Entry 2:
Having found a likely fishing community, we approached. At Methuselah’s suggestion we entered harbour with Skylark (The Chimera’s dinghy) slung between our two vessels. A strange manoeuvre which I have never seen or read about. Its intent still defies me.
Hannah scouted the settlement and - upon return - drew a full detailed map with full population annotations.
(Note: it seems the herb I used is still efficacious.)
We deposited our captives without making contact with the natives and set sail for Micante.
The journey was not without incident. Though a skilled navigator, Methuselah found himself off course when we approached shore. He determined the reason but, not believing his conclusions, called upon me for a second opinion. From my reading of astronomical tomes, I agreed with him. The great star Migsah has moved - an unheard of and historic event.
(Note: Despite much research and many theories. no-one knows what the stars actually ARE yet. However, there are far more mysteries to be solved within the human body than in the heavens and that is where I shall continue to focus my research.)
We made port at Micante, gave the crew furlough, and Methuselah, and myself (Hannah having, strangely, elected to remain aboard ship - and Tabitha being nowhere to be seen) headed to a local hostelry. Once within we plied the barkeep and he directed us towards a local fence. This was a Saurian, by the name of Tyrann. His face was marred by a massive scar which bracketed an empty eye socket.
(Had I treated the wound the scar would have been much reduced. I may even have been able to save or repair the eye. Clearly Saurian medicine is in its infancy.)
Tyrann claimed to be able to act as broker for our “salvage” so a deal was struck. Whilst Methuselah went to the bar to fetch drinks to seal the agreement, I slipped Tyrann a note detailing a few requirements of my own.
Upon return to The Chimera we discovered that Hannah had fallen ill. It seems she’d been unwell for a while but had chosen to conceal this fact. Silly girl! Why do people do that?
I quickly determined she had a fever and consigned her to bed. I had Cuthbert bring her lentil soup. (Feed a fever. Chicken soup being contraindicated for avians.)
At dawn, Tyrann arrived on board. He bore mixed news. He had managed to sell our bounty - “The Kipper” - to a local shipyard for spare parts. Unfortunately the negotiations had necessitated him disposing of one of the links in the sales chain and he had fallen foul of the local authorities. He threw himself on our mercy and begged us to depart immediately following the sale. Tabitha attempted to throw some shade upon Methuselah and my own commercial skills but she was given short thrift. We now have a new partner in our venture.
(The fact that Tyrann had exceeded my expectations and delivered all the goods I needed to set up a new laboratory may have influenced my vote. Also the chance to study yet another non-human anatomy up close. This voyage is yielding unforeseen opportunities for study.)
Though we’d had little chance to restock, we still had sufficient resources taken upon our first venture to support another voyage so we immediately set sail.
Methuselah accepted my suggestion that we seek to attack a ship which drifted out of the shipping lanes due it its navigator not spotting the change in the position of Migsah. However, rather than waiting to shadow a ship leaving port, as I suggested, he chose to have us set out blindly to see what fate delivered.
Hannah, alas, was little recovered. Experimentally, I slipped a small pinch of herb into her next bowl of soup and she brightened immediately - demanding more.
(Note: positively I have discovered that her illness seems to have been a withdrawal from the herb I gave her before our first adventure. She now has no interest in alcohol. Alas, her craving has transferred to the herb I administered. And I have a limited supply.)
Shortly after leaving Micante we were hit by an unseasonal squall. I sequestered my myself below decks to wait it out. Strangely I saw flashes of lightning but heard no thunder. I presume the lightning was so far off that what thunder reached our craft was muffled by my cabin’s walls.
Alas I found myself unable to set up a working laboratory on a moving ship. I may have to ask Grubb - the ship’s artisan - for advice.
As the squall passed, Methuselah called me to the deck in a panic. It seemed there was a great hole in the heavens where all the stars had disappeared. As I came on deck the stars reappeared as the great asteroid Shaidar completed its passage across the skies. I take it the viridian hue on Methuselah’s cheeks is how Nautolans express embarrassment.
We sent the healing Hannah aloft to seek prey. She reported a small craft on the horizon. As we neared, however, it became clear that this was, in fact, a much (much) bigger vessel.
We should have turned tail and fled.
But, emboldened by our target’s lack of motion - and taking advantage of Tabitha’s night vision - we approached closer. Hannah bravely flew a sortie directly onto the ship.
(That herb has marvellous powers.)
She reported it deserted.
The ship was the massive multi-cannoned warship, The Viceroy. (Yes, THAT Viceroy.) Specifically tasked with hunting down brigands such as The Chimera.
We should have turned tail and fled.
The only thing that scares we more than a ship with two dozen cannons is something which could defeat such a vessel - and leave no trace!
But Tabithah was beside herself with avarice, frisking about like a kitten in heat. And, dammit, I just needed to KNOW what had happened aboard that ship.
So we boarded her.
There was no trace of the crew. No blood. No signs of a struggle. The Captain’s log showed nothing untoward. There were half eaten meals. Items on the floor which seemed to have been dropped. No rats, no livestock. It was as if the crew, and every living creature on board, (except for the ship’s parrot) had simply - disappeared.
We should have turned tail and fled.
