‘Tell me and I’ll relay it,’ said the first mate.
‘That won’t be necessary,’ said the Captain as he forced his way through the press of sailors. ‘Get back to your duties!’ he commanded and the sailors moved off. ‘I’ll take this man with me, Yost,’ the Captain instructed the first mate.
Mr Yost looked unconvinced, but he nodded and just said, ‘Yes sir.’
‘Follow me,’ said the Captain, a very experienced and loyal member of the Royal Navy of Roldem by the name of William Gregson. He, like every other sailor in this little flotilla, wore no uniform and to the casual eye appeared to be merely a commercial captain, but like every other man aboard the three ships, he was navy to the bone.
Once inside the privacy of his cabin, Gregson said, ‘What news, Lord James?’
‘My head is pounding,’ said Jim, sitting down without waiting for leave. ‘I hit a rock coming down off that cliff over there. Do you have something?’
The Captain went to his private sea chest and removed a stoppered bottle. He pulled out two small glasses and filled them both. ‘Medicinal brandy,’ he said, offering up a glass to Jim. ‘Now, what’s happened? You wouldn’t be swimming with sharks if there wasn’t a problem.’
‘Aye,’ said Jim. ‘Kaspar and the rest are prisoners.’
‘Who’s taken them?’
‘Elves, but none like any I’ve seen. I’ve got a lot to report, but as I must be on my way as soon as possible, you’ll have to wait for the official word to be passed back to you.’
The Captain, his face a leathery map from years on the quarterdeck, said, ‘So it’s mind my own business, is it?’
‘Something like that, Captain.’
‘How fast is fast? The Lady Jessie is our fastest.’
‘Not ship-fast. I need that device I asked you to keep for me.’
The Captain returned to his chest, opened it and took out a small golden sphere. ‘I’ve been wondering what it was.’
‘Something that will get me where I need to go faster than the swiftest ship in the fleet can bear me. One thing, though, before I use it.’
‘What?’
‘I need a pair of trousers.’
The Captain could barely keep from laughing. He went to his clothing locker and produced a pair of trousers which were slightly too large but would do. ‘Boots?’ he offered.
‘I think yours won’t fit.’
The Captain fetch another pair but they were too small. ‘I’ll find something along the way,’ said Jim. He held up the orb and said, ‘Well, goodbye, Captain,’ and depressed a switch on the side of the device.
Before the Captain could reply, he was gone. Only a slight inward surge of air marked his disappearance. Into the empty room, the Captain said, ‘What do I tell the men?’
It was the dead of night on Sorcerer’s Isle when Jim appeared. It was his first visit to the home of the legendary Black Sorcerer, Pug. Jim was aware that he had some sort of distant kinship with the magician, as Pug’s adopted daughter Gamina had been the wife of Lord James, but Jim suspected he was hardly the first member of ‘that side of the family’ not to know his forebear.
He had arrived in a small room set aside for visitors, and a student had been detailed there to keep an eye on it. Even so, the student leapt a mile as Jim materialized. At last he regained his composure and said ‘Wait here. I will fetch someone.’
Jim knew better than to argue for he had been given clear instructions by his great-uncle and Lord Erik that if he were ever to use the device he must do whatever he was told once he reached the island.
Jim didn’t have long to wait. A regal looking woman obviously just awakened arrived with the student. She gave him a searching look. ‘Who are you?’
With an only slightly mocking courtly bow, he said, ‘I’m James Jamison, grandson of the Duke of Rillanon. And to whom do I have the pleasure of speaking?’
‘I’m Miranda,’ answered the woman. ‘Come along. You wouldn’t be here if the situation didn’t warrant it. I’ve heard of you, Jim Dasher, and what I’ve heard is good: we need sneaky bastards on our side at a time like this.’
Jim wasn’t sure if that was a compliment or not, but he decided to take it as one. Miranda led him down a long series of halls. ‘Most of the faculty and students are asleep, as you’d expect. I’ll warn you though, when sunrise comes, you may see some… people, unlike any you’ve encountered. Try not to gawk.’
‘After what I’ve seen in the last two days, lady, I don’t think anything will surprise me any more.’
She entered a room that was clearly an office of some sort and motioned for him to sit down in a chair opposite a desk. ‘Why don’t you tell me about your last two days, then?’