Water & Storm Country

(Was it nothing?)

I climb down more carefully, using theladder, happy when my feet are back on solid wood, relishing thegentle rock of the moored ship beneath me. We’re the second ship toarrive, and a plank has already been secured between us and TheMerman’s Daughter. My father wastes no time crossing it. Hobbs iswaiting for him, but to my surprise, he greets me first.“Lieutenant Jones. Son. What do you have to report?”

I’m taken aback by his sudden show ofrespect. Hobbs steps forward. “Sir, if I may, we’ve madesignificant prog—”

“Let me be clear, Hobbs, you’re here toobserve. Any progress made is the result of the leadership of thecaptain and his lieutenant, my son. Understand?”

Hobbs nods, but then glares at me when myfather turns away from him. I almost laugh. “Admiral, as you cansee, the ship is performing better than it ever has before. The menand women are working hard, doing their duty, and should berewarded accordingly. Under my supervision, the sail repair work ismoving forward rapidly, which has greatly increased the ship’sspeed.”

“You and the bilge rat seem to be getting onrather well,” Hobbs says.

“Bilge rat?” my father says, raising aneyebrow.

“I’ve trained one of the…a girl…to repair thesails. She’s a good climber and a quick learner. Much of the creditgoes to her.”

“There seems to be more talking thanrepairing going on up there,” Hobbs sneers.

Ignoring his comment, my father says,“Credit? To a rat? Surely the credit is yours, Son. The…girlyou speak of wouldn’t know a patch from her ass if it wasn’t foryour leadership.”

Something flashes in my chest. I’ve gotseveral less diplomatic responses available, but all I say is,“Thank you, sir. We’ll continue with the effort until every sail isin pristine condition.”

“Very good. Hobbs,” he says, turning to thefuming lieutenant. “Are you still needed here? Do you have more toreport or can I safely assume that the transition of LieutenantJones to the Mayhem has been an outright success?”

His words are the ones I’ve been waiting formy whole life. I should be proud. I should be swelling withhappiness and confidence right now. But instead I feel sick, as ifhis words are sour, full of bitterness, because…well, because, asJade said, “…your father brought us here against our will fromfire country.”

“I should give you my full report inprivate,” Hobbs says. “Then you can decide whether I should stayon.” There’s a glint in his eye.

“No,” I say, balling my fists. “You can saywhatever you need to in front of me, Lieutenant. I’m here tolearn.”

“I don’t think—” Hobbs starts to say, but myfather raises an arm to stop him.

“No, my son’s right. Say what you will,” theadmiral says.

Hobbs closes one eye, his other never leavingmine, as if calculating something. What is he going to say? How canhe possibly shed a negative light on what I’ve accomplished on theMayhem?

“I fear your son is falling in lovewith a bilge rat,” he says.

~~~

The fallout ain’t pretty. “Follow us,” myfather says to Hobbs. Then he grabs my arm, drags me up the stepsto the quarterdeck, and shoves me down the steps to the officers’cabins. We nearly crash into Captain Montgomery, who has justexited his own cabin, looking exceedingly groggy.

“Admiral, I wasn’t aware you were here. I wasjust getting some shut eye after a long, hard day.” Of sleepingand drinking and smoking, I think.

“Come with us,” my father orders.

He jostles me into my cabin, where a verysurprised Barney is just finishing making up my bed. “Hullo,Admiral,” he says.

“Out,” is all my father replies. Barneyscurries on out of there, leaving me in a very crowded cabin withmy father (red-faced and rock-jawed), Hobbs (smiling cruelly), andCaptain Montgomery (still blinking away a long nap).

“Speak, Hobbs,” my father commands when thedoor is shut.

Hobbs cracks his knuckles, as if he’d ratherpunch me than talk about me. “Well, Admiral, your son”—he points atme as if no one in the room knows who I am—“has been spending asignificant portion of his time with a bloody bilge rat girl.”

“And?” my father says.

“And…I think that shows there’s somethinggoing on between them,” Hobbs adds.

“That’s it? That’s all you’ve got?Huck…Lieutenant Jones admitted himself that he’s training her torepair the sails. That would require time, would it not,Lieutenant?”

Hobbs shifts from foot to foot, his toothysmile wiped away by the strength of my father’s words. “Well, aye,but—”

“So you have no further evidence?”

“Well, no, but surely Captain Montgomery hasnoticed too,” Hobbs says, trying to direct my father’s heavy stareto the captain, who looks like he’d much rather be in his hammockthan here.

“Captain?” my father says.

“Aye, sir?”

“What do you have to say?”

“About what, sir?”

Admiral Jones lets out a seething breath.“Has water country gone half crazy?” he asks the room. I staysilent. So far it’s worked pretty well for me.

“Sir?” the captain says.

“Have you, or have you not noticed anyinappropriate behavior from my son?” my father asks.

I hold my breath.

The captain looks from my father to me toHobbs, and then says, “No, sir. As far as I can tell, your son’sdone an exemplary job since his arrival. One that should becommended.”

My father fires a dagger-filled look atHobbs, who says, “Sir, if I may, give me one more week. This is acrucial time for the Mayhem, and I want to stay on, if only to helpmaintain its performance.”

“You’ve falsely accused my son and now youwant to stay on the Mayhem?” my father says.

“One week,” Hobbs says. “That’s all Iask.”

My father sighs, looks at me. “Do youobject?”

Aye! I want to scream. But to do sowould be to admit guilt. And I have nothing to hide, right? Justbecause Jade and I have formed a friendship doesn’t mean I’ve doneanything wrong. I shake my head.

“Very well, Hobbs. You stay,” the admiralsays.

“Thank you, sir, you won’t be sor—”

“But if you throw any more wild accusationsat my son, I will not be so forgiving.”

“Aye, aye, sir,” Hobbs says weakly.

“As for you…”—he turns to me—“is the bilgerat girl trained in sail repair?”

“Aye, but—”

“Good. Stay away from her. Let her do herjob, so you can do yours.”

“Aye, aye, sir,” I say.

Chapter Twenty-Six

Sadie

I have no one but meand my horse.

When I fetch Gard, Remy is there and I cantell he knows. He gives me a nod, but not a smile.

Gard carries my father back to the camp, setshim atop the funeral pyre, makes the arrangements. I just sitthere, arms wrapped around my knees, numb. Paw’s death was becauseof me. Only one of us could be saved, and Mother Earth chose me.But why? Father said there’s an important choice I’ll have to make,but how can one newly proclaimed Rider change anything? And how canI live with myself knowing I blamed Father all these years when itwas really my fault? Paw died so I could live. A life for a life.Father let me believe he was weak, a coward, so he could protect mefrom blaming myself.

I’m broken with shame, with wasted years andmisplaced anger.

Although the rain has long passed, my cheeksare still wet from ru

“Hi,” Remy says, snapping me out of my stuporand flopping down beside me.

I have the urge to look at him, but can’tbecause I’m afraid I’ll see myself in his eyes. Instead, eyesforward, I say, “How’s your horse? How’s Bolt?” A normalconversation, twisting and wrenching in my gut.