Page 76 of A Flash of Golden Fire

Squid nodded, his fine eyebrows knitting together. He pushed a stray piece of hair off of his face. Squid looked as mysterious as his name. I couldn’t pin down his nationality or his sex, in all honesty, although he was dressed like any fellow might be.

“And I, you,” he said. “I was wondering if I might…have a place aboard your ship.”

Captain Martin assessed him calmly. “And why should I bring you aboard theArrow, Squid?”

“I’m strong. And skilled. And I want off this stinking pile of timber,” Squid spat, eyeing the crew of theLanternwho’d gathered at the stern with expressions of displeasure.

“I need more of a reason.”

“TheArrowis a much finer vessel than theLantern,” Squid murmured, glancing at our ship and then gazing at Captain Martin with a look of assessment. “And you are more of a man than any of us.”

The captain preened under Squid’s appraisal, and I rolled my eyes. Even though Squid struck me as an interesting fellow, I wasn’t sure I wanted him on our ship.

I watched Captain Martin, half expecting him to laugh at this obvious manipulation.

“Convince me,” he said.

Squid’s fine eyebrows slanted. “I know how to do most anything, Captain. And I’m prepared to work where you want me.”

“Why should I add to my already large crew just because you want to leave yours? How do I know you won’t abandon us at the earliest opportunity?”

Squid appeared confused. “I’m prepared to give back what I’m given.”

“Meaning…”

“If I’m given respect, I’ll give respect. If I’m afforded courtesies, I’ll return them. That’s all.”

Captain Martin nodded as if this was enough.

“If you’re near the ladder when we debark, you can join us. But I’m not going to look for you.”

“Yes, Captain. Thank you,” Squid said, content.

I gaped at him. “But, Captain…”

“Yes, White?”

My gaze followed Squid as he strode off, presumably to go wait by the ladder.

“We don’t know anything about this man. He could be a murderer!”

The captain stared at me, then tipped back his head and laughed and laughed.

“My God. No.” He straightened and gave me the most endearing look, as if he couldn’t believe how cute I was. “Technically,I’ma murderer, Simon. And Guthrie. And…most of them,” He gestured to the crew members who were lugging things out of theLantern’shold. “As I recall, you, yourself, are responsible for the deaths of an entire ship.”

I’d forgotten about that. I could hardly believe he’d throw that in my face.

“Yes, but…I was protectingyou.”

“I realize that. Men have many reasons for the killing they do,” he explained.

“What I mean is what if Squid isn’t like the rest of us?”

He looked at me strangely.

“In what way?”

“What if he’s not a good person? Sure, the crew have shadowed pasts, but at heart most of them are decent. We don’t know anything about this Squid person. And what kind of a name is Squid anyway?”