* * * * *
"22 Apr. 1923 (cont.):
'That's impossible!' Captain Murgatroyd was the first to exclaim: 'The IDL isn't supposed to touch land. The cartographers who originated it went to great lengths to insure that it didn't!"
"Professor Phillips smiled, once more: 'The IDL has only been in existence since 1884, Captain. While the very concept of it only goes back to the time of Magellan. And, this map _considerably_ pre-dates that.' "
" 'Even so! If this Chinese admiral managed to find this island, why hasn't it been repeatedly re-discovered, since then?' "
"Here, the professor could only shrug: 'Light refraction? Polynesian magic? Your guess is as good as mine. The only thing I know for certain is that it _was_ discovered by Admiral Zheng. Quite literally, by accident."
"The professor went on to tell them that, of all seven voyages made by Zheng He, only the records of the first five out-lived the Ming Dynasty. Records of the remaining two were ordered destroyed by the Ming Emperor Xuande, himself!"
" 'Fortunately, for us,' he concluded: '...he was accompanied on that seventh voyage by an expatriate Japanese ronin named Ishimura Takeo. Islamically renamed 'Ishmael Murad.' It seems the admiral hired him as master-at-arms for the flagship of the treasure fleet (in case they were attacked by wako*). But, after the admiral died at sea, Ishimura-san returned to Japan to seek employment with one of the Ashikaga-era warlords. Years later, he wrote his autobiography...which included his time with Ma San Bao (the admiral's Ming imperial court name). It also mentioned his marriage to the admiral's adopted daughter, Ma Lin Kuei!"
"In light of that remark, I took a long second look at the Vandersnatch map: 'Is that why this particular symbol is captioned in Japanese, Herr Professor?' And, to emphasize what I was talking about, I pointed to the strange illustration in question."
"His smile became a toothy grin, as he nodded: 'I was beginning to worry that you would _never_ catch that, Gustave. For those of you who don't read Japanese? This ideogram translates as 'Kujira-onna.' Which, in plain English means; 'Whale Woman.' You see, what initially resembles your standard medieval picture of a mermaid shows this particular one eating what looks like a sardine. Yet, if you take a closer look through this magnifying glass, you'll see that the so-called sardine is actually...a killer whale!' "
" 'And, that's what Ishimura claimed sunk the treasure ship we've come so far to find; not the wako who chased them all the way to Kapu Hiva. But, a giant ningyo (or mermaid), who destroyed both ships!' "
* * * * *
"23 Apr. 1923:
I don't know how I fell asleep, upon returning to my stateroom. My mind reeled so, with the information the professor had given us! Yet, somehow, I did just that; fall asleep. For, the next thing I know, I am landing on the floor of my stateroom with a thud!!"
"It is a few minutes before I get my bearings enough to realize that the ship is moving back-and-forth and up-and-down. Back-and-forth, and up-and-down. Quite violently, too! It is only after a thunderclap follows the bright flash of light at my porthole that I recognize the truth."
"We are in the middle of a thunderstorm, at sea. And, it is not even officially typhoon season, yet!"
tbc
Giantess World
Chapter End Notes:
*Wako: Japanese pirates who began marauding along the Chinese coast circa the late 1200's.
Ashikaga-era: Japan was ruled by that particular shogunate until the early/mid-16th century.
Adopted daughter: Zheng He was born a Hui (or Chinese Muslim) of the Hanafi school. And, when captured by Islamic warriors of the Ming Dynasty, at the age of 11, they turned him into a eunuch(!) before presenting him as a servant to the Ming imperial court of Emperor Hongxi.
Ashikaga-era: Japan was ruled by that particular shogunate until the early/mid-16th century.
Adopted daughter: Zheng He was born a Hui (or Chinese Muslim) of the Hanafi school. And, when captured by Islamic warriors of the Ming Dynasty, at the age of 11, they turned him into a eunuch(!) before presenting him as a servant to the Ming imperial court of Emperor Hongxi.