The high-pitched whine of the flechette gun cut her off and was quickly followed by her shrill screams of pain. Mynatt grasped her leg and fell, but it was an awkward fall because her left foot remained flat to the deck. A dozen or so thin flechettes protruded from her boot top. More had penetrated farther, going through boot, foot, and boot sole before lodging firmly in the deck. Mynatt thrashed from side to side while her foot remained firmly nailed to the deck.
Alexis opened her palm and regarded the tiny flechette gun with raised eyebrows. She’d hoped it would have the power to penetrate Mynatt’s boot top at best.
Small, yet mighty.
Dansby stared at her open-mouthed. Alexis stepped forward and stood over Mynatt.
“I’ve had quite enough of you,” Alexis said. “This irrational hatred you have of me seems to have driven you beyond all reason.”
“Damn you!” Mynatt yelled. “I’ll tell the rest of the crew and they’ll —”
Mynatt screamed again as flechettes penetrated her knee.
Alexis knelt down and placed the barrel of the flechette gun against Mynatt’s midsection. While her foot and knee would likely be fine in a only few days after the flechettes were removed, having the tiny darts tear through her organs would be quite another matter.
“You’ve discovered who I am, Miss Mynatt. Surely you understand that I have a duty to perform and will brook no opposition?” She prodded forcefully. “The Navy does have a certain veneer of civility to it, but, I assure you, underneath we are as brutal as our duty dictates, do you understand?”
Alexis prodded again, harder.
Mynatt looked to Dansby, wide-eyed, and opened her mouth to speak, but Alexis cut her off.
“Not another word until I say,” she said. “Simply nod if you understand, please.”
Mynatt nodded.
“Excellent.” Alexis met Mynatt’s eyes and for the first time saw fear there, mixed with the hatred. And perhaps a little uncertainty, as well.
Surely the woman had realized that the cause for her initial distrust and hatred of Alexis, the fear that Alexis would be given the ship she so desired, had been misplaced. If so, then possibly the situation could be salvaged. If not, she’d have to kill Mynatt and how would that be explained to the crew? She and Dansby could find themselves facing a mutiny, no matter if Mynatt was able to tell the crew that Alexis was a Naval officer or not. Not to mention that she had no clear idea how Dansby would react — the man’s dealings with Mynatt seemed to go hot and cold at a moment’s notice.
Alexis rose, but kept the flechette gun trained on Mynatt’s torso.
“You do see now, Miss Mynatt, that my presence aboard Röslein is no threat to your being given her captaincy? That was your fear at the start, yes?”
Mynatt’s eyes narrowed and she started to nod, but Dansby spoke.
“She’s bloody well not getting one of my ships now!”
Alexis sighed.
No, it wouldn’t be enough for me to have to make just one of them see sense, now would it?
“Uncle —” She shook her head. “Mister Dansby, will you please —”
“She tried to mutiny!” Dansby pointed at Mynatt. “I’ll see she never gets a ship from anyone!”
Alexis sighed again.
“Oh, do calm down Mister Dansby. This can all be settled —”
“Nobody threatens me like that on my own bloody ship, Carew.” His hand settled on his own sidearm. “In fact I’ll —”
Alexis stepped back from Mynatt so that she could see both of them and transferred the flechette gun to her left hand. With her right she drew the pistol from her side and pointed it at Dansby.
“You —”
“Both of you be still and listen to sense,” Alexis said. “I’ve met your crew, remember, Dansby. If either you or Mynatt kills the other, there’ll be more than one of the men who starts to wonder why he shouldn’t come to command himself. And if I have to worry about that with the crew, then I might as well shoot the both of you and deal with them myself.”
She watched as Dansby’s hand relaxed and fell from his belt.
“Now, Miss Mynatt, surely you can look on this discovery of my identity as the opportunity it is, and not a difficulty?”
Mynatt’s eyes narrowed and Alexis could see that she was thinking now, instead of simply reacting to the news.
Finally Mynatt chuckled. “Wish you’d thought to say all that before you shot me.”
Alexis flushed. “You gave me little chance to get a word in.”
Mynatt tried to sit up, winced and lay back down again, settling for propping herself up on her elbows. “Fair enough.”
“What are you two on about?” Dansby asked.
“Oh, do shut up, Dansby,” Alexis said. “You had your hand in driving her to this as well.”
“What? I —”
“Will you tell me you didn’t hold that captaincy over her head from the time we came aboard? That it had nothing at all to do with her coming to your bed?”
“Well —”
“Nor that it was the first time?” Alexis demanded.
Dansby shut his mouth and cleared his throat.
“Very well, then. As to what we’re about and my being a Naval officer … Miss Mynatt, you must know after all your time in his employ that Dansby is not a complete idiot?”
“What?”
“Not so far as business goes, no,” Mynatt agreed, eyes narrowed more. “There must be enough profit in this for him to be taking the risk.”
“Exactly,” Alexis said. “He wouldn’t be going along himself if the risk were so great, either. So you simply carry out this voyage and when we’re done, Mister Dansby will return to managing his business and you will have the captaincy of Röslein.” She motioned for Dansby to be quiet. “Which is what everyone wanted to begin with, yes?”
“I suppose,” Dansby muttered finally.
“No,” Mynatt said.
Dansby and Alexis stared at her.
“As you pointed out, the crew will grow restless and curious if you kill me.” She shifted and winced. “Besides, you shot me.”
“What more could you want?”
“A thousand pounds to start.” Mynatt’s eyes narrowed. “You’re right that he wouldn’t come himself if the risk were so great, but he wouldn’t either if the pay weren’t great enough. There’s more coin in this than he’s let on and I want a piece.”
“Never!” Dansby yelled.
“Be quiet, Mister Dansby,” Alexis said. “I’m negotiating. What else?”
“A five year contract as Röslein’s captain,” Mynatt said. “I’ll not be dismissed in a week’s time at his whim. And half the owner’s share of profits for those years.”
“What?”
“I was shot!” Mynatt yelled back. “And I … with you … and I’m not bloody sure which was worse!”
Dansby’s face went red.
“All things have a price, Mister Dansby,” Alexis said. “A contract so you can’t be dismissed out of hand is fair and a thousand pounds —” She ignored Dansby’s sputtering. “— but half the owner’s share for a year only.”
“Four.”
“Half for two and half of whatever more than the ship’s current average you bring in for three.”
“Your word on it?”
“It’s Mister Dansby’s ship,” Alexis reminded her. “I’ll be going back to the Navy when this is done.”
Mynatt nodded. “I’ve dealt with your type of Navy before. You’ve your honor shoved so far up your arse I can see it in your eyes. I shouldn’t think Dansby would very much enjoy being the one to break your word.”
“Mister Dansby?” Alexis asked.
“Oh, I’ve a say now, do I? Fancy that.”
“You can agree or we can settle things some other way,” Alexis said. “I suppose I could just shoot whichever of you I’m most irritated with at the moment.”
“Should’ve never bought you those guns,” Dansby muttered. �
�Oh, very well. I’ll have the contract drawn up as soon as we return to New London space.”
Alexis shared a look with Mynatt. “You’ll have the contract drawn up and under seal in the ship’s systems before the end of the watch.”
Dansby shrugged. “Very well.”
Alexis lowered her guns, wary, but Mynatt seemed to be satisfied and Dansby, for all his griping, seemed to have calmed down and seen the sense of it.
“Now we simply need to get Miss Mynatt some medical care … and explain to the crew why she needs it.”
* * *
“Fell?”
Bowhay was watching two spacers help Mynatt to her feet and through the hatch to have her wounds tended.
“Yes.” Alexis looked up as Mynatt turned at the hatchway. Despite her wounds, Alexis couldn’t help but think the grimace on her face was more suppressed laughter than pain. She glanced over at Dansby who was making no effort at all to hide his own amusement. The two seemed quite willing to put aside any lingering animosity once it was time to come up with a story for Mynatt’s foot being nailed to the floor.
“I was showing Miss Mynatt the fine flechette pistol my uncle purchased for me and …” She shrugged. “… well, I fumbled it and it fell. Struck her foot and discharged.”
Bowhay nodded. He looked at Dansby then back to Alexis. “And the knee then?”
Alexis flushed. “Well, you see, when I went to pick it up I was quite distraught at what had happened to Miss Mynatt’s foot. I thought to engage the safety, but I must have …” She closed her eyes unable to believe she was forced to admit to such a thing. “I must have pulled the trigger instead.”
Bowhay nodded. He looked at Dansby.
“That’s the way of it, Mister Dansby, sir?”
Dansby nodded. “Yes. See that the crew knows what happened, and that Anya will be back at her duties shortly.”
“If you’d like, miss —” Bowhay glanced at Dansby. “— and with yer uncle’s permission, of course, there’s room in the hold if you’d like a bit of practice and training and such. I’m a fair shot and could, well, teach some safe handling and all.”
Alexis clenched her teeth. “I —”
“I think that’s an excellent idea, Bowhay,” Dansby said. Alexis glared at him, but he went on. “I knew she was a poor shot — rounds went all over the range when I bought that for her, and all over the corridor during that bit of business aboard the station — but I did think she knew how to handle the bloody things without shooting someone in the foot. Just glad it wasn’t worse.” He grinned. “Yes, why don’t you set up a bit of a range in the hold and see if you can at least get her to hit the target? Might take some time, mind you.”
Alexis glared at him. She’d have to shoot as poorly as he’d described and accept Bowhay’s instruction just to keep their story plausible.
“There’s a man at the hatch,” a spacer said, easing his way past Mynatt and into the compartment. “Says he’s a message from some fellow name of Coalson?”
Chapter 28
“Of course it’s a trap, Mister Dansby … uncle, whatever,” Alexis said. “I’m no fool.”
Dansby grunted. He took a moment to ease Mynatt’s leg where it rested on a pillow. The three of them were in Dansby’s cabin where he’d ordered Mynatt brought once the flechettes were removed and her wounds dressed.
Now she reclined on Dansby’s own bunk, her bandaged leg elevated, and, to Alexis’ surprise, Dansby was hovering around her like a mother hen, despite the fact that the injuries were, indeed, minor.
Once the flechettes were out, it had been seen that Mynatt didn’t even have any broken bones. The tiny darts had simply punctured them cleanly. She’d be in pain for a day or two while things healed, but there was no serious damage.
Not an hour past I had to draw on him so he’d not shoot her dead. I do not understand these two.
“Best stick with ‘uncle’ even though it’s just the three of us and Anya knows the truth of it,” Dansby said.
Alexis nodded.
“As to whether you’re a fool, well, heeding this Coalson would be a fine sign of one. He’s simply goading you, trying to draw you in.”
“Perhaps.”
“A certainty.” Dansby adjusted Mynatt’s cup of grog on the bunkside table, as though to ensure it was within her easy reach. “It was an overturned buggy, you said. What more could he have to say about it?”
Alexis thought of the short message Coalson’s man had brought. Simply a location and the words:
Come alone and I’ll give you the truth of the day your father died.
“I don’t know.”
“Was there ever any suspicion around it?”
Alexis shook her head. “Not that I ever heard. I was only … three years of age, I think, when it happened. They’d gone to Port Arthur for a time and their buggy was found on the road back. Too fast into a turn and it had gone off the road and down an embankment.” She shrugged. “Never a hint of anything more to it.”
“There you have it, then. Nothing more to it and nothing for this Coalson to tell you. He’s simply thrown it out there to reel you in.”
“But why choose something I’ve no questions about to begin with?”
“She has a point,” Mynatt said. “Why choose something from so long ago? If he were going to lie about having information, why not use the war? Or piracy? Or something more current?” She reached for her cup, found it moved, and rolled her eyes at Dansby before drinking. “It makes no sense.”
“It makes perfect sense.” Dansby rose and paced to the far side of the room. “She shows up, Coalson yells ‘buggy accident!’, then shoots her in the head. She dies knowing she was a fool and he has his revenge.” He crossed to the sideboard and poured himself a drink. “It’s exactly what I’d do.” He paused. “Well, I’d have killed you the first time you crossed me, but if you’d managed to maim me as you did him then I’d want you to die knowing you were an utter fool.”
“Would you pour me one of those?” Alexis waited, thinking, while Dansby did so. Certainly it was a trap. Coalson wanted to kill her, no doubt. But was there some way to get his information without springing it? Or to turn the trap back on him?
“Eades will not take kindly to your risking yourself on this, either.” Dansby handed her a glass and shook his finger at her. “We’ve his goals to accomplish here, don’t forget.”
“Eades?” Mynatt asked.
“Our sponsor in this endeavor. The source of your thousand pounds and not a man you’d like to cross.”
“There is that,” Mynatt said. “Doesn’t do to leave a paying job for something personal.”
Alexis drained half the glass, relishing the burn in her mouth and throat. Seeing Coalson again, the firefight, the confrontation with Mynatt, all of it had drained her. She felt numb and wanted to sleep, but Coalson’s message nagged at her. If she left without hearing what he had to say, would she ever have another chance? Was there something about her parents’ death that had been kept hidden from her, or that her grandfather didn’t even know?
Dansby and Mynatt were right, though, that their task from Eades was more important. Did she even have the right to jeopardize it for personal satisfaction? And how to convince the two of them if she did? She’d need their help, to be sure.
She drained the rest of the glass and held it out to Dansby. No, they should just sail away, forget about Coalson and resume their mission as though they’d never encountered him …
No … no that won’t work at all, now will it?
“We have to deal with Coalson,” she said. “There’s nothing else for it.” She saw that she had Dansby’s and Mynatt’s full attention. “We’re to just sail away and think he’ll leave it at that? No, he’ll dog our heels every step of the way and what then? Have him appear on some other station, a proper Hanoverese one, when we need to be secret and unnoticed?”
“It’s your heels he’s after.”
“And we’re all in the same
footsteps for the duration, aren’t we? He hates me — if he’s access to a ship, and I think he must, then he’ll be after us.”
“We can outsail him. Easily.”
Alexis crossed her arms. “There’s money in it.”
Dansby raised an eyebrow.
“How much?” Mynatt asked. “And from where?”
“Had the Navy not assumed Coalson was killed by Merlin’s broadside, there’d be a price on his head. Piracy, smuggling, murder, and his illicit trade in gallenium — how much do you think the bounty would be?”
“Five hundred pounds at least,” Mynatt said, giving Dansby a speculative look.
“More,” he said. “The gallenium with a war on?” He looked at Alexis. “The war was on when this occurred?”
Alexis nodded. “We had yet to hear of it on Dalthus, but yes.”
Dansby smiled. “Profiteering, possibly trading with the enemy — Hanover’s a large buyer on the black markets. A thousand just for that.” His smile fell and he sat on the edge of the bunk. “But he was assumed dead and there’s no bounty on offer, so how do you get by that? And how am I to be seen to collect it? Who’d trust me thereafter? And how is it all to work? There’s no guarantee such a bounty’d be issued for him dead or alive, and if it’s issued for him only alive then we’d have to turn him over to the Navy. How are we to do that in the middle of —”
Alexis raised her hand to stop him.
Dansby frowned. “I don’t think —”
Alexis cut him off again. “The Navy represents the Crown on distant stations, if there’s no civil authority,” Alexis said. “This station is quite distant, I think, and I’ve seen no magistrate for some time.” She shrugged. “I am, after all is said and done, a Naval officer.”
“You plan to claim you represent the Crown in this?” Mynatt asked. “We take Coalson and then … what? Turn him over to you as the Crown’s representative? And you’ll do what with him? We can’t keep him aboard the entire trip.”
“He receives the same treatment he would have, had Merlin plucked him from space in Dalthus,” Alexis said.
The Little Ships (Alexis Carew Book 3) Page 17
