To Be Grand Maestro (Book 5) (36 page)

Joel opened his mouth, no doubt to answer the remark, but Daniel did not wait. “I admit to being attracted by the idea of creating a vessel that can operate under the water, but it will take me time and research to learn what is required to make it feasible. After which I would have to take the details and meld them into something that inspires my soul. It is not like I can put together any old series of notes and make those into a spell.”

At that moment a harmonic wave washed through the world and was closely followed by another. All of the residents of the deep not linked to an Accomplished immediately fled out to the north as if they could out run the ripple effects of the spell. Joel seemed to have a faraway look in his eyes, meaning he was likely consulting his underwater friends. Two tenths of a mark passed and the ripples stopped. “Mount Filia is again the epicenter of the spell,” he announced.

“Much as I hate to say it, this might be a good time to end the outing,” Simon suggested with eyebrows drooping sadly. “We have thousands of Condemneds waiting for you to restore them to humanity and your presence in one of our facilities has a tendency to keep folks from panicking. People get nervous when things happen and you are at some remote location.”

Daniel knew the Chief Aid to be correct. “My thanks, Carlos, for the wonderful experience of seeing and interacting with aquatic life. We need to go back to Shantear, but I will keep your suggestion in mind.”

“It has been an honor to spend time with you, Maestro, and thank you for listening to my idea,” the Two-bolt Accomplished replied while giving the traditional nod of respect. He seemed satisfied with the response to his idea.

Daniel returned the show of respect and waited until Joel brought them back to the cove and dry land before saying, “Carlos, will you take us to my office at Shantear?”

“It will be as you say, Maestro,” the Three-bolt replied, and performed the necessary spell.

Daniel did not sit down at his desk when they appeared in his office; he went right out into the hall and headed to the Health Department. Sero, Simon, and Carlos trailed him closely all the way to the long corridor, on both sides of which were rooms full of Condemneds waiting to be restored. Each Aakacarn he passed along the way spoke of the High Power spell and he told them, “The shield I placed on Tarin Conn is still holding.” The simple statement smoothed tension-wrinkles from their brows and he knew they would pass the word onto whoever happened to cross their paths.

Conductor Obenport, her topaz hood up and hazel eyes locking onto his, stood in front of the first door on the right. “Maestro, if you will, please begin here, the victims in this ward have been moved forward from where you left off.”

Daniel glanced into the sterile white room containing twenty smaller rooms, each with a bed occupied by a sleeping man or woman, he would not know for sure until seeing their recipe strands. This group must have been condemned by Balen Tamm because none of them appeared to be remotely human. “I am willing.”

After giving Sherree his undivided attention for a major chunk of the night which involved hugging, kissing, caressing, and other pleasant activities, Daniel rolled over, lay back on his pillow, and then she snuggled against him with her head on his chest. When her breathing slowed, indicating she was asleep, his mind wandered to the recent experience of sharing senses with Horatio. It was only a matter of concentrating just a little more, and then he and the manta were one. Daniel chose to go along for the ride without imposing his will on the ray. He could feel the wing-like fins and whip-like tail adjusting to the current flow and moving the great body to the left and down. They cruised slowly near the ocean floor over coral formations of differing shapes and colors for a while and then started a gentle rise that took them way up until leveling off short of breaching the surface.

Daniel pondered Joel’s suggestion while touring the ocean with the newest member of his swirl. What should an underwater vessel look like? A Wager class patrol boat can be made airtight, but it would also require the ability to sink and resurface routinely, and be maneuverable while under the water. The rudder would have to be drastically altered, almost like a fishtail in order for the craft to effectively turn left or right. After a short while of trying to picture a fleet of patrol boats with fins and tails, another idea came to him. He could model the vessel after something created to live and move well under the water, like a barracuda or a swordfish. He remembered the ride on Horatio’s back. The manta’s body was thicker and longer than Daniel’s body, and about three times wider than it was in length.

As the night progressed and all sorts of aquatic creatures swam in and out of view, Daniel considered what each of them would look like if they were large enough to have a compartment sufficient to contain three to five people. A porpoise design would have the proportions of a whale and a barracuda would have to be narrow and long. Tyson swam into view and the sight of the manta reminded Daniel again of his ride on the back of a ray. The choices were plentiful, but the night had fewer marks before giving way to dawn. Perhaps in the morning the choice of what creature on which to model the new vessel would come to him.

He withdrew his awareness from Horatio, drifted off to sleep, and entered dream after dream. Lips pressing against his, a warm tingling sensation pulsing through his body, and Sherree lying full length on top of him, instantly woke Daniel out of a dream of riding inside Horatio as if the manta was a water craft. The warm pulses were a result of her assessing his vat and felt more intense when combined with the physically sensual contact.

She did a pushup, breaking the kiss. He caressed her cheek. “If you expect me to get out of bed, this is no way to go about it.”

She smiled and her right eyebrow arched up. “Who said I wanted you out of bed?”

She shifted her body provocatively, flesh against flesh, and a full mark went by in which no one else in the universe existed. After he finally climbed out of bed and put his silks on, he stared at her, fully dressed now. Green eyes focused lovingly on him. That, combined with yellow-gold bangs covering half way down to her eyebrows, and a delicately featured face framed by the blue hood of the cloak, was more than he could resist. A moment later his hands were around her waist and lifting his beloved off the floor. As he pulled her close, strong arms embraced him and they kissed. “Does this mean you want to go back to bed?” She inquired after pulling back to take a breath.

Daniel lowered her gently to the floor. “Yes, but Simon will come here if I am not in my office soon, so what I want right now does not matter.”

Sherree smiled and patted him on the cheek. “Meet me here at noon because what I want to happen does matter.”

She turned on her heel and walked out. Daniel ate a quick breakfast and went to his office. Simon arrived shortly thereafter with Silvia and David, who were dressed in bright colors, and both of the Teki seemed to have a formal coolness about them. “I was introducing some of my aids to Jared Benfyllon at the Benhannon Estate and these two requested to be brought to you,” the Chief Aid gave a needless explanation for the presence of the couple.

“Good morning, Chosen One. I know the arrival point on the Equalizer limited the amount of people you could convey to the boat, but I really wish you had seen fit to include us in the defense of the Benhannon Northland Holding,” Silvia solemnly made her feelings known.

Daniel glanced at David. “I see no reason my official Teki escorts cannot have a couple of days to themselves,” he told him and then met Silvia’s eyes, “and I certainly don’t hear your husband complaining about having to spend quality time with you.”

The former juggler for the Reshashinni grinned briefly before resuming a solemn expression matching that of his wife. “We made good use of our time and neither of us is complaining, but we also live to travel. No Teki is happy staying in one place for too long.” Evidently a few days at a single location were too long.

Silvia opened her mouth, no doubt to add to the point made by her husband, but Daniel seized the opportunity to skip to another trail of conversation. “Simon, I need to consult with my parents. When Sero and Carlos get here, I want you, Silvia, and David to accompany me to the RiverDancer. I have decided on a shape for the new underwater vessel.” Including the Teki couple in the morning events should help to smooth over their feeling of being left out, he hoped.

Simon began rubbing his chin. “This means I will have to make changes to your schedule and mine, for that matter, and cancel your morning match with Commander Herling.”

“What underwater vessel?” Silvia inquired.

Daniel nodded agreement with his Chief Aid while ignoring her question. It was time to needle his sandy-haired friend just a little bit. “My schedule will have to be altered, but you do not have to come. I merely thought that the person who made the first waterwheel-driven boat might find the discussion about a craft capable of traveling under the ocean to be interesting. Please, do not let me keep you from your chores. I did not mean to be presumptuous.”

“What vessel?” Silvia inquired again in greater volume.

Simon frowned for the amount of time it took him to realize Daniel was playing and knew full well his Chief Aid wanted to be involved. His lips cracked into a smile. “Being presumptuous is part of my job description, I can hardly fault the action in others, that being said, of course I want to be involved in the discussion, and you know it,” he paused, glanced at the pair of Teki, and then continued. “Before you ask again, Daniel is going to create a vessel that travels under the water, and I doubt he is going to share anymore about it until we are aboard the RiverDancer.”

Am I being too predictable?
Daniel wondered if he needed to shake up his routine. Hopefully it was only his close associates who know him so well.

“He hasn’t shared anything about it,” David complained while frowning in confusion.

Silvia touched her husband on the forearm. “He shared the fact that he is going make one,” she chuckled. “What I find interesting is the fact none of us doubt his ability create a vessel that should be impossible.”

Daniel wished he could do the impossible, like having Aakadon on his side, along with the monarchs of the world, and everyone involved with the Serpent Guild deciding to live in peace, including Tarin Conn. In comparison, making an underwater vehicle did not seem so difficult.

Simon threw back the hood of his cloak with his left hand while withdrawing a communication array in the form of a headband from an inner pocket. He placed the device on his head with the twenty tiny gems facing inward. After a brief time of staring blankly, his eyes came back into focus. “Maestro, my aids are handling the rescheduling. We can convey just as soon as Carlos and Sero arrive, if you wish?”

Fortunately the wait only lasted an eighth of a mark. The pair of Accomplisheds arrived together and Simon filled them in on the change in routine while Daniel focused his mind on Sheen.

The hawk was on his perch and staring out the forward window of the bridge aboard the RiverDancer. To the left and right, snow-covered wilderness decorated the banks of the Mighty Hirus. According to the map in Daniel’s head and based on the current speed of the patrol boat, he estimated they would reach the Taltin Sea in a little over a mark.

Why were they traveling at a quarter of the standard maximum safe speed worked out by the Dukanes and Saul Tarpon?
Theoretically the CAPU would continue to increase momentum until the driver passed out due to the loss of life force energy. Such a speed could push the boat faster than a hawk can fly, but was not worth killing a person. The analogy reminded Daniel of an observation his father once made.
Yet, this vessel could be going twice the current speed without endangering the well-being of the driver.

Sheen turned to face the bridge crew. Thin Duncan Hawk stood beside the binnacle and in command of the vessel. Ensign Travis Grover, dark of eye and hair and pale in the face like most Ducaunans, had the helm. Gloria Benkavor, whose long dark hair hung from her helmet ponytail-styled, sat behind the CAPU-stand, driving the RiverDancer forward. Sitting on the bench near the entrance to the map-room, with her long hair flowing forward over blue silks, was Marsha Obennen. The yellow-gold hair reminded Daniel of Sherree and made him wonder, might the two women be distant cousins?

He sent a mental suggestion to Sheen, who let out a screech. All eyes focused on the hawk. “Feathered-friend, do you have a message from Sir Daniel?” Duncan inquired.

No one on the bridge laughed at the question, which proved once again to Daniel that the people enlisted to serve him have come to accept all manner of occurrences that anyone else would consider peculiar. He sent a response to the bird and Sheen bowed once in the affirmative, spread his wings, launched off the perch, flew across the bridge, and into the map-room.

Daniel fixed the visual in his mind; the space around the center table containing charts stored in slotted compartments, and then pictured where he and each of his traveling companions needed to stand. “People, gather around, Simon you stand here, Carlos, Sero, you here, and Silvia, you stand right where you are beside David. That’s it.”

He took hold of his crescendo, summoned the potential for Conveyance, and after a brief interlude of complete sensory deprivation, appeared in the map-room of the RiverDancer. The Helmsman and Driver remained at their stations while Duncan and Marsha came to the entrance of the map-room. “Greetings, Sir Daniel,” the Lieutenant Commander said and saluted.

“Greetings, Maestro,” Marsha said and gave the traditional nod of respect.

“Good morning to you both,” Daniel replied with a return salute and nod.

His mother was the first to arrive up through the gangway and then his father. “Accomplished Trenca, it is good to see you this lovely morning,” she said and then fixed her eyes on her son. “Remove your shield young man.”

Daniel did so and gave her a proper hug, after which he did the same with his father. Greetings were exchanged all around.

“Son, what brings you to us?” Ronn asked while eyeing the entourage.

“I have come seeking creative advice,” Daniel replied and then caused a three-dimensional image to appear above the table. “This is the new watercraft I am hoping to create.”

“I like it already,” Simon blurted and began a close examination of the manta ray craft. “You placed a broad angular window where the mouth should be. The two tiny Accomplisheds looking out are a nice touch to the visual, but what are those nodules outside and below the window with what appear to be sticks protruding from them?”

“They are level four crescendos to amplify whatever spells the Accomplished sees fit to cast. The flexible tail is also a crescendo and can be aimed at will by the caster. I figure on a crew of three even though the compartment will be able to fit up to five people.”

“It is a beautiful and natural design, something that should move easily in the water, but why build it when you have this perfectly well-designed patrol boat?” his mother asked a good and practical question.

His father stared at the manta and then nodded as if drawing some conclusions. “It can be pushed by a CAPU but I don’t see a rudder or any obvious means of steering this vessel. That thin tail is not substantial enough to change course in any meaningful way.”

“I agree with Lady Miriam, the body style is beautiful, and I agree with Lord Ronn, it does not seem very practical,” Duncan commented. He stepped closer to the image. “I suppose the functionality will depend heavily on what spells the Aakacarns on board will be employing.”

Marsha smiled at the young officer. “You have supposed correctly. I can think of several spells that can manipulate this manta boat.”

Daniel’s repertoire also included spells that could force the manta to move up and down as well as turn, but none of them worked well with the vision he had in mind. “I want this vessel to swim under the water.”

“That means it needs to have a great deal of flexibility,” his father said.

Simon nodded his head. He had spent a great deal of time in the Willow Guild library studying the natural world, and therefore had a good understanding of forces and stresses. “Except for the crew compartment, the entire body would need to be flexible to a certain extent. If you expect the craft to make high speed turns, up, down, or to the sides, I suggest straps in the seats to hold the occupants in place, otherwise the momentum will throw them around like rag dolls. I learned from Joel that his aqua sphere requires more potential the deeper he goes, meaning the weight of the water increases, and so flexibility would be limited at those depths and without a shield the compartment would be crushed.”