Chapter 23: Loose Ends

In the morning, we had a staff meeting.

I explained that we had to go home for a few days and then we had to take the Sarans home. I appointed Oslo as my manager and told him to contact James in Iron Hills for his supplies. If he needed more staff, he was welcome to hire them.

He could also have the flat above, once we left. He liked this idea very much. He and Wayne asked if their girls could stay. They wanted to marry them. I don’t think this surprised any of the staff. I said I’d ask the girls if they wished to stay.

Hugo had sent us a message that the sixteen Sarans they had found had been released from the coercion spells and they wanted to go home. I asked him if his people could look after them for a few days while I got things organised.

He said some of them needed a bit more treatment and he felt that a few days of gentle care wouldn’t hurt them. He also told me that he knew of a good ship going real cheap if I wanted to pay the impound fees.

This I happily did. We spent the afternoon remodelling the ship. I amazed me how much crap was dumped in the sea. It seemed the people in this world weren’t much better than, the people on Earth when it came to littering.

Kim, Lindell and I, happily reclaimed a lot of the rubbish to fix the ship. It was a big ship and needed some serious work. Apparently, they had been through a big storm before getting here, and the ship had sustained a lot of damage.

The Ship was supposed to be heading south for repairs, but I was more than happy to do the fixing. Looking over the ship, I wondered what they did to piss Ulu off as Yalla had mentioned the storm was his doing.

When I paid the impound fees, I also got the cargo. Upon inspection, we decided to keep most of the food for the passengers and the rest I blinked back to the caverns. I’d pass it onto Layton and Shorn to sell for me. I had a feeling the silks, rugs and the spices I didn’t keep would sell well in Iron Hills.

We didn’t notice the audience until I was happy with the hull, masts and sails. I said to Kim, “What do you think, mate?”

“Storm, I know crap about ships, but it sure looks nice. Why did you keep the ships name as Huracan?”

A man who had come to stand near us answered for me. “Bad luck to change a ship’s name, son,” Captain Robert Keel said.

I turned to him, “Storm God is a fitting name for my ship anyway.”

He sent a crooked smile at me. He said, “It is indeed son, it is indeed. She will love a good storm. I like the new shape of the hull. You have made her more stable. She has plenty of sail now, too. She will be a fast ship for her size. I bet she’ll glide over the waves.”

“Which is your ship, sir?” I asked politely.

He shook his head, “Don’t currently have a berth, son. The Francis went down in a storm a month ago, and I’ve not managed to find a new ship. My crew was lucky to get back to land, and we have been beached for a few weeks now.”

I saw the wistful look he sent my ship. He wanted her. I got the feeling he was a good Captain. He also wore a novices ring. I asked, “Do you know the western coast of Saran?”

“Well, we were returning with a cargo of spices. I had met a Chief of the Brina tribe when we went ashore for water and repairs. He wished to start trade with us. He said he hoped his new wharf would be finished by the time I got back in the spring,” he told me.

I put my hand out, “I’d need to look over your crew, and if you need more, you pick who you want.”

He looked at my hand and then into my face, “I promise to serve to the best of my abilities, my Lord.”

He shook my hand, and I felt I had chosen well. This was a good honest man, and he knew boats. I dropped a purse into his hand and grinned. I told him, “Well go find your crew.”

“You many also organise ships spares, extra bedding, dishes and stores for about thirty passengers and your crew to go to Brina. Just remember a few of us are wizards and eat a lot so some extra dishes may be required. I probably need about four days. Oh, how many crew members do you think you need?”

“Twelve would do fine on this ship, plus me and my first mate,” he told me happily.

Lindell volunteered to help the Captain with the shopping. He was delighted to have her assistance, so I nodded and sent them on their way.

Kim and I boarded the ship and used more junk from the sea floor, which was looking a lot cleaner. We revamped the Officers, the Captain’s and then our quarters. I also added a small bathroom for us, and a bigger one for the Captain and his Officers to share.

I put two bathrooms on each deck for the crew. I added twenty passenger rooms on the upper deck in four rows of five. The communal bathrooms alternated in the middle of each row.

I knew on these ships the lower crew often slept in hammocks on the gun or second deck. I reorganised it, so I had five sets of bunks. Each set consisted of two sets of double bunks offset, so a deep double cupboard was on the opposite end of each double bunk bed for their gear.

I place an open slatted wall between the bunks, so a neighbour didn’t bother the bloke on the other side, but air could flow. I also anchored the bunks, so they didn’t move. I made sure they had pull-up roll rails. I added spells so the occupant couldn’t roll out if asleep.

We revamped the galley, so the cook had plenty of space and a bigger better stove with a hot water system. We added a big cold storage room for him. We then added a decent dining hall for the crew using cafe-style wall seating and another dining room big enough for the Officers and passengers.

We added multiple large cold storage rooms on the lower deck for our food and saleable cargo. I made sure the water storage takes were well sealed and piped out to the bathrooms. I cheated and put a spell on the taps to act as the pump. I added covered funnels on the deck that we could be opened to refill the tanks.

Captain Keel came back with his crew, and I showed him around and asked him what else he wanted? “Bloody hell, the crew will think they’re spoilt with this setup.”

I grinned, “A happy crew works twice as hard in my experience.” He nodded in agreement. We met up with the cook who was standing in his galley just gaping at it.

The Captain chuckled, “Well Cookie, what do you think?”

“I’m in love,” he said in awe.

“I put keep clean spells on your pots, and a ‘fire retarding’ spell around your stove, to help you out and that room is your fridge.”

He looked at me perplexed, so I opened the door and showed him. I’d shifted the perishables that were still aboard into it. Each shelf had a special drop down bar to keep the items on them if we hit rough water.

“By my Gods, I just sold my soul to one of the devils,” he said.

“There is six more units bigger than this one down a deck to be stocked as well,” I told him. I then showed him where I had provided easy access to the two dining rooms for him. We discussed what he wanted in food.

When he saw the bunk room, he just shook his head some more and looked at the grinning Captain, “I don’t care if I have to bend over every day Captain, but I’m staying on this ship.”

The Captain laughed and said, “Cookie, you bend over every day anyway, if you can find a willing partner.”

Cookie grinned. “True, I hope you found me one. Even Nails will do in a pinch.”

I grinned, “You can always ask Kim or Ulu if you get desperate. But I hope you like a big cock or two.”

Kim wiggled his eyebrows at Cookie. Cookie shivered, “Sweetie, you can come visit me any damn time you like.”

We all laughed. Knowing Kim, I’m damn sure Cookie would get his pound of flesh or is that flesh pounded?

The Captain pointed out a couple of things he would like, and we fixed them for him. He also loved his new cabin, and he said Cookie wasn’t the only man aboard in love with this ship.

Kim winked at him too, making him chuckle.

Happy that the Captain was happy, Kim and I headed back to get the Sarans.

I told the two girls that Oslo and Wayne wanted to make honest women of them if they agreed. Rene and Gya agreed. So I dropped them off with the boys and gave them a large pouch of coins each as the ladies’ dowries.

I gave the girls a second smaller pouch so that the boys could take them shopping. There were lots of kisses and much happiness, so I was happy. I had to blink Kim upstairs. Lindell had returned, and after taking one look at me, they got me out of my clothes and sorted out my problem.

I also blinked our bed back to our room in Iron Hills and had them giggling. I enjoyed them screwing me in our room, and I was going to miss it. We enjoyed a lovely shower and headed down to catch up with the house staff.

I got mugged by excited women, and Kim and Lindell just laughed. Linette offered to take care of Junior for me, and Lindell didn’t help by telling her to be her guest.

Linette was looking damn hot these days, with her big milk filled boobs and the little extra weight that made all her curves, curve just right. She was one hot piece! She was however on my too short list, so I had to decline. Plus, I had promised Pammy I’d not fuck the staff, especially Linette.

A face came to mind, and I grinned, “How would you like to move to Trenton?” I asked her.

“Why?” she asked me slyly.

“I’ll be back shortly people,” I told the rest and blinked Linette to the shop. I introduced her to Victor, my editor. The lust in Victor’s eyes told me I’d picked the right bloke.

We explained she had a little girl and Victor assured us, it was awesome for him, as he loved kids and had always wanted many of them. I told Linette I’d come back and get her in time for her to feed Grace and left them to get to know each other.

Pammy shook her head when I came back, “You’re doing it again, aren’t you?”

I shrugged and smiled at her. She didn’t ask if he was good enough for her girl. She knew I’d not have taken Linette to the man if he weren’t.

I looked at her and narrowed my eyes, and she grinned, “Yes, Tom is going to become a daddy and is tickled as he doesn’t have any other kids. Suella, Hara and Teanna are also pregnant,” she told me.

Considering how much fucking went on under this roof, I wasn’t the least bit surprised. “What about Narni?” I asked.

“She and Ian have decided to wait a bit. She is able to control when she is in heat, to their delight,” she told me.

I had no problem with this. They were a relatively young couple and a year or two would probably be better. I had a feeling they wouldn’t last that long with a house full of babies. Narni would get clucky, and Ian wouldn’t be able to say no.

I told Pammy that we would probably be away for three months. I would try to blink back at least once a week if I could. Pammy was happy with this. She told me the cousins and the twins were having a lovely time with the printer’s shop, so she doubted I’d have to worry about them.

Jim and Rothe were keeping an eye on them, and both were very pleased with the new work ethic of the couples. She reminded me the wedding was in three days and I said that was awesome as I was planning on leaving a day, or two, following it after I had stocked the ship.

Lindell and Kim were happy to spend the day at home and told me to go do what I had to do. They would do the visiting for me and check on everyone.

I kissed them both and blinked back to the cavern.

I asked the Sarans if they wanted to be moved to the ship.

I’d give them some money so they could do some shopping before we left in a couple of days. They all agreed to the move, and I blinked them to the ship. I found Cookie and introduced them as some of my passengers that I had mentioned that they needed to do some shopping.

Cookie squinted at Ulu and his brother. He then bowed to my surprise. “Prince Ulu and Prince Inhu, it is a delight to meet you again,” he said.

Ulu hugged Cookie and kissed him on the lips, “My dear friend Cookie, I am most pleased that you will be on this trip with me.”

Cookie grinned at me and rubbed his hands together, “Boss, you are just incredible.” I had to laugh, as obviously Ulu and Cookie were more than happy to be reacquainted.

Ulu said, “Is that carpenter fellow, Nails, still in your crew?”

Cookie grinned and nodded, “Aye, and he is still very accurate with that hammer, I’m sure he will be happy when I tell him you are aboard. Boss, you want me to look after this lot?”

I spread out my hands and told him to be my guest. He took them to the cabins to settle our passengers in. I blinked over to Will and checked on my other sixteen passengers. I asked them if they would like to be moved to the ship and get settled in. I mentioned that Prince Ulu was aboard to see their reactions.

I saw many happy smiles as at least half of the Sarans were from his village or the surrounding ones. The rest all knew who he was. I got a feeling putting them with Ulu, and his people would make them feel safer and help them adjust to their ordeal better.