Birthday Sale on all of my novels

Hello, Time for my yearly birthday sale. Monday June 22 is a special birthday for I have reached a milestone. 

Everyone of my E-books is a $1.11 off (No I am not a 111 years old. It isn't that milestone yet :) ) 

And all of my paper novels are two dollars off-except for one which they only allowed me to reduce 1.44 . They will be on sale until June 27.

Whatever the price they are fun reads with adventure, mysteries, suspense and action. Western short stories, Urban Fantasy, steampunk, Science Fiction adventure. 

Here is my Amazon author's page https://www.amazon.com/L-E-Doggett/e/B01C58R1II…

and https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/%22L.%20E.%20Doggett%22…

Second half of "What?" A fantasy in two parts

Part Two of “You want Me To Do What?”

Before I get to t he story:

A Happy Fourth of July to all those who read this and who live in America, or celebrate her anyway. Obviously not a perfect country but still over all one that learns from her mistakes and her people are willing to share, with a great economy, and the freedom to be a totally a Christian and any other religion.
Again too late I thought of doing a story for the holiday. I have a serious of stories for different holidays but not this one. So it would have had to be a new one, but I could have done it if I thought of it in time.


But here be dragons at least one. And a brave, unsure of herself female hero who learns something about herself. 2,692 words here today.

Here is a bit from part one to help you catch up.


When she saw her mentor in the door of her house, she knew he wasn’t there for a social visit. He had come sometimes for a social call but not this time. By the look on his face she knew it was something she wasn’t going to like. Donna hadn’t expected him to suggest that she come here though.
He had said, “I need you to do something. You’re not going to like it, but you’re the only one that can pull it off.”


She looked at him, a bad feeling growing in her stomach because of his words and tone of his voice. Donna had done many things she didn’t want to do to save her small nation. Gone undercover, spied with a partner, took part in a couple of magic duels, dealt with giant mice and that horde of bugs last week. That mission still sent shivers down her back. But now it was almost time for her to marry. She needed a break and rest.
Samuel said, “Most of your features show that some of your ancestors probably were Easterners. Along with that your knowledge of dragons and the Eastern Magic Code, your ability, and experience you could pass for an Easterner wizard. Your red hair could be a problem but there are ways to hide that.”
Even before Samuel finished Donna had stared at him; she couldn’t believe what he wanted her to do. He knew her background. A corner of her mind said that it was logical. There were dragons on the same mountain, as the school. The students had to learn how to communicate with them as part of their practice. The dragons of the mountain and the Teachers had made a pact, generations ago, that bound the dragons to deal with the students as their boss.
“Tell me what I need to do,” She had finally said.
After Samuel left she had sat on her bed trembling with the thought of pretending to be one them. She had some bad memories of being treated as dog, by Easterners. For some reason they thought she was a half breed and therefore deserved to be treated as a dog. She had had to spend almost a year with them. They fed her scraps and made her sleep on the floor, as well as beat her and forcing her to work for them. Finally her mother and father had found her, rescuing her.
In one way it was good that she had been a child. If she had been a few years older they would done other things to her and used her in ways that made her shudder to think of. Of course she might have been old enough to fight back and maybe even use her magic, but that would have gotten her killed, probably. She still didn’t know why they had kidnapped her and treated her like that, when she came up to them to ask if they were related. After her rescue she ran or hid from anyone who looked Eastern and had nightmares for years. One reason she had set out to learn the Eastern Magic Code was to see if she could figure out why they had done that to her, and to be able to defend herself if any one of them tried it again. She had studied dragons because she was fascinated by them.
Her memories stopped when she reached the school. She made sure she looked haughty and went in. She was half way across the common area when her worst fears came true. One of the officers in the Eastern army came up to her. She thought he was suspicious and wanted to see some proof of her identity but his smile showed her what he wanted.
“There you are, lovely one. I thought we could go up to my room and practice---your exercises.”
She tried to brush pass him, as she said, “Later I got...”
That was all she got out as he grabbed her, putting one arm around her.
 He said, “You can finish what you’re doing after we practice together.”
The way he said together made her feel dirty. She froze for half a heartbeat, wanted to flee, but that would not fit with who she was pretending to be. Her breath came hard, sweat formed on her forehead, her heart beat too fast.
He started to slip a hand inside her robe. Donna could smell his sweat with something extra that would be produced by his arousal. She swallowed the excess siliva that formed. Instead of slapping him and running which was her instinctive response she said, “I said later.” with all the haughtiness and anger she could muster. The anger wasn’t faked.
He smiled and said “I know how you students want it.”
Donna knew she couldn’t fight him and without her bracelet she didn’t have her usual weapons to stop him. He tried to kiss her, expecting her to react like any usual Easterner magic student would, by kissing back.
Instead she slipped her hand through the opening of her robe, beating his hand away as she did. She moved her hand faster than she thought she was able to and found one of the small charms she had made just for this occasion.
Donna slipped it off and threw it on the floor right under his feet. She started speaking Words.
The round piece of bark broke open on the floor releasing a lightly colored smoke. It spiraled upward caressing his legs and going up under the bottom of his uniform.
A second later, as he pressed his lips against hers and slipping his hand through the opening of her robe, he froze. Than he stepped backwards looking like he was puzzled. He yelped and started reaching for his legs to scratch the intense itch he had all of a sudden.
That gave her the opening she needed, finishing her recitation she moved her right hand around, as if she was wrapping something around him. He jerked up, looking at her with a panicked expression. She pulled on the invisible something in her hand and he slipped to the floor, falling on one side, with his hands tightly bound to his sides. She pulled again and he grunted as a long, coiling dent appeared in his chest armor, as if something heavy was squeezing him. He grunted out a curse and maybe a short scream.
She snarled, not all faked, “I said later! I got something to finish first before pleasure.”
Donna let go of what was in her hand and walked off.
“Damn officers, they don’t know their place,” she mumbled loud enough for those who had witnessed the confrontation to hear.
She finished with a particularly nasty Eastern insult. Some of those around her smiled and by the expression on the faces of other students, they thought he got what he deserved.
Some probably were thinking she should have squeezed even harder, she thought. I didn’t wanted to hurt him, not badly, that Power Word will keep him until it wears off in a few minutes. I used a weaker Power phrase on purpose.
As she walked out of the room, she saw he was squirming trying to find relief from the itching. That would stop before the Word let go of him.
Donna made it back to her room without further difficulty.
Once in the room she made sure the door was secure. Not so much because she was afraid that someone would want to finish what the officer started, but so no one could walk in while she opened her special small chest. It was locked with more than a physical lock. She had placed a black dress over it but she depended on a Power Word on it that wouldn’t let anyone, except her, see it. There was a second one that would keep it shut even if the lock was broken.
She picked it up with one hand and slowly opened it. Inside, along with pieces of jewelry, was her two must precious items. Her bracelet and her engagement ring. She picked that up first luxuriating in its feel. Rather had spent time designing it and making it just right and she could feel his love flowing from it. It was beautiful, with two doves touching a diamond between their beaks. The doves sliver in color and there were white and gold streaks throughout the band. The diamond shone with a brilliance that still surprised her.
She didn’t know how he got white and yellow gold to bend together with the Power metal like that but she was happy with the result. She treasured it more than the necklace he had given her the first time he had come by to introduce himself. He had made that too. She had known he was a special person to be able to make something like that, and because he had known what to give her. She adored opals. Both the opals, and the amethyst, set in Power metal made it just right for someone with her abilities. For the Power metal enhanced a Power welders abilities.
Placing the ring on her finger Donna looked at her bracelet. She shook her head, it, the necklace and other rings would have to wait. Easterners had engagement rings so no one who might see it would think it funny she was wearing it. The other jewelry would have to wait. Besides from her reaction when that officer tried to grab her she realized she had become too dependent on the bracelet.
She pulled off the robe and untied the belt as fast as her hands would move. Once it was off she held the belt with one hand deciding what to do with it. Keeping it would be best in case she had need of it again. Donna hurriedly packed it and the robe in the pack with her dirty clothes in it. She next dressed in traveling clothes; undergarments, brown pants and a light yellow loose fitting tunic. Lastly a hooded jacket whose hood would hide her hair.
She looked at her self in the mirror and nodded. This outfit was a design that anyone might wear.
After that was done she finished packing and stepped to the door. Oops, she forgot one thing. Hurriedly unpacking she found the black, gray and brown headband, that was as wide as her little finger was long. It was the headband that signified that she was a student of Eastern Powercasting. Making sure the Powercasting symbol was on the front she put it around her forehead.
Once that was done she stepped out of the room and collapsed all the Power wards she had placed around the room, she left. Donna walked confidently through the halls and down the stairs. Once in the common area again she said to the person behind a counter that she was done with her room. He nodded and she turned heading through the main door. As she did, she tried to look like she was all Powerful and she could do whatever she wanted.
Donna mused that Rather would be surprised, if he was to see her now with that expression on her face, along with her walk. He thought she needed more of an aura of confidence, than she usually displayed.
She found the stables and got her horse. It had been well taken care of and all she had to do was saddle it. The stable
hands could do that, but she didn’t want to wait. She could do it faster and be out of there sooner.
Once on the road she kept up her haughty stance, until she was halfway down the mountain. Once she thought she was beyond where anyone might be watching her, she relaxed. Stopping she took her chest out of the saddlebag. Opening it she placed the necklace around her neck and the bracelet on her right wrist. She added her other rings and than made a clicking noise with her mouth to urge the horse to start moving again. The horse was soon traveling at a half gallop.
On the way she thought about how she had been right for this trip after all. Even though she took a chance using the bark bead as a talisman she knew that it was unlikely that anyone would look for the bead. If anyone happened to find the tiny pieces of what was left of it, and checked it over, they would find traces of Hedge witch Power, not Northern Power. She didn’t worry about the other Power she used either. If anyone tested the residue of the Power, she had used on the officer, they would find what they expected: Eastern Magic as the bases. The same went with the demonstration of her Power she used to get in. Donna had used Eastern Power Words for both.
She was one of the few of her colleagues, who studied more than one type of Power. Now though she had to get going if she was going to make the rendezvous with the dragon and a day after that with her fiancé.
It would be good to have the dragon bones with the magic they contained. They would help her side, but they were not the reason she had taken the chance of coming here. It was the second thing, she had mentioned in an off handed way, that had brought her to this place. The humans she had mentioned, who would be coming over the pass, were coming to attack her people. There were no armies or mages, nor any other Power wielders, who were in the right position to stop them. Not that it mattered even if the army was in the right place. Her people were too few to have an army large enough to stop the one headed their way. With a few good mages, if they were able to hit the invaders in the right place, at the right moment, they might be able to do them significant damage thereby stopping them. But that would leave her nation open to an attack by the Easterners. The army however wasn’t in the right place. They were marching at full speed for the invaders because they weren’t going to give up without a fight. They would get there, however, after the invaders had come through the pass, and after they had a chance to rest up.
Her mentor had come up with the plan to use a dragon to decimate the invaders, while they were coming through the pass. He told her about the bones in the small cave just under the level of the lava in the Crag volcano. He had known about them for years but hadn’t had the ability to get to them. Now the level of the lava had gone down and if it continued going down, the cave would become accessible. But a dragon could get them. The bones were to be the excuse to get the dragon at the right place and time. Her partner would make sure the invaders attacked the dragon. He was good at making people do what he wanted without using any traceable Power words to convince them.
As she rode on she smiled happy to have beaten her fears and disgust, while at the same time she had been able to do something that would save her people. Not a bad three day trip.

The End

Two more Fantasy tales-about libraries this time

 
Both of these were inspired by pictures like the two last week but this time it was form different sources. The first one is another from Charlie Hoover's #geekscapes Link is just before the story. But the other one is taken from a writing prompt in another area of Google+. I believe you would have to be a member of that community to see the pic so I will describe it before that story.
The second one was suppose to be under 600 words and it came in at 596. Now it is 952 words long,

Both stories deal with libraries which is one of two reasons I put them together. The other reason are the combined lengths 2,452 words. Not too long but still long enough for a good tale. Anyway, both libraries are different, with different settings, different characters and such.

So to the tales:




Study Library:

Dina sat in the library alone; she liked the quiet and the fact that no one studied, or talked here during meal time. One of her weaknesses, lack of correct social skills and a tendency to embarrass herself, along with a dislike for noise, inspired her to study alone. And to eat by herself. Her dinner had been an hour ago before the tables had been set. She had made special arrangements months ago to eat early. Her excuse had been her job at the time, but even though that had ended she still ate her meal before the others. 
The small area she liked to use had an old tiny desk, small beaten up small stuffed chair, with a small table next to it with one of the very few electric lights, gave her what she needed. A quiet, solitary place to study. She joined the school late and was always behind. She hadn’t known they would take her even with her ability. Few of the other students said anything but she could tell many looked down on her. She was behind, and poor with few social skills. Some thought she would always be behind with her power level. Every now and again she believed them.
She breathed in, coughed. The place always smelled dusty with mildew mixed in along with various human odors, some good, some not so good, from throughout the day. Once she had brought a roll for a snack, but some dust had gotten on it which ruined the flavor. The stinks didn’t help either. 
The room appeared larger than any other on campus by many times. It had only half walls and ceiling high shelves to break up the space. Those shelves along with smaller ones, desks-mostly small-as well as counters and odd types of art made the library look crowded. Portraits hung here and there too. Some could speak while others just made everyone uneasy who stared at them. Stain glass windows decorated the room too. Three sets looked straight out of some church. Another one off in a corner glowed as if an outside light shone through it even though there should have been a wall behind it. Lamps had been left on and even though burnt oil invaded her sinuses, she knew the place had protections from fires; accidental or purposeful.  
Dina sighed, for she needed the extra study time to catch up and that she wanted to learn areas of magic most other students didn’t. Those areas could be dangerous but also they were just odd or unusual. 
After half an hour of reading she sat back, relaxed. She had already rolled up her sleeves and let her auburn hair hang where it wanted to. Her red lipstick probably needed to be redone, but she didn’t care this late. 
She lazily looked around. This part of the library looked like an old den in an English mansion. It had a fireplace that was closed up. To keep wind out, to keep thieves out, or something else?  
Two of the paintings hung near her and the shelf right behind her had what appeared to be old fashion lanterns, with a glass chimney that sat by itself. They all burned-something. It should heat up the shelf above it but didn’t. More of the fire protection or did they produce a cold flame for another reason?
In the middle of rotating her chair she jumped: something sent a shiver down her back. Without a thought she opened her palm and formed ball lightning above her skin. It crackled a light blue, and its insides rolled with very tiny bolts. It wouldn’t do to have it touch her hand. She had done that once and the result made her swear never to let it touch her again. Her teacher thought that was one good way to learn even though there were easier methods. 
A quick glance one way showed her nothing, a look at the ceiling revealed nothing unusual. Nothing appeared obvious when she took another quick look to her left again. She found nothing after a search of the floor. Spiders and ants could take on strange appearances in here. And less said about the roaches the better. Just the thought of what she had seen on display creeped her out.
Something, a very slight rustle of robes, a sigh, or a shadow that moved, caused her to jerk her head back at the other side. A figure stood there, just behind and to one side of the small lamp. It wore a black, tattered robe with a cowl that covered the wearer’s head. It was so large its sides created shadows that blocked the person’s-if it was a person-face. The whole thing looked half transparent. It glided forward-in her direction.
Dina sighed.
“Teacher, what are you doing here?”
She had never seen him anywhere, but his class room and office. Those were his favorite and she had thought only hunts, but it would make sense for him to come here too. Few students could stand to be around him long enough to learn, even though he had always been one of the better teachers. That had been true before he died, now it was even more so. He made their skin crawl though-or so they said. It might be more the small whiffs of decay that followed him around, of the fact that they could not see his face. But she didn’t mind his appearance or that only a part of him was there. It was the part that made him such a good teacher. His stink didn’t stay around all that much-usually, and she was used to bad odors.
He stopped his glide and said, “I came looking for you. Why do you spend your spare time here?”
The Teacher looked around as if he wasn’t sure where he was.
“I like it here. The quiet helps me to research and to concentrate better on my homework.”
After a moment what he said hit her. How he knew that she spent her time here? Had he been here before? Was it part of his knowledge he always seemed to have?
He pointed a bony finger at her-no at her hand. 
“That was a good reaction. You formed it very quickly and I see that while deadly to smaller creatures, it would only render unconscious a man, or most other larger creatures. The atmospheric conditions in your open hand are just right to keep it formed until you need it. But remember there are those that it would only stun for a few second if that. And it will fade in while no matter what you do to keep it. They are not made to last long in nature.”
She smiled for he did not compliment students very often, unlike Moriartcy who was related to Holmes enemy-and who gave too many compliments. 
“Thank you, I have been practicing.”
“It shows. Now if I can remember why I wanted to speak to you.”
He looked around again, “I know this place. It looks like my old study.”
She knew she looked shocked. He said, “I cannot recall my name, or why I wear this outfit, but I do have memories that flow into the forward part of my mind at times. This place is in many of them.”
Dina felt uncomfortable. What would happen if he did recall his name? Would he still teach, go one to hunt some other place, like his house, or just cease to exist? Whatever the case, would it be her fault that his shade was to disappear? 
He looked back at her and smiled. She somehow always knew when the Teacher smiled, frowned, even though there was no way to make out his face in that shadow.

He titled his head as if he knew what she thought and wondered why, and said, “I have a new lesson for you. It will be very hard to learn but once you have it down it will take you to the one place you want very much to see. Tomorrow you will begin your knew lessons on how to go to the home lands of Fairies.”
She gasped for she had been pestering him for ages about that. She loved the fairies that visited the school. She wanted to know more about them to make friends with some, too see how their society and family life was like. 
“Thank you Teacher. I will learn that lesson well.”
He said, “I know you will,” and winked out. Probably to go back to the office or classroom. 
Her heart rose up, he had said two good things about her. She had to be improving, all of this studying was paying off after all. This would show the others students and herself she could be on a higher skill level than she thought. 
She couldn’t help but smile even with her earlier concern.

end

Second story "Library"

This one was inspired by a pic of a young woman standing just inside an open door, on a floor or bridge that was in the process of appearing. She is dressed simply in faded back dress with simple shoes. The dress looks like something the Amish might wear. She is staring at a large room full of shelves of books. All of the shelves are against the walls of the room with just enough space to walk in front of them. There are no floors on any levels but as I said The room is round, like a tower or silo. There are levels of shelves. At least three upwards and at least three downwards. 
Some of those or wrote stories inspired by this picture thought the floor was vanishing, but to me her expression shows the opposite.

So for this tale:
Sushion looked through the now empty doorway. She froze, her eyes popped open. Part of the brick wall had just disappeared, as she explored the old ruins. They looked like a very small castle with stone walls and two short towers. Parts of the walls lay smashed, and only tattered remnants showed that once there had been a wood roof, with support beams. She could smell that small animals had used this place for nest. She had told herself to be careful; not only because of the debris but what she could step in. Some snakes must still be here by the sounds. The walls only cut the cold wind a little and the hard, rough stones scrapped her skin where her clothes didn’t cover it. 
She had seen what looked like a thin crack in one wall and went to look closer. Sushion had hoped to find something she could use as a way to learn. Looters had been here but with so much debris on the floor and bundled in some corners there had to be something else. 
A step into the room now revealed and the wind no longer tugged at her simple black dress nor did it blow through her worn fade blue shoes. The bird songs and snake rustling noises grew faint. 
Her eyes were open as wide as she could get them, so she could take in everything and out of amazement. The hidden door had opened at what looked like halfway up a tower. The walls fell further than the light from the open door. They also went up. It must have been curved from the mountain the ruins sat next to. Maybe it had been a cistern at one time, but it hadn’t been used for that. She licked her lips. The taste of caked blood mixed with dust from when she tripped headlong over a floor stone with a corner lifted up distracted her for a heartbeat. The journey through the ruins of the very small castle had been hard. The ceiling no longer existed so rain and the hot summer sun had invaded the D’Oents house. That made mud over the floors, rocks lay about in uneven piles, plants grew here and there too. One section still had a roof so she had spent the night there to wait for daylight. Bones lay about but those she could see clearly were animal, mostly small ones. However some of the oldest and most decayed she found in her search could be human. The whole castle smelled like mud, plant decay, old rock, and urine. 
Over the years previous searchers and looters had ransacked the house looking for its secrets, thus the uneven floor. Possibly they may have looked for this room. Its contents were all still here and still protected from the weather and obviously from vandals and thieves. Some of what she saw appeared ancient and therefore worth a lot of money. 
She had seen what she thought were even lines in the early light and after hours of scraping dirt, water spots and lichen off the this one wall she could see it had been a door. No lock, no handle, not even a spring latch. Sushion had spent another hour pushing and tapping rocks but nothing. Then she either stepped on a very small hidden lock or it just decided to open. 
After she recovered from her backward stumble Sushion moved back to the now clear doorway. It took her breath away. The next step was straight down at least three levels. 
She could see hundreds of books, all set up with their spines up and down. She might be able to reach the few near the door way on both sides, but that was it. She moved in with very short steps. Started to reach for one when the toes of one foot reached over the step. Just as she started to pull a book out, something with her toes made her blink. She glanced down and she realized her toes now lay on a hard surface. She straightened, looked down, blinked again. The step looked twice as long. She slid her foot toward the new edge. A flat floor stone appeared along the whole edge. A gasp escaped her closed mouth. 
Three more steps and more of the floor appeared. Five steps and she could see sections of the floor further on appear. Some sections hung there while the first main part of the floor-bridge-passageway caught up with it. She squealed and wanted to jump up and down, she could now get to the other side where she could see a way to an area in front of the shelves where she could walk.
Sushion stopped breathed in fast. It took her second to realize that the air felt warm in this special room, yet not too hot. The air even felt dry and tasted fresh when she breathed in. Air drafts brought the odor of the books: some ancient, some moldy, some fresh amazingly enough.  
After hours of looking the books over and reading stories as well as books that showed her how to cook, how to sew, philosophies, politics and two history books, she knew she would come here again. No, she would work hard enough so she could buy or otherwise take over the castle, fix it up and life here. The books might be able to help her with that. She thought about taking a couple of novels but wondered if the library would consider that theft. Sushion decided not to risk it. But she could now learn and that gave her confidence to come back and study here. 
 
end tale.

Lucinda's Story Part Two

Yay, time for part two of Lucinda's Story. My Science Fiction tale about a shy, young woman who is deaf yet is going off planet and ends up in more of an adventure than she planned-it's will be up to her to save the ship they are on.


For those who missed it last week I wrote this story over five years ago. I've learned more about writing since then and so have spent time revising it, to make it more readable and enjoyable. This week I think I got all of the Point of View changes but can't say for sure.
One thing. 
This week is 2,334 words long
Part one is under this if you go back to the main page of my blog
And as with all of my posted stories I don't mind comments and real criticisms.

So enjoy:

After reading the signs her friend said, "Lucinda is as excited as I am, she wants to shake your hand, but is too nervous to ask. She wants me to thank you for saving us from the invaders."
     He said, "Thank her for me and tell her, I did what needed to be done. It was obvious where the invaders were headed, and it was equally obvious that the combined fleet would not be ready."
     After a pause during which he shook Lucinda's hand he asked,     
    Chelsea signed for Lucinda that he asked "But what about you two? Why are you two young women going on this trip?"
As she signed Lucinda knew she also spoke to the General, "We are going to a conference on a planet in the Blearier star system. Part of the conference deals with deaf people and the different opportunities they have."
     Answering his unasked question she said, "Lucinda was born deaf. Out here in the boondocks, we don't have the medical knowledge like they do in the main sector. If we had, they could have found the problem before she was born and fixed it."
     They talked a moment further with Chelsea translating for her friend. Hackney apologized for having to end the conversation, but he had to get going.
     Both teens nodded. Chelsea said they would see him later and Lucinda gave a short wave just before he walked off.
     The purser-tour guide motioned for them to follow him as he led them on a quick tour of the ship on the way to their cabin. After a minute of quiet he signed some but also said in words that Chelsea signed when he explained that the ship had two decks. They were on the first one or Number One. The six staterooms as well as the cafeteria-lounge, the med center, and some cargo holds were all on Deck One. The bridge and larger cargo holds as well as engineering, what there was of it, were on the second or Number Two deck. From a diagram on a wall Lucinda saw that deck Two covered only half the area of One. The Captain's cabin was on deck one near the bridge which was in the nose.
     When they arrived at the cafeteria he opened the door showing them which button to push as he did. He explained that even though one needed to push the button to get in the doors were set in special grooves which made them easy to slide. That was so anyone could slide them sideways by hand, in case of an emergency.
     Chelsea signed that he said, "This is the cafeteria and lounge where everyone eats. We do all the cooking on board the ship, which includes snacks. The lounge has a couple of video games in one corner plus an old fashioned foosball game. We have a lot of movies in the computer's library, but you can watch those in your cabin."
     They stopped for a moment so that Chelsea could translate for Lucinda. He apologized for not knowing enough sign language to tell her himself. 
     Again Lucinda watched Chelsea’s hands, ”The Captain knows more then I do as you will see when you met him, probably at dinner tonight. He is a bit eccentric but he's a good captain and he is friendly. He's very busy right now with preparations for lift." 
     There was a pause while Chelsea finished translating for Lucinda. When she was done they continued. Lucinda noticed that both Chelsea and Ferdinand turned their heads in the same direction. Chelsea used a sign for voices.
     Then she finished with, Ferdinand said there are cards for card games.
     Even before she finished Lucinda saw them turn , she followed and saw that in one corner where two people seated at a table talking. One was dressed in the same burnt orange jumpsuit that Ferdinand wore. 
     Chelsea translated, This is Tommy, the medical, communication and morale officer. The other man is one of the other passengers.
    Lucinda held back. She finally let Chelsea urge her to follow the guide to where the two men where seating. 

     He led them up to the two men and Lucinda watched his mouth move, he said, "Tommy and Jackie Lei. This is Lucinda and Chelsea, our last two passengers."

     The men looked up at the newcomers, then stood. 

     Tommy said, "Good to meet you."

     While Jackie said, "Hello fellow travelers."

Both stuck out their hands. Lucinda watched Chelsea shake the offered hands and knew she had to too. Then she watched Ferdinand explain that they were on their way to a conference on the fifth planet of Blearier's Star. They would be attending one area of a large conference dealing with hearing issues. After a short chat Ferdinand led them on the rest of the tour, ending up at their cabin. All three went in and he showed them where everything was than after saying he would be around to help he left. 

     Before leaving he moved his hands saying good to meet you, to Lucinda.

     Two hours later after an announcement that Chelsea translated for Lucinda that all of the luggage along with the crew and passengers were on board, the Captain ordered the ship to lift. On a computer monitor in their cabin Lucinda watched the ship take off. It rose straight up, pivoted, its nose tilted upward as it did. When the ship reached the right direction it took off, using the vessel's magneto drive to blast its way through the atmosphere. In half an hour the ship was in space. The moment it left the atmosphere both girls could feel the magneto drive shut down and a new vibration begin as the Space drive took over. The space drive had two modes. One for sublight speed, and the other drove the ship faster than light. 

     For their first dinner aboard the ship the girls wore their best outfits, calf length, loose fitting dresses. Lucinda's wore a solid blue and Chelsea's put on a red dress with purple trim. During that dinner all the passengers were able to met the captain. Lucinda saw a  man in his fifties with shoulder length red hair and green eyes. 

     As they were seated he said, "Hello, I am Captain White owner of this fine vessel."

     He then faced the girls as he said, "You must be Chelsea, 

nice to have you on board," just before sticking out his hand.

     They took turns shaking it. White explained with words and with his hands that he had been busy with making sure the last minute cargo was loaded right, and all the "paperwork" finished, and sent to the spaceport's administration.

     Lucinda took a moment to smell the food, a chicken dish from her planet, that surprised but decided it might have been done on purpose to make everyone feel more comfortable.

    She halted her thoughts on food though for the Captain had started to sign, To help make up for not being there to see you, I invite you to the bridge anytime during the next few days.

     Lucinda nodded and said, We will be happy to see the bridge

     Chelsea responded first with her mouth, "That would be first star" then moved her hands, We will be there whenever you are not too busy.

     Lucinda and Chelsea meet the other passengers during that meal. One was a couple on vacation and another confessed to being a salesman headed for his home base. 

     During another dinner two days after leaving the planet, General Hackney was seated at the same table as Lucinda and friend. This time the main dish was a lamp stew from a recipe from Armenia  on Earth. She endured more conversations, with Chelsea translating.

     "I don't mind playing cards, as long as it's a game I know," he said to respond to a question dealing with what he did all day, "I also read, and chat with people." 

     After some urging by Chelsea Lucinda joined the conversation by asking through her friend. "Where are you going on this trip?"

     "To the same conference you are. The section I'm going to be speaking at deals with security issues. No navy ships were going my way so the military had to buy a ticket for this trip,” he shrugged, “It’s happened before."

     "You don't have your own ship?"

     "Not anymore, I pilot a desk now."

     Lucinda explained that this was her first time in deep space, she had been to two of the stations above New Nevada, but never to other planet. 

     To a question put to her by Liee she said, through her friend, "My parents are sending me on this trip even though they can't come."

     They talked more throughout the dinner with Chelsea continually having to get Lucinda to participate. During the first part of the trip Lucinda stayed in her cabin, only eating in the cafeteria, she felt too nervous around the talkative strangers. Gradually she spent some time in the lounge even when it wasn't meal time.   

     Three days into the trip the two girls arrived at the bridge the tour of the ship's command center, The Captain had promised. They were surprised to see General Stephen Hackney standing just inside the door as they entered. The room seemed cooler than the rest of the ship, Lucinda thought, and it smelled. Old popcorn of all things, and sweat as well as something she thought might have been a cologne. The popcorn scent reminded her that their cabin had various flavors of popcorn, maybe she would try candy-cane later.   

     Chelsea said to Lucinda, why would he be interested in this ship's bridge? After all he has seen the bridge on many different types of warships, I'm sure most of them were more modern than this one.

     He greeted them then, said as if he knew what they wanted to ask him, "As you probably have figured out I have seen many command centers. Most though have been on war ships, only a handful have been on civilian ships. It is a curtsey to check out a captain's bridge when you’re invited, but I would come here anyway. I'm interested in how various command centers are set up."

     As Chelsea translated that he looked around at the walls and said further, "This one seems to be within a cocoon of protective armor. You may have noticed as you came through the door that the doorway was over a foot thick. I would imagine that this ship was built during a period of heavy piracy."

     The Captain, now wearing burnt orange trousers and shirt, was seated before a console. His hair was pulled back in a ponytail with a wide, orange tie, that could be tied dyed.  

     He paused while pushing buttons and then according to Chelsea said, "You are partially correct General. The armor surrounding the bridge isn't as thick as you think. There are access tubes, circuits and other components between the armor and the inner walls. The computer core is there also. The people who built this vessel thought they needed extra protection also, if the ship was attacked. But you are correct in that the extra shielding was because of pirates and other marauders.”

     He got up and walked to where the three were standing.

     After Chelsea and Hackney shook hands White turned to Lucinda and moved his hands in a greeting to her. 

     She smiled and signed back, Good to meet you.

     He started the tour pointing out the work stations. “In this size ship there were only four. A console for navigation-helm; one that combined communications and sensors plus a spare station, that was usually used as a regular console, and lastly the Captain's chair”

     He explained what each panel did. While he was speaking to Chelsea and Hackney he signed for Lucinda.

     As they stood by his chair he said, "I don't have a full Captain's chair like many larger ships, with repeater screens and communications within in easy reach, but what we have serves our needs. You have probably noticed that there is no main viewing screen for everyone to use. We don't need one since each station has it own set of monitors. However we do have a newer computer that is a lot handier to use then our old model. It even has a visual record input."

     He showed them a lens that was embedded in the wall close to his chair. 

     He finished with, "The computer is programed to ‘see’ things and to react as necessary."

     He moved his hands, Lucinda to tell the computer something.

     Lucinda looking unsure turned to face the video pick up and moved her hands.

     A voice was heard saying, "Ship's time is 0800 hours, Earth, Greenwich time."

     Chelsea tapped Lucinda on the shoulder and after she turned, explained to her the computer had told them the time.

     The Captain said to her, Try something harder, more complex.

     Lucinda signed, What?

     Try a small course change. Tell it to move a quarter degree to starboard.

     She moved her hands, but the computer said, "Unauthorized command, I cannot comply.”     

     "Of course, she's not a member of the command crew... Here let me tell the computer she has the same standing as I." he spoke with both his hands and his voice.

     He quickly moved to a console, typed in a code then typed in a command. 

     He said, "I could verbally tell the computer to do this or even use sign language, but I prefer to type my commands in, unless it's an emergency."

    Lucinda’s eyes went wide as he signed that the computer knew signing. When he was done he straightened, then moved his hands, Ok now tell the computer to change course one half a degree to starboard. 

     Lucinda turned back to the lens. She moved her hands in a 

quick dance and the computer beeped.

     It said, "Course changed as ordered,"