I wandered with my gaze through the room to the place indicated by Benjamin and found the steps of a ladder fixed to the wall made of light wood and varnished.
- I see. I will go the telescope!
- Okay. You can climb up this ladder and at the end of it there will be a very small room with four telescopes one on each wall of this room. You will observe the waters around us through these telescopes if you see any ship or a small boat coming towards us.
- Okay... but what if I see anything other than a ship or a little boat?
- You warn me anyway!
- Why the little boats? If I see a boat I have to warn?
- Yep! Because the little boats are smugglers and if a smuggler is near us It won't be long before someone comes along to steal this ship! Where there are smugglers there are pirates... not like the black fleet but these are also dangerous.
- Okay! I'm going... - I said distancing myself
- Ah! One more thing. If Cael enters here close the observatory door and ignore everything he says... I can handle Cael, but if he sees you, he'll want to swear at you.
- Yes... I understand... perfectly!
- Good luck up there... - Benjamin wished with so much love and affection in your voice that I found it a miracle my legs were still steady on my ankles.
- Good luck down here... and with Cael. - I reciprocated the affection that emanated from Benjamin.
I went up the stairs and found everything Benjamin had described to me. The black metal telescopes with the gold details, the light wooden walls where the telescopes were mounted, and a round bench of black leather padded with feathers.
I sat on the bench and watched the sea with its fiery waves rocking the world around us.
Each telescope pointed in a different direction and with a lot of patience I checked each one trying not to linger too long in just one.
The hours passed and with them I watched the sun begin to set on the horizon amid the orange clouds and the sky displaying the last breaths of orange and violet light.
By a point of curiosity I landed my gaze on the telescope that pointed south and by the multiple lenses of the device I was able to see a small white sailboat with passionately ten people on board sailing at a relatively distant distance from us.
I looked again and more accurately at that object and it really was what my eyes were witnessing. The small vessel gently gliding through the turquoise blue waters of the sea.
I got up from the bench where I was sitting and ran down the steps behind me to warn Benjamin what was in our way.
- Benjamin! - I cried with great urgency in my tone of voice.
Benjamin realized my concern and almost immediately he abandoned the helm and came towards me.
- Calm down Kris! What happened? Did you see anything?
- Yes! I saw is a small boat with fence of ten people south of where we are now!
- Ten people?
- Yes!
- By the ancient gods!
Benjamin walked away from me and ran up the stairs towards the observatory to get a better look at what I had reported.
Minutes later he went further down scared than before and with your hands between your hair.
- The white candles! They are white merchants!
- What does that mean?
- It means that they trade pornes! Pornes Kris! The ship does not have enough armament to strike back at anyone!
- But the sailors they have swords!
- No! When I got on that ship Arthur was very clear that he did not want any weapons on board so that the ship would not be too heavy and slow!
- By the gods! That dumb! What kind of captain would go on a trip without any weapons on board?
- Arthur! That ass!
- But can't we use any cannon? Doesn't this ship have cannons?
- This is a cruise ship and crossings has no cannon on board because in theory we would not pass by any dangerous place! Oh hell! - He shouted Benjamin throwing a violent punch at the table to unload his high load of anger.
- Don't we have a way around them?
- We can try! Take the helm while I warn crew. -Benjamin said already moving toward the exit door towards execute what he had just planned.
- No Ben! Let me warn you! Cael is already too angry that I stayed in command of the ship!
- No Kris... the crew does not listen to the word of a pallaki! If we want these troglodytes to hear this warning and prepare for a possible invasion I have to speak! The white merchants walk in a group may be that in a few hours we will be surrounded by them wanting something or even wanting you!
Benjamin came out of the cabin closing the door very hard, leaving me alone at the helm. For a few seconds I thought about flipping the boat but I was afraid it would make that even worse situation.
While Benjamin was trying to warn with the crew I slowly began to recall every piece of information he had told me about my discovery. "pornes merchants".... "we had no counterattack"... "invasion"... Fear took hold of each piece of my soul. I was in danger of being taken by these men! Cael would not hesitate to turn me in just to get rid of a possible friction or possibility of kidnapping.
Some minutes have passed marking an hour since Benjamin's departure from command cockpit. Moved by insecurity I started walking in circles through the tangled floor of the cabin.
- Kris! Go hide! Take these clothes of mine and put them on!
- Why? Are they already here?
- Cael is more desperate than the captain himself! He thinks the merchants will want to storm the ship! You'd better put that on and stand by my side!
I agreed and went up to the observatory to get some more privacy when dressing.
It was a difficult task, the telescopes did not give me enough space for me to dress with the necessary agility.
Benjamin had handed me a pair of dark pants, leather suspenders, a white button-down shirt and a pair of boots... a wardrobe typical of a clerk.
- Quick! - shouted Benjamin from inside the cockpit expressing great distress in his voice- I managed to divert the ship but they are still coming towards us!
- I'm almost done! Just need to put the suspenders!
I turned my eyes to the telescopes around me as I finished attaching the suspenders to the ends of my pants.
As I watched the telescope that pointed to the east I could see that the small vessel that was once sailing alone now had the company of four other vessels. All the candles in the same colors.
I finished getting dressed and rushed down the stairs to the cockpit even more difficult.
- There is a hat on the table... you can use it to hide your hair... - Benjamin suggested without averting his eyes from the sea.
I took the dark gray beret with short brim and I started hiding my hair with it trying my best to leave my locks stuck inside the old accessory.
- I saw four merchants approaching at east... perhaps we should flee south...
- If we go south the Red Islands will be waiting for us... I already checked the map. We have to sail as fast as we can!
- What are you doing Benjamin? - Shouted the voice of Cael behind us opening the door very violently.
- I'm trying to save our lives from a possible theft if you don't mind... - Benjamin responded with an almost sharp irony to his voice.
- And if you don't mind I am the owner of this ship! And what have you done with Kristma? What madness is this? Kristma go put your clothes on immediately!
Cael left in great strides in the direction of Benjamin furiously.
- I'm being patient with you since the time this trip started! You have never commanded a ship I am a more experienced captain than you. I know these waters better than anyone!
- Have you forgotten that this is my boat? I don't care if you are an experienced captain.... a sailor or whatever shit you consider to be! I am the owner of this shit!
- Cael! I'm trying to save us all!
- Shut up! You've done more than enough! Please Benjamin! Those are just pornes merchants! What will they do? Shoot me?
- Cael... these men are not friendly! They are very dangerous!
- Get out of here and take this pallaki with you! - Cael ordered with almost uncontrollable fury in his voice.
- Cael! - Benjamin rebuked what Cael was saying.
- I told you to leave my command room! Do you want to leave of your own free will or do you want me to call the crew to throw you overboard? I've let you run my ship long enough... you see danger where there isn't! It's just a little boat drifting in the sea! I can run over them all if I want!
- Come on Kris... let's get out of here...
- All right... - I said completely in shocked by the size of Cael's irresponsibility
Benjamin and I came out of the control room and as we set foot outside the cabin we faced the whole crew in turmoil and confused...many was running from one side to the other of the deck with their hands armed with domestic knives, sickles and some pieces of wood.
We crossed the crowd of frightened men until we reached the stairs that would lead us to the lower floors.
- We have to hide you Kris...
- In the games room? - I suggested as we arrived at the already known and long hall of doors.
- No... this place is very obvious! We need a better hiding place... the way Cael is smart we will not last half an hour in the hands of those merchants!
- In the captain's dinning room?
- No... Arthur is still there! He would see us and alert Cael... but... maybe in the deposits...
- The deposits?
- Yes! Of course! They are pornes merchants, not grain merchants! It's the perfect place!
- Great! Where are the deposits?
- It's down the secondary stairs! They stand behind a door through here... -Benjamin stopped a little scratching his chin with his thumb and forefinger.
- We don't have much time to think Ben! Let's open each door until we find the secondary stairs!
- Ok! But we have to pay attention! There are some doors that are from the rooms of some sailors who are still under the effect of the sirens' song. If we open the wrong door someone may want to kill me or drag you to the bottom of the sea!
- Okay! Copy that!
We began to open every door that was around us using our ears to try to detect every sound that might have been emitted from inside each cabin. Every time we opened a new door a sense of relief mixed with a slight discouragement of not having found the much-sought-after staircase.
- I think I found the stairs! - Benjamin announced opening a door that opened on the steps of a rotten old dirty staircase.
- Let's get down!
- Ladies first of all!
- Could you lock the door?
- There's no way to lock it! I don't have the key to do it!
- All right... so then close when we get there... we can use something to block the passage!
- Great idea!