Sebastian Darke: Prince of Explorers (32 page)

Phelan looked at him in surprise. 'Oh no, nothing like that. He was one of those people who go around telling jokes for a living. What do they call them? Oh yes, a jester!'

Sebastian stared at him. 'You are joking?' he said.

'Oh no, I leave the jokes to him – he's a killer when he gets going! Next time you see him you must ask him to tell you the one about the merchant and the pigs. It's a riot!'

Cornelius started to chuckle; a chuckle that quickly developed into a full-blooded roar of laughter. 'A fool!' he cried. 'Sebastian, it looks as though you missed your vocation. You could have turned your hand to designing boats.' He looked at Phelan's puzzled expression. 'Excuse our amusement,' he said, 'but Sebastian here used to be in the same line of work as Aaron.'

'I don't know what you're laughing at,' sighed Max. 'Maybe I'm being picky but I don't much like the idea of trusting my life to a boat designed by a jester.'

'What's wrong with that?' asked Sebastian. 'Just because a man tells jokes for a living it doesn't mean he can't think big thoughts.'

'You've told me some of your thoughts,' said Max. 'None of them are going to give the great philosophers any sleepless nights.'

Cornelius walked back along the ark's hull. 'Let's go and take a look inside this thing,' he suggested. Max started to follow him, but the little warrior turned back and held up a hand. 'Maybe you'd better wait here,' he said. 'If that support snaps, this thing could wind up in the river before it's time to leave.'

'What are you trying to say?' muttered Max indignantly, but he obeyed the order and stayed where he was, watching the others with a gloomy expression. 'If you feel any creaking below you, get out of there fast,' he advised them.

Cornelius found a gangplank and set it against the side of the boat. He and Sebastian walked up onto the deck, closely followed by Phelan and Olaf. Sebastian couldn't help noticing that when the four of them stood close together, the planks sagged dramatically beneath their combined weight.

'Still quite a bit of sap in this wood,' observed Phelan, stamping a boot down hard. 'When everyone's aboard we'll have to make sure that we space ourselves out a bit.'

'You could always put some supporting braces below decks,' suggested Cornelius. 'To take the strain.'

Phelan shook his head. 'I don't think there's room for that,' he said. 'Come and take a look.' He led them through a doorway set into the central wheelhouse. Within, they found a surprisingly spacious enclosure containing bunks and benches, with just enough room for everyone to stretch themselves out to sleep. In the centre, a set of rickety steps led down through an open hatch.

Phelan pointed down them. 'Go and have a look,' he said. Cornelius started to descend and Sebastian followed. It was dark down below, but an ancient oil lamp hung from a hook on the wall. Cornelius found his tinderbox and eventually managed to get the lamp lit. He held it at arm's length to illuminate the hold. As he looked around, he gasped and Sebastian did likewise.

The entire length and breadth of the area was stacked with booty. Now Sebastian understood why Phelan had said that there would be no space for a supporting brace. He was reminded of Captain Callinestra's treasure, a small part of which they had appropriated and ultimately lost in the sinking of the
Marauder
. The children of Sanctuary had clearly decided to leave none of the hoard behind. In the soft glow of the lamplight Sebastian saw the shimmer of gold and precious jewels: crowns and necklaces, open sacks of coins, jewel-encrusted scabbards and beautifully tooled swords. There were statues and paintings and medals and things that Sebastian couldn't easily identify, but it was evident that Aaron had not been exaggerating when he boasted of the wealth stored in the ark. It must have been worth a thousand king's ransoms.

'It looks . . . heavy,' said Sebastian.

Cornelius nodded. 'I'm beginning to appreciate what a responsibility this is,' he murmured. 'Getting those children to Veltan will only be part of the operation. If word got out that they had this kind of fortune at their disposal, there'd be villains queuing up to relieve them of it.' He considered for a moment. 'We'd have to find them a safe place to store it. We might even have to consider making an arrangement with a – a bank.'

Sebastian frowned. 'Are you sure?' he muttered. 'My father used to hate those places – said they weren't to be trusted.'

'With respect, Sebastian, your father might have been prosperous in his heyday but he didn't have this kind of wealth at his disposal. They can hardly keep all this under their mattresses, can they? At any rate, that's something to think about later. First of all, we have to be as sure as we can be that this vessel will actually make it to Veltan.'

'So . . . we're accepting the assignment?'

Cornelius turned back to him and grinned. 'Of course we're accepting it! Sebastian, if we pull this off, we'll be set up for life.'

'And Thaddeus Peel?'

'Oh, sucks to him – we'll sort him out later, if we're in the mood. Come on.'

They turned and made their way back up to the deck, where they found Phelan and Olaf waiting anxiously for them.

'Well?' said Phelan. 'What do you think?'

Cornelius adopted a cool demeanour. 'I have just one question for you,' he said. 'When were you thinking of leaving?'

'Three days' time?' cried Max. 'Do you think that's a good idea?'

He was reclining on cushions in the corner of the communal room, having just devoured a bucket of fruit that some of the children had procured for him.

Cornelius turned to look at the buffalope. 'Good idea or not, that's when we're leaving,' he said flatly. 'But don't worry, I'm going to spend the time wisely. I'm taking a work party up there every day to make a few improvements of my own.'

'Oh, so now you're an engineer,' observed Max caustically. 'Honestly, there seems to be no end to your talents.'

Cornelius shrugged. 'I'd hardly call myself an engineer,' he said. 'But I can see that it would be a good idea to strengthen the hull and the deck. Any fool could do that.'

Max turned his gaze in Sebastian's direction. 'Well, a fool designed the boat, so anything's possible,' he said.

'What's he on about?' asked Keera, who as ever was at Sebastian's side.

'Hmm?' Cornelius looked at her. 'Oh, nothing,' he said. 'Ignore him, I think he got too much sun today.'

Night had fallen only a little while earlier, and in the big hall the younger children were running around playing one of their boisterous games, the older ones huddled in little groups, talking animatedly or eating bowls of stew taken from the big pot. Salah sat with one group, talking as though she had been doing it all her life. There was a sense of anticipation in the air: word had got around that they would soon be leaving for Veltan. Sebastian wondered how they would cope with their new found wealth and a completely different life in a bustling port – assuming, of course, that they made it there in one piece. A quick head count told him that there were fifteen children in all, including Phelan and Salah, with ages ranging between three summers and fifteen.

Phelan appeared through the door and made a beeline for Sebastian. 'Aaron wishes to speak with you again,' he said; but when Cornelius also started to rise from his seat, the boy shook his head. 'Just Sebastian this time,' he insisted.

'What's it about?' asked Sebastian, but Phelan simply shrugged his thin shoulders and beckoned impatiently. The elfling nodded and followed Phelan out of the room and up the staircase.

The boy led Sebastian to the big doors and pushed them open, but made no move to follow him inside. Sebastian found the old man sitting on his huge golden throne. A more modest chair was set out beside him.

'Ah, Sebastian, thank you for coming,' he said. 'Please, sit beside me for a little while. I would very much like to talk with you.'

Sebastian did as he was asked. 'How are you this evening?' he asked politely.

'I am well,' said Aaron. 'And all the better now Phelan has told me you've decided to accompany the children to Veltan.'

'Yes,' said Sebastian. 'We will undertake your mission. But . . .'

'Yes?' asked Aaron anxiously.

'Well, I wish you'd consider coming with us. I'm sure if we made some kind of stretcher, we could easily carry you down to the ark. And there are bunks inside – we could make you comfortable enough.'

'I've no doubt you could,' agreed Aaron. 'But what would be the point? Even if I survived the journey, I'd have only a very short time in an unfamiliar world. It's different for the children. They are adaptable; they are just starting out. But this room is all I have known for much of my life. I would rather die here, surrounded by the things I love. Besides there's one last thing I wish to do before death claims me.'

'What's that?' asked Sebastian.

'Oh, nothing of importance,' murmured Aaron dismissively. He gazed thoughtfully at Sebastian. 'Phelan told me something interesting about you,' he said. 'It appears we have something in common.'

'Really?' Sebastian was initially puzzled, but then Aaron's meaning became clear to him. 'Oh, you mean that we were both once jesters?'

Aaron chuckled. 'Once a fool, always a fool,' he said.

'Oh, no . . .' Sebastian raised a hand in denial. 'I gave it a try, that's all. My father was in the business – he was quite successful in my neck of the woods. You might have heard of him. Alexander, Prince of Fools?'

Aaron shook his grey head. 'I'm afraid not,' he said.

'Well, no matter. At any rate, he passed away suddenly. My mother and I were starving, so I set out to try and fill his boots. Quite literally. It was the only thing I could think to do. But it was a disaster. Every audience I played to seemed to hate me and nobody ever laughed at my jokes.'

'Oh dear.' Aaron looked genuinely sympathetic. 'And who were these difficult audiences?'

Sebastian thought for a moment and was surprised to arrive at the conclusion he did. 'Actually, it was only one audience; but an important one. A whole bunch of noblemen and women at the court of King Septimus in Keladon.'

Aaron looked as though he couldn't believe his ears. 'So you allowed the reaction of one audience to persuade you that you had no skills as a jester?'

Sebastian nodded. 'Pretty much,' he admitted. 'But you've no idea how bad I was. I was lucky to get out of there alive!'

Aaron considered the matter. 'Let me ask you this, Sebastian. Did you never try performing for the best audience of all?'

'Who would that be?' asked Sebastian, mystified.

'Why,
children
, of course! Children are the finest audience any jester could ask for. They have no preconceptions, they don't worry what the person sitting next to them might think if they laugh. Children are a joy to perform for, and yet they are the true test of any jester's skills.'