Lost at Sea Bk. 02 Ch. 09

"There is enough charlatanism and chicanery on display tonight that the real thing goes almost unnoticed," the Doctor nodded, sounding amused "As you are clearly more than comfortable with witchcraft, I will make my case plainly. I am a practitioner as well. When I heard there was a witch-friendly vessel with a female captain leaving tomorrow and headed to my home, it seemed too good to be true," Doctor Kalfou said folding her hands on the table.

"It might be," Captain Vex said. "Depends on your expectations. My ship is already chartered. Both our cabins are occupied. I don't have any comfortable space tae accommodate passengers."

"I see. Why did you agree to see me, then?" Kalfou asked.

"I said comfortable. If ye're willing tae share a berth with two other passengers, this might work out," Captain Vex explained.

"Think that would be fine, I," the Doctor said. Her word choices were so carefully chosen that the occasional affectations of her accent stuck out strongly. Somehow the Imperial tongue sounded much more musical from her lips.

"One of them is a man. An Asura," the Captain added.

That gave the Doctor pause. "Have never seen an Asura, I, but the stories are plentiful. The understanding is that they are intensely private, and... temperamental."

"Aye, that sounds about right," Captain Vex nodded.

"Is this an arrangement your Asura will be willing to accept?" the Doctor asked.

"If it innae, he can get off my ship," Vex shrugged.

Bella stifled a laugh. The Captain's straightforward approach to problem solving was still surprising, and often amusing.

The Doctor looked surprised and impressed. "It sounds like there will not be a problem."

"Alright, lets get ontae the rest then," Captain Vex said. "I'm willing tae wave my usual passenger fee in return for your work. Medical care for my crew, for the duration of the journey."

"Quite reasonable. Would like to restrict my work hours to your duty day, I, and will need a private space to see patients," Doctor Kalfou said. She glanced at the other two women as she spoke, and then at their general surroundings, seeming to be thinking about a number of different things at once while she held a conversation. When she met Janie's eyes one of her brows twitched. She gave a small smile. Janie didn't know what to do, so she smiled back, then mentally kicked herself for so easily forgetting that she was supposed to be stern and unflappable right now.

"I expect that doesn't count for emergencies?" Bella asked.

"No, of course not," the Doctor assured her. "A good doctor is always on call."

"During the day, ye can use the cabin as an office," Captain Vex agreed.

"Are there any other issues that need to be worked out?" the Doctor asked.

"A few simple questions," Janie replied.

"A screening. Of course," the Doctor said. She seemed guarded. Janie could tell her poise was practiced, but beneath it there was quite a bit of tension.

"Have you ever been Questioned by the Magistrate regarding your magical practices?" Janie asked.

"No," the Doctor said, her face suddenly more severe. "There be little magistrate presence in the Keys, but would not submit myself to Magistrate Judgement even if there were, I."

"Why is that?" Janie asked.

"A Spirit Binder, I. My practice is outlawed by the Magistrate. They hunt I. They hunt friends, family, all." Doctor Kalfou spoke slowly. Bella knew that feeling. The Doctor had just revealed details of who she was that might cost her a great deal. She was waiting now, to see what would happen. To Bella's surprise, Janie simply moved on to the next question as though the Doctor's admission was a routine answer.

"Does your practice include inflicting harm on the unwilling, blood sacrifice, mind control, or curses?" Janie asked.

Doctor Kalfou smiled slightly. "Know the right questions to ask, you. No. A doctor first and foremost, I. The practice sometimes involves blood magic, and twice have woven spells that manipulate the mind, I, but in all cases intent was to heal, to remove pain and trauma," It was clear her words were carefully chosen. Bella was beginning to feel some sympathetic anxiety. As a N'madi, and a fellow witch, she knew well what the Doctor was feeling.

"Do you have any strong prejudices that might interfere with crew stability or morale?" Janie continued.

The Doctor laughed awkwardly and cleared her throat. "Well, uncomfortable with the Magistrate and other followers of the Warden, am I. For obvious reasons."

"Do you have a religion, Doctor?" Bella interjected.

"Would call myself... spiritual, rather than religious," Doctor Kalfou said after a moment's thought. "My people revere the Traveler, and I have been known to make offerings and prayers to the Twins from time to time, but that is the extent."

Bella made a decision in her head. She liked Doctor Kalfou. There was just one thing left to ask before she decided if she wanted her on the ship or not. "Doctor, I am the ship's witch you were told about. Divination is my primary area of focus, but the majority of my craft revolves around reproductive issues. I make hex bags, cure social diseases, treat impotence and infertility. My methods of drawing power tend toward... carnal. Is that a problem for you?"

Doctor Kalfou broke into a wide grin. Her white teeth matched her outfit. "My people are not nearly so uptight about carnality as Mainlanders. Would love to talk shop about your craft, I. So many questions."

Bella smiled back and looked to the Captain, who looked to Janie. "That everything?"

Janie could only think of one more question to ask. "How do you keep that outfit clean?"

"Magic," the Doctor said with a conspiratorial wink. The four women laughed for a moment, the earlier tension gone. It was clear they'd all made their decisions.

"I think that's everything, Doctor," Captain Vex said. "You're welcome aboard the Kestrel. We leave at dawn tomorrow."

Doctor Kalfou stood with easy grace and shook the Captain's hand again. "Will have my things delivered to your ship, I, and see you in the morning."

Her cane and her heels gave her departure a cadence that blended nicely with the music of the parade. Bella and Captain Vex both turned their attention to Janie.

"What was all that stuff about her magic about?" Belita asked. "I need a doctor. Seemed like ye were lookin' tae drive her away."

"It's important to know what kind of forces a spellbinder deals in. If I were still Magistrate I'd be duty-bound to report her to the Order of the Hammer." Janie sounded worried.

"Is she really that bad?" Bella asked. "I liked her. Her answers seemed good."

"I liked her too, but she is a necromancer," Janie clarified.

Belita's brows rose while Bella's knitted in concern. "Do we have to use that word?"

"What would you prefer? She fits all the criteria," Janie shrugged.

"She called herself a Spirit Binder," Captain Vex shrugged. "How about that?"

"All necromancy is a form of spirit binding," Janie countered.

"Is all Spirit Binding a form of Necromancy?" Bella countered.

"No, that is why I asked for more details." Janie didn't like having to defend herself from Bella, but Captain Vex needed to understand what was at stake.

"She said she helps people," Bella said, clearly trying to aim the conversation in a better direction.

"Yes, and I believe her. Necromancy is more commonly accepted in Nivalese culture, but it's clear she's aware of the stigma held by most other peoples. She knew the risk she was taking and was honest anyway. I don't think she was lying or misrepresenting anything. I just want to make sure you're aware of the threat she creates by being aboard," Janie said pointedly.

"Because of the Magistrate," Captain Vex said, starting to see where Janie was going.

"Yes. She said so herself. The Magistrate hunts her, and her friends and family too, because of her practice. Bella's presence on the ship already creates a small risk, but she is accredited and traveling on a ship chartered by a noble." Janie said grimly. "If you put an undocumented Necromancer on your ship, and the Magistrate finds out, they'll put all of you in chains and take you to the nearest Fort to be Questioned."

Captain Vex sighed. "Small chance, but one hell of a consequence. I think normally I'd say no, but Colin really needs a doctor. He should be gettin' better by now. I want her aboard. Past this port, there innae much Magistrate presence. We can ask her tae keep the witch stuff a secret. She'll just be a doctor, an' the three of us won't tell anyone any different."

"Easy enough for me," Janie smiled. "I'm not even on the ship."

Bella nodded. When it was Reeve being taken aboard, the Captain's penchant for risk taking worried her. Now she was glad for it. Her heart went out to the other witch. When she'd answered the questions about her craft and the Magistrate, Bella knew exactly what that felt like. She wanted to help, and give her safe passage back home. "Thank you, Captain," she said quietly.

Vex scoffed and took a drink. "You witchy folks sure make things interesting."

____________________________

For good or ill, festivals attracted all kinds of people. Will, Jack and Lace had followed the parade and ended up in a large town square. In spite of the late hour, it was bustling. Street lights lined the perimeter streets and a large bonfire in the center of the square burned bright. People were tossing small sacrifices and efigies into the flames. Beautiful actresses dressed as the Gods themselves stood on small platforms and performed famous tales and gave sermons of the various Divine Gospels. Small shrines had been built at the foot of each stage and offerings were piled high before most of them. Clergy and disciples of all stripes were providing blessings and rites according to the strengths and teachings of the god they served.

The Order of the Chalice was there representing the Magistrate and preaching the glories and teachings of the Warden. Not surprisingly they had the largest stage and shrine. Acolytes were handing out food and coins to the needy, and priests were anointing and blessing babies. There was even a Centurion there smiling next to the shrine. He was letting a group of children play with his plumed golden helm and speaking with nearby worshipers. There were only a hundred of the legendary warriors at any given time, so seeing one was rare.

On the other side of the town square, the shrine to the Traveler was slightly smaller but far more packed with people. All Souls Night was the most widely celebrated holiday among worshipers of the Traveler, and had spread through Nivalese culture even among those who were not particularly devout. Now, wherever the Nivalese settled, the holiday was growing. It was a raucous party and an excuse to dress up in flamboyant costumes, so even people who had no idea about its origins still enjoyed it.

The Traveler was also called the First Spirit. She was the matriarch of a large host of spirits who's jobs it was to find and guide souls from one place to another. They were said to be an unpredictable and capricious lot, and according to Nivalese lore, on this particular night they crossed over from the Ways Between to the mortal realm.

"These kinds of celebrations fascinate me. Just think of the years of small traditions and beliefs that had to build up over time to culminate in this event." Jack's smile had been plastered on her face ever since they'd joined the parade, and had only gotten wider as they'd explored.

"Does she always talk like that?" Lace asked Will from behind her cup.

"Only when she's really excited. She missed her calling as a librarian," Will smirked.

Jack gave Will a small glare. "And you missed yours as a curator of some stuffy museum."

"That's true," Will admitted.

"Wonderful. I'm surrounded by academics," Lace shook her head.

"Keep your guard up. You might learn something," Will said in mock horror.

"That's what I have this fantastic alcohol for," Lace smiled. She finished what was in her cup and held out her hand toward Will. He fished out a few coins from his purse and dropped them into her palm. She wandered off toward the nearest drink merchant. They were all on their second cup now. They'd discovered that the wonderful drink came in many variations. Each merchant had their own family recipe. They's decided it was their goal to try as many of them as possible before the night was through.

"I like her," Will smiled. He was at the pleasant warmth stage of intoxication. He felt a bit off balance, but in an enjoyable way.

"She's growing on me," Jack admitted.

A small line of people with shaved heads wearing loose black and white garments walked by next to the parade. They were passing out pamphlets and making a slow, steady droning chant that seemed to drown out much of the music. They alongside the happy crowd, but were distinctly apart from it, walking slower and not partaking in any of the revelry. Their faces were serene, even happy, but their kind of happiness was very different from the rest of the revelers. Everyone around them seemed more subdued by their passing. Their presence was a sinkhole in the energy of the festival.

One of them pressed a pamphlet into Will's hand. He took it without much thought, but frowned. "Cheery folks," he said sarcastically. "Who are they?"

"They call themselves the Empty Vessels," Jack said with a slight roll of her eyes.

"Some kind of religious cult?" Will asked, as he watched them continue their passive resistance of the party.

"The opposite, really. Their philosophy is all about letting go of suffering. They include religion, romantic attachment, and property as sources of suffering, so they encourage people to let all that go in order to reach enlightenment," Jack explained.

"No wonder they seem so exciting," Will said wryly.

"Pretty much," Jack agreed. "It's an interesting philosophy, but the way they go about spreading it mostly seems to be encouraging others to care about things less. It makes for a hard sell."

The two of them waited for Lace to come back, and simply watched the crowd for a moment, enjoying the music and the elaborate costumes. There was still an undercurrent of uncertainty to them when they found themselves alone together, but it was slowly eroding. The ease that they fell back into camaraderie and comfort with each other was hard to fight, and the wine bolstered it. There was a part of Will that wasn't sure if he wanted to fight it. He'd held a grudge for years and it had gotten him nothing good. The principal of his anger was solid, but when he weighed things objectively he had to admit that even in his self-imposed isolation his life was still pretty good. The biggest sticking point had always been that he felt like he'd lost the ability to travel and adventure, and now, well, he was doing all that again. With her, no less. If the principal issue was gone, was the grudge worth hanging onto? Was he really still angry about being left in that temple? H had to admit that part of him was. Jack's explanation was compelling, even if he didn't understand it all, but e still had resentment about it. On the other hand, it was hard to stay mad when things felt so good right now. Things felt unsteady in his head, just as much as the alcohol had him feeling unsteady on his feet.

"I'm going to go get my face painted!" Jack said excitedly. She pointed over to the stage where the actress dressed as the Traveler was performing. At the base of the stage near the shrine artists were selling their skills. Jack actually ran to join the line. Will smiled. She didn't get this excited often, but when she did he found it adorable. He watched her leave with a smile on his face.

Something tugged at his belt faintly and his hand instinctively snapped down. Too many years living in Bastard's Bay had honed his instincts against pickpockets to the point where he didn't need to think about it anymore before swinging toward anything that tugged near his purse. His hand made contact with skin and rang out with a resounding slap. His head snapped and his eyes locked with a startled, round-faced child holding a small knife. Predictably, Will's purse hit the ground between them. The child stood paralyzed in shock for a moment, then bolted into the crowd. Will sighed and picked up his purse. The drawstring had been cut. Then he noticed the blood on the bag. He looked it over, then looked at his own hand. Sure enough, he was bleeding. When he'd slapped the child's arm he must have struck the blade the kid had been holding. He hadn't even felt it. The blood welled stronger. He used the thumb of his other hand to pry the skin open a bit to get a better idea of how deep the wound was. He sucked air in through his teeth as the sting hit him. It was deep.

"Off balance," he muttered to himself. "Unsteady. Right." He focused through the intoxication and thought harder. Sure enough, that strange, off-kilter sensation that always accompanied his curse manifesting was there. Between the excitement of the festival and the buzz of the wine he hadn't noticed it. He sighed. He couldn't even muster the indignation to be upset. These little annoying moments of bad luck had punctuated his life for so long that they seemed normal now. He stood in the middle of the churning, happy crowd watching his hand drip blood onto the dusty ground. That nagging sense of vertigo had set in. Things were about to go horribly wrong.

_____________________

"I have to go. John's about to show up," Janie said.

"I thought you wanted me to watch?" Bella smirked.

"Well I didn't know the mirror was going to be on a patio behind a bar. I'll have to get through it without you." She seemed uncomfortable. It was hard to make out her face behind her veil, but Bella could hear the tension in her voice.

"What's wrong?" the witch asked, leaning toward the mirror.

Janie sighed. "I was going to see if I could get Tonya to help me again but its her night off. She's out somewhere. It's fine, I'll figure it out."

"I'll help," Bella shrugged.

"What about the mirror?" Janie asked. "I thought we were keeping it a secret?"

"Tell him it's a window into the next alcove," Bella shrugged. "We can angle the mirror so that it only shows the wall here behind me."

Janie was skeptical. "What about the noise? It's not exactly quiet over there. The music and all the people laughing-" Bella cut her off.

"Sound just like the background at Mary's?" the witch laughed. "Seriously, if this guy is paying attention to the background noise, you don't have his attention well enough."

"Someone want tae clue me in tae what's goin' on?" Captain Vex asked.

"Janie has a client. She wanted me to watch her session. Now I'm thinking I might be part of it." Bella explained.

"Oh, fun," Belita leaned in, giving Janie a lecherous grin.

"You two are impossible," Janie huffed. "Aren't you out in public? You had me aimed t the street earlier, isn't it... right there?"

"Ye haven't gotten a good look at this festival. It's lewd as anythin'," Belita grinned.

"There's people running around wearing nothing but bodypaint. A group of people came by earlier with puppets on sticks. What the puppets were doing would have scandalized you," Bella grinned.

"I just don't know if I like the idea of any of this being watched by the public," Janie said.

"There's rain curtains," Belita said as she got up to untie the gauzy curtains and pull them closed. They had little grommets on the corners that let them attach to nails on the railing.

"I can't believe you want to do this," Janie huffed.

Bella laughed. "Sounds like the easiest job I've ever had."

"We," Captain Vex said. "We want tae do this."