AMBYSSUS | Ch. 9 - The Painting (Patreon)

Joey hurriedly stood up and saw that a locomotive was coming from the opposite direction. He pulled the brakes, and the vehicle came to a halt. This was one of the inconveniences of having a single track on a route. Even though Geoffrey had invested significantly in the rails that connected the town to his estate, he likely hadn’t ever considered installing double rails. That was just too expensive, even for him.

Joey brought up the checkered flag and waved it in counter-clockwise circles. The conductor from the other locomotive signaled with their checkered flag in a square-like movement.

“We need to go back to the nearest turning stop so that they can get through. Please hold on a minute.”

The constable shifted gears and slowly pulled back. The other vehicle followed suit and continued its onward march. Finally, they made it to the emergency stop. Joey stopped the locomotive, took a bar out of the cab, and went to the railway switch. He changed the direction of the tracks and parked the locomotive so that the next locomotive could pass.

As the other locomotive passed slowly, the two passengers came to the window and took off their hats in a gesture of thanks. They were foreigners. From their wealthy attire, they seemed to be merchants from the East. They hastily returned to the cab as they saw the badge on the constable's uniform.

“Wait!” Ordered Joey. There was something off here. They were afraid of him.

The men came back to the cab’s window.

“Good morning, gentlemen. I am Constable Joseph Jones. May I see some papers, please?”

Both men were visibly nervous. They took out their passports. Joey checked them. They were both merchants, as he had suspected. Strange. Why would these two be so nervous about meeting local law enforcement? Were they up to some monkey business?

“What brings you fine gentlemen, here?”

“Nossing special sir. We went to see mister Geoffrey to make a business proposition.”

“Do you mind if I search the locomotive?”

Both men exchanged frightened looks.

“I don’t see why…”

“Please step aside, gentlemen.”

Both merchants stepped out of the locomotive. Geoffrey went around searching for any signs of illegalities with no success. Everything seemed in order. He discovered they were oil merchants when he opened the men’s business ledger. As he went through the ledger, a document fell out. Joey examined it. It was a receipt for a purchase. They had purchased fifty oil barrels for three hundred and fifty dollars apiece. What a fortune. Perhaps this was why the men were so nervous, reasoned Joey.

Although purchases in the oil market always disclaimed the supplier, the buyer’s identity was never disclosed in the records. Too many times, pirates had scouted the auction house looking for merchants to rob. Confidentiality and discretion were important qualities in the oil trade. Noticing the supplier, he saw they had bought oil made at Geoffrey’s estate. These were some of the lucky ones that had been able to purchase from the oil market in the last few days. What a coincidence. They had managed to buy fifty casks, all from Geoffrey’s estate.

They might have wanted to meet with their supplier to visit the facilities. Sometimes, merchants did this as an added guarantee that the oil was of superior quality.

“Everything is in order, gentlemen. Have a good day.”

“Sank you, sir.” They soon resumed their march. The watchful gaze of Professor Taylor had witnessed the whole exchange. As the constable reengaged the rail switch and set the locomotive in motion, his thoughts lingered in the encounter.

“That was awkward.”

“I felt something was off. But I think they were just nervous because they didn’t want too many people to know about the cargo they would take back home. Standard merchants’ practice.” The professor shrugged while Joey considered why they would have been so afraid of him. They continued on their journey.

They arrived at the terminal on Geoffrey's property. There wasn't much to say about the terminal other than that it just ended. There was no imponent station or a wide respectable platform. The line just ended, and there was a track switch that led to another ending in case some maneuvering was necessary.

Joey helped the professor out of the cab, and she took in the sights around her. Joey noted how she was taking deep breaths. He wondered if the mayor had mentioned that the smell of the lake water was one of the things that had changed.

"This way," said Joey. He took the professor down a gravel path, past the warehouses near the terminal and the horses. He wasn't sure which means of transportation Jeff used these days to get his produce into town, but if he had to guess, it would be his locomotive. It was much faster than taking the horses. With the steep price of sirenia these days, Jeff would likely have to consider using horses instead.

Around the corner, Joey stopped as the professor slowed her pace to appreciate the view of the lake.

"Is this your first time to Lake Grassum?"

"No. But it's been many years. I'd forgotten how clear the water is."

"Come. My friend is probably in his office. Let's go up."

Geoffrey had dug into the sand until he hit the bedrock and laid large rocks on top of it, forming what could be mistaken for the old forts used in the pirate wars. Undoubtedly, he'd gotten the inspiration for the design from Silverlake Ranch, where they had played together as toddlers many times. A big canal was dug from the building to the lake shore, which brought the animals to a water elevator. Once the animals were herded toward the tower, the pumps were activated, flooding the construct and bringing the sirenians close to the extraction facilities.

One could easily understand how much more expensive it was to build things this way than bringing the parlors right on the shore. Not to speak of the fuel costs of running the pumps for the water elevators. No wonder Geoffrey was the only rancher crazy enough to make this investment. Even if others had laughed at him before, no one was laughing at him now.

Joey and Esther climbed up the stairs and walked in through the door that was left open. It seemed that Jeff had hired a new secretary since he last visited.

"Hi. I'm Constable Joseph Jones. This is Esther Lincoln. I was hoping I could see Mr. Geoffrey?"

"You didn't make an appointment."

"No, I did not. But if you tell Mr. Geoffrey that Joey is here, I'm sure he'll vacate some room in his schedule."

"Follow me. You can wait here. He's in a meeting right now, but it should be almost over at any minute.

"Thank you."

The professor gave Joey a meaningful look. She had registered the oddness of not announcing the arrival of a Science Academy emissary. Still, he just shrugged it off with an apology and told her that he'd explain it later. They sat in the comfortable sofas in the waiting room. There was the distant sound of a door opening and steps and increasingly clear voices.

“... walk you out."

"Thank you. I am sorry, Mr. Geoffrey; I thought you would keep the animals after vacuuming them. I didn’t realize the contract specified that the animals we give you should be over a certain weight.” The voice was heavy and serious.

“Understandable, Mr. Wilson. Perfectly understandable. Why don’t I let you bring me the animals at a later date of your convenience? I know these are grim times. Troubled times. Yes. We'll make it at a later date. If the weight is within the terms of what was contracted per animal, I don’t mind which ones you choose.”

Joey and Esther saw an old man emerge from the corridor, accompanied by a younger one, leave the office. They absent-mindedly acknowledged their presence with a nod and walked past them, darkness and gloominess cast on their tired walk. They looked like men who had just lost a war. The gloom was soon dispersed as Geoffrey appeared after them.

"Have a safe trip."

Geoffrey caught sight of Joey and stood in a daze for a second. He blinked a couple of times as if to make sure that he was actually seeing him and not dreaming, and then his lips broke into a radiant smile!

“Joey! What are you doing here?"

"Well, you did tell me to come for a visit."

"I did, didn't I? What a wonderful surprise."

"Sir, they said..."

"No worries, Debbie. You did well. Joey is a dear friend. We go way back. I'll take them to the office.”

“Very well, sir.”

“Joey! It feels like forever since I saw you, old friend. But it hasn't even been a week. Please come on in.” Joey caught Jeff raising his brow, evidently intrigued by Joey’s company.

A thick and warm red carpet blanketed Geoffrey's office floor while a gentle fireplace burned away in one of the walls with its crackling song. There was an outward window that gave a panoramic view of the lake and another inward window that faced the vacuuming parlor. The men were busily working the cattle outside.

“It can't possibly be the original. Can it?” asked Professor Lincoln as she walked toward a painting hanging over the fireplace.

“By no means, madam. Painting is just a hobby of mine. This is my crude attempt at reproducing the masterpiece.”

The painting portrayed a dark tumultuous sea with a whale dead along its shore. Then, a muscled man, tears on his face, hammered a bloody harpoon into a hoe. Joey recognized it. It was one of the most emblematic paintings pertaining to the whale extinction disaster. It was called “The New Beginning.”

“I once saw the original at the Art Gallery of the capital. It left quite an impression on me. I have tried painting it multiple times. This has been the most successful attempt. The way Vincenzo painted the sea and the pain in the man’s face is just beyond my skill. By the way, I'm Geoffrey. You are…”

“Esther Lincoln.”

“This is the ambassador from the Science Academy,” added Joey, expectant to see his friend's reaction. He widened his eyes but soon regained his composure.

“I see. Of course. And I suppose that you're escorting the professor?”

“Yes, we'll be investigating the flood together.” Joey didn't miss the flash of alarm in Geoffrey’s eyes that he quickly repressed.

“That was naughty of you, Joey. You didn’t warn me of your visit or tell me you would bring the esteemed professor along. I could have ensured refreshments suited to such a fortuitous encounter. It’s not every day that we get a representative from the capital and the Science Academy. Can I get you anything? Our apple milkshake is a specialty of my estate. The secret is to use manatee milk, you see. It’s sweeter than dugong's milk. I also have apple cider, water, and whisky.”

“No, thank you, Jeff.”

“I will pass on your kind offer, Mr. Geoffrey.”

Sad disappointment came to Geoffrey. “How sad that you won’t have a taste of our lake products.” Joey registered the emotion as very exaggerated. There was something off about Jeff. “Oh, silly me. I forgot about your little trauma, Joey. I shouldn’t have offered. I apologize.”

“It’s fine, Jeff. Don’t worry.”

“What about that painting over there?” Asked Esther as she gestured toward a canvas covered by a cloth.

“Oh, it isn’t finished, Professor.”

“Is it another attempt at The New Beginning?”

“No, it’s something different. I hardly ever do this, but I was trying to paint an original.”

“Let’s see it, Jeff. It can’t be that bad,” joked Joey.

“Fine. Fine. You can see it.” Jeff crossed the office and unveiled his creation.

The painting showed something happening underwater. A giant eyeball could be seen in the shadows of darkness. One could tell it was giant because nearer to the surface, herds of dugongs, tiny in comparison, leisurely swam around. Shadows projected by tendrils and tentacles could be seen in the distance.

“What an interesting painting, Mister Geoffrey.”

“Do you like it, professor? I'm glad.”

“On one hand, the creature at the bottom of the painting should feel eerie and frightening, but… how can I put this? It looks harmless. And there's so much intelligence in it.”

“You have a good eye. That’s exactly it. It’s a recurrent dream I have been having lately. I thought it would make a good painting.”

“It reminds me of something I have seen before,” Joey said.

“Really? Curious. Curious.”

“What will you call the painting, Mr. Geoffrey?”

"I don’t know. I'll have to think about it." After looking appreciatively at the alien creature depicted in the painting, Joey finally broke the artistic silence in the room.

“Ahem, Jeff, I was hoping you could assist us in our investigation.”

“Certainly. Certainly. Have you ever been to a vacuuming parlor, Professor Lincoln?”

“I can’t say I have.”

“Well, in that case, why don’t I give you a tour of my estate first? As a producer, I'm just as worried as everyone else. We care about the lake’s herds. They are the lifeline of the world. I would be happy to show you how things work and answer any questions you might have along the way.”

“That would suit me. Would that be alright with you, constable?”

“Sure. I have never had the official tour of your estate either, Jeff.”

“Nonsense, nonsense, Joey. You have been here many times. This estate would have never been possible without the help of your late father; may he rest in peace. You see, Professor Lincoln, Joey, and I were schoolmates. I was the poorest bloke, and Joey the wealthiest. His father was one of the biggest ranchers in the lake. I was always a hardworking man and wanted to start a herd, but no one would lend me the capital to get started. Joey’s father was the only one who believed in me and gave me a chance.”

“Pops was a kind soul,” confirmed Joey, “he took great pleasure in helping kids with potential.”

“He sure was. He sure was. Anyhow, don’t let looks fool you, Professor Taylor. Your escort is one of the wealthiest men in town. He inherited quite a fortune,” said Jeff, winking. “Here is the vacuuming parlor.”

A giant cylinder was at the center of the large room. Valves and pipes lined the walls and connected the lipovacuum to the boilers in the next room. A crew of men busily handled needles connected to the cylinder by thin hoses. Thirty dugongs gently waited as the men vacuumed them. The machine was loud, so Geoffrey had to scream to make himself heard as he explained how things worked.

“So, the idea is to vacuum the blubber of the animals. The animals don’t go through any pain throughout the procedure. Can you see those green needles right there? They contain a saline solution that magnifies the volume of the blubber. It also has a local anesthetic. The men use these needles first in whatever body parts are particularly plump, usually the midsection. Then, they use those needles marked in red. They are kept hot with the steam of the machine. They soften the fat and make it easier to vacuum it. It also cauterizes the wound as it exits so the animals can scar nicely.”

“Do they experience any discomfort? Are there any side effects to the animals?” shouted Professor Taylor.

“No, no. We aren’t heartless. We take animal rights very seriously. The blubber of sirenians hardly does anything for them regarding heat insulation. It helps them have good buoyancy. We never take more than what would affect their swimming. Because of the local climate, they don’t feel any cold. They don’t experience any more discomfort than a cow being milked.”

“How often can you vacuum them?”

“In a bad year, three times. In an exceptional year, six times. The foremen let us know once they are fat enough to undergo the procedure. On average, we can get five barrels per dugong a year. One barrel has one hundred and fifty liters, so about 750 liters per year, per animal.”

They neared the platform. One bull was being vacuumed, and didn’t seem to mind it. Professor Lincoln gently petted the animal’s snout, to which the bull seemed to react with contentment.

“They are harmless animals, professor. Incredible creatures.”

“It’s my first time seeing one up close. They are so big!”

“Adults get to three meters and five hundred kilos. Dugongs are the smallest of sirenians, however. Our facilities are also equipped to vacuum the bigger manatees or even balatees. Let’s go outside. I am going deaf in here.”

Once they left the vacuuming parlor, the silence was music to everyone’s ears.

“Great Ambyssus. That’s why I had the windows of my office be as soundproof as possible. This room kills me.” The constable grimaced, hearing the word. He had been hearing the name more and more over the last few days. He caught Esther frowning as she heard the expression.

“What is done with the oil once it’s vacuumed?”

“The oil is then slowly boiled in water for two to three days until it reaches the desired viscosity. Then it is shipped to the capital.”

“Fascinating.”

“Jeff, do you think we can show her how we take care of the herds? We also want to get to the lake, as we told you. That’s the main reason we’re here.”

“Of course, of course. I apologize. I'll introduce you to Red, our chief herder. He’ll show you the works.”

As they left the building, they started walking toward the lake. Soon, they spotted Red. Geoffrey shouted out his name and beckoned him to join them. Red parted from his assistants with some admonitions and instructions and went to join the group.

“Red, you know Joey. Professor Esther, allow me to introduce you to the finest herdsman in the whole lake.”

“Ma'am. Constable.”

“How are you doing, Red?”

“I'll leave you two with Red. Red, show them the herd and assist them however you can. Feel free to take them in the Nautilus for a ride if they like.”

“Yes, boss.”

“I’m afraid I must leave you to it. As you know, a lot is going on since the flood happened and I must attend to my business. It was a pleasure to meet you, professor. I hope you enjoy your stay in New Lisbon. Joey.”

“Thanks, Jeff.”

“Thank you, Mr. Geoffrey.”

Geoffrey turned around and hurried back to the vacuuming parlor. He kept his eyes on his two guests, that were chatting with Red.

Geoffrey soon was back in his office. He started pacing around in it. The first stage of his plan had been successful. The first step had only been possible because he was the first to get wind of what was happening at the lake. He had old Red to thank for that. As Joey's old man always said, the early bird gets the worm. Knowledge was an advantage that couldn't be understated or underestimated in business.

The next step had been to capitalize on the foreknowledge of the disaster and empty out the oil reserves in the auction house. That had inflated the price beyond what it would have been if he hadn't done anything about it. The cost of barrels of oil had skyrocketed to triple the amount it used to be. This gave him a return of three times as much money as he had invested in the space of a week.

Of course, he had foreseen that the mayor's office would try to enforce some sort of regulation to prevent the barrels from being dealt under the table, but the pirate lord's assistance ensured he could sell all his stock.

The greatest concern was his previous guests. Thoughts of Joey and Esther's visit came to him. He had to make sure those two didn’t meddle in his affairs. He was sure he could handle Joey, but this professor was a variable that he failed to take into consideration. How could he forget that the Science Academy would send an ambassador here? This could mean trouble. He had to hurry his plans.

Ch. 8

INDEX

Ch. 10