Owner's Share (Trader's Tales from the Golden Age of the Solar Clipper) Read online

  This book and parts thereof may not be reproduced in any form, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopying, or otherwise—without prior written permission of the publisher, except as provided by the United States of America copyright law.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any similarity to actual persons, organizations, and/or events is purely coincidental.

  Visit us on the web at: www.solarclipper.com

  Copyright © 2014 by Nathan Lowell

  Cover Art J. Daniel Sawyer

  First Printing: March, 2014

  The Golden Age of the Solar Clipper

  Trader’s Tales

  Quarter Share

  Half Share

  Full Share

  Double Share

  Captain’s Share

  Owner’s Share

  Shaman’s Tales

  South Coast*

  Cape Grace**

  Tanyth Fairport Adventures

  Ravenwood

  Zypheria’s Call

  The Hermit of Lammas Wood

  * Available in audio (itunes and podiobooks.com), print and ebooks coming soon

  **Forthcoming

  To Evo Terra,

  Podiobooks co-founder and long time supporter.

  Without Evo Terra's help and the Podiobooks platform

  I would never have started this series.

  Table of Contents

  01. Diurnia System: 2372-December-10

  02. Diurnia System: 2372-December-14

  03. Diurnia Orbital: 2372-December-17

  04. Diurnia Orbital: 2372-December-18

  05. Diurnia Orbital: 2372-December-18

  06. Diurnia Orbital: 2372-December-18

  07. Diurnia Orbital: 2372-December-18

  08. Diurnia Orbital: 2372-December-19

  09. Diurnia Orbital: 2372-December-19

  10. Diurnia Orbital: 2372-December-20

  11. Diurnia Orbital: 2372-December-20

  12. Diurnia Orbital: 2372-December-20

  13. Diurnia Orbital: 2372-December-20

  14. Diurnia Orbital: 2372-December-21

  15. Diurnia Orbital: 2372-December-21

  16. Diurnia Orbital: 2372-December-21

  17. Diurnia Orbital: 2372-December-21

  18. Diurnia Orbital: 2372-December-22

  19. Diurnia Orbital: 2372-December-22

  20. Diurnia Orbital: 2372-December-23

  21. Diurnia Orbital: 2372-December-23

  22. Diurnia Orbital: 2372-December-24

  23. Diurnia Orbital: 2372-December-25

  24. Diurnia Orbital: 2372-December-25

  25. Diurnia Orbital: 2372-December-26

  26. Diurnia Orbital: 2372-December-26

  27. Diurnia Orbital: 2372-December-26

  28. Diurnia Orbital: 2372-December-26

  29. Diurnia Orbital: 2372-December-27

  30. Diurnia Orbital: 2372-December-27

  31. Diurnia Orbital: 2372-December-28

  32. Diurnia Orbital: 2372-December-28

  33. Diurnia System: 2372-December-28

  34. Diurnia Orbital: 2372-December-29

  35. Diurnia Orbital: 2372-December-29

  36. Diurnia Orbital: 2372-December-30

  37. Diurnia System: 2373-January-2

  38. Diurnia System: 2373-January-5

  39. Welliver System: 2373-January-10

  40. Welliver Orbital: 2373-January-12

  41. Welliver Orbital: 2373-January-12

  42. Welliver Orbital: 2373-January-13

  43. Welliver Orbital: 2373-January-13

  44. Welliver Orbital: 2373-January-14

  45. Welliver Orbital: 2373-January-13

  46. Welliver System: 2373-January-19

  47. Ten Volt Orbital: 2373-January-30

  48. Ten Volt Orbital: 2373-January-30

  49. Ten Volt Orbital: 2373-January-30

  50. Ten Volt Orbital: 2372-February-1

  51. Ten Volt Orbital: 2373-February-1

  52. Ten Volt Orbital: 2373-February-2

  53. Ten Volt System: 2373-February-6

  54. Diurnia Orbital: 2373-February-15

  55. Diurnia Orbital: 2273-February-18

  56. Diurnia System: 2373-Feburary-22

  57. Greenfields System: 2373-March-2

  58. Greenfields Orbital: 2373-March-6

  59. Greenfields Orbital: 2373-March-6

  60. Greenfields Orbital: 2373-March-7

  61. Greenfields Orbital: 2373-March-9

  62. Greenfields System: 2373-March-12

  63. Diurnia Orbital: 2373-March-23

  64. Diurnia Orbital: 2373-March-24

  65. Diurnia Orbital: 2373-March-25

  66. Diurnia Orbital: 2373-March-25

  67. Diurnia Orbital: 2373-March-27

  68. Martha’s Haven System: 2363-April-26

  69. Diurnia Orbital: 2373-May-13

  70. Greenfields Orbital: 2373-June-27

  71. Greenfields Orbital: 2373-June-27

  72. Greenfields Orbital: 2373-July-3

  73. Greenfields Orbital: 2373-July-4

  74. Greenfields Orbital: 2373-July-8

  75. Greenfields Orbital: 2373-July-9

  76. Greenfields System: 2373-July-13

  77. Diurnia Orbital: 2373-July-17

  78. Diurnia Orbital: 2373-November-22

  79. Martha’s Haven Orbital: 2373-December-11

  80. Martha’s Haven System: 2373-December-17

  81. Diurnia Orbital: 2374-January-1

  Other Works

  About The Author

  Chapter One

  Diurnia System:

  2372-December-10

  Ships at a distance have every man’s wish on board. As Agamemnon closed the distance to Diurnia Orbital I wondered whose wishes we carried, and how the men aboard ships ever caught up with wishes of their own. I snorted quietly as I realized every other ship in the universe was at a distance from the Agamemnon. I wondered which one carried my wish.

  “Skipper?” Mr. Hill heard me snort, and I glanced over to where he regarded me from the helm. A smile quirked the corner of his mouth.

  I shook my head. “Nothing, Mr. Hill. Just considering how far away all the other ships are.”

  His brow furrowed slightly. “That’s a good thing, isn’t it, Captain?”

  I stood up from the duty station and stretched, twisting my torso back and forth, and gazing out at the darkness around us. “Indeed, it is, Mr. Hill. Indeed, it is.”

  He gave a little nod of incomprehension before returning to his helm displays. I smiled at the back of his head, and considered how far we’d come in the few months since I’d taken over the Agamemnon. It gave me a feeling of satisfaction to know that we’d weathered some storms, hauled some freight, and made good profit doing it. I sighed a little and walked over to peer out of the armorglass at the glowing orb of Diurnia dead ahead.

  “What would you wish for, Mr. Hill?”

  “Sar?”

  “If you had a single wish that could come true when we get into port, what would it be, Mr. Hill?” I turned to face him then and leaned my shoulders back against the cold glass, crossing my arms over my chest.

  “A wish, Captain?”

  “Yes, a wish. If your ship came in—metaphorically speaking—what wish would it bring you?”

  He addressed the helm and made a minor adjustment while he considered the question. After several long moments, he looked up and shook his head slig
htly. “I really don’t know, Skipper. Since you’ve come aboard, things have been…” he paused and shrugged. “Well, interesting is probably the best word, sar.”

  “You know that’s an ancient curse, don’t you, Mr. Hill?”

  “Yes, sar, I do.” He grinned. “It hasn’t always been what I’d call fun, sar. Not all of it. But it’s been challenging and profitable. At one time I just wished I could find a berth on a decent ship. I got that, thanks to you.” He grinned and buried his gaze back in the helm’s display.

  I turned to look back out at the star-spattered darkness. The subdued lighting on the bridge minimized reflections, and I had a clear view of Diurnia even though it was almost a week away. As I watched, the orbital station emerged from behind the small, blue-gray disk of the planet. The silvery can appeared as barely more than a spec glimmering against the blackness beyond.

  “What about you, sar? What’s your wish?”

  He gave voice to the question in my head. “I’d like to have my cake and eat it, too, Mr. Hill. I just don’t know how to make that happen.”

  “Your cake, sar?” I could hear the amusement in his tone.

  “Yes, Mr. Hill, my cake.” I didn’t elaborate and he didn’t press. I let the memory of her sapphire studded smiles slosh around in my brain pan for a bit, and then banished the thought once more. Each time it became harder to banish. Each time my resolve wavered a bit more. Each time I became more certain that some things could never be.

  The chrono clicked over to 0500, and the rich smells of breakfast began to waft up the ladder from below decks. I sighed and returned to my station to get ready for the watch change. I finished up my log entries, and idly scanned the traffic lists for Breakall, still caught in that odd contemplative mood. On a whim, I changed the sort order to show the ships most distant from Agamemnon. While I watched, the scanners added another ship to the bottom of the list—Ephemeral, a fast packet registered in Dunsany Roads.

  “You’re a long way from home.” I muttered.

  Mr. Hill looked over at me, one eyebrow raised.

  “Nothing, Mr. Hill. Idle mutterings.”

  He grinned and turned back to his display. “Nothing much is idle with you, Skipper.”

  I snorted a short laugh as Ms. Thomas clambered up the ladder to the bridge followed closely by Ms. Arellone.

  Watch change went smoothly, and I took quiet satisfaction in the way Ms. Arellone had developed into a productive member of our crew. We’d been long enough underway, and changed enough watches, that Ms. Thomas and I had long since stopped comparing notes on our newest shipmate. Even Mr. Hill, the most reticent of our merry band to accept the former brig rat and bar brawler, seemed to be adjusting to her presence.

  Ms. Arellone passed the ratings exam on the way out of Diurnia, and I’d promoted her back to Able Spacer on my own. Technically I should have asked permission from home office, but knowing Maloney’s attitude toward the young woman, I presented them with the fait accompli rather than ask permission to do what I knew to be right. Worst case, I’d have to rescind it, but I didn’t think Maloney would be that vindictive.

  Mr. Hill followed me off the bridge, and we separated at the foot of the ladder. With a nod, he went down one more level toward the galley and crew quarters, and I turned toward the cabin, only to meet my Chief Engineer waiting for me outside the door.

  “G’morning, Skipper.” She smiled and handed me a cup of coffee. “Can we talk?”

  I accepted the coffee and took a sip before replying, buying myself some time. Eventually, I had to agree, and opened the door to the cabin, leading the way in.

  Entering the cabin on the Agamemnon always caught me by the heart. It didn’t matter that I’d just come from the bridge with the armorglass windows on all sides. There was something about the panoramic stretch of the Deep Dark that met me when I walked through the door that always made my heart skip a beat. I think it was the combination of comfortable living room and star-studded darkness. Dreading the conversation that I feared was coming, I still took some comfort from the magnificent view, and led the way to the conversational grouping. I sat on one couch and nodded for Chief Gerheart to take the seat across from me.

  We settled into our seats and I leaned forward, propping my elbows on my knees and placing the heavy white mug onto the glass topped table between us. It took me a moment to get enough gumption to look over at her, but eventually I steeled myself, and hoped I presented a cool enough exterior.

  She half-reclined on the sofa—legs curled under her, arm along the back, looking as comfy as a cat in the sunlight and regarded me with sad eyes. “Ya wanna talk about it, Ishmael?” Her voice was soft but steady.

  “Talk about what?” I didn’t stand on ceremony with my officers in private, but having her use my name like that sent a jolt though me.

  “Why you’ve been avoiding me this trip.” Her inflection rose at the end, making her statement a question. “Perhaps what the hell is going on with you?” Her eyes flashed sapphire and nearly blinded me, or maybe it was just my own eyes betraying me.

  I wanted to say, “Nothing’s wrong,” or perhaps, “I haven’t been avoiding you,” or any number of other denials that sprang immediately to my mind. I sighed. “You’re an amazing woman, Greta. You affect me in ways I don’t even want to think about. But I’m the captain and I can’t pursue the kind of relationship, I’d like.”

  Her eyes crinkled in amusement and the sapphires in them danced as the left side of her mouth curled in a sardonic grin. “Humble, too.” Her voice carried a hint of mocking amusement.

  She caught me off-guard and I chuffed a bark of laughter in response. “Sorry. You asked. I’m a terrible liar so I try not to do it very often.”

  She pursed her lips. “So, you’re telling me you’ve been avoiding me because you’ve got the hots for me and you can’t control yourself?”

  I shrugged one shoulder. “Actually, I can control myself, but I find it difficult to do and more difficult as time goes on. I have a policy about fraternization. It’s been with me from the beginning and I can’t see me breaking that rule now. It’s not like you’ve been throwing yourself at me. I’m just --” my voice trailed off. What was I? Hurt? Vulnerable? I didn’t even know how she felt about me and here we were sitting across from each other having this stupidly intimate conversation.

  The moment stretched out and just as I was about to answer, she spoke instead. “I see.”

  I looked up at her. She still had that semi-amused expression on her face. “Do you?”

  “No, not really. You’re assuming I have no say in this. Isn’t that a bit paternalistic?”

  Her calm words shocked me and I could feel my face flushing. “I hadn’t thought of it that way.” She was right, of course. I ducked my head to stare into my coffee mug so I wouldn’t have to look at her.

  She sighed. “Of course, you didn’t. You’re the captain. You’re the man. You set the rules and the rest of us dance to your tune whether we like it or not.” Her voice was tinged with exasperation.

  Her tone pricked me. “You have some complaints about how I run this ship, Chief?” I snapped at her and regretted it even as the words left my mouth.

  She shook her head briefly. “No, Captain.” She gave the title special emphasis. “You’ve turned the ship around since you’ve been here, given us all new life.” She paused, staring into my face without flinching. “It’s how you’re running your life that worries me.”

  “What’s the matter with the way I’m running my life?”

  The hardness in her face softened a bit. “You’re an idiot.” Her warm smile diffused the sting and even her eyes danced with mirth. “You’ve just had a series of major upheavals in your life - starting with that horror show of a derelict salvage, making captain, dealing with this mess...” she paused to wave her hands around the room indicating the ship at large “...divorcing your cheating wife and even giving her a nice settlement. You bucked the owner to take on a brig rat—ev
en gave her a promotion—and you can’t even take care of yourself.”

  Her recitation left me with my mouth hanging open. Coming from anybody else that probably would have felt like a brutal summary, but I had to admit everything she said was true. I recovered enough to close my mouth and swallow before responding. “How do you know she was cheating?”

  Her eyes bulged and she pursed her lips but she just shook her head. “Never mind. Did you hear any other word I said?”

  I sighed and nodded, staring at my hands so I didn’t have to look across at her—big, macho captain man that I was.

  “Well?”

  “Well, what?” I answered without looking up from my hands.

  She heaved a sigh. “You’re a mess, Ishmael. We all know it. You’re working so hard to take care of us that it’s taking its toll on you. You have a standard that you think is right—”

  I looked up at her sharply and started to speak.

  She held up a hand to forestall my interruption. “You have a standard that you think is right, but it’s getting in the way of your life. You don’t screw with crew, as you so charmingly put it. Fine. But now you’re in a pickle, aren’t you, Captain-my-Captain?”

  I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. “This is not a conversation we should be having.”

  “I beg to differ. If we don’t have it, who should?” She paused for a moment. “Ishmael, look at me.”

  I opened my eyes.

  “You’ve got yourself in knots over me. Say it.”

  I took a deep breath and let it out before replying. “I’ve got myself in knots over you.”

  “There. That wasn’t so hard, was it?” She smiled at me as if I were a small boy who finally tied his shoes for the first time. “As it happens, you big romantic son-of-a-gun, I think you’re a hell of a guy, but—” She paused and gave me the puppy dog eyes that told me what was coming next. “But not that way.”

  She was trying to be nice, I knew. It was the “let him down easy” talk. It didn’t work, but that was her intent and I was grateful for the attempt but I’m sure my face went as red as if she’d slapped me.