The Magician Of Vennat

Chapter 15

Amanda thought Glub was dumb, which hurt Alabaster's feelings.

"It took him like ten minutes to get here!" she complained and then turned around to chastise the sea horse. "Be prompt next time!"

"Hey," Alabaster protested. "Don't insult my sea horse. I like him."

"Hm," Amanda mused. "Well, I suppose he doesn't try to eat people."

"Yeah," Alabaster said. "So don't get on my case."

"I'm not," she huffed. "I'm getting on his."

Suddenly she jumped upright, rocking the boat. "What's that smell? Fruit?"

"Be careful!" Alabaster said. "You'll upend us."

"Eh, end us-smend us. No one cares" Amanda said. "But I'm hungry."

"Stop here," Alabaster said. "Those are grapes," he told Amanda.

She rolled her eyes. "Really? You don't say. I've only ever encountered them like a million times!"

Alabaster started to protest. I mean, how was he supposed to know that. But just then a figure caught his eye. It looked very much like Shylock.

"Move!" he yelled. Both Glub and Amanda thought the command was directed at them. Glub propelled them forward at full speed and Amanda ducked to the side, lost her footing because she hadn't expected the boat to suddenly take wings, and tumbled off the back of the boat. Alabaster lunged forward for her, but grasped only air and ended up with a face of dirty water.

Amanda surfaced like a whale, which is to say something you really don't want to be a foot away from. She sputtered water and obscenities and failed her arms every which way.

Alabaster took cover behind the back of his boat, which had stopped the moment that Glub had realized he was short a passenger.

"That stupid water horse!" Amanda exclaimed. "I hate his guts! I want him stung by his toes! Death by dehydration!"

Alabaster peeked up to see if he Shylock was still around. Luckily he saw no sign. Just a man, who was definitely not him, wearing something similar to something that the bully had once wore. Alabaster breathed a sigh of relief.

"Hey, you'd better get up here," he said, noticing a few people watching with amused looks. "You're causing a scene."

Amanda was infuriated. "I'm causing a scene? I'm causing a scene? Come here and lemme tell you who's causing a scene!"

Alabaster held out his hand for her to grab. "Sorry," he said. "My bad. I thought I saw Shylock, and I'm not used to having other people on my boat, besides Mitch or Eliz."

Amanda hoisted herself in with a heavy wet splat. Her clothes were soaked through and dripped grayish water onto the planks. Her short black hair glistened and her eyes were bright with anger.

"Who the heck are they?" she demanded.

Alabaster took a step back, feeling a little threatened. "Uh, my friends. Um, I mean, my ex-friends. They kind of, uh, dumped me after my mess-up."

Amanda snorted. "Some friends."

Alabaster said nothing. There felt like a big pit in his heart. And nothing could fill it.

"All right," Amanda said. "Well, take me somewhere where I can get some decent clothes on. I feel like a fish in a pan of butter. Yuck." She shook her arms and water from her sleeves slapped the sides of the boat.

"Yeah," Alabaster said quietly. "Glub, take us home."

Amanda watched Alabaster intently. "You okay?" she asked.

"Fine," he lied.

She didn't buy it. "Hey, your arm's going to be safe, okay?"

Alabaster sat down and looked at the water, not meeting her eyes once. He didn't answer. He was too afraid this wasn't going to work. He was afraid something would go wrong. And if even Amanda succeeded, what then? He couldn't go back to being a trader because, he realized that he didn't want to do that anymore. He didn't want to steal from people, he didn't like ripping off gullible citizens, and he didn't like the traders themselves. But what was he going to do then? He had no plan.

Alabaster pulled his legs up to his chest and laid his head against them. Right now was one of those times he would talk to Glub. "What do you do when you have no idea what to do? What happens when you don't know what you want in life?" But he didn't ask those questions because he wasn't alone, and he didn't want Amanda to know how he felt. He feared she'd make fun of him.

Glub let out a warning squeak as they approached Alabaster's house. Shylock and a few other people were waiting outside on the pier.

Alabaster's throat when dry. "That's him," he squeaked, then blushed at the frightened sound of his voice. He regained his composure and said, "Shylock."

Amanda sat up straighter and peered at him. "Hm," she said. "We'd best prepare for an altercation."

The group had noticed them by now and made towards them, running quickly.

"Stay where you are!" someone yelled.

"You're not escaping this time, coward." Shylock said.

Alabaster ignored them kept Glub moving the boat forward at a slow pace toward his dock.

The people came abreast of the vessel.

"Well," Shylock said with a sharp tone to his voice. "Where have you been?"

"Like you don't know," Alabaster said irritably.

Amanda gave him a warning look that said bringing up the black robed men would be a bad idea.

"I'm all surprise," Shylock assured. "All I know is that you left Vennat on a boat headed for Afca a mere two days away from the fulfillment of our agreement."

Alabaster rolled his eyes. Shylock knew more than that, the jerk, but Amanda didn't want him to reveal it, so he wouldn't.

"What if I did?" Alabaster said. "Makes no difference. I came back, didn't I?"

Shylock's eyes narrowed. "Yes, you did, but that's still something that you just don't do, Alabaster. Every trader knows that." He put extra emphasis on the word trader, digging in the fact that he didn't consider Alabaster to be one.

"Well," Alabaster said. "I don't see what the big deal is. I'm here-"

"Yes," Shylock snapped. "I want my arm, now before you try to run away again."

"If I may speak," Amanda began, "you don't have rights to that until this evening."

Shylock's face darkened. "Who are you?"

Amanda smiled wickedly. "Charity," she said.

Alabaster held back his smile. She really did have a sick sense of humor.

"Well, Charity," Shylock spat, "this is no business of yours."

Alabaster stepped out of the boat. "How about you leave, Shylock. I'll see you tonight at the trial."

"You've called one?" Shylock asked.

"I am," Alabaster said.

"I'll call it," Shylock said.

"I'm not trusting you," Alabaster said.

"Well, I don't trust you either," Shylock retorted.

"How about you all go call one?" Charity suggested gesturing at everyone present.

"No," the singular woman present said. "I'll call it."

"Of course," Shylock said, giving her a low nod of the head.

Alabaster gritted his teeth. Serena was one of the high-ranking traders and presided as judge sometimes for trials. Shylock was already trying to suck up to her. Disgusting.

"See you tonight," Shylock said with a grin.

"Tonight," Alabaster agreed and pushed past the other people to his house.