Beyond

Day 16

Haiv woke up to pain in his shoulders that made his eyes water as soon as he opened them. It sizzled from the base of his neck to somewhere around his elbows. His hands were still tingling with lack of feeling.

After blinking several times and taking a few gulping breaths to control his pain, Haiv looked around. He was in the chartroom. There were a few oil lamps flickering on the long table, illuminating the different maps laid in neat piles. There were also a few chairs lining the room. Haiv lay on the far side, in front of a pair of wooden chairs.

Movement to above his head. It took Haiv's muscles a moment to respond, but eventually he was able to tilt his chin and look over his head. His father smiled at him. He sat cross-legged at Haiv's head. When he saw Haiv was awake, he leaned forward, gently lifted Haiv's limp head, and slid it on his lap.

Haiv was so happy to be out of the brig that he wanted to weep. He didn't though. He wasn't some silly little girl. He was a pirate. Pirates didn't cry.

"What happened?" Haiv whispered instead.

Hailoh made a series of gestures that would have been confusing to anyone who wasn't watching them upside down.

Haiv rolled his eyes. "Nevermind. How long have I been here?"

The Japis assumed a thinking pose for a moment, and then Haiv's father held up four fingers. Haiv started. "Four days?" he said.

Hailoh vigorously shook his head and waved the four fingers at Haiv again.

"Four hours. Good." Haiv let out a relieved sigh, letting the moment of panic subside. If he was still feeling like this in four days, he'd be really worried his condition would be permanent. As it was, four hours was a long time to go without being able to feel one's fingers.

Hailoh must have seen Haiv's fears in his expression because he squeezed Haiv's shoulder gently. Haiv swallowed and stared at the ceiling. He wasn't sure things would be okay, even though that's what Hailoh was trying to say. Haiv didn't even know how he felt about his father anymore. There were still slave's chains around his wrists and ankles. They were a symbol of his father's betrayal. He couldn't just move past the deal Hailoh had made with Rodigan. Yet he could no longer deny that he loved his father. And it was clear Hailoh loved him, and always had.

Haiv wished he could ask his father for some explanation. Why? What could Rodigan have offered that Hailoh considered fair payment for his own son? Nothing Haiv could think of was good enough. No jewels or gold or rare artifact could justify what Hailoh had done. So why had he done it? If Haiv asked, Hailoh wouldn't be able to explain himself. This wasn't exactly the sort of thing that was easy to convey through gestures.

Haiv felt stupid for hoping there was a good reason. Maybe Hailoh had gotten drunk and made a bad deal. That didn't sound like him, but a pirate's life could make a man enjoy the things he once swore never to do.

The door swung open suddenly and Porter walked in. He glanced at Haiv with disgust, but otherwise ignored the two of them at the other end of the room. The chartman strode to his table and bent over his charts. His mouth moved silently as he studied them. A moment later, the captain barged into the room too. He marched over to where Porter stood. The chartman pointed at a few points on the map and muttered some things Haiv didn't care enough about to listen to.

"It's time then?" Rodigan asked gruffly.

"Yes." Porter postulated, "I should only need to check our heading just this once. The next time we will be in Beyond."

"Right." Rodigan swung towards Haiv.

Haiv wasn't scared. He'd gotten over that. But his heart did beat faster as the captain approached. Haiv had humiliated Rodigan in front of one of his crew. He'd defied the captain's secrecy and control. Surely Mooney-eye would make him pay for it.