Chapter 18

Strange Happenings

Dabria closed the front door as softly as she could. Thankfully, no one was in the hallway. It was just a few short steps to the stairs and Dabria took them as quickly as possible. If she could just get to her room and change before she was seen she would be in the clear.

“It’s just so frustrating. I do try to be patient, Kiliki. But I have to admit that seeing Adem makes me ache so much sometimes.” Emalia’s voice drifted from the parlor.

“I know, Em. I wish there was something I could say or do, but no words can really comfort that pain,” Kiliki’s voice joined the conversation.

Dabria paused on the steps, momentarily forgetting she was supposed to be moving quickly.

“No. I pray a lot about it and I know it is all in God’s timing, but when your arms ache like that…” her voice trailed off.

“There is nothing that compares,” Kiliki whispered. “But you are right to pray, Em. Remember Hannah? She was barren and promised God to give her child back to Him if only He would give her a child. Sarah and Rachel were barren at first too.”

“Well, I hope I don’t have to wait as long as Sarah!” Emalia exclaimed and both women laughed.

“Dabria! What have you been doing?” Aunt Jada’s voice exclaimed from above her.

Dabria looked up guiltily. “Nothing, Aunt Jada.”

“Nothing does not describe the rags you have on!” She replied, the laughter in her voice painfully obvious.

“Well, see…” Dabria never got to finish.

“Dabria!” The girl winced at her sister’s voice. “What have you been doing or do I not want to know?”

“Um, you don’t want to know?” Dabria asked hopefully.

“Parlor. Now,” Kiliki replied forcefully, before turning back into the room she had come from.

Dabria sighed and turned back down the steps. It was going to be a long night.

Emalia’s gaze widened when she saw what Dabria was wearing, but she didn’t make a comment. Kiliki sat back down next to her best friend and looked at her sister, who stood in the middle of the room, while Aunt Jada quickly claimed a seat on the armchair.

“Spill it, dear sister,” Kiliki demanded.

“It’s really not that bad,” Dabria started.

“Milady, Aradon asked if you would like… oh,” Salena’s voice trailed off when she spotted Dabria on trial.

“Salena, did you know about this?” Kiliki asked immediately.

“Yes, milady,” Salena replied without blinking.

Dabria glared at her.

“And you didn’t think you should maybe mention this to someone?”

“Miss Dabria swore me to…” Salena started, but Kiliki quickly interrupted.

“Don’t you ‘Miss Dabria’ me! You should have told and you well know it.”

“Yes, yes,” Aunt Jada interrupted this time. “But tell what? Dabria, what have you been doing?”

“I got a job,” Dabria said matter-of-factly.

The three woman in the room stared at her for a long moment. Finally, Aunt Jada clapped her hands together.

“What a fun idea!”

“Aunt Jada!” Kiliki exclaimed.

“What?” Aunt Jada asked, performing a perfect innocent face.

Kiliki shook her head and turned back to Dabria. “The clothing? Where did you get a job at?”

Dabria looked down at her outfit. She had on one of the servant’s old dress outfits. It was vastly outdated with holes in some places and frayed edges in others. It used to be a deep red color, but it had faded and become more of a dull brown.

“I didn’t want to look like I was rich. I’m working with the silk women.”

“Dabria! That’s on the outskirts of town in a really bad part! It was dangerous to go there!” Kiliki cried out.

“It’s no more dangerous for me than it is for the girls that already work there every day,” Dabria pointed out.

“Why would you do such a thing?” Emalia asked.

Dabria shrugged. “Why not? I don’t do any work around here. I needed something fun to do and keep me busy.”

“But a job?” Kiliki repeated. “Anything could have happened to you out there. Your parents would have killed me.”

Dabria shrugged. “My parents don’t know half of what I do.”

“On purpose, of course,” Salena put in and Dabria shot her a glare. Salena shrugged.

“You are completely impossible,” Kiliki sighed. “Bree, you know I can’t let you go back there.”

“What! Why?” Dabria exclaimed, shock in her voice. Her face fell in disappointment. “But, Kiliki, I have too! I have my own work station and everything! They are counting on me! I do really good work and… and I can’t just stop!” By the end of her tirade she was breathing hard.

“Breath, Dabria!” Kiliki ordered.

Salena moved to her side, counting slowly. “One…two…three…four…five…six…”

“Seven…eight…nine…ten,” Dabria finished the count, breathing in time. “I’m fine.”

“And there is another good reason,” Kiliki commented. “What happens if you have an attack while you are there by yourself? They have fumes and who knows what else. And don’t tell me Salena has been going with you because obviously she hasn’t.”

“Well, no, but…” Dabria tried.

“No. I will wish you the best, but I’m not going there,” Salena interrupted, before Dabria could volunteer her.

“You are no help,” Dabria muttered, but Salena only smiled at her.

“It doesn’t matter. I wouldn’t let you go either way. You have to walk through the worst part of town and I won’t let you go there again. Dabria, you could have been killed or even worse! I’m sorry, but you will not be going back there again.” Kiliki’s voice was very firm.

“Not going back where?” A new voice entered the fray.

Everyone turned to see a newly arrived Justin standing in the doorway. He was staring pointedly at Dabria and had an amused, but concerned look to his face. Dabria sighed. Things could not get much worse.

“Dabria found herself a job as a silk woman and it is in a rather bad part of town. Come on in, things are really starting to get good!” Aunt Jada gleefully explained.

“Aunt Jada!” Emalia laughed.

“Well, she is obviously unharmed! And I’m sure she’s learned a few lessons along the way,” Aunt Jada assured them all, looking at Dabria for confirmation.

Dabria quickly racked her brain. “I learned what it was like to have nothing and work every day. And I go home at night while they have no home to go too. Some of them even slept right where we worked. But they were all so content. They had a job, they did it well, and they were proud of that. It really was an amazing experience, Kiliki.”

“I’m sure it was, but you’re still not going back.”

“Kiliki! I have too. They are counting on me and you know it would be wrong to just quit. Please! You have to understand,” Dabria pleaded.

“I will have one of the male servants go over and inform them that you will no longer be coming in,” Kiliki responded.

“They will think I was spying on them or something! Come on, let me go back. Please!”

Kiliki sighed. “I suppose Evyn could take you.”

“I’ll do it,” Justin interpreted.

Dabria looked at him, her eyes rounded in surprise. “You will?”

Justin shrugged. “Why not? You’d try to go back and explain yourself anyway. At least this way, I can keep a good eye on you and it won’t take time away from Evyn’s work.”

“Please, Kiliki?” Dabria focused back on her sister.

Kiliki shook her head. “Fine. Tomorrow you can go back and give some kind of explanation. But Dabria, you must promise me that you will never go back to that side of the town without a male family member and you won’t try to get another job somewhere else.”

Dabria pouted. “You know me too well.”

“Hmm,” Kiliki pressed her lips together and waited.

“Fine. I promise,” Dabria sighed.

“Good. Now, go get out of that garb you managed to find and throw it away. You need a decent bath too,” Kiliki ordered.

Salena curtsied. “I will go draw one for her, Milady.”

“Thank you, Salina.” As Salena left, Kiliki stood to properly hug Justin. “What bring you here? I didn’t even know you were in the port.”

“We just got in this afternoon. I know we are rather early to pick up the girls. But I was hoping I could talk to Tommy and the men desperately needed time in a port.”

“Will you be staying with us tonight then, Justin?” Aunt Jada asked.

“If it is all right with you, Aunt Jada. Namid and Maath promised to stop by sometime tomorrow or the next day. Business has been pretty good, so they have a lot of work dealing back out the goods for the next few days.”

“Are they going to stay at our town house?” Aunt Jada asked. While the family rarely lived there, it had a full time skeleton crew to keep it clean and ready at all times.

 “I think they were just planning on staying on the ship. They are most comfortable there,” Justin replied.

Aunt Jada nodded her understanding.

“Well, I’m glad you came straight here,” Kiliki grinned. “We’ll have a room fixed up for you in no time. Meanwhile, you can tell us what you have been up to these past two and a half months.” Kiliki moved back to her seat. “Dabria! I told you to go get cleaned up! Your bath water will be cold!”

Dabria smiled. “Salena knows I take forever. It will be just right by the time I manage to get in there. It’s good to see you, Justin.”

“You too, Pixie. We can head out to your work site tomorrow afternoon if that’s good with you.”

Dabria nodded. “Thank you.”

Justin just shook his head. “What will you be into next?”

“Who knows. I’m full of surprises!” Dabria commented as she exited to the others’ laughter.

>~>~>~><~<~<~<

Justin had his eyes closed and his head back against the wall of the coach. Dabria took the quiet moment to study her friend. He looked stressed. His eyes had circles under them and even though his position was relaxed his mouth was tight.

“What have you been doing since you dropped us off?” Dabria broke the silence of the carriage.

“Nothing as dangerous as you,” he replied without opening his eyes.

“Ha, ha. You’re a pirate. Your whole life is danger, Falconer,” she mocked back.

Justin glanced at her and then closed his eyes again. “That sounds odd coming from you.”

Dabria laughed. “Why?”

“I’m just use to you calling me, Captain Justin.”

“Well, you’ve been using the new name for almost a year now. How does it feel?”

Justin smiled. “Good.”

“You are finally making that name for yourself,” Dabria commented, looking out the window. The streets were just beginning to change from clean and neat to more dingy and rundown.

“You sound like that is a bad thing,” Justin replied, opening his eyes to focus on her.

Dabria shrugged. “No. I just don’t think it’s the most important thing.”

“And what would be then?”

Dabria was silent for a moment. She had thought about it often over the years and she didn’t want to mess up this chance to tell Justin the truth. “You are a pirate who steals from pirates and returns those goods, yet you seek fame among those that you steal from. Why? In the end, what good will that do you? What does having their admiration or fear really give you, except a reason to look over your shoulder?”

“So, what? My whole meaning is worthless?” Justin muttered, anger moving across his face.

“No. I would never tell you that and I would never believe it for a second. I just don’t see why you put all your effort into that aspect. You do so much good giving back to the merchants, but you don’t focus on that. I just think God intended for a whole lot more for you than fame among the pirates.”

Justin snorted. “God? He doesn’t care what happens to me, at least he never has.”

Dabria swung around to stare at him. “What do you mean?”

“I’ve lived on the street all my life. No one has cared what happened to me, not God or anyone. I fended for myself and I made it. I’ll make it now too, no matter what God’s supposed will is.”

A sad smile crossed Dabria’s face. “Do you hear yourself? It’s not all about you, Justin. You should have died on those streets, yet you didn’t. Why? Tommy found you and brought you onto his ship. Why? What did you do to deserve that? Maath and Namid taught you for years and they still help you learn. Why? Your life hasn’t been easy, but it should have been a lot worse. Do you really think all that was an accident? God has a plan for you, Captain Justin Falcon. He’s just waiting for you to ask.”

The carriage rolled to a stop, but neither party moved.

“You’ve never talked about this before,” Justin finally commented.

“I guess I didn’t think you’d listen. I’m sorry. My relationship to Jesus is the most important one in my life and I shouldn’t have kept that from you. Even if you weren’t ready to listen, I didn’t really give you the opportunity either. I’m sorry for that.”

Dabria gave him a smile and then opened the carriage door and left before he had a chance to answer. She wanted him to be able to think about what she had said. If her words were to have any impact, it would be now.

>~>~>~><~<~<~<

Justin watched Dabria exit, but didn’t move. Her words seemed to hang in the air before him. They were so like what Tommy and Kiliki had told him on his last visit, but Dabria was more blunt about it. He could almost ignore the words of the other two; in fact he had been doing so for the better part of the year. Yet, they stirred something in him, something he couldn’t explain away. He was under no illusions. The way his life had started should have him dead, dying, or in the control of some nasty pirate. And yet, he was the captain of his own ship, had friends who he could count on for life, and was making a name for himself. Justin shook his head in wonder. Exactly how had this all happened? Could it be there really was some unseen force who…how had Tommy put it…was directing his steps? Or was it simply destiny or fate?

The carriage door opened and Dabria stepped back inside, assisted by the footman.

She smiled at him, though it was a sad smile. “It is done.”

Justin signaled the footman, who nodded and closed the door, before turning back to Dabria. “How did it go?”

She shrugged her small shoulders. “As well as one could hope, I guess. It was hardest to say goodbye to Fateema.”

The carriage gave a small lurch and they began the journey back to Javale.

“What did you tell them?”

Dabria sighed. “I said had been given the job of governess over a small boy at one of the nearby estates.”

Justin smiled. “Adem.”

“It was as close as I could get to the truth.” Dabria rubbed her hands together, obviously disturbed by the lie.

Justin frowned and caught hold of one of her hands. Dabria looked up at him in surprise.

“What happened to your hands?” he asked, rubbing his thumb over one of the many small slits and calluses in her hands.

She laughed softly. “That’s what happens when you work with silk. It’s not as easy as you would imagine. It doesn’t hurt,” she quickly assured him. “I mean, it did at first, quite a lot. But once you get use to it, it’s not so bad.”

Justin shook his head. “Next time you decide you need to be with the working people, try to get a job that won’t hurt you or put you in danger.”

“It wasn’t that bad,” she protested.

“Hmmm,” was all Justin answered as he gently moved his thumb over the palm of her hand, making slow circles over old and new marks. It was not the hand of little ten-year-old. While her hand was still small, it was no longer tender without the knowledge of what hard work was like. Something inside Justin stirred and he released her hand, sitting back. Dabria didn’t move.

“Just be careful, Pixie. You know, we are only concerned because we love you.”

A breath escaped from her and she nodded, before sitting back herself. “I know. I’ll try to remember,” she finally whispered.

Justin smiled and closed his eyes. “That’s my Pixie girl.” He spoke without really thinking. What was wrong with him? He tried to remember the exact feelings he had felt when he had held Dabria’s hand, but for some reason he could not latch onto them. They were as elusive as the Phantom ship he still sought and for a moment he wondered if it shouldn’t stay that way. Something inside him warned that to follow whatever path this was would be dangerous. So, Justin did the only other thing he could think to do. He pushed it out of his mind and instead filled his head with the actions that would be needed to leave Triger in the next few days.

>~>~>~><~<~<~<

Justin frowned. He was imagining things. He had to be. If there was a God, as Tommy and his family claimed, he would not allow this to happen, not while Dabria and Salena were on his ship. It was a week and four days into their journey to take the girls back to their home in Yakecan. There were still three days left. He needed peace for those three days, not a Phantom Ship attack, which was exactly what he was afraid of.

He had seen a ship shadowing them yesterday. He suspected it had come out from the Gwency Island area, otherwise he would have noticed it sooner. As soon as he had seen it, he had the crow nest confirm then ordered no one announce it. If it was in fact The Dandy, he didn’t want the girls to know they were being followed by it. Instead, he ordered the sails open to full. Hopefully, they could shave the three days down to two and a half or less.

Justin clenched his fingers tighter on the wheel. Ever since first seeing the ship, his mind was prone to massive illusions of what The Dandy’s captain might do to his precious cargo when he found out about the two girls. He might try to ransom Dabria back to her family, which would keep her relatively safe, but Salena would have no such protection and on a pirate ship only the worst would happen to her.

“Justin!” The yell came from right beside his ear and he jumped a good foot, before he could turn to stare at his first mate.

Maath wasn’t grinning at his captain’s reaction though, instead he looked concerned. “I’ve been calling you for a while now. What is it?”

“I can’t help but believe that ship is The Dandy,” Justin muttered.

Maath nodded his understanding. “He’s not close enough to be a threat right now. He’s staying back. At that distance, he can’t tell the girls are on board, even when they are on the deck.”

“What is he waiting for, Maath? He has to know we’ve spotted him.”

“I don’t know. That has me more concerned than anything else.”

“He’s toying with us,” Justin pointed out.

“Aye and doing a good job.”

Math waved Namid over to them when he spotted the helmsman on the deck. Namid quickly joined his friends.

“What is it?”

“What is it always?” Maath grumbled back.

Namid glanced to where the Phantom ship was barely in sight. “Why is he back? He’s left us alone for years.”

“Good point. We don’t even know for sure it is him,” Maath agreed.

Justin shook his head. “It’s him. No one else would dare try this. They would be afraid I’d turn and fight. Could he be following so close because he knows I can’t fight right now?”

Namid and Maath looked at him in surprise.

“He knows the girls are on board?” Namid asked, dubiously.

“I can’t see how…” Maath’s voice trailed off as he thought about it more.

“I thought he came after Gwency, but now I’m not so sure. How long could he have been following us? And why? We still don’t know his motive.”

Namid frowned. “No. But he just became a very real threat. We need to concentrate on him more.”

Maath nodded his agreement.

“First, we get the girls off this ship safely. Then we’ll go after him. Hopefully, he’ll be kind enough to wait for him. I have some questions I want answers too. Maath, see if you can get any more speed out of those sails. Namid, take over here. I’m going to check on the girls.” Justin let go of the wheel and Namid took over smoothly. Justin didn’t wait to see if Maath followed his order, he knew he would, but instead moved quickly down the steps. For some reason, he wanted assurance that the girls were safe.

He halted outside the girls’ cabin door and knocked. A voice quickly called out ‘enter.’ Justin opened the door to find both girls sitting at the center table, leaning over their own projects.

“What is all this?” He asked, stepping into the room.

Both girls smiled at him. “Salena came up with a wonderful opening line for a new poem. I am attempting to match a drawing to it, while she figures out the rest of the poem.”

Justin laughed. He immediate felt more at ease seeing the girls doing their normal activates. “How’s it going?”

Salena gave a delicate shrug, while Dabria made a face.

“Do I get to hear it?” He asked.

“Not until it is finished,” Salena smiled.

“Fair enough,” Justin replied.

“Is everything all right, Justin?” Dabria asked, concern etching her features.

“Oh, sure,” he replied quickly. “I’m just so use to you getting into trouble, I figured I’d better check on you.”

Dabria stuck her tongue out at him. “As you can see, we are behaving quite properly.”

“Yes, it’s unusual,” Justin teased her.

“Contrary to popular opinion I can act the lady when I want too,” Dabria sighed.

Justin nodded. “Yes, but you would get bored of that quite quickly if you had to do it all the time.”

Dabria shared a quick glance with Salena, but Justin caught it anyways.

“What? What did I say?”

Dabria shook her head. “Nothing.”

Justin frowned. “I didn’t mean to offend you, Pixie. I know you can act the lady very well. I just meant you also love to have adventures and I think you’d grow bored if you had to give them up.”

Dabria smiled, but there was something behind it Justin couldn’t quite place. “You know me so well, Captain Justin.”

Justin paused for a moment, but he could detect no sarcasm or teasing in her voice, so he shrugged and place a hand on her head for a second. “And don’t you forget it.”

Dabria laughed. “I won’t. I promise.”

>~>~>~><~<~<~<

The second the girls were safely at home, The Guardian Star headed out of the port. When they were in the open water, Justin ordered full sail towards the last spot he had seen the Phantom ship. The crow nest called out its spotting and Namid changed his heading. By the time they reached the spot, the ship was gone. Justin howled in frustration, but there was nothing he could do. The ship had vanished once again.

>~>~>~><~<~<~<