Page 276 of The Liveship Traders Trilogy

‘Wait!’ Malta’s plea sounded sharp. ‘Please, I mean. Please wait.’ Keffria thought she had never heard such anxiety in her daughter’s voice. ‘May I ask some questions? About Paragon?’

Brashen focused his entire attention on her. ‘If you’re asking my permission, certainly.’

Malta shot a pleading look around the room. ‘If he is going to leave us to think on this, then…It is like you are always telling me, Grandmother. We cannot argue with numbers. Nor can we make decisions without them. So, to consider this at all, we first need to know the numbers.’

Ronica Vestrit looked snared between shock and approval. ‘That’s true.’

Malta took a breath. ‘So. My Aunt Althea seems to think that the Paragon will need many repairs before he can sail. But I have always heard the wizardwood doesn’t rot. Do you think he needs to be refitted?’

Brashen nodded. ‘Not as much as if he were a ship of ordinary wood, but yes, there is much to be done. The Paragon is an old ship. Far more wizardwood was used in his construction than in later liveships. Those parts of him that are wizardwood are sound. Much of the rest of him is in surprisingly good condition. I think wizardwood repels many of the boring worms and pests much as cedar repels moths. But there is still a great deal of work and supplies he would need. New masts, new canvas, new lines. Anchors, chain, and a ship’s boat, plus a kit for the galley, carpenter’s tools, a medicine chest…

all of the things a ship must carry aboard it to become its own little world.

Many of his seams should be re-caulked. A lot of his brightwork needs replacing.

Amber has restored much of his interior wood and fixtures, but there is still a great deal to be done.

There would be the further expense of buying the foodstuffs necessary to stock the ship for the voyage.

We’d need a secret store of money or goods, in the hopes we can make a ransom offer for the ship and men.

Weapons, also, would have to be bought, in case Captain Kennit refuses to dicker, and if we can afford any deck machines, they’d have to be installed.

And there would have to be some coin up-front to hire hands for the voyage. ’

Althea found her voice. ‘Do you believe you’ll find any decent sailors willing to sign aboard the Paragon? I think you are forgetting his reputation as a killer. Unless you are willing to pay above top wages, why should a good hand ship out on such a vessel?’

Keffria could hear that Althea was trying to keep her voice civil. She suspected that her sister’s interest was roused despite her disparagement of the idea.

‘It would be a problem,’ Brashen conceded easily.

He pulled out the kerchief again and wiped his face.

His hands trembled very slightly as he carefully refolded it.

‘There might be a few who would sign on simply for the daring of it. There are always some sailors with more guts than brains. I’d start with the Vivacia’s old hands first, asking those of your father’s crew that Kyle discharged.

Some of them might go for the sake of the ship herself, or your father’s memory.

For the rest –’ He shrugged. ‘We would end up with the dregs and the troublemakers. A great deal would depend on whom we could get as first mate. A good mate can make a working crew out of near anything, if he’s given a free hand. ’

‘What’s to keep them from turning on you when ’

‘Numbers!’ Malta broke in irritably. ‘There is no sense in worrying about “what if’s” until we know if it is financially possible.’ She went to her grandfather’s old desk. ‘If I give you paper and ink, can you write up for us what you think it would cost?’

‘I’m not an expert,’ Brashen began. ‘Some things would have to be hired done by professionals and –’

‘Assuming you’d find any shipwrights willing to work on the Paragon,’ Althea chimed in sarcastically. ‘His reputation is bad. And assuming the Ludlucks give permission and–’

Malta’s hands clenched into fists on the paper she had taken from the drawer.

Keffria thought she would ball it up and throw it to the ground.

Instead, the girl closed her eyes for a moment and drew a deep breath.

‘Assuming all that, then. How much money? And can we possibly get it? Until we answer those questions, there is no point in asking others!’

‘We may just as easily be defeated by these other factors as by a lack of money!’ Althea snorted in exasperation.

‘All I am saying,’ Malta said in a tightly controlled voice, ‘is that we should consider those factors in the order in which they may defeat us. If we have no money to hire hands, then we don’t have to worry about who will or will not sail for us.’

Althea stared at the girl. Keffria felt her muscles tighten. Althea could be sharp-tongued. If she mocked Malta now, when the girl was trying so hard to be pragmatic, Keffria would not even try to control her temper.

‘You’re right,’ Althea said suddenly. She shifted her gaze to their mother. ‘Do we have any reserves left at all? Anything not entailed, anything we can sell off?’

‘There are a few things,’ Ronica said quietly. She absently twisted the ring on her finger. ‘What we must recall is that whether or not we have possession of the liveship, a payment comes due soon. The Khuprus family will expect…’

‘Don’t consider that,’ Malta said quietly. ‘I will accept Reyn’s suit. I will set a date for our wedding, on condition that my father is home to attend it. I think that will win us a reprieve from that debt, and perhaps some financial help to launch the Paragon.’

A profound silence filled the room. To Keffria, it seemed that the room filled with stillness as a bucket brims with clear water.

It was not just the quiet. It was a moment of cognizance.

She looked at her daughter and suddenly saw her as someone else.

The spoiled and stubborn girl who would stop at nothing to get her own way was suddenly a young woman who would sacrifice anything, even herself, to rescue her father.

This unswerving act of will was rattling.

Keffria bit her tongue to keep from telling her that Kyle wasn’t worth it.

He would never understand that what his daughter had been ready to sacrifice was not a moment’s brave word but her whole life.

No one, she thought, can be worth another’s entire life spent in subservience.

She glanced at the slave-boy, so silently watching them all, but found herself considering her marriage.

A bitter smile bent her mouth. One woman had already made that sacrifice for Kyle Haven.

‘Malta. Please do not make such a decision under these circumstances.’ The power in her own voice surprised her.

‘I do not dispute that it is your decision to make. Proof enough of your womanhood is that you are willing to make it. I simply ask that you delay such a course until all others have been explored.’

‘What other courses?’ Malta asked hopelessly. ‘Through all our troubles, no one has come to our aid. Who do we think will help us now?’

‘The Tenira family might,’ Althea offered quietly. ‘Some few of the other liveship owners may come forward and…’

‘They’re going to be too busy with their own problems for some time,’ Brashen broke in.

‘I’m sorry. It’s hard for me to think straight tonight.

I keep forgetting you probably don’t know what else went on.

There was a riot at the tariff docks tonight.

Tenira and some of the others went down in force.

They moved Ophelia out to the centre of the harbour and a whole fleet of small boats went out to unload her.

The cargo has been scattered all over Bingtown.

Tenira gave it away rather than pay any tariffs on it.

But that didn’t stop the Chalcedeans from trying to interfere. ’

‘Sweet Sa, have mercy. Was anyone hurt?’ Ronica demanded.

Brashen’s smile was not a friendly one. ‘The Bingtown harbour master is quite upset about two sunken galleys. Unfortunately, they went down right near the tariff docks. No large ships are going to be able to get in there to tie up for a time. Sa only knows when they’ll find a way to raise them…’

‘They burned going down,’ Amber added. She sounded both saddened and satisfied. She added casually, ‘Part of the tariff dock caught as well. When we left, some of the Satrap’s warehouses were still burning.’

Brashen’s tone challenged Althea, ‘You might concede there was good reason to be concerned for your safety, on such a night.’

‘You were down there?’ Althea looked from one to the other. ‘All those fires…too many to be one accidental fire spreading. This was planned in advance, wasn’t it? Why didn’t I know?’

‘Ophelia and I have become very good friends,’ Amber replied evasively.

‘Why wasn’t I told?’

‘Maybe it wasn’t a fit place for a Trader’s daughter to be.’ Brashen shrugged. More sourly, he added, ‘Perhaps Grag cares enough for you that he wouldn’t want to risk you being arrested as well.’

‘Grag was arrested?’

‘For a short time. They found the Chalcedean guards who were supposed to be holding him, but Grag himself has disappeared.’ He permitted himself a small smile. ‘I understand that he’s fine, however. I’m sure you’ll hear from him in a day or so. Surely he wouldn’t leave his ladylove in suspense.’

‘How do you know so much? How did you happen to be down there?’ Althea’s anger was building. She had flushed a deep scarlet. Keffria could not understand why she was so upset about this. Did she wish she had been at a riot, instead of driving Davad home?