Ship of Magic

“Sir,” Althea conceded hopelessly. At least he wasn't shouting angrily at her. By keeping his dignity, he'd allowed her to keep hers. For that, she was grateful. But Ophelia's betrayal of her trust still stung. She looked past him to where Ophelia regarded her sheepishly over one round shoulder. “I asked you not to give me away,” she rebuked her softly. She studied the figurehead's face. “I can't believe you did this to me.”

“Oh, not fair, my dear! Not fair at all!” Ophelia protested earnestly. “I warned you that you couldn't expect me to keep such a secret from my captain. And I also told you I'd try to find a way for you to stay aboard, if you wished to, under your own name. Now how could I do that without telling him what your real name was?” Ophelia turned her attention to her captain. “Tomie, you're enjoying this. Shame on you! Tell her the rest, right now. The poor girl thinks you mean to maroon her here.”

“This is Ophelia's idea, not mine,” the captain observed grudgingly. “She's taken quite a shine to you.” He took a draw from his pipe while Althea waited in suspense. “Grag'll give you enough coin to fix yourself up. A bath, the proper clothes and so on. Tomorrow afternoon, you'll come back aboard as Althea Vestrit. And we'll take you home.”

“And,” Ophelia cut in excitedly. “And, oh, this is the best part, my dear, and you can't imagine how hard it was for me to persuade Tomie. Grag was easy, of course, Grag's always easy, aren't you, my lamb?” She didn't wait for the mate's murmured assent. “You'll be acting as mate for the rest of the voyage home,” she announced to Althea gleefully. “Because a day or so out of Rinstin, poor Grag's going to have such a horrible toothache that he'll take to his bunk. And Tomie ‘s going to ask you to fill in, because he knows you sailed with your father.”

Grag leaned forward to see her expression at this. At the shock on her face, he burst out laughing. His blue eyes darted to Ophelia, sharing his delight with her.

“Do you mean it?” Althea asked incredulously. “Oh, how can I thank you?”

Captain Tenira took the pipe out of his mouth. “You can thank me by doing a damn good job so that no one says I'm daft to have taken you on. And you can keep it to yourself, forever, that you ever shipped aboard the Ophelia as a boy and I didn't know it.” He rounded abruptly on his figurehead. “And I expect you to keep your word on that as well, you old busy-body. Not a word of this to anyone, man or liveship.”

“Why, Tomie, how can you doubt me?” Ophelia demanded. She rolled her eyes and laid a hand over her heart as if stricken. Then she tipped a showy wink to Althea.

Grag choked and the captain whirled on him. “Stop your sniggering, pup. You'll be as much a laughing-stock as I if this gets out.”

“I'm not laughing, sir,” Grag lied merrily. “I'm just looking forward to the prospect of reading and lazing all the way from here to Bingtown.” His eyes darted to Althea's to share the joke. His gaze lingered on her face, and she was sure he was trying to see the girl he had known in her grubby boy's guise. She lowered her eyes uncomfortably as his father spoke to him.

“I'm sure. Well, be prepared to make a quick recovery if I decide I need you on the deck after all.” Captain Tenira swung his gaze back to Althea and almost apologized as he added, “Not that I think I shall. I've heard you can scramble lively and with the best of them. Now. Do you anticipate any problem, ur, changing from boy to girl again?”

Althea shook her head thoughtfully. “I can go to the rooming house as a sailor lad and get cleaned up there. Tomorrow morning, I'll shop about town for ‘gifts’ for my sister. Then back to my room, change clothes, fix my hair, and whisk out the back. Unnoticed, I hope.”

“Well. Let's hope it all goes that simply.”

“I truly don't know how to thank you, sir. All of you,” Althea's warm gaze included Ophelia.

“There is one other thing I'd ask of you,” Captain Tenira said heavily.

Something in Althea braced at his tone. “And that is?” she asked.

“Ophelia has told us about your situation with your ship. If I may be bold, young lady, I advise you to keep it a family matter. Oh, I'll vouch for you, if you prove yourself to me. I'll give you a ship's ticket with a mate's stamp on it, if you perform well. I'll even stand beside you in Traders' Council and take your part if need be. But I'd rather not. Vestrit family business should be settled behind Vestrit doors. I knew your father, not well, but well enough to know that's how he'd prefer it.”

“I will if I can, sir,” Althea replied gravely. “I'd prefer it that way myself. But if it comes down to it, I'll do whatever I must to regain my ship.”

“I knew she'd say that,” Grag crowed. He and Ophelia exchanged triumphant glances.