Wicked Runaway: A Mark Cannidor Adventure

Chapter Sixteen

At the ports of Hamburg, the Lady Sinatra had docked for a delivery of some precious materials. Captain Malcheffi was gazing out at his crew, who were working tirelessly and to a tight schedule. Jayne was reviewing the orders, making sure the orders were being loaded onto the correct pallets. She glanced sideways at her husband. How could he be stood there, not lifting a finger, when his own operation was so important to him? The rest of his crew worked tirelessly to make sure his operation was completed. It did not seem to faze him in the slightest.

As Captain Malcheffi was observing the work being done on the ship, he noticed a rather odd sight which he felt should not have been there. He squinted across the ship, making sure that he wasn’t dreaming. Yet, it was there, in the middle of the night, standing there with glory.

It was the very signal that Sigourney Malcheffi required.

He tried to beckon his wife across, waving with both hands, desperately trying to seek her attention.

‘I’m busy!’ Jayne Malcheffi shouted hastily. ‘What are you doing?’

Sigourney Malcheffi wasn’t going to accept that as an answer from her. He was persistent in showing his wife what he had seen. Instead of waiting for her, he approached Jayne as a matter of urgency. She glanced up and stepped back as she saw her husband hovering over her.

‘Look,’ Malcheffi said, pointing towards the opposite side of the boat.

‘I don’t quite know what you’re talking about,’ Jayne snapped, concentrating on the parchment in front of her. She hated having her husband distract her whilst she had a dozen things ongoing at the same time. Sigourney never listened, something which irritated her the most.

Malcheffi pointed again.

‘Can you just tell me what you’re pointing to!’ Jayne snapped irritably. She had a lot of tasks to get through before the ship left Hamburg. This wasn’t a time for games.

‘That ship,’ Malcheffi explained. ‘The brown one. Don’t you recognise it’.

Jayne studied the ship as best she could.

‘I don’t quite know what you are talking about,’ Jayne said. ‘Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a shipment to deal with. I have no time for your games!’

Malcheffi had enough. He grabbed his wife and forced her to stand in the direction he wanted. She yelped in agony as his hands were wrapped tightly around her wrists. She felt squashed, like a mouse in a trap. She begged for him to let go, however he did not listen. He was being rather forceful with her.

He pointed sharply towards the point he wanted her to look at.

‘There!’ Malcheffi snapped.

Finally, his wife could see it.

The Sellina. It was docked just next to them.

‘Well?’ Jayne gasped as her husband let her go. ‘What you do you have to say about this?’

‘You tell me’.

Jayne shrugged. She could not have anything to say about the matter. She was aware that Stephen McGough had a habit of cropping up in all places. This did not faze her. In fact, there was no reason for her to be involved with this.

Needless to say, their answer had embarked onto their ship.

A middle-aged chap. He had greyed hair and a grey beard, was short and stubby, wore wire-rimmed glasses, and was the last person Sigourney Malcheffi wanted to see on his ship.

‘You!’

Malcheffi approached Quinte Hornby.

‘I thought I vowed for you NEVER to set foot on this here ship again!’ he snapped aggressively.

‘I thought you did as well,’ Quinte responded, too politely for Malcheffi’s liking. ‘Although I believe you are trying to reach a specific destination. You are trying to fulfil your goals. You want something so precious you are prepared to fight your way towards succeeding. The entirety of Alliva is depending on you, Captain Sigourney Malcheffi. And you are the most powerful wizard of them all. Are you not?’

Malcheffi took a moment to weigh his old crew mate down, glancing nastily up and down, observing Quinte Hornby for all he was worth. He was convinced that Quinte’s behaviour was nothing but an act. An appalling way to gain something out of someone.

‘I’m not interested’.

Malcheffi was just about to step away, but something about how polite Quinte was made him change his mind. He wasn’t his old childish self, as was normal for him. He wasn’t quivering, shaking, buckling under pressure at the sight of the captain. In fact, Quinte was far too confident for Malcheffi’s liking. Surely, he had hatched some sort of plan. Thus, Malcheffi decided he had changed his mind.

‘Go on’.

Quinte grinned.

‘Well,’ he continued. ‘I, for one, happen to be in possession of a particular ship. What do they call it? Oh yes. The Sellina’.

‘I’m not interested,’ Malcheffi grunted once again, realising that this was a waste of time. He tried to walk away, but Quinte grabbed him by the sleeve of his jacket.

‘Oh, but you shall be interested,’ Quinte grinned. ‘For I have the exact tool you require to help us defeat the King of Alliva. Thus, you could very well be in possession of the land which so dearly belongs to you. Where there’s a will, there is most certainly a way’.

‘And what would that way be?’ the captain snarled dishearteningly, for he realised just what game Quinte was trying to play. If he played his cards right, he could win whatever it was Quinte had to offer, whilst at the same time flogging Quinte off elsewhere.

Upon asking, Quinte grinned pleasantly.

‘An army,’ Quinte whispered.

Malcheffi frowned.

True. This was a waste of time.

‘I think I have one of those already, thank you!’

Quinte chuckled.

‘Oh, but this is a better army,’ Quinte explained. ‘This is a bigger army. One that wants what is best for King and country. And when I say King, I mean you. At least, it could be you. If you allow me to help you’.

Malcheffi had had enough.

‘You have more followers than you may think, Your Majesty,’ Quinte continued.

‘Don’t you dare pressure me into your little games, Quinte!’ Malcheffi spat. ‘I am the captain of this ship. I have been planning this little rendezvous for years. And if you think that I am going to let you stand in my way…’

‘But I am giving you the way!’ Quinte moaned. ‘I have provided you with an opportunity to succeeding! This is me, giving you a clear path to freedom. Just as you always needed’.

‘Oh, and on what grounds?’

Quinte smiled smugly.

‘Well, then,’ Quinte smirked. ‘That would be telling. Wouldn’t it?’

‘Just get to the point, Quinte. And stop wasting my time!’

Quinte chortled.

‘Very well,’ Quinte continued. ‘Well, I have full intelligence that a young Mark Cannidor is with her Ladyship, Madame Elizabeth McDougall. They won’t tread far, of course. Yet, as I understand it, you have a particular hatred for the boy in which any captain would like to get their grubby paws around his neck’.

‘That is true,’ Captain Malcheffi agreed. ‘It is a complicated background, yet I wish to dispose of the boy with all the energy I can muster. Edward Cannidor had no right to board this ship, yet alone bring his treacherous son. Had I realised sooner, I would never have allowed this to happen. I suppose I am in the wrong on this occasion. Never again. If I had my own way sooner, he would be long gone by now’.

‘Excellent. I am glad to hear those words,’ Quinte responded. His voice was growing much more serious and there was a dark undertone growing with every word he said. ‘There is a storm brewing down there, Sigourney. A cry for your word. Your power is enough to bring Alliva right back to where you want it to be. The Sellina has left its port. It’s the signal that you will arrive any time soon’.

‘Rubbish,’ Malcheffi spat, turning away from Quinte in the hope to attend to some more important duties.

‘I don’t think you understand,’ Quinte continued, racing to keep up with Malcheffi as he studied a unique parchment. ‘I mean, I have sent word out to your followers. Every dark wizard in Alliva is expecting you to be there. And after all…perhaps if we were to use a little bit of…magic…then we might just reach our destination sooner’.

Malcheffi looked up from his parchment. The Sellina was right in front of him.

This couldn’t have been a con. Surely? However, Quinte was once one of his finest Helmsmen. And he had offered the captain an opportunity.

One which he couldn’t refuse.

Malcheffi looked in Quinte’s eyes. It was remarkable. They were glinting with such enthusiasm. Not even Malcheffi was this ecstatic as Quinte was.

‘What is this going to cost me?’

Quinte’s smile faded.

‘I don’t believe I understand, sir’.

‘At what price is this going to cost me?’

Quinte cleared his throat nervously.

‘Sigourney, I’m sure you don’t understand,’ Quinte reiterated. ‘All it takes is a little bit of magic. Now, I for one share the same desires as yourself. I can get you to Alliva one way or another. All I ask is…are you prepared to let me step in and lead the way?’

Malchffi glanced towards the Sellina.

‘And what of that?’ he asked.

‘We can deal with that later,’ Quinte responded sharply.

It was a major request. One which was too good to back down from.

What would Malcheffi not give to have his own way? A land he could finally take control of, and army which he could call his own? Ah yes, now he thought about it more…

‘Show me’.