Gideon & the Last Voyage of the Betty-Lou

The Council of War

Everyone presented themselves to me one by one with a bow or curtsy. I knew Captain Jasper Bragg, Sir Percivel Kendrick, Camphoria Bragg, and Mercedes Stewart. Colonnel Hars Cloudjumper was the weapons master, Lieutenant Sperry Shipwright was the communications master, and Munford Devin introduced himself as the master cloudsman. I had no idea what a cloudsman does but I was not going to reveal my ignorance at this meeting. I remained standing as everyone sat down around the table looking expectantly in my direction.

I needed more information and I knew that these people would be able to provide it, so I plunged ahead, "Captain Lawrence, please report." I was hoping that he would paint for us a picture of our situation.

"Yes, your Majesty." He pronounced as he stood and walked over to the drawing board. With expert ease he tapped and enlarged a map that indicated where we were headed.

"As your Excellency is aware, we will be arriving at Meridian Island in approximately two hours. Meridian has always been a stronghold for the rebellion and up to now has been considered by the Overlord as a faithful and compliant province of the kingdom. Our arrival there will undoubtedly make Meridian a target. Our original plan involved undermining the populace support of the Overlord and his tyrannical government, reducing the tax base, recruiting rebels, and causing rifts in government itself. The transformation of the Betty-Lou will have already been reported to him and he will double his efforts to destroy Betty-Lou and you. We know that you will be making necessary adjustments to our original plan."

"Thank you Gra...., I mean Captain Lawrence. Now Captain Bragg, please provide your report."

"Thank you Sire. We have already done the impossible, but the enmity of the Overlord knows no bounds. His retribution will be swift. My sources have informed me that the Overlord has doubled the forces not only at Meridian, but also Day Hill and Sky Forest, the two cities that are closest. Somehow the Overlord has foreknowledge of where we will be going. It worries me that either we might have a spy in our forces, or we are being watched from afar."

Camphoria interrupted her father and my heart skipped a beat as I heard her soft melodious voice, "I have not had an opportunity to beg forgiveness of your Highness for nearly killing you and your grandfather. I had hoped that your Worshipfulness would read the note and take precautions. As it turned out, my feeble attempts to protect your majesty were unnecessary." Her face blushed red as she stated this. I gulped and tugged at my collar that all of the sudden became uncomfortable.

"Ah, er... Apology accepted." I stammered and wiped my forehead with a pocket cloth. "Captain Bragg, what are your plans to discover the answer to your questions?"

"Well stated, your majesty." He smiled. "I believe that we are being observed from afar by a following ship. Nevertheless, I will set watches with far stones to scan the skies for ships. I will maintain a tally all of the whey hens. So far none are missing. I have also tallied the sky stones where by a floating message may be left for a following airship. All are accounted for."

"Thank you Captain Bragg. Sir Kendrick, what are your plans to evade these airships that are pursuing us at a distance?"

"That be a hard thing to do your majesty in our present state. I believe that it would be wise however, if it please your majesty, to use your amazing capacity to conceal the ship strait away and plot a course that would bring us to Meridian by a lesser used route. Undoubtedly our position and course have already been observed and reported."

"Thank you Sir Kendrick. Let me know when you are ready and I will conceal the ship. Lady Stewart, as historian, what else do we need to know?"

"You honor me M'Lord." Mercedes curtsied. "I, your most humble servant have been reviewing the ancient records we discovered recently at Noonday. As ye are aware, the tapestries left by the ancient scrystone masters be incomplete. The book that Captain Lawrence retrieved from the Adjudicator's office, howbeit, contains invaluable information that will help us to decipher the messages left by the ancients. So far, this is all that we know."