For Darkness Shows the Stars

the reading of the Boatwright’s will. The heads of most of the great families convened in the parlor of Elliot’s house, waiting somewhat impatiently. The reading of a will was always such a dull affair compared to the fireworks and excitement of a funeral, especially a Boatwright funeral.
    Since time immemorial, that side of Elliot’s family had bucked tradition. Instead of being laid to rest in the star cavern, they were sent out to sea on a pyre, like their ancestors had been doing long before the Reduction. When her mother died, there had been quite the debate about what to do with her body. Eventually, she was buried in the sanctuary, as a North, but Elliot always thought she’d been robbed. And though Elliot was born a North, she wondered if there was any way she could be treated like a Boatwright upon her own death. She vastly preferred the idea of sending her body out to sea to being permanently trapped in the earth beneath the North estate.
    The Norths were all there for the reading of the will, of course. Tatiana was still glowing with delight over her showing at the horse race the previous day, and Elliot was pretty sure the blue gown she wore today was merely an excuse to accessorize with her winning ribbon. The Innovation horses had been the big winners at the race, taking first, second, and third place several strides before any other finisher. Hardly surprising. They’d been genetically engineered to do just that.
    “It’s odd, is it not, that your father is not the executor of the Boatwright’s will?” Benedict asked from his seat at her side. He seemed to accept his second place standing in the race with good humor. And why shouldn’t he? Tatiana might have won the day, but he’d still get the estate. “After all, Uncle Zachariah was his son-in-law.”
    “I don’t think my father and my grandfather were particularly close,” was all Elliot trusted herself to say. She also doubted her grandfather could trust her father to give away any little trinkets or even larger items—like some of the Boatwright’s personal ships—if he was made executor.
    Instead, Baroness Channel was acting as executor, and for that Elliot was glad, if only because it meant that any of the more troublesome chores in the will would not fall into Elliot’s own lap as extra work.
    The baroness was even now getting the attention of the group. Today she dressed in dove gray, with a matching veil attached to her hair with the assistance of a pair of bright peacock feathers. “We gather here today to read the Last Will and Testament of Chancellor Elliot Boatwright, of the Boatwright Estate, North Island.” The baroness cleared her throat and smoothed out the paper.
    I, Elliot Boatwright, being of sound mind and body, do set forth this will, to be executed only upon my death by my appointed representative, the Baroness Lucinda Channel.
    I hereby partition out the following items from among my worldly goods to my Luddite brethren:
    To the Baroness Channel, I leave my schooner, Morning Dew .
    To the honorable family of Grove, I leave the fishing vessel Charybdis , as well as their choice of any of my three dinghies.
    To the Baron Record and his family, I leave the catamaran Rhodes , with the stipulation that they extend the offer of the same terms of employment to the COR crew as they currently enjoy.
    To my granddaughter Tatiana North, I leave my carriage, as well as my two horses, Thetis and Amphitrite, in hopes that she will become an ever-finer horsewoman.
    To my granddaughter Elliot North, I leave my compass, in hope that she will someday make it work again.
    A lump rose in Elliot’s throat. He’d known she was always obsessed with his compass. He must have also known how she’d longed to use it to run away.
    To my son-in-law, the Baron Zachariah North, I leave my dining room table, as he has always admired it.
    In addition to these listed items, I leave the following to my faithful servants:
    To the COR known as Sal, who worked in my kitchen, I leave my collection of copper molds, as well as three ounces of gold. She is free to remain on the Estate until the end of her days or leave to seek her fortune elsewhere.
    Elliot sneaked a glance at her father as the baroness continued reading about the bequests to individual Boatwright Posts. She wondered if the baroness would be forced to track them down, as some had left during the bad time. And of the ones who remained, the will granted them their freedom and