Keitaro The Captain of the Sunless Sea-Chapter 10.
Tim whistled as he made his way down the street the darkness of the neath had increased and from the clock ahead at the shop in front across the street he could tell four hours had passed. Getting his sweet Solace milk the
'Well might as well go check on the ship and see just what's any of the men might be doing.' Thought Tim as he made his way to the docks and soon found his way to the west end of the docks and was awarded to quite the sight.
''Oooh!A mob ! Why wasn't I invited! I love watching mobs on the run from the bobbies oh shit it's a broken mob the constables are here and are those fires?''
Asked Tim to himself as he watched several Londoners being taken away in cuffs and several officers firing into blackened masses and clumps of what Tim could see having a vast amount of firepower.
London-Current Time.
''Thank you for escorting me I know it isn't what you planned on but father's working late and mother is staying over at the neighbors with her friend Margery helping her with the boys.'' Said Miranda to her cousin Keitaro who smiled replying.
''It's no problem I was just relaxing a bit back in my inn room had a bit of a nap ,read the news helped out the owner with a few boxes moving things I figured it'd be best to visit my relative and see what has happened since I've been gone.''
The Ronin replied honestly and his cousin smirked saying.
''Not much of all which is why we're here Margery apartment she should be coming out right about now.'' Said the girl and a quick excited yell hit Keitaro 's ears and he went a bit wide eyed and blushed as a Buxom young lady with long blonde hair. She had wife eyes with shone with happiness and excitement as she happily ran to and embraced her hand then much to his shock Keitaro.
''Ah you must be her illustrious cousin the adventures Zee captain my you're well built aren't you?''
She asked and he sighed calming himself mentally counting a bit before smiling and energetically saying.
''Ah you must be Margery you're a lot like Miranda said very outgoing and with a very expressive personality.''
Blushing the lady said lightly hitting him on the arm.
''Oh stop you! My betrothed wouldn't like it if you did that but it is nice to meet you for once perhaps Liam will not be so bored with us ladies with another male companion to hang out with now that dear Charles has got a promotion. And I get to see some more of Miranda's exclusive family you simply must tell us more about it .''
''I will later then so where we going now?''
Grinning like a cat much like Keitaro thought his sisters cat Kuro might grin his cousin said to him.
''Oh were going to go get Sally and Mable and head out for some tea at a tea house.''
Nodding Keitaro followed his cousin down the dank streets of London avoiding bumping into the variety of shapes human and otherwise as they soon ended up in front of a large building Archaeological Society much to Keitaro's shock and interest where a young lady wearing a white lab coat a button up sweater under it as well as glasses her brown hair hung at her back and her freckles were dotted across her cheeks .The girl grinned broadly.
''There you are Miranda! Margery! And oh you must be the cousin she's told us of I'm Sally nice to meet you mate.'' The girl said extending a hand with some dirt on it and dust but not being one to shy away from either at school he promptly shook her hand with a smile.
''Nice to meet you too Sally so you work in the archaeological society that must be very interesting I took some classes at University before I came under to the Neath.''
Grinning Margery protested or at least tried but sally already had Keitaro's hand.
''OOH!A fellow Archaeologist from above and a Zee captain underneath now too! Very exciting my Employers /Teachers do buy all sorts of artifacts for good prices if you find or have any you should turn them in. But I really would like to hear what kind of techniques and procedures are done on a dig up above.''
Sally said taking a breath from the rapid speech and opening her mouth again only for Miranda to smoothly cut in.
''As much as I like small talk we really should be heading on we still have Marla and Liam to pick up.'' Miranda with a smirk as Sally looked embarrassed and Margary relived.
''Right then let's get going then they might be at the café already I heard they were going together.''
Margery said in a happy tone.
''Good it'll save us travelling through the mobs of the off work travelers.''
Nodding in agreement inwardly and outwardly the group made their way to the café with as much speed as they could.
Tea Room-The Burnt Staff Café.
The café was in one word a bit dreary in atmosphere though seeing the next friend of his cousin he could honestly get why it was chosen. Having on black lip stick a tiny black train conductor cap she had on a black button up shirt long pants and smooth dress shoes. Parting her black hair she smirked as she saw them come hitting the young man with her in the shoulder .
''See told you they'd come Liam you owe me six echoes.''
Groaning the young man handed over the echoes to the black haired miss then said moving back his brunette hair.
''Worse money I've ever bet you talked to Sally didn't you''
Ignoring him and grinning she waved over her friends going.
''Hey Sally were over here Love!''
''Marla !It's good to see you ;you've kept busy I haven't been able to keep up with you?'' Said sally and Marla said in response.
''And it's good to see you too Margery what no hug form you? And Sally you've been busy as well we just haven't got our schedules matching up together .Ah but that'll change the drama house is getting someone competent to fill in for our recently conflicted lead support for our next production .''Marla said making sally smile before Marla turned to Miranda and said.
'"And look at you all happy this is the cousin you've been telling us about eh ?Nice to meet you Kei was it ?A unique name but hey it's your own and I'm fine with anybody having any name they want.''
Smirking Margaery said.
'"Of course you are Loraine.''
Marla turned red and said.
''Put your stocking in it you've got runs through the seems just as many as your mouth best fill one of them before the other runs over.''
Glaring Margery returned fire.
'"Oh please you wish you could pull of stockings like these with those tooth picks you call legs and the door knobs you have for knees.''
Rolling her eyes and Liam sighing he interrupted Marla speaking directly to Keitaro.
'"So keitaro your from Japan huh? How is it there the name sounds interesting?''
Keitaro eyes widened slightly having been watching the rounds between Marla and Margery but responded with.
'"Well it's very competitive when it comes to getting a job not only that but it would seem that many people aren't used to hard shocks to the government structure. The majority are slow to adapt and we have tests to enter every segment of school every few years.''
Wincing Marla said.
''Damn that's gotta suck hard mate.''
Keitaro sighed adding.
'"Yeah it took me three times to pass the entrance exam for the best University in the country Tokyo University the capital's best school.''
Whistling Liam patted Keitaro on the back while Margery said.
''My you're a scholar! That's great perhaps you could become a teacher educate the young we need more good ones here in London.''
Wincing a bit at that the group seemed confused though Miranda sighed saying.
''A bit close to home there Margery the girl he loved ids trying to become a teacher and she left him for his brother not long before his arrival.''
Hearing this the buxom woman instantly said.
''I am so Sorry! I didn't' know! Please forgive my curiosity!''
Sighing Marla said adding.
''Marge you couldn't have known it was a bit tactless yeah but we haven't gotten to know Kei yet our jokes aside you shouldn't be so hard on yourself though I'm sorry to hear about that man really your own brother ?Didn't he have some tact in him to tell her no or give you the heads up?'' she asked bluntly and Keitaro sighed saying.
''We never were really close I recently found out I had several brothers separated at birth we were and they sort of moved in and got close to the girls I was friends with and well.''
Hearing this Miranda knowing it patted her cousins shoulder in support with her hand. While Liam just shook his head saying out loud.
''Sounds like a bunch of bastards to me and I've got three brothers we might have beat ,bludgeoned and nearly killed each other but we'd never do that .Don't worry man there are plenty of people out in the Zee and I'm sure you'll find someone you're a smart guy unlike me I'm just a simple boiler man yah know working for Harlough and Furle's Machine works.''
Sighing at this he said.
''Thank you guys for supporting me like this even though you don't' know me but I'll be fine I've got nothing if not determination besides I highly doubt a way home the same way I came in will be coming anywhere near for quite some time.''
Hearing this the friends smiled as Miranda said to her cousin.
''That's the kind of man that'll get me a cousin to spoil.''
They laughed as Keitaro blushed and began to dig in to the biscuits as they had given their orders and soon were given their tea.
As the group sipped their tea a small trio of men came in one of them bleeding from a wound in his chest the other holding him up the third put a small sack of echoes on the counter and said.
''Give us any ale ,alcohol, or Mushroom wine you've got.''
Nodding the man at the counter quickly got said alcohol brought to a small table they took .The man with the wound in his chest a big bald man with an open vest and zailor pants a pistol on his belt was crying.
''IT HURTS!''
While the one who paid the man at the counter said.
''Stop your blubbering John! We know it damn it who knew this score could have gone this bad.''
The one who held up John sighed and said.
''We should have never went to the damn place I heard people fell out of it with unique things, that it was hard to find unless you read the signs the shifting of the instruments wildly, seagull circling about ,and the goddamn shadow figure of the damn monument coming in and out .Poor bastard came out from it damn it we'll see what happens in the future but damn captain and nearly all the crew dead.
Hearing this Marla said out loud though in whispers.
''Kei isn't that how you got down here?''
''Yes it is excuse me I have to talk to them .''
Hearing this Liam asked the question the rest thought.
''So your heading back to the surface if you can Keitaro is that your ambition? Sighing he turned to him and said.
''My ambition is to know the truth ; the reason why I ended up down here underneath the ground and In the Unter Zee and the truth is what I'll get after that I'll see which way things take me. But I don't' have anything to go back to on the surface all of my family has their own lives and I'd rather continue building what I can here Unter Zee.''
Smiling the friends especially Miranda encouraged him to ask what he wanted to know.
''Go on Kei get the truth from them.''
Sighing Keitaro went up and put down some echoes on the table looked the man who was bemoaning his plight the most after the wounded one and said.
''Tell me what you can of the Stone monument.''
The men seemed shocked though the one who was complaining second most took the echoes then said.
''Far more then I'd like to pop a seat and listen.''
And so Keitaro did sucking in the knowledge of the other Zailor as he focused on just what was going to happen in the future and just where his next ship course would be.
Ollivander's With Tim-Current Time.
''And that's when they shot Lagen so from there we did our best to survive.'' Said Tinswell to the young dark haired man who sighed and said to his fellow Zailors.
''Hmm I see normally I love a good riot but a Faber clan feud ugh! Man I'm glad I missed that one so you guys aren't heading out to the shore for leave?''
He asked Lagen who shook his head.
''No I can feel that the captain will need me ,Tinswell prefers working what about you Dogan?''
Sighing the other man shorter and bulky said.
''I'd rather work to be honest I got a drink on the way back to the hospital with Lagen and Tin so to be honest I'm ready to shove off?''
Sighing Tim smirked as he saw his Zee captain coming up with a hand trolley of supplies he was pulling up the other crew men looked at him but Tim grinned before saluting then saying.
''Captain let me help you with that! So where to next captain I know you probably want to spend some more time with your family maybe relax a few days and settle in so if you tell us now we can get ready for it.''
Sighing as he heard this Keitaro rubebdthe back of his head then said.
''Umm I was wondering if you guys might be willing to head out the monument that brought me here has been spotted and I want to see if I can catch it maybe get some answers you know?''
Hearing this them en much to Keitaro's shock looked at each other then looked back at their captain saluting him they said.
''Aye captain! Let's shove off!''
Instantly Keitaro felt reassured about the future and was happy that his crew were willing to follow him after the disaster with the Faber he put the crates on the side one of the other men helping to put them aside he took his place at the wheel and took a breath as he pulled off from the yard easing his vessel back out into the black murky deep the shroud of darkness slowly enveloping the vessel as light mist came in. The lights of London began to fade and the journey back into the briny black deep began anew the captain's course and goal set they made their way North East to their goal.