Ship of Magic

In the dark of the harbor, Vivacia sighed. She crossed her slender arms over her breasts and stared up at the bright lights of the night market. So engrossed was she in her own thoughts that she startled to the soft touch of a hand against her planking. She looked down. “Ronica!” she exclaimed in gentle surprise.

“Yes. Hush. I would speak quietly with you.”

“If you wish,” Vivacia replied softly, intrigued.

“I need to know . . . that is, Althea sent me a message. She feared all was not well with you.” The woman's voice faltered. “The message actually came some days ago. A servant, thinking it unimportant, had set it in Ephron's study. I only found it today.”

Her hand was still set to the hull. Vivacia could read some of what she felt, though not all. “It is hard for you to go into that room, isn't it? As hard as it is to come down here and see me.”

“Ephron,” Ronica whispered brokenly. “Is he ... is he within you? Can he speak through you to me?”

Vivacia shook her head sorrowfully. She was used to seeing this woman through Ephron's eyes or Althea's. They had seen her as determined and authoritative. Tonight, in her dark cloak with her head bowed, she looked so small. Vivacia longed to comfort her, but would not lie. “No. I'm afraid it isn't like that. I'm aware of what he knew, but it is commingled with so much else. Still. When I look at you, I feel as my own the love he felt for you. Does that help?”

“No,” Ronica answered truthfully. “There is some comfort in it, but it can never be like Ephron's strong arms around me, or his advice guiding me. Oh, ship, what am I to do? What am I to do?”

“I don't know,” Vivacia answered. Ronica's distress was awakening an answering anxiety in her. She put it in words. “It frightens me that you ask me that question. Surely you know what to do. Ephron certainly always believed you did.” Reflectively, Vivacia added, “He thought of himself as a simple sailor, you know. A man who had the knack of running a ship well. You were the wisdom of the family, the one with the greater vision. He counted on that.”

“He did?”

“Of course he did. How else could he have sailed off and left you to manage everything?”

Ronica was silent. Then she heaved a great sigh.

Quietly Vivacia added, “I think he would tell you to follow your own counsels.”

Ronica shook her head wearily. “I fear you are right. Vivacia, do you know where Althea is?”

“Right now? No. Don't you?”

Ronica answered reluctantly. “I have not seen her since the morning after Ephron died.”

“I have, several times. The last time she came to see me, Torg came down onto the docks and tried to lay hands on her. She pushed him off the dock, and walked away while everyone else was laughing.”

“But she was all right?”

Vivacia shook her head. “Only as ‘all right’ as you or I am. Which is to say she is troubled and hurt and confused. But she told me to be patient, that all would eventually be put right. She told me not to take matters into my own hands.”

Ronica nodded gravely. “Those are the very things I came down here to say tonight, also. Do you think you can keep such counsels?”

“I?” The ship almost laughed. “Ronica, I am three times a Vestrit. I fear I shall have only as much patience as my forebears did.”

“An honest answer,” Ronica conceded. “I will only ask that you try. No. I will ask one more thing. If Althea returns here, before you sail, will you give her a message from me? For I have no other way to contact her, save through you.”

“Of course. And I will see that no one save her hears the message.”

“Good, that is good. All I ask is that she come to see me. We are not at odds as much as she believes we are. But I will not go into details now. Just ask her to come to me, quietly.”

“I shall tell her. But I do not know if she will.”

“Neither do I, ship. Neither do I.”

Chapter Fourteen Family Matters