Aqueous Passage. Krystyna Faroe

dolt brain Detroit turned up. I could so easily have had all the information I wanted but no, fate turned against us. Now he won’t even have her in his sight, so she is almost continually in her room. She misses the company, especially at dinner time; she always enjoyed plying her winning ways on the rest of the crew.”

      Denver had been at a loss for words for all of this time but now his wits were returning and he gave Captain Rumello a long look.

      “She’s dangerous, yet you keep her around, even if she is useful, you’re taking a great risk and she doesn’t seem like the type to want to help anyone but herself.”

      Captain Rumello dropped his arm and faced Denver. “You’re right there and she’ll switch sides as quick as lightening.”

      “Then why?”

      Captain Rumello stared hard at him before answering. “Because she’s my sister.”

      Denver’s mouth fell aghast; he stared at the round shaped boy before him, the red puffy cheeks and thick eyebrows over warm brown eyes. The only resemblance he could see was she had the same thick eyebrows and eyes that could be warm and inviting until they turned dark and menacing.

      “How did she gain her abilities?”

      “I don’t know. No one does. Not even she knows. They came gradually and she took so much pleasure in them that she honed and practised her skills until she is what she is today, a siren for the weak.”

      Denver gave a shrug of his shoulders as he dropped his head slightly in disgrace.

      “You mean for chumps like me!”

      “Don’t be hard on yourself, she can do it to anyone, girl or boy it doesn’t matter she wins them all over.”

      Denver mulled over the words, swirling them around in his mind.

      “You plan to use her against Kisin don’t you?”

      Captain Rumello looked away for a moment. “Yes! Not something I’m proud of but it’s for the good of everyone and I know she’ll do it. Any chance at a challenge and she can’t resist. I know it’s disgraceful of me to use my own sister.”

      Denver didn’t reply for a moment. He placed his hand upon Captain Rumello’s arm. “There is no disgrace in wanting to save everyone’s lives and if she can do it, then she should, even if she only does it to gratify herself.”

      Captain Rumello nodded. “I’ll keep telling myself that but if anything happens to her I know it won’t make me feel any better.”

      “Then we’ll just have to make sure we keep her safe.”

      “Easier said than done, on land she’s like a mountain lion, you can never find her; she only comes to you when she wants to.”

      “Then it sounds like she has her own safeguards. I think perhaps your brotherly protection will not be needed.”

      “Let us hope. Let us hope.” Captain Rumello’s words were spoken with sadness and disbelief.

      Denver wished he could see into the future and know what awaited them but all he could see was what was going on in people’s heads. He’d intruded into the captain’s mind and gathered information that he knew was very personal. Had seen visions of scrapes that he’d pulled his sister out of and taken the blame for, fights that he had suffered through to protect her whilst she had stood aside laughing. He saw Rumello entreating her to behave for her own safety and vicious retorts of rejection back from her. He wondered whether using her was worth the risks involved but they needed every advantage they could get and she had skills no one else had.

      “Now…” said Captain Rumello as he slowed to a stop. “What was it you wanted of Rancor?”

      Denver smiled as he looked down upon the captain. “Now you sound like your sister.”

      “Heaven forbid!”

      “Take me to him and you’ll find out.”

      A quirk came to the side of Captain Rumello’s mouth. “That’s just a sneaky way of saying mind your own business!”

      Denver continued smiling. “Believe me this will benefit us all.”

      Chapter 6

      Elm was walking his room when Hemlock stepped through the doorway. They were sharing so he didn’t knock and Elm gave a shrug to himself at the fact that it didn’t bother him, it wasn’t as if he’d be up to anything anyway. Those days were gone. The plotting and the scheming, he wondered at himself for ever having bothered. What had been the point? He scratched his head and ran his fingers through his fine hair; the waves curled around them momentarily, then slipped back to caressing the sides of his face.

      Hemlock stood staring at him, he hadn’t moved since he’d walked through the door, so Elm now stopped to enquire why. “What’s the look for?”

      “Because you’re a buffoon!” he retorted.

      Elm gave a short, sharp laugh. “What does that mean?”

      “I read it in a book and looked it up later. I thought it was some type of monkey but apparently it’s a person that is a joker.”

      “Now you really have me confused what have I got to do with a joker?”

      “A joker is a fool.”

      Elm stared at him wide eyed. “Well that’s a roundabout way to call me stupid!”

      Hemlock grinned and shrugged his shoulders. “Look at it this way. If I’d called you stupid at the beginning you would have punched me. This way I still have my chin intact.”

      Elm gave a spurt of laughter and punched Hemlock in the arm. “You’re a good friend! However, I would like to know why I’m a buffoon?”

      “Oh!” Hemlock turned away and then spun back again, an action that Elm noted for Hemlock was a quick source of courage. “Well, you know…because of your passion for Fern and hatred for Oak…your manipulation of those around you to get what you want and your goal to depose Oak and well…the whole vie for power struggle thing.”

      Elm looked at him in disbelief and then burst out laughing. “Are you sure you’re not writing a story. I hadn’t realized I’d been quite that dramatic.”

      Hemlock smirked, “I guess you just haven’t been paying attention then have you?”

      “I guess not.” Elm replied and sat down on his cot looking down at the floor as he continued. “I never realized how bad a person I was and I’m surprised at myself for becoming that way.” He looked up at Hemlock. “What went wrong with me? I used to be a good member of the clan.”

      “You fell in love. Which wouldn’t be a bad thing but you fell in love with someone that didn’t love you. That’s painful, it’s demoralizing too and because of that it leads to frustration and resentment. Those things build up to anger and from there, well you know…”

      “Yes, I know.” Elm replied dropping his eyes to the floor once more. “And now I’m stuck on a ship with the very person that brings out all of the worst in me.”

      “Not true.”

      Elm’s head shot up. “Huh?”

      “Well since you two have been together on this ship you’ve been a good person to be with. It seems she brings out the good and bad in you.”

      “Yeah.” Elm dropped his head again.

      “You’ve even been fun at times, which you weren’t before.”

      Elm raised his eyes to Hemlock's to see a glimmer within them. “In fact you’re just in time for a bit of amusement.

      Elm cocked his head to one side. “What are you up to?”

      “You’ll have to come and see.”

      “We