The Crystal Clipper by B. Roman Read Free Book Online

torch posts along the beach that we can light without being detected.”
    “Detected by who?” David wants to know.
    “Whom,” Ishtar corrects him.
    “Okay. Detected by
whom
? I thought you were the only ones on this island.”
    Ishtar puts him off again. “I'll explain later. Let's proceed to the ship.”
    At the beach, Ishtar finds a torch post anchored deep in the sand and lights the wick. He finds another and lights it as well. In the amber glow, David spots the dinghy he used to row to shore. It sits securely on a sand bank as though waiting for David's return.
    “There. There's the dinghy.”
    The trio dashes to the boat, pushes it to the shore and into the water, then they jump in one by one. David rows the dinghy to the Moon Singer. Atop the black water, the clipper ship emanates a mystical white glow, as though to light their way in the dark. Ishtar and Judiah are noticeably impressed, especially Ishtar whose face expresses the remembrance of an awesome power.
    “Magnificent. Magnificent,” Ishtar exclaims.
    “Amazing,” Judiah agrees, as usual. If his eyes were opened any wider the orbs would fall out. “Truly amazing.”
    David rows to the side of the ship and ties the dinghy to the rope ladder. One by one, the three men climb the ladder and board the ship.
    Once aboard, Ishtar and Judiah find lanterns to light on the ship's deck. They carry the lanterns as they inspect the ship from stem to stern. Ishtar stops at the base of the clipper's mizzenmast and runs his hand up and down the surface. He touches one of the gold rings and inspects it carefully.
    “Never would I have thought it possible. Never.” Ishtar's voice is almost hushed in reverence.
    “What is it, Ishtar?” Judiah asks, replicating Ishtar's tenor.
    “Let's go below,” Ishtar says, avoiding Judiah's probe.
    Down in the captain's quarters, David picks up the leather-bound journal lying on the desk. “This is the Captain's Log. It explains about the ship. I couldn't believe my eyes when I read it.”
    Ishtar scans the log, then pounds it jubilantly with his fist. “I knew it! Her masts are made of crystal. More pure and more powerful than anything mined on the island. And the rings - they are the impetus for her power. The extraordinary energy from this ship could provide the means to overthrow the Snake.”
    David's stomach jumps. “The
snake
? What snake?”
    “Judiah, we have here more than a means for our escape. We have the weapon to destroy our enemy, to redeem the island as our own once again.”
    David is really perturbed now. “What enemy? Who are you trying to destroy?”
    Now it is Judiah who ignores David's questions. “You may be right, Ishtar. But how do we capture such energy from this ship? You know that all of the island's electrical currents have been diverted to the Palace. We have no conductors, no conduits.”
    Ishtar reflects a moment. “It will take some doing, perhaps some miracle. But soon the Island of Darkness will exist no more. It will once again be the City of Light, the light of hope for us all.”
    * * *
    Later that day at the entryway to Ishtar's camp, Ishtar gives an apprehensive David instructions as he is about to explore the island alone. He finally agreed with Dorinda that they must use David's determination to find his sister to their own advantage, but his decision is more than a deceptive ploy. Ishtar knows the true power of the Moon Singer and the source of that power; that the Singer is a microcosm of the ship's infinite knowledge and wisdom, for it is a chip from the same vein of crystals from which the Moon Singer's masts have been sculpted.
    “I have work to do and cannot go with you to find your Sally,” Ishtar says, not revealing the true reason for sending David out by himself. “Judiah has cleared a path for you to walk safely around the island. As long as you carry this lantern, you will find your way easily.”
    David's hands are as pleading as his eyes. “But, Ishtar, I