by Brian Keller
He closed the door and returned to his chair, “You were telling me that you could sell me a ship. What price would you demand for such a thing?” Cooper sat back down and settled in, “I have no ship to sell, sir. I was telling you that I may be able to provide one in the future. And my price would be one night of high-risk adventure for the men worthy enough to be her crew and then to hold the secret ever after.” Surprise registered again on the face of the First Merchant, “You’re offering to give me a ship?” Cooper shook his head, “No, sir. I’m saying that my price isn’t coin. My price is dearer than that. I will need able seamen and swordsmen for a full night, and I expect that not all of them shall live through it.”
It was apparent that Mardon’s mind was racing and he rapidly came to a conclusion, “You’re offering me one of the Lukasi vessels.” Mardon examined Cooper’s face and added, “Your impassive expression confirms it for me, and there’s more. ‘Absent friends’… You’re planning on using those ships to raid the Prison, aren’t you!?” Cooper shrugged, “Would it affect your decision?” Mardon’s mind was already elsewhere. Cooper could see that he was grasping at fragments, trying to make them fit. In seconds the man’s face lit up with a grin as he slapped his palms against the table, “You’re going to collapse the drug trade and seize the ships as the final blow against those Lukasi bastards, then use the ships to free your imprisoned mates!” Cooper saw no point in denying it, “I applaud your intellect, sir. You have the essence of it. I confess, I hadn’t intended that you should be so well-informed by this meeting.” He allowed a touch of warning, not quite menace, into his voice, “In fact, it now places me in an awkward position.” Mardon shook his head, chuckling, “You may rest easy. You have no cause for worry with me.” He reached for the bottle and extended it toward Cooper, offering to refill his glass. Cooper made no move to accept, “I wish to be clear. My own people know of our goal to free our colleagues from the Prison, but not even they know the details that you’ve just learned. You will speak to no one else about this until after we’ve spoken again. I’ll accept your word on it.” Mardon’s face was serious, but there was a twinkle in his eye, “And risk losing a chance at gaining a true ship? Nary a word will come from me, Kinsman. You can be sure of that.” He extended a hand and Cooper grasped it, sealing the bargain.
Cooper stood, “That’s everything I came to discuss… and more. The next time we talk about this, it’ll be time to start selecting the crew. Give no one any indications or hints. I didn’t think my plan was so transparent. I wouldn’t want others figuring it out.” Mardon stood to see him out, “It isn’t a transparent plan. I was just in possession of enough facts to put it together. I can’t imagine what else you’ll need to accomplish in preparation, but I’ve got some people watching those bastards who’re coming and going from the Dregs. And we’re watching some of the peddlers in the Waterfront, along with a couple of shops and houses where they’re working and living. When they’re not aboard the ships, that is. When the time comes, you let us know. We’ll help bring ‘em down.”
As Cooper reached the stairway leading up to the deck, he asked, “Out of curiosity, what role does Silas play in the community?” Mardon smiled, “He’s sixth Fisher… and Third Sword. He might’ve become Second Sword last year, but he received his third cut just as he awarded his second.” Mardon paused before he added, “He’s also asked for the hand of my second eldest daughter. It’s been almost three weeks and I still haven’t given him my answer. What do you think of him?” Cooper replied immediately, “He’s a good man. He reminds me of someone else I know. I think he’d make a fine addition to the crew, and to your family.” Mardon chuckled, “Now who’s giving indications and hints?” Cooper stood on the deck and looked out across the city. He took in a breath and let it out slowly, “Like you, sir. I’m always planning something.” Mardon’s wife had joined them on deck. The First reached out and drew her to his side. Cooper gave them a brief wave and left the ship.
As Cooper walked through the Waterfront, he worried what Mardon might do with the new information. He felt uneasy about someone knowing so much of his plans, but he also knew that he didn’t have the ability to accomplish what was needed without the Wharfsiders’ strength and expertise. He was truly in a position where he needed them more than they needed him. He could only hope that the promise of a ship would be enough to balance the scales; but the desire for ships, now that he’d been presented the possibility, wouldn’t cause Mardon to initiate a raid on his own with the intent of capturing all three ships.
*****
Iona pondered what little information had been learned. She’d found no imprinted items at the quarry, only bodies. Any residual energy had faded, as if washed away by last night’s rain. Questioning the masons yielded little of any value. The description given by the one man who might have seen something was laughable. It was highly unlikely that a demon was responsible for the raid on the quarry. Though Yoren’s agitation increased with each unsatisfied question, Felis had remained silent the entire time. He listened as he walked all around the quarry grounds. He inspected the dead guards, the stockade, and even the stables, yet he offered no words. She was certain he knew something, but had come to learn that if he didn’t want to say anything, he wouldn’t.
The only thing he did say was after they’d returned from the quarry. When they reached the University, he’d asked her whether she’d found any measure of peace. Any sense of quiet. She had shrugged and told him that it was better at the Palace than at the University, quieter. At least that was true most of the time. Felis took her hand and walked with her to the Palace. They went to one of the sitting rooms and he filled an area around them with calm. She smelled bread and some kind of candy - caramel, it might have been. She closed her eyes and had even felt a warm breeze on her cheek, but that might have been real and not something of Felis’ creation; but the warmth of sunlight on her face, that had to come from him since they had been indoors and clouds still covered the sky. She had tried to focus on the sensations, and not notice as his Talent approached his limit to maintain it, but as one faded so had the other.
Felis had waited until she’d opened her eyes, then he stood and told her, “I need to get back to my studies. I can come back tomorrow…?” Though she was uncertain of his motives, she had smiled, “I think I’d like that.”
Now that he was gone, she realized there was little here for her until the next time she felt him use his Gift. She recalled an earlier conversation she’d had with Felis, when they’d first met; he referred to the Palace as a “gilded cage” for her. She wondered now at how near he’d come to the truth.
*****
As Cooper entered the Ruins, the only signs of increased activity were fresh cart tracks leading toward the center. As he drew closer, he could hear the sound of hammers; some were striking chisels, others were driving nails; both sounds distinctive and both sounds indicating progress.
He entered the primary building area. Dailen was supervising the work being done on the forge. Masons were carving rocks that had fallen to the center of the foundation, then laying mortar and adding those stones to the walls. Carpenters had bracing and scaffolding built to support that labor. Construction was moving along very quickly.
Birt was over near the excavated hole, pounding stakes into the ground. He noticed Cooper approaching. He dropped his mallet and thrust his arms skyward, “Thanks to all that’s holy! You’re here! Where do you want these walls?!” Cooper looked around the immediate space, “Approximate, right? The builders will still need to take measurements and make sure the corners are square and the foundation is level.” Birt looked at the walls of the forge, then back at the bare ground where they were standing, “Uh, sure. Approximate.” Cooper stepped over and picked up the mallet and a few stakes, then paced off a few steps from the hole. He looked skyward to make sure he had stepped in the right direction, then pounded a stake into the ground. While looking up, he noticed that Spen had chosen a vantag
e point on top of what used to be the second floor of a building, a feature that now more closely resembled its roof. He waved as he returned to the hole, then paced outward, and drove one more stake at each of the other three cardinal points. He then used those stakes to direct where he placed four more stakes, several steps further out. He then pointed at the first stakes and announced, “Vault.” Then pointed to the outer stakes, “Walls. Good enough?” Birt looked relieved. He nodded, “Better. Yes.”
Cooper glanced around and asked, “Where are Rukle and Loryn? Sleeping between guard shifts?” Birt shook his head, “Collection rounds.” Cooper’s head snapped up, “Where?! When do you expect them back?” Birt, unruffled, answered quickly, “Waterfront and Batter’s Field. They should be back in a minute, or less.” Cooper hadn’t expected such a precise answer, “Or less, really?” He saw Birt was ginning and pointing, “Probably less.” Cooper followed Birt’s finger and saw Rukle and Loryn entering the central area. Loryn was waving. He returned her wave, then changed his gesture to indicate they should hurry. He called Spen down as well and gathered them all inside their sleeping area.
As they all sat down, Rukle mentioned, “It’s getting so that you can’t walk more than a block without seeing an Apex addict. City Watch have had to almost double the patrols in the Waterfront District. The usage has even started spreading into Batter’s Field. Those Lukasi peddlers must be almost giving Apex away. Folks in Batter’s Field sure don’t have coin to spend on it.” Cooper’s expression darkened, “If giving it away once or twice creates an enduring customer, then I suppose it makes sense to do it… but that’s not what I’m here to talk about.” In forty seconds he relayed that he’d been followed and evaded whoever had been pursuing him, and had located Miss Camilla, and that she was now tending to the people they’d broken out from the quarry. When he stopped to take a breath, Rukle asked, “Who do you think they are?” He shook his head, “I’d say that I have no idea, but they were dressed a lot like us. Worst case, it’s either some kind of secret police, or Guild from some other city. Kalistos, perhaps. I have to wonder whether Lukasi has a Guild, or something comparable.” Birt shook his head, “That’d be bad.” Everyone nodded their assent. Spen added, “We need another healer.” Cooper wondered, “Another one? Who’s hurt?” Spen shook his head, “Someone followed you. How’d they know who they were following? If we’re worried about worst case, they’ll eventually catch Miss Camilla walking back and forth between Houses several times every day. That would endanger everything.” Cooper thought about it; tried to find a flaw in the logic, but there was none. Birt agreed, “We need a second healer.” Cooper took a deep breath and let it out slow, “Alright. I’ll see that’s taken care of. I expect that they’ve got people watching the North and South bridges, so avoid them. In emergency, hire a Wharfsider boat to shuttle you south, that’s how I got up here. Once our people have recovered, and we have a dry, safe place to put them, we’ll start shuttling them here. This needs to happen in the next few days. When we’ve collected all of our people here, I’ll need to send four Journeymen on two separate tasks requiring travel. Expect those trips to take from three to five weeks, plus or minus a few days. Until that time, keep efforts here moving forward and get familiar with the Waterfront. The First Merchant has been watching the flow of Apex there and he’s promised to help once we’re prepared to strike.”
Loryn asked for clarification as she glanced around at the construction, “You want to start housing people here in a few days?” Cooper nodded, “Yes. So put carpenters to work building roofs on top of some of these foundations, even if only temporary. Enough to keep the rain and cold wind out.” He turned to Rukle, “Let Mardon know that within the next four nights, maybe as soon as two, we’ll want to shuttle a dozen, maybe twenty people from the Dregs’ boardwalk to the Wharf City.” Rukle gestured affirmatively and Cooper took his leave.
It was a little out of his way, but he hadn’t looked in on Faril since he helped recover the bodies of his family; Remali, Chesim and Eva, from the Ruins. He hoped he might be able to observe him without being seen himself. Seeing Cooper would likely be nothing but a painful reminder for the man.
Cooper quietly circled the house and noticed that much of Faril’s fishing equipment wasn’t in its customary locations. As his curiosity increased, he asked a neighbor woman who was outside, scrubbing the caked-on remains of the last meal from a cooking pot, “Ma’am? Excuse my question, but how is Faril? After the loss of his family, I mean?” The old woman squinted at him, deciding whether she should answer. Apparently she decided there was no reason she shouldn’t. Her reply was a terse, “How is ‘e? He’s gone, that’s how’e is. Starting takin’ Apex and in less’n a week we ne’er saw ‘im again. Some’un else lives there now.” He thanked the woman and continued on his way. He wondered whether Apex, in this case, wasn’t just a form of ‘memory suicide’. Apex probably provided the man a way to forget, to avoid his pain. Cooper couldn’t imagine a pain so bad that would cause him to destroy his mind, but he knew how close Faril was to his family. He thought, “I suppose some people are simply pre-disposed to internalize their sorrows.” Yet another occasion when he might understand something but not agree with it. He was so lost in thought that he’d already taken his third step onto the South Bridge before he realized where he was.
He resisted the urge to look around. If he’d been seen then it was already too late but if not, one of the quickest ways to be noticed in a crowd is to make unusual movements. He tucked his chin, allowing his hood to fall further to conceal his features, and attempted to blend in with the crowd. As soon as he’d crossed the bridge, he hustled into the Trade Quarter. He didn’t run, he just increased his pace, as if he had somewhere he needed to be and was relieved to be free from the press of people. He knew the Trade Quarter even better than he knew Batter’s Field, and Batter’s Field had been his home for almost six years. He stepped off the street and through spaces between buildings. If the spaces were wider, they might even be called alleys but as it was it would take a determined individual to pass through with anything larger than a wheelbarrow. These passages were a nearly perfect solution for restricting the movement of anyone that might be following him. After passing through several such gaps and observing no one, he felt confident that he wasn’t being followed. He continued on his way to Miller’s Flats, but not by the most direct route.
Upon arriving at the first House, he met with Miss Camilla. She told him, “There isn’t much left for me to do for most of these people. From this point forward most of them require nothing more than enough exercise to stay limber, rest and a good diet. There are a few, however…” She let her speech trail off. Cooper told her, “I’ve spoken with some of the others; they’ve convinced me that we need to hire a healer for the other House.” She stood a little straighter, “And how have they convinced you that is necessary?” He allowed himself a small smile, “Two reasons, Miss. First, there was a group of unknown people following me. We should assume they are looking for us. If you’re making several trips between Houses on a daily basis, it’s just a matter of time when you’re discovered and perhaps lead them right to us or worse, they attack you.” She considered this and then noted, “You said there were two reasons…?” He nodded, “We’re leaving from here in a couple days. As soon as you feel they’re ready to move, in fact. But only Guild people are moving. The others will stay in the House by the Brickmaker’s. We’ll need a second healer, since you’ll be looking at which structure you want for your own.” She tilted her head slightly, “In the Ruins.” He confirmed, “Yes, miss. Despite what you may believe, or may have heard in the past, the Ruins are safe now. Or at least safer than anywhere else in the city, for us.” Camilla looked doubtful, but she added, “Cooper, you’re a full Adept now, and you seem to be in charge of most of these efforts… I think you can just call me “Camilla”, don’t you?” He shrugged, “Force of habit, I suppose, miss.” He grinned, realizing he’d done it again, then adde
d, “Besides, it feels comfortable.”
As he turned to leave Miss Camilla spoke, “You know, many of those people in the other House can’t return to their former lives. They were sentenced to work camps.” Cooper looked over his shoulder, smiling, “I know. I’ll be speaking with them individually while Naro and Balat go hire a healer. Depending on what they did before they were sentenced, we might be able to offer them employment, if they want it.”
Cooper stepped away from her to speak with Balat, “Come with me to the other House. We can talk on the way.” Balat looked pleased to have a reason to leave the House. He’d been closed in one House or the other since the night they’d raided the quarry. His injured arm was encased in plaster that Miss Camilla had formed around it after making sure his bones had been set correctly. Cooper explained the need for a second healer, and the reasons for it, adding, “After you and Naro come back with a healer, we’ll escort any who join us from that House back to the one you’ve been staying in. As soon as Miss Camilla says they’re healthy enough to travel, we’re all heading back to the Ruins.” As Balat collected Naro and explained where they were going, Cooper spoke loudly enough for everyone to hear, “We are hiring a healer to provide treatment for the next several days. This person will not know who you are or how you came to be here. I think I don’t need to explain why it’s as important to you as it is to the rest of us that this person remains uninformed of those details. Agreed?” There were collective mutters of assent from everyone.
By the time Naro and Balat returned, he had spoken to all but four of the recovering people and so far only three had rejected his offer of employment. He had assured them that the Guild would provide this House with a healer along with food and water for another ten days or so. After that, they’d be on their own. Each of those three people had graciously thanked him for freeing them, and for their subsequent care, but remained firm in their desire to remain unaffiliated with the Guild. Considering what had happened to the Guild several months ago, he could hardly blame them. They probably thought that joining the Guild now would be the quickest route back to the quarry.
