Izzy Returns from Shopping

It was well into the evening when Izzy arrived. She’d sailed in on a small boat powered more by oarsmen than the one square sail…and two extra following her. Every inch of the vessels were jam packed with her purchases. At home she was always the one trotting out to greet my ship as I docked but now we were reversed, she was docking and I was the one treading down the boards to her. Izzy was all the way in the stern of the ship and entangled behind crates of vegetables and sacks of flour.

Jae jumped off the ship as soon as he saw me and ran to grab my hands and bring them to his lips. I couldn’t help but smile. He was so young and charming and, for whatever reason, delighted at the sight of me.

“I thought of you every moment.” He kept ahold of my hands and pulled me closer.

Guilt clutched my stomach as I realized I hadn’t thought of him at all. His absence had been a relief.

“Please, may I kiss you?” he asked. He was so sweet and genuine I couldn’t help but guide his lips to mine.

“No. No more of that!” Zheng barked as she and Marco tramped their way down the dock like wet blankets. “You had your time with her. Now get to work.” She barked a couple of quick orders to him in Cantonese and he reluctantly let go of me and went to earn his daily bread.

“What the hell is your problem?” she kept assailing me in Cantonese. “You want to be assigned more arts and crafts? Maybe finally tackle that poetry slam? For god’s sake just keep it in your pants or go fuck Marco. You know he’s good for it.”

“Do you want me to fight you? Because I’ll take you out here and now. I’ve done it before.” I crouched, ready to spring.

“Ah ah ah,” she cautioned me with a warning finger, “if you ever want to set foot on that precious boat of yours again you’ll chill out. That sister of yours is watching your every move.”

I turned and sure enough Izzy was attempting to goose step over a live pig to get out of her boat to me. She was petting a duck with a huge bow tied around its neck. I sighed and relaxed my posture.

“That’s a good girl.” Zheng patted my shoulder and I couldn’t help myself, I caught her arm and threw her bodily into the water. Shit. That move had probably broken open that harpoon wound again…worth it. Izzy finally made it over her pig as Zheng splashed to the surface and cursed me out.

Izzy wrestled with her dressed up duck on her way over to me but my attention was drawn to the two new ships docking just behind the ones Zheng loaned Izzy to take and fill for her shopping trip. These new ships were large Asian junks. Cargo ships. Deep sea ships. Ships that sported full crews. I watched as they secured the lines, wondering where all my joy from throwing Zheng off the dock had vanished off to. I didn’t like those ships. But why should I care about those ships? It wasn’t till Izzy’s new toy started quacking in my face that I turned my attention to her.

“Hi! What was that all about?” Izzy gestured with her fancy duck to Zheng, still struggling, in the water.

“She was hot and needed to cool down. What is all this about? You went to the market and…bought the Navy?” 

Had she really gone and bought enough to fill this many ships? The duck quacked again, bringing my attention back to Izzy. That ribbon likely meant this duck wasn’t here for dinner. Marco would be disappointed.

“What? No, these are my new friends.” Izzy laughed and waved to a few figures descending the gangplank of one of the big ships.”That’s Min Li, and that’s Lady Jayne.”

“You bought friends?” There was nothing left in Vietnam to buy based on how low the ships were sitting in the water, so she just decided to add a few people to the tab? And a white lady? Where had she found an old white lady?

“I BROUGHT friends,” she corrected, uselessly. “It’s a long story. But they’re here for the party,” she explained, explaining nothing. I’d forgotten about the party. This “party” was the reason Zheng had sent her off.

“How much is this story going to cost me? Zheng is already charging me an arm and a leg for all of this.” Her Excellency put in her request last night for a private tour of Greenland with the largest trick-or-treat bag she could find. That or I’d be indentured to her for at least six years of pepper-selling fun. Did her guards…anyone…not tell her no? Not say this is too much? And who the hell thought there was a buyer at the other end of this capable of paying for it all?

“It’s not going to cost you anything. Min,” Izzy paused and glanced over to the young woman in rich clothing surrounded by servants, “she’s my new business partner,” Izzy spoke the words to her fancy duck, not really to me.

“Business partner?” I looked at the three of them: a gently bred wealthy young woman, some white harridan a world away from her homeland, and Izzy…and they were going into business? What business? Well…Izzy went into business in Bermuda, I suppose she could find something to occupy herself here.

She straightened up, met my eyes, and resisted looking at her duck. “We’re going to take tea to England,” she stated plainly. Then stood there. Just stood there like this was a normal thing to say.

England. It all came back to England. The ships made sense now. They weren’t here for a party, they were stopping by on their way west. We’re going to take tea to England. “We’re”. She had indicated herself and her partners on the ship. That was all.

“So you went to market and bought yourself a ticket out of here. I see.” Mohammad wouldn’t go to the mountain so Mohammad’s mad sister nailed some planks together and decided to float to the mountain herself using her skirts for sails.

“What? No, I haven’t bought anything.” She gestured to the five ships’ worth of new purchases. “Like I said, it’s a long story. But I stand to make some money if this venture goes well.”

“And this venture is you, that young girl, and the old lady, sailing these ships to England to sell tea?” We’re. She was going to England with these new people she’d just met. She was going to sail across the world on untested ships with untested people in the 17th century. Who was going to captain them? The old broad? Who was going to navigate? Izzy and her A- in 10th grade geography? Oh god. She was going to do just that.

“We are going to introduce England to its new favorite beverage. It’s a sure thing,” she told me and the duck. Only the duck looked convinced.

“Sure.” What else could I say? Was there anything that wouldn’t get me called a fucking psycho again? She was willing to spend over a year of her life on dangerous waters in untested ships with two women and an unvetted crew, all at the mercy of the 17th century, just to get away from her fucking psycho of a sister. No matter what I said I’d be wrong.

“Izzy, this is a bad plan. Please, let’s talk about this.”

“You think you are the only big bad captain out there? The only reason you are successful is because I helped you pass high school geography. You know the maps. I know the maps.”

“Izzy, there could be more pirates. There could be storms.”

“And we’ve survived both! Little thanks to you on both counts or should I tell the story of our last storm again?”

“Izzy, taking you home is the best way to be sure you don’t die.”

“You always hated Ian! You don’t respect me or my dreams or my marriage!”

The portal wasn’t an option. It had killed me for trying to get Izzy to England. It was upset and I couldn’t risk angering it more. The portal was out. So unless I agreed to sign on for a year’s worth of danger, to get her to a country that could be more dangerous than the seas we just survived and deliver her to a husband who would keep her bound to him till they shared a grave, this was her saying goodbye. This was her leaving me. There was nothing I could say.

“Sure,” I repeated. “Marco’s waiting for me. I’ll see you at dinner?” I didn’t wait for an answer. I turned away from the ships and headed down the dock. The duck, in its fancy bow, quacked after me.

“Yes. Any requests?” Izzy called.

“No.” I took off down the beach.

****

I didn’t know where Marco was. I kept moving. I needed to get the hell away from the docks. Nothing to see there but my broken ship and Izzy’s get-a-way boats. I went all the way down to the far beach I’d discovered. I sat at the edge of the waterline and dared to unwrap my toes. I wanted to feel the water on my skin again.

Ms. Nguyen stood at the board, a map of the 13 colonies behind her. I couldn’t see the board. My mind was in turmoil. All I saw was Dad in the front office of the school, scared. Ms. Nguyen was talking but all I heard was Dad telling me that Mom had given him some papers and was demanding full custody. Ms. Nguyen was concerned that we learn about Delaware. Who cared about Delaware? Dad had asked me to go with him. He wanted me to choose him and leave with him now. I’d asked for the chance to say bye to Mom and Izzy. He’d agreed that that was a good idea. I’d gone back to class to learn about Delaware. Dad was waiting for me now. He could be out in the parking lot right now.

“Ms. Nguyen, I need the restroom.” I grabbed my backpack and didn’t wait for an answer. Dad had said he could homeschool me on the ship so if they expelled me from school I was covered. I made a dash for the exit.

“Anne.” Sister Mary Elizabeth, our principal, stopped me before I could reach the doors. “Come with me please.” She steered me away from the exit. There were police cars visible out front. “Your mother’s on her way. Let’s wait together.”

“No. I have to get back to class.” I wriggled out of her grasp and dashed back to Ms. Nguyen’s room. I didn’t learn anything about Delaware that day. What I learned was that telling someone ‘no’ gave them all the permission they needed to leave you.

I’d told Izzy no. I’d said, no, I wouldn’t take her to England. And with that ‘no’, Izzy had seized her opportunity to leave. Knowing what I knew of the journey ahead of her, knowing the massive risks she was willing to undertake, there was nothing more I could say to stop her. She would board those ships and be swallowed up by the times.

The only thing to do was move forward. Izzy would sail off on her ships, I would sail off on mine. Her rules didn’t matter any longer, it was time resume work on my ship. Today. Izzy could move her stuff out of that cabin, get her plants out of my galley, and Zheng and I could start laying out plans for a compound in the 800s. Maybe I’d even argue for BCE. Get somewhere really far away.

The decision felt like a strong one. It gave my mind plenty of details to chew over as I watched the waves. The routine problems of traveling, set up, and business plans comforted me as would a familiar story or holiday movie; nothing groundbreaking, no surprises, and every bump in the road resolved in a tepid meeting of expectations and nothing more.

So that was it. Izzy would leave for England. I would leave with Zheng. I stood and dusted myself off. Izzy had made her point loud and clear. I’d be a fool to get in her way. As Catherine had said, Izzy was not a baby. Izzy was shoving my hands off the wheel and it was time to let go. I need never stand in that graveyard with my mother looking down where my once-sister’s rotting skeleton lay. I need never go home at all. All I needed was my ship.

His footsteps had come partially onto my little beach then turned around. I found him half a mile later skipping stones into the waves. “Looked like you needed some time with your thoughts.” He smiled and reached for me. I took his hand and let him pull me close and put his forehead to mine.

“Thanks. Have you eaten yet?” I pulled away from him and we started off down the beach back to the compound.

“Not yet. I don’t know why but I suddenly have a desire for duck.” He slipped his arm around mine as we walked.

“Me too. And goat.” I let him keep his arm where it was. “I thought I fixed this shirt.” I fingered a new tear along the shoulder seam. The fabric had worn thin.

“You did. You mended around the collar. See?” He showed me the area. My repairs were holding up but I was upset I’d missed the shoulder.

“This shirt is old. I’m buying you a new one.”

“Not yet. Not when I’ve got it right where I want it. Nice and soft and broken in.”

“‘Broken’ is the key word there.” I laughed. “Let me get you a new shirt. I could even make it for you.”

“I like this shirt. It’s got character.” He grinned. He knew it drove me crazy that he wore old and mended clothing when I could buy him new outfits. Izzy had gone to the garment district after all. I could make him a hundred outfits and she wouldn’t notice the loss.

When we entered the compound I made straight for my ship. I stripped down to my tunic and leggings and grabbed my toolbox and went below. Elizabeth only paused in her work and orders to the laborers before continuing. Let them handle the hull and the deck and the sails, I submerged myself in the engine, electrical, and plumbing. I didn’t notice Marco was here until I was reaching for some pliers and he handed them to me, smiled, and started scrubbing down the galley table.

“Pumped the bilge for you. It’s looking good,” he said, then went back to cleaning.

“Thanks.” I was going to make him three new shirts. Warm shirts. Sturdy shirts.

When my chest and arms started protesting the finicky electrical and plumbing repairs I kicked my toolbox away and went on deck to check the sails. I only got the mainsail up ten feet before I had to give up and sit down. My chest squeezed and clenched with every breath.

“Annie?”

“Don’t call me Annie.”

“Where’s –”

“This ship is too big. I’m going to buy you a shirt.” I clutched my chest and walked off down the dock.

Something small. One mast. 40ft at most. 30 would be better. I’d take 20. The compound was buzzing with the influx of goods and all the new crewmates on Izzy’s new ships. It was shaping up to be something of a festive evening.

The captain of the dhow Songbird was a short man but solid. He only came up to my chest but the sharpened sword in his belt far improved his reach. He had a hold full of salted pork and was only too delighted to negotiate with me. He had two other men in his crew and none of them wore shirts in better condition than Marco. They thought my terms were plenty generous. I arranged for delivery of the salt pork to the Try Your Luck and moved on. I’d see them in the morning.

I ended up needing to dig into the stores of items Izzy had brought over from her shopping trip. There were several bolts of felted wool that would keep Marco warm enough. A good sturdy coat out of the wool and a soft silk kurta and length of cloth for dhoti pants. I rummaged through the crates for suitable items.

That old white woman came up to me as I searched through the goods. “Now my eyes are not as good as they once were but I’d be willing to wager that I am standing before the Lady Isabelle’s sister. You two must be like many of the sisters I’ve found myself in association with over the years. Lady Jayne, at your service, Captain.” The woman was old, wrinkled. Her accent perverted from all the years she’d spent away from her homeland.

“A pleasure.” I pulled out a pleasant gray wool and set it aside.

“We are going on a journey. All the way back to England,” she chatted.

“So I’ve heard.” There were decent pieces of red, yellow, and indigo silks. I pulled all three up to examine for flaws.

“Do you happen to know who is king there? There are an awful lot of them. They keep changing too.” The woman wouldn’t stop. Why was she talking to me? Was it just because I was the only other white girl here?

“You’ll have to write me when you get there.” Would Marco prefer yellow or indigo?

“Likely there’ll be a new one by the time the missive arrives!”

“Indeed.” I’d go with both. The red for the dhoti pants though. He’d like that. It would all look lovely on him with the gray wool for a coat.

“I do hope you’ll change your mind and join us. We could always use a good strong female captain!” Join them? I picked up my fabrics. She needed to find someone else for small talk.

“I was not invited.” I tried to walk down the dock. She followed.

“From what I heard, you would be quite welcome. As a matter of fact, I’ll invite you now. You are hereby invited.” 

She flicked her hands as if showering me with invitation confetti. I’d need a shower to clean it all off.

“Have a good evening, ma’am.” I continued on my way. Thankfully the old broad finally took the hint and walked a different direction.

I dumped the bolts of fabric on the starboard bench and went to my chair and pulled out a notebook.

“That better not be for me.” Marco came up and lifted the wool.

“Of course it’s for you. I’m making you a coat. And at least two shirts. Which do you like better, the indigo or the yellow?” I was leaning towards indigo. I uncapped my pen and flipped to a fresh page.

Pirate attack fresh out of the portal

Becalmed in the portal under high heat

Must make a few long journeys to make up for it

“Annie –”

“Don’t call me Annie.”

Elizabeth sailed us into Zheng’s compound 1650

Oh yeah, the pirates killed you. Harpoon through the chest

“Are you hungry?”

“No.”

“Then why did I just accept hundreds of pounds of salt pork from Captain Khan?”

“I didn’t want it in his hold.”

Catherine and the baby (John Henry) are still with you. They need a place to go

Izzy is having fun but is giving everything up to sail plain water from here (China) to England

Izzy is leaving on two ships with her “business partners” , some old white lady and a girl with deep pockets.

“Stand up. We are changing your bandages.”

“I don’t –”

“Now.” He marched down the stairs.

I flung the notebook back into the box and followed him. I couldn’t risk any setbacks with this wound. Not now. At the bottom of the stairs Marco caught me and wrapped me in the tightest embrace he could manage.

“She’s stupid, Annie. She’s the second most stupid individual in the world.”

What was he doing? He was going to make me cry. I tried to push back against him but he was too strong.

“No one with any sense volunteers to leave your side when you are willing to have them there.”

It wasn’t true. He had to stop.

“She’s not doing this to hurt you though, I swear to you, I know this. This is not about you. This is about her.”

My eyes burned and I dug my face into his chest. He held me there against him as I broke down. Back in Bermuda I’d sworn to Izzy that I’d stay with her till she told me otherwise. I truly hadn’t thought that day would ever arrive. Yet here it was. She had told me to leave her side and let her sail away

“It is a stupid decision,” I gasped out. This was pathetic. This was the kind of thing a fucking psycho would do. I had to stop. I had to get my shit together. This was so much worse than breaking down in front of my mother. Marco shouldn’t see me like this.

“Yes. But it’s hers to make. She knows the danger.” He gently pressed his hand over where the harpoon had dug through me. “You get to make other decisions. Not this one.”

I nodded and forced myself to resolidify into a normal person. He released me, letting my hands go last. I took a deep breath and smiled to apologize for my breakdown and convince him it had all been playacting.

“Second most? Who’s the most stupid then?” I asked as I wiped my eyes from that lapse. I’m sure I knew the answer but I’d play along.

“Me, of course.” He bowed. I was right. “Now let's go eat whatever is cooking over there. I’m starving.”

“I’m making you that coat.” I had to thank him somehow for everything he’d done for me here.

“No. You are not.” He swiftly kissed my cheek before running back up the steps. “Let’s go! I’m hungry!”

He was right. Mom was right. Catherine was right. Zheng was right. I was wrong. I had to just accept that. I’d sailed her here and now it was her decision to jump. I couldn’t stop her. I couldn’t stop anyone. They’d blame me for it later too. No matter what they said now, it would be my fault. She couldn’t have gotten to this point without me.

It’s not the same, Heeny.

Of course it’s the same.

No.

A passenger boards my ship. We sail far. Too far. The passenger leaves. The passenger dies. I set the course therefore I am at fault. They never would have gotten there without me.

Go eat dinner.

Right. Eat dinner. Then move on. I threw some items into a sack and picked up the notebook from the box by the captain’s chair. I made a few more notes.

Zheng wants to start a new compound up north

Make Marco that coat. He deserves it.

I went and stashed my bag before heading over to the cooking fires. “Do not act like a fucking psycho,” I whispered to myself, straightened up, and walked out the door.

Everyone appeared merry and at ease by the fire. Izzy was talking to Catherine and they were both smiling at the baby. As I walked by, Izzy handed me a plate with a generous amount of food piled on top.

“Here. The duck is stuffed with hazelnuts and mushrooms. And these are the spicy noodles you like. Oh, and cong you bing.”

“Thanks. Looks good.” I took the plate and did my best to behave as a non-fucking psycho.

“It’s a different duck than this afternoon. No bow on this one.” She pointed to the sliced meat on the plate that was not wearing a ribbon.

“Lucky thing.” Her duck might make it a month on that boat before it was too sick to hold up its neck. The bow wouldn’t keep it from getting eaten then.

“Captain, are we – you truly headed to Japan with Zheng?” Catherine asked.

“No decisions yet. And that wouldn’t be for a while,” I assured her. I took a seat next to Marco who handed me a cup of tea.

“Oh good, I just finished my duck,” Marco said in Hurrian and selected a choice cut off my plate.

“Then eat your vegetables.” I stole it back. I switched from Hurrian to Cantonese and addressed the tattletale. “And you, I have not agreed to Japan.”

“Who’s going to Japan?” Marco asked. His Cantonese had improved during his time here.

“We are,” Zheng answered.

“Location is still in flux. What do you think about BCE?” Japan could get so cold. I had limited experience trading in that area of the world. All the goods they had to offer intrigued me enough to want to try. Trading indigo up that way sounded like a nice change.

“Ugh. BCE? I don’t know. I have used up most of this era though. I’ll think about it. Elizabeth, you coming with?” Zheng asked her.

“You all were talking too fast. Where are we going?” Elizabeth asked in English.

“Japan. Two? Three thousand years?” Zheng answered. It would be a far journey for both of them. I’d never taken Zheng back that far either. Elizabeth could handle it, I was sure.

“Three. Three sounds good,” I agreed. In the far off distance, the portal agreed too. We both could use the time.

“That works for me.” Elizabeth grinned, ready for an adventure.

Catherine looked between her sister and her baby and then at me. “Captain, I’d –”

“We’ll find you somewhere safe first,” I assured the young mother. The more I thought on it, the more I considered Little Jean’s house. She’d need to learn the perfume trade, and we’d still need to find her a young male person to marry, but there were possibilities there.

“Maybe Catherine and the baby could go with you?” Izzy spoke up.

“Yeah, maybe.” I worked to sound calm. I worked to look pleasant and not respond like a fucking psycho.

“Have no fear, my lady. Should these two not let us play, I’d be happy to make a home with you and this fine young man,” Marco curled his arm around my waist as he spoke to Catherine.

Zheng started cracking up at the image of Catherine and Marco happily wed and living in a run down hut in Mongolia or wherever.

“Not like that. Stop laughing, Zheng.” He threw some rice at her.

Zheng only laughed louder.

No, Marco had not been included in my plans to start a new trading ring with Zheng and Elizabeth. I was surprised he’d stuck around as long as he had. We weren’t having sex. He hadn’t made any moves to change that exactly. Maybe it wasn’t the worst idea.

Zheng kept laughing.

Maybe they could set up together, married or not. I could find them a pleasant place to live out Catherine’s life. He would take good care of her as he’d cared for all his other wives. Why not…right?

“Dear Catherine, I promise nothing untoward.” Marco shoved Zheng over and tried to mitigate the damage his comment had caused.

“And why not?!” Catherine straightened up. Even I laughed at her excellently timed quip and the sudden panic it brought to Marco’s face. “I have it on good authority that I’m lovely. You should be so lucky.” I liked that girl more and more everyday.

“Indeed I should, my lady!” Marco pulled me to him all the tighter and curled his fingers into mine.

They were joking but it was too good and too logical an option to ignore. Marco was great with children. Catherine might grow to love him in time. They could begin their lives in a village. I could come by with all the money they’d need to live a comfortable life and provide a future for John Henry. The little boy couldn’t ask for a better father figure than Marco. They could be a family.

The scenario felt all too familiar. A man I had once had all to myself, a dear friend in need, they fall in love and make a family. Catherine was indeed lovely. Marco already saw it, I was sure.

That settled that.

And for a city? Rimini. I’d settle them in Rimini, Italy. Once Edgar finished the ship, I’d take them there, then meet 

Zheng in Japan. And there we go. All ends were tied. Zheng, Elizabeth and I off to Japan. Marco, Catherine, and John Henry to Italy. And Izzy…if she made it to England then she could live happily ever after too.

Only Vivienne was left. Perhaps one day I’d be strong enough to face her wrath over taking her daughter and wasting her life.

“I’m not going back that far until your ship looks better.” Zheng broke into my thoughts. Catherine and Marco looked good together.

“The plumbing and electrical is looking good. Before a new compound though I’d want to get the ship to Edgar.” That was agenda item number one.

“Edgar? You're going home?” Izzy asked.

Once again, I put my reactions on lockdown. “Yeah,” I answered her. This couldn’t be news to her. It was the reason she was leaving. My next stop was home. She was supposed to be on the ship with me but now I would be alone. I turned to Zheng. “Although, going back that far we might consider switching ships. The Try Your Luck stands out in those ancient ports. We might consider the Manawa.”

“The Manawa can’t haul as much. You didn’t build it for cargo.”

“No,” I agreed. Maui and I had built that ship for war. It would still stand out but not as badly as I would in Japan.

The dinner went on and I think Izzy relaxed as she realized I was behaving myself. No one needed to take away my alcohol tonight. I wasn’t going to be a problem. Izzy talked a little about the party she was planning. Zheng told her to make it bigger and better. I could care less about this party, it wasn’t for me. It was because of me, because I’d broken so hard that they’d all needed to separate me from Izzy and Jae. I laughed like a normal person and I talked like a normal person and no one screamed and no one cried. I was not being a problem. Still, Marco kept a hand on my back just in case.

Izzy and Catherine eventually left, taking their guards with them. Elizabeth took John Henry, wanting to put him in bed herself. She was thinking about the next upcoming journey and already felt the distance between her and her nephew.

When it was just the three of us we all relaxed further, our eyes on the shoreline, waiting for the final members of our family; one who would be here soon, one who would never appear again. I lay back against Marco’s chest. The evening was getting chilly. When Zheng fell asleep, I pulled Marco’s arms around me. The fire crackled warmly and I watched the flames instead of the ships sitting at the dock just waiting to ferry my sister away. Marco started singing an old Hurrian song and I joined in. He quieted after the fourth verse.

“I am not going to marry Catherine,” he paused in his singing to say. I pulled him tighter around me.

“It would be a good match. She needs somewhere safe…someone safe.” I leaned my head back against him. He had been that for me.

“I am not going to marry Catherine,” he repeated.

“You wouldn’t have to get married. Just make it look like –”

“Annie –”

“Okay. You’re not going to marry Catherine. But I’m making you that coat.” I smiled into the warm flames. That was nice of him to say. We’d deal with it later. When I was back and I was healthy and it was time to make those decisions, they’d all see the sense in it.

When Zheng started snoring, Marco and I left the beach and went to bed. I didn’t want to think about the time when I’d sail away from him and Catherine and John Henry in Rimini. Tonight he had chosen me and that was enough. I wrapped his arms around me when he climbed into bed and fell asleep.