Final Voyage of the Remora

by Richard S. Tuttle

  "So he isn't," agreed Tedi, "but he's a thief nonetheless."

  "I am bleeding," whined the thief. "At least bind my wound before I die from the loss of blood."

  "Why would we want to do that?" asked Natia. "We don't care for thieves."

  "I didn't steal anything from you," protested the thief.

  "But you know who did," countered Tedi. "I want my stuff back."

  "I will make you a deal," the desperate thief offered. "I will get your stuff and bring it to you. You just have to give me a few minutes."

  Natia laughed and shook her head.

  "I don't think so," scowled Tedi. "You will tell me who stole my stuff and where it is. If I like the answers, you will go free."

  The thief remained mute, and Natia moved forward and knelt next to him. The thief screamed as Natia lifted his wounded arm.

  "This really is bleeding badly," she commented. "You should at least have it wrapped to staunch the flow of blood, otherwise I think you will die soon."

  "It was Speedy," the thief blurted out. "I saw him come in a whiles ago with a pack and a long black staff."

  "And where can Speedy be found?" asked Tedi.

  "I don't know," answered the thief. "I only make sure that intruders don't come into the caves. He could be anywhere."

  "Not good enough," threatened Tedi as he pressed the knife against the thief's throat. "I suspect that you know where I can find him. Tell me."

  "I really don't know," pleaded the thief. "These caves run for over a league. He could be anywhere in here. He might have even left by a different exit by now. I truly don't know. Please believe me."

  "Is Speedy a friend of yours?" asked Natia.

  "I hardly know him," answered the thief. "He is a much higher rank than I am so he doesn't pay much attention to me."

  "Rank?" echoed Tedi. "What do you mean?"

  The thief frowned in confusion as his eyes flicked from Tedi to Natia and back again. "You don't know about Cracker's army?" he asked.

  "Not yet," urged Tedi, "but I am sure that you are about to tell us."

  "You don't know who you are messing with," warned the thief. "This lair belongs to Cracker, and no one trespasses down here, not even the Federation army. Look, let me up so I can bandage my arm, and I won't mention that either of you were here tonight. Cracker need never find out."

  "Are we supposed to be afraid of this Cracker?" chuckled Natia.

  "It's no laughing matter," the thief said seriously. "Cracker has hundreds of men, and he can reach out and touch anyone anywhere in Olansk whenever he wants to. You are best off to forget about your staff and pack. It's not worth dying over."

  "You have that part right," threatened Tedi. "Make sure that you repeat those words to Cracker for me. He has until morning to have my things returned, or we are going to clear out this nest of vipers."

  "You are letting him go?" asked Natia. "Why?"

  "I have to believe that Cracker must be a businessman at heart," answered Tedi. "We could slink through these caves all night killing thieves, or we can rest in bed while Cracker finds Speedy and returns our things. I think he will see the wisdom of capitulating. That junk isn't worth anything to him anyway, so why lose all of his men?"

  "That sounds like a good idea to me," grinned the thief. "I'll tell Cracker your very words."

  "Make sure that you do," warned Tedi, "because you just might be the first to die if morning comes without my goods being returned."

  * * *

  Bitsy stretched and yawned and poked her head out of Garth's pocket.

  "What is this place?" asked the little woman.

  "It's about time you woke up," whispered Garth. "I was afraid that they would search me, and my hands are tied behind my back. You need to get out of here and find Kalina. Tell her I am imprisoned, but warn her not to do anything just yet. If I am in trouble, they will seek to hang me publicly. That is when she should strike. Now go before you are discovered."

  The fairy darted up into the darkness and slipped out a small air hole high in the wall. Shortly after Bitsy's departure, Garth heard guards coming towards his cell. They opened the door and without a word hauled Garth to his feet. They led him out of the cell and through the corridors and eventually into an office with a young man sitting behind the desk. The young officer was toying with his thin mustache and looked distracted as Garth was shoved into a chair before the desk.

  "Who are you?" asked the officer.

  "I am Garth Shado," answered the Knight of Alcea. "I am a special agent for Sidney Mercado, merchant of Ur."

  "A merchant?" balked the captain. "With these weapons?"

  "I carry very expensive merchandise," shrugged Garth. "It is important to be able to protect it."

  "Yet according to the innkeeper," replied the captain, "you failed to do exactly that."

  "Quite true," Garth admitted. "I would be appreciative if you could point me in the right direction to recover my goods."

  "Recover your goods?" chuckled the captain. "I don't think you understand your current position. You were arrested for murdering a guild master."

  "I didn't kill him," protested Garth, "and I think you know it."

  "Do you now?" the captain said as he raised an eyebrow. "And what leads you to believe that?"

  "I saw it in your face when I told you about the two women," answered Garth. "Something registered in your mind as if you knew them. Who are they?"

  "I do not know them," replied the captain, "but I know their kind. They are known as the Sisters of Justice. They travel the land looking for battered women. When they find one, they assassinate the batterer and kidnap the woman."

  "The guild master certainly fit the mold then," stated Garth. "I hit him in the common room because he was a beating a woman to death."

  "That woman was his wife," declared the captain, "and she is missing."

  "Then could you cut the ropes tying my hands," asked Garth. "It is getting rather uncomfortable."

  "I think not," the captain smiled thinly. "While I suspect that the Sisters of Justice are at fault, I do not have them in custody. I do have you, however, and the citizens will expect some punishment to be delivered for the death of someone as prominent as the guild master."

  "You can't be serious," frowned Garth. "You would bring down trouble on yourself merely to offer up a sacrificial prisoner to the citizens?"

  The captain raised an eyebrow at the prisoner. "How would that be bringing trouble upon myself?" he asked.

  "Sidney Mercado dines with kings and queens," declared Garth, "and he highly prizes his special agents. He will know that I did not kill the guild master. He would never hire such a person and give him a position of trust such as he gave me."

  "The Federation army does not bow to kings and queens," retorted the captain. "We serve Emperor Jaar."

  Garth wasn't sure that the officer was telling him the truth. While he knew that the emperor was the supreme ruler of the Federation, Edmond had led him to believe that the emperor kept the kings and queens in place as more than mere advisors. The officer was clearly concerned about someone knowing of his deceit, but Garth couldn't be sure whom he would be afraid of other than the emperor. Suddenly it dawned on him. He was like any other soldier, and he would fear his superiors knowing what he was doing, but Garth only knew the name of one officer in the Federation army.

  "That is not what Colonel Thrackton believes," Garth stated. "He would take strong exception to your words."

  "Colonel Thrackton?" blinked the captain. "And how do you know him?"

  "I have known him for some time," replied Garth. "In fact, I spoke with him a short while ago in the Ramaldi Pass. He was taking quite a few men west of the Barrier."

  "I heard about that," nodded the officer. "I didn't know that Colonel Thrackton was among them. Do you know him well?"

  "Well enough to share a couple of bottles of white Vinafor wine," grinned Garth.

  The captain's eyes brightened, and Garth knew that he ha
d found the officer's weakness.

  "I am Captain Takir," he declared as he rose and took a knife from Garth's pile of weapons. "I am sure that you realize that I have just been saying things to you to gauge your reaction. A Federation garrison has no need to please the citizens with fake punishments, and we never hang falsely accused men."

  The captain cut the rope holding Garth's hands behind his back. Garth nodded in appreciation and rubbed his hands to return the circulation to them.

  "I thought as much," Garth replied with a smile, "but you did have me going there for a moment. Is there much chance of catching the women?"

  "Not really," answered the captain. "They have been sneaking about for years, and they are seldom caught. Some people say that they take the battered women to a secret place and train them to be warriors. Then they too are sent out on missions. By taking the wives away, there is seldom anyone left to complain about the man's death, but a guild master is a bold step for them."

  "What about my things?" asked Garth.

  "You are free to take them," the officer declared as he walked over to the pile of weapons and picked up a throwing star, "but I am curious about this. What is it, and how do you use it?"

  "It is akin to a throwing knife," explained Garth. "I am particularly curious about odd weapons, and I have a tendency to collect them during my travels. I found those down in Calusa. I am not entirely certain how they are supposed to be used, but I sometimes toy with them when we are camped for the night."

  "I must admit," replied the captain, "I tried throwing one myself, but I think I would prefer a simple knife. It's too easy to cut your hand on those."

  "Actually," Garth said, "when I asked about my things, I was talking about my goods that were stolen. I need to get them back."

  "Now that is a problem," replied Captain Takir. "No doubt that one of Cracker's men have your goods by now. You might as well forget about them."

  "Cracker?" echoed Garth. "Who is he, and where can I find him?"

  "He runs a band of thieves that is probably larger than my garrison," answered the captain. "No one outside his band even knows who he is. In fact, few within his band have ever met him. He assigns ranks to his men based on their skills and loyalty to him. The thieves that we have managed to catch had no idea who he is. As to where he is, you don't want to know."

  "Oh, I want to know," Garth said with determination. "I have never lost a shipment before, and I do not intend to start now."

  "I would be saving you time then if I just hung you," chuckled the captain. "There is a warren of caves underneath the city. When the Aranak River changed course, it carved out a labyrinth of tunnels along the river, and the thieves have made it their home. When I first arrived here as garrison commander, I sent men into the caves in search of Cracker. None of them ever returned. You would be advised to report your loss and be done with it."

  Chapter 34

  The Coming Dawn

  Squirt sat perched on the rigging of the Remora gazing up at the star-studded sky. The full moon was just rising, and its effect on the fairy made her feel suddenly lonely. Fairies were communal creatures, and the solitude she had endured over the months that the other fairies had been gone was beginning to take its toll. The infrequent visits from Peanut or Runt did little to ease her loneliness, and the especially romantic evening had her wallowing in self-pity. So self-absorbed was the fairy that the splash in the water almost didn't register an alarm. Almost.

  Squirt cast her eyes downward, searching for anyone awake on the deck of the ship. She saw the bodies of those sleeping, but not anyone up and about. Thinking that the splash might have been a fish breaking the surface of the lagoon, Squirt began to drift back to her thoughts of romance. When the next splash occurred minutes later, she was not taken by surprise. The fairy leaped off the spar and glided over the deck of the ship, riding the gentle currents of the wind like a kite. Her eyes grew wide as she spotted the sailor sitting in the shadow of one of the masts. In almost perfect darkness, the man sat carving words into a coconut. Squirt did not hesitate. She hovered over the sailor and cast her sleep spell on him. As the sailor's body tumbled to one side, his knife slipped from his hand and skidded across the deck.

  Satisfied that the sailor was asleep, Squirt raced for the captain's quarters, but the door was closed, and there were no openings large enough for her to fit through. Fearing that the traitor would have time to awaken, the fairy decided to waken a crewman, although she had told the captain that she would not share their secret. In deciding whom to awaken, the fairy remembered that Cirris had met with the Bringer and had been well accepted by the king. She shot back up on deck and sailed over the bodies of the sleeping sailors. When she found Cirris, she landed on his ear and spoke softly, but the sailor did not respond. Crinkling her little face in frustration, Squirt shot back into the air and dived at the sailor's nose.

  "Ow," complained Cirris as his hand moved to feel his nose.

  The sailor's eyes opened and tried to focus on the object just beyond his eyelids, but it was all a blue blur. Cirris sat up and the fairy again flew before his eyes, but at a greater distance away. He recognized the fairy, but his brow creased with confusion.

  "You hit me," accused Cirris.

  "It was not a hit," retorted the fairy. "I was just waking you up. You need to get the captain up."

  "Do I now?" replied the sailor as he rubbed his nose. "Captain Gomery isn't the type that likes having his sleep interrupted for small things. Can't it wait until morning like my report about fairies gone wild?"

  "I haven't gone wild," fumed Squirt. "This is very serious business. You must waken the captain immediately."

  One of the other sailors began to stir, and Squirt feared that the sleep spell might not hold. She decided to take Cirris into her confidence.

  "I have discovered a traitor," the fairy said softly. "I am supposed to report it to Captain Gomery, but his door is closed. I need you to open it."

  The humor drained from the sailor's face, and Cirris climbed to his feet and glanced around the deck at the sleeping bodies. Seeing the count of bodies one short, Cirris nodded his head and hurried to the captain's quarters. He banged on the door until the captain rose and opened it.

  "This had better be important," growled the captain.

  Squirt swooped down and landed on the sailor's shoulder. "I told him to waken you," the fairy said to the captain. "You closed your door, and I have captured the traitor."

  The captain's scowl evaporated, and his eyes grew large with surprise. "Take me to him," he demanded.

  "In the shadow of the main mast," chirped Squirt as she leaped off the shoulder and disappeared through the hatchway.

  Cirris and the captain raced up the steps and soon stood before the sleeping body of a sailor. Cirris saw the knife and picked it up and the captain rolled the man's body onto its back.

  "Keltin!" swore Cirris.

  "Another Lanoirian with excellent references," scowled the captain as he picked up a coconut next to the body. "I should have known better."

  The coconut had the beginning of a familiar message carved into it, and a small pile of unblemished coconuts sat nearby.

  "Is he dead?" asked Cirris.

  "No," answered the fairy. "I put him to sleep. You should tie him up before he awakens."

  "See to it, Cirris," ordered the captain. "Squirt, I need you to retrieve the coconuts he already sent out. See that none of them reach the ocean."

  "I will try," frowned the fairy, "but they are hard to see at night. I cannot guarantee that I will find them all."

  "I know," sighed the captain. "In fact, I would be surprised if he had not managed to get some by us already. He was ashore on the island yesterday and the day before. He could have carved some there, too."

  "I will try to find them all," promised the fairy.

  * * *

  Cracker's face was hidden behind a cloth hood, but the wounded thief felt the leader's glaring eyes upon him. He shivere
d uncontrollably under the withering questions and criticisms and wished he had run away instead of reporting the intrusion and his failure to stop the trespassers.

  "So," snapped Cracker, "you admit to being incapable of even minding one of the entrances?"

  "I am sorry," whined the wounded thief. "I won't let it happen again."

  "That is true," sneered Cracker. "Wait outside until I decide your fate."

  The wounded thief was escorted out of the underground chamber and into another. Cracker waited until only his six trusted captains remained in the chamber before speaking again.

  "Tell me about this loot, Speedy," commanded the leader of the thieves.

  "It is not as rich as I had hoped," shrugged Speedy. "Or at least that is how I felt before hearing the mark's response to its loss. It is only a staff and a pack full of wooden figurines. I had expected much more."

  "There is something in that pack that they value greatly," declared Cracker. "What is it? Have you checked the lining of the pack?"

  "Thoroughly," replied Speedy. "Their reaction has caught me by surprise. Perhaps they just don't understand who they are dealing with?"

  "Obviously," sighed Cracker. "The townspeople should have warned them off coming after us. I do not like people coming down here thinking they can take back what is now rightfully ours."

  "Do you think they will be back in the morning?" asked one of the other captains.

  "We could set up a welcoming committee," chuckled another.

  "I was tempted to do just that," replied Cracker, "but that is not enough. It seems that the townspeople have begun to lose their fear of us. It is time to give them another reminder about who truly runs this city. I want the marks eliminated," he declared, "and I want it done before morning. Let the innkeeper find their bodies slashed in bed. That will remind the townspeople of our power and reach."

  "I will lead it," volunteered Speedy. "They are my marks after all."

  "No," replied Cracker. "You and I are going to examine the goods more closely. There is no need to expose a captain to any danger. Pick six men to go, and include that whiner who was just in here. He still has much to learn before he is useful."