The Diamond Isle

12

Flying the colours of the freebooter alliance, around a dozen ships lay at anchor within sight of the Diamond Isle.

The small fleet’s number had recently been reduced. Not through the attrition of warfare, but a cause less predictable, and one that left fury in its wake.

On the deck of the largest vessel, Kingdom Vance vented his anger.

‘Three ships! Three damn ships, and two score men!’

‘So you said,’ Kinsel Rukanis told him.

Vance turned from the rail and faced the singer. ‘You find this amusing?’

‘Instructive would be a better word.’ He was shivering from the cold, and found little protection in his threadbare garments.

‘Instructive? The only lesson I draw is that a bunch of turncoats switched sides.’

‘Have you thought why?’

‘Why?’ There was genuine menace in his tone. ‘Because they’re cowards!’

‘Isn’t it possible they deserted because they realised the futility of what you’re trying to do?’

‘That’s just another way of saying they’re spineless. I’m better off without scum like that.’

‘Or could it be that they saw the justice of the rebels’ cause?’

Vance laughed cynically. ‘They’re fools as well as lily-livered if they think that. They deserve each other.’

‘You surprise me, Captain. I thought you’d feel an affinity with the rebels, given they stand against the authorities.’

‘Then you think wrong, singer. I’ve no love for the empires, but at least you know where you are with them. They’ve got power, and don’t have any scruples about using it. I can respect that. The only thing of any account in this world is what you can grab with your own two hands.’

‘If that’s what you truly believe, I’m sorry for you.’

‘Save your pity for yourself, Rukanis. And think on this. The people on that island chose to leave their homes and come here. By doing that they deprived us of a land of our own. That makes them my enemy.’

‘Who’s being self-pitying now? You chose your way of life. Were you forced into piracy? Did somebody hold a blade to your throat? No. Make an accommodation with the islanders, Vance, as your deserters have. End this lunacy.’

‘You come out with that refrain as regularly as any of your airs, and I’m growing tired of it. There’ll be no truces or climb-downs. And the ones who ran out on me are going to pay for it when I take that island.’

‘If you take it.’

Lightning swift, Vance swung his fist into the side of Rukanis’s head. It was a savage blow, and the singer would have fallen if he hadn’t been standing with his back to a mast. His cheek instantly reddened. A dribble of blood seeped from his swelling lip.

‘You’re forgetting the nature of our relationship,’ Vance hissed, his face close. ‘Prisoner and captor, not equals. You’re not somebody I take advice from.’

Rukanis spat blood on the deck, then met his gaze. ‘Is hearing the truth really such an unfamiliar experience for you?’

The pirate made to strike him again, but hesitated, and finally stayed his hand. ‘To hell with it.’ He turned away, leaving Rukanis to dab at his mouth with a shirt cuff. ‘It’s only a question of time before I get what I want,’ Vance promised. ‘And you’re going to help me.’

‘Anything happening?’ Serrah asked, squinting at the group of ships lying well offshore.

‘No.’ Caldason offered her the spy tube. ‘See for yourself.’

‘Not much point looking at nothing, is there? Come on, we can’t do anything here. We’ve got plenty of eyes on them.’

They resumed their walk along the compacted spine of the sandbank. The wind was raw, and they felt its chill despite their hooded fur topcoats and fleece gloves.

‘You know, I still find it hard to believe,’ she said.

‘The pirates?’

‘Yes. When they came in flying white flags I thought it was another trick.’

‘Darrok was convinced of it.’

‘Perhaps he was right.’

‘Planting vipers in our midst, that kind of thing? I doubt it. Too obvious. But they’ll be kept under guard until we’re sure.’

‘Says something about morale under Vance if that many changed sides, doesn’t it?’

‘All it tells us is that forty-three of his cohorts were disheartened enough to desert. It doesn’t necessarily weaken Vance. If anything it makes him more dangerous.’

‘How’s that?’

‘It’s going to fire him up all the more; give him another reason to hate us and want this island. And now his ranks have been purged of waiverers he’s got a stronger force to send against us.’

‘Well, at least we got three more ships because of it. Talking of which…’ She nodded ahead.

They overlooked a cove the islanders used as a small harbour. A two-masted, square-rigged ship was anchored in the shallows, and half a dozen smaller craft were moored at a makeshift jetty.

‘It’s a brig,’ Caldason announced.

‘You’re an expert on ships all of a sudden, are you?’

He smiled. ‘Er, no. It was the one that brought me over.’

‘Thought it seemed familiar. Is it big enough for the voyage you have in mind?’

‘Darrok says it is. Actually, it has to be. We don’t have an over-abundance of ships to spare, you know.’

‘What about one of the galleons the pirates came in?’

‘They’re fighting ships; we need them here. The brig’s built for speed, not sea battles.’

‘But you don’t know what might be defending the Clepsydra. A warship could be-’

‘We can only work with what we’ve got, Serrah. Besides, the faster the ship the quicker the journey. Getting back as soon as possible is a real consideration if this place is going to be blockaded.’

‘You still think it will be?’

‘It’s what I’d do if I was either of the empires. Isolate the infection.’

‘Maybe we should just use all the ships and get everybody out of here.’

‘And go where? Our options are limited, to say the least. No, it’s this island or nothing.’

‘Course it is.’ She reached for his hand. ‘But whatever happens, at least we’ll be together. Now I’m getting all sappy, damn it. Why do you let me get into such a state over these things?’

‘Me? I didn’t even-’

‘Look! Isn’t that Zahgadiah and Pallidea? On the landing stage? Let’s get down there.’

They began their descent.

Once brief greetings had been exchanged, Darrok had news.

‘We’ve learnt something interesting from the defectors,’ he explained, ‘and I think it’ll give you some heart.’

‘So spit it out,’ Caldason said.

‘Vance is holding your friend Rukanis.’

‘I knew it!’ Serrah exclaimed. ‘How is he? Did they know?’

‘Being Vance’s prisoner’s never going to be a pleasant experience, and naturally he’s suffered some knocks. But he is alive.’

‘You don’t know what a relief that is.’

Pallidea, hand resting on the edge of her lover’s hovering dish, voiced caution. ‘Perhaps you shouldn’t get too excited. There’s more.’

‘Tell us.’

‘I said it would give you some heart,’ Darrok answered. ‘The not-so-good news is that Vance and his alliance think they can use Rukanis as a bargaining chip. To get us to give up the island.’

‘We’d never trade,’ Caldason said. ‘They must know that.’ He noticed the look on Serrah’s face. ‘Well, we wouldn’t. How could we? And Kinsel would be the first to understand that this whole venture’s worth more than the fate of one individual.’

‘Vance wouldn’t,’ Darrok told him. ‘Even if he did, what’s a man’s life to him? He’d see it as worth a try.’

‘What does he intend doing?’ Serrah asked.

‘We don’t have any details, but you can bet it’d be to the point, and brutal. Hand over the Diamond Isle or watch your friend burn to death in a cage hanging from a yardarm. That’s the way Vance operates.’

‘We’ve got to do something to get Kinsel out of this, Reeth.’

‘Yes.’

‘And soon. Right away. Before we set off on this voyage you’re planning.’

‘Of course. Though I’m not so sure about the we, Serrah.’

‘We’ve been through this. I’m going with you. You promised.’

‘It could be dangerous.’

‘Then why are you going in this thing?’ She jabbed a thumb at the brig. ‘If the journey’s dangerous you should be using a warship, and a bigger crew.’

‘I told you. It’s because-’

‘Good. That’s settled then.’

‘Serrah. If you thought about this for just a minute you’d see-’

Darrok cleared his throat loudly. ‘Don’t mind us. But some other time might be more appropriate for this, don’t you think? Besides, company’s arriving.’

A cart drew up at the end of the jetty. Phoenix was driving, with Kutch at his side. The boy scrambled down and sprinted to the others, leaving the magician to secure the horse.

Serrah met him with, ‘Guess what, Kutch? Kinsel’s alive.’

‘We heard. Great, isn’t it?’

‘It is if we can get him out of Vance’s clutches,’ Caldason said.

‘Can we?’

Phoenix caught up, panting slightly. ‘It’s a good question. Do we have a plan?’

‘We’ve only just found out,’ Caldason informed him.

‘I’ll call a special session of the Council for this afternoon,’ Darrok suggested. ‘We’ll get something thrashed out then.’

Caldason nodded. ‘All right. But let’s not turn this into a talking shop. We need to act quickly.’

‘There’ll be a decision today, I guarantee it. Meantime, don’t go doing anything on your own account. Understood?’

‘As if I would.’

‘He means it, Reeth,’ Serrah assured him sternly. ‘I’m all for rescuing Kinsel as soon as we can, but going off half-arsed isn’t the best way.’

‘I’ll do nothing on my own. But there’s a limit to how long I’ll hold to that. For Kinsel’s sake, and mine. I’ll not wait forever if it means delaying the voyage much longer.’

‘As we can’t decide anything about Rukanis’s fate for a couple of hours,’ Phoenix said, ‘we’d be best employed assessing the preparations for your expedition.’

‘That’s why we’re here,’ Darrok reminded them. ‘For my part I’ve scrounged enough provisions to last you about two weeks, Reeth. Though it was the devil’s own job getting the Council to part with them. And the victuals are nothing fancy. It’s iron rations, and you’ll have to stretch ’em. There’s an issue of warm clothing too, given you’ll be heading northward.’

‘What about the skipper?’ asked Caldason.

‘The same one who brought you out from Bhealfa; Rad Cheross.’

‘Good. And the crew?’

‘Mostly his own, and all volunteers. A little over a dozen, which I’m told is a bit tight but sufficient to run a vessel like this.’

‘Anything else I should know?’

‘Only that there’ll be a small consignment of gold on the ship. Not a fortune exactly, but it could be useful in case you have to bargain for…whatever it is you might find.’

‘Gold? I thought the Resistance’s coffers were empty.’

‘They are.’

‘This is your own money?’ Caldason raised his eyebrows.

‘I’ve never seen you look bashful before, Zahgadiah,’ Serrah told Darrok.

‘Shut up,’ he replied, his cheeks colouring.

‘It seems you’re growing more partial to the cause every day,’ Caldason said.

‘It’s on loan. I expect it back if you don’t use it.’

‘That’s generous. Thank you.’

‘Don’t go all mushy on me, Reeth, I couldn’t stand that. Just look after my damn gold.’

‘As far as the sorcerer fraternity’s concerned,’ Phoenix volunteered, ‘we’ll be supplying some magical protection, and a small armoury of munitions. Not a lot, but as much as we can spare.’

‘Appreciate it,’ Caldason responded. ‘Though I feel happier with a good length of tempered steel any day.’

‘You don’t know what you’re going to meet out there. You’re searching for Founder artefacts, remember, and we have no real idea what might be defending them. You need all the safeguards you can get.’

‘Who’s going to be on board to handle the magic?’

‘I’d like it to be me. Unfortunately that’s a little too much for the Council to swallow. They say I’m needed here to direct the island’s magical defences. The same goes for the other sorcerers we have, given how pitifully few our numbers are.’

‘So who, then?’

‘Kutch.’

‘Whoa. That’s a hell of a responsibility for the boy. No offence, Kutch.’

‘I can do it, Reeth,’ the apprentice protested. ‘Phoenix has been training me. You said I could go anyway, so I might as well make myself useful. I can help keep us out of trouble.’

‘And who’s going to keep trouble from bothering you?’

‘I will,’ Serrah stated. ‘I’ll keep an eye on Kutch; you concentrate on the search.’

‘Got it all worked out, haven’t you?’

‘Yes. You know how scarce resources are. It’s a miracle we got the Council to agree to this venture at all. The trade-off is that you’ve got to take what’s on offer, like you said about this ship.’

Caldason grinned. ‘Looks like I haven’t got much choice.’

‘Too right. Live with it.’

‘I hate to inject a note of hard reality into this,’ Phoenix interrupted, ‘but you do realise this is probably all academic, don’t you?’

‘I know it won’t be easy,’ Caldason said, his attitude sobering.

‘Let’s look at exactly what that means, shall we? Covenant, and some other scholars of the noble art, believe the ancients left a store of knowledge which we call the Source, although it’s unlikely that’s what the Founders themselves called it. Assuming it’s a reality and not just conjecture, we don’t know what it is or if it survived.’

‘I’ve heard all this.’

‘It bears repeating. We think the Source is connected in some way to the Clepsydra. Not that we really know what that is either. We have a hunch, which we dignify by calling it a theory, based on incomplete fragments of Founder lore open to many interpretations, as to roughly where these mysteries might be hidden. We have no idea what might be defending them. And if the Source should ever be discovered we’re far from certain we could understand it, let alone make use of it.’

‘Those sound like the kind of odds I’m used to.’

Phoenix frowned. ‘There’s no call to be flippant about this, Caldason.’

‘I was never more serious. However slim the chance, for me and for what’s left of the Resistance, I’m going to take it.’

‘Very well. In which case I can perhaps offer a little help in narrowing down the possible location you seek.’

Using his forefinger, the wizard swiftly drew a shimmering rectangle in the air, then made a hand gesture. The oblong began to fill with colours and shapes before clarifying to an expanse of blue-green overlaid with innumerable specks.

‘This is the area of the ocean where we suspect the Clepsydra isle’s located,’ Phoenix explained. ‘Over the past few months my colleagues and I have been extensively researching such records as we have to try and pinpoint the site more accurately. We haven’t met with complete success. Far from it. And let me caution you again that what we’re doing is highly theoretical and could be wrong-headed. But we believe we can reduce the options…so.’ He touched the glamour map near its top right-hand corner, where the specks were most numerous. Instantly, the chart dissolved, to be replaced by a close-up of the section he’d indicated. The specks had grown to blobs with more definable, irregular shapes. ‘Our best guess is that what you seek lies within this cluster.’

‘That’s, what? Forty, fifty islands?’ Caldason estimated.

‘Approximately, yes. Still a sizeable number but nowhere near the hundreds making up the entire group.’

‘How big are they?’ Pallidea wondered, gazing at the floating chart.

‘The largest are no more than about a tenth of the size of the Diamond Isle. The majority are much smaller, and some are little more than rocks. Which may have some bearing on your search, Reeth, if we were to assume the very smallest are the least likely locations. But of course, not knowing what form the Source or indeed the Clepsydra takes, we can’t necessarily make that assumption.’

‘Well, it’s some help I suppose,’ Caldason said.

‘I’ll see that your skipper has a copy of this,’ Phoenix promised. He waved his hand. The map faded to golden embers, and died, leaving a sulphurous whiff in the brittle air.

‘Things seem to be progressing well,’ Darrok judged. ‘At this rate you’ll be able to set off pretty soon, Reeth. Or at least once we’ve done something about Rukanis.’

‘I should have asked before, I suppose, but I hope my absence won’t hinder your being able to deal with the pirates.’

‘I think we’ll manage without you for a while,’ Darrok responded dryly. ‘After all, I’ve been defending this place for quite a few years already. Without any outside help.’

‘Ouch,’ Serrah mouthed.

‘Besides,’ Darrok went on, ‘I’ve unfinished business with Vance, as you know, and I think it’s something I’d rather like to settle personally.’

‘That I can understand,’ Caldason granted.

‘So I reckon the best thing we can do now is-’

‘What the hell is that?’ Serrah pointed inland.

They all looked to a patch of level grassland beyond the beach. A strange contraption was slowly making its way across the sward. It was an open wagon, unremarkable in itself, except that it lacked shafts or a horse to pull it. Somebody clad in blue robes sat in the driver’s seat, but with their hands in their lap, having no need of reins.

‘Ah,’ Phoenix said. ‘That’s Frakk, a sorcerer who escaped here from Bhealfa. An independent; not a Covenant member or anything.’

‘But what’s he doing?’ Serrah wanted to know.

‘Testing a very ingenious idea. A carriage powered by magical essence. In fact, he could be the only person who fled here not out of conviction but pique.’

‘What?’

‘He tried to get various people interested in it back in Bhealfa. He even approached the paladins with the contraption. Apparently demonstrated it for the Bastorrans themselves, no less. They treated it as a joke and subjected him to public humiliation, and very nearly a whipping. He was so outraged he threw in his lot with the Resistance and brought the idea to us.’

‘It’s weird.’

‘But clever,’ Darrok said. ‘One of those notions that seems so simple you wonder why nobody thought of it before. Phoenix here has been helping with some modifications.’

‘Yes,’ the wizard confirmed. ‘It used to run on a store of magical energy carried on board. Now were getting it to run by drawing its motive force directly from the power grid.’

‘I thought it was original enough to warrant the allocation of some resources,’ Darrok explained.

‘It’s certainly original,’ Caldason agreed, watching as the device bumped across its muddy field. ‘But what are we going to use it for?’

Darrok shrugged. ‘Damned if I know.’