Page 102 of A Flash of Golden Fire

And, in the end, that was all that we were to Domingo. Yet I went away from our encounter with an appreciation and a fondness for the beautiful man in the chartreuse robe who had entertained us and watched us enjoy each other.

Captain Martin took me upstairs and tucked me in with a kiss and a murmur of profound affection.

“Aren’t you coming to bed?” I said, barely able to speak. I was so tired.

“Soon, my love. I want to take a walk on the streets of Cayonne and check in on the crew. We need to be back on theArrowin a few days, and they may need reminding not to completely demolish themselves with the drink.”

“All right. But don’t be long.”

*

Ijolted up in bed and stared at the wall, where flashes of light splashed the cracking plaster and explosions rang in my ears. I barely had time to parse it when the door burst open and Captain Martin charged in.

“Get dressed. Now.”

“What’s the matter?” I asked, springing into panicked action, as the captain helped me find my clothes and get into them.

“The Spanish, damn their hides. They want the island back.”

“Is it theirs?” I asked, still barely awake and unsure of what was happening.

“Used to be. They ceded to the French, but they’re sore about losing the territory. Bad luck that we happen to be here during a raid.”

“Dinesh!”

We looked up to see Domingo, his hair wild and the knotted chartreuse robe the only thing covering his nakedness, except that now he wore a pair of leather boots and carried a square object in one hand.

“Put it in! Put it in!”

Captain Martin frowned at the covered cage from which the voice of Esmaralda, Domingo’s mouthy mynah, was issuing.

“Not the bird, Domingo.”

“I’m not leaving her.”

“For fuck’s sake.”

“I’ll take my chances in the streets without you, if you make me give her up.”

I stared at the captain, honestly wondering as to his response.

“Fuck it. Fine. Bring her, then.” He turned to me. “Hurry.”

“Domingo’s coming?” I asked.

“Aye. He’ll be killed if he stays here,” Dinesh muttered.

I didn’t want Domingo killed. I wasn’t sure I wanted him on theArrow, either, but at this point we’d be lucky to get out of Cayonne. My gut roiled with fear.

“I’m sorry,chica,” Domingo said. “I won’t be a burden, I promise,” he said.

He looked pale and frightened, and that, more than anything else, made me hurry even more as a panicked sweat broke on my neck. I pulled my jacket over my unbuttoned shirt and grabbed the captain’s outstretched hand.

“Let’s go.”

We raced down the stairs, colliding with other scantily clad whores who had decided their best bet was outside.

“Domingo!” A dark-skinned woman yelled. “Where are you going? Don’t leave us, you scoundrel!”