Chapter 22

I schooled my expression when we finished the first sailing boat, wanting to look the part of a confident leader rather than the playful school-boy I felt today. The lateen sail design was the first to be seen in the world and Celine had painted ferocious looking eyes on the bow. The overall improved features of the boat shocked our sea wives moving them to tears of joy. They had successfully put the smaller prototype to good use and the village fish's catch increases was their doing, so I presented them with the sailboat.

By consensus we called the new design a Swordfish. My dreams had covered maneuvering a sailboat so I took them out on the sea for the morning. We tacked across the wind to the warehouse dock, keeping the coast in sight. Our arrival drew a crowd of fishermen at the dock, so I encouraged the ladies to discuss their experience with the Swordfish while I spoke to the warehouse scribe. The scribe had the hanging lanterns we wanted, so an indentured man delivered them to my boat. We still had a few men that preferred the life at the warehouse rather than the dangers of living in the wilderness at Juniper Hills.

I gave the scribe a message for Derwen confirming my visit to her on the Red Moon Rising. Also, ordering some specific supplies we needed for the village, which included more canvas, three large mirrors, a mating pair of dogs, two more mules and a dozen saddles. He, in return, told me of the need for increased orders of mineral water and juniper tea. Since we were alone, I also wanted him to discreetly put out the word we are recruiting former Caldav slave men, particularly fishermen. The marsh society treated the men poorly, generally looking down on them as second class citizens.

We walked by a number of ruined fishing nets in an area used for refuse. They gave me an idea and I took them with me to the boat. The boat landing was crowded with dugouts, men looking over the swordfish with envy in their eyes. A few were naked which was pretty common for fishermen who were finished for the day and heading home. I pulled a few eunuchs aside and mentioned they would be welcome to live in our village, explaining we allowed our fishermen the use of these boats, which were community property. All three men said they would move to the village by the next full moon.

The wind and current are always favorable when traveling west so our sailboat was home by lunch time. We had not told anyone of our travel plans so I was in big trouble with all the ladies of the tower when we arrived home. Most of them still waiting for me on the dunes, which made me feel pretty foolish, marking up another personal fault for me to work on. All my ladies ignored me until early evening, but they opened back up when Tharin and Grimm came to visit to discuss my outing to the warehouse.

Everyone wanted to hear about what we did, how fast we got there and what new plans I had, so I sat down in the pavilion, with Swarta and Palus flanking me. When looking at their profile it struck me I could see small bellies extending, so naturally my hands began to rub them as we talked. My wives seemed to melt at that bit of attention, drawing all the focus to the special children forming in their wombs. Laudus, Hannah and Key were all smiles at our private family moment.