Beyond

Day 15

Haiv's pulse thrummed with anticipation. The light coming through the porthole was bright enough that he was sure it was nearing midday. Yesterday, Mad Fisk had come earlier in the morning with Green Coat's food. Haiv wasn't allowed any in the hopes that starving him would encourage his father's cooperation. So far, it hadn't worked. The ship still hadn't moved. The water slapping against the hull was much gentler and the shouts of the sailors above were perfectly audible.

The plan was to take the keys, knock Mad Fisk upside the head, and take some of the poor man's clothes so Green Coat wouldn't walk around like one of them flashy reyk birds. Haiv would have to come up with a new name for his accomplice. After they'd both put on a new wardrobe, they'd try to blend in with the crew. Haiv had suggested grabbing a bucket of tar and some brushes as a cover. They could pretend to be running an errand of slapping tar on the ship's sides.

The whole thing was a long shot, but it wasn't like either of them had anything left to lose.

Across from Haiv, Green Coat was pacing in his cell. His coat that had inspired Haiv's nickname for him was no longer the bright green it had been on the day of his capture. Nearly two weeks of sitting in mud and his own excrement had discolored and frayed the pristine fabric. He still bore the silk knots on his shoulders indicating a high rank, but those too were worn and graying. Green Coat had been striking when Haiv had first seen him, but now he was imposing in a way that had nothing to do with his uniform. Despite his pacing, he held himself tall and confident. He smiled reassuringly at Haiv as their eyes met. It was so different from the crumpled lump of a man that sat in that cell the last time Haiv was in here.

The door opened and both of them tensed. Mad Fisk strolled in with his hand held above his head, carrying a platter of a single patty of rycle cake. The light from the porthole cast his shadow along the wall to Haiv's right. Mad Fisk glanced at Haiv guiltily before turning his attention to Green Coat. Haiv tightened the strained muscles in his arms to give himself a little dose of extra pain, just to make his acting real. He opened his mouth, but then the door opened a second time.

Captain Rodigan marched into the brig with irritation written on his face. That face wriggled and twitched and melted. Steam rose up where the capn's features had been. Haiv's empty stomach tried to vomit, but he was too weak to do more than gag. When the skin was all gone, a primate's face. One of those bigger babi's with the fangs as large as Haiv's foot. The babi-headed monstrosity kept inching its way closer to him.

Haiv swallowed. If the thing decided to attack him, he was a goner. He almost opened his mouth and screamed to Mad Fisk to do something, except what little rationale Haiv had left informed him this was most likely a hallucination. That was a hard tale to believe. The creature grinned at him with hungry eyes and a large tongue flicked out and licked its fangs. Haiv shuddered. He slammed his eyes shut, praying the thing would go away.

"I guess yer father is heartless after all," Rodigan's voice sneered.

Haiv peeked through his eyelids. The babi was gone. Rodigan's face—blessedly unmelted, though not any more attractive than the babi's—was back where it belonged. It seemed Haiv was still seeing things though because as Rodigan passed the same spot where the light from the window had cast Mad Fisk's shadow on the wall, the captain gave no shadow. That tiny detail was not scary or life-threatening, especially when compared to the babi or the look of hatred that Rodigan gave him now. Haiv ignored the missing shadow and processed what Rodigan had said.

Though he himself had been thinking the exact same thing yesterday, that Hailoh didn't care about him, Haiv refused to admit that to this sorry excuse for a human being. Instead, he countered, "He knows you need me to get into Beyond."