Chapter 8

There was absolutely no mistaking it ... that was a Japanese composite log ship, a design from the 11th century. A log boat was slowly flattened longitudinally until the log was essentially flat. The curve was mostly on the extreme outboard edges. Then strakes were added with latitudinal timbers installed to keep the strakes shape.

The ships, about the size of a knarr, were flat bottomed and blunt bowed. They had extreme rocker ... severely raised bow and stern. because of the style of construction, keeping water out was impossible so there was a bailer kept constantly busy scooping out water and dumping it back from whence it came. They were surprisingly seaworthy. They had rudimentary deckhouses with sloping roofs bow and stern.

The style was absolutely NOT Chinese Junk. During the feudal area, China was landward looking. Internal dynasties frowned on anything that allowed serfs the possibility of escape.

Oh ... in case you hadn’t figured it out ... we didn’t find the key. We didn’t find the key because we didn’t find the safe. We didn’t need the bank. We had the knarr and weren’t at a loss to find our way home. The only person pissed was Gloria. She’d been waiting a long time and wanted her reward.

While we were preparing for the approach of an unknown craft, I took Gloria aside and made sure she knew the rules.

“You know if you get pregnant you’re stuck on Chaos?” I asked.

“They said ... but would they be that cruel?” She asked.

“I’ve been here more than three years,” I said.

“Three years? What did you do?”

“I was fighting for our lives while David opened his bank box,” I said. “I wasn’t touching him when he closed it.”

“Shit!”

“Yup.”

“Companions need to touch to get to Crossroads?”

“Uh huh, line of sight doesn’t cut it.”

“Since you’re here and alive, I assume you lived.”

“Won Fair Island in equal combat.”

“You’re just a snip of a girl. How did you manage?”

“Meaner than a midden dog!” I’d have said Junkyard but Chaos doesn’t have recyclable junk ... If there’s a use for it somebody does until it doesn’t ... work. Then the blacksmith makes something out of it.

“David told me this is your boat.”

“My crew and my militia.”

“That’s unusual, don’t you think?”

“On Chaos ... yes,” I said. “I’ve defended Fair Island from pirates and won. Bandits ... and won. Ivor’s twin Ivan and won. I train with my militia. Mostly I’ve had to forget I’m a girl. Once a month I get a reminder. It sucks. I don’t know anything about Cassandra. Tell me about your planet.”