Abord O’Malley’s Dream, Wild Sea, Higgins’ World…
“I don’t understand how your family can own the ship, Cathy,” Sarita Morales and Captain Catherine O’Malley were sitting on the deck out of the wind. The wind was holding steady with only an occasional quick shower of rain. It had been just enough to top off the drinking water vats on the new ship, O’Malley’s Dream.
“We took a vote this spring on four things the Assembly suggested be changed in the Charter.” Cathy was enjoying the chance to sit as the sails didn’t need adjusting with this steady wind. “My family supported the changes. One item was letting people keep things they needed for personal work. Turns out, most of the people agreed this was important and that change got a lot of votes.”
“Personal property! I would never have expected that to be allowed.” Sarita remembered the lectures from her stepfather, Simon Kearney, about how everything was owned in common. That was supposed to be so everyone was equal, or at least that was what it said in the Charter.
“My uncle said that the thing that got the changes started was finding a way to get rid of Prince Desmond. The gossip said his wife was running things and her family wanted to make the prince be inherited, not elected. Lord Kearney is an expert on the original book and came up with a way to charge the prince with being enslaved to drink so he got voted out. The change says the prince won’t serve for life anymore, but the Assembly has not announced how long they will serve.”
“I’ve met Prince Desmond’s son, and I wasn’t impressed with him. He wanted me to join with him even though we aren’t compatible,” Sarita said. “He would make a horrible prince. But how did you manage to claim the ship?”
“Granddad said since the Assembly had not approved it and he built it, it would be ours. I don’t know if anyone in Amaurot even knows about it, really,” Cathy said. “We hope to build another one but a bit larger to carry more freight. If this trade agreement gets going, we’ll have lots of business.”
“You said they made four changes. That sounds like two, what are the others?”
“Well, if you are really good at doing something, you can get permission to stay at that production farm. Most thought that would mean rotations would stop but so far, we are still waiting.”
“I didn’t expect the changes to happen so quickly. Lord Kearney is my foster father, so I know some changes are needed,” Sarita said. “Moving to a new farm is such a disruption. Our last location was with the cheese factory, and it took us a full year to finally get the cheese so it could be distributed.”
“We asked to stop having the rotation, but the Assembly said that would have to wait until these first changes have settled down,” Cathy said. “Some really want to stick with the original Charter, but it really doesn’t match More’s book. Have you read the original book? My cousin has and says what we practice is not at all what the books says.”
“I have read it, and Papa Kearney said the same thing.” Sarita said. “I told Megal’s father that if the founders of the NeoUtopians were here, they might have been run off to the carnivores. What they planned, just doesn’t work.”
***
The official trade representatives of Refugio, Megal Morales, and Antonio “Tony” Pesch, had been working on the trade agreement documents in a sheltered part of the ship’s deck when the note taker stopped functioning. It blinked once or twice, a small tendril of smoke came out of the edge, and it was gone. “Well, at least it didn’t catch fire.” Megal waved it around to cool it and placed it back in its case. “Several times at the gymnasium, we had fires caused by the tablets overheating. The archives have direction on how to fix the devices but no direction on how to make the parts.”
“Some in Utopia have taken some of the devices apart to see if they could salvage a working part to replace a broken one, but you can only do that so many times,” Tony said. “We have found iron and oil shale. You’d think this planet would have other metals. That is one of the things we need to find out, if there were surveys for metal deposits by the GC team.”
“Would they have them in Amaurot?” Megal said. “I have never seen anything like that in the data bases we have in Refugio.”
“It should be,” Tony said, “because we have the reports on the asteroids we were going to mine, so we know that GC did them. The problem is the NeoUtopians wanted to have a technology free society. The surveys might have been left on the transport, but if anyone can find them, it would be Sarita’s foster father, Simon Kearney.”
Blackie Okapie, the Port ship captain, and co-owner of O’Malley’s Dream, called from the steering deck, “Attention all, by my calculation we’re about a day’s sail out from Trade City. We really made good time with this new ship.” The passengers went below to get ready for the arrival.
***
O’Malley’s Dream docked in Northwest Trade City and caused just as much excitement as when it arrived in Ciudad Centro in Refugio. No one had ever seen a ship with two masts and so many sails. The ships of both Utopia and Refugio made do with one mast and a fixed sail. Only the Port sailors had mastered adjustable sails. Cathy O’Malley smiled at her co-owners.
“If nothing else, the Assembly won’t be able to keep word of this new ship quiet. If there is one thing people in Utopia like to do, it’s gossip.”
“As I figure it, we have crossed the Wild Sea twice now in record time.” Blackie had been comparing the logs to his experience on his own small ship. “It usually takes almost a full seven days with the single sail, favorable winds and island hopping. With these two sails, we made it straight across in two weeks the first time with tacking and ten days with the wind behind us. This is faster than Master O’Malley estimated. Your grandfather should be really proud, Cathy, this ship is a wonder!”
“He has the plans to build one with three masts. Are you ready for that?” Cathy said.
“Not sure where we will get the sails, but I have been studying those plans he gave us and it can be done,” Blackie said.
“It has been done back on Terra, Blackie,” Sarita’s husband Megal joined them as the ship was tied to the dock. “I don’t know what the maximum number of masts was on ships, but I am certain we can find it somewhere in the archives. For now, we just have to get our people talking to each other instead of shouting at each other.”
“True enough, my friend, true enough, and I think that man coming down the dock is Tony’s boss and your father-in-law.”
“My father-in-law? Oh, Alam Pesch, this could get interesting. I’ll get Tony.”
***
The ship began offloading the small cargo it carried as the official Refugio trade representative approached the ship. Alam Pesch was tall like many in Refugio, but his lifestyle had left him pale. He saw his missing deputy representative on the ship and forced his way up the gangway to confront him. He pushed his way past the sailors to where Tony, Sarita, and Megal were standing.
“Where have you been? I will inform the Overlord of your absence, Antonio Pesch. I didn’t give you permission to leave. I don’t care if you are my half-brother. The family will want reparations,” Alam Pesch’s voice was high and shrill.
“Ah, my brother Alam, how nice of you to meet us,” Tony was going to enjoy every minute of this encounter. “I believe introductions are needed. Here is Ser Megal Morales, soon to be blessed as the new First Successor, his wife, Sera Sarita Pesch Kearney Morales.” Tony turned to Sarita and Megal. “I am certain you do not remember your father, Sarita. You were quite small when he last saw you.” Alam’s face went white.
“What do you mean, Tony? I do not have a daughter called Sarita. What madness is this? A Pesch woman bonded to the First Successor?”
“I offer you the respect due my biological father, but that is all, Ser Pesch. I am the daughter of Rita Pesch Kearney. You ordered me killed rather than allow my mother to raise me in your house. She took me to the Family Kearney, and I was raised there.” Megal could sense she was angry and stepped closer to make physical contact as a support.
“Ser Pesch, I offer you similar respect,” Megal gave a slight bow, not with the respect of one to parent of his wife, but as one acknowledging a servant or other menial person. “We have a communication from my father for you.”
“This is madness! I ordered Rita to take all her female births to the Keepers of the Blood, not to take you to that abomination of a temple here. I don’t believe you are my daughter. If you are my daughter, why was I not consulted for your bonding? What are you doing here? Why are you not in his harem?”
“Many things are changing, Ser Pesch. We have business in Amaurot and must finish disembarking.” Megal took the letter from Tony and handed it to Alam. “I believe this will explain what you need to do. Your cooperation is expected.”
Alam opened the letter, scanned it, and ripping it in pieces, threw it over the rail of the ship. “I do not believe you. Marianel is the First Successor, and you are not him. Tony, I will have you arrested for this foolish attempt to take away my position.” His escorting guards had boarded the ship and he turned to them and pointed to Tony. “Arrest this man and take him to my home. Hold him until I return.”
“Ser Pesch, you have no authority once you have stepped on the deck of my ship,” Cathy stepped to the front of the observing crew. “I believe that is true, is it not, Captain Okapie?”
“You are correct, Captain O’Malley. Once off the ship, Ser Pesch has some authority, but I believe even on the dock, he is restricted. He is not an official of Utopia.”
“As a member of the administration of Refugio, I am aware of the directions you were given in the orders,” Megal amplified his voice so all could hear. “You are to return to Refugio on the next message packet to answer to the Overlord for irregularities in the credits collected and credits returned to Refugio.” He turned to the men who had escorted Alam. “You are in the employ of the Trade Office?”
“We are, Ser.”
“Please escort Ser Pesch to his home so he may gather his things to return to Refugio. There is a packet leaving with the dawn wind,” Megal ordered.
“You can’t do this! Who are you? Tony, what is this mierda?” Alam yelled. His escort stepped forward and bowed to Megal.
“As you wish Ser Morales.” Tony was surprised, at least the staff knew about the change in the succession in Refugio. They took Alam’s arms to lead him off the ship, but he fought them. It was obvious there was little respect for the now former trade representative. “Ser Pesch, we can bind you if you don’t come calmly,” the larger of the two said. “In fact, I can tie you up and carry you, do you want that?” Alam cried out, slumped, and the men supported him down the gangplank to the waiting air car.
***
“Well done, Megal, well done,” Tony smiled at the young man. “I am reminded of the stories I have heard of your grandfather, Ser Philipe. He was known for getting things done.” Megal looked puzzled.
“I was only doing what needed to be done, Tony. Is that not what is expected of me?” Blackie slapped him on the back and laughed.
“Tony is right, Megal. Some men would have tried to soften the blow with Sarita’s father, but you saw it would not work and got it done.
“Now, let’s get this ship unloaded and figure out how we are going to get to Amaurot. I have been told there are airships to ride to the capital.” Blackie called out to the crew to get started with the luggage.
Tony saw a group arrive on the dock and excused himself as he hurried down the gangway. It was his wife, Leah, with Traban, his steward. Tony caught Leah in his arms and kissed her, right there on the dock in front of everyone. Several of the men working on the dock gasped. This was not the behavior of a Refugio male or of a Utopian for that matter.
“My sweet Leah, I have missed you,” Tony looked back at his friends on the deck and called out, “This is my wife, Leah, and we may have room enough at my house for us to rest before we head to the city.”
“Please, do come,” Leah called up to them. “We have plenty of room and it is close to the airship port.” She then explained to Tony that Traban had realized they would need a place to stay for the night before they went on to Amaurot, so he had everyone busy cleaning up the unused part of the house. Traban bowed in welcome.
“Ser Tony, welcome home, and yes, we are ready for you.”
“One less problem to deal with,” Cathy O’Malley called down. “If we need to, we can stay at the hostel. We have some minor repairs we need to make. I’m going to talk to some of the merchants about cargo while you are gone. Might as well use this flying dream while we can.”
***
Sarita watched the people on the street as they waited for the air cars. “I don’t know if I will be able to explain this country to you, Megal,” Sarita was surprised at how different Trade City looked. There were women of Refugio walking around shopping, mixing with the Utopians. She saw some of the Utopians wearing colorful tabards or sleeveless coats over their natural fiber-colored coveralls. “The changes Cathy told me about have started sooner than I expected.”
“Don’t worry, cariño, I am more interested in those natural things you told me about. People change all the time. Trees don’t.” Megal kissed her quickly as they entered the air car with the others. Sarita laughed.
“Please understand, we have only recently begun changing the way the house is organized,” Leah explained to them as they entered the house. “The house builder has showed us how the houses in Utopia are arranged so husbands and wives share their sleeping rooms. There are still many changes to do, but you will have a place to sleep, and the bathing pool is done.”
“Getting clean after a week at sea is the most important, Leah. Thank you for your hospitality,” Sarita said.
Should you want to read the whole story…
Book One
Book Two
Amazon.com: Surviving Higgins World: Change or Chaos? eBook : Gibson, Patricia : Kindle Store