Captain ’ s behavior . A merchant vessel , “ The Dark Mist ” stood one hundred and fourteen meters in length , fourteen meters at the beam , capable of carrying eighty tons of cargo , and lofting a total of thirty-eight hundred square meters of sail . A threemasted barque , only carrying ten guns , our speed and maneuverability , were our greatest strengths . Along with the skill of the Captain , of course . We carried a crew of twenty , and we had logged more record time voyages than any other ship her class .
I was just turned eighteen and had set out to make my own way in the world when I came to the deck of “ The Dark Mist ” for the first time . With two older brothers at home , there would be no land from the family plot for me , so the sea would have to provide . There was gossip up and down the pier concerning “ The Dark Mist .” It was said that the captain was eccentric and could be violently unpredictable . It was also said that the crew of “ The Dark Mist ” made the best wages and received the most generous shares of voyage earnings , and therefore were steadfastly loyal to their Captain .
That evening I signed the ledger held out by the first mate . I did not at that time , fully realize …
This is a preview of Issue 6 . To read the full issue , you must
BUY IT NOW !
David Crerand is a staple of TDS , contributing work since Issue 1 . He published 2 other short stories this past October , which can be read in Aphelion Webzine and Honeyguide Magazine , and has published several others since .
Read his interview about The Village series on the
TDS blog .
14