters. She turned around.

Toby watched her approach, her movements suddenly very slow and careful. She took a seat across from him, tilting her head, studying him. You’re not okay, she said after a moment. This was careful as well, each word soft and steady.

Toby shrank a little further.

See? Nina said. That’s what I mean. You’re scared of me.

Toby turned his eyes away from her, blushing furiously now.

Huh. Not just me, though. Every one.

It’s not… I don’t… Toby tried, but couldn’t get it out. His ears dropped.

What can I do to convince you I’m not scary?

Toby shook his head. I don’t… Again, nothing.

Nina sighed. She stood again. How about this? I’m taking a break right now. You should come hang out with me.

Toby didn’t move, his eyes rolled up to watch Nina move around. Nina’s shoulders dropped.

Okay, she said, her voice lowering. If you want, though, I’ll be up in the kitchen-

Toby was next to her before she could finish. He pulled his mouth shut tight, but looked up at her, his tail wagging behind him.

Well, Nina said, that was silly and terrifying all at once. She brightened. Let’s go get some lunch.

---

* * *

The guest kitchen was enough to almost make Toby cry. There was enough food stored between the fridge and the freezer to last the Rose a few months at sea. Toby stood in front of the fridge with the doors open, his mouth trying to form words but too occupied with what he was seeing to be coherent: fresh vegetables, meats ready to be cut into sandwich slices, or served as an entree, fresh eggs, bread starter… he could have spent the whole day just standing and staring. He leaned back to look at Nina, who sat at one of the work counters and watched him, a mix of puzzlement and amusement on her face.

Anything? He asked.

Well, within reason.

Toby started to pull jars and containers out of the fridge. Nina could barely keep up. Before she realized what he was doing, he had a sandwich in front of him. He took a quick second to admire his work, and started to put things back. He even cleaned his utensils. Nina looked closer at what he had made.

Toby, that looks… incredible.

Toby’s ears dropped again. Thanks, he said, his voice lost somewhere inside him.

I mean it. That’s like a restaurant-quality sandwich.

Toby shrugged and started to eat.

Nina decided to take her own turn at the fridge, and as she prepared her lunch, she started to put the pieces of Toby together.

Where are you going? She asked.

Toby stopped eating. He turned to look at her, his ears dropping.

That’s it, isn’t it? She sat down in front of him, leaning forward. You’re not lost. Well, maybe you’re lost, but if you are, you haven’t told Aunt Cait. You’re not a stowaway, because Aunt Cait knows where you are, and so does Xiphos. But you’re not just a passenger. What are you?

Toby looked down at his plate.

Nina leaned back. Well, this isn’t exactly unheard of with Aunt Cait. She does love her strays. She stretched. I’m sorry. You should eat. You’re probably really hungry.

Toby went back to his sandwich. Nina rolled her head back and, holding her hands behind her head, said softly. Tre mistera…

5

Kidnapping

Are we kidnapping now?

Billy stood in the door to Cait’s office, his face red, his arms down at his side. He fixed his eyes hard on Cait, as if he could see the answer already. Cait set down her paperwork.

Hello, Billy, she said.

Who’s the boy, Cait?

Cait picked up Toby’s folder and handed it to Billy. Tobias Shaw, age fifteen. Colony boy.

Why do we even have him?

Because if I had let him go, things would have been far worse for him.

Billy folded his arms. So we just took somebody’s kid.

Yes.

We’re kidnapping now.

No, Cait said, narrowing her eyes. Well, the short answer is no.

What’s the long answer?

Cait sat back in her chair, letting her eyes drift to the corner of the room. That is a good question.

Billy stepped forward. Cait, this-

I need you to trust me on this, Cait said, snapping her eyes to his.

Why should I?

Cait tilted her head slightly, as if to work her gaze in to him further.

Billy dropped his arms. This makes me nervous, Cait. I can’t afford to start over.

You will not get in trouble for this, Cait said. She stood and started down to the crew quarters.

Billy followed. Where are you going?

Cait stopped and waited for Billy to catch up with her. She folded her arms, putting space between herself and Billy, her ears folded back, ready to attack. We have a kidnappee to talk to.

Toby sat alone in the crew quarters, on the couch in front of the Relay receiver, his eyes glassed over. His ears flicked when he heard Cait and Billy step into the room, his eyes following, and he was soon on his feet. Cait smiled at him. Please, sit down, Tobias.

Toby lowered himself back on to the couch, Billy taking a seat across from him. Cait made a quick detour to the little kitchen in the corner. She filled a pot with hot water, added some tea, and set the service down in front of Toby.

Hello, Cait said.

Toby looked back and forth between them and squeaked out a hi.

We need to talk about why you are here. Cait poured the tea into three cups. She placed one in front of Toby. He watched each move carefully, and Cait made sure each movement was slow and deliberate.

Am I going to the Firebrand? Looking closer, Cait could see he was trembling.

No, Cait said. She picked up her cup, and motioned towards his. She took a long sip and, watching Cait, Toby did the same. As long as you are with me, I promise I will never take you to the Firebrand or any ship or camp like it.

Billy’s eyes widened. The Firebrand? You were being taken to the Firebrand?

Toby nodded.

You had better start at the beginning, dear, Cait said.

Toby nodded. He let his eyes drop to the receiver.

I was asleep when they came into my room.

He paused, waiting for either Billy or Cait to fill the silence. The man. The man was there. From the docks? My parents were with him. He woke me up and told me I was being taken to a camp.

Did he tell you what the camp was? Billy asked, leaning forward. Tobias shrank back a little more.

No. Not at first. He made me get dressed and he wouldn’t let me pack any clothes or a book or anything. And then he put the cuffs on me. He paused, still staring at the receiver. My parents just watched. And then he drove me to the port in my city, and then took me on a boat to Lat.

Does he still have your passport? Cait asked.

Tobias nodded.

Cait sat back, letting her eyes drift to the ceiling again. We will have to fix that when we get to Anchorhead.

Uhm… Toby looked between Cait and Billy again. What’s going to happen in Anchorhead?

This is the tricky part, Cait said. We cannot let you out of our sight, can we? If your escort catches you, he will most certainly take you to the Firebrand.

I won’t say anything about you, Toby said, dropping his voice. I know you’re not bad people.

That is much appreciated, Cait said. But you are safe with us. And we need you to trust us.

Toby nodded. He slumped in his chair, his eyes heavy, unfocused. He let out a long sigh.

Cait, Billy started, this can wait for a while.

Indeed. Cait stood. You need sleep, Tobias. We will put you in with Xiphos.

You’ll do WHAT?

Xiphos stood at the door, carrying a mop and bucket.

Xiphos, show Tobias where he will be sleeping.

Xiphos dropped the mop. She took Toby by the shoulder and pushed him into her bunk. There wasn’t much space inside, just a bunk bed built into a wall, wide enough to give the crew member space to stretch out. It was cramped, and when she was alert, Xiphos’s ears touched the ceiling over her head. There were curtains that slid across the opening of the bunk bed, so the occupant could have some semblance of privacy. Underneath each bed were a set of drawers.

Xiphos pointed to the bottom bunk. That one’s yours. She turned to leave, but not before she caught a glimpse of Toby. He huddled in the corner, pulled into himself, his tail between his legs. Xiphos balled up her fists, and she turned back to him.

Was all of that true, what you said to the captain?

Toby scanned her for her intentions. He relaxed a little. He nodded.

You’ll be better here. Safer. No one will hurt you. And she left him alone.

Back in the crew quarters, Cait and Billy stood close together, facing away from Xiphos, talking quietly.

It’s pretty illegal, Billy said. Colony law supports his parents, but COS law is on our side.

Hmm… Cait put her hands on her hips. Then we should stay clear of Colony waters.

Lat, too, Billy said. Just to be safe.

Cait turned back to Xiphos. Did you hear all of that, Xiphos?

Just the part about Colony and Lat waters.

And that is all you need.

I’ll do my best, captain, Xiphos said.

Cait nodded. Billy grabbed Xiphos by the shoulder and gave her a squeeze. No worries, he said.

Indeed, Cait said. Now, you have work to finish.

Xiphos nodded.

Yeah, get to work, you bum, Billy followed.

Xiphos picked up her mop. Laughing, she gave Billy the finger, and started mopping in a corner of the room.

6

Pirates

Cait summoned Toby at the first bell after sunrise, and started to detail his duties on the Rose. After a moment, Cait slowed her speech to a stop, noticing how Toby could barely keep his eyes open, how he swayed just a little as he stood before her. A few delicate questions uncovered that he had not slept at all the night before. Cait prepared an herbal tea for him, a blend she knew would knock him out within the span of a bell, and sent him back to his bunk. Just before sunset, at the start of First Shift, she gathered her crew on the bridge.

I have not been very open with you about what is happening with young Tobias, she said. She explained how she had found Tobias on the docks, of the escort with him, and the orders to Tobias to the Firebrand. I cannot abide that.

Captain, Xiphos said from the helm, why do we hate the Firebrand?

Billy folded his arms across his chest. The Firebrand is a boat somewhere in the Southern Ocean. It’s a corrections camp for teenagers. Most of what they do is in the name of fixing ‘out of control’ teens, but it’s really much closer to torture.

Nina’s ears pressed flat against her head. We don’t want that, she said, almost whispering.

Tre breathed out a long sigh through his nose.

I agree, Cait said. We will be in trouble with the Lat Colony authorities, but the Confederation is very clear about where they stand on the issue. That being said, I did not give you any choice in the is decision, and all your records in the Civilian Navy will reflect that. When we reach Anchorhead, you may all resign if you feel you must.

Cait’s statement brought her a wall of silent, focused stares. Billy narrowed his eyes at Cait.

Oh, crap dammit, Cait. No one’s resigning. Billy turned to the helm. Xiphos, are you resigning because Cait made a difficult but morally right judgment?

Xiphos shook her head.

Longtime Travelers? Want to leave because of what Cait did?

Patrick and Tami, arms folded across their chests, squinted.

Are you kidding? Patrick asked.

We wouldn’t’ve been here this long if we didn’t like you, Tami said.

Nina? No? Tre? What about Billy? Billy, are you going to resign because Cait did the right thing, even though it was a hard choice to make? Oh, I don’t know, Other Billy, it’s so hard to-

Thank you, Billy, Cait said. No one is resigning. Well illustrated. If there is no more business, I think all of you have work to do.

With a few ‘aye’s’ from the crew, they dispersed, leaving Cait and Xiphos alone on the bridge. Cait studied the next day’s schedule, making sure all of the shifts were all covered. Next to her, Xiphos checked over the weather on the screen. She had sent the buoy up to the surface as soon as she took the helm.

Captain, it looks clear, she said, focusing on her controls. I’m going to surface.

Please do, Cait said. She leaned back in the navigator’s chair next to Xiphos. Open the vents when we get up. We could use an airing out.

Aye, Xiphos said absently.

Ensign, is everything alright?

Xiphos flipped a few switches, preparing the Rose to surface. Cait could hear the buoy being pulled back into the boat. Are we losing the Rose?

Cait sighed. Xiphos, we are not losing the Rose.

Billy said that-

What have I said about you two gossiping?

Usually you just stare at me, and then walk away, Xiphos said, her voice weaker.

And now is not special, is it?

No, captain, Xiphos said. She hurried back to her work. Within a few moments, she had opened the front view port of the Rose, and after another moment, the water gave way to the night sky of the southern hemisphere. The vents above the bridge hissed, and cool air surged into the ship. Cait closed her eyes and inhaled.

No one is taking the Rose, she said. The cargo we have is going to make us enough money to pay our… my debt. And then we will no longer have creditors to worry about. Cait sat back in her chair and watched the view outside. They were in one of the shipping lanes heading to Anchorhead, and she could see the wake of other boats stretch for miles in every direction. The moon hung just above the horizon, a little sliver of a beacon to the east.

The Great Rose herself never had to put up with creditors, Cait reflected. Of course, Rose had talent for the trade; she was, after all a Molyneux. Of course she had talent.

Captain, Xiphos said, staring hard at the screen above the helm. There’s been an attack.

Cait stood and looked over Xiphos’s shoulder. Behind her, through the rush of the air around the ship, she could hear someone climb the steps to the bridge.

Looks like a freighter from Lingguo got hit hard, Xiphos said.

Was anyone hurt? Do they need help?

Xiphos’s eyes darted over the screen. A few injured. Looks like most of their cargo was taken, but they haven’t put up a help flag. Xiphos paused, scanning down the report. Captain, they’re reporting it was Burian Lake.

Cait stood up straight, her eyes still on the screen. What do you think, ensign?

Captain? Xiphos said. I recommend we go around the area.

How long would that take?

Xiphos tapped on the keyboard on the helm. It sounded as if it had been built to survive for a thousand years, its clacking keys echoing with each stroke. Likely twelve hours if the weather’s good.

Pirates?

Cait had been waiting for that. Toby stood on the bridge behind them, fidgeting with his hands.

It seems that way, yes, Cait said. But nothing to be worried about.

Toby nodded.

What do you know of pirates? Xiphos asked, turning in her chair, a plotting smile on her muzzle. Toby could feel the fur on his neck bristle. He closed his fists, keeping his arms at his side. He stared at Xiphos.

Everyone from the Colony knew about pirates. Pirates were part of the world, whether or not Xiphos thought the Colony was. News of the pirate attacks always moved quickly through the Relay. Newspapers and Relay communiqué always kept track of these attacks, because the public wanted to know. Trade was to be done, people moved, and when these activities were suddenly, forcibly, violently stopped, the Continents noticed.

I know enough, Toby said. The Lats used pirates in the war against us.

"That was a hundred