"Now please take the lady for a chat at a table that isn't mine so I can eat my breakfast in peace." I exhaled. "Thank you." Still seated, Zvonko stared up at me. "Mesa," he said in a low voice, "what are you doing?" I lowered my voice, too. "Something stupid out of blind panic." … Continue reading Skill, Luck, and Terrible Ideas (pt. 15)
I sleep well anywhere. My cot below deck aboard The Constellation was no exception. I woke instantly when a steward made rounds for wake up calls at first light. I dressed and ducked out into the narrow passageway. Lally stepped out of his own compartment and we saw each other as we secured our respective … Continue reading Skill, Luck, and Terrible Ideas (pt. 14)
The Bandit's captive surgeon Dr. Fourier knocked politely at the study door out of habit, earning yet another disapproving growl from the bull-like sailor guarding the door. The color drained from Fourier's face. "Apologies," he mumbled. He lowered his hazel-green eyes to the small cart of breakfast things intended for the prisoners being held in … Continue reading Skill, Luck, and Terrible Ideas (pt. 13)
The Bandit was a proud vessel. Lined with guns down either flank, she gave every appearance of a navy ship until her colors bespoke piracy for which, proven nimble for her size, she was more than adept. Presently, The Bandit was anchored quietly in a private cove at the foot of the small island of … Continue reading Skill, Luck, and Terrible Ideas (pt.12)
Lally made three attempts with his fork to spear a tender sea scallop in buttery white wine sauce without tearing his eyes away from the distant table just in case the rare event (aka Mesa's smile) should recur. He feared missing it a second time. "I've never seen him smile," Lally lamented. Attention arrested as … Continue reading Skill, Luck, and Terrible Ideas (pt. 11)
The sleek luxury schooner The Constellation sliced through the open seas with full sails, as close to flight as the ocean-going vessel could ever be. From the moment the anchors were weighed until the sun plunged into the western horizon, Captain Gisela Koning maintained a grueling pace with the help of her first mate Mr. … Continue reading Skill, Luck, and Terrible Ideas (pt. 10)
“Mesa! Always on time!” a woman crowed down at me from the deck of a twin-masted luxury schooner emblazoned with the words ‘The Constellation’ visible clearly in the first warm rays of morning. On deck, a half dozen deck hands were prepping the shop for launch. “Good morning, Captain,” I said. Lally and the others pause … Continue reading Skill, Luck, and Terrible Ideas (pt. 9)
Panic flash-froze Lally’s heart. They were at a serious disadvantage. Miss Hunt stood less than a pace away from where the three men sat on the ground with their backs to the building. None of the men were armed. Lally and Zvonko were hobbled by injuries, and Mesa was sandwiched between them. On a good … Continue reading Skill, Luck, and Terrible Ideas (pt. 8)
I can't sleep. Exhausted, Lally scowled at the dark ceiling with an hour remaining before sunrise. He didn't normally dream when he slept, however ever since Captain Green's crew hurt friends, his subconscious replayed the nightmare of that day every time he closed his eyes. In his dream, the broken bodies of his friends were … Continue reading Skill, Luck, and Terrible Ideas (pt. 7)
With Miss Hunt hovering over him like a breaking tidal wave, Zvonko dropped his eyes to the bronze pint of ale on the table. The downward tilt of his face in the candlelight underscored his dark circles and bruised eye. Calm down, girl. Hunt took a step back. She hated snapping at Zvonko. He meant … Continue reading Skill, Luck, and Terrible Ideas (pt. 6)
Duri Rolvsson 