The Crossing: A Wayfarer's Chronicles by J. Edwards Holt

Author:J. Edwards Holt [Holt, J. Edwards]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2024-01-11T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty-One

March 4, 456 A.T.

The girl offers Besse a biscuit, but the child does not swallow. She paces the tiny space. “Who did this to you, Besse?” she murmurs. Still Besse does not answer. “Who harmed you? Was it the boy… or the mistress?” her words trail away as tears trickle down her cheeks. “I cannot fathom why you are here.” She drops to her knees at the child’s feet. “What did you do, Besse? What is the reason that you are here?”

The cabin boy picks at the skin around his lips and stares at his feet.

“Did you hurt Topher? Is that it – did you pay him back for what he did to you? Surely that does not warrant this journey. Surely there would be some forgiveness given the circumstances.”

She does not expect an answer, it is merely her way of working things out in her head. She already knows that when the time comes for Besse to depart the ferry for her final destination, she will not be able to bear it.

Unless there is some way of keeping Besse with her.

Think.

Think.

What could she do?

Graives is the one who sees the passengers disembark. He is the one who waits until the bridge raises before he gives the signal to sail. He will be glad to see the back of Besse, she has no doubt about that, not when half of his ear is missing, but he was willing to give up the boarding to the girl and the cabin boy. Maybe now is the time to request the captain to give the other task to the girl also. The captain might be willing. He understands that the girl merely wishes to be helpful, as her presence has been forced upon them.

But Graives… Graives will not be so easy to convince.

It is the only way though. It is her only chance of keeping the child with her. Once the ferry sets sail from the land of the dead, there will be no going back, not out of synch with their normal crossings, and it will be a simple matter of hiding Besse in the cabin. The captain rarely makes an appearance below deck these days and she knows that she can rely on the cabin boy to keep their secret.

Her thoughts spin and spiral around inside her head, working out the minor details, until she has convinced herself that the plan will work.

She is going to keep Besse on the ferry with her.

***

The girl chooses her moment well. She waits until the captain is deep in animated conversation with Bauldry when she tugs on his sleeve. She has left Besse safely in the cabin with the boy.

“Captain?” she says, standing back so that the men do not think that she is deliberately trying to be annoying.

He turns to her, his face dark, his eyebrows drawn low over his eyes. “What is it?”

The girl bows to Bauldry and mumbles, “Apologies for interrupting. Captain, might I take on another job for you?”

“Not now,” he growls.

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