literature

:Peacock Feathers - Chapter Nineteen:

Deviation Actions

iJessykins's avatar
By
Published:
107 Views

Literature Text

Chapter Nineteen

As the sun rose the next morning, I stood on the main deck watching as we sailed into India.  The desert sands beneath us went one as far as the eye could see.  The alabaster buildings of Calcutta came into view and I helped the deckhands with the mooring lines as we floated into the Air Docks.  There was a man standing on a platform, dressed in a well tailored suit.  His skin was dark, tanned by the sun and his black hair was cut short.  He wore glasses over his dark eyes and was looking at a pocket watch in his hand.  He glanced up at us as we finished docking the Peacock.  

“Good morning, my friends.”  He said in a thick Indian accent.  

“Good morning,” Ambrose nodded, Max came up from below decks after he'd turned the engines off.  Mariel left the captain's cabin, holding a manifest in her hand.  The paperwork from Al'Hasan it looked like.  The man regarded us all in kind.  I stood at the rail of the ship, my hair falling from it's messy bun and my arms folded beneath my breasts.  I had opted to wear the same clothes I had the day before, they were still clean after all.  I must have looked a fright to anyone of social standing.  

Ambrose had on his brown captain's jacket over a beige tunic and brown breeches and boots.  The color made the color of his eyes pop.  He had his hands behind his back and a crooked grin on his face.  “To whom are we speaking?”  He asked.

“I am Ashish, Warden Dempsey's assistant.  I was sent to retrieve the crew of this ship and safely transport you all to his home outside of the city.”  He glanced at Max down his pointed nose, as if looking at a fly on his shoe.  I didn't like that look.  Max moved up next to me and I looked at him.  He didn't turn to face me, he had a stoic air about him.  As if there was something unknown about between these two men.  I felt a bit of worry flicker in my mind.  Should we have just kept going?  

We disembarked from the Peacock shortly after, we were ushered to a carriage with more than one seat.  It was a very ornate carriage, painted a brilliant scarlet red with yellow tassles coming off of the red canvas over our heads.  There were six seats, not counting the one the driver used.  I slipped into my seat near the front of the carriage, Max slid in beside me.  Ashish sat across the way, looking at Max with a  judgmental glare.  Mariel and Ambrose sat behind us as the Driver coaxed the four horses pulling the wagon into movement.  

“I trust you'll find your stay in my Master's house quite comforting.  The repairs to your ship will be done in a few days time.”  Ashish said, looking straight ahead as we wove through Calcutta's market place.  The roads were incredibly narrow here, people walked and milled about on either side of it so our journey into the city was a bit long.  No one talked much, I kept glancing over at Max without his knowing.  His knee was moving up and down rapidly as if it quelled his nervousness.  He wrung his hands in front of him.  I reached my hand over and held his.  He glanced at me and smiled.  I squeezed his hand and smiled back.  With his fingers he drew nervous circles over the back of my hand for the rest of the trip.  An act I'm sure Ashish made notice of and didn't approve.  

In a few hours of tense silence, we reached an elegant mansion just outside of Calcutta.  The carriage stopped and Ashish led us off.  We walked in through a large, arched door and into an open courtyard.  The floor was cobblestone with planters of the native foilage all around.  Pillars held up a second story balcony all around the courtyard, which provided shade for the bottom floor walk way.  There was a fountain in the center of the yard, it depicted a nymph dressed in an Indian Sari pouring a jar.  Out of that jar, the water came out and down into the main basin at the base of it.  Only to be reused and poured again.  On the basin of the fountain sat marble planters with brightly colored, large flowers in the four corners of it.  It all took my breath away really and I tried to hide the awe I felt.  

Ashish led us to a pair of large, glass doors and opened them.  Inside was just as impressive as the outside.  Rich rugs of red, violet and gold lay on the marble tiled floor.  A staircase went straight up then split into two seperate ones for the rooms on the second floor.  Maids and house keepers busied about as if preparing for something important.  We walked into a study a little off of the main foyer and  Ashish knocked on a large oak door.  Max's hold on my hand got tighter.  

“Yes?”  Came a voice from inside.  Ashish opened the door and led us inside.  There was a man, elderly fellow with greying hair, sitting behind a large oak desk.  I could smell the tobacco from the pipe he was smoking.  His eyes, the same color as Max's, regarded us curiously as we filed int.  The walls of the study were lined with shelves bearing books and knick knacks from all over the world.  The rug was the same rich color as the ones in the foyer and the entire room was spotless.  Maps hung on the wall charting his jurisdiction and many air channels all over the sky.  It was similar to one Ambrose had on the ship.  I smirked a little.  Ambrose diverts attention to himself by following Pre-planned air channels.  I bet it killed him.

“Warden Dempsey, the Crew of the Peacock as expected.”  Ashish said with a bow, then left the study, closing the door behind him.  The warden smiled at us all in turn, but his eyes settled on Max specifically.

“Welcome home, Son.”  He said, I couldn't tell if he was happy Max was there or upset.  “I trust your taste of adventure has been sated now?”

“Far from it, Father.”  Max shot back.  The Warden lowered his pipe and leaned forward in his chair.  His elbows resting on the desk.  He looked at me and eyed me with an inspector's judgement, then the corner of his mouth turned into a slight smirk.  

“I am Captain Cornelious Ambrose, sir.  Such an honor to meet you.”  Ambrose spoke up, he bowed with a flourish.  “I'd like to thank you personally for harboring us poor meager merchant airmen and inform you that your son has been a dream to work with.  Such knowledge and devotion is shown through him as he works with--”

“Yes, yes, quite right.”  The Warden interrupted.  Ambrose smirked, that jovial twinkle in his eyes.  “I am told you're here on business?”

“Yes, sir.”  Mariel nodded.  She stepped forward, her dark hair in a ponytail behind her head.  She wore tight black trousers with tall, silver-buttoned boots.  A burgundy tunic was tucked into a black and silver corset.  “We have a few questions to ask.”

“Of course, my dear.”  He nodded.  

“Six weeks ago, we were supposed to recieve a shipment of ivory and silks from China for a client of ours in London.  However, the shipment was never recieved and now he has put a price on our heads.”  Ambrose said.  “We have also intercepted a notification that this man is throwing a masquerade ball here, in India a day from now.”

“Aye, you mean Nigel.”  The Warden said, steepling his fingers as he listened.  “He's using my home to  throw this ball of his.  He paid quite generously for the use of it as well.”  

“So he must know we'd be here.”  I said to Ambrose.  

“How could he?  He doesn't know that Max is the Warden's son...”  Ambrose looked at the Warden.  “Does he?”  He asked as if to verify his claim.

“No no. Of course not.”  The Warden sat back in his chair again.  “Even if he did, he wouldn't know that my son is on your crew.  You keep your secrets well hidden, Ambrose.”  

“Apparently not well enough.”  Ambrose mused, folding his arms over his chest.  

“So what do we do?”  Max asked.  “Stay here and wait for the ship to get repaired and refueled?  Or leave and make for Puerto Hermoso?”

“'Puerto Hermoso'?” I asked.  The words sounded strange on my tongue and I wrinkled my nose.  

“It's an Air Port in Spain.  Nothing like Al'Hasan, it's actually run by the Spanish Government.”  Max said, looking at me.  I nodded.  

“Ambrose, if we stayed, we wouldn't have to infiltrate the party, we'd already be here.”  I said.

“You're right, Pigeon.”  Ambrose said.  

“But wouldn't it be known we're staying here?”  Mariel asked.

“Not if you aren't staying here.”  The Warden said, his lips turned into a smirk again.  “There is a hotel in Calcutta, called the White Tiger.  We could say that you are staying there.”  

“Which would throw Nigel off.”  Max replied, getting the same smirk his father had.  

“Exactly.”  The Warden said.  “The party is tomorrow evening, you couldn't have made better time.  Ashish will show you to your rooms.”  He got up from his chair and crossed the floor to the door.  He opened it to see his footman outside.  He relayed his order to the man and we followed Ashish to the upper floor of the elegant mansion.
Chapter Eighteen: [link] || Chapter Twenty: [link]

(C):iconijessykins:
© 2013 - 2024 iJessykins
Comments2
Join the community to add your comment. Already a deviant? Log In
PhoenixScribe's avatar
Family ties...but how tight?