Treason's Shore (25 page)

Heads snapped seaward, then back. Another day she’d remember that and laugh. Now she just stood there, jaw jutted, feet planted, arms crossed, mittened hands gripping her knife hilts.

“Send her.” The commander waved, his attitude adding
Good riddance
.

Chim’s watermen appeared as if by magic, and Jeje, recognizing them, said loudly, “Got a boat I can hire?”

“Right at the dock,” was the answer, hint hint, wink wink.

The commander rolled his eyes at this lumbering attempt at covert communication. If these people were sophisticated international spies, he was a Venn. “Row her out, and
you’ll
report back to me before you run off to Chim,” he added grimly, causing the would-be secret emissar ies to deflate a little.

Onboard the
Death,
Fox had posted sharp eyes at the mastheads, watching the coast as steadily as it watched him. He’d expected someone to row out and demand his business; the long wait made him wonder what was going on inside the city. He was considering whom to send when at last a boat set out from the main dock, lanterns aswing at every heave of the oars.

“I think that’s Jeje,” Mutt yelled, his voice cracking. He was acting as lookout, and as captain of the foremast bow team. And then a triumphant aside to one of his cronies on the mizzenmast, “Nugget’s gonna be
fried
she wasn’t here t’see her first.”

“She’s too busy showing off for Cap’n Eflis,” came the hoarse reply.

Mutt scowled into the darkness.

Fox was able to hear the sotto voce conversation going on over his head, but the time for absolute silence had passed. And Mutt knew it.

So Fox snapped out his glass, satisfied himself that this was indeed Jeje on her way through the night-black, icy waters. He said, “Signal the captains of
Cocodu
and
Rapier
.”

Then he returned to his cabin for the first time since dawn and sat down at the desk. Two movements were habitual: with one hand he reached for the desk drawer containing the gilt-edged black book, and with the other he touched the golden case. When his fingers tingled on contact with the gold, he shoved the drawer shut again. After months without any message, it seemed Inda had remembered someone besides his damned Montrei-Vayirs.

Fox eyed the large, scrawling letters. It could be Inda’s fingers were almost as numb as Fox’s were now, but Fox read anger in those sloppy letters, and laughed. “I don’t yet know, but you’re not going to find that out,” he said aloud.

Inda deserved to sweat. How stupid he was, to even consider throwing away ten generations of pirate treasure on those fool Montrei-Vayirs, whose own stupidity had run the kingdom aground in the first place.

Fox warmed his fingers over a candle, dashed off an answer, and tossed the golden case back onto the desk as Jeje’s boat thumped up against the hull. On deck he discovered the older crewmates surrounding Jeje, some pounding her on the back, everyone talking at once.

Well aware of the spyglasses trained on them from the shore, Fox flicked a drifting snowflake from his arm and said, “Come into the cabin.” And as soon as the door was shut, “Why did you leave Inda?”

“To find Tau’s mother.” Jeje glared around the cabin. Looking for signs of Inda, perhaps? No, Inda had never left any signs of habitation anywhere he’d lived, and she’d know that. Disapproving of the row of books on the carved shelf? The golden Colendi gondola lamps, or the astonishing silk wall hanging of raptors taking flight in the pale shades of dawn? All legitimate pirate loot.

Jeje eyed Fox’s smile as he dropped onto his chair and propped a booted foot on the edge of the table. A knife hilt gleamed in the boot top, winking with golden highlights as the beautiful lamp swung forward, back.

“Well?” she said finally. “I’m waiting for your usual nasty remark about Tau. Or his mother.”

“Don’t tell me,” he said derisively. “She’s a long lost princess.”

Jeje almost laughed out loud. Fox was interested despite himself. She thought about what she’d discovered, and decided he’d have to ask. “No. That is, long-lost yes, princess, no. So where’s
Vixen
, and who’s in charge?”

“Right now, Nugget—”

“She’s alive?”

“Showed up in Parayid. All but one arm. Instead, you might say, she’d armed herself with the conviction she was now everyone’s responsibility to protect and defend.” His smile turned nasty. “I’ve been thrashing that out of her since summer. Now she’s teaching herself to move around the rigging, either to impress Eflis, or to show me up. Maybe both.”

From outside boat calls:

“Boats, hai!”

Dasta and Gillor had arrived from their ships.

Jeje turned her attention back to Fox. “She’s playing in the rigging on
Vixen?
”

“No. Maybe. After she and two loudmouths rerig the scout and finish with some sail shifting practice.” A snort of laughter. “She’ll be back in time for dawn drill. It’s for backchat on deck. We had a little brush with some of Boruin’s former friends just off her old lair east of Danai, and Nugget acquitted herself so well she’s got lippy.” Fox shook with silent laughter as he glanced over his shoulder.

Jeje grinned.
Good for you, Nugget.
She hopped to the stern window and peered through the drifts of fog. The
Vixen
was only a faint silhouette, just emerging from the island’s lee side, sails shifting with commendable speed. It would be a while before it tacked across the harbor.

Jeje fought off the strong surge of longing to see her scout again, and drew in a grateful breath of brine air, loving even the tang of wood-mold and slushy ice and a trace of hemp. No better smell in all the world.

The cabin door banged open and there were Dasta and Gillor, looking tough and weathered.
I wonder if I look land-soft to them,
she thought, then leaped up, laughing, to find herself squeezed in a rib-creaking hug by Dasta, and then by Gillor. Laughing questions, half-answers, a sudden, sharp, “Where’s Tcholan?” to be reassured by, “He’s in command of the blockade—guarding one end, and Eflis at the other. Even a floating plank won’t get past those two.”

Fox cut through the chatter. “Jeje was in the middle of her report when you interrupted. Do continue, whenever they will let you.”

Gillor snorted and dropped onto the bench, Dasta preferring to lean against a bulkhead where he could see everyone.

Jeje smacked her hands together. “So good to be back! I hate land.”

Dasta ducked his head, making a sympathetic gesture. “But you went to help Inda.”

“She went,” Fox drawled, “to discover Taumad’s mysterious heritage. And seems to have found his mother. Behold my curiosity.”

Gillor snorted even louder, though Dasta thought,
I’ll wager anything that for once he’s telling the truth
.

Gillor said to Jeje, “Was it true pirates got her?”

“One of Marshig’s gang was holding Parayid. Got bored waiting for battle. Wanted to burn the town down for fun. She offered to trade herself for leaving the town be. Which is why Parayid was only partially destroyed, unlike some of the other harbors.”

Dasta looked disgusted. “So she’s now a Coco?”

Fox’s brows rose in satirical question.

“Not her! That is, she agreed to be the captain’s favorite, but just for a while. She hated the captain’s habits of carving up crewmembers who’d made him mad. She asked him not to. When he wouldn’t stop, she organized a mutiny. Wasn’t hard, she said.”

Gillor whooped for joy. “So she’s a pirate captain? Why didn’t we hear about her?”

“Because she isn’t anymore. She objected to
anyone
being carved up. Which is what pirates
do
. So she proposed they become a pleasure ship. Hiring out to rich people who might like the danger of cruising on a real pirate ship. Nightly parties? Drink, dance, song, and fun? The pirates apparently were lightning-struck with the notion of being paid for sex. Naturally they intended to rob their customers blind as soon as the cruise was done, though she tried to explain that you didn’t get return business that way.”

Dasta guffawed. Fox shaded his eyes, but Jeje could see the smile in the corners of his mouth.

Gillor said doubtfully, “Were these pirates good looking?”

“My understanding was, no.”

“Strange.” Gillor slapped her hands on the table. “At least she wasn’t killed. So why isn’t Tau with you?”

“He’s probably still traveling.” Jeje jerked her thumb toward the rise of land. “Why are you here in Bren, of all places?”

Gillor shrugged. “Cruising the strait.”

Dasta’s thumb turned toward Fox. “Wanted to see if the Venn were really gone, and who was runnin’ things in the strait. Bren being the best harbor for news.”

Jeje looked skeptical. Why not settle in at Freedom Island for the winter and get the news from there? Something was missing. A quick look convinced her that whatever it was, Fox knew and the others didn’t.

Dasta dug his thumbnail into the polished wood of the bulkhead, his brow perplexed. “I get you were finding Tau’s mother, and I get that she’s still alive, but I don’t get your place in all that.”

Jeje lifted a shoulder. “I met Inda’s wife-to-be. She said something that made me curious. And, well, Inda didn’t need me, not after he and his king friend put together an army. So I thought I’d investigate.”

“Ah.” Dasta’s interest sharpened at Inda’s name. “So is Inda really behind the rumors about the Venn—”

“How about later? I’m thirsty now, and—”

“Later’ll do. Fox, are we leaving, and if so where to? If the Venn aren’t coming after us, I wouldn’t mind sailing back to Freedom to spend the rest of winter in comfort.”

“Give it another day,” Fox said.

Dasta and Gillor exchanged looks. They knew Fox was up to something, and eventually they’d find it out. Maybe Jeje would find out sooner.

They welcomed Jeje again and left; as the sounds of their departure thunked through the hull, Fox just waited, his expression derisive.

Jeje crossed her arms, glowering at him.

Water splashed against the hull, and the ship rocked gently. Footfalls on the deck became muffled: the snow was falling faster, masking the shoreline.

Fox broke the silence. “You were gloating, Jeje.”

“I was not!”

“You were. I suspect you’re itching to tell me that Taumad is a long-lost cousin of mine, but I figured that out years ago. That would make him the outcast of the western Deis—his grandmother disinherited because she skipped out of a duty marriage and ran off with my aunt.”

“They were both supposed to make duty marriages, I was told. Skipped out instead. Good for them,” Jeje added with trenchant emphasis.

“My aunt vanished over the border a week after my father was born, considering herself freed from the obligation of a duty marriage to produce an heir. That she was also disinherited doesn’t mean much in my family at present.”

Jeje sighed.

“So the sober branch of the Deis, fresh from their triumph at having their Joret turn up as next queen of the Adranis, unbuttoned about the family scapegrace, eh?”

“Could be you’re right.”

“And because the Adranis mimic Colend”—Fox’s expression was more derisive than usual—“Taumad’s mother flounced in expecting them to bow and smile, despite her having earned a living in trade. If you’re a Dei, doesn’t matter what you do, so long as you do it with
style
.” He leaned forward. “And now you expect Taumad to take up palace life like he was born to it.”

Jeje flipped him the back of her hand. “You are a shit. You know that?”

Fox laughed. “Yes, and so is my long-lost cousin. We’re so alike, isn’t that what you were going to imply?”

“You’re not at all like Tau. He’s actually got a heart.”

“He’s a Dei,” Fox retorted. “They don’t have hearts. They’re just very adept at making you think they do. Is Barend in yon harbor?”

“Why do you need to know?” Jeje asked. Then, exasperated, continued, “Has Inda made some sort of plan? My magic letter case got stolen.”

“Inda’s got plans, yes. I believe he’s sent Barend to raid the treasure on Ghost Island, and he was to get suitable conveyance here. Inda seems to have decided that we will squander that treasure on his childhood friends.”

“We.”
Jeje eyed him. “And you’re going along with it?”

Fox extended a hand. “I’m here, aren’t I?”

Jeje squirmed with uneasiness and distrust. She couldn’t write to Inda to get the truth. Oh, but Barend could, couldn’t he? Surely Inda gave him some kind of magical communication thing. “The Brens thought Inda’s fleet we were training was going to be some kind of Marlovan navy. My guess is, they want to get rid of Barend.
And
us. If you send me ashore, I can report that we’ll be leaving as soon as we have Barend. Then we can go do Inda’s errand. How’s that?”

Fox smiled. “I’ll get Mutt to row you ashore. He’s dying to give the back of his hand to that army glowering at us along the quay.”