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Sunday, October 2, 2016

Chapter 11

The ship which Samuel led the trio towards, was a clipper with three masts. Following the otter, they boarded the vessel and as they did, they were seen by two members of the crew. The first of these was a bulldog, with a brutish expression stamped over his broad face. He was overseeing the work of a squirrel whose age seemed close to either Risha's or Leorin's. The youth was scrubbing the deck and as he lifted his head to get a look at the newcomers, his face was a picture of unhappiness.

"Ahoy, Samuel!" The Bulldog called out. "Who are they?"

"Paying customers", the otter explained. "I'm taking them to see the Captain. Is he in his cabin?"

"He has not appeared on deck, so I guess so" ,the bulldog replied.  "Unless, he has learned to turn himself invisible", he added snickering.

Samuel rolled his eyes and went over to the door which led to the captain's cabin. After he had knocked on it, a deep, cultivated voice issued from the other side:

"Yes?"

"Its, Samuel, captain. I've brought some people who'd like to meet you."

"Bring them inside", the voice commanded, "and shut the door after you."

Samuel opened the door and he, Risha, Merees and Leorin, stepped inside the cabin. On deck, the bulldog looked after them and as soon as they were out of sight, he turned to the squirrel and kicked him right below the youth's bushy tail.

"Get back to work, you lazy wretch", he growled. "This is not a pleasure cruise". As he uttered these words, he delivered a few more kicks for good measure, causing a yelp to escape from the poor recipient's throat.

When Samuel and the others entered the cabin, they found its owner, a tiger, seated behind a desk; scribbling into a large tome which could only be a logbook. The pen moved rapidly across the paper, occasionally leaving blotches of ink on its surface.

"Thank you, Samuel", the Captain said, without looking up. "You may go."

The otter left without a word. As soon as he was gone, the Captain put the book aside, removed the glasses he had been wearing and looked at the three newcomers.
They, in turn, looked back at the Captain, now seeing his face clearly, for the first time. It could have been a handsome face and, no doubt, had been so at one point, before it had become marred by the scar, which could be seen on the left side of its owner's face.

"Have a seat", he said, indicating with a gesture the chair, which stood on the other side of the desk. After a bit of hesitation, Merees sat down, while Risha and Leorin remained standing.

"You wished to see me". This was phrased not as a question, but a statement of facts. "Well, what is it I can do for you?" Before Merees could answer, the captain held up a paw. "Wait! Let me guess. You wish to charter my ship for some purpose, am I correct?"

Merees nodded.

"That is quite right, Captain. We were told that you, on occasion, take on passengers. I am willing to pay you handsomely, if you can take us to Leporia."


"Leporia", the Captain mused, rubbing his chin. "That's quite a coincidence, we were just headed in that direction. I have some business on the island of Kabula, not far from Leporia. Very well, once that business has been cleared up,  I'll take you to your destination."

"Thank you, Captain", Merees said, with genuine gratitude in her voice. She took out her purse.
"How much do I owe you?"

The Captain named a sum, which caused the princess' eyes to widen beneath the hood. However, it was nothing to do and so, she counted up the demanded sum and put the coins on the desk.

"Much obliged", the Captain chuckled. "For this modest fee, you are entitled to your own cabin, instead of sleeping with the crew, among other privileges.
"We should like to leave immediately", Merees said.
Now it was the Captain's turn to be surprised.

"Really?" He said. "You don't have any belongings you wish to bring with you? Clothes and such?"

The Princess shook her head.

"I'm afraid not", she said, a hint of sadness in her voice. "We didn't have time to take any with us. Its vital that we leave Vinoli as soon as possible."

"Trouble with the authorities, perhaps?" The Captain said, with a chuckle "Well, its none of my business, my passengers are entitled to their privacy. Provided, of course, that they pay. "Besides", he continued, with a shrug of his broad shoulders. "Between us, you're not the first passengers I've had that did not relish prospect of being guests of His Majesty for an extended period of time."

Having made this revelation, the captain took the coins which laid on the table, stood up and walked over to a safe, which was located in one of the corners of the cabin. He crouched down and after some fiddling with the lock, opened the safe and put the money inside of it. Having done so, he walked toward the cabin door and motioned for his guests to follow him:

"Come with me."

"Where are we going?" Merees wondered.

"Don't fret", the Captain replied, flashing a smile which caused his scar to twist. "I'm just going to introduce you to the crew."

Once they were out in the open air, the Captain inhaled and then let out a powerful roar. As if in the blink of an eye, the members of the crew appeared before him and the trio. Merees, Leorin and Risha looked at the sailors standing before them, aside from the fact that they were all male, the crew-members varied in terms of species and age, with the squirrel being the youngest. Curiously enough, Samuel was not among them.

"Listen up, boys!" The Captain bellowed. "These three have paid handsomely for us to take them to the shores of Leporia. During our journey, I expect you to treat them with the utmost respect. Understood?"

"Yes, Captain!" The crew shouted back in one voice.

Satisfied, the Captain gave order to set sail. The three friends remained on deck for a long time, watching the capital, slowly but surely grow smaller and smaller, until they could no longer see it.






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