A Trip To Tuanaki

Chapter 7

On their fifth afternoon out of Laka'al, when their numerous empty water barrels are starting to become a concern, Tuanaki finally comes into view. It's not a huge island, but not a tiny one, either. The surface is dominated by a dormant volcano, and sheer mountain ridges divide the island in distinct segments. In the largest space between two ridges is nestled a small but vibrant community that is clearly taking advantage of the abundance in the local waters. There isn't much open area here for expansive farms, and it's far enough south that the weather gets properly chilly in the winter. Come July, the ground will even freeze, and for once, Alice knows she'll appreciate her leather jacket on the ground.

Instead of a proper skyport like the main belt islands, all Tuanaki has is a single landing platform in the middle of a large, empty clearing. The platform has a cargo lift and a small area to stand on while transferring cargo. Fortunately, there aren't any other airships around, so the Nameless has no trouble finding a secure position to tether against. While Gunny is on the platform tying them down, Mal and Alice are standing on the deck, looking out over the town.

The arrival of an airship is clearly a big ordeal, and the pair can see a mob slowly growing from the townsfolk. "I don't like the looks of that," Mal says. "That's the kind of mob that turns bad quickly." He leans over the railing and shouts down to Gunny. "I'm coming down!"

"Me, too," Alice says immediately.

"No, you should stay here," Mal says.

"And miss the first bit of excitement in days? No thanks. And believe me, I've been in hairy situations before. I can handle myself, I promise."

Mal sighs. "Fine. You can come, but don't say I didn't warn you when it gets bad." Without further ado, he climbs over the rail and slowly begins to descend the rope ladder they'd slung over the side in preparation for Gunny to return. Alice follows him, and with the three of them crowding the watchtower, the townsfolk who approach them remain on the ground twenty feet below them.

Finally, their designated spokesperson arrives. He is a middle-aged man, decently but simply dressed. Clearly this man is used to speaking before a crowd, and has no trouble projecting his voice so the visitors can hear him clearly. "Hail, travelers! I am Gavin, the mayor of Tuanaki! What wares have you brought us?"

"We have brought no wares to sell," Mal shouts back, and Alice is surprised at how comfortable he is to be addressing a mob that is quickly growing discontented. "We were blown off course tying to avoid blacksails, and we were hoping to purchase some supplies before heading on our way."

There's a brief swell in the noise of the murmuring crowd as the locals pass this information back and forth. Gavin quickly moves to quiet them, and he mostly succeeds. Then the quiet is broken by a raucous shout.

"Why should we trust an elf?"

From the top of the landing platform it's hard to see who's responsible. However, the effect is clear and immediate. The crowd erupts, arguing amongst themselves as much as directing their anger at the trio on the platform. The mayor is clearly losing his grip over them, so Mal does what he can to buy them a bit more time.

"We mean you no ill! All we want is to refill our water barrels, and then we'll leave."

Some of the assembled crowd nods thoughtfully, as if they believe Mal's story is reasonable. Unfortunately, they're the overwhelming few. They're even treated to another shout from the back of the crowd, though this one comes from someone new. "Lies! You're working for Fahrn! Well, you're not going to spy on me, I won't let you!"

As soon as her father's name is said, Alice glances sharply at Mal. The captain ignores it, turning his back to the crowd. "Alright, back to the Nameless," he orders, and shoes the women forward. Gunny starts to climb, but Alice hesitates.