Free LC 04 - Skeleton Crew by Beverly Connor Page B

pork, and dry biscuits.
    Lopez entertained us with many stories of his travels. He knows
everyone. He is cousin to Father Hernando's sister-in-law; he is
acquainted with Bellisaro's grandfather. He even knows my Luisa's
sister.
    "A delicious meal. The roast chicken, perfect," he spoke and
slapped Bellisaro on the back. "Was generous of Captain Acosta,
my friend, was it not, to tell the cook to prepare the chicken and
not the pork?" The navigator nodded. I could have told Lopez how
useless it is to try and engage Bellisaro in conversation.
    Lopez continued to heap praises on our captain's hospitality
and to dominate the conversation. I much wanted to hear from
Valerian. I was sure he had more interesting stories to tell, but he
is often disinclined to speak-as if he has to trust those to whom
he speaks before engaging in conversation. I did learn that
although Portuguese by birth, his mother was Moroccan, and he
has since lived in many places. As he passed a platter of rice, I noticed his signet ring. It displays his initial and a falcon. I asked
him about it. He told me that it isn't a family insignia, but his own.
How fitting, I thought. I suspect that Valerian is as individual a man
as I ever will meet.

    When we finished, and the captain-general took leave to visit
another of his ships, Lopez stayed. He and Valerian went with the
captain back to the captain's cabin. I was surprised. I would not
have imagined Valerian and Lopez to be friends. They do not
seem to have ever met before this journey. It is easy to make me
suspicious. It is why, I believe, that I may be well suited for this
work.
    Gaining enlightenment through overhearing the crew talk is
not as easy for me as I had thought. It is not as if I do not have
access to all parts of the ship. I can go where I will. It is the language. I am becoming accustomed to the accents, and I hear the
words-but not the meaning. When I hear "Loosen the sheet," the
pilot may be giving a command to do something or other with the
sails, or he might just as well be asking for a cup! Cryptic speech
can hide much.
    Valerian came to my cabin this evening carrying a heavy case.
Juan Lopez followed him, spreading his jovial spirit over our small
space. Bellisaro was resting in the corner on his cot.
    "I hear that you play chess," said Valerian with a hopeful countenance.
    "I do," I said, "but the ship ... she will not allow it. Unless you
have a board and pieces with those little pegs and holes."
    Valerian, I discovered, is a man who devises contrivances, some
of which are most useful, others quite fanciful. He carries with him
one of the latter. He set a heavy chessboard with a clank on a table
and grinned at me as he took pieces from a leather pouch and set
them with a clink, clink, clink, on the board. When they were all
arranged in their ranks, he gestured with a bow. The pieces stayed,
defying the lurching of the ship. I picked up my queen and felt a
slight tug as though she were reluctant to leave her square. The
clever Valerian had inlayed the bottom of intricately carved ivory
pieces with lodestone and made a board of iron. I laughed at his
brilliance and we sat down and played. Juan Lopez stayed and
watched our play after turning to Bellisaro and making sure that
we were not offending him.
    "Of course not," said the pilot. But Bellisaro left the cabin and I wondered if perhaps he was weary of the ever-jovial Lopez. I, for
one, am beginning to find his presence tiresome.

    Valerian's servant, whose name is Jen, is a secretive fellow, but
seems to get along well with the rest of the crew. He has no obligations except to Valerian, but he readily helps the crew with various tasks. He eats by himself, having his own cup and bowl. At
first it was a cause for taunts from the crew. They eat from a common bowl and, I must add, as with dogs, this has on more than
one occasion been the cause of fights. Sailors fight with knives,
which they all