SYNOPSIS:
It is the year 1669. Ranma Saotome, his adopted sister Ukyo, the
Amazon Warrior Shampoo, and the Lady Akane of the House of Tendo have
been taken as slaves by Portuguese traders in the Orient. The four are
to be sold as concubines for the President of the Audencia de Panama,
Don Juan Perez de Guzman, who is rumored to have a fetish for Asian
women.
The four are released from their irons to work aboard ship as
servants. Ranma discovers her panda-cursed father in the hold awaiting
his fate as a future meal. Akane learns of Shampoo and Ranma's curses.
Shampoo offers to teach Akane to cook in return for aid in killing
Ranma. Ukyo is forced to attempt stealing the ring belonging to the
chronically ill Ship's Captain, but finds there is more to the ring
than its beauty.
Meanwhile, the ship is threatened by the presence of a well armed
Dutch ship ahead of them. The Captain decides to change course for the
Portuguese colony of Macau on the southern coast of the Guangdong
province of China.
* * *
Ranma and Ukyo slept in shifts, mindful of Shampoo's promise to
strike when the time was right. The Amazon slept peacefully across the
small compartment from them. A feline smile lay upon her lips. Akane,
caught between Shampoo and the other two, tossed and turned restlessly
in the throes of unpleasant dreams.
The ship wallowed through waves that rolled across the ship's beam,
rocking it with a motion that was anything but predictable. When Ranma
thought the ship would begin to roll in the opposite direction, it would
tip still further, until her heart fluttered in a moment of hopeless
panic that the ship would capsize before finally heeling back over to a
moderately even keel. Somehow the others managed to sleep through it,
although Akane looked anything but serene in slumber.
Sleep wouldn't come to her, and so she decided to let Ukyo continue
her rest. Her mind was too full for sleep. There had to be a way off the
ship. Plans formed, grew, and ultimately were rejected in her mind as the
hours wore on. Part of her knew that no plans could be formed until she
had a better idea about where they were going and what their destination
was like. She only hoped it wouldn't be too far from Japan.
__________________________________________________________________________
J. Austin Wilde and Fission Park Press proudly present:
RULER OF THE RAGING MAIN
Part Three: Escape
By J. Austin Wilde, K.B.C.S.
Super Critical Reactor Axe Man,
Fission Park Press
wildeman@psn.net
"All you whose thoughts are bent to please
Themselves by sailing on the briny seas,
How much you are mistaken; here you'll see
What dangers there, and what their hardships be,
When thundering storms with testy Neptune rage,
Seas, winds, and fire at once with ships engage.
Besides the small allowance that they share,
What stripes and labour they are forced to bear.
These weighed together and considered well,
You need no more, although worse I could tell..."
-from "Cordial Advice," author unknown, ca 1700.
Chapter One
The ship slipped past stony islands just outside of the trading
colony of Macau as dawn's rays began to chase away the darkness. Ranma
awoke with a start as the planks outside their door creaked with heavy
footsteps. The heavy steps could only belong to the Bosun.
She nudged Ukyo awake.
"What is it?" she asked drowsily. "My turn already?"
Ranma snorted. "Hardly. I let you sleep most of the night."
The door opened, and the Bosun stepped inside. Father deGama, looking
bedraggled, was with him.
"<On your feet,>" Velacruz ordered.
Shampoo stirred awake with a yawn and a stretch. Akane, looking like
she hadn't slept a wink, struggled to sit up. Ranma and Ukyo rose to their
feet. They were used to hardship.
"We will be entering Macau shortly," deGama said to them. "Mister
Delgado wants you to be secured in your room whilst we are in port, to
prevent your escape. As such your normal duties will be suspended for
the duration of our stay."
Velacruz harrumphed. He set a basket of food and a pitcher of water
down on the deck for them. A sailor stepped in behind him, and emptied
the chamber pot the four shared. He withdrew just as quickly, afraid to
spend even one more moment in such proximity to the women.
"<They should be in irons,>" Velacruz muttered to the Jesuit. "<I have
seen the purple-haired one fight, and if the red-haired one can defeat her,
that makes the pig-tailed wench even more dangerous...>"
"<Cristobal won't stand for it,>" deGama replied. "<And you know it.>"
"<Aye, but I'll bear no responsibility for their escape.>"
DeGama ignored the Bosun. It was clear that this was an argument that
had been tossed about for some time between the ship's officers. He gestured
to the food and water Velacruz had given them.
"This is yours for the entire day," he told them. "You'll be fed and
have your chamber pot emptied in the mornings only, so get used to it
quickly."
With that, he and the Bosun withdrew. Ranma listened intently, and
her face soured as she heard the rattle of keys and the sound of the door
locking.
"Damn," she muttered.
Shampoo chuckled.
"Ranma think locked door stop him?"
Ranma turned and gave her a bored look. "What's your point, Shampoo?"
Shampoo returned her look. "This best, maybe only, chance for escape."
"You think I don't know that?"
"Shampoo not sure what go on in Ranma's head sometimes."
"Well I know one thing," Ukyo interjected. "If this is our chance to
escape, what are we going to do about it?"
"I'm thinkin'," Ranma replied.
"Shampoo can see that. Shampoo tell by smoke that come from ears."
Even Akane laughed at that.
Ranma reddened.
"I suppose *you* have a plan?"
Shampoo gave her an enigmatic smile and remained silent.
Ukyo frowned. "Well, Shampoo? Out with it!"
"Shampoo already say she no help Ranma."
"Because you want to kill him?" Akane asked quietly.
Shampoo turned around to look at the kimono clad girl.
"That right."
"I still don't understand why you hate him," Akane said.
Ranma snorted.
"What, you mean you didn't tell her why you want me dead yet?"
Shampoo tensed in silence.
"I'll tell you why, Akane," Ranma went on when Shampoo didn't rise to
the bait. "She's pissed at me because I beat her fair and square in a
tournament. She keeps ranting about Amazon Law, but I know it's because
she's just a sore loser!"
"You lie, Ranma!" Shampoo snarled, whirling on her. "You and greedy
panda father start eating Shampoo's prize! Shampoo win tournament after
fighting many opponents. Shampoo rightful champion!"
"Hey wait just a minute," Ukyo cried. "You accepted Ranma's challenge,
so when you lost, the prize was his!"
Akane just sat and listened. She had the feeling she would know far
more about her companions in captivity than she ever wanted to by the end.
For instance, **panda father...?**
"Only reason why stupid spatula girl not dead already is because she
only one with sense not to help self to prize in first place!" Shampoo
retorted. Her Japanese seemed to get worse the angrier she became.
"Oh yeah?!" Ukyo sneered.
Shampoo began turning red. Her body began to tremble with rage.
"I guess it's true," Ukyo taunted. "You *are* a sore loser. I bet that
Kiss of Death stuff isn't even real; just an excuse for your whole damn
village to get even with Ranma for beating you."
"Shampoo take no more from spatula girl!"
A flash of sunlight through the port tipped Ranma off about a half
second later to the danger. A small paring knife from Shampoo's shirt
sleeve slipped into her hand, and she stabbed at Ukyo's face. Ranma caught
Shampoo's arm fast in hers, stopping the blade a hair's breadth from Ukyo's
eye.
Ukyo stumbled backwards in fright. Akane jumped to her feet and backed
away as well. Ranma grunted with exertion as she held Shampoo's arm at
full extension. The knife blade flashed in the sunlight.
Shampoo snarled in Ranma's face. Ranma responded by putting pressure
against her elbow. Shampoo yelped as she felt her arm start to give in the
wrong direction.
"Drop the knife, Shampoo," Ranma growled ferally. "Drop the knife
or I break your elbow right here and now."
Shampoo held on to the knife. She was off balance, and unable to
try any in-fighting moves. Only an ounce more of pressure and Ranma would
make good on her threat. Still, the shame and anger inside her compelled
her to resist.
"Dammit, Shampoo, I'm not joking..."
A jolt of pain shot down her arm as Ranma pressed just a tiny bit
harder.
"Don't think I'll stop with your elbow, either," she went on. "I'm
tired of putting up with your sneak attacks and your stupid revenge plots.
I should just break both your arms, and your legs too while I'm at it.
Maybe then we'd get some peace from you."
Akane gasped. "Ranma...?"
The pain and the fear of such a horrible method of maiming was too
much. Shampoo let the knife fall from her hand. It dropped point first, to
stand upright in the wooden deck. Ranma spun her around lightning quick,
and slammed her against the inboard bulkhead with one arm pinned. Ukyo
grabbed the knife from the deck.
"Was that your escape plan?" Ranma asked her quietly.
Shampoo nodded silently. Tears welled in her violet eyes at yet
another defeat. She had failed again. Her weakness was too painful for
her to think about.
"Kill me, Ranma," she whispered. "Shampoo cannot live with more
defeat."
"I ain't gonna kill you, Shampoo," Ranma replied. "I should, but
I ain't gonna do it."
"Why?" she said with a tiny sob. "You want Shampoo's torment to
continue forever? You hate Shampoo that much?"
Ranma almost choked. "That ain't it at all," she replied shakily.
"And I don't hate you, even if you make me so angry I can't see straight
most of the time. I just wish you'd leave me and Ukyo alone."
She released Shampoo and stood back. The Amazon couldn't lift her
eyes to meet Ranma's. Ukyo stared daggers at Shampoo, still flustered
with a mixture of fright and anger.
"If we do get out of here," Ranma said quietly. "Just go home to
your village and tell them you killed me. Believe me, I'll never set foot
in China again. No one will ever know."
Shampoo shook her head.
"Shampoo know."
Ranma closed her eyes in frustration. "Shampoo, I don't want to kill
you. If there was any way I could get you to leave us alone without killing
you or myself, I'd do it. Just tell me what it is."
Shampoo was taken aback by Ranma's sincerity. For a moment she saw him
not as the flame haired pig-tailed girl, but as a man. A strong man, the
best fighter she had ever known outside her village. Such a man would be
a father for many strong warriors...
"There one way," Shampoo said softly. "But you no want it."
"What is it?" Ranma asked.
**Should I tell him?** she thought desperately. **Would he believe me?
Even worse, would he have me after all I've done?**
"No," she said, almost to herself. "It better that you not know. It
not something you would do for Shampoo. Forget Shampoo said."
"Tell me!" Ranma demanded.
Shampoo stayed silent.
"Dammit, Shampoo..." she began. Then she balled her fists and kicked
the stanchion. "I give up! ...You leave us the hell alone, Shampoo, okay?
Or I swear that by the time I'm done with you, you'll wish you'd never
met me!"
**I already wish that...** she mourned. **But it's too late for that.**
Chapter Two
"<Here comes the Pilot now,>" Cristobal announced. He set down the
spyglass.
"<With a tax collector in tow, no doubt,>" Delgado groused.
"<Perhaps,>" the Captain admitted. "<But I should think they
would be happy to see a friendly ship. Trade eases the way for all things.>"
Delgado was unconvinced.
"<Our silks will be worthless here, and because Nagasaki wouldn't
open its port to us, we have little in the way of extra silver for
provisioning.>"
"<Sell a few muskets and some cord then,>" Cristobal replied.
"<Are you certain that is wise? We still have to get through the
strait.>"
Cristobal coughed.
"<A few muskets more or less will not guarentee us safe passage
through the strait.>"
"<As you say, Captain,>" Delgado said.
The Harbor Pilot came alongside them in a dingy. With him was a
Jesuit priest, and two half-Chinese acolytes. The priest was busy blessing
the ship.
"<What vessel is this?>" the Pilot asked.
"<The sailing ship _Deguello_, of Oporto. We are three weeks out of
Nagasaki, bound for the west,>" Delgado answered him.
"<You fly the flag of Spain,>" the Pilot observed.
"<We are under charter from His Catholic Majesty.>"
The Pilot thought about this, and shrugged.
"<Permission to come aboard?>"
"<Granted.>"
A rope ladder was lowered over the side, and the Pilot clambored up.
He was met by Cristobal, Delgado, Father deGama, and Bosun Velacruz.
"<It has been quite some time when last I was aboard a ship that
spoke Portuguese,>" the Pilot announced. "<I am glad that I hear it once
again. Were it not for the accursed Dutch, we would finally wither and
die.>"
"<You have visits often?>" Cristobal asked.
"<Nay, though when they do come, they are poor guests. Were it not
for our strong garrison and the castle yonder, I think they would have
tried to take this city long ago.>"
He looked to them eagerly.
"<What news of Europe?>"
* * *
Ranma watched the _Deguello_ cruise into the harbor. She saw the most
peculiar buildings along the waterfront. Some were made of stone, others
brick, and still others wood. All were squarish, and they had numerous
windows made with glass. She had never seen so much glass at once in her
life.
Even more peculiar were the people who waited on the pier. They looked
Chinese mostly, though they spoke Portuguese as if it were their native
tongue. She spotted two men dressed like Father deGama, and surmised that
they were also priests.
"What do you see, Ran-chan?" Ukyo asked her.
"Have a look for yourself," she replied, stepping away from the port.
Ukyo had a look. "So, any bright ideas for escaping yet?"
Ranma shrugged. "I'm working on it."
"We could attack the man who comes to give us food," Akane suggested.
"We have Shampoo's knife." Shampoo sniffed something, but it was too soft
to hear.
Ranma turned and frowned at Akane.
"Escape in broad daylight? They'd shoot us down before we made it to
dry land. Pretty dumb idea if you ask me."
Akane flushed red. "I was just trying to help!"
"Yeah, well, if I need your advice on poetry or something, I'll be
sure to ask."
Something snapped inside Akane's head. Ranma caught the sound, but
did not register it as being the sound of her impending doom.
"You jerk!!!" she cried, imbedding her fist in Ranma's face.
Ranma flew the short distance across the room to smash into the
outboard bulkhead, narrowly missing Ukyo. She slid down the wall and lay
there in a daze for a few moments. Shampoo was aghast at the sight, as
was Ukyo.
"Ran-chan...? You okay?"
Ranma shook the cobwebs out of her head, and wiped a trickle of blood
from her lips.
"...ugh..."
"What the hell was that for?!" Ukyo demanded, spinning on Akane.
Shampoo chuckled to herself.
"Serves him right, the idiot," Akane replied.
Ranma slowly pulled herself to her feet.
"Lucky shot," she managed.
Akane harrumphed at her. "I suppose I shouldn't expect much tact from
you, considering your poor breeding."
Ranma reddened. "Now wait just a damn minute here. I suppose hitting
me was real ladylike, now wasn't it? What kinda girl are you, anyway?
You'd think you were trying to be a man or something."
Now Akane reddened.
"What would *you* know about being a man?" she retorted. "Looks to me
like you're pretty happy about the way you are."
Ranma's face screwed up in anger. Shampoo watched Ranma and Akane
stare at each other with dagger eyes and smiled to herself. Ukyo stepped
in to try and defuse the situation.
"Okay everyone, cut it out for a few minutes," she said calmly.
"Fighting like this isn't getting us closer to a way out." She looked to
Ranma. "Right?"
Ranma scowled.
"RIGHT???" Ukyo pressed.
"Right," Ranma replied.
Ukyo looked to Akane.
"Right?"
Akane crossed her arms over her chest. "I was *trying* to help."
"How about trying a little harder not to fight."
"Fine."
Ranma rubbed at her mouth and sat against the bulkhead, looking at
the door. It was locked from the outside, and she really knew nothing
about locks. However, there was a detail that stood out in her mind. An
idea formed.
"Hey Ucchan?"
"What is it?"
"Do you still have that knife?"
"Of course I do. You think I trust anyone else in the room with it?"
"Let me see it."
Ukyo pulled the knife from her belt and handed it to her.
Ranma studied the blade, then looked at the door again. Ukyo, Akane,
and Shampoo's eyes followed Ranma's gaze from blade to door and back again.
"I've got an idea," she declared.
"Oh?" Ukyo asked. "You planning to pick the lock with the knife?"
"It's better than that."
"I hope so, 'cause you don't know anything about locks."
Ranma stood up. "Okay, before I go any further with this, we gotta
get a few things straight."
"Such as?" Akane asked, just a hint of venom in her voice.
"First off, we all have to stay together. Especially you, Shampoo. I
don't want you sounding an alarm."
"Why Shampoo do that?" she asked. "Shampoo no like being slave."
"Just in case you got the idea of trying to get us shot while you
slip away in the confusion. I want you right by my side the whole time."
"Are you sure that's a bright idea?" Ukyo asked, knowing it wasn't.
Ranma looked directly at Shampoo as he answered her. "Maybe not, but
I'd rather have her at my side than behind my back. And I sure as hell
don't want her traveling with *you,* Ucchan."
Shampoo gave her a defiant stare in return. "Shampoo make promise:
Shampoo no hurt Ranma. Not until after we safe. Then Shampoo carry out
promise to kill."
"Fair enough," Ranma replied.
"Fair enough?" Ukyo repeated.
"I wouldn't expect anything less from her," Ranma said evenly. "Better
that we get it all out in the open right now."
"Whatever," Ukyo said flatly.
"So what is your plan?" Akane asked.
Ranma held up the knife. "We wait. We can't try this until it gets
dark. If they do what I think they're going to do, they'll all get drunk
in the town and leave only a few people on board. We can sneak off the ship
and go from there. As far as I can tell, we're still in China, so eventually
we can find a way back to Japan."
"That is a *wonderful* idea," Akane said with mock enthusiam. "If only
we could get past the locked door first."
Ranma ignored her, and settled down to the basket of food.
* * *
Night had fallen, and as predicted, most of the crew went ashore on
liberty. The town had welcomed the _Deguello_ crew as heroes, and Ranma
and company could hear their revelry from their tiny storeroom aboard
ship. The only activity that could be heard on the ship was the ringing of
the ship's bell to mark the time.
Ranma had kept her plan a secret from the others, much to their
consternation. No amount of wheedling could get her to talk about it,
although she surrendered the knife to Ukyo for the time being. Instead of
talking, she had eaten and slept. Ukyo was familiar with the tactic, they
had done it often over the years when they expected hard times to come.
It was well into the evening watch when Ranma asked for the knife
from Ukyo.
"Now are you going to tell me what you plan on doing to get us out of
here?" Ukyo asked as she handed the blade over to her.
"I'm surprised you haven't already guessed, Ucchan," Ranma replied
smugly.
Ukyo winced in the darkness. She hated it when he was full of himself.
The last time it happened, they ended up prisoners on the ship.
"By all means, Ran-chan, enlighten us."
Ranma pointed to the door.
"This is a storage room, right?"
Ukyo managed a halting "yeah..."
"And it's locked from the outside, right?"
"Where are you going with this?" Akane asked in an irritated tone.
Ranma rapped his knuckles on the tarnished brass hinges of the door.
"The door is hinged from the inside. We remove the hinges, and the
door comes right off, locked or not."
The others, clearly upset for having missed this, declined comment.
"It's gonna take most of the night to pry the nails out of the wood
without making a lot of noise, but with most of the crew getting drunk
on the shore, we should be able to get them out, remove the door, and
make our escape."
Without wasting any further time talking, she began to work at the
nails. It wasn't going to be easy, she saw. The knife was thin and narrow
bladed. If she wasn't careful, she'd snap it in half.
After almost an hour, she had the first nail out. The hope of escape
actually formed in the hearts of the others. Within another hour, an entire
hinge was loose.
Ranma snapped the knife blade close to the point in a moment of
frustration while working on the second hinge. She cursed her clumsiness,
but refused to let anyone else try. To her delight, the damage actually
improved her leverage, and the second hinge was loose in twenty minutes.
As she pried up the last nail, the blade finally snapped. Ranma
shrugged as she set the useless blade on the deck, and put her hands on the
door. With a gentle shove, it came loose from its mounting. Ranma froze
in place for a few moments, listening intently to learn if she was
discovered. There was only silence from outside.
"Okay, here we go. Shampoo with me, Akane goes with Ucchan. And keep
quiet."
Ranma set the door outside in the passageway and laid it down gently.
They crept outside the room with hearts racing. As they approached the
ladder to the main deck, a drunken voice bellowed something above them.
They froze, and the voice drifted off forward to the accompaniment of
slurred laughter.
They crept up the ladder and onto the main deck. The watch was busy
trying to shepherd the drunks forward to the foc'sle, and was having a
very difficult time of it. The fact that he was also trying to keep one of
them from puking all over him wasn't helping matters.
"Okay, same as how we got on board," Ranma whispered to Ukyo. "Climb
down the ropes and onto the pier. I'll be with you in a minute. C'mon,
Shampoo..."
"What?" Ukyo hissed. "Where the hell are you going?"
"Gotta get Pop's pack, I think I know where he hid it."
"Why?"
"The swords," she replied so softly the others didn't hear it.
Ukyo suddenly understood. She gave Ranma a shove to get her going, and
took Akane to the siderail.
"What you talking about, Ranma?" Shampoo asked as they crept down into
the Middle Hold.
"Nevermind," Ranma replied, taking the oil lamp that hung in the hold
and creeping down into the Lower Hold.
Genma Saotome sat in the darkness looking as haggard and miserable as
a panda could. Ranma felt a tinge of guilt for abandoning her father, but
there was no way she could get him out of his chains. At least no way
without raising an alarm.
Ranma held the lamp up to the overhead beams and started looking. It
didn't take long for her to find the pack. She knew her father's mind when
it came to hiding things. That and the fact that she had been looking for
it everywhere else on the ship except the Lower Hold ever since she became
a cabin steward.
As she grabbed the pack, Genma growled at her.
"Sorry, Pop; but we're leaving," she said in reply. "I'd help you
escape, but it's your damn fault we were prisoners anyway."
Genma growled louder. Shampoo hissed angrily that the panda was going
to alert someone. In response to Shampoo's valid concern, Ranma grabbed a
rag that hung from the pack and stuffed it in the panda's mouth as he
issued a more vocal protest.
"Let's get going," she told Shampoo.
"Shampoo not know Ranma hate father so much," she replied.
"Yeah, well try living with him for sixteen years."
They left Genma in the hold.
Ranma and Shampoo caught up with Ukyo and Akane, who were hiding
behind wooden crates on the dark pier. Their hearts continued to pound
with the ecstacy of being free and on dry land once again. They found that
weeks of rocking in the sea had also robbed them of their sense of balance.
Several times Akane caught herself moving with a wave that was not there.
"Okay, this is where we part ways, Shampoo," Ranma said to her. "It's
been nice knowing you."
Shampoo chuckled. "Stupid Ranma, you think you escape yet?"
Ranma bared his teeth angrily at her. "Don't even start now. At least
give us a head start before you come after me. A fight right now would just
get us all back on the ship."
"Shampoo offer help," she whispered.
"I don't believe you," Ranma returned.
"Niether do I," Ukyo added.
"Shampoo think about what Ranma tell her. Decide it better to go home
and tell village that you dead. Only promise Shampoo you never come back
to China."
Ranma eyed her warily. A sailor clambored up the gangway to the ship
a dozen yards behind her.
"So how does this keep you traveling with us?"
"You make promise. Shampoo go with to see that Ranma, spatula girl
Ukyo, and Akane get on boat to Japan. Then Shampoo know there no chance of
anyone from village learning truth. As long as Ranma keep promise."
Ranma thought it over. Having someone who spoke Chinese would be a big
help in finding a way home. Even if they were still in China, they were
probably a long way from anywhere they had traveled before. The question
was if they could trust Shampoo.
"Okay for now," she decided. "Let's get out of here."
"You make promise first," the Amazon told her.
"Fine. Shampoo, I promise to never return to China as long as I live.
Believe me, that won't be a hard one to keep."
Shampoo seemed satisfied. "Then follow Shampoo."
Ranma turned to Ukyo, who gave her a look that said "what are you
looking at me for? This was your dumb idea." Akane remained silent, having
absolutely nothing to contribute, and desperate to get off the pier and
into the town as soon as possible.
"Lead on," Ranma replied.
Chapter Three
Shampoo led them out into the town. Macau was unlike any Chinese
city Shampoo had ever seen. Not that she had seen many in her life, and
those few while chasing Ranma. It didn't feel Chinese at all, despite
their majority in the late night population.
The language she overheard was also different. Much different. She
was confident that she could communicate on a basic level, slowly, but that
was all.
Ranma insisted on a stop in the first secure place they could find,
which turned out to be a stable. Horses nickered restlessly as they made
their way inside. Ranma found the smell of horse dung to be a welcome and
comforting change from the briny rotten fish smell of the ship. It meant
that she was on dry land, with familiar things around her. Akane wrinkled
her nose and complained, and was ignored by all.
Once they were secure, Ranma opened her father's pack. She began to
rifle through it, getting more and more desperate with each second. Finally,
she lowered her head in anguish.
"They aren't here," she whispered hoarsely. "He told me they were."
"They aren't?" Ukyo asked, knowing what she was looking for.
Ranma offered her the empty pack.
"What are you looking for?" Akane asked them.
Ranma was close to tears.
"Nothing," she said in a voice tight with emotion. "Nothing at all."
Ukyo nudged the clothing and gear that lay spilled on the straw lined
ground. Her foot clinked on something. She stooped to look, and found a
glint of yellow light reflected off the moonlight that streamed through
the door of the stable.
There was a pouch of silver and gold coins before her. A small fortune
from the look of it. More money than an incompetent thief and wastrel like
Genma Saotome should have ever possessed.
Ranma looked at the handful of metal that Ukyo held in her hand and
understood. A sob wracked her body. Ukyo had expected her to go into a
rage, perhaps even to storm back to the ship for an explanation. Instead
it seemed as if Ranma was fighting back a total collapse into weeping.
"I'm sorry, Ran-chan," she said. She knew what Ranma was going through.
"Not your fault, Ucchan," Ranma replied, holding back tears. "I
shouldn't have ever trusted him with them."
Shampoo felt strangely wounded to see Ranma so upset. She wasn't
sure what it was about, but whatever it was, her pig-tailed nemesis was
crushed by it. A desire to comfort Ranma fell over her, for it seemed
wrong that the proud warrior who had defeated her in combat time and
again would be laid so low in spirit. She resisted the idea. Ranma was
still her enemy, she had to remember that.
"We go now," she said to her. "Take money and buy place to stay for
night."
Ranma agreed numbly and slowly got to her feet.
"Stay in this town for the night?" Ukyo asked.
"Have no supplies," Shampoo said. "Have bad feeling we travel long
long way before find boat to take Ranma back to Japan. Might as well find
place that feed us and give place to sleep."
"Well, since you put it that way," Ukyo said. A hot bath would do
wonders for her. Fresh food and a warm comfortable place to sleep sounded
pretty good as well.
Shampoo led them out of the stable and into the night in search of
a place to stay. Akane followed after, followed by Ranma, who trudged along
numbly. Ukyo stayed by Ranma's side.
They found a hostelry near the outskirts of the town that catered to
the inland merchants who came to Macau with livestock and crops to sell
in town. The innkeeper was a wizened old Chinese man who wore a crucifix
on a silver chain around his neck. He jabbered something in a dialect that
Shampoo found particularly irritating.
Shampoo hardly even haggled with the man, who was clearly ready to go
to bed, and happy to take whatever hard currency he was offered. He showed
them to a small chamber close to the stables where oxen grunted and chickens
clucked nervously. They were happy to take it, for the straw bedding was
fresh, and the man's equally wizened wife brought them steaming bowls of
rice and a zesty pork dish served with hot tea.
Akane, Shampoo, and Ukyo ate with abandon. Ranma picked at her food,
preferring to sit in a blank eyed daze. Finally, she went over to a pile of
straw and lay down to sleep.
Akane and Shampoo looked to Ukyo for an explanation. The brown haired
girl remained silent. When Ranma was ready to talk about it, he would, she
told them. Until then, it wasn't her place to speak about it.
Despite the excitement in their hearts at their escape from slavery,
the three girls all began to drowse. Akane retired next, followed by
Shampoo, and Ukyo wasn't long behind her. As Ukyo began to drift off upon
her pile of straw, she watched Shampoo close her eyes and go to sleep.
A part of her was telling her to strangle the Amazon right then and
there. She was dangerous. She was cunning and underhanded. Most of all,
she did not trust the Amazon one bit. The fact that she now knew about the
large amount of silver and gold they had only deepened her mistrust for
Shampoo.
These were things she thought about, and while she did, sleep itself
crept up behind her and caught her unawares.
* * *
Manuel Delgado watched another knot of sailors stagger on board. That
left half of the crew still in town, probably spending what little money
they had in the brothels. Those he didn't expect until the next morning,
and he had the feeling that he would have to send Velacruz into town to
rouse them all and lash them every step of the way back to the ship.
The watch had just finshed packing another man forward to sleep it
off.
"Busy this evening, Seaman Estremoz?" he asked the watch.
Estremoz straightened up. "Aye, sir."
"When did the Captain retire for the evening?"
"I gave him the eight o'clock report, and then saw his cabin light go
out a little after one bell, sir. I've been busy with these dogs ever
since then."
"He never left the ship?" Not that he expected Cristobal to.
"No, sir."
"Carry on, then."
"Aye, sir."
Delgado shook his head at the sight of one of the men wretching over
the side, and went to his cabin to sleep.
* * *
Ukyo awoke the next morning to the smell of freshly steamed rice and
hot tea. Shampoo was sitting on the floor, eating. Akane continued to sleep,
as did Ranma. The sun was well on its way into the sky through their
window.
"How long have you been awake?" she asked the Amazon.
"Sunrise," Shampoo replied. "Shampoo went looking for place to buy
food and traveling clothes for journey."
"And...?"
"Shampoo find place, but have to wait until tomorrow before they have
everything ready."
"How did you get all that done?"
"Shampoo use money from pouch."
Ukyo gaped. She looked beneath her, to the pouch she had slept with
to keep it safe from thieves. Namely Shampoo. She counted the remaining
coins, and found a few missing. Not too many, perhaps enough to justify
the expenses Shampoo claimed to have incurred.
"How did you...?"
"You roll over in sleep. Shampoo took what was needed. No more."
Ukyo blushed.
"Now you trust Shampoo?" the Amazon asked with a sly smile.
"Maybe," Ukyo replied.
"Ukyo and Shampoo no get along well, but no enemies either. Shampoo's
fight with Ranma. Only if spatula girl interfere will Shampoo fight.
Shampoo sorry about what happen on ship with knife. Shampoo lost temper,
is no excuse."
Ukyo flushed at the thought of Shampoo's nearly lethal attack. The
Amazon's apology seemed sincere, and Ukyo did have to admit that she was
really goading her at the time. There was also the fact that they could
all be dead right now, had Shampoo desired it. That very fact, however,
brought up an important question:
"You say your fight is with Ranma, so why are you letting him get
away?"
Shampoo sat in thought for a moment before responding. To Ukyo it
seemed the reasons for helping them were not entirely clear even to the
Amazon. Another reason to be wary of her.
"Shampoo see only three solutions," she began. "First one is Shampoo
kill Ranma or Ranma kill Shampoo. Shampoo good fighter, but is defeated
too many times to think killing Ranma likely in fair fight. Shampoo also
start thinking if trouble of killing Ranma worth price of lost feast. It
true that Ranma defeat Shampoo in tournament, and Shampoo too proud to
admit that she beaten. Shampoo pay bitter price for pride. Not know if
it worth it now.
"Second is do what Ranma say and tell village that Shampoo kill him.
Shampoo must make sure Ranma get back to Japan and never return. That way
Shampoo save face in front of village, and no have to kill Ranma or die
trying. Still, is matter of pride that Shampoo would know truth. Shampoo
not know if lying to village and self worth it.
"Third..." she paused, unsure if she should continue. It wasn't
something she liked to think about, even to herself. "Third is: Ranma
really man, not woman, when defeat Shampoo. Whole village see Ranma as
girl when happen, but truth is Ranma a man. Village Law say outsider man
who defeat woman must become husband."
Ukyo's eyes went wide.
"What did you say?!" she hissed at the Amazon.
"Is true," Shampoo replied. "Ranma take Shampoo to wife for defeating
her. It how we make strong babies for village. Shampoo hate Ranma so bad
for defeating her, she not want to do this when she learn Ranma really a
man. Shampoo still no want Ranma for husband, but would be most honorable
way to solve problem."
"I can see why you didn't think he would like it," Ukyo said at length.
"I suppose you don't want any of this getting to Ranma's ears?"
"If Shampoo worried about Ranma finding out, Shampoo no tell Ukyo."
Ukyo cracked a smile at that.
"You've got a point, but I suppose you hope telling me and believing
that I would pass it on to him would be easier than trying to tell him
yourself."
Shampoo gave her a sly smile in reply, and returned to her breakfast.
"So you haven't made up your mind yet, as to which one you'll choose?"
Ukyo asked her.
"Shampoo think second choice best for now," she said absently as she
ate. "May change mind later."
Ukyo winced. "So in other words, you could decide to kill Ranma without
a second's warning? Thanks but no thanks, Shampoo. If that's how it's
going to be, I don't think you should be traveling with us."
"Ranma understand," Shampoo said calmly.
"Understand what?" Akane asked sleepily from the corner of the room.
"He's a stupid idiot most of the time."
Ukyo started to redden. "He was smart enough to get you off that
ship."
Akane was nonplussed by Ukyo's rebuttal. "I said most of the time.
He has his moments."
"Are you *still* angry at him for insulting you?"
Akane flinched for an instant before composing herself. "What?"
"You heard me. Don't tell me you're holding a grudge against him
for it. Don't waste your time, Akane. If you held a grudge for every
little slight or insult he makes, you'll collapse under the weight of
them."
"I wouldn't expect anything less from a low born vagabond," Akane
replied. "Why should I care what he says?"
"It obvious you do," Shampoo noted.
"No argument there," Ukyo added.
Akane decided it would be better if she went back to sleep. She rolled
over and lay fuming with her back to them.
Ukyo yawned. Ranma was still sleeping. She decided it was best to let
him sleep for now. Maybe a night's rest would put his loss in perspective,
but somehow Ukyo doubted it. She couldn't believe Genma would do such a
thing herself. It made no sense.
She didn't like to think about it anymore. She took a bowl of rice
for herself and began to eat. They had to focus on the future, not the
injuries of the past, if they were to return to Japan. For now, that
left Shampoo in charge. It was an unsettling thought at best, but better
than predicting what Ranma would be like when he woke up.
"So what is the plan, Shampoo?"
"We wait until tommorrow, when traveling supplies ready. Then we leave
town and walk along coast. We walk east and north, and find place that take
you back to Japan. Use money to buy supplies along way, and pay for journey
by boat."
Shampoo finished her rice and tea. She rose to her feet, and opened
the door of the room.
"It best if you and others not leave room today," she told Ukyo. "They
probably looking for us by now, and Japanese would be easy to find. People
talk."
Ukyo accepted the wisdom of this.
"How about you, Shampoo? You don't seem to fit in here either."
"At least Shampoo Chinese," she said. "Speak language. Can make up
story that more convincing than you could."
* * *
"<Mister Delgado!>" Father deGama cried from below.
Delgado looked up from his review of provisions Bosun Velacruz
intended to purchase for the ship.
"<What is it, Father?>"
DeGama lurched up the ladder and onto the Main Deck.
"<They're gone! All four of them!>"
Delgado dropped the logbook.
"<What?!>"
The Jesuit was pale.
"<When I went to deliver their food I found the door off its hinges,
and the four women gone!>"
The Mate turned purple with rage. He spun around to Bosun Velacruz,
who held in his smug satisfaction about the necessity of keeping them
chained up enough to avoid notice.
"<Take a party of men into the town and find them. Inform his
excellency the Lord-Mayor of this, and offer a reward of fifty pesos in
silver for each girl recovered. Spread the word throughout the town! Find
them!>"
The Bosun aye-aye'd, and piped up a detachment of sailors to arm and
go ashore.
Captain Cristobal came on deck.
"<You'll not use ship's funds to finance this, Mister Delgado. I
wasn't very enthusiastic about this enterprise from the start, and even
less so now.>"
Delgado grimaced. "<I shall use my personal funds to defray the cost
of recovering them,>" he said grimly.
"<It also means that if you cannot recover them, you will not sieze
any more women,>" Cristobal continued. "<Is that understood?>"
The Mate swallowed back bile. "<Yes, Captain.>"
**Velacruz must not fail!**
Chapter Four
Ranma awoke much later in the day. Her eyes were red and vacant.
She said little, and ate less.
Ukyo wasn't sure what to say to Ranma. She decided that silence was
best. Wait until Ranma broached the subject herself.
Akane was awake as well. Once Shampoo had gone, she decided that
she could show her face again. Ukyo couldn't believe how thin-skinned the
girl was. She supposed it was because of her noble birth. People who
gave her a hard time found themselves beheaded if they weren't careful.
Ukyo looked up through the window screen to watch the sun begin to
sink from zenith. Shampoo had been gone a long time, where-ever it was she
was going. Probably to check on more supplies, or to gather information
on where to go from here. Or set them up.
**Dammit,** she thought darkly. **This doesn't feel right. Shampoo
has been gone too long.**
She checked the money pouch again, while Ranma wasn't looking. He
didn't need any reminders on that subject. They had plenty of money. More
money in fact, than Ukyo had ever seen in her life. She felt like grabbing
Ranma -and Akane too, if she wanted to come- and making a run for it right
then and now. To hell with Shampoo.
But she stayed.
She had to admit to herself that she had no idea where she was, and
even Shampoo's plan for walking north and east along the oceanside was only
so much conjecture. They had managed to make their way from the Qinghai
Province back to Shanghai, but that was over paths they had traveled before.
Running away from Shampoo might even change her plans about not trying to
kill Ranma -if that was really her intention in the first place.
"Where the hell is Shampoo?" she said aloud at last.
Akane didn't know, and said as much.
Ranma remained sullen and withdrawn. Ukyo wished she would pull herself
together. They were in big trouble, and she couldn't have cared less by her
appearance. Granted, the very reason for her previous sixteen years of
existance had been stripped from her when that callous, greedy, fool of
a father of hers had SOLD the family swords, but they still had their
present lives to think about!
No, whatever happened in the next few days, Ukyo decided, Ranma would
not play a pivotal part. It was going to be up to her to keep them going,
watch for any betrayal on Shampoo's part, and eventually get them home.
Ranma was no more than cumbersome but irreplaceable baggage if she continued
to act this way.
Shampoo entered the room then. She seemed agitated. Ukyo could read
that much into the Amazon's bearing, if not the reason for her unease.
"What's wrong?" she ventured.
"Nothing," Shampoo muttered.
"That's a lie if I ever heard one."
The amazon gave her a hard look. "We wait here tonight. They looking
for us."
Ukyo tensed. "How do you know?"
"Saw white men walking down streets with rifles. The big man lead them.
Hear them asking about four women who get off ship. They offer silver for
us. Shampoo finish business and come back quick."
"Shouldn't we be leaving right now then?" Akane asked.
"Too dangerous," Shampoo replied. "We seen, people tell white men.
It just Shampoo, no one care. Three Japanese plus Shampoo too easy to
notice."
"Tonight then, when it gets dark," Ukyo said.
"We no have supplies if leave tonight," Shampoo protested.
"I'd rather starve than go back into slavery!" Ukyo nearly shouted.
She lowered her voice. "Besides, we have plenty of money for supplies
somewhere else."
"Fine then," the amazon agreed. "We leave after it get dark."
* * *
Time passed at an agonizing gait. Every sound of men outside the
window put them on edge. Every footfall on the other side of the door
made them taut with fear.
Finally, the sun hung low in the sky, and a ruddy light spilled
between the gaps of the only window's shade. Shampoo rose from the floor
and went to the door. Ukyo followed her with her eyes.
"Shampoo get supper from innkeeper. It may be last meal we get for
while. It still hour before dark, we have time."
"Sounds good to me, I guess."
She stepped through the door and closed it behind her.
Ukyo looked to Ranma, whose condition hadn't changed from the morning.
Akane wrung her hands nervously. The girl was very anxious, and Ukyo
couldn't fault her for it. She had the maddening urge to start pacing,
herself. Time passed.
Footsteps announced themselves outside the door. Ukyo looked up
as the door opened. It wasn't Shampoo.
It was the Bosun. With men from the ship.
"Ranma!" Ukyo cried, springing to her feet.
The Bosun caught her charge for the door with one huge hand, and threw
her against the far wall. She impacted with a cry of pain, and bounced hard
to the floor. Ranma, previously almost a corpse, suddenly snapped into
action.
She sprang like a tiger upon him, leaping into a flying kick. The
Bosun managed to twist his body enough to take it on the shoulder, and
was knocked away from the door. Ranma somersaulted backwards in midair as
she rebounded from the strike.
As she landed deftly on her feet, she spun around to deal with the
men in the hallway. One of whom already had a musket pistol drawn and ready.
The man couldn't have been more than Ranma's age, and his young eyes were
trembling with excitement and fear. The pistol discharged with a cloud of
choking hot smoke and yellow flame only a few feet away from her.
Ranma spun around, blood spurting from the top of her head and fell to
the ground with a heavy *thud.*
Akane finally screamed.
* * *
Manuel Delgado couldn't contain his excitement when he saw the Bosun
and his detachment returning shortly before sundown. As they came nearer to
the ship, however, his spirits dampened slightly. One of the four was being
carried. The red haired one. Her face was bloody, and a rag served as a
bandage that covered her head.
They came on board, the Bosun leading the way, and holding his arm
painfully.
"<Explain yourselves,>" Delgado ordered.
"<Just a bruised shoulder,>" Velacruz explained. "<The pig-tailed
wench kicked me. I'll be fine in a few days.>"
"<What I want to know is why *she* is too injured to walk?!>" Delgado
thundered, pointing to Ranma.
The Bosun scowled. "<Seaman Almodovar shot her when she attacked me.>"
Delgado became even more livid. "<Shot her?!>"
The Bosun had them bring the unconscious Ranma on board. Father deGama
was called and came up on deck to assist. "<It may be less serious than it
seems.>"
The Mate would have none of it. He stepped right up to Seaman Almodovar
and struck him with a backhand blow. The sailor winced at the blow, but
remained at rigid attention. Delgado then cast his withering eyes to the
Bosun.
"<Have this fool docked a month's pay and given extra duty until
further notice for gross negligence and damage to the ship's cargo! And get
him out of my sight!>"
Velacruz swallowed hard. "<Aye aye, Mister Delgado.>" He turned to the
quaking sailor. "<Dismissed, Almodovar.>" The sailor couldn't run forward
fast enough.
Delgado gestured to the other three girls. "<Clap these in irons
until we are well past sight of land! Father deGama, if there is anything
you can do for that one, be it medicine or prayer, I suggest you do it.>"
The Jesuit nodded, and went below with the four women and their
guards. The Bosun followed behind, eager to get as far away from the Mate
as possible. Before he did something stupid and killed him.
When they had gone, Delgado calmed himself. His investment was intact.
It would be a shame if the pig-tailed one died, for she was very beautiful,
and her bright red hair was sure to fetch a good price in Panama or
elsewhere should deGuzman not take a fancy to her. Yes, it would be a
shame, but he had expected to lose at least one on the long voyage home
to disease or accident. Even if only one of them survived, she would fetch
at least 5,000 pesos, and perhaps go for as much as 10,000 if he was
shrewd! More than enough recompense for his trouble. More than enough for
the 200 pesos recovering them had cost.
Captain Cristobal came up on deck, hacking as usual.
"<I see you have found them,>" he observed between coughs.
"<Were it not for the poor marksmanship of Almodovar, we would have
lost one. We may yet still lose one, if the priest cannot help.>"
Cristobal nodded absently.
"<We weigh anchor with the tide this evening. I tire of this place
already. If we wish to make the Ten Degree Channel by January, we cannot
wait much longer here. The winds favor us all the way to Africa until May,
and it is yet November and we are still in Cathay.>"
Delgado nodded his head in agreement. There were only certain times
of the year where winds and currents favored voyages to and from the
Orient.
Cristobal continued, "<I also fear that the Dutch will be waiting for
us even if we spent a month at anchor here. They want to control all trade
in the Indies, and will not suffer us if it is in their power to destroy
us.>"
Chapter Five
Father deGama gently removed the bandage from Ranma's head. By the
light of an oil lamp, he inspected the wound, breathed a sigh of relief,
and crossed himself. The Bosun took this to be a good sign, as did Ukyo
and Akane. Shampoo sat chained in silence, her face unreadable.
"<She lives?>" Velacruz asked.
DeGama pointed to the top of Ranma's head.
"<The ball grazed the scalp, a little flesh and hair was removed, but
it seems to have bounced off the skull with a glancing blow.>"
"<Does that mean she'll recover?>" Velacruz had seen flesh wounds
ultimately turn out to be fatal before.
"<I believe so,>" the Jesuit replied. "<Chances are good that whatever
scar forms will be concealed by her hair.>"
"<I'm sure Delgado will be pleased about that,>" Velacruz snorted.
A sailor entered the small storeroom with a leather pouch. He handed
it to deGama and genuflected. The Jesuit waved him off and bade him bring
water and a fresh cloth for a bandage.
Inside the pouch were surgeon's tools. The water that was brought
was only lukewarm, but it was enough to clear away the dried blood to see
the wound clearly. The Jesuit agreed that his initial prognosis was still
sound, and began to suture the wound.
When he was finished, he wrapped Ranma's head in another bandage and
left. A sailor was ordered to check on her every bell until she regained
consciousness. When they had gone, Ukyo and Akane moved over to Ranma.
Ukyo cradled Ranma's head in her lap while Akane washed away the rest of
the blood on her face with the rag.
"This is your fault, you sneaky little bitch," Ukyo growled.
Shampoo's chains rattled as she stirred. "How many times Shampoo have
to tell you? Shampoo no do this!"
"Then who did?" Akane asked bitterly.
"Innkeeper sell us to white men," Shampoo said evenly. "They drug
tea in food Shampoo get for us. Trick Shampoo into drinking. No can warn
in time."
"That's a good one," Ukyo sniffed. "I think you were just caught in
your own betrayal. You sold us out and couldn't get away in time. You
certainly had enough chances with all the time you were away from us,
and you were set on keeping us there all night when we wanted to make a
run for it."
"What?!" Shampoo cried. "You telling lies, spatula girl!"
"Yeah? I bet you really were serious about telling your village you
had killed Ranma. Only you had a better idea than trying to find us a way
back to Japan. If we went back to Japan, there was always the chance we
would come back one day, and you would be exposed. What a better way to
get rid of us for good than making sure we were back on this ship, one
that was headed for the gods only knew where these people came from!"
"That not true!" Shampoo protested. There was desperation in her
voice. "Shampoo no betray you to whites!"
"Why on earth should we believe you?" Akane asked. "We know how
much you hate Ranma. And it was Ukyo you tried to kill with the knife.
And what's another Japanese when you're already plotting against the
other two!?"
Shampoo sank down into her knees with the mournful clink of chains.
"No can make you believe, but is true all same."
Ukyo snorted ruefully.
"I believe you, Shampoo," Ranma whispered.
"Ranma!" Ukyo cried. "Are you okay?"
"My head hurts," Ranma said. Her eyes were still closed, and her voice
was weak.
"How can you possibly believe Shampoo!" Akane cried in return.
"I just do. No reason," the pig-tailed martial artist replied quietly.
"That bullet must have scrambled your brains," Ukyo whispered. "But
I'm glad to have you back." She kissed her brow tenderly.
Ranma's eyes remained closed.
"Where are we, anyway? The ship?"
"Yes," Akane answered.
Above them, the shrill of Velacruz's whistle sounded a distinct series
of notes. Men sprang into action, and the sounds of singing and work
filtered below. Very shortly the ship began to creak and moan as it hauled
away from the pier and rocked gently in the waves.
"It's funny," Ranma whispered. "I actually missed the feeling of
being on the water."
In the darkness behind them, Shampoo wept silently.
END OF PART THREE
Author's Notes:
1. A silver peso is roughly the equivalent of a "Piece of Eight," which was
worth approximately one half of an English Pound. 12 Pounds was the average
wages a laborer of the 17th Century made in an entire year. A potential
200 peso reward was worth over eight years common wages! (Of note, the
retail value of an African slave who was young and in good health was
approximately 100 pesos, so even with all the money Delgado offers, he's
still getting the girls returned cheap.)
2. On a further monetary note, the use of rice as currency began to decline
during the Tokugawa Shogunate, to be replaced by more familiar (to western
eyes) precious metals. This was due to an edict of the Shogunate requiring
daimyo to spend alternating years at the court in Kyoto. The edict was
created to keep the daimyo off-balance, and drain them of their resources
in order to maintain the Shogunate's power. It was impractical to carry
huge sums of rice with the extravagant processions of a daimyo and his
retainers to pay for the expenses of the trip, so they borrowed the idea
of money from the recently expelled westerners. (Who traded silks and other
goods for Japanese silver.) The use of practical metal currency (and the
frequent trips daimyo made to Kyoto) gave rise to a powerful and wealthy
merchant class in Japan that eventually formed and financed the Meiji
Restoration in the mid 19th Century -which ended the rule of the Shogunate.
Poetic, ne?
(And isn't having a fiance� with a M.A. in Japanese Literature useful?)
3. Is Genma Saotome a bastard in this story or what? Hopefully as the
story progresses it will become clear that there is less malice and more
selfish stupidity in everything he does or has done.
4. A bell is a measure of shipboard time corresponding to thirty minutes.
At eight bells, the watch was to be relieved, and the count would start
over. This is where the expression "Six (or whatever) bells and all's
well!" comes from. The actual time was marked with a thirty minute glass,
and was sounded with the appropriate number of rings of the ship's bell.
To help eliminate confusion, bells were sounded in one or two ring series.
For example: at five bells one would sound two rings, pause, two rings,
pause, one ring.
5. Part 4 is mostly (I'd say about 70%) completed, and Part 5 is about 20%
completed. One of the reasons why Part 3 took so long as that I was stumped
on how to go about it, and decided to keep writing the parts that were
clearer in my mind. Despite the progress of Part 4, I will most likely not
complete it until sometime after my marriage to Bridget Engman (and our
honeymoon!) at the beginning of May.
Free The Nukes!