wanted to go swimming.
The porter turned and ran down the harbor and made a dive into the water at the end of the pier. The harbor master came running out of his office shouting, “Frankie! What are you doing? You can’t swim!”
Farsid got an idea and took off at a run. He made it to the trade house in record time.
“Master Protus!” He called out as he came into the gates. “I need my horse!”
The house master was working with someone. He looked up from his clipboard. “See the stable for the red mare. She is a fast one and handles well.”
Farsid hardly broke stride and went into the stables. The hand there was already saddling up the red mare in anticipation of Farsid’s arrival.
“Is she ready?” Farsid asked in a commanding tone.
The stable hand nodded.
Farsid was no stranger to horseback riding. He mounted up quickly and clicked his tongue at the horse. They trotted right through the trade house and out into the streets.
With a kick of the heels they charged through the streets of Saint Ellwood causing people to leap out of the way of their charging path. As far as he could tell, they had not run anyone down, but it did not matter. He had to get his coin back. That stupid coin.
They charged out of the city gates faster than the guard to stop or even question him. He rode a ways down the road and then veered off to the left towards the Concourse. They ran straight through a farmer’s field and then up the hill of the levee. He stopped at the levee top and looked around. He was unable to see the steam flat. He dug in his ankles and they went racing along the levee.
About a mile down river he was rounding a bend when he saw the steam flat. It had stopped on the bank, nose first. The thief was there! He was at the bow pushing it off.
Farsid road down the Levee at an angle and charged over to the boat and arrived just in time to watch it pull away.
He watched helplessly as they hit midwater and put on full throttle. He prodded his horse but it was already tired from all the running and they were unable to keep up. The steam flat started to pull away.
The witch tried to reach out with his mind to the pilot but with the bouncing of the horse he could not even concentrate enough for that.
The horse seemed to hit a wall and had to slow down. Farsid cursed his luck.
They topped the levee again and continued for another couple of miles at the slower pace. As he came around a bend into a straight away, it was there. Farsid could not believe his luck! The steam flat was now parked along the bank.
He kicked at the horse’s sides again and it picked up a little speed but not like earlier. They came down the levee bank again and it appeared as though they were actually waiting for him.
As he rode up, he reigned in his horse.
The boat pilot was standing at the rail with a woman of stunning beauty. He recognized her immediately. She was one of Sylvia’s Daughters. They were all genetically engineered clones of Sylvia.
“Good afternoon Farsid!” The boat pilot called out to him. “Seems I keep running into your thieves.”
The pilot chuckled a little and was flipping a coin and catching it. The coin. He was carelessly just tossing it around!
“That is my coin!” He shouted at the pilot.
Farsid had to lunge after the coin when the boat pilot haphazardly tossed it to him.
“Had a furry try to steal my boat. I had to put him off midwaters. He tried to buy his life with that.” The boat pilot told him.
“I saw that furry helping you push off!” He was happy to have his coin back, but something seemed suspicious about the situation.
“He crashed my boat; I made him put it back in the water.” The pilot explained.
Farsid found it hard to concentrate as he was still out of breath. He could not get a good read on the pilot’s mind, but he could tell he was hiding something.
He looked at the cabin and could not probe there either. He was certain the furry was there but there was no way to prove it. Maybe he could get aboard the boat…
“Well, so long as I have my coin back.” He was disappointed that he did not get to execute the thief himself.
“Now if you will excuse me, Farsid,” the pilot said, “I will be on my way.”
Farsid nodded at him and started to turn but a thought occurred to him.
“I have business in West Bucket in a couple of days.” Farsid said. “Could you give me a ride?”
“I have a pressing matter with a Johnson I have to attend to and we are now already very late.” The pilot defended.
Farsid looked at the captain then over to the Daughter. Johnson’s were the leaders of the Chuggers. They were a group of people that harnessed old technology in the form of engines. The dispute between Sylvia and her Daughters with the Chuggers was legendary. There was no way the pilot was going to go see a Johnson with the Daughter on board.
“You are harboring one of them and you are going to see a Johnson?”
The pilot looked at the girl as if he just noticed her there.
“I have information about Mother.” The daughter offered. “I have been shunned by her and I am on the run, so I am going to give the Chuggers information about her.”
The pilot seemed to agree with her. He could tell they were hiding something from him but he still had not recovered himself enough to know what.
Farsid acquiesced. “Then I will continue on mount. Good day to you!”
He was still holding the coin in his hand as he had the mare climb the levee. It felt wonderful there, like it belonged. That stupid coin.
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