The Deepcombers

Chapter Five

Lon's white hair and freshly muscled form was well-framed in the circle and the sight made quite an impression on his fellow captives. The wretches cheered his departure and shouted aloud their best wishes. 

Minister Horne fumed; he had no way to foist himself on the flock. He cracked his whip but the flaccid cord no longer echoed with the power it'd once possessed.

The stone altar was fastened to the skiff with iron chain in three points. The mustached Crol helped a burly sailor use the same length to lash the ring upright against the slender mast pole. The bottom of the circle was similarly bound to what was once the fourth rowing bench. When the item was secure, the sail was unfurled, and it curtained down in front of the Lon's eyes.

Once the flapping fabric was firmly tied it rapidly filled with wind. The sheet ballooned-out to pull the boat forward at considerable speed. The action was so smooth it felt like Kluth himself pushed the craft. Propped up before the mast, Lon caught glimpses of mist covered mountain peaks and a sandy beach on a tropical island ahead.

The ketch sliced the waves and the sea drover came to find that only his forehead was still tied. Rather than rejoice, he was disappointed as now he felt less connected to the milky sphere below the living world. Without strong bonds on his ankles and wrists, he felt like he was being weaned-off the wispy stuff. 

Lon studied the mustached Crol he hated so much. He watched him boast about himself to the minister's attendant while constantly combing his bushy upper lip. He removed his blade from his hip and demonstrated what he'd do upon landfall. The chesty sailor behind Lon clacked and they all laughed and his witty quip. 

Clyde of Barobell gazed at the sea drover's face like an explorer in search intelligent life. Finding none, he turned to reconnoiter the island ahead. They all did. It was beautiful. The golden shore grew longer and the mountains inched taller. A majestic waterfall gleamed like a jewel in the mist. Seabirds fished the coastline and called out to them.

The sturdy vessel was heavily loaded and behaved like a larger craft on a calmer sea. Was this just a dream?  Lon felt the wind push the boat so much faster than his own time at the oar. The small craft's speed seemed to increase as they approached the nearby shore.

All the passengers braced for the imminent careening... Smash! Instead of finding a sandy foam berth, the boat struck unyielding stone breakers. The entire front section exploded in a shower of splintered planks. Curved bits of timbers and tack tumbled through ocean spray. The minister's assistant was thrown overboard. 

The mustached Crol was flung back in the impact and his steel saber was dashed from his hand. His blue-jacketed body submerged between the broken benches. The waves still pushed the craft from behind and the water swelled and lifted the stern. The stone circle lashed to the mast burst into flames which set the canvas sail ablaze.

The artifact's flare-up was its final salute. The sun had set. The wind stopped and some semblance of calm descended on the waterfront. 

The maelstrom in Lon's brain also subsided and he could feel the rope-ties on his wrists and ankles crumble as he moved his arms and legs. It was over.

The sea drover sacrifice lifted the leather strap and effortlessly stepped free. His charred bonds fell away as fibrous dust in four places on his body. It was that easy. He glanced down at the hairless skin on his wrists and ankles to confirm there was no damage. His skin shone smooth. His long hair was white! And his body was now very impressively muscled. How was this possible? It was a miracle like those recorded in the Book of Kluth.

The sail burned overhead. Steam rose everywhere the sea water touched the red-hot stone and the mist around the wreck added to the drama of his rebirth. A thousand thoughts flooded his mind and his new mental acuity overwhelmed him. He wasn't used to thinking this quick. Was this how other peoples' brains worked? Had he really been so slow before? I am finally alive.