Kingmaker (The Dragon Corsairs)

by Margaret Weis

  Anasi and her fellow dragons seemed surprised by this response.

  “I don’t understand, Lord Dalgren,” Anasi said, condescending to also speak Freyan for Kate’s benefit. “You have fulfilled the terms the court set down for you to earn your name back.”

  “I did not, Countess,” said Dalgren with dignity. “I deserted the Brigade because I had vowed to never again kill another human. I broke that vow tonight.”

  “You had good cause, Dalgren,” said Anasi. “You saved lives by destroying the black ship.”

  “My vow did not come with conditions,” said Dalgren. “Of all vows we take, I believe that those we make to ourselves are the most sacred.”

  “I cannot argue,” said Anasi. “As the judge at your trial, I was witness to your valor and I rule that you have met the conditions that lift the sentence of Banishing. If you want to work for Father Jacob to help ease the suffering of those humans who live Below and to make reparation for breaking your oath, that is your choice and I laud you for it. But it is not necessary. Your name is now restored.”

  Anasi again pronounced his dragon name, speaking with warmth and admiration. One by one, the other dragons in the Brigade spoke his name and congratulated him. Dalgren accepted their well-wishes, looking dazed. Finally Captain Thorgrimson and Cecile both offered their congratulations.

  “Her Ladyship and I would like to speak to you, Lord Dalgren, and to your partner,” Thorgrimson added.

  Before Dalgren could reply, Kate intervened.

  “What more do you want from us, sir?” she demanded impatiently. “Dalgren needs to eat and heal his wounds and I need some sleep. We’ve told you all we know.”

  “We have come to ask for your help, Kate,” said Cecile. “Rosia cannot allow the attack on the Brigade to go unpunished nor can we permit the Guundarans to conquer and seize Freya. That would make King Ullr far too powerful. I propose an alliance between Freya and Rosia to stop Guundar.”

  “The Dragon Brigade will offer our service to His Majesty, King Thomas. We will fly to Haever to join the battle against Guundar,” Thorgrimson added.

  “That’s wonderful,” said Kate. “I am sure Thomas—His Majesty will welcome this news. How soon can you leave? And what does this have to do with me and Dalgren?”

  “We hope to be ready in forty-eight hours,” Thorgrimson replied.

  “Two days!” Kate gasped. “Why so long?”

  Dalgren gave a warning cough and nudged her with a claw. Kate ignored him.

  “I don’t understand,” she persisted.

  “The Brigade cannot leave for Freya without obtaining orders from King Renaud and, given the fact that the Freyans falsely accused our king of ordering the assassination of their queen, the countess may have a difficult time persuading His Majesty,” Thorgrimson said with a glance at Cecile.

  “As for the Brigade itself, we were not prepared to go to war. We must consider matters of logistics, supplying our forces, both human and dragons, and that will take time. We are a miltiary force, Captain, not corsairs,” he added wryly.

  “No, sir,” said Kate. She wondered why Thorgrimson was bothering to explain when he could have just dismissed her. “Sorry, sir.”

  “And that is where you and Dalgren come in. We need to dispatch a swift messenger to bring word to King Thomas,” said Thorgrimson.

  “Someone Thomas knows and trusts,” Cecile added with a smile. “Someone who knows ways to gain access to the palace.”

  “Dalgren and I will go!” Kate said eagerly.

  Thorgrimson smiled. “I was hoping you would. I cannot reinstate Lord Dalgren to the Brigade, but I could accept you both as volunteers.” He glanced askance at Kate’s jury-rigged harness and added, “We will provide you with a saddle. Also whatever else you need: a uniform, gear, weapons.”

  “Rest here tonight,” said Cecile. “The dragons have expressed their desire that you and Lord Dalgren attend the funeral. If it were not for your courage, we would be grieving many more dead.”

  “We can discuss the details of our proposal after you have rested,” said Thorgrimson. “You will need to leave at first light tomorrow.”

  “Yes, sir,” said Kate. All her life she had fought for her dreams and now the dream of being part of the Dragon Brigade was real.

  But it still felt like a dream.

  THIRTY-NINE

  Henry Wallace spent his time in Wellinsport shut up in his cheerless room, observing the two Guundaran warships that had entered the harbor.

  He sat at his window with a spyglass trained on the vessels, hoping to find proof for Alan and the governor that the Guundarans were secretly preparing to attack.

  He searched for signs that the Guundarans were hiding troops on board the ships, keeping them stashed belowdecks. He watched to see if they were actually making repairs to the ships or if the damage had been a ruse to allow them to enter the harbor. He woke at midnight to take advantage of the full moon to note unusual activity on board the ships during the night.

  Henry watched the Guundarans until his eyes ached and his vision blurred, and he saw no sign that the Guundarans were plotting anything nefarious … with one exception. They did not grant their sailors shore leave.

  Generally, when ships were in port, their captains permitted the sailors to go ashore to take advantage of the pleasures Wellinsport had to offer. Governor Crichton had talked about how the tavern owners and madams would be counting on filling their coffers with Guundaran coins, but thus far they must be disappointed. The Guundaran sailors had not been allowed to leave the ships. Henry found that circumstance suspicious, though he knew Alan would not.

  He could almost hear Alan’s voice.

  “Oh, for God’s sake, Henry, they have urgent repairs to make to keep their ships from sinking. Of course, they’re not going to let their crews go ashore to get stinking drunk.”

  As Henry sat at the window keeping watch, he also worried that he had not heard back from Mr. Sloan. He had allowed a day for Mr. Sloan to travel to Freeport and talk to Olaf, then a day to return, which meant Mr. Sloan should have been back by now. But as yet, Henry had heard nothing from his secretary.

  That morning, Henry rubbed the stubble on his chin and decided he would have to leave his post long enough to visit the barber for a shave. He had kept the sling on his right arm in deference to Perry’s advice, and attempted to shave himself using his left hand, with near disastrous results. He was starting out when he heard a knock on the door and opened it to find Mr. Sloan.

  “You do not know how glad I am to see you!” Henry said, welcoming him inside. “I expected you days ago, and when you did not arrive I began to be concerned. Come in, come in.”

  “I am sorry, my lord. I was delayed by unforeseen circumstances. I trust my news will make up for any inconvenience you suffered.”

  Mr. Sloan was a highly disciplined man who prided himself on keeping his emotions in check. He was not given to transports of joy, nor did he permit himself to wallow in despair. Henry had once known Mr. Sloan, in a moment of great excitement, to raise an eyebrow. Henry detected a thrill in his voice, however, and he tingled with anticipation.

  “I am afraid I have only one chair.”

  “You take the chair, my lord. I will sit on the bed.” Mr. Sloan glanced out the window. “An excellent observation post. I assume you have been observing the Guundaran warships.”

  “Indeed I have, Mr. Sloan. But we can discuss them later. I can tell by the twinkle in your eye that you have momentous news.”

  “I was not aware that I ‘twinkle,’ my lord,” said Mr. Sloan, looking shocked. “I will endeavor to correct such a lapse.”

  Henry smiled. “Just tell me the news, Mr. Sloan.”

  “Yes, my lord. I traveled to Freeport and spoke to Olaf and Akiel. I found what they had to say so interesting that I deemed you needed to hear them for yourself and I have brought them with me. We sailed on Olaf’s small vessel, the Barwich Rose. Since I believed I would find you on bo
ard the Terrapin, the Rose docked alongside her in the Neck near the harbor entrance. Not finding you there, I left Olaf and Akiel in the care of Captain Northrop and came to search for you.”

  “I suppose Alan told you he and I had a falling out,” said Henry, grimacing.

  “He said nothing, but I did notice a distinct coolness in his tone when he spoke of you, my lord. I am sorry to hear that. Perhaps my news will have a cheering effect.”

  “Go on with your tale,” said Henry.

  “I met Olaf in the Perky Parrot and asked if he had heard the story of the Manuel Gomez. He replied that he had heard it and, what’s more, he knew the story to be true. It seems Olaf was in Wellinsport serving under Captain Fitzmaurice at the time and he saw the Manuel Gomez being towed into port. The ship’s arrival occasioned great interest, for they had heard rumors that the crew had perished of the cold.”

  “You have thus far confirmed Simon’s ghost story,” said Henry. “I don’t see, though, how that advances his claim.”

  “I have more to relate, my lord,” said Mr. Sloan. “While Olaf was relating the tale to me, one of his customers—a gentleman known as ‘Old Benito’—spoke up to say that it was common knowledge that the Manuel Gomez had ventured too near a place known somewhat romantically as the ‘Wall of Frozen Fog.’

  “Olaf scoffed at the notion, saying the Wall of Frozen Fog was an old wives’ tale. Old Benito demanded to know with some heat if Olaf was calling him an old wife. Olaf stated that if the shoe fit Old Benito should wear it, at which point I feared the two elderly gentlemen were going to come to blows.

  “Akiel settled the argument by saying that he had seen the Wall of Frozen Fog for himself, albeit from a distance. He said it was located south of a former pirate haunt known as Nydrian’s Cove on the northern end of Whitefalls Island. I purchased several rounds of drinks and peace ensued.”

  “So you believe this Wall of Frozen Fog could be liquid Breath and Simon’s crackpot theory could be true,” Henry said, musing.

  “We will not know for certain until we see for ourselves, my lord. Akiel swears to the veracity of his statement and I believe he saw something strange, though I cannot say what. He has offered to serve as our guide and Olaf has agreed to transport us to Nydrian’s Cove in the Barwich Rose.”

  “I’ll be damned. I certainly did not expect this. What do you think, Mr. Sloan? How did Akiel come across this wall?”

  “According to him, he was traveling on board a ship that was in Nydrian’s Cove searching for the treasure that was said to have been buried there by the Pirate King. The ship encountered a wall of thick white fog and experienced a severe drop in temperature, such that frost began to form on the masts.

  “The sailors had all heard about the tragic fate of the Manuel Gomez and insisted that the captain leave the area. When he refused, the crew mutinied, took over the ship, and fled.”

  Henry remained irresolute, still unconvinced. “Did Akiel show you this location on a chart? Is it near where Simon claims we should find his White Well?”

  “A chart was not available in the Parrot,” said Mr. Sloan. “If the Wall of Frozen Fog is located inland, south of Nydrian’s Cove, as he says, that would approximately correspond with Master Yates’s readings. Olaf estimates the journey to this area should take about a half a day.”

  “Simon would never forgive us if we didn’t investigate. The truth is that I don’t like leaving Wellinsport right now. You saw the Guundaran warships?”

  “I observed them as we entered the harbor, my lord,” said Mr. Sloan. “Two docked and one in the channel.”

  “The Guundarans told Governor Crichton some cock-and-bull story about needing to make repairs and the fool gave them permission to enter. Our fleet is in Sornhagen chasing Rosians. Alan refused to support me and now Crichton is happily supplying the Guundarans with everything they require to invade his city! Bah!”

  “Most unfortunate, my lord,” said Mr. Sloan.

  “Crichton will rue the day, Mr. Sloan,” Henry predicted grimly.

  He paused, staring at the ships out the window, then added with some bitterness, “On second thought, Mr. Sloan, I have no reason to stay in Wellinsport. I might as well sail off to fairyland and search for Simon’s well.”

  “Very good, my lord. Nydrian’s Cove is known to serve as a refuge to pirates who prey on shipping in the area. The Rose is a small vessel with no cannons, and I have only a brace of pistols. If we could obtain rifles, pistols, shot, and powder from Captain Northrop…”

  Henry was grim. “I will ask nothing of Alan. We can purchase the weapons.”

  Mr. Sloan gave a deferential cough. “Such a large purchase would occasion considerable comment among the locals, my lord. I trust we would prefer to keep the nature of our journey secret.”

  “Oh, very well,” Henry said crossly. “But you must talk to Alan. I will not!”

  * * *

  The Barwich Rose had belonged to Kate when she was engaged in the wrecking business, sailing to sites of shipwrecks in order to recover objects she could sell at auction.

  The Rose was about forty years old and in her best days was charitably described as “serviceable.” Kate had given the ship to Olaf when she left for Freya, and although his sailing days were past him, he liked keeping the Rose in working condition.

  “In case Katydid should ever need her,” Olaf told Henry as he boarded.

  The Rose looked very small and shabby as she floated beside the mighty Terrapin. Her crew consisted of Olaf’s patrons, some of the local Freeport “lads,” the youngest of whom was about fifty.

  Henry paced the small deck and kept an eye on the Terrapin. He had sent Mr. Sloan to deal with Alan and he could see the two of them talking together on the Terrapin’s foredeck. He knew Alan could see him, but his friend did not once acknowledge his presence.

  Alan readily agreed to provide rifles and pistols, powder and ammunition, and ordered the crew of the Terrapin to transfer the supplies to the Rose. He waved to Olaf and bid him have a safe journey, then remained to watch the Rose cast off and head out into the Trame Channel.

  Henry saw him, but pretended not to notice.

  Once in the Trame Channel, the Rose left Wellinsport and sailed in a northwesterly direction that would take them up the coast of Whitefalls Island to Nydrian’s Cove.

  According to the legend, the infamous Pirate King would hide his ships in the cove, then swoop out into the channel to nab a prize. Alan had himself made use of the cove during his Rose Hawks days when he was a privateer, lying in wait for rich Rosian and Estaran merchant ships.

  “Captain Northrop said he never encountered any frozen fog, my lord,” said Mr. Sloan. “He wished us luck on our expedition.”

  “Humpf,” said Henry.

  The Rose did not provide the most luxurious mode of transportation, nor did it appear that safe. Olaf and the crewmen were all experienced sailors, and they swore that the Rose was air-worthy and reliable at least for the short distance she would have to travel.

  The weather was typical of the Aligoes, which meant that one moment the sun was shining and the next dark clouds were dumping down rain. As the Rose chugged along the coastline of Whitefalls Island, Henry further questioned Akiel about the Wall of Frozen Fog.

  “The captain of our ship was searching for the treasure of the Pirate King,” said Akiel. “He had a map that he claimed came from the captain of the Manuel Gomez.”

  “The same Manuel Gomez whose crew froze to death,” said Henry, intrigued.

  “That is right, sir,” said Akiel. “Some of the crew believed that the map was cursed and was going to lure us to our deaths. They tried to warn the captain, but he was a bad man who was very greedy. He said he did not believe in curses. We sailed inland and had not gone far before the air began to grow colder and colder and a wall of white blocked our way. The deck was coated with ice and it was so cold our teeth were chattering in our heads. The captain would have pushed on, but the crew was having
none of it. They fell upon him and tied him to a mast and turned the ship around.

  “I tried to stop them,” Akiel added. “I told them I could speak to the spirits who were guarding the treasure, but the sailors said that the spirits were welcome to it.”

  Henry pondered the story as the ship sailed the Breath north along the rugged emerald-green coastline.

  “Consider this possibility, Mr. Sloan. Suppose the treasure map was real?”

  “I doubt if that is possible, my lord. According to historians, the Pirate King did not bury his treasure. He spent the vast majority—”

  “Devil take historians, Mr. Sloan,” Henry interrupted irritably.

  “Very good, my lord.”

  “Suppose the treasure to which the map referred had nothing to do with the Pirate King,” said Henry. “What if the treasure marked on the map was not gold. Instead it was the pool of liquid Breath.”

  “An interesting theory, my lord.”

  “Let us say Simon was not the first man with a scientific mind to note the odd natural occurrences in this area. Someone investigated, then set out on the Manuel Gomez to search for the pool. The ship found it, but something went wrong and they froze to death. No one was alive to tell the tale. Searchers found a map with references to wealth and fortune. Everyone would immediately leap to the conclusion that the map referred to pirate treasure.”

  “Highly plausible, my lord. A pool of liquid Breath would be worth far more than a hundred chests filled with gold and jewels,” said Mr. Sloan.

  “Such a discovery could make Freya one of the wealthiest nations in the world,” said Henry wistfully. “But seeing is believing, as they say, Mr. Sloan, and until I have seen this pool, I refuse to allow myself to believe in it.”

  FORTY

  The Barwich Rose reached Nydrian’s Cove shortly after midday. Olaf did not remain in the cove long. Under Akiel’s guidance, the ship sailed inland, flying over the blackened ruins of a once prosperous town.