Fourth Vector Ch. 17

"Do we have a problem out here?" asked the officer, looking at Jack with a questioning glare. "Why are you harassing my clerk?"

Jack turned to face him. "I need to get into the city to meet with the king. It's of utmost priority that I do so."

"Who's priority? The king's or yours?" asked the officer.

"Both," replied Jack.

The officer took a deep breath and silently appraised him. Without so much as another word, he waved Jack inside his office, not waiting for him as he dipped back inside. Jack gave one last look to the clerk at the counter before following the officer. The clerk almost seemed relieved.

"First tell me who you are and then tell me what you want," said the officer as soon as Jack was past the doorframe. The office was tiny, with barely enough room for a desk and two chairs. It didn't help the fact that the officer still regarded him with suspicion.

"My name is Commodore Jack Easterbrook of the Javan Empire," said Jack, leading with his official identity first.

"Easterner then, I take it?" asked the officer before he gestured to his hair. "Or what?"

"Yes, easterner," replied Jack.

"We don't get many easterners around here. Can't say I've ever seen one in my lifetime," said the officer.

"This was a first for me too," said Jack. "You're clearly an officer here, correct? Navy?"

The man nodded silently.

"I gave you my name and rank. What's yours?"

"Commander Booth," he replied. "I'm in charge of this port."

"Commander Booth," acknowledged Jack. "Good. Is there any way you can help me?"

"I know your name now, Commodore, but I still don't know why you're here," said Booth. "You can try enlightening me on that subject, and then I'll see if I can help you."

Jack didn't waste any of the time he was given, launching into the story about his mission from Java, his time spent in Lishkerra, Sorella, and Andalucia, and their goal once they arrived in Picardy. He didn't expand into many details, especially concerning the Swabians, as he couldn't be sure of Booth's loyalty or their status in Picardy. The last thing he wanted was to go off about his encounters with the country only to find he did so to unsympathetic ears.

"So, that's the gist of it," said Jack finally. "We're here to see King Aedan to see what can be done for the purpose of joining our alliance."

To his credit, Booth didn't bat an eyelash or interrupt during the entire story, even during some of the more hard to believe parts. He listened quietly until Jack had finished and then opened up with his own line of questioning.

"You know, I'd heard of a few disturbances to the south," said Booth, leaning back in his chair. "Small news items, things that don't change the world too much. A change of king in Andalucia, and the ending of the civil war in Sorella. However, your story makes you the central figure to both of those pieces of news."

Jack nodded. "That is the case. Our time here hasn't been without trouble, but we didn't come here to start any fights. I know your king is related by marriage to Heron of Sorella, and it was upon his advice that I'm here. Heron is a crucial ally to our cause."

Booth fixed his gaze on him. "Even if what you said is true, which I have no way of verifying if it isn't, I can't let you into the city."

"Even if I protect myself? I'm not carrying the plague, Commander. You'd be able to tell if I was."

"That's not so much the case, and I can already see that clearly," replied Booth with a knowing look. "It's more of a case of my own orders. I can't let you in because my superiors don't want anyone but the Swabians coming in currently."

Jack pursed his lips. "Can I ask what the reasoning is behind that? It was my knowledge that the Swabians and the Picards were not on friendly terms."

Booth waved his hand dismissively. "Old rivalries, yes. Yet, times have changed, Commodore. The Swabians have turned over a new leaf and approach as friends now. Their goods flood our marketplaces, and they've shown themselves to be an agreeable sort of people."

"I've never heard of the words 'agreeable' and 'Swabian' being in the same sentence," joked Jack. Unfortunately, Booth didn't crack much of a smile in return.

"As I've said, times have changed."

Jack nodded. He was thankful he didn't launch into the real story about his conflicts with the Swabians to Booth, seeing how partial he was to their change of heart. It still didn't help his situation at all, and without the Swabian threat behind it, his urgency to see the king lacked teeth.

"Unfortunately, if that's all the story you have to go on, I can help you no further," continued Booth. "And I'd like to ask that you stop harassing my clerk. They are under orders, as we all are."

Jack didn't want to resort to this, but Booth's sudden movements clearly showed the meeting to be over. Reaching inside his jacket pocket, he pulled out a small bag of gold coins, tossing it on the desk with a heavy metallic sound.

Booth's eyes looked down at the bag and then back to Jack. "What is this?"

"A gift. For you and your family if you help me."

Booth gave him a suspicious look as he slowly reached over to the bag. He pulled it to him without taking his gaze off Jack. Once he opened the bag, his eyes went wide.

"How much?"

"Enough that you won't have to worry about much for the next decade," said Jack. "Enough to buy your wife something nice and to make sure your children get a proper education."

Booth looked back down at the bag. "Why?"

Jack leaned forward. "I need to get in front of the king. I'm not above spending some gold to accomplish that. What I need to know now is can you help me?"

"I don't have any pull with the king. I don't even know him," said Booth, letting several coins spill out onto his desk. He inspected them carefully. "I can't promise you any success in getting there."

"I don't need that promise, because I know that was never guaranteed. I just need you to try. I'm sure you have your own resources. You know the city, and I know you would command respect. All I need is for you to try," Jack repeated.

"And if I fail?"

"Then I will think nothing of it, and we'll go on our way with no hard feelings."

Booth gulped. "You know, I could be putting my entire career in jeopardy by accepting this. This is tantamount to a bribe."

"It's an understanding between two officers," said Jack. "It doesn't need to go any further than that. If asked, we'll deny any involvement. As I expect you would."

"And if the payment is not enough?" Booth's eyes locked on Jack's.

Jack shifted uncomfortably in his chair. "I think the contents of that bag should be sufficient for your needs."

"What if it's not?"

Booth was playing with him now, trying to see how far he could milk this request. Jack could only hold him off for so long, but it would be ultimately futile. He needed the man's help.

Making a dramatic sigh, Jack finally said, "I'll pay you more if you're successful. But only if you're successful."

"How much? Another bag?"

Jack felt his nostrils flare at the man's gall. Even though it was a tiny amount compared to what they still had left in the treasury on theDestiny, it was the principle of the matter. He didn't want to overpay, but just how much was this man's assistance worth?

"Fine. Another bag if you're successful," said Jack reluctantly.

Booth's body language changed instantly. A wide smile pierced his face, and he happily pocketed the gold in front of him. "Rest assured, I will get word over to the palace this very morning. I can have an answer back to you before nightfall. If the king agrees to meet with you, I'll give you the time and place."

"So soon?" asked Jack with a raised eyebrow. "I would expect something like this to take a little more time. How are you so sure you can have an answer back so quickly?"

Booth patted the bag of gold in his pocket. "The reward of success will motivate me."

Jack nodded. "Then we understand each other. I'll return back to my ship now, and I'll await word on what you hear."

"That works for me." Booth stood up from his desk and extended his hand to Jack. The smile on his face was a little too smug for Jack's liking. "A pleasure to do business with you."

Jack shook his hand without acknowledgment and quickly left the office. He hazarded one last look at the clerk before leaving, finding the man watching him leave with a measure of relief on his face.

You might be seeing much more of me very shortly, thought Jack as he left the office and emerged back onto the dock. He made the short stroll over to theDestiny and rushed up the gangplank, deciding to head to the bridge first. There was a good chance Abigail would be there, and he wanted to share what just happened with her.

Sure enough, she was found at her command station, and he soon entered and sat beside her.

"There you are," she said with a smile. "Did they change their answer?"

"Not exactly," replied Jack. "But I changed it for them."

She looked over at him. "What do you mean?"

"I had to resort to bribing the commander. He's going to help me get word to Aedan of our arrival."

Abigail looked shocked. "I'm surprised. Do you think it will actually work?"

Jack shrugged. "I hope so, but I'm not sure. It just seemed a little too smooth for my liking. It's one of the only chances we have though, so I took it."

She reached over to pat his back. "I hope so too."

"What have you been doing up here? Has it been quiet for you today?"

Abigail pointed out the window of the bridge. "I've been watching this show for quite some time now. It's an interesting situation."

Jack looked to where she was pointing. Curiously enough, another warship had appeared in the bay. It wasn't much smaller than theValiant in size, and it looked to have an all-metal hull. Like the Swabian cruiser they fought before landing in Andalucia, it appeared to be at the same level of technological sophistication, or roughly a generation behind Jack's own ships. There was a flag flapping from the mast that Jack didn't quite recognize.

"Do we know who it is? How long has it been there?"

"It arrived right as you left theDestiny to go to the port office," said Abigail. "When I saw the flag, I asked Kat to come up to the bridge to see if she recognized it. She said it was a Carinthian cruiser."

"Carinthian then? That's interesting. I wonder what a Carinthian warship is doing in Picardy," said Jack as he studied the vessel.

"From what Kat was saying, the two countries were at one time firm allies, although she wasn't sure if that was still the case."

"Have they made any hostile moves?"

Abigail shook her head. "Not from what I can see. But this meeting down below ought to be interesting."

She pointed to a launch boat that had left from the Carinthian vessel and now approached the official city harbor. Like themselves a few days prior, they were stopped by the chain across the entrance and the Picard officials in their boats. From this vantage point, Jack could tell that the meeting was going to be far from routine.

"It doesn't seem to be going well," said Jack. "I'm seeing a lot of arm waving, and it looks like they might be yelling at each other."

"Let me see." Abigail took over the binoculars and looked through it herself. After another moment, she lowered them. "It's really getting heated."

That confrontation between the two former allies went on for a few more minutes. They both watched eagerly, trying to get some kind of idea of what might happen. Would the Carinthians be allowed entrance into the harbor?

What would they do if they were turned down?

"Oh my god, Jack! They drew their weapons!"

Jack grabbed the binoculars to take a look. Just as she described, both parties had now pulled out their weaponry. The Carinthians had rifles with them, and they were now pointed at the Picard officials, who had drawn their service pistols. The situation seemed to be regressing quickly.

"I wonder if we're about to witness the start of a war," muttered Jack. "What I wouldn't give to be within earshot of that conversation."

The standoff was over far too quickly. After a few tense seconds, the Carinthians dropped their weapons and sped off back to their ship. Jack watched as the Picards kept their guns trained on them until they were far enough away.

"Jack, what do you think that was all about? I get the situation here with the plague and everything, but that looked a lot more serious than just being denied entry into the city."

"I don't know," he said quietly. "But it looks like we're not the only ones chafing at the treatment by the Picards. It seems like everything here is backwards. The Carinthians get guns pointed at them while the Swabians get most-favored trading status. I'm not sure what country we landed in, because it sure doesn't sound like Picardy."

"If not even their own allies can get through, what hopes do we have?" she asked quietly.

Jack didn't answer her. He couldn't find the words to make a response without losing whatever hope they had left. The situation hadn't become any less challenging with the arrival of the Carinthians.

He needed the Picard officer to hold up his end of the bargain before a war broke out between the wrong countries.

He just needed a little good luck.

Unfortunately, good luck was always in short supply on this mission.

*****

Back in Sorella, King Heron was in a splendid mood. The older man found himself humming as he removed his ceremonial outfit, placing one of the many sashes back in its proper place in his wardrobe. His mood was elevated by the parade that had taken place this afternoon, a celebration of the impending nuptials of his daughter and future son-in-law.

As was to be expected, the city went wild at the celebration, and it had been a long time since Sorella had seen such happiness. It would take days to fully clean the streets of all of the flowers that had been thrown along the path, and even though the parade was already over, he could still hear the jubilant populace celebrating on their own. The city was alive with the festivities, and he could only give thanks at seeing the return of such joy to the hearts of Sorellans.

He had no doubt that the celebration would go on for the rest of the evening and into the night, and he welcomed the sounds of it. For now though, he had other plans. He'd planned a quiet evening with his family, a dinner with Elektra and Nikias that was going to also add a new person to the table.

"Are you sure this dress is appropriate?" asked Melora, coming up to his side. "I don't want anything too elaborate in front of Elektra. It's her day after all."

Heron smiled and kissed her forehead. "You look beautiful. And the dress makes you look even better. Trust me, it's the right one."

Melora gave him an anxious smile as she rushed back over to the mirror, making sure her complexion was just perfect. She'd been a bundle of nerves ever since receiving the invitation to dinner. Even though he'd been formally courting her for weeks now, and they'd privately expressed their feelings to each other, this would be the first time that she was having a public dinner with Elektra.

Of course, she was worried about his daughter's approval, especially on a day like today that was already so much about her. Heron thought he'd heard every excuse in the book about why Elektra may not approve of their relationship, but he was ready to introduce this new connection to his daughter.

And why wouldn't he be? Melora gave him a happiness that he hadn't felt since his wife passed away. Just about every evening, the woman sat with him on his balcony, looking up at the stars and talking about every subject there was to talk about. Melora impressed him with her mind, regularly giving thoughtful comments and ideas, and by being the one true companion around whom he felt he could be himself. It was long past time that those two halves of his soul had met.

Satisfied with his appearance, Heron turned to see Melora sitting on his bed, anxiously toying her fingers. He approached her and took her soft hands in his. "No need to fret. All will be well today. Let's go down for dinner, as I'm sure they're waiting for us."

Melora nodded reluctantly. Truthfully, he found her nervousness adorable. She'd been fretting so much about how Elektra would receive her that it had even affected her sleep the prior two nights. Heron just hoped that once this dinner was over, she would go back to her normal, less anxious self.

The two of them walked arm in arm down to the main banquet hall, entering right in front of the servants who were still setting the table. Predictably, Elektra and Nikias were already there. Heron took the moment to appreciate the two of them from afar before they realized they weren't alone. He might have understood if they were quiet or exhausted from the course of the day, but it was quite the opposite. They were seated so close together that they might as well be on top of each other. Elektra rested her head against his shoulder, only pausing to look up lovingly at her fiance. The two of them were the picture of love, and Heron could only give a silent thanks to the gods bringing someone like Nikias into his daughter's life.

"There you both are," said Heron loudly, attracting their attention. "And I here I thought you both might be too tuckered out from the parade to have dinner."

The both of them raised to their feet as was custom and came over to greet him.

"As tired as I am, I'm hungry more," said Elektra as she leaned in to kiss his cheek.

"She speaks for both of us, Your Majesty," said Nikias.

"Nikias, how many times have I told you to cut that out, especially now that you're family?" asked Heron with an exaggerated sigh. "Especially when we're in private."

Nikias grinned. "It always takes me a long time to get used to something new."

Heron gave him a sly smirk and tapped his arm. "Well, start getting used to it!" Heron then looked to his right, noticing Melora was still by his side, if not slightly behind him. Even though Nikias and Elektra knew who Melora was (and no doubt knew unofficially of his relationship with her), it was the first time he would introduce her in this fashion.

"I believe you both know Melora already," said Heron with a more serious look. "I've invited her to join us for dinner."

The words were simple but meant much more than they conveyed. Only family dined this intimately with the king, and his bringing of Melora to the table signaled a romantic intent that didn't need to be verbally spoken.

Nikias was the first one to react with his usual customary politeness. "Welcome, Melora. It's a pleasure to have you at dinner tonight."

Melora turned red and gratefully took his hand. "The pleasure is all mine, my lord."

Nikias started to chuckle. "Just Nikias, please." He then turned back to look at Heron. "Especially if we're being informal here."

"Nikias is right, dear," said Heron. "First names only tonight."

The moment he was waiting for happened next. Elektra and Melora seemed to study each other for the briefest of minutes before Elektra offered her hand in greeting. "I've been hearing rumors that my father has a lover."

"Elektra!" said Heron with a shock. "Is that any way to—"

"Let me finish, father, please?" asked Elektra with softness in her eyes. She turned back to Melora who was now so red that she might as well have been a tomato. "What I meant to say is that this old man has needed a woman in his life ever since my mother passed. When I found out it was you, I really hoped that you would be the one to give him that happiness again." Elektra then offered a genuine smile. "Welcome to the table, and I'm glad to have you here."