Chapter 78

 From the Desk of the Editor:

A daring rescue operation was performed yesterday, as a squad of our capital's finest, under the command of Corporal Dorn (38), liberated General Jeraddin (47), from the cellar in which he was held prisoner. 

Most of the credit for this rescue must go  to a certain Salsky (29), a former soldier, recently returned from Guanaca. According to Salsky, he was in the vicinity when he noticed two men wearing the uniform of our city-watch step out from a carriage. He noticed immediately that the two were carrying a third person between them. A person which the sharp-eyed water-rat immediately recognized as none other than Jeraddin himself.

"I was suspicious, of course" Salsky told the Vinolian Gazette, "so I rushed to get help and, well, the rest you know."

When asked whether or not he expects a reward, the  young Frigonian merely replied that he had only done his duty as a citizen.

Such modesty does a body credit and we have no doubt that General Jeraddin will want to personally thank his rescuer, when the opportunity presents itself.

We must report, however, that the General sustained some injuries at the hands of his abductors and is currently recuperating at home, under the care of his housemaid.

Regarding the culprits, they have been taken into custody and have been identified as the Captain and crew of the ship the Maelstrom, which was damaged in a fire recently. Is there connection between this event and their abduction of one of our nation's most prominent citizens? Hopefully, all will be revealed during the upcoming trial...

In his cell, Cerewan stopped reading the paper one of the guards had slipped under his door. He was not too concerned by the trial. After all, he was not the only one who had profited from his business-venture. Soon, he would be summoned to the interrogation room and when that happened, he would talk. Oh, yes, he'd give them every name of his associates and silent partners, in exchange for as lenient a sentence as possible. 

In a way, I suppose I am fortunate that the other ledger was destroyed in the fire. If not, I wouldn't have anything to bargain with.

With this thought, the tiger stretched himself out on his bunk and drifted off to sleep, unconcerned about the fate of his crew and untroubled by any pangs of conscience. 

He woke somewhat later, by the sound of a key turning into the lock. With a yawn, Cerewan sat up, just as the cell-door swung open and his jailer appeared in the doorway. To Cerewan's surprise, however, the rhino did not motion for him to get up, but instead stepped into the cell and shut the door behind him. 

Growing suspicious, Cerewan unsheathed his claws...

*****

The Trial took place the next day and in light of the evidence provided, it was concluded with haste. Each sailor who had served on the Maelstrom were sentenced to fifteen years at the galleys, plus five years imprisonment, should they live long enough. 

Among the accused, there was one who was absent from the trial: On the same morning, Captain Cerewan had been found dead in his cell. The Prison's doctor was quickly summoned and, having examined the body, ruled that the deceased had died of an apoplexy. 

A week later, Argath's ship sailed into the harbor. That evening, a banquet was held at the palace, to celebrate the Queen's return and to welcome the new Royal Consort.  Jeraddin, was there: He could not exactly refuse to be present, considering his position and besides, it would give him a chance to see his wife again. As soon as court-etiquette permitted, the lynx went off in search for her.

He found her in the palace-garden, sitting on a bench and staring up at the moon. Stealthily he crept up behind her and whispered "Guess who?" Softly in her ear.

She turned around, his name passing over her lips and the two of them embraced.  

"So, how was the journey home" Jeraddin asked, sitting down next to Nasari.

"Terrible" the black cat sighed. "I'm glad to be back home. What about you? Has anything happened while I've been away?"

"You can say that again", her husband replied. "Let's see, where I should begin?"

And so, Jeraddin told Nasari about everything that had transpired during her absence. Starting with Albert's death, the news of which made Nasari wet her husband's shoulder with her tears. 

"How awful" Nasari gasped, once she head learned of Jeraddin's treatment at the hands of Cerewan. "Are you sure you are fine?" She asked, concernedly.

"Don't worry" Jeraddin smiled, "I am fully recovered."

"And the Captain's death? Do you really think it was a natural one, as they claim?"

Jeraddin shook his head.

"No, Cerewan had become a liability to too many people. No doubt one of them decided to get rid off him."

"Well, whatever the reason, I'm glad he's dead. Good riddance!"

"I agree, although I would have preferred it if he had been punished by the law, rather than by one of his peers."

"I don't care, let the villains of this world devour each other."

"Speaking of which, you should have seen the Queen during the banquet."

"Well, she is eating for two now. Or three."

"To be honest, I can't picture her as a mother."

"Me neither." Nasari paused and when she spoke again, there was bitterness in her voice. "I hope she dies in childbirth. I hope that kid kills her."

"What if she has a miscarriage?" 

The Word had come out of Jeraddin's mouth, aided by too much wine. He immediately regretted its utterance.

Nasari gave him a look.

"I hope not. Its a terrible thing, to loose a child" she said. "I wouldn't wish it on any woman, not even Argath."

"You're right. I'm sorry, I don't know what I was thinking."

Nasari's nodding was meant to convey both her agreement with what Jeraddin had just said and to show that she accepted his apology.

"Let us talk about something else" she said. "Now that Albert's gone, who's looking after your home? Or do you do it yourself?"

"No, I have a housekeeper. Her name is Flora."

"Is she a diligent worker?"

"She's yet to give me cause to complain."

"And is she fair to look at?"

"I suppose. Yes, yes she is. Though not as much as you."

Nasari gave Jeraddin a playful nudge.

"Flatterer. Tell me, if its not too discrete a question, have you...?"

"I have not shared my bed with her, if that's what you ask."

"Why not? If you're worried about how I would react, than don't be. I don't mind and even if I did, it would be awfully hypocritical of me to begrudge you a lover."

"It's not that, I'm her employer and I wouldn't want to take advantage of my position."

"Somehow, I doubt that most people would let that stop them, were they in your position."

Before he could answer, Jeraddin's mouth opened wide in a deep yawn.

"Feeling tired?" Nasari asked.

"Actually, yes. Too much food and drink, I suppose. Or maybe age is gradually starting to take out its toll."

"Why not lie down for a spell?"

Jeraddin thought that this sounded like a good idea. He laid himself down on the bench, resting his head in his wife's lap, where he fell asleep to the touch of Nasari caressing the fur on his head and the sound of her voice, singing softly.

A very brief rant concerning anthro characters in fiction

 Lately,I've been watching YouTuber Totally Not Mark's videos on Hunter x Hunter, one of my favorite manga/anime in the battle-shounen genre. So far, I've been enjoying the videos and have found myself in agreement with TNM about a lot of things and I will definitely continue watching them. However, as I watched his second video on the Greed Island arc, something happened that made me pause the video and type out this brief post.

In that video TNM brings up the 2016 animated movie Sing and cites one of the reason for it being a bad film is due to the fact that there's no reason for its anthropomorphic characters not to simply be humans. I've seen this criticism leveled against the movie before (by I Hate Everything) and I've always disagreed with it. Now, this is not me defending Sing. I have not seen Sing, nor have I any desire to do so, I just don't think that this is a valid criticism of any movie, or any work of fiction that features an anthropomorphic cast. Never once in his Donald Duck/Uncle Scrooge comics does Carl Barks justify that his characters are talking waterfowl (or pigs or dog-people) and yet, these are some of the greatest American comics ever made.  Is it neat when a piece of media takes into consideration what a world populated exclusively by anthros would look like, á la Disney's Zootopia? Sure. Is it a necessity or requirement? Absolutely not.

Oh, and by the way? The Fact that I myself have a story in which none of the cast is human without really 'justifying' it has nothing to do with me writing this. 

Well, OK, maybe a little...

Chapter 77

 Slowly, Jeraddin came to. 

Raising his head, the lynx took in his surroundings. He was tied to a chair in a room, whose only other piece of furniture was a table on which a series of implements of sinister purpose had been neatly arranged. Jeraddin also noticed that his clothes were lying in a pile on the stone-floor. 

Well, he thought. That explains the draft I felt.

He struggled with his bonds for a bit. To no avail. Whoever had tied these knots knew what they were doing. 

Someone was coming! Jeraddin decided to pretend that he was still unconscious. 

A door opened and closed, two voices hovered above Jeraddin's head.

"What do you mean it's not here?" Demanded the first voice.

"I searched his clothes, Cap'n" said the other voice and this one, Jeraddin recognized. "Went through is coat and everything, he doesn't have it on him."

He thought back to this morning when the two watchmen had showed up on his doorsteps. Both of them had looked like authentic members of the city-watch and so, he had excused himself and had headed for his chamber. As he did, one of the guards had called out after him:

"General, don't forget to bring whatever evidence you have with you"

Jeraddin had intended to do just that. He had finished getting dressed and had just been about to pick up the black ledger and stuff it in his coat, when the words of the watchmen had made him stop.

Instead of taking it with him, he had stashed the ledger in his nightstand. On top of it, he had left a note, hastily jotted down, for Flora to find, when she would enter the room to clean it.

Jeraddin's suspicions were stirring in their sleep and they had been wide awake when the lynx had realized that the extremely official-looking black carriage he and his escort were travelling in, were not heading in the direction of the court-house at all.

Jeraddin had reached for the handle to the carriage-door. Before he had been able to pull it down and throw himself out of the carriage, cold-steel had touched his throat. It had been followed by a cloth, drenched in some kind of chemical, being pressed against his nose and mouth and, after a moment's hopeless struggle, everything had turned dark...

"Pity" the first voice growled. "Wake him up."

The Other voice grabbed hold of Jeraddin's head-fur, tilted his head back and tapped him on the cheeks. Jeraddin opened his eyes. Standing before him was Cerewan and the blue cat, his head covered in a bandage.

"Greetings, General" said Cerewan, wearing a smile of  hollow joviality. "I am Captain Cerewan and..."

"I know who you are, Captain" Jeraddin said, cutting the tiger off. "And frankly, I don't care for this sort of treatment."

"Is that so? Well, General, I do not care for having my crew assaulted and my ship set ablaze.

Fortunately, we were able to put out the fire. However, it's going to take months of repairs to make the Maelstrom sea-worthy again. Repairs that you are going to pay for,  General."

"Is that all? Very well, untie me and let's all go to the bank."

Cerewan shook his head and emitted a low chuckle.

"Not so fast, General. Before we do that, there is another matter that needs to be settled."

"Oh? What is that?"

The Smile did not vanish from Cerewan's face, but it did shrink considerably. Next to it, the tiger's scar reddened.

"Don't be coy with me, General, there were two ledgers in my cabin. Where are they now?"

"Oh, you mean those ledgers? They were destroyed in the fire."

"He's lyin' Cap'n" said the blue cat. "I saw him leavin' the ship with one of 'em when I was treadin' water."

"You hear that, General? Now, I'll ask nicely one more time: Where's the remaining ledger?"

"I've stuffed it where the sun don't shine" Jeraddin growled. "Why don't you come get it, you sweet-water pirate?"

With a sigh, Cerewan gave the lynx a look similar to that a parent might give an obstinate child and went over to the table. He stood there for a moment, contemplating which tool to pick. When he turned around, there was a rope in his paws. A rope which had a heavy knot in one end.

"I could tell you that this will hurt me more than you, General" Cerewan said, "but we both know that's a lie."

He began to swing the rope, faster and faster. Jeraddin watched as the knot became a blur and steeled himself for the inevitable.

*****

Jeraddin was fairly certain his shoulders, both of them, were dislocated. If not? Well, They hurt like hell at any rate. As did his chest for that matter. 

He glared at his captors: Cerewan had lowered the rope and was wiping the sweat from his forehead.

"I guess old age is catching up with me", the tiger shook his head in mock disbelief. "Let's take a quick break, shall we? In the meantime, General, there's something else I'd like to ask you..."

The Captain of the Maelstrom went up to Jeraddin and put a paw on his left shoulder. The Lynx groaned.

"How did you find out about me?" As he posed the question, Cerewan dug his claws in deeper.

"Arghh! A slave I met in Guanaca, one of your former 'customers'. She was the one who told me."

"Oh? What was her name?"

"Sorry, can't remember."

"And yet her words were enough for you to try to bring me to justice? A stranger? Unless..." Cerewan paused and looked closely at Jeraddin's face.

"Ah, yes" he chuckled. "I can see it now, the resemblance."

Cerewan released his grip and stepped back.

"Here" he said, handing the rope to the cat. "You take over, my arm's still tired."

"Right, Cap'n."

"Now then, General, I'm going to ask you again and if you refuse to answer, you shall be struck again. This time, however, the knot will strike in a more...sensitive spot. If you get my drift."

"I understand." Jeraddin sighed resignedly. "I'll talk, but before I do, would you answer one of my questions, Captain?"

"Very well, General, ask your question."

"What time is it?"

Cerewan's surprise only lasted for a moment. Then, he took out a pocket-watch and consulted it.

"About half past noon" he replied, slamming the lid to the watch shut and putting it back in his pocket. "Now then, if you'd be so kind as to tell us where the ledger is?"

"By now, I suspect its in the paws of the authorities" Jeraddin replied calmly.

Cerewan could feel the color drain from his face. 

"You...you're bluffing" he muttered, but one look at the smug smile on his captive's face told him that this was merely wishful thinking on his part.

"By now every member of the city-watch must be out looking for you, Cerewan" Jeraddin said. "Why they could be here at any moment."

"Perhaps we should leave, Cap'n?" The Cat suggested, his voice trembling slightly.

"Calm yourself, sailor!" Cerewan snapped. "No-one knows where we are. By the time the watch finds this place, we'll be long gone." He turned back to Jeraddin. "You thought you were clever, didn't you, General? Alas, all you've done now is sign your own death-warrant."

With those words, he drew a saber from his belt and made some cutting motions with it in the air. Jeraddin watched him, without flinching.

Is this how my life ends? He wondered. I had a feeling that I wouldn't die in my bed, but I must admit that this is not the way I pictured it.

His thoughts were interrupted by the unpleasant sensation of Cerewan's breath hitting him in the face.

"When next I meet Risha" the tiger whispered in the lynx's ear, "I'll tell her that her father died, screaming."

He stepped back and raised the saber over his head. 

There was a knock on the door. Cerewan dropped his weapon, the blue cat almost jumped out of his skin. Both of them, as well as Jeraddin, stared at the door.

"Well, Captain?" Jeraddin asked. "Aren't you going to answer?"

It was then that a voice could be heard on the other side and Jeraddin's heart sank again, for he recognized it.

"Captain, it's us! Open up!"

The Blue cat was closest to the door. He looked at Cerewan who gave him a nod. The Door opened and the false watchmen appeared on the doorstep. However, before they could enter, they were pushed aside; by a group of real watchmen who swarmed into the room.

A Whisper In My Ear. A Voice So Strong and Clear...

I don't think its a stretch to claim that, out of all the comics that takes place in medieval times and/or deals with the Arthurian legends, Hal Foster's Prince Valiant, is the most well-known. Though it was never a staple of my childhood, in the same way as Tintin by Hergé, or the various Disney comics, by creators such as Carl Barks and Don Rosa, I remember enjoying the volumes of Prince Valiant I read translated into Swedish, when I was a boy. 

Unlike the source material, The Legend of Prince Valiant was not a part of my childhood. I don't think it ever aired on Swedish television. If it did, it was not on any of the channels that were available to me, at the time. 

As such, I remained completely ignorant of this show's existence, until fairly recently, when a review written by one of my mutuals on SensCritique, awoke my interest in it. Having watched the show in its entirety, I've decided to share my thoughts on it. Here goes:

The Legend of Prince Valiant begins similarly to the comic (as far as I can remember), with the Kingdom of Thule being conquered by an evil warlord and the King, the Queen and their son, Valiant being forced to flee and seek refuge in a marsh. 

One evening, the young Valiant has a dream in which a voice speaks to him, summoning him to a place called Camelot. Valiant has never heard of such a place before, but he's convinced that it exists and so, against his father's wishes, he sets out on a journey to find Camelot. He is joined by Arn, a young peasant and Rowan, the daughter of a blacksmith. Both of whom have had the same dream. After many adventures, the trio arrives at Camelot and the court of King Arthur, where they begin their long road towards knighthood and for Valiant to reclaim his father's kingdom.

Visually, The Legend of Prince Valiant looks fine.Sometimes, the characters go off-model, but the backgrounds are lush and detailed and the show features some fairly impressive battle-scenes. The Soundtrack is superb (with the show's opening theme; Where the Truth Lies deserving special mention, being suitably grandiose) as is the voice-acting. Valiant himself is voiced by Robby Benson, known as the voice of Prince Alexander from King's Quest VI to fans of graphic adventure games and as Beast from Disney's Beauty and the Beast to everyone else who's heard of him. Fittingly enough, when Aleta, the woman who becomes Valiant's love-interest makes her appearance in the show, she's voiced by Paige O'Hara aka. Belle from the above mentioned movie.

Writing is likewise of high quality: Characters are by and large, well-rounded and interesting. My favorite character (if I had to choose) would probably be Duncan. He starts out as a minor recurring villain and ends up having arguably the best character arc in the entire series. 

During its two seasons, The Legend of Prince Valiant tackles some heavy topics, such as; alcoholism, child-abuse, racism and even gun...sorry, crossbow-safety. It does this without coming across as preachy or condescending. 

Though it seems to have fallen into obscurity, The Legend of Prince Valiant is one of the best western cartoons of the 90's. Easily comparable to the likes of Batman: TAS and Gargoyles. Highly recommended.

No Likable Characters

 Picture this, dear Reader: You are on a review-site (Goodreads, IMDB. Whatever, it doesn't matter) and while you are there, you decide to check out the reviews of something you watched/read/played recently and, in some of the less enthusiastic reviews, you find the above statement or a variation thereof. 

This statement has always bothered me, because I seldom feel that its valid as criticism. Note that I said seldom, not never, there are definitely times when the creator(s) of a work intended a character to be liked by the audience and failed at making them so.That said, if a character isn't likable, nine times out of ten, its because they were not meant to be. 

And yet, a lot of people seem to treat is as such, considering likability to be tantamount when talking about characters in a work of fiction.

Why is that? Personally, I think its because people tend to equate 'likable' with 'interesting'. Now, to be fair, the two tend to go hand in hand, even for me. I know that, if I find a character to be likable, its a fair assumption  that I find them interesting as well. 

However, just because two things are connected does not mean they are synonymous. And so, I shall explain (or at least attempt) how the two of them differ, in my opinion. 

Basically, to me, a character being likable means that I like that character, as a person. They have my sympathy and I would not mind socializing with them in real-life.

None of the above need apply to a character that I simply find engaging in the role given to them by the narrative. Some of my favorite characters in fiction are horrible people, even outright monsters. However, they are compelling monsters and ultimately, that's what counts: The Worst crime a fictional character can be guilty of is not mass-murder, enslavement or any other real-life atrocity. No, its to be boring.

Chapter 76

 On the ship carrying Risha and Merees, the Captain had just finished showing the two women and Kyros the route of the ship's voyage.

"And there you have it" he said. "Barring any incidents and if the Gods smile on us, we should reach our destination in four months."

Merees leaned forward, taking a closer look at the map spread out over the table the four of them had gathered around.

Not that I would presume to tell you how to do your job, Captain" she began."However, I can't help but notice that this is a huge detour. Surely, you would save time if you were to anchor here and then have a caravan take your cargo the rest of the way?"

"Aye" the Captain replied, with a touch of bitterness in his voice. "That's how we used to do it. Unfortunately, that option is no longer available to us."

"Why is that?"

"That is Guancan territory and recently, Guanaca came under Vinolian control. Unfortunately, the country whose flag this ship sails under and Vinoli are not on good terms."

Seeing expression of shock and bafflement that his words had caused to appear on Merees' face, the Captain hastened to explain the circumstances around her homeland's take-over of Guanaca, as far as he knew it.

Merees listened to the Captain, her brow furrowed with vexation. 

"How did the Vinolian army managed to take Guanaca?" She asked, once he had finished filling her in. "I thought that the desert-kingdom was supposed to be impenetrable?" The Answer to her question came to her almost as soon as she had asked it. "Of course! They must have inside-help."

The Captain nodded.

"Rumor has it that it was someone close to the late King Bashar, who betrayed the city to the Vinolians."

"Is that so? Well, whoever that person was I'm sure they had their reasons."

"Aye, everyone does. Though whatever reasons they might have had does not alter the fact that our journey will be longer and certainly more arduous than it has ever been."

"True, not to mention its because of that person that Guanaca is now in the hands of A..."

Merees did not finish her sentence. Risha, who had not said anything their meeting suddenly got up and, still not saying a word, left the state-room, slamming the door behind her.

"Well, well" the Captain said, scratching his head. "What got into her all of a sudden?"

"A bout of sea-sickness, perhaps" Merees said. "I had better see to her. Excuse me, gentlemen."

*****

Risha was standing by the ship's railing, staring out at the horizon, when Merees joined her.

"Something the matter, hon?" The Dragon asked.

"It was me", the lynx replied, her voice hoarse. "I'm the person who allowed the Vinolian army to enter Guanaca."

I knew it, Merees thought to herself. She placed a sympathetic hand on her lover's trembling shoulder.

"I knew perfectly well that by doing so, I had essentially handed Guanaca over to Argath, but at the time, I did not care: All I could think of was that this was my chance to regain my freedom and have Bashar at my mercy, to finally make him pay for all the indignities he had made me suffer."

"I'm not judging you, Risha" Merees said. "Nor should anyone else. Everyone would have made the same choice in your situation and if not? Well,  in that case, they might as well remain slaves."

"Freedom is not a gift, it is the right of every  Vinolian citizen..." Risha said, speaking in a small voice but loud enough for Merees to hear.

"...Should anyone infringe on that right, do not ask for its return, but reclaim it", Merees finished. "My father always said that was the most important part of the Vinolian constitution."

"Something tells me that the constitution has been greatly rewritten in the past five years" Risha sighed.

"Doesn't matter. Once Argath has been overthrown, we can restore it to how it used to be."

If we win, Risha was about to say, but kept those words to herself. No point in getting bogged down by negativity, after all. No, better to assume the best while preparing for the worst.

She moved closer to Merees and the two of them stood there, close together, feeling the sea-breeze and listening to the sound of the waves splashing against a hull. 

"Do you think the Captain figured out why I left so abruptly?" Risha asked, after a few minutes silence.

"Don't worry, I made up an excuse for you.Say, something wet just hit my head."

"Me too."

Lynx and dragon both looked up and saw that sky, which had previously been blue, had suddenly turned grey. The Captain came out on deck, followed by Kyros.

"Storm's coming!" He bellowed. "All passengers, get off the deck! Now!!"

Later, Risha and Merees huddled together, while the rain-drops spattered against their cabin's porthole and the ever-higher waves played catch with their ship.

"Mer?" Risha moaned.

"Yes, hon."

"What excuse did you give to the Captain?"

"I told him you were sea-sick."

"I see. Can you pass me the chamber-pot under the bed?"

"Why? Don't tell me..."

"Yes, I'm afraid so."

*****

In his chamber, Jeraddin was woken by the sun shining through the blinds and striking him in the face. With a yawn, the male lynx sat up and let out a grunt of pain. He ached all over and for a moment, Jeraddin wondered if he had slept in an uncomfortable position. Then, he saw the ledger lying on the bed beside him and the memories of last night came flooding back.

Getting out of bed, Jeraddin proceeded to his private bathroom (his house was one of those in the Vinolian capital that were equipped with indoor plumbing). Upon entering, he noticed his reflection, covered in scratches from last night's brawl, in the doors of the medicine cabinet and winced.

I can't let Flora see me like this, he thought, and opened the cabinet to see if it contained anything that could be of help. Rummaging around its contents, the General soon found a bottle with the following label:

Healing Salve

-For minor wounds and aches. Apply to the afflicted area and wait ten minutes.

Jeraddin uncorked the bottle and began to follow the instructions...

Somewhat later, Jeraddin, now dressed in a bathrobe, the scratches on his face fully faded, was having breakfast in the kitchen.

"Tough night, Sir?" Flora asked, as she poured more coffee into Jeraddin's cup.

Jeraddin swallowed his porridge and nodded.

"Indeed, but well worth it. You can take my word for that."

"May I ask if you will come in late this evening as well?"

Jeraddin thought for a moment, then shook his head:

"No, today unless something comes up, I shall stay home. Maybe catch up on my reading."

In that moment, the sound of someone knocking on the front door could be heard. Flora went out to answer and returned with two members of the city-watch. Jeraddin greeted them and asked how he might be of service?

The Two watchmen exchanged awkward looks.

"It's like this, General...." One of them began. "We need you to come with us."

"Someone's pressed charges against you" added his colleague.

"What?" Flora took a step forward, brandishing the ladle she had used to stir the porridge, menacingly. "Who dares?"

"Peace, Flora" Jeraddin said, holding up a paw. The Housekeeper lowered her arm and stepped back.

"I am at your disposal" he told the guards. "Before we go though, permit me to go upstairs and change into more suitable attire. Don't worry, I will not give you the slip."

 

Chapter 75

 Aboard the Maelstrom, a lonely figure took a pause in its pacing back and forth across the deck, to stare longingly towards the harbor. The Figure, a heavy-set, blue-furred member of the feline family, thought with envy of his fellow crewmen, now currently living it up in one of the area's pleasure establishments. He would have liked to be in their shoes, but unfortunately for him, being the newest addition to the crew,  meant that the Captain had selected him to stay guard over the ship.

His stomach growling, the cat went over to a nearby barrel and took from it a dried herring.  Unfortunately, he barely got to savor this meager repast, for just as he had swallowed down the fish's head, something struck him on the back of his head, and such was the force of the blow, that it immediately pulled a veil down over his eyes and caused his legs to give out underneath him.

It was, of course, none other than Jeraddin who had caused the cat to take this involuntary nap. As he massaged his paw, the lynx looked down at the unconscious form at his feet and, while doing so, thought back on the days of his youth, when he would lead small groups of soldiers in raids on Frigonian camps. It was comforting to know that the on-set of middle-age had not diminished his skill at taking an unsuspecting sentry by surprise.

Of course, we slit the Frigonian guard's throats rather than knocking them unconscious, Jeraddin mused. Red on steel, red on claws. Gruesome business. You can count yourself lucky that its peace-time and that you are a  civilian and a Vinolian citizen. Still, I had better take some additional precautions, in case you'd come to while I'm still aboard. 

Taking a look around the deck, Jeraddin soon found what he was looking for: A rope, which he used to tie the cat's paws together behind his back. This task accomplished, the lynx set about exploring the ship. Jeraddin knew that the Captain's quarters were usually located right under the bridge and indeed, there was a door right there. A door which turned out to be locked. Jeraddin thought about searching the cat's pockets, but decided that that would be a waste of time. After all, Cerewan would hardly have entrusted the keys to the cabin to one of his crew, instead of taking them with him. He briefly considered to search the ship for a crowbar, or some other kind of tool with which to get the door open, but decided that it would eat up too much time and time was something Jeraddin did not wish to waste.

Had Jeraddin been a burglar, he would have carried a set of lock-picks with which to open any door. But, of course, he was not one and therefore had none.

With no other alternative left to him, Jeraddin decided to resort to brute force. Bracing himself, the lynx  gave the door a hard tackle, putting all his strength behind it. One more go was all it took for the hinges to give and the door to come crashing down. After a quick look over his shoulder, to make sure that the noise had not waken the cat, or attracted any attention from the harbor,  Jeraddin entered Cerewan's sanctum.

Inside, Jeraddin's gaze swept past the unmade bed and  the chest containing what was no doubt the Captain's clothes and other personal belongings, but rested on the small bookcase, containing a strongbox, a logbook and two black ledgers. 

Jeraddin first picked up the strongbox and gave it a shake. The Rattling sound made it obvious that it only contained money. He put it back, took out the logbook and leafed through it, but could find nothing incriminating in it. Disappointed, but still hopeful, he took out one of the ledgers. It was marked 'Merchandise: Earnings'.

This seems promising.

However, upon opening the ledger, all the lynx met with was a blank page. A quick look confirmed that all the pages were blank. Frustrated, Jeraddin took out the other ledger, marked 'Expenses'. 

Same thing there. How was this possible? Jeraddin scratched his head in bewilderment. He refused to believe that Cerewan had simply not written anything in either ledger and yet, there was nothing there. Unless....

Jeraddin went over to the chest and opened it. Inside he found what he was looking for; a tinder-box and a candle. He carried these items and the ledgers over to the Captain's table and sat down. 

Having lit the candle, the lynx opened the first ledger and held the flame close to the page, making sure that they did not come into contact with each other. Gradually, letters became visible. 

Jeraddin had to bite down on his tongue to suppress a sudden urge to shout 'Hurrah!, his hunch had been correct. He proceeded to do the same to each of the ledger's pages, until its secrets were revealed to him. On each page rows and rows of names were written and next to each name, a species and a sum. 

These must be the poor wretches Cerewan delivered to the slave-market, Jeraddin thought, with a heavy heart. Then, he saw one name and although he had been prepared for it, it made his insides turn cold:

Risha Lynx 2 silver 50 bronze.

With a ferocious expression on his face, Jeraddin slammed the ledger shut. He had seen enough. As for the other ledger, he had a hunch that it contained the bribes Cerewan had to pay, not just to the authorities to keep them from putting their nose in his business, but also to other scoundrels, more powerful than he himself.

Jeraddin picked up the ledgers and hid them under his shirt. He was just about to leave, only to get a most unwelcome surprise: 

Standing in the doorway was the cat, holding a flintlock pistol whose muzzle was pointed straight at Jeraddin.

"So, you are the mangy cur responsible for my headache. You have three seconds to tell me your business here and then, I'll shoo..."

With a roar, Jeraddin leaped towards the cat and, before the latter had time to react had wrenched the gun out of his paw. Jeraddin bent down to pick up the weapon, but by now, the cat had regained his composure and with a furious meow, threw himself on top of the lynx. The Two adversaries rolled around on the floor, teeth biting, claws scratching. During their fight, they crashed violently into the table, causing the still lit candle to fall to the floor. The Flame did not  go out, instead it spread across the floor, growing in size the more dust-bunnies it consumed. 

Suddenly, the cat let out a pained howl and rushed out of the cabin, the tip of his tail on fire. As for Jeraddin, he was frantically searching for the ledgers, which he had dropped during the brawl. There they were! Already being licked by the flames. Quickly, Jeraddin snatched a blanket from the Captain's cot and smothered the flames with it.

Unfortunately, Jeraddin discovered his dismay that one of the ledgers had been practically burnt to the crisp. However, the other was still in decent condition, only somewhat singed in the corners. Jeraddin picked it up and, clutching it tightly to his chest, the lynx left the cabin and headed down the Maelstrom's gangplank, as quickly as his feet could carry him, barely paying attention to the splashing sound coming from the water below.

****

In a tavern not far from where the Maelstrom was anchored, her Captain and most of her crew, were busy enjoying themselves, when the tavern-doors suddenly flew open and a young water-rat, visibly out of breath rushed inside.

"Cap'n Cerewan, come quickly!" The Youth gasped, looking at the tiger. "Your ship, its on fire!"

"You little...." Cerewan grabbed hold off the messenger's collar. "If this is a joke, you'll live to regret it."

"No joke, Cap'n" the water-rat protested, his voice trembling slightly. "I swear."

"You better not" Cerewan growled. He let go of the water-rat and turned to his crew. "Alright, men, break it up! We're leaving!"

As one the crew dropped everything they were doing and, followed their Captain out the door. Once outside, the smell of something burning hung in the air, invading their nostrils. A smell that came in the direction of the Maelstrom. Cerewan's striped face turned white with rage, whoever was responsible for this would pay dearly.

****

Only when he was finally back inside his own home did Jeraddin become aware of how exhausted tonight's events had made him.

No doubt, age is catching up on, you old boy, he thought, as he headed for his bedroom. 

Once there, the lynx had barely removed his boots, before he collapsed on top of the bed. Next morning, Flora came and knocked on his bedroom door, as per instructions. And, when she not get an answered, stepped inside and found the General sound asleep, still wearing his clothes, using what looked like a black ledger as a pillow.