Page 516

BARGAINING CHIPS

A LL EYES TURNED to the figurehead. Malta stepped free of Wintrow’s embrace.

No one save herself seemed to realize the ship spoke to her.

Instead, their gazes travelled to the Satrap and back to the ship again.

The Satrap stared at the moving, speaking figurehead in astonishment, but Malta’s eyes went past him.

Beside the Satrap stood a tall dark man with one peg leg.

His handsome, self-possessed face showed displeasure.

Beside him, the confident look was fading from Captain Red’s face.

He hated being upstaged. Captain Red glanced at the tall man, and Malta suddenly knew who he was.

Captain Kennit, the King of the Pirate Isles.

She took advantage of the distraction to appraise him.

Her reaction was immediately both attraction and distrust. Like Roed Caern of Bingtown, he radiated danger.

Once, she would have found him mysterious and alluring.

She had grown wiser. Dangerous men were neither romantic nor exotic; they were men who could hurt you.

This man would not be as easy to manipulate and convince as Captain Red had been.

‘Are you too shy to speak to me?’ the ship invited her warmly.

She sent the figurehead one desperate, pleading glance. She did not want the peg-legged man to see her as especially important. She must be only the Satrap’s advisor. Did a flicker of understanding pass through Vivacia’s eyes?

The Satrap seemed offended at the ship’s coaxing words.

He believed she spoke to him. ‘Greetings, liveship,’ he accorded her stiffly.

His brief moment of wonder at her had passed.

Malta supposed it reflected a lifetime of being showered with new and surprising gifts.

No miracle amazed him for long. His gratitude was likewise short-lived.

At least he seemed to recall her counsel: ‘Do not behave as a captive, nor as a supplicant.’

He turned to Kennit. He did not bow or salute him in any way. ‘Captain Kennit,’ he addressed him unsmilingly. His official recognition of Kennit as King of the Pirate Isles was one of the negotiation points.

Kennit regarded him with cool amusement.

‘Satrap Cosgo,’ he acknowledged him familiarly, already claiming equality.

The Satrap’s gaze grew frostier. ‘This way,’ Kennit indicated.

He frowned slightly at the Vestrits. ‘Wintrow. Come.’ To Malta, it seemed that he spoke as if her brother were a dog or a servant.

‘Malta!’ The Satrap’s chill voice sternly reminded her of her duties.

She had a facade to maintain. She could not be Wintrow’s sister, nor Althea’s niece right now.

She kept her voice low. ‘Ask me nothing now. We must talk later. Please. Trust me. Don’t interfere with what I do.

’ She stepped away and they let her go, but Althea’s eyes were flinty.

Wintrow hurried to his captain’s command.

As the others left the foredeck, Althea asked aloud, ‘How does she come here? What does it mean?’

‘She’s your niece,’ Jek returned bluntly, staring wide-eyed after them.

‘As if that gives me any answers. I will hold my questions and not interfere, not because she is such a font of wise actions, but because there is nothing else I can do. I hope she realizes what a treacherous snake Kennit is.’

‘Althea.’ The ship cautioned her wearily.

Althea turned back to the ship. ‘Why did you greet him as Dragon-Friend? The Satrap is a friend to dragons?’

‘Not the Satrap,’ the ship replied evasively. ‘I would as soon not speak of it just now.’

‘Why?’ Althea demanded.

‘I am troubled about other things,’ Vivacia replied.

Althea sighed. ‘Your serpents. Their need to be guided back to their spawning river and escorted up it. It is hard for me, still, to think of you as a dragon.’ And harder still for her to accept that Vivacia had a loyalty that superseded all others.

But if the serpents were first in her heart, before the Vestrits, perhaps they preceded Kennit as well.

Childishly, Althea perceived a possible wedge.

‘Why do you not simply demand it of Kennit?’

‘Do you know anyone who reacts well to a demand?’ Vivacia asked rhetorically.

‘You fear he would refuse you.’

Vivacia was silent, and that quiet jolted Althea from the rut of her own concerns.

It was like being lifted high on a wave and suddenly seeing to a farther horizon.

She perceived Vivacia’s confinement, spirit of a dragon encased in a body of wood, dependent on the men who set her sails and the winds that pushed her canvas.

There were, she suddenly saw, many ways to be raped.

The revelation broke her heart. Yet her next words sounded childish in her ears.

‘Were you mine again, we would leave today, this minute.’

‘You mean those words. I thank you for them.’

Althea had almost forgotten Jek was there until she spoke. ‘You could force him. Threaten to open up your seams.’

Vivacia smiled bitterly. ‘I am not mad Paragon, to recklessly menace my entire crew with wild acts of defiance. No.’ Althea felt her sigh.

‘Kennit will not be swayed by threats or demands. Even if I had the will, his pride would make him defy me. For this, I must hark back to your family’s wisdom, Althea. I must bargain, with nothing to offer.’

Althea tried to consider it coldly. ‘First, what do you want of him? Second, what can we offer him?’

‘What do I want? For him to sail me back to the Rain Wild River, as swiftly as possible, and up it to the cocooning grounds. For me to remain there, near the serpents all winter, doing all we could to protect them until they hatched.’ She laughed hopelessly.

‘Even better would be an escort of his vessels, to guard my poor, weary serpents on their long journey. But every bit of that runs counter to Kennit’s best interests. ’

Althea felt stupid for not seeing it earlier. ‘If he helps the serpents, he loses the use of them. They disappear to become dragons. He loses a powerful tool against Jamaillia.’

‘Bolt-self was too eager to flaunt her strength to him. She did not foresee this.’ She shook her head. ‘As for your second question, I have nothing to offer him that he does not already possess.’

‘The dragons could promise to return and aid him after they hatched,’ Jek speculated.

Vivacia shook her head. ‘They are not mine to bind that way. Even if I could, I would not. It is bad enough that, for as long as wizardwood endures, I must serve humans. I will not indenture the next generation.’

Jek rolled her shoulders restively. ‘It’s useless. There is nothing he wants that he doesn’t have already.’ She smiled mirthlessly. ‘Save Althea.’

A terrible quiet followed her words.

Just when Etta would have been useful, she was not on board, Kennit reflected in annoyance.

He had to see to everything himself, for Wintrow seemed completely addled by the presence of his sister.

‘Arrange chairs and a table in the chart room. Get some food and drink as well,’ he instructed him hastily.

‘I’ll help him,’ Sorcor volunteered good-naturedly, and lumbered off after Wintrow.

As well. Sorcor and his family had suffered much at the hands of the Satrap’s tax collectors and his slave-masters.

In their early days together, he had often drunkenly held forth on exactly what he would do if he ever got his hands on the Satrap himself.

Best not to give him too much opportunity to dwell on that right now.

Kennit followed them at a leisurely pace, to give Wintrow and Sorcor time to prepare the room.

He saw the young woman eyeing his stump and peg.

Malta Vestrit resembled her father. Kyle Haven’s arrogance was in her carefully-held mouth and narrowed eyes.

He halted suddenly, and flourished his stump at her.

‘A serpent bit it off,’ he informed her casually. ‘A hazard of life upon the seas.’

The Satrap recoiled, looking more distressed than his young Companion did.

Kennit kept his smile small. Ah. He had forgotten the noble Jamaillian distaste for physical disfigurement.

Could he use that? Captain Red had outlined the details of the Satrap’s proposal.

A dazzling offer, Kennit reflected gleefully, and only the first offer.

Kennit led them into the chart room. The preparations were adequate.

Wintrow had spread a heavy cloth and added silver candlesticks.

The silver tray that Wintrow held bore a collection of bottles and several glazed jugs of a Southby Island intoxicant, all recent plunder.

Glasses and noggins suitable for the various drinks had been assembled as well.

It was a suitable showing of wealth, without being extravagant.

Kennit was pleased. He gestured at the table.

‘Please, please, come in. Wintrow, do the honours with drink, there’s a good fellow. ’

Malta Vestrit stared round the room. Kennit could not resist. ‘No doubt this chamber has changed since last you saw it, Companion. But, please, be as at ease as if your father still occupied it.’

That provoked an unforeseen response. ‘Malta Vestrit is not my Companion. You may address her as Advisor,’ the Satrap informed him haughtily.

But even more interesting was how pale Malta went. She fought a look of anguish from her face.

Weakness was made to be exploited. Captain Red had warned him she was a wily negotiator.

A bit of rattling might take the edge off her wits.

Kennit cocked his head at her and gave a small shrug.

‘A pity Captain Haven became involved in the slave trade. If he had not made that choice, this ship might still be his. I am sure you are aware of my promise to my people. I will rid the Pirate Isles of slavers. Taking Vivacia was one of my first steps.’ He smiled at her.

Her mouth moved slightly, but her agonized questions went unvoiced.