Side Quest: The Start

I was excited. It had been almost a whole month since I’d traveled the portal. I was ready for the challenge. Bessie helped me stow and secure the boat, weigh anchor and raise the sails. The wind caught them beautifully and we were off.  

We both waved farewell and I left her at the wheel and told her to take us out of sight of the coastline. I needed to change. I gratefully stowed my helmet and heavy cloak and changed into more flexible wear. It felt good to be back in my regalia. It felt right.

Before returning up top, I checked the cargo hold. Back in my early years I’d developed these waterproof canister buoys for locations where I could not afford slip-ups: Bermuda, Heron’s Landing, Carthage, and Bikini. I still had a few of the contraptions. If I were really going to England…and it sure as hell looked like I was, then I’d need this. I closed up the crate in the hold and carried up the empty canister I'd chosen. As an afterthought I picked up the bracelet Izzy had given me for my birthday; I’d need this too. 

Bessie was grinning ear to ear as she stood at the wheel with the ship under full sail. It was my happy place too. 

“So Bessie, what did Isabelle tell you about what we are about to do?” I fastened the bracelet around my wrist and let her continue to sail. I could have tied a string around my finger to achieve the same purpose except that I was often gone for such lengths of time that the string would rot and fall off. 

“This is a magic ship that can travel through time. Books have publication dates printed on them. You have to change a filter March 14th, 2025. California is far away in the future. The magic ship will take us there,” she answered. 

“Oh good god. Okay. That wasn’t helpful.” I stretched out and enjoyed not wearing that heavy cape and helmet. The sun was warm and I wasn't up for being upset this morning.

“Yes, it was helpful, Captain,” she countered.

“Let’s get something straight. It’s not the ship that is magic. You could take any raft through as long as you know what you are doing.”

“Okay. You are saying I could sail this portal?” 

“If you can see it you can sail it. I started sailing it when I was 13. How old are you? Do you know?”

“I have 15 years.”

“I’m bad at ages. Thank you. Alright. So yes, we are going to do some time travel, starting with this.” I help up the empty canister. She was unimpressed. She was even more unimpressed when she opened it and saw it was empty. I laughed. This was going to be fun. “You ready to see some magic?”

“Yes!” Her excitement was infectious. 

“Okay.” I reached into the cabinet where I stored my embroidery and found a permanent marker. I handed it to her. “Now, this might not work but I think we should try.” I was having fun. I was sailing. I was about to go into the portal. Bessie and I worked well together. We were going to sail through time. This was good pure fun. It was a good day. “I call it 'Time Travel Trickery' and when I need to shortcut a mission I’ll try this out. So take the marker – that’s this,” I pointed to the writing implement, “And write or draw anything you want on the outside of that canister.” 

The girl thought for a moment and then wrote ‘Bessie’ and drew an image of the sun. She looked at me for confirmation that she’d done it right. I smiled.

“Great. Take it down to your cabin and hide it. Do not tell me where it is.” I squeezed the bracelet and hoped that this worked. Bessie would be so tickled. I gripped the bracelet and concentrated. When I traveled back here I would leave a note telling myself where and when to find the young lieutenant. I repeated the instructions over and over again and concentrated. I would make my journey and return here and place a note for myself with instructions for where and when to find the young lieutenant. When I thought I had it sorted out in my head I scanned the water. There. I grinned as I saw what I hoped for. Bobbing in the tide was an orange buoy. She came up a minute later with a big smile. 

“You’ll never find it.” She stood confidently. 

“Oh no? Look out there.” I directed her attention to the bobbing buoy. 

“Captain? What is that?”

“Let’s find out.” I let her steer as I got a big hook out. When we were close enough, I fished the buoy out of the water and landed it on the deck. Bessie came right over and picked up the canister and saw her name and the picture of the sun that she’d just drawn a minute ago. Only now it was slightly faded in places.

“Captain?” She looked towards the steps below decks. 

“Magic, right?” I beamed and took the capsule from her hands. I prayed. Anything could be in here. Future Anne could be a real dickhead. Inside was a letter.

The young lieutenant is in Avington Estate, England. 

Oct 13th 1650. Full dress. Bring your guns. 

Wounded badly. 

You will need Fountain. 

Don’t play cards with Elizabeth.  

Who was Elizabeth? Would I need Fountain for myself or for my damn brother-in-law? Who was wounded badly? Me? Him? Someone else? I turned the paper over and over hoping for more details. That was just like me though, never enough information. Such bullshit. I had half a mind to sail around the east coast of Greenland, find where I was hiding, and kick my own ass. 

I did have the information I needed however and that was a victory. So we were headed to England. Old Blighty. I sighed. It was better than nothing. Bessie took the note and repeated my show of turning it over and looking for information that wasn’t there. I shrugged. I screwed the canister together and tossed it back overboard. No need to keep two of these things.

Bessie ran down to her cabin to see if the one she’d hidden was still there. She came upstairs shaking a little. I advised her to go take a swig of whiskey. She agreed and I took over sailing. 

The wind was beautiful today and we made swift progress. I knew the passage to the portal entrance from this location like the back of my hand and shouted orders to Bessie who followed them and only slurred her, “yes, Captains” a little. She’d gotten used to the rice cooker, she’d get used to this.

“Good to be back on the water, eh Bessie?” I called to her.  

“Yes, Captain.” She beamed.

“So Izzy really told you nothing?” I asked.

“No. She told me many things. She told me to make sure you slept and you ate and to mix you some medicine. And that you would handle most of the sailing and navigation.” Bessie ticked off her responsibilities on her fingers. I rolled my eyes. Thanks, Izzy. 

About three hours later we were there, at the advent of the portal. I lowered the sail and told Bessie to scale the main mast so she could see how the water color streamed ever so slightly differently, how the light refracted in a different manner, and how the wind stalled and eddied as it passed over. The girl squinted and looked but couldn’t see it. It was clear as day to me but I just shrugged. Even Maui had had trouble finding the portal current. Zheng only knew a few entrances by rote. Even my temple family, who knew all about the portal, thought what I did and how I traveled was magic. It wasn’t. At least, it wasn’t magic to me. I just knew what I was doing.

I checked the wind and the tide, told Bessie to hold on tight, and tacked into the current. The tension I’d been holding onto for weeks released as I felt the portal swirl around me.  I closed my eyes and relaxed my shoulders and let a smile play around my lips. It was good to be back. The portal was full of bright buttery sunshine that sparkled off the waves, even providing a delightful breeze. I think it was happy to have me back too.  

I played a little in the current swooping around, trimming past the points in space that would lead me to different places in the world. If I exited here, I could get my other ship in Madagascar. If I exited there I could visit my villa in Carthage. Over there was China. I could feel Zheng’s presence somewhere in the South Sea. Far, far beyond, Mo sat in his seat at the temple, watching and waiting for me. I blew him a kiss and flipped him off and made another large turn, hiking out just for fun, and heading for France in October of 1650.  

1650. 16-fucking- 50.

My scars tightened and itched at the date. I’d be safe across the Atlantic, I reminded myself. It’s done. It’s over. I’d be safe and far away. I grabbed some of Izzy’s ointment and kept it close just in case.  

Bessie watched the portal swirl around us and saw me giddy with excitement. “I cannot see the stars, do you still know where you are still?”

“Indeed I do. Watch the water, see the different coloring? The salination? The depth?” She looked at the water and shook her head. “Smell the air, feel the temperature? All the information is there.” Even time could be differentiated by subtle clues like the tang of diesel, the obstruction of the stars with light pollution. Bessie just kept watching the water and trusting me completely. 

There was even more information there that I could read in the waves and feel in my bones. I just knew it like I had an internal compass pointing the way. Even from my first journey, it had all made sense. It was the only part of my life that had ever made sense. I loved it here in the portal and the portal loved me too.

Neither one of us, the portal or I, were anxious to separate yet. Our exit kept drifting father away like a cat playing with a toy. I sat back and just enjoyed. Bessie lounged in her hammock with her book I think she agreed with us. She had no mistresses to serve, no nephew’s diaper to change. She was her own mistress for the first time in her life. I went downstairs and brought her up a drink and some bread and butter. She deserved to be served for once. I was no Izzy but she seemed to enjoy the sustenance. Back in my seat, I picked up my embroidery and continued to stitch the yellow flowers into the rose pink silk. 

I continued to follow the course to our exit. It meandered and drifted but the wind held steady. Next I looked over, Bessie was asleep in the hammock. We were headed to 1650 France. Whatever Izzy thought was best, I was going stash Bessie somewhere safe while I dealt with whatever waited for me in Avington. The note said that someone would be hurt badly enough to need Fountain. I had learned my lesson at Tavern Rock: no newbies on missions where guns and pointy things were a part of my wardrobe. I would title that the ‘Tavern Rock Law’. Bessie would hang out with Little Jean and I’d pick her up after the deed was done.

The portal granted me a sunset and a beautiful night sky. I set my watch for twenty minutes. Warm tropical breezes carried me off to sleep. It was beautifully quiet on my ship. I could spare twenty minutes. 

I dreamed of a ship sailing the current with us, both close by and years apart. It looked familiar. My mind skipped past that old ship and over to another familiar place. Graham sat in a chair over looking an empty dock. The chair was familiar too. The lines on his face were not.

My watch buzzed and I was grateful. I rubbed my eyes and saw a thermos of coffee in front of me along with my notebook. In bold script was written:

Don’t shoot me. I’m on the ship too. In the hammock. 

You said I could be here.

~Bessie

“Bessie, I know you are here. Thank you for the coffee," I shouted out to her.

“Can’t be too careful, Captain. I cannot tell what time it is. We ought to change shifts.” She climbed out of the hammock and sat down with me.

“Much as I would love to follow Izzy’s schedule, we cannot do that in the portal.” The coffee was good.

“Captain, suppose you should get tired again. Suppose there is a storm. Suppose you…I would prefer you stay in good spirits.” This girl would make a wonderful politician. I gave her my full attention. 

“You’re right. I’ve been hurting. And I chose to stay in that hurt. I know that must be frustrating. I don’t mean you any harm. I will make the right choices while you are in my care.” Did she believe me? It was the truth.

“And when I’m no longer in your care?”

“I’m going to keep trying then too.” She was young. She couldn’t yet see past the vibrancy in her muscles and thoughts. I would keep working my hardest until Izzy was safe at home and then…then I’d let my own future play out how it ought to.