The Bright Black Sea Read Free Page A

outbound. I should
show a respectable profit for this voyage.'
    For the last half century, the Lost Star has
operated almost like a scheduled cargo liner, circling the Azminn
system twice each year, calling on twenty some planets serving over
a hundred regular shippers. The outbound cargo had been normal,
only the inbound ones were reduced. Jann's Comet King operates as a pure tramp running cargoes within the Sanre-tay,
Rigtania and Pinelea sectors. If he'd been careful, he'd not been
caught with too many Pinelea/Calissant containers in his hold
before it became clear what the Ministry of Death's policy was.
    But had he been careless, or caught unaware? I was
beginning to wonder...
    'Tallith Min is quite pleased with your performance,
and she believes the Lost Star will make a strong case with
the Ministry,' he said, watching me closely.
    'Not that we've a choice. Or do we?'
    He ignored that. 'We also need to keep the remaining
Night Hawk Line ships operating in the Sanre-tay and Rigtania
sectors where there's still cargoes to be had. With only four ships
in operation, we can ill afford to send even one on to Calissant to
establish the precedent. Our priority is keeping the remaining
ships operating out of the Ministry's rather limited
oversight.'
    'Yes, I can see that. And I'd be happy to take a
couple in-bound boxes off your hands as we've done in the past,' I
said, to cut his sell short. 'I don't need to be sold on the
idea.'
    'Excellent. We're ready to start the transfer
immediately,' he said, but without the relief he should've shown if
it was really a clear course.
    'How many inbound boxes do you have for me?' The real
issue.
    'Forty-seven. Min has already cleared it with the
shippers and completed the documentation for the transfer. As the
operation will take some time, the sooner we get at it, the sooner
you're on your way.'
    'Forty-seven! Why I've only fifty-two myself!' I
exclaimed, thinking rapidly. 'I'd been happy to take half a dozen
as a we've done in the past, but you've nearly as many onboard as I
have. That's a star of a different color. No wonder I wasn't
included on your plans. Sorry, you can't just shift those boxes to
me. We need to agree on a fairer solution.'
    I'm a cautious fellow. But with my appointment ending
on Calissant, and the Lost Star likely being paid off as
well – plan or no plan – I didn't have much in the way of future
prospects to worry about. The Comet King could go on to
Calissant just as readily as we could , and
that made all the difference. I've not been a first mate for five
years without learning something about the business of running a
tramp ship.
    'It's not a favor. It's an order, Litang,' Jann said,
his forbidding face growing more dangerous. 'The reason you're
going in is that with Fen Miccall's passing, I'm the line's most
senior Captain, its commodore. At the risk of sounding vain,
without Captains Vinden and Miccall the line needs someone with my
experience at the helm. I intend to make sure the Night Hawk Line
continues to operate and you'll do your part, which is to take my
boxes on to Calissant.'
    'The Lost Star is the line's senior ship and
Captains Cringtin and ZaTarn are perfectly competent to carry on.
As for being commodore, well, you can call captains' meetings to
order, but it doesn't give you the lift to order us about.'
    'I'll not engage in petty personal attacks, Litang,
and I'd expected better from you,' he shot back, adding, 'The line
has been good to you. A ship's captain after only – how many years
with the company?'
    'Fifteen years...' I admitted.
    'A ship's captain after only fifteen years. And by
Neb, it's only fifteen years in space, isn't it?
    'I was a lighter pilot for five years and a Trade
Control pilot for three before signing on the Lost
Star ...'
    He dismissed my in-system experience with a wave of
his hand. 'Hawker and Fen where very generous to you and showed a
great deal of trust appointing you acting captain. But now, when
asked to repay