Wheel scowled as he went below-decks to the armory. There was little need for maintenance, but with the curse swirling around him, he thought it best to separate himself from the rest of the ship. Closing the hatch to the small space, his scowl deepened when he saw that Hana had rummaged around. The fucking witch wasn't enough of a pacifist to stay out where she didn't belong. Taking the flask of rock oil that hung from a hook, he sat on a crate of munitions and began to clean his ship's weapons.

---

Hana kept herself from flinching at Rio's outburst. Frankly, she was frustrated with the boy, and wasn't keen on forcing interaction with him. If he wanted to keep his distance, that was fine with her. She had an experiment to finish. 

Handing Uban the pistol, she said, "I'm not sure the captain would be pleased if we electrocuted his cannon. Instead, we'll fire the cannon, you will charge the pistol shot, and move the lightning to the cannon ball. This is, admittedly, a slightly more complex operation than what we've done before. I trust that you'll succeed. Any questions? No? Well, Pieter, whenever you are!"

Pieter stood over the cannon, smoldering matchlock at the ready. He eyed Uban, seeing how his apprentice was holding up. Hana hadn't slowed down at any point, and Hana's brown eyes were wide with excitement. "You ready, lad?"