Chapter fifteen: The Search for a Boat
"How many boats have we tried so far, Miss Lina," asked Amelia as she strolled along the waterfront. "I lost count after thirty-five," replied Lina. "There seems to be no ship here that would take us to Wolfpac Island. If only there was a sign of some kind." Gourry looked around for this sign Lina was looking for, and oddly enough, he found one. "Look over there Lina," said Gourry, pointing to a sign on the side of a building that said "BOAT TO WOLFPAC ISLAND LEAVING TODAY AT 3:45 PM AT PIER 19." Lina was amazed. She asked for a sign and she got one.
"Wow," said Naga, "what excellent timing, too. We have twenty five minutes to get to a pier that's just around the corner." "But what if it's a fake, Gracia?" asked Amelia. "It's not a fake," said Naga, "look just below it." Amelia looked back at the sign and saw some really small letter at the bottom that said "If you run into any trouble, just tell them Xellos sent you. And make sure Gourry doesn't get on the wrong boat. I'll be waiting." Amelia was satisfied. "Alright," said Lina, "Let's get on that boat."
The gang marched cheerily around the corner. The image of gold was dancing through Lina's mind. So much so that she wasn't watching were she was going and bumped into someone, and that someone was Alexandria. "OW!" said Lina, "watch where you're going." "Me watch where I'm going!?" said Alexandria, lying on the floor. "I was just standing still and you walked into me. Now I dropped all my things." Alexandria gathered all of her things on the ground. "Here," said Naga, "let me help." Naga helped Alexandria pick up her things when she came upon a certain piece of paper. "What the heck!?!" she shouted. "AH!" said Alexandria as she snatched the paper. "Th…this is a little drawing I made." Naga locked her eyes on Alexandria. "Something you drew, huh?" she said as she got up. "It's funny of you to say that, because I happen to have lost something that looked just like that recently. Where did you get that, little girl?" Uh-oh, thought Alexandria, that guy's story must've been true. He did steal it from a bimbo. "I uh.." said Alexandria. Naga stepped closer. "What's your name, little girl?" asked Naga, bending down. "A…Alexandria," she said at last. "Well," said Naga, "I'd like my map back, Alexandria." Alexandria didn't have any intention of giving the map away without a fight. "NO!" she yelled. "You can't have it."
Naga grew angry. "Why you little, brat," she said, "where did you get it anyway?" "Let it be, Naga," said Lina, putting a hand on Naga's shoulder. "We already have a path to get to the galleon. Why should you waste our time by getting that map that might've killed us in the first place?" She's right, thought Naga. "C'mon guys," said Gourry, "that boat to Wolfpac Island won't wait forever." Lina and Naga became furious. "You idiot!" yelled Lina. "You've gave away our path to galleon!" Wolfpac Island? thought Alexandria. How would that get them to the galleon? If it involves Wolfpac Island then it involves Lord Beastmaster. If I follow them I may be able to get some very rare artifacts that I could sell for a fortune. Alexandria stood up. "Please," she said, "take me with you." They looked at Alexandria with suspicious eyes. "Why should we?" asked Naga. "It's kinda hard to split the money five ways." "Four ways!" corrected Lina. Alexandria grew nervous. "I-I won't ask for much," she said, "just a handful of gold will be enough." Amelia looked at Alexandria's face. She looks like she's been crying for sometime, she thought. "Miss Lina," said Amelia, "I think we should let her come with us." "Fine," said Lina, "If she just wants a handful of gold it doesn't bother me." "Hey!" shouted Naga, "don't I get any say in it?" Alexandria was delighted. Now I won't be alone, she thought. At least they're better companions than Chris. Suddenly, Alexandria's heart sank.
At Pier 19 they didn't see many boats. In fact, they only saw one boat, and it was a beauty. The name on the side was "Aqua Tamer™." Lina and the others approached the boat a little hesitantly. "This can't be a boat that goes to Wolfpac Island," said Amelia. "It's too nice." "There's only one way to find out," said Lina. Out on the dock next to the boat was a well-rounded, middle-aged man with light brown hair and a mustache. "Hey, 'pops,'" said Lina as she walked up to the man. "Is this boat headed to Wolfpac Island?" The man grew delighted. "Ah, you must be Lina Inverse," he said. "I've been expecting you.." The man held out his hand with a friendly gesture. "The name's Garland," he said, "Charles Garland. I'm the captain of this here boat." "It's a pleasure to meet you," said Lina, taking his hand. The shook hands for a second and then returned them to their sides. Amelia stepped forward. "Excuse me Mister Garland," she said. "Yes, little girl?" he asked. "How did you know Miss Lina," said Amelia, "and why is your ship so nice?" "Well," replied Charles, "I was told by Xellos that Lina would be short with red hair, and the smallest chest I'd ever seen." "WHAT WAS THAT!?" shouted Lina. "That's just what I was told, miss," said Charles. "Anyway, about the boat, it is the most important vessel owned by the company I work for." "And what company do you work for?" asked Naga. "Linhir's Liquor and Cigarette Company," replied Charles. "We ship our finest liquor and cigarettes to Wolfpac Island for Lord Beastmaster. The money we receive from her makes up eighty-three percent of our profits. She's even been so kind as to put a spell on this ship that will allow it to sail the seas quickly and with the finest weather imaginable." "She sounds nice," said Gourry. "Well, she is," said Charles, "to an extent. Now Deep-Sea Dolphin is nice. Although she's a little bit messed up in the head. Whenever we deliver a shipment to her she, always gives us the nicest things and always smiles."
Lina grew interested. "You know Deep-Sea Dolphin?" asked Lina. "Of course," said Charles, "She makes up fifteen percent of our profits. I've never seen her get angry or anything. This whole Galleon of Gold thing has really got me confused. I mean, the Lord Deep-Sea in the story doesn't even sound like the one I know. I think there's more to it than there seems. Well, enough of my babbling. Lets get you kids on board." Without a hesitating, Lina and the others got on board the "Aqua Tamer™" and were soon on their way to Wolfpac Island. 'More to it than there seems,' eh? thought Lina. What have we gotten ourselves into?
"How many boats have we tried so far, Miss Lina," asked Amelia as she strolled along the waterfront. "I lost count after thirty-five," replied Lina. "There seems to be no ship here that would take us to Wolfpac Island. If only there was a sign of some kind." Gourry looked around for this sign Lina was looking for, and oddly enough, he found one. "Look over there Lina," said Gourry, pointing to a sign on the side of a building that said "BOAT TO WOLFPAC ISLAND LEAVING TODAY AT 3:45 PM AT PIER 19." Lina was amazed. She asked for a sign and she got one.
"Wow," said Naga, "what excellent timing, too. We have twenty five minutes to get to a pier that's just around the corner." "But what if it's a fake, Gracia?" asked Amelia. "It's not a fake," said Naga, "look just below it." Amelia looked back at the sign and saw some really small letter at the bottom that said "If you run into any trouble, just tell them Xellos sent you. And make sure Gourry doesn't get on the wrong boat. I'll be waiting." Amelia was satisfied. "Alright," said Lina, "Let's get on that boat."
The gang marched cheerily around the corner. The image of gold was dancing through Lina's mind. So much so that she wasn't watching were she was going and bumped into someone, and that someone was Alexandria. "OW!" said Lina, "watch where you're going." "Me watch where I'm going!?" said Alexandria, lying on the floor. "I was just standing still and you walked into me. Now I dropped all my things." Alexandria gathered all of her things on the ground. "Here," said Naga, "let me help." Naga helped Alexandria pick up her things when she came upon a certain piece of paper. "What the heck!?!" she shouted. "AH!" said Alexandria as she snatched the paper. "Th…this is a little drawing I made." Naga locked her eyes on Alexandria. "Something you drew, huh?" she said as she got up. "It's funny of you to say that, because I happen to have lost something that looked just like that recently. Where did you get that, little girl?" Uh-oh, thought Alexandria, that guy's story must've been true. He did steal it from a bimbo. "I uh.." said Alexandria. Naga stepped closer. "What's your name, little girl?" asked Naga, bending down. "A…Alexandria," she said at last. "Well," said Naga, "I'd like my map back, Alexandria." Alexandria didn't have any intention of giving the map away without a fight. "NO!" she yelled. "You can't have it."
Naga grew angry. "Why you little, brat," she said, "where did you get it anyway?" "Let it be, Naga," said Lina, putting a hand on Naga's shoulder. "We already have a path to get to the galleon. Why should you waste our time by getting that map that might've killed us in the first place?" She's right, thought Naga. "C'mon guys," said Gourry, "that boat to Wolfpac Island won't wait forever." Lina and Naga became furious. "You idiot!" yelled Lina. "You've gave away our path to galleon!" Wolfpac Island? thought Alexandria. How would that get them to the galleon? If it involves Wolfpac Island then it involves Lord Beastmaster. If I follow them I may be able to get some very rare artifacts that I could sell for a fortune. Alexandria stood up. "Please," she said, "take me with you." They looked at Alexandria with suspicious eyes. "Why should we?" asked Naga. "It's kinda hard to split the money five ways." "Four ways!" corrected Lina. Alexandria grew nervous. "I-I won't ask for much," she said, "just a handful of gold will be enough." Amelia looked at Alexandria's face. She looks like she's been crying for sometime, she thought. "Miss Lina," said Amelia, "I think we should let her come with us." "Fine," said Lina, "If she just wants a handful of gold it doesn't bother me." "Hey!" shouted Naga, "don't I get any say in it?" Alexandria was delighted. Now I won't be alone, she thought. At least they're better companions than Chris. Suddenly, Alexandria's heart sank.
At Pier 19 they didn't see many boats. In fact, they only saw one boat, and it was a beauty. The name on the side was "Aqua Tamer™." Lina and the others approached the boat a little hesitantly. "This can't be a boat that goes to Wolfpac Island," said Amelia. "It's too nice." "There's only one way to find out," said Lina. Out on the dock next to the boat was a well-rounded, middle-aged man with light brown hair and a mustache. "Hey, 'pops,'" said Lina as she walked up to the man. "Is this boat headed to Wolfpac Island?" The man grew delighted. "Ah, you must be Lina Inverse," he said. "I've been expecting you.." The man held out his hand with a friendly gesture. "The name's Garland," he said, "Charles Garland. I'm the captain of this here boat." "It's a pleasure to meet you," said Lina, taking his hand. The shook hands for a second and then returned them to their sides. Amelia stepped forward. "Excuse me Mister Garland," she said. "Yes, little girl?" he asked. "How did you know Miss Lina," said Amelia, "and why is your ship so nice?" "Well," replied Charles, "I was told by Xellos that Lina would be short with red hair, and the smallest chest I'd ever seen." "WHAT WAS THAT!?" shouted Lina. "That's just what I was told, miss," said Charles. "Anyway, about the boat, it is the most important vessel owned by the company I work for." "And what company do you work for?" asked Naga. "Linhir's Liquor and Cigarette Company," replied Charles. "We ship our finest liquor and cigarettes to Wolfpac Island for Lord Beastmaster. The money we receive from her makes up eighty-three percent of our profits. She's even been so kind as to put a spell on this ship that will allow it to sail the seas quickly and with the finest weather imaginable." "She sounds nice," said Gourry. "Well, she is," said Charles, "to an extent. Now Deep-Sea Dolphin is nice. Although she's a little bit messed up in the head. Whenever we deliver a shipment to her she, always gives us the nicest things and always smiles."
Lina grew interested. "You know Deep-Sea Dolphin?" asked Lina. "Of course," said Charles, "She makes up fifteen percent of our profits. I've never seen her get angry or anything. This whole Galleon of Gold thing has really got me confused. I mean, the Lord Deep-Sea in the story doesn't even sound like the one I know. I think there's more to it than there seems. Well, enough of my babbling. Lets get you kids on board." Without a hesitating, Lina and the others got on board the "Aqua Tamer™" and were soon on their way to Wolfpac Island. 'More to it than there seems,' eh? thought Lina. What have we gotten ourselves into?