The Scarlet King Read online

Chapter 11

  The mood aboard Captain Cook’s ship was solemn as they sailed away, leaving Heather and the others of the Forest behind. Only Betty seemed cheery enough as she played with the two young boys. Other than some rough water rounding the Great Cape, the journey was without incident and they arrived safely at the home of Larby’s people.

  They were welcomed as family and Larby’s mother insisted that Betty and the two little ones stay ashore with her. They celebrated in the fashion of Larby’s people, and even the dignitaries of the North and South kingdoms participated in the celebration. The food was that which the sea provided, and although foreign to the visitors’ taste was pleasing enough to the palate. The wine was made from the berries of the giant kelp plant and had a strong bitter flavor, but served its purpose well. The feast started with a few simple words from the elders, which Larby and the young priest translated for the rest of the guests.

  The food was served in bowls made of dried leaves of the giant kelp plant and eaten with fingers or a simple spoon carved of wood. The honored guests were centered around the fire with rings of villagers circling around on the open beach. Those of the Red who manned the lookout kept together on the outer edge. The fire was allowed to burn low, and then the coals were scraped from the underlying pit, which contained a whole young lion of the sea which had been slowly roasting for about two days.

  Music began to emanate from simple drums from one of the outer circles, as with great ceremony the beast was lifted from the pit. The beat of the drums gradually increased in tempo and volume until the beast was carefully set before the elders, who each sampled a slice of the meat. As they nodded their acceptance, the drumming stopped and the general applause went up.

  The fire was rekindled from the coals, and with great ceremony the beast was skinned with their simple knives and generous helpings served first to their visitors. Jason and the others watched carefully the elders who ate not until all had been served. When the elders ate, all others began eating. Daniel was amazed that the meat had lost most of the fishy flavor that he remembered from the last time that they had eaten the lion of the sea, which now seemed so long ago. The vegetable dish was a mix of greens harvested from the shallow water and steamed over an open fire. It had a strong salty flavor and was somewhat chewy. The wine was served in small bowls made of the dried leaf of the giant kelp plant, which had somehow been molded and seemed to resist getting wet. Each serving of wine was not much more than a single swallow, but someone always refilled the bowls as soon as they were empty.

  In the darkness of night, the fire provided the only light. When the last of the elders had finished eating, a more formal welcome was proclaimed by one of the elders. Jason stood, and although his great bulk had been much reduced, he still appeared a giant amongst Larby’s people. With the help of Larby and the young priest, he thanked the people for their kindness. He said, “We were once a single people living in peace. I would that time would come again and peace would be restored with regular trade amongst all.” He added, “Only the God of the Sacred Water or your God of the Sea knows what will be, but I pledge to support your people and work for the protection of all.”

  The stories then began in earnest, with Larby and the young priest working hard to translate so all could understand. Without Jeremy the stories had a bit less drama but were well heard. Jason was most interested in the stories of the beginnings of Larby’s people. He much wished that he had enough light to record the stories but instead hoped the young priest would remember. Like his own people, these people had only a hint of their true origins, which were traced back to the Great City now controlled by those of the Red. Daniel was content to just listen but much missed his bride, and the thought of her brought back great worry for her safety.

  In the morning many were slow to fully awaken, for the wine had great power that was not perceived by those unfamiliar with it. It was only after breaking the fast that Daniel asked of the Listener who had accompanied them on the rescue mission. Larby explained that he and many others had left to explore the route to the island where Jason and the others had been marooned.

  It took several days to restock the ship and still no one was ready to depart other than the delegates from the Northern Kingdom, who continued complaining and wished to return to their homes. Jason, despite the demands of the delegates, always found another reason to delay a bit longer.

  Finally Jason had enough of their complaining and announced, “You are prisoners not and free to go as you wish. If you wish to travel aboard our ship, you will leave when we are ready.” His tone left no doubt but that he would tolerate no more complaining. Daniel kept himself busy with his healing, but his thoughts returned to Heather and the danger she faced whenever his mind was not occupied.

  When Jason and Captain Cook could find no other excuse for extending their stay, they were about to announce their planned departure when Betty spoke up and said simply, “Not yet.” The delegates from the Northern Kingdom could not help themselves and complained bitterly that anyone would listen to a half brain, but neither Jason nor Captain Cook would respond to their complaints. In the morning Betty appeared at the breaking of the fast dressed for travel, saying, “We go back.”

  Jason was a bit confused at first and had to ask, “You mean we should leave for our homes?”

  Betty responded in a straightforward manner but had a puzzled look on her face as she said, “No, the Princess needs our help.”

  Daniel tried his best to get more information from Betty, who seemed a bit flustered by the questioning. She did her best to explain. “The Princess is hurt and you must fix her.”

  Daniel responded, “How badly is she hurt? Is she bleeding?”

  Betty just shrugged her shoulders and continued to eat; she said, while chewing, “Her foot hurts, can’t walk.”

  Jason and Captain Cook said not but listened intently. Without discussion it was accepted that they would do as Betty had commanded, and planning was begun. Captain Cook asked about the delegates and Jason replied, “It would be best if we left them here in the safe care of Larby’s people, for I fear they would be a great liability in time of crisis.” The one delegate who was up began complaining that they could not leave them behind with the dreadful food and housing of Larby’s people. Jason responded, “Here you have someone to watch over your safety and their food is far better than what we had when we were marooned.” He then added in a voice of command, “You and the other delegates will stay and do as the elders say.”

  The delegate objected, saying, “We do not even speak their language.”

  Jason just stared at him for a moment before responding, “Are you too old to learn? These people have much to teach us and I would you take the time to learn from them.”

  Daniel, whose mind was filled with both dread and anticipation, asked, “What of the babies?”

  Betty, who was still not done eating, said simply, “Babies stay here with grandma.”

  Captain Cook had been consulting his notes and said, “The tide will be favorable in two hours.”

  Jason, who had automatically assumed his position as commander, responded, “We sail in two hours.”

  Despite their long period of preparation, the departure itself was always somewhat frantic. By the time Daniel had finished saying goodbye to his baby son and wiped the tears from his eyes, everyone else was aboard and ready to depart. Larby’s mother said not but simply smiled as she accepted the baby back from Daniel. The two infant boys, one of whom could not yet crawl, seemed quite content with their “grandmother.” Daniel was taken out to the ship in one of the fishermen’s canoes and climbed aboard, but could not help but look at the cave house where his son would be kept safe.

  Captain Cook gave the order to raise the mainsail to half and to pull the anchor. The ship began to respond quite slowly to the gentle breeze blowing, and by the time the anchor was free of the bottom, it was moving forward. With Larb
y aboard to help with navigation, they made the passage through the narrows without difficulty.

  As the sea opened before them, the remaining sails were raised and the ship began to surge forward under the power of the wind. The creaking and groaning of the wood ship as it responded to the wind and the waves of the sea seemed almost like music to Jason’s ears. The smell of the salt spray seemed to make all of his senses come alive. He instinctively knew he could be of the sea, but the chains of his inheritance had made him a servant of his people. He thought not of his kingdom and the responsibilities of the throne, but of the freedom the sea represented.

  Edna had helped Heather prepare for the night, but they removed her soft boot not for they feared what they might find. The slightest touch of the ankle would cause Heather to break out in a sweat, but she cried out not. The morning came and with Edna’s help, Heather completed the morning ritual. Edna reported that she had heard Betty, and she and Daniel were on their way. Heather wanted to know how that could be—because by her reckoning they should have already arrived at the Southern Kingdom. Edna could explain not other than that Betty felt they would arrive in several days. Heather asked not more questions, and just accepted what she had learned while she hobbled to the campfire for the breaking of the fast.

  Once Jeremy and Edna had helped Heather mount her horse, their small army moved off. Heather was forever talking to her horse, which was almost pure white and somewhat smaller than the horses of her kingdom. It was high-spirited but responded easily to her gentle guidance. The gait of the horse gradually transitioned from the jarring prancing to a more smooth flowing motion as Heather and the horse became ever more linked. The jarring forced Heather to wince in pain but she complained not.

  By the end of the day they met up with the remaining portion of the Red Army, which had also begun to retreat, for the enemy had disappeared. The commander of the Red met with Heather as stories were being told around the campfire and they reviewed what had transpired. They were both in agreement that whatever the tubes were, they were very important to the enemy from the East. They debated sending another messenger to the one called Don the Great, but the prior messengers had not yet returned and they felt the risk too great.

  As the combined camp was preparing to depart the temporary camp, Heather sent scouts forward to their permanent camp in the wilderness north of the Great City. She sent others to watch for Daniel and Betty in the Smugglers Cove where they had landed. They traveled relatively slowly, for they had many injured among the supplies from the captured wagons. The Red commander frequently walked alongside Heather as they discussed the possibilities for the next stage of the conflict.

  As they finally neared their permanent camp, the young navigator and the hunters from the Forest who had been his escort arrived. Their return had been complicated greatly by the invasion force, which had landed to the west. The invaders were establishing a permanent camp but had not yet begun their assault on the city walls. The young navigator and the hunters brought with them a return message from the Red Ambassador.

  “To Heather, Commander of the wilderness forces of the Scarlet King:

  “The enemy has reached our shores both to the east, as you well know, and to the west. They have not yet begun their assault and I assume they are waiting for arrival of the final phase of their sea attack. Our walls are stout, but with time even they may be insufficient to protect our Great City and our Scarlet King. I fear hard times ahead.

  “Communication will become increasingly difficult, and I, as is the custom of your people, pray to the God of the Sacred Water for assistance in this time of our struggle. I trust your decisions and the ability of the commander serving under you. Your help is much undeserved and I will forever be thankful in the name of our Scarlet King.” It was signed simply Don.

  The message seemed to contain no real information, and both Heather and the commander were puzzled by its meaning. The back of the scroll was heavily decorated by a series of geometric patterns which almost seemed to make letters. Heather asked the young navigator, “Do you know the meaning of this scroll?”

  The young navigator shook his head in the negative, saying only, “There was great concern about our possible capture so I think they were afraid to share much knowledge.”

  Heather again studied the decorative patterns on the back of the scroll, and got a faraway look in her eyes as she realized that she had seen such a pattern before. It was back in the ice Cave of Knowledge, and the door was carved with similar patterns. She was quiet for some time before again looking at the commander of the Red, saying, “I think the real message is in the decorations, but I know not how to interpret it.”

  The Red commander asked, “Is it some sort of code?”

  “Not a code as such, but a very ancient way of writing. If only our young priest was here he may be able to interpret it.”

  The Red commander asked, “Will he be traveling with your Daniel?”

  Heather but shrugged her shoulders, saying, “I know not.”

  The next few days passed with the scouts being very busy and all others kept busy with the normal work of an army: cleaning and repairing weapons and preparing for the next battle. The pain in Heather’s ankle grew not worse, but it would bear her weight not and remained twisted at a funny angle.

  Darkness had already fallen when a scout reported that travelers approached. Heather could not contain her excitement, knowing that it was probably Daniel and Betty, and tried to stand without using her crutch. It was only Edna’s close attention that kept her from falling. She dutifully sat back down and tried to patiently wait.

  When those of the ship finally arrived, Heather again rose, but this time with Edna’s assistance, hugging her Daniel for all she was worth and then Betty. They had traveled hard and before hearing their story she had food served to them.

  Jeremy spoke up, saying, “I would share my ale with you but unfortunately we have none.”

  As they finished eating, the stories started and Heather’s worry about her son subsided somewhat when she realized that Larby’s mother was in charge of his care. Daniel insisted on examining Heather’s ankle by touch, and even through her boot could feel the twisted bone. She winced and broke out in a sweat from the pain but said not. Daniel said only, “We wait for the light of day, but must reset the bone.”

  Daniel and Heather sat around the campfire with the others as the stories were told. Jeremy was just finishing the story of their wild wagon ride during their battle, and with attention centered on him, Daniel and Heather left for the privacy of their tent.

  With the coming of the morning light, Daniel rose and began to prepare for what he needed to do. He tried not to think of Heather as his bride but of a patient needing his healing. When she awoke, he said only, “Prepare for the day but break the fast not.”

  As Heather completed the morning ritual with the help of Betty, Daniel sought out Jeremy.

  The look on Daniel’s face was solemn enough that Jeremy knew he was in trouble, and asked only, “When do you need my help?”

  Daniel replied, “In a few minutes. It will not be pleasant.”

  Jeremy replied, “Many things with you are not pleasant. It may be best if we kept to telling of stories and enjoying our ale.”

  Daniel but shrugged his shoulders, saying, “I do what I must do.” He then added, “I much wish that this burden would fall on someone else, but it is as the God of the Sacred Water has deemed.”

  When Daniel returned to their tent he found Heather prepared for the day. He explained, “I must re-break the bone for it to heal properly. There will be much pain.”

  Heather nodded in acceptance and asked with obvious apprehension, “Will the ether help?”

  Daniel nodded and said, “The ether will help, but yet the pain will be significant and it would be normal for one to cry out.”

  When Jeremy arrived he carefully poured a little of his precious et
her onto a cloth and had Jeremy hold it over Heather’s nose. The strong smell burned her nose and lungs as she breathed, but she did as told. When her eyes became heavy Daniel began to carefully remove her boot. The gentle movements were enough to arouse Heather, who asked for a stick to bite on. Betty quickly found a suitable stick; Heather clamped down on it with her teeth and inhaled deeply of the ether.

  When Daniel finally got the soft boot off, he found, as he had expected, an almost right angle to the bone just above the ankle. Both the large and small bones were broken but he could detect no movement when he tried gently moving the foot. This meant that healing had already progressed significantly and he knew that re-breaking the bone was going to be difficult.

  Daniel told Jeremy to hold Heather firmly under the arms, as he placed his own foot against her bent knee and began to pull ever so firmly on the broken foot. As he increased pressure, Heather broke out into a sweat. Despite the ether, she was groaning loudly with the stick firmly clamped between her teeth. Daniel pulled as hard as he thought he could, and still the bone moved not. The pain he was causing his bride was more than he could endure and he stopped pulling. The tears in his eyes were very evident, and he said, “I can fix her not, for the pain is too great.”

  Betty spoke up, saying, “The Princess tough. You fix her.”

  Daniel objected, saying, “I pulled as hard as I dare. I cannot re-break the bone and heal her.”

  Betty said, “Pull harder..Fix her.”

  Daniel was about to object further, but the look on Betty’s face compelled him to try once again. He told Jeremy, “Hold her in your arms and cross your legs over hers so I can push against your legs for more leverage. Try giving her a little bit more of the ether but not so much that her eyes close completely.”

  When they had repositioned and Jeremy had crossed his legs over Heather, Daniel placed his feet against Jeremy’s knee and lower leg thus straddling Heather’s broken leg. As the ether deepened Heather’s sleepiness he again began to pull her foot, gradually increasing the pressure as he leaned back. Heather again broke out in a cold sweat and was groaning loudly; Daniel feared he would be unable to pull any harder. He glanced at Betty, who was concentrating hard on something and a calmness came over him.

  He no longer was seeing his bride in great pain, but rather was visualizing the bones themselves. By changing the angle of his pull slightly he could visualize the forces on the bones. He leaned back even harder, pulling against the fracture, and suddenly the healing bones let free and the foot straightened. The cracking sound was audible and only partially covered by the scream that Heather let out. The sensation of the bones moving and grating against each other was far more evident to Daniel, who had such a firm grasp on her foot and ankle.

  With the bones now aligned, Daniel began to very slowly relax the pressure on the foot and ankle. Jeremy was about to give Heather some more of the ether, but Daniel stopped him, saying only, “It is done.” Daniel carefully felt for the pulse on the top of the foot and was relieved by the strength he felt. As Heather began to breathe more normally, he carefully wrapped the ankle with a supportive cloth and with Betty’s help pulled the soft boot back on. He used more of his supportive cloth wrap around the outside of the boot to further stabilize the ankle. Only when he was finished did he realize that he too was drenched in sweat as was his true friend Jeremy.

  Betty spoke up, saying, “You go eat. I take care of Princess.”

  Daniel and Jeremy joined the others of the Forest who were still finishing the breaking of the fast. No one mentioned the work they had been doing or the screaming that they heard. The talk was mostly of the Forest and of the different hunts they were planning on their return. Daniel and Jeremy said little, letting the normalcy of the campfire and the talk of the hunters quiet the turmoil they felt within. When one finally asked Daniel of Heather, he replied, “The foot will heal, but the setting of the bone was not pleasant.”

  It was late morning before Heather and Betty appeared at the campfire. She remained pale but was moving with the aid of her crutch fairly well. Daniel and Jeremy had spent the morning carving another crutch with a better handhold and many decorative figures carved into the wood. Heather accepted the gift with a gentle smile and broke the fast with but a little food. Betty kept insisting that she needed to eat more, but Daniel knew the weak appetite was from the ether and would pass soon enough.

  By midafternoon Heather was no longer the patient but again in command, asking questions about supplies and the well being of everyone. She arranged for a meeting with the commander of the Red and at that time introduced him to Daniel and Betty. Their talk was mostly of the need for additional food supplies for an army needing to be fed. Daniel spoke up, saying, “There are others from the ship headed our way bringing dried fish.”

  The commander of the Red looked at Heather and asked, “Is the one you referred to as a young priest amongst those coming?”

  Heather shrugged her shoulders and turned towards Daniel for a response. Daniel replied, “He was not needed for the sailing of the ship, and I would expect him to volunteer, but he is not used to carrying heavy loads.” He then asked, “Why is this important?”

  Heather explained, “We received a message from the Red Ambassador which said little, but the back of the scroll was decorated much like the door to the Cave of Knowledge. I was hoping the decorations were in fact the real message, but I can read it not.”

  At Daniel’s request the commander of the Red produced the scroll and Daniel began examining the decorative design. He then began leafing through his tattered notebook and found a small sketch he had made of the door. The similarity in design was obvious as were the differences in the detail. He said only, “We must wait and hope that the young priest is with those carrying our supplies.”

  The talk turned to the metal and wood tubes that those of the East had worked so hard to protect and transport. Daniel’s interest again was significant and he had many questions, but Heather had no answers. She finally said, “I would you and Jeremy spend time and learn the secrets of the tubes, for I think they are some sort of cannon but use not powder.”

  Jeremy was more than happy to be involved in something that could lead to another explosion. He showed Daniel the tube they had captured and the round balls, which appeared to fit well into the end of the tube. Daniel picked up one of the balls and rolled it down the tube. A definite metallic thunk was appreciated when it reached the end. But tipping the tube allowed the ball to simply roll out.

  He was most interested in the base of the tube, which was stained from the heat of the fire. On the top of the base was an opening with a tight fitting cover that swiveled on a hinge pin. The area was stained, and Daniel actually licked the stain trying to determine if it was from his powder. The taste was metallic salt in nature without the bitterness of his powder. Small areas of rust were evident around the cover, and it took Jeremy some work to get the cover to swing free.

  Daniel sat and thought while Jeremy worked. It seemed as if the metallic base was designed to be heated in the fire, and water was most certainly added through the small opening at the top. But how did that produce energy to fire a cannon ball? They asked a few others to help reposition the cannon tube so that the tube was supported by rocks; the metallic base sat over a small fire pit they created.

  As Jeremy built the fire and heated the base, Daniel experimented with ways of adding water. As the metal warmed, the water quickly turned to steam and the small opening needed to be closed quickly without Daniel getting burned by the escaping steam.

  When it seemed as if they understood how the water was added, Daniel had Jeremy load the cannon tube with one of the round balls. They made sure the cannon was pointed away from the camp. Daniel added some water and closed the small port. They could easily hear the hissing as the water turned to steam and the pressure began to build. As the pressure built, the cannonball began rol
ling out the end of the tube and simply fell to the ground as the steam escaped out the end of the tube.

  Jeremy exclaimed, “Now, that is what I would call a very disappointing explosion.”

  Daniel sat scratching his head and thinking. After some time he finally said, “They must have had a way of keeping the cannonball sealed at the base of the tube until the pressure built up.”

  Jeremy asked, “What are these iron loops for at the end of the tube?”

  Daniel responded not but simply watched his friend, who began trying to fit all sorts of things into the hoops which extended just pass the barrel. In the wagon were many pieces of wood, and the short ones seemed to fit quite well against the end of the tube being held by the iron loops. They put another cannonball into the tube and placed one of the wood pieces across the end of the barrel. Daniel again added the water, which began to immediately turn to steam. As before, the cannonball rolled to the end of the tube until it was wedged up against the small board which blocked the end of the tube. Now the steam began escaping around the edge of the cannonball but nothing more happened.

  Daniel was thinking hard now and asked to see the board Jeremy had used. In the very center was a small cut which seemed to have been made with great care. He asked Jeremy, “Do all the short boards have this same cut?”

  Jeremy began rummaging around in the wagon and called back, “Looks like.”

  Daniel then asked, “Are there longer sticks about the length of the tube?”

  After a bit more rummaging, Jeremy called back, “There is a bundle of skinny sticks about that length. Do you want some of them?”

  Daniel replied, “Bring the bundle and a few more of the short ones.”

  They built the fire back up and this time they rolled the cannonball down the tube, but held it in place with one of the long skinny sticks, which pushed tightly against the small board wedged across the end of the barrel. When Daniel added some water and closed the small port, the pressure quickly built until the force on the board wedged across the end of the tube became too great and it broke. When it broke, the long skinny stick and the cannonball were ejected at great speed. There was no explosion, just the sound of breaking wood and the rush of the air as the cannonball began its journey. At first Daniel and Jeremy just stood and stared at how far the cannonball had gone, and then they began to hoot and holler as they danced around in a victory celebration.

  They made enough of a commotion that they were soon joined by Heather and the commander of the Red as well as many others. Little encouragement was needed for Daniel and Jeremy to again set up the steam cannon for another demonstration. As the metal base was heating, Daniel explained the principle of using the partially cut board to regulate the pressure in the cannon.

  When the base was hot and the cannonball loaded, Daniel again added the water, which began hissing and turning to steam immediately. As before, when the pressure built sufficiently, the board blocking the end of the barrel broke along the previously cut mark and the retaining board and cannonball came flying out of the cannon accompanied by a cloud of steam but little noise. Daniel and Jeremy could not help but again hoot and holler a bit at the success of the firing. When the commotion had settled down, Heather asked, “But can you hit anything with the steam cannon?”

  Daniel was quiet for a bit before saying, “It would seem the critical component is the strength of the board retaining the cannonball. The saw cut determines the pressure that is allowed to build up, and if it is uniform it should be almost as accurate as a cannon using the powder.”

  Discussion turned to how the weapon could be used. The commander of the Red expressed his concern that it would be subject to capture by the mounted troops of those from the East. Heather agreed and also added, “The advantage of height would be significant.”

  This discussion was interrupted by news of the arrival of others from the ship carrying supplies. They were loaded heavily and could but travel slowly. Amongst them was indeed the young priest, who carried a surprisingly large burden for one of the city. As they were relieved of their loads, food was brought out and the evening meal started early as their story was heard.

  As others ate and told stories, Heather and the commander of the Red continued their meeting. Mostly they discussed the shortage of supplies, for even though they had confiscated much from those of the East, they had supplies for only another week or two at the most. After discussing many options, it was decided that the only practical method was to create a supply line connecting their forces back over the mountains to the cove where those of the Red had wintered. The commander of the Red felt that his people remaining behind would be capable of ferrying the supplies to the top of the ridge, but would need help in lowering those supplies down the cliff face.

  After they had worked out a plan for establishing the supply line, their discussion again turned to the steam cannon. They both agreed that it would best serve their needs if it could somehow be brought within the city walls. This discussion reminded Heather of the scroll and she asked the young priest to join them. He examined the back of the scroll carefully, turning it towards the fire to bring out the detail of the decorative pattern. He then sat back on his heels with his eyes closed, as he searched through the pictures in his mind trying to make sense of the pattern.

  He finally spoke, saying, “It is written as was the door on the Cave of Knowledge, but some of the forms have been copied poorly and I cannot be positive of the meaning. Maybe with more study and better light I could be more sure.”

  Heather could not help but roll her eyes slightly, for the young priest was forever cautious about his ability. She asked him, “What think you is the major message?”

  The young priest but looked at the ground and said not for some time before replying, “It would seem to describe a secret passage into the palace.”

  Heather turned towards the commander of the Red and asked, “Do you know of such a passage?”

  The commander the Red replied, “I know of no such passage.” After a moment of thought he added, “There is much mysticism of the ancient ones who once occupied our city. They were great builders and could have certainly built a secret passage.”