Chapter 39 describes the Angry mermaid's adventures on passage from Cyprus to Rhodes during their voyage to Constantinople to pay their respects to the Byzantine Emperor.

The Angry mermaid 39.

Or

Y Morforwyn Dicllon 39.

Mabina. The youngest daughter and Twin to
Drustan Her twin brother.
Grandpa Erin the twins grandfather.
Giana The twins grandmother
Caderyn The twins father.
Herenoie The twins wise and beautiful mother.
Morgaran The Twins oldest brother.
Aiofe The twins oldest sister. Famous for her beauty.
Tara The twins second oldest sister. Famous for her grace.
Feidlim Twins aunt (Caderyns’ beautiful sister.)
Mogantu Twins uncle (Married to Feidlim.) Chief of the Gangani tribe.
Brun. Twins 2nd cousin and the Acaman clans’ blacksmith.
Feorin. Twins second brother. Also training to be a blacksmith.
Rhun Feidlims’ son and Feorins’ favourite 1st Cousin. (Both red-heads.)
Arina Child of a Demetae fisherman, (rescued by Aiofe, Drustan and Mabina.)
Penderol Dumnonii Minor chief.
Udris Young Dumnonii warrior.
Dryslwyn High chief of the whole Celtic nation. Dwells in Brithony.
Bronlwyn Dryslwyn’s wife (and queen.)
Magab The moor who taught numbers.
Eric Saxon galley slave rescued from Corsair pirates.
Carl Another Saxon galley slave rescued by Drustan.
Torvel Celtic galley slave rescued from the same captured corsair ship
Arton. Turdetani Chieftain Holder of Gibral Rock.
Carinia Arton’s wife.
Isobel. Arton’s adopted daughter.
Appotel King of the Turdetani Tribe. (Southern Iberia.)
Bramana Queen. (Wife of Appotel)
Pilus King of the Capetani.
Shaleen Pilus’s queen and sister to Bramana.
Pedoro Lord Marshal of the Southern border region.
Lady Shulaar Lord Pedoro’s wife.
Taan. The scullery maid.
Isaar. Pedoro’s oldest son.
Ferdie Pedoro’s 2nd son
Sular Pedoro’s 3rd son
Gontala Pedoro’s youngest son.
Shenoa Pedoro’s only daughter.
Portega. Tyrant King to the west.
Portua. Portega’s grandson.
Jubail. Old Fisherman.
Mutas Magab’s younger brother and usurper.
Walezia King of Malta.
Alviar Megalomaniacal bishop of Carthage. (Hates Drustina.)
Ethelia Female healer who treats Drustina during her pregnancy.
Seripatese Drustina’s faithful horse.
Astos & Amitor Minor royalty who govern Alexandria. King and Twin Queen.
Meronee Nubian Queen of Nobatia The northern Kingdom of the Nubians.
Horam The Egyptian master Boat builder.
Muraa King Astos’s male partner.
Tuk Makurian general.
Fantu. Makurian Captain.

Lemeso has no proper harbour though. Ships anchor in the shelter of Capo Gata and trade by sending good ashore in much smaller boats that are drawn up on the beaches and trading is done there and then on the beach. The Angry Mermaid had no cause to trade for she was strictly on a mission and she carried no merchandise. Instead Drustina anchored as close inshore as she dared and she and Horam’s older son swam ashore to declare themselves.

The small town hastily arranged a reception committee and advised them to make for Pafos at the western end of Cypru. It was in the right direction for Kriti or Rodos which would be their next port of call. Drustina took their advice and sailed immediately westwards. Evening found them at the approaches to Pafos harbour. Nobody knew the harbour and their chart portfolio did not contain a large scale chart. Drustina stood with the rest of her companions debating the approach.

“I don’t like the look of that reef, the water to the west of it is quite disturbed. I think the reef extends further out but under the water. There’s either a gap in the reef or we have to around it and I can’t see any pointers."

The two brothers shrugged. They trusted Drustina for they had seen her behave bravely and recklessly when circumstances warranted it. There was no cause to risk their precious ship and their lives just for the sake of a night in port. Arina and Torvel agreed so they chose the safer option. They dropped the anchor stone and decided to wait out the night.

Dawn found them being visited by a small patrol boat that emerged from the harbour and after declaring themselves, they were invited to enter. The route proved to be quite tortuous and when they finally made themselves secure alongside Drustina mentioned the complexity to the harbourmaster. The Harbourmaster simply shrugged and mumbled something about a shortage of funding for buoyage, then he had the sheer cheek to demand a preposterous docking fee wholly at odds with the service and conditions in the port. It pointed to a general decay of organisation and maintenance in the whole fabric of the island and Drustina deemed this to be another sign of a general malaise throughout the Byzantine Empire. Eventually, she managed to barter the price down and after re-victualing with a few almost rotten, overpriced supplies, The Mermaid left before anymore capricious and unwarranted demands could be made.

As they looked back at the disappearing Island, Drustina shrugged philosophically.

“If it’s like that through the rest of this empire, I don’t hold out much hope.”

“Bunch of cheats and scumbags,” Fantu observed and everybody voiced some sort of agreement.

Two mornings later found them passing between the broken legs of the Colossus of Rhodes. Arina looked up and sniggered.

“I bet the old sailors got a good view when he was all there but I think they would have preferred her to have been a maid.”

It raised a mild chuckle around The Mermaid but everybody was too preoccupied with the reception they might get. They hadn’t received any antagonism so far in their journey but they had experienced unbounded avarice amongst assorted officials. Drustina was becoming frustrated and impatient by it all.

Having passed between the broken stumps they found the harbour crowded with ships. There was some sort of nautical festival going on so they had to tie up to a raft of ships and step across several decks to get to the shore. The moment she had agreed to secure herself to another ship, the Mermaid and her crew started to attract attention. Fair-haired and red haired women were quite a rarity in the Middle Sea and many eyes turned towards the strangers. The Mermaid’s strange design also attracted curious eyes. As the two men stepped from ship to ship to reach the quay, Torvel and Fantu soon found themselves being questioned about the women by curious mariners.

“Are they your wives? Are they Viking Women? Are they for sale? Where did you get them? What type of ship is that?”

Having shared many dangers together and now sharing an intense bond of mutual respect and affection with the girls, both Torvel and Fantu found the questions offensive; especially as they demonstrated that everybody presumed the two girls to be either wives with little status or just slaves.. Eventually Torvel became impatient and snapped angrily at the group crowding around.

“No! They are free women and the golden haired woman is the captain!”

Finally, they found the harbour master’s office and paid the ship’s port dues. When they returned, the six companions decided to always leave at least two members aboard for there seemed to be too many shifty looking strangers hanging around. That night they decided to stay for the festival the next day and then depart after victualing again.

By nightfall of that first day, the news was all around the harbour and the ships that the famous ship with the famous captain was actually tied up amongst them. Crowds started to gather on the quay adjacent to Drustina’s little ship and where there were crowds there was drunkenness and trouble. Fortunately, The Angry Mermaid was moored on the outside and any visitors would have to cross several decks to reach her; nevertheless Arina and Fantu found themselves having to discourage nosey, uninvited visitors while the others were ashore.

When Drustina and Torvel returned with the two young navigators, Horam’s sons, they found Fantu and Arina engaged in a heated argument with a group of well-dressed visitors who seemed to think they had a right to visit the Mermaid.

“What’s the problem?” Torvel asked as they stepped across the bulwark from the inside ship.

Arina turned with relief showing plainly in her eyes.

“Ah! Thank God you’re here. These people think we’re some sort of part in the festival, in the celebrations.”

“Well we’re not. We’re just a ship on passage to Constantinople.” Drustina announced as she decided to take control.

“Who are you?” The obvious leader of the visiting party demanded.

“I am the Captain.” Drustina announced, choosing not to elaborate with all her titles.

“Then you must be, that woman, the one who —“

“What if I am? Today I am just a passer-by on passage to Constantinople. Now, if you don’t mind; I and my crew are tired. We have come from Egypt with little sleep and we leave immediately after the festival is over.”

“But; but you are an honoured visitor, you must make a formal visit to the governor.”

“Sir, we are just a ship, on passage and just stopping by to take on Fresh water. Cypru proved to be short of water and victuals and what little they had proved expensive and poor quality. So please, if you don’t mind, it’s dark, it’s late and we are tired.”

At this abrupt refusal the group leader seemed to take some small offence.

“I don’t think you realise who I am.”

“So who are you sir?” Drustina sighed patiently.

“I am the deputy governor of Rhodos. When captains of ships get an invitation from me, they are expected to respond promptly.”

“Sir,” Drustina continued quietly, “When the Lioness of Carthage is tired and weary, she sleeps. When The Crocodile of the Nile is tired, she also sleeps, when the Queen of Egypt decides to retire, others attend upon her; she does not attend upon mere governors. When a visitor with an express invitation from The Emperor passes through en route to visit the emperor himself it is best that mere governors attend promptly and make the passage easy.

Finally when Drustina Gangani, the warrior queen is annoyed, whole kingdoms tremble. Now go away and come back at a more respectable hour, this is no time to be paying courtesy calls!”

The deputy Governor visibly paled even in the candle light and he scraped so low to bow that it embarrassed everybody. Then he made his excuses and left. Drustina smiled softly ... rank occasionally had its advantages. Arina caught her companion’s satisfied grin and they secretly shared the amusement. Then they retired to the bow cuddy as Torvel and the oldest Horam boy took first watch.

Drustina woke as the noises of the morning disturbed her and she frowned to see the harbour already busy with preparations. A stiff breeze had sprung up and the raft of ships was rocking and bumping. Arina and the Horam boys were busy arranging fenders.

“Why didn’t you wake me for my watch?” She asked Fantu.

“You seemed exhausted my lady. Torvel and I decided to let you sleep. You’ll have trials enough today judging by the interest gathering around us.”

Drustina sat up, looked around the harbour and cursed softly. Already a crescent of curious ships had gathered to anchor around the Mermaid without actually making fast.

“Dammit. I had hoped to travel incognito.”

Even as she cursed, a gap opened up in the crescent and an ornate barge entered the space. Drustina saw a fat, piggy eyed individual sat pompously in the stern and correctly surmised it to be the governor. The barge laid alongside and Drustina grudgingly acknowledged the expert handling. The morning breeze was quite strong and the barge scraped gently alongside The Mermaid. Some gold leaf was dislodged from the rail of the barge but The Mermaid’s tough oak was unaffected. Even so, the fat, piggy eyed governor gave the barge-master a row for being so clumsy. Drustina watched the scene of public humiliation and decided there and then that she did not like the governor. She, with all her years of seamanship and expertise, thought the barge-master had done a good job.

Having made sure everybody within earshot had heard the public haranguing and thereby establishing his authority over the other Rhodians, the fat governor turned his attention to Drustina and The Angry Mermaid’s crew.

“Your majesty. Might I humbly welcome you to my authority and I must humbly apologise for my barge-master’s incompetence. I hope there is no damage to your wonderful ship.”

Drustina could restrain herself no longer. She stood up on The Mermaid’s bow, looked along the rail and wagged her head.

“There is no damage to my ship sir for she is a stout and sturdy vessel, and might I add, I thought your barge-master handled his barge expertly. This is a dammned strong breeze. I speak as a fellow mariner who has travelled far. I thank you for the welcome for I know we were not expected.”

As she said this she raised a neat little single fingered salute to the barge-master who stood rigidly to attention while a small expression of relieved thanks slid across his face. Drustina also noticed the glance from the governor that carried pure hatred and Malice. She realise she might have overstepped the mark by (as she thought,) tactfully correcting the governor and now she realised she might have put the barge-master’s livelihood or even his life in danger. As the governor droned on into his welcome speech Drustina was wondering how she could ensure the barge-masters safety.

Eventually, the governor fell silent and an expectant quiet settled around them. Drustina realised she was expected to respond. She hated all the pomp and formality but it had to be faced, so she spoke briefly of the warm welcome she had received and of the pleasure of arriving during a festival which she fully intended to enjoy. She accepted the governor’s invitation to an evening dinner that was initially to celebrate the festival but now doubled as a reception banquet. With formalities completed and injured egos soothed, the governor departed while Drustina and her crew were now free to go ashore and savour the festival. Two watchmen had been supplied by the governor to guard the ship.

Ashore, the Mermaid’s crew had to suffer the constant attentions of the citizenry but they managed to make their way through the crowds and visit the various attractions. At eventide they arrived at the governor’s residence to a formal reception. The governor had been doing his researches and reading up on neglected official correspondence from the Palace at Constantinople. With every pertinent letter referring to Drustina, the fat lazy governor realised he had a very important and high ranking visitor and he cursed himself for not having attended to his duties more responsibly. The man was an indulgent, sexually obsessed satyr who spent most of his time bedding concubines and servant girls. Finally he had reached the letters referring to Drustina’s sexual duality and the man was salaciously anticipating their meeting that evening. He was an altogether odious individual. Drustina’s discreet inquiries in the town during their festival visit, had already established this and she was not particularly looking forward to the meal.

The whole crew arrived to find a virtual bacchanalian orgy in progress, hardly the proper reception for a visiting queen, even one travelling virtually incognito. The governor had wrongfully presumed that Drustina’s reputed sexual duality was also reflected in her morality and sexuality. She soon put him right.

The meal was eaten in a cold silence and Drustina hardly spoke but to accept or refuse different courses. Of wine she drank none. She suspected, (rightly as it turned out,) that a clear head was needed to avoid any stupid sexual advances that might originate from the debauched courtiers who danced sycophantically upon the governor’s every whim although the sexual element quickly evaporated when the governor realised that Drustina was not some sort of debauched sexual freak. Drustina was forced to lie, Roman style on a low couch to eat her food then when the food was completed, she made her excuses and promised to speak to the governor in the morning before resuming her journey to Constantinople. The man had sufficient wit to realise he had made a blunder and the following morning he moved to remedy the damage.

“I’m sorry your majesty didn’t find the entertainment to your liking.”

Drustina decided to be tactful and conciliatory.

“It is I who must apologise governor, we were tired after the voyage and we overindulged ourselves at the festival yesterday.”

“And what did you find to entertain you there?”

“The music, the performers and tumblers, the general air of festivity. People were friendly and welcoming.”

“Well I’m glad you found my people a pleasure. I’m sorry I misjudged you. I just thought; you know ...”

Drustina shrugged and gave a wan, tactful smile. She did not wish to cause anymore offence or show any for the Governor still gave her the creeps. His piggy eyes seemed to be all about her and constantly fell to the ‘vee’ of her tight fitting skirt. He was obviously searching for some evidence of manhood but such was Drustina’s skill in hiding such parts, there was nothing to tell of her duality. Then, after about the seventh look the governor glanced up to find himself being scrutinised by Drustina’s cold, penetrating stare. He immediately realised he had been ‘caught’ and his face reddened. The silence only served to magnify the coldness of their relationship so Drustina decided to leave immediately without further ceremony that might have brought further embarrassment.

Then she remembered the docking incident of the previous morning and the governor’s abuse of the barge captain. She sensed the governor was a vindictive man and the barge captain’s livelihood was probably at risk. She decided to at least do something useful and good to justify her visit, other than re-victualing The Mermaid.

Perhaps, she thought, if she could depart from the governor’s hospitality with some small goodness achieved, she might at least make the man believe they had left on good terms. That at least might serve to smooth the departure and avoid any potential pitfalls later in the voyage. Finally she worked out a ploy. She turned to the governor as she was preparing to leave and asked.

“The archipelago around the coast to the Hellespont; it’s a very complex navigation I’m told.”

The governor knew little of navigation but he did know his geography and he nodded affirmation.

“There are many islands and bays. Some of them lead into blind bays and dead ends and if the winds are strong, then yes, there is a possibility of fetching up on some remote rocks.”

Drustina just nodded thoughtfully as though digesting the Governor’s advice. She and her companions were sufficiently competent to avoid being wrecked upon any shore but the charts had certainly shown the islands to be numerous and complex. A guide with local knowledge would be very useful. She expanded these thoughts to the governor.

“Could I possibly hire a man with local knowledge of the passage from here to the Hellespont?”

The governor, eager to repair the damage of the previous, catastrophic evening, agreed immediately.

“Take your pick. There are many experienced men in Rhodes; after all we trade the Ionian Sea constantly.”

Drustina smiled broadly and agreed to go down to the harbour to ask the local captains although she had already chosen her man. The governor gave an oily smile and they shared a final handshake. Drustina sensed the man was glad to see the back of the ‘offended queen’. She smiled inwardly as she made her way to the harbour. It was an easy task to locate the brightly decorated governor’s barge and she invited herself aboard. The crew recognised her as the visiting queen and bowed respectfully. She approached what looked like the duty officer by his more ornate uniform and asked.

“Might I speak with your captain please?”

The officer’s eyes lowered as he replied.

“Would that be the captain who was sacked this morning?”

Without showing any sign of surprise or concern, Drustina replied.

“Yes. If he is no longer captain, where am I likely to find him?”

“Probably at home explaining his situation to his wife.”

“Is he well thought of by his colleagues?”

“He wouldn’t have been awarded the job if he wasn’t. The captains cast votes and the winner is recommended to the Governor’s chamberlain.”

“Oh. A very democratic process, I’m mildly surprised.”

“We are Greek your majesty it’s the way we do many things, or was until the Romans brought their tyrannical ways.”

Drustina knew much of Rome and the Romans. Their bishops had already demonstrated how ‘undemocratic’ Rome could be. When Constantine had separated from Rome to form the eastern empire, he hadn’t changed the administration very much and many of the oppressive laws had carried over. Drustina nodded sagely. The marine sphere was probably one of the few arenas where merit and skill counted for almost everything. An incompetent mariner did not last long at the hands of Neptune or Poseidon so the remaining captains were necessarily proud of their station and very independently minded. Any man elected to command the Governor’s barge would have to have been a well respected and competent mariner. Drustina had already noted the man’s skills the previous day. Having been shown where the sacked captain lived, she made haste to his door.
A tearful woman answered it.

“Who are you?” She asked fitfully between sobs.

“I am Drustina, Lioness of Carthage and Queen of Egypt.” She left out ‘Great crocodile of the Nile’ it was not a title that rolled majestically off any tongue.

The woman’s jaw sagged with surprise and she stood frozen with shock. Drustina decided to press her suit.

“Might I respectfully speak with your husband?”

“Why — oh! Yes! By all means, I’m sorry; what was I thinking of. Your majesty! I’m sorry!”

The woman had finally recovered enough of her wits to realise who she was speaking to. She had seen Drustina at the festival only the previous day and she remembered the adoring crowds. She struggled momentarily to free the door chain and finally opened the door to invite her in. Drustina found the Ex barge captain staring remorsefully into a goblet of wine. She smiled for her light footfall had not declared her arrival and the captain continued blissfully staring into the wine.

“Penny for your thoughts Captain.”

“Huh! They’re now worth much now,” he replied without turning for he had not recognised the voice.

“Then twenty gold pieces for your knowledge instead!”

“Huh! Wha ---?” He turned to wonder who the stranger was.

“I said twenty gold pieces for you knowledge, your knowledge of the archipelagos from Rhodes to the Hellespont and even Constantinople if you wish!”

The man shot to his feet as he finally recognised his august visitor.

“Oh my God! Your majesty! I’m sorry, I ... I didn’t realise ... I —“.

“Let’s not get bogged down in formalities. I’m in a hurry to leave. Are you able to come now?”

“For twenty gold pieces your majesty, I’ll leave yesterday.”

Drustina smiled knowingly.

“Good. Then come with me now. I don’t have much time. Bring just your clothes and bare essentials, oh; and any charts you might have ... your own or the imperial ones.”

The captain ginned, gave a whoop of delight and sprang to action. As he peppered his wife with instructions, he rifled through a camphor-wood chest to gather the pertinent charts. Within ten minutes the pair were striding down the hill to the harbour.
A few eyes widened with curiosity at the pair’s passing but nobody determined what was afoot. Drustina was technically stealing whatever local, navigational knowledge was held secret by the guild of Rhodian shipmasters before any of the barge-captain’s associates realised. Nobody thought to wonder what the man was carrying in his sea-bag for it looked like a bag of clothes.
The pair stepped easily aboard The Mermaid for she was no moored at the royal quay as an honoured guest. Once aboard, Drustina explained the situation.

“Are we all here?” She asked.

“No. Arina has gone ashore shopping.”

“Damn! Go and find her, all of you.”

Torvel, Fantu and the two Horam brothers quickly dispersed into the town while Drustina advised the Barge-master to go and hide under the spare sails in the forward cuddy. The barge-master understood the risks and immediately secreted himself out of sight.

For nearly an hour, Drustina fretted in the stern until she finally spotted Arina being escorted along the quay by Fantu. Then Torvel and the Horam boys appeared from around a warehouse and Drustina sagged with relief. Within five minutes, The Mermaid had broken away and was making all speed for the harbour mouth. It was only as she swept between the broken stumps of the Colossus that a commotion on the quay alerted her to the fact that the governor had been informed of the loss of his barge captain.

As they watched the commotion growing astern, the barge-captain turned and smiled to Drustina.

“He’ll be after me now. He may not want me as a captain of his barge but he’ll want to keep me as some sort of servile sycophant. I’m glad to be out of it. I hope this craft is as fast as the rumours say.”

“Just watch us,” Arina grinned as she and the rest of the crew moved as one to set all the sails.

Drustina simply stood in the sheets and watched with a practiced eye. She knew she could trust her crew so she turned to the barge-captain.

“I thought he sacked you!”

“He did,” the barge-master replied, “but he still thinks of me as a bonded servant once I’ve accepted his coin.”

“Did anybody witness him sack you?”

“Yes, he did it in front of the whole damned crew. Besides, he also handed me a formal letter.”

“Well, you’re a free man now. We’ll sort out your situation when we get to meet the emperor.”

“I hope so,” the barge-master replied as his eyes widened at the speed The Mermaid was now making before a favourable wind. “My God your majesty, they’ll never catch this!”

“Let’s hope you’re right captain, you’d better be.”

The barge-captain silently watched the creaming wake and marvelled.