A Mutiny in Time (Infinity Ring #1)

“No time to waste,” the man said, grinning his gap-toothed smile again. “My things are already up on the beast, and by the looks of it, you three ain’t got much more to your names than a bag of clothes and all your eyeballs. Be thankful for that, by the way. Having just one ain’t as easy as it might look. Look. Get it? Ha! Let’s go.”


He’d been stepping toward the door as he spoke, a slight limp in his right leg. Gloria quickly gathered Dak and the others in a huddle.

“I know this has all happened quickly,” she said, “but we didn’t have much choice, did we? The Hystorians are asking a lot of you, but I have faith. I’ve barely met you, but I already believe you can do it. Get on there, learn things, scout it out. Find out what the SQ is up to, and do whatever it takes to stop them. Understand?”

Dak suddenly remembered one of the last things his dad had said to him: This wasn’t a game. Not only were they walking right into a violent mutiny — and planning to somehow involve themselves — these voyages were scary enough to begin with. The whole crew neversurvived a trans-ocean trip in these days — a few dozen would probably die from disease alone. Happy thoughts to begin their journey.

And he couldn’t help but feel conflicted about changing the past. Changing the thing he loved most. Could they really take the Hystorians’ word on everything?

He realized everyone was looking at him. “I’m totally excited about this. Let’s do it.”

“Okay, then,” Gloria said with a motherly smile. She pulled each of them into a hug and then stepped back. “I wish I could be of more help. I wish I could go with you, but you know I can’t. Good luck, and remember: The fate of the world lies in your hands.”

Dak laughed. “No pressure or anything, right?”

“Hey!” Eyeball barked from the open door. “If I stand here much longer, I’ll have to take care of me bidness again. Let’s get!”

A flurry of panic swirled through Dak, but he pushed it down. This was it. His chance to literally live history. The right path would present itself.

“Thanks, Gloria,” he said. “One day there’ll be a book about how you helped us save the world.”

And with that, he walked out the door, trusting the others to follow, and hoping he was right.



Eyeball led them through the streets, dodging carts and people and kids who darted around like fish. Their guide didn’t say a word, just kept moving with that limp and a grunt every now and then when he saw something that he seemed to take unkindly to. But he never bothered explaining. Dak stayed right on his heels, enjoying every second.

They turned a corner at a large wooden inn, and Dak almost stumbled when he saw the ships docked in the bay suddenly rise up before him. Each mighty mast seemed to touch the blue sky far above, with pointed beakheads at the front and squared off sterns in the back. They looked just as he’d seen them in countless illustrations. People swarmed all over the ships like hungry ants searching for a spare crumb, and shouts and whistles filled the air. Somewhere, men were singing.

“There she is,” Eyeball said, his voice full of pride. He was pointing at the largest of the ships. “La Santa María de la Inmaculada Concepción. Destined to do great things, that beauty. If she weren’t made of splintered wood and filled with sweat and grease, I’d marry her and have lots of babies.”

“For the love of mincemeat,” Sera muttered. “Not a good image.”

The man didn’t seem to hear her. He kept walking, head held high as they got closer and closer. A gangplank had been laid out, and two roughnecks with knives in their belts stood guard at the bottom of it. They didn’t flinch or make a move for their weapons when Dak’s group approached, which could only mean they knew Eyeball well.

“Afternoon, you buckets of lard,” the taskmaster said to them. “Got a few of those extra recruits Stonebull’s been hoping for. These ugly little runts ought to do.”

“Hey!” Sera said in protest. But then she quickly shut her mouth, and Dak hoped her higher voice hadn’t made the men suspicious.

“Shut up, you little weasel!” Eyeball roared. Then to the guards, “That one hasn’t hit the age yet, but he’ll work hard enough. I’ll make sure of that.”

“You slugs better be up to workin’ right away,” one of the guards said, a tall man with a ridiculous mustache. “Lots to do before setting sail tomorrow. Slack on the job and you won’t be aboard when we go.”

“We’ll make you proud, sir,” Dak said enthusiastically before he could stop himself. Riq groaned next to him and Sera gave him a dirty look. Dak hardly noticed.

“Up with ya, then,” the other guard said, before launching a long, slimy spit into the ocean water.

“Follow me,” Eyeball said. He stepped between the two armed men and started walking up the long plank.