Episode Eighteen: Perils on the High Seas

Father Tobias just sighs. Hollinzoller stands up. He raises his hands making two L shapes with his forefingers and thumbs. He makes a square with them and pulls out. Looking through the shimmering square he's made, he states, “Nothing for 400 miles." Father Tobias begins to say something bemoaning that fact when Hollinzoller speaks again, "No, wait there's a ship coming. We wait 20 minutes and we can flag 'em down.”

Several minutes pass in silence. On the horizon they spot said ship coming. Quite a bit larger than the one Castor saw in her first vision and the sails are taller and shaped slightly differently.

They suddenly realize they're speaking English. Father Tobias tries speaking in German and receives confused glances from both Ivetta and Castor. They evidently do not understand him. Father Tobias proceeds to speak German furiously. Hollinzoller replies to him, also in German. Father Tobias then speaks some Latin. Hollinzoller responds. Then Father Tobias begins to reload his guns, replacing the wet powder.

As the boat approaches, Hollinzoller asks, "Do we have everything we came with?"

"My backpack is gone," Ivetta says.

"It can happen with inexperienced mages. We can hope it's nearby but if it is not it is in the caelium. Lost forever."

Someone from the boat calls, "ahoy! You down there, are ya pirates?"

Castor responds, "No, just shipwrecked."

"Then come on up." They toss a rolled up ladder down to them. They climb up to the deck. Whereby they are surrounded by unsavory men. "Nice dagger." One says to Ivetta and takes it from her. They say similar things of Castor's hammer and pilfer that as well.

The men approach Hollinzoller but are met with his curt reply, "Touch my hood and you'll be picking up your teeth from the floorboards." They back away, turning to Father Tobais

He says, "Stealing from the church is the straightest path to damnation." They mock him like school boys with a sarcastic "ooooooo. Now we're scared."

A well dressed man cuts through the crowd causing them to stop, shouting, "You pick up stranded sailors and the first thing you do is rob them?! Back to work men, as you were!" They shuffle away one by one handing back whatever they took.

"I apologize for the crew, their behavior was atrocious. What flag were you sailing under?"

Father Tobias spots the flag they fly. An odd combination of counties he knows as separate, all in one. He replies, "Brandenburg."

"Germans? We haven't seen Germans… well, ever. You are of course welcome aboard our ship. We found your wreckage. What has befallen you?"

"A northern storm. These waters can be treacherous."

"Yes, yes, this is true. Are you hurt, hungry? Come. Come inside." He leads them to the captain's cabin, opening the door for them. A man with black hair sits behind a desk looking at charts. He looks up, a little bewildered seeing new faces on the open sea. The first mate informs him from whence they came. The captain welcomes them aboard. He says, "I must apologise for the state of the crew. They were hired on short notice. They will listen to his highness's edict. I am Captain Alexander Pierce. And my Lieutenant, Perry Madison. We found this floating amongst the wreckage of your ship." They give them their packs but everything is sopping wet.

"You come at a difficult time. Nothing you should... Hmm, well perhaps you can help me with this. You said you sailed under the flag of Brandenburg? You know nothing about the English navy?

You were a priest aboard your vessel I presume?”

“For a time.”

“Please, if you could help us we would compensate you handsomely. Please sit.” He gestures to the two chairs in front of him.

Ivetta takes one of the seats. Castor tries to shy away but Father Tobias pushes Castor toward the chair. She reluctantly sits.

“We sailed from Essex. We were under the guise of delivering cargo but really we have been sent by his majesty to retrieve a trinket. We have retrieved it and now we venture to Rome. We've been having issues with the crew. As you've seen, they are very greedy, godless sort. Willing to rob poor souls whom they have rescued. The safe behind me is the only thing between the crew and a mutiny. I am certain they want what is inside to take for themselves. I suspect many of the crew are pirates. But now, we have other problems. This all started a few weeks ago. An older gentleman was cast overboard, Abe. thought nothing of it, men fall over sometimes, especially at his age, men can be clumsy. Last week another younger man, Jamie, was also thrown over. Two overboards in two weeks isn't uncommon but it was odd. Yesterday a young boy, Richard, was found below decks stabbed multiple times. This is proof some form of foul play is at hand. Someone or multiple people are guilty. As a neutral party I would ask you to find who among my crew has committed these hianus acts. I can make you officers in the royal navy and have my everlasting gratitude.”

“What is in the safe?”

“I will be happy to show you if you help us. We’ve also caught some horses on the Azors we visited not long ago, they will be yours if you help.”

“Deal.” Castor blushes at how fast she says the word.

“Excellent. My luitenant suspects creman Heart has something to do with this. Unfortunately he and I are the only officers aboard. The other officers perished from disease.”

“Hart and Abe stuck close together, an odd pair to be sure. The crew are rapscallions. I'd execute them all if I had the chance,” a scowl forms on Ltn. Madison’s face as he says this.

“Now, now, lieutenant, we need a crew.” The captain turns back to the group. “It is up to you how you do this but if you do decide to help I would be most grateful. Please, take any open bunks and request food from our cook.”

“How long do we have to find them?”

“We are two to three months away from Rome. It should be ample time.” They leave the captain in his quarters and follow the lieutenant out onto the deck.

“Was there a knife found with the cabin boy?” Ivetta questions the lieutenant.

“We found none. He was mostly hit from behind; there were only some stab wounds on the front. None on his hands.”

Father Tobias asks, “is there a roster of shifts? So we can find the men who would have been on duty at the time of the killings?”

Abe took the evening shifts. Jamie worked morning to afternoon. But hardly anyone sticks to the schedule. Not sure how kindly they’ll take to you all asking questions, so be careful.”

“Perhaps they will be more willing to speak with me, I am a man of the cloth.”

I wouldn’t be too sure Father, they’re a godless sort and those that are are Anglican mostly.”

Innocent as ever, Castor asks, “what’s that?”

He hesitates, “I forgot, you are German. It’s a branch of Protestant religion.”

“What did Richard do? Where was he found?” Ivetta brings back the conversation to the topic at hand.

“He rigged sails and below decks caught vermin. Chores for boys. Maybe stumbled upon something, or someone while he was catching rats. The lock to the hold was destroyed, that's where his body was found. Although nobody is allowed down there. We keep it locked for a reason. Don’t want anybody stealing our cargo.”

“I would like to see the body,” Father Tobias says.

“And I will search the hold for clues.” Ivetta adds.

Father Tobias continues to follows the lieutenant to see the body of the boy. The others remain to speak to each other.

Castor turns to Ivetta, “did you see it? The vision? We have to get what’s in that safe. It's the waypoint.”

“I didn’t see anything.” Ivetta says.

Hollinzoller says, “It could be that we are descending into the caelium. Chati have a different connection with magic than others. I’m sure you will not agree, but I could just take it from them.”

“Ah, no. We will help them. Earn the waypoint honestly.” Castor says. Hollinzoller nods and fucks off to go meditate at the bow of the ship. Ivetta goes to look at the store room and Castor goes to start talking to people, she starts with Hart.

Hart is in his hammock fidgeting looking nervous. He’s a spindly man sporting an eyepatch. Castor approaches him, as expected he doesn’t want to talk much. Castor insists she’s trying to help, that she doesn’t like seeing people afraid or nervous and wants to help him. She moves across the room to get a chair to sit next to him so he might warm up to her but a hand on her shoulder stops her. A pegleg man in chef outfit tells her, “it’s no use, Hart won’t talk to anyone about anything, especially to a stranger. I can give you some answers.” he beacons her to follow him into the galley. She does and watches him prepare soup while they talk.

“Don't know what you're poking around for talking about Abe. If you want to know about him, you should talk to Jonathan. He doesn't talk and sticks to the shadows. But he’s always watching. He probably knows what happened to poor Abe.”

“Do you have any idea who did it?”

“They say the best way to know a man is to get him hungry. I was about to bet someone like Jamie knocked him off but then he up and got killed too.”

“What about Richard? Did you know him or who he was friends with?”

“Richard was friends with Ollie, a boy a bit older than him. I caught ‘em stealing things from my stores but other than that, I hardly knew ‘em.”

“Does anyone have a weapon on board?”

“Most of the crew have weapons, not allowed to of course, but they still carry knives. They weren’t hired on the mainland, pickups I call ‘em. When we got our cargo in the azores, we got a new crew as well. This is also my first journey with the captain but I didn’t get picked up half way through.” Castor thanks him for the information and leaves.

Back on deck, Castor, Father Tobias, and Ivetta meet.

“I looked at Richard's body abrasions on the wrists. He was probably grabbed. He was stabbed twice on his front and six times in the back. The attack was likely multiple assassins. They found him face down.” Castor grimaces. She recounts what she found out and that it might be worth asking Jonathan what he knows.

Ivetta says she found nothing, save two tiny tin soldiers. One on the floor and one in one of the horses’ saddle bags. She gives Castor a tin soldier. And saying, “it might be a good idea to show it to Ollie.”

They part ways once more. Tobias going to talk to Jonathan, Ivetta assisting, and Castor going to speak to Ollie.

Castor looks about the ship for him. She finds him on the boom of the mainmast, sitting, holding something. She balances her way up and out to him, the wind whipping her clothes and hair. She startles him when she says “Are you Ollie?” He drops what he is holding and nearly falls. She helps right him, blustering apologies.

“Who are you? What do you want?”

“I’m one of the shipwrecked people you picked up. Is- is this yours?” He is shocked as she holds out the small tin soldier.

“N-no.”

“If it's not yours then is it Richard’s?” She prods.

“Yes, where did you find it?”

“The storage room.”

“No one’s allowed down there! Why were you?”

“I wasn’t. A friend found it. Look, I’m trying to figure out what happened to him. You were his friend, anything you can tell me, please. I wish to see his soul at rest.”

He gives in, “We liked to sneak down to the storage room where no one could see us play. Where no one could steal our stuff, throw it overboard.”

“Were you there when it happened then?”

Although they are atop the mast, far above the deck and voices stolen by the wind every moment, Ollie still looks around cautiously.

“Please Ollie, I won’t tell anyone. I wouldn’t put you in danger like that.”

“I-I heard it. But I’m no coward! They would have done the same to me!”

“I would never say you were. In fact I think you, brave. Who could it have been?”

“He had a gambling debt with Joel. It's gotta be them.”

Were there any identifiable voices, how many voices? Anything is helpful.”

“I couldn't hear, I was too far away. It could have been them. But I know that those two are always... they're not supposed to be gambling but they do. I’m not sure who is involved. Talk to Jonathan. He's always watching, he might know.”

“How often did you go down there? Is there anyone you know of that knew you went down there?”

“I hope not! We went down there everyday. In port, anytime we could. We’d go to escape Tyrel, that bastard, he threw our horses over.” Castor is alarmed a moment before realizing he meant that toy horses were tossed over.

“I’m sorry, Ollie. But thank you for your help. I’ll do my best to find them and not let them do it again.” She climbs down the mast and picks up what Ollie had been holding. A freshly started  wood carving of a man. She hands it back to him as he also descends. She heads off below decks to find Ivetta or Father Tobias, preferably both.

A door cracks open to her left and a harsh “psssst!” comes out. She turns to see a man’s face. “I hear you've been asking around about Richard.”

“Yeah, I am. Got anything to help?” He gestures for her to come into the room. She gives him a look. “I’ll tell you but not out there, there’s murders about.” Reluctantly, she enters the room, believing if he tried anything she could hold her ground.

He shuts the door behind her and pulls the knife from behind his back. He jabs it at her. Reacting slightly too late she tries to dodge, managing to direct the blade away from her stomach and into her thigh. She sucks in a breath and reaches for her hammer. Tyrel pulls the knife back and swings it again but this time, she’s ready. She sidesteps him with ease and swings at him with the war hammer. He drops to the ground like a sack of potatoes. Castor kicks the knife away from him. In a moment of complete and utter stupidity, tosses it out the window. She leaves the room, tying the door handle so it can’t be opened from inside and limps off to get her friends.

She finds them on deck. Holding her bleeding leg as she hobbles up, Ivetta cries out, “Castor! What happened?”

“Tyrel, he- I think he’s one of the murderers, he just tried to kill me! I knocked him out and locked him below deck.” Tobias tells them to tell the captain and get the lieutenant. He heads down first to get Tyrel. Ivetta and Castor do as they’re bid. As the four descend the stairs they see Father Tobias with his sword out, a crowd around him and the locked door. A moment later Hart and a couple others disperse, then everyone has left.

“We’ll question him in the captain's quarters.” He is trussed up and brought in. Hollinzoller joins them.

“The crew is just as unseemly as we've been told. I did find some information talking with Jonathan. The group that does the gambling seems to be quite inflammatory.”

“Gambling??” the lieutenant is shocked.

Tobias looks at him incredulously. “You brought aboard a motley crew like this and thought there was no gambling aboard?” The lieutenant huffs. “I’m not sure they have the collective thinking power to orchestrate a heist however. I also found that Morgan sneaks off with someone at night. Knowing the identity of the second person may absolve Morgan. The gambling group consists of Jacob, Tobey, Richard, Tyrel, and Joel. Let’s see if our friend here knows anything more.”

Tyrel, tied to a chair in the middle of the cabin protests, “hey I don’t know nothin’.”

“I am skeptical that that is the case but please, attempt to persuade me otherwise. Did you or did you not attack a passenger on this ship?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I don’t even have a weapon.”

Castor steps up, “I-I threw the knife overboard, I didn't want him to use it again.”

Tryrel looks triumphant, “See she threw it- Uh, wait noo, I had no knife.”

Father Tobias smiles and chuckles slightly. “I know Joel gambles. I know you participate as well.” He unsheathes his sword.

“No- straight as an arrow I am-”

Tobais stabs him in the foot. Tyrel screams. Castor audibly gasps. “Tell me about Richard, the boy you gambled with.”

Pain fresh he says, “He's just in the gambling ring with us- I mean not me! He's just a twerp.

He owed Joel a debt!

The sword twists, earning another pained cry. “And was Joel the one who collected on that debt, in blood?”

“Joels not man enough to gut him!”

“Then who did?”

“Listen it wasn't my idea but I aint no snitch! Not that I did anything to him.”

“I suspect you are not telling me the truth. That will not do.” Tobias requests a bucket of water and pulls a spare shirt over Tyrel’s head. Fuckin literally waterboards him right there.

When he is finished he says, “I will ask again, who killed Richard?”

Cough cough “It was Jacob! And and -I’m not telling you the other one is! He’ll kill me!”

Ivetta asks, “Is it the lieutenant?”

Tyrel looks incredibly confused, “Huh?” Answering her question.

Father Tobias continues, “Tyrel whoever it is might kill you, but if you don't prove yourself useful, then keeping you aboard this ship is not a risk I'm willing to take.”

“I'm not gonna tell you who it is but I can give you information. He- he’s in the gambling circle with us.”

“Let’s puzzle this out then. It's not Richard, he’s dead. It's not Jacob, he’s second in command, and Joel isn't man enough to do it. So...Tobey. Were Jacob and Tobey the ones who killed Abe and Jamie?”

“I don't know, they didn't tell me a lot.”

“Were they gone the night those two disappeared?”

“Listen, I don't know nothin’ they- they fell overboard we didn’t do nothin’ to them.” Tired of the conversation with the brick wall, Father Tobias decides they’ve gotten all the information they need. He cracks him on the head with the hilt of his sword and Tyrel KOs.

He turns to the group, “It would be good to question Jacob and Tobey rather than to assume.”

The captain speaks up, “I can see Jacob but I don't know about Tobey but, as I said I'll let you do whatever you think is right.”

“I think we may be on a short timer now. I imagine they know he'd be quick to give up information, maybe Tobey’s backed the rats into a corner.”

The captain stands, “I fear you may be right. If he is indeed guilty he will act. The lieutenant will guard the cargo and lock the door on the way out.” Everyone heads out of the cabin readying their weapons. The deck of the HMS Queen Anne is deserted.

Captain has pistols in right hand and the officer's sword in the left. Castor hefts her hammer. Ivetta redies her spear. Father Tobias prepares his pistol. They head downstairs.

As they expected, the crew is gathered. Tobey in the center speaks to the crew as the five descend, “See men? They took Tyrel and threw them overboard! Don’t let them throw us off too! Don't let these foreigners twist your mind!”

Tobias speaks, “Tyrel is upstairs and has named the conspirators. I will wait a moment and let those who were in league with the murder of Richard step forward of their own accord.”

“Come on men, are you going to listen to a foreigner we picked up from the sea or are you going to fight with your brethren?”

No one steps to join Tobey, they do nothing. In fact, some back up.

“Argh! Fine, I’ll do it myself!” Tobey retreats to his footlocker pulling from it a massive cutlass and his pirate hat.

Father Tobias aims, and says “last chance Tobey.” He does not drop his weapons. Tobias shoots twice, hitting him in the back. Tobey whirls and aims his flintlock.

Castor, seeing danger and trying to stop the firefight before it starts, flings her hand pushing him away with magic. Tobey is thrown into the shelves on the wall. The crew gasps.

Father Tobias gets out his musket, “Surrender and we’ll take you to port, if not we’ll throw you overboard.” Unintimidated, Jacob presses forward. The captain shoots him. Ivetta creeps down the stairs and redies her spear.

Hollizoller walks up behind Castor asking, “so I guess the magic is back on then?”

“Just-just try not to kill anybody.” He smiles and then he fucking yeets Jacob into Hart. They are sent to the floor, probably very injured. when he’s able, Jacob gets up and fucks off out the window. Castor begs people, “please surrender, I don't want to hurt anyone else.” She also asks Hollinzoller to please save Jacob. He looks at her oddly. Tobey tries to stab him but Hollinzoller sidesteps him with practiced ease.

Father Tobias steps up and says “Just give up. Just stop.”

Hart puts up his hands. Joel tackles Hollinzoller, dragging him to the ground. Isaiah backs him up. Ivetta runs past the tussle and stabs at Tobey with her spear. She kills him with a stab to the head, ending the fight.

The captain descends the stairs. He stops, pointing his pistol at Hollinzoller and his cutlass at Castor. She drops her hammer, putting up her hands. “What in the hell are you two?”

Father Tobias, in his calmly furious tone says, “I was taking them to the papacy to find out for myself.”

He turns his ire on Castor, “what were you thinking?? I was trying to get them to stand down. This is not something that needed to come to violence.”

The captain lowers his weapons, “I believe your story but you'll have to permit me my own precautions. They will be under constant supervision. Bind them to the mast.” Men bring shackles and put them on Castor and Hollinzoller’s wrists.

They are indeed bound to the mast. Father Tobias gives them a stern talking to, “There was one man with a gun. All we had to do was damage him.”

Castor stutters more than usual, “I-I’m s-sorry! I don't know what I'm doing! I was-was t-trying to stop it b-before it started. I thought-”

“Just because you have power does not mean you have to use it. Especially when the other person has no counter to it. Violence could have been avoided.”

Hollinzoller cuts in, “You shot first, Father. She just pushed a man across the room. Either of us could have killed him in a second. You don't understand the power we wield. You never will. This whole thing could have been over in an instant.”

“The situation was in hand, he was one man.”

“I could have examined the body and found the killer.”

“By what means would you convict him? What evidence?”

“It doesn’t matter. You’ll never understand.” he turns away, done with the conversation.

Father Tobias rounds on Castor, “These people, not just the ones we fought in the hold, you need to be able to give them a chance. Perhaps it is good that you have time to reflect on your blatant manhandling of people who do not possess magical abilities. Again.”

Shame burns hot on Castor’s face. Watching them walk away she finds herself wishing the deck would swallow her up, never to be seen again.

Ivetta and Father Tobias enter the captain’s cabin. They converse in there for nearly half an hour. Castor’s head perks up when Ivetta and the captain approach.

“You have kept your word, I shall keep mine. Thank you for assisting in rooting out these traitors. You now have honorary status in the royal navy. Although your status is immediately revoked.” He looks to the two chained to the mast. The captain then holds up the object in his hands: a tall, beautiful, gold embroidered hat, very recognizably, the pope’s hat. “Here, now are you satisfied?”

Ivetta looks at Castor, speaking in Italian she says, “Are you ready?”

“What- what about Father Tobias?”

“He said...he’s staying behind.” Castor nods in understanding, face grim. She touches the holy hat and thinks of the people and things she wants to bring with them. Ivetta, Gerard, Hollinzoller, the horses, their packs. She tries very hard not to think about Father Tobias but in trying not to think of something, said thing is, consequently, thought about.

TBC

Episode Nineteen: All Oceans Lead to Rome