It was a trial for mutiny. As captain of the Dyscovera, Criston Vora could not forgive what Prester Hannes and his followers had done.
Unresolved tensions weighed down the ship more heavily than any anchor. Criston was responsible for the lives of every sailor aboard, and had to ensure that their mission succeeded against all enemies…even those among his crew. The Dyscovera had sailed farther than any explorer had ever gone, well beyond the reach of Tierran courts or justice. The captain could rely on no one but himself, even for spiritual guidance.
Prester Hannes was the worst offender of all.
During the senseless uprising against the mer-Saedrans, their Captain’s Compass had been smashed, so the Dyscovera could not find the way back to Calay. Fortunately, the ancient Aiden’s Compass pointed the way to Terravitae. For the first time during their long voyage, the sailors were confident they would reach their holy destination—if they could survive the journey.…
In a hazy dawn, Criston summoned the crew to the foredeck for his pronouncement. His ship’s boy Javian stood next to the young woman Mia; their support had been invaluable during the fight, helping to free the mer-king’s daughters from the mutineers. The Saedran chartsman Sen Aldo na-Curic looked shaken and saddened.
The prester wore his dark Aidenist robe and stood straight, his gaze fiery, his expression unrepentant. He clasped his Fishhook pendant between his palms; Criston had agreed to that small concession when the sailors had bound Hannes’s wrists with cords.
Everyone waited for the captain to speak. Criston felt a wave of disgust and disappointment as he faced the haggard mutineers. Some of the men were bruised and battered from the fight. Many looked cowed; only a few remained defiant. The prester looked up at him, unflinching and without anger.
Criston had meant to shout a thundering pronouncement. Instead, his voice dropped low. “I thought you were my friend, Hannes. I trusted you.”
“That changed when you betrayed me and betrayed Aiden, Captain.”
The crewmembers grumbled at the mutineers, Javian the loudest. Now Criston did shout. “I am the Dyscovera’s captain. I lead this ship! And you”—he jabbed a finger toward Hannes—“you cost me Kjelnar, our shipwright and first mate, a good man! You cost us our alliance with the mer-Saedrans, who could have been our allies against Uraba.”
“Allies are not worth the price of our damnation, Captain,” Hannes said, cold and calm. “Those people did not believe in Aiden and refused to hear the truth. You were too blind to see the dangerous course you were setting.”
Sen Aldo added the edge of his voice to the captain’s. “For centuries the mer-Saedrans studied the seas, the coastlines, the islands. They could have added to our knowledge of the Map of All Things. They could have taken us to Terravitae, but you turned them against us.”
“I have all the knowledge I need,” Hannes snapped back. “My loyalty is not to the Saedrans or to your map.”
“Your loyalty should be to Tierra,” Criston said.
The prester chuckled. “No, my loyalty is to Ondun and to Aiden. That has always been the case.”
“Our enemies are the followers of Urec—not everyone who seems strange to you.” Hannes did not appear to see the difference.
The morning sun beat down on them all, and the Dyscovera sailed onward in calm waters. Javian looked nervous and restless. He reached out to squeeze Mia’s hands, and she did not pull away. The cabin boy cleared his throat, making a nervous suggestion. “Captain, if these men give us their word that they’ll follow only your orders, maybe you should give them another chance. They are our shipmates…” Several of the bound mutineers nodded, promising to do just that.
Even Aldo lowered his head. “I’ve had had many philosophical disagreements with the prester, Captain, but I never wanted the man’s death. The pull on Aiden’s Compass is so strong that we must be near Terravitae. Perhaps it would be best if we let Holy Joron decide their fates?”
Hannes straightened. “In this matter, Joron is one of the only arbiters I would accept.”
Criston was not in a forgiving mood. “The choice is not up to you, Prester.” Though his heart was torn, he had to be strong. “You yourself advised me, Hannes: when Enoch Dey and Silam Henner tried to rape Mia, you were the one who insisted that a captain can show no mercy, that justice is absolute. You told me that for the sake of my command, I had to set a harsh example.” Dey had been thrown overboard to his death, while Henner suffered the lash.…Even the lash had been a mercy, and now Henner was among those who had turned against the captain. Criston narrowed his eyes. “Surely the crime of mutiny deserves an equally harsh example. By your own advice, I cannot spare you.”
Hannes did not beg for mercy. His face was reddened from exposure to the sun and elements, though the burn scars on his cheek remained pale. He clenched the Fishhook in his hands, praying. He seemed to be daring Criston to make the decision.
Before Criston could pronounce the dreaded sentence, though, an excited shout rang from the lookout nest. “Land ho, Captain—coastline dead ahead!”