The Dragon in the Theatre

14

The Celox



‘I’m sure you’ll find my vessel will meet all of your needs Mr. Hunter. You see we have been here for many years and we have only ever offered a passenger service, never cargo, so we are very used to looking after our guests.’ Berani’s voice contained an occasional purr, and Elliott seemed to be immediately fascinated by her. He could not take his eyes off her. 

Captain Berani led Koje, John and Elliott confidently through the city streets until she reached a small parade of trader’s stalls. She stopped at an unassuming alleyway that sat between two traders selling fruits and vegetables. She led them down the alley until they reached a dark red doorway, and then opened the door.

‘You will have to accept my apologies,’ she said. ’You see we spend so much time at sea that we find there is very little point in doing the place up much. The Celox is actually our home and we only berth here a few nights each cycle when we need to stop for resources. Frankly I’ve never been too partial to dry land anyway, so this place is really just a cave.’

She pointed through the wooden door and motioned for them to enter. It was pitch black inside the doorway, particularly in comparison to the brilliant light outside.

‘She’s in here,’ said Berani pointing the way.

Koje steeped through the door first followed by John who as expected held Elliott close by. Koje took the Dragon, still wrapped in his blanket disguise, from Elliott. The humble door opened up to a cavernous expanse that appeared to open up beneath the streets they had walked in on. The change in light was disorienting to them all at first and it took a few moments for their eyes to adjust from having been in the bright light, to now having entered the dark cave. The Captain led them carefully along a narrow walkway then down a set of rocky steps, but below them they could already see the Vessel that she so clearly loved. Elliott reached up and touched the rocks as he walked down the steps. He found the texture completely different to the rock in the staircase. This rock was rough and grainy compared to the smoothness of the staircase. There were patches of lichen growing, thriving on the moisture in the cavern. The path was not long but they all took their steps carefully as the drop to the sea was significant.  The light seeping in from the cave entrance was now highlighting the cave’s inhabitant. Daylight bounced off her polished hull and her colours were instantly appealing to Elliott and his love of clean things.

‘There she is. The Celox. She is one of the fastest ships on the sphere. And may I add one of the most comfortable also. The seas here are never too rough but trust me once we are out on the water you are never going to want to come home. You can sit on the deck and look at the ocean wall ahead and your whole life will make sense.’

‘I’m sure it’s wonderful,’ John interrupted, ’But my son is very tired. If you don’t mind could we get him on board?’ He still carried a sense of frustration with him, impatient to keep moving forwards.

Koje gave the captain a reassuring glance and from her return gesture she appeared to understand the priorities of fathers and sons. Berani’s tone in response was tender.

‘I’m all right dad,’ Elliott added, ‘but I am quite tired.’ Berani stepped forward, and ushered Elliott onto the Celox. As soon as he was out of earshot she spoke to John. 

‘Well I’m afraid Mr Hunter that it will be far too late for us to set out tonight. There are only a couple of hours of good sphere burn left and we’d only end up stopping shortly. I think it is far better if we got you all settled in. I think given your son’s condition he would be far more comfortable if he had some time to adjust to the new surroundings before heading out to sea, wouldn’t you. I wouldn’t want him to get seasick straight away. A night in his bunk will probably straighten him out’

John was surprised; he wondered what the Captain understood of Elliott’s condition and more than anything how could she know? Then the thought occurred to him that he was mistaking his own lack of knowledge for the rest of the galaxy. For all he knew everyone else knew exactly what Elliott was and it was only he that was in the dark.

‘I’m sorry, You know what’s..’ he stuttered, unable to quite ask the question. 

‘What’s happening to him? Yes I do. I can see it in his eyes. The colour spectrum keeps changing.  I’ve never personally seen it in a child, I don’t think anyone ever has but I’ve heard the legends, the myths. Besides why else would you be going where you’re going. And from where you’ve come from.’

John felt a surge in his chest. Of relief that there was someone who understood, who knew what he had to do, but also fear that if this Captain knew that others could know, and that there was a possibility that he might not be able to trust them.

‘And John? She asked Him.

John raised his eyes and met hers.

‘You can trust me.’ John looked at her and her purple eyes and knew that he could. He knew then that whatever had happened to Elliott, whatever was awakening in Elliott, some of it was also alive in him. In that moment he could he that the purple in her eyes told him that all he needed to know about this woman was that she was to be trusted and that his son would be safe. And for now that was enough.

‘Come with me John Hunter,’ She took his hand. ‘Come and meet my crew.’

John walked down a slippery walkway to a jetty where the ship was tied up. The Dragon poked its snout out of the blanket it was wrapped in, curious about where it was headed. Neither John nor Elliott had ever seen such a boat before although they had heard Grandfathers stories of adventurers.

‘She’s a Trimaran. That means three hulls. Nearly thirty full men long. The hull this side is mine. That’s my bedroom and study. The far side is Betty’s and the storeroom. Betty’s the cook and she’s the best at sea let me tell you. The hull in the middle is called the vaka and that’s the largest by far, and that’s the guest quarters in front, galley at the rear and the bridge in the centre. It’ll sleep up to six comfortably, so the three of you can take your pick.’

John Knelt down to Elliott, who was sitting on the hull with his legs hanging over the water.

‘What do you think?

Elliott waited a moment before his face exploded in a rare smile.

‘I like it!‘

‘There you go Captain. You have the Hunter seal of approval.’

The Captain pulled a small set of steps down from the hull of the ship.

‘Then permission to come aboard is granted. Why don’t you go and pick your bunks and get your gear stowed away and I’ll have betty rustle up some supper.’

‘That sounds wonderful Captain. Thank you.’ John said.

John, Koje and Elliott climbed the steps and walked Elliott across the struts that crossed the trimaran until they reached the central hull. Koje opened the hatch and helped Elliott climb in then returned for their backpacks. Then John let the Dragon loose and it chirped and jumped down after its boy. It seemed to appreciate being free of the blanket for the first time in quite a while.

Elliott had already started to rearrange the cabin by the time Koje came back. There were six bunks, three on each side each of which was only just as wide as an adult, with a small pillow and a blanket. The cabin had no windows, but the hatch could be pulled backwards so that the whole roof of the cabin was open. Elliott had room to sit on the floor between the bunks at the far end of the cabin. He took out his bag of carved stone characters and started to line them up. No sooner was he standing the figures up than the Dragon was knocking them over. Fortunately Elliott seemed to find it amusing. John and Koje were climbing into the bunk.

‘He must be happy if he’s settled in like that eh John?’

‘Yes he must,’ John replied.

The Captain appeared standing at the edge of the opening and John noticed that at the back of their Cabin stood the start of the ships mast. It was a strong solid wooden mast and John though it was at least twice the thickness of his own head. Berani had important news.

‘Gentlemen, Betty will be serving our evening meal in the Galley which is the section of the main hull just behind the mast. I should take this opportunity if I were you to have a rest from your travelling. I’ll sit with Elliott if you like, my Navigator Sendiri will be back soon and I have nothing to do until he returns anyway.’

John felt sure he could trust the Captain. It would certainly be nice to close his eyes even if only for five minutes.

‘If you’re sure you don’t mind,’ he replied.

‘Of course I don’t mind. Actually Elliott would you like to play a game of Challenge with me – I have my own set of stone figures?

‘Really?’ Elliott was genuinely surprised. Captain Berani gave John a quick wink.

John chose a bunk, the nearest, lay back, saw that Koje’s eyes were already closed, and that the Dragon was already snoring, and he felt the weight of sleep overtake him in no time.



When John did open his eyes what he saw took him so completely by surprise that it took him a few seconds to realise that he was not in fact dreaming. It was late evening and the moon was full. It was only then that he realised where he was. The moon wasn’t in fact a real moon, it was an artificial moon designed to give the sky nigh time light. From the Celox it sat just in the middle of the sky at the cave opening. He looked around for Elliott. Where he expected his son to be he saw instead the back of what appeared to be a large hairy orange man. John looked over rubbing his eyes to Koje’s bunk to find him not there either. John Then glanced back at the strange creature sitting on the floor of the trimaran playing with his son’s toys. John blinked, tried to work out what he was looking at, stared some more then plucked up enough courage to speak.

‘Hello?’ was all he could muster, in a rather hesitant voice.

‘John Hunter,’ a deep voice responded from the mound of orange fur. ‘Your name is John Hunter. The captain told me. Yer Boy is next door don’t worry bout him. The Captain is showin him the boat.’

‘You know the Captain?’ John replied.

‘Course.’ The answer was simple but honest.

‘How?’

‘I’m tha navigator?’

It was only then that John realised who he was speaking to.

‘You’re Sendiri?’ he asked.

‘Right. Sendiri. Means Last, On account of I’m the last. I’m an Orangeman. The last. I’m the navigator and I live up there.’

Sendiri pointed directly upwards with a finger longer than John had ever seen before to a large platform at the top of the mast.

‘That’s my nest. Where I sleep. Yer Boy has some nice toy’s here. You think he would let me play wit him. I grew up alone you see, I neer had anyone to play wit, so I like to play wit anyone who will play wit me.’

‘I’m sure he would Sendiri.  I think the Captain has already played a game with him.’ John already liked this kind soul with his big eyes and broad jowl.

‘Good. I’d like someone to play with. You carry a burden don’t you John Hunter?’

John looked at him, this man of fur. It was as if everyone on this world had a form of extra perception. He could not understand how Sendiri would know to ask such a question. John wanted to understand more.

‘What do you mean?’

‘It’s OK John. We all have a burden. I have a burden too cos I’m the last, but you don’t need worry. Someone looked out fer me and someone be looking out fer you as well. Believe me I know.’

Sendiri stood to his full height. It was only then that John appreciated just how much larger than a normal human Sendiri actually was. He wore clothing common with the style of this world, loose fitting and bland in colour, and made for his frame. His shape was almost twice as wide as he was tall, compared to John who was tall and slim. Sendiri walked using his hands to push himself, then grabbed the mast and propelled himself up to his nest and was down again before John realised he had gone.

‘C’mon John Let’s go and have us some of Betty’s fine food. I can smell some Ouja. That’s one of her best you know.’

John smiled. This morning he had woken up in a world that was cold, dark and bleak and now he had woken in a place that already felt like family.