Privateer (The Five Kingdoms #1)

by Robin Roseau

  Three minutes later found me outside Glora's door. I was nervous. Rani had been upset with me. I hoped that had faded. I knocked quietly, not wanting to wake anyone. I heard movement inside, and then the door opened. Minori peered out.

  "Good evening, Captain," she said. "We're all asleep."

  "I am sorry to wake you. I was hoping your aunt had forgiven me by now and would join me."

  "She's not here."

  "Excuse me?"

  "She and mama are in the mess."

  "Oh, that's all right. Thank you, Minori. You understand you are confined below decks until morning."

  "Yes, Captain. Commander Halfheart was very clear."

  The seamen posted at the top of the passageway would be clear as well, if necessary.

  "Good night then. I will see you in the morning.

  "Captain, have we arrived?"

  "Yes, Minori."

  She stepped out into the hallway, closing the door behind her. "Do you love my aunt?"

  I had forgotten how intrusive her questions could be. "I don't know, Minori. I am very fond of her."

  "Are you going to hurt her? I never knew her last girlfriend, but I knew she was very hurt."

  "I don't plan to. Clearly there are difficulties."

  "If you loved her, wouldn't you find a solution to these difficulties?"

  "Some problems can't be solved, Minori."

  "Is it true that if you can not solve one problem, perhaps you aren't solving the right problem?"

  I stared at Minori. "How did you become so smart?"

  "Please, will you answer my question, Captain?"

  "Yes, Minori. Sometimes that is true."

  "What are the difficulties?"

  "I can only keep your aunt until her ransom is paid," I explained. "Once the ransom is paid, she must leave the ship. And I can not ask your aunt to partake in what we do while we are raiding your country."

  "I thought you promised you weren't doing that anymore. Are you going to break your promises?"

  "We aren't going to kidnap little girls from their beds anymore," I said. "But we are still going to raid merchant ships. Your aunt understands that. I do not know if she has thought about how she will feel about it. Will she be able to stay with me after she watches me fire upon another ship, one carrying the flag of her country?"

  "If you love my aunt, Captain, you will find a solution. If you do not find a solution, then I know you do not love my aunt. When is the last time you lived on shore?"

  "I haven't spent more than a few months on shore at any one stretch since I was seven, Minori. I do not believe that is a solution."

  "If you love my aunt, you would consider that as a solution before you ask her to watch you attack her country again. She has seen you do it once. Do you think she will live with herself if she decides she has helped you?"

  "You ask good questions, Minori. I believe I need to think about these questions. Will you ask me more tomorrow?"

  "I never stop asking questions, Captain. But will you find answers for me?"

  I turned to go. She stopped me. "Captain, do you believe my aunt charges properly for her services?"

  "No, I do not. And I have told her that, but she was not receptive to my advice at the time."

  "Do you think perhaps she is growing more receptive?"

  "Yes, Minori, I do."

  I again turned to leave, but she stopped me again. "Captain, do you know that my aunt loves you?"

  "I do not believe that is true."

  "Captain, if it is not true, then I have asked a bad question. Perhaps you should consider that while you are considering everything else."

  I turned to go, then I stopped myself. "Minori, I have a question for you."

  "Oh, I like questions."

  "I know you do. Minori, do you know what would happen if we should discover one of our passengers had a very valuable magic?"

  "You are able to ask a much larger ransom for her?"

  "Much, much larger."

  "Is that what you will do with my aunt?"

  "Your aunt could argue that her magic is so small as to be inconsequential. It exists, and so it gives me options to keep her on board longer than we might. But if your father offers full price for her, her magic is not so great, and we would be obligated to return her at that price. We could argue she was worth more because of her magic, but to do so, we would need to take her to the Grey Wizards. And one does not involve the Grey Wizards lightly. Your aunt would not come out ahead. And so, I can keep her for a time, unless your brother offers full price for her. Then I will let her go, if I have not solved these problems we have discussed."

  "Is there a reason you bring this up with me?"

  "It is a very, very good thing you have no magic, Minori. It is a very, very good thing you are only very precocious, and that is why your questions are so clever. Do you understand what I am telling you?"

  "I believe I do, Captain."

  "And perhaps you do not, so I will speak plainly. You must never suggest your questions are infallible. Is that clear enough, or do I need to explain why?"

  "No, Captain. I understand completely." Her lip quivered, and I wondered if I had gone too far.

  "You are a very precocious young lady, Minori, and you will go home with your mother in a few weeks time. I hope it is not too soon, as we have a lovely vacation to enjoy. But you will be in your own bed far too soon. Do you understand me?"

  "Yes, Captain."

  "Do not tell anyone we had this conversation. Especially not your aunt."

  "No, Captain."

  "Do not fret, Minori. You are absolutely safe. And I care for your aunt. Go on now." I opened the door to her cabin, trying to usher her inside. She stepped that way then turned around and hugged me.

  "Thank you, Captain."

  "When you are hugging me, you may call me 'Sorri' if you like."

  "Thank you, Sorri."

  "You are welcome, Minori. You are a very special woman, and I hope we can become friends."

  "I hope we already have."

  I kissed the top of her head. "Everything will turn out as it should. I won't let anyone hurt you."

  "I know you won't."

  Then she stepped away and closed the cabin door behind her. I turned to find her aunt.

  She was exactly where Minori suggested she would be: in the mess. Glora and two of the other guests were there. They were playing some sort of card game and talking quietly. Rani was smiling, sitting across the table from Glora. I stepped up behind her.

  "We are nearly done with this game, Captain, if you do not mind waiting a few minutes." She looked up at me. "Do you know this game? It is called Seven to Ten."

  "I have heard of it. I have never played."

  "What games do you play?"

  "I do not. I used to play poker; many seamen do. I haven't played other games."

  "We shall teach you, but not tonight," Rani said. "If it should be that I am to remain a guest with you after you have returned Glora and her children, then I will want to play this game."

  "Is money involved?"

  "No. Only honor and the opportunity to exercise your wits. Tonight, Glora and I are partnered, and our wits seem to be holding their own."

  "Don't let her fool you, Captain," Ms. Linewest said. "They have been beating us handily and are about to win this game. If you like, you may sit next to me and watch the play. We can explain the rules."

  They explained the rules, which didn't seem too complicated. They finished the hand they were playing, and I thought that would be the end of the game, but Glora counted the score and added it on paper she had next to her. She announced the score.

  "The next hand will be the last one, unless Henny and I have a great deal of luck," Ms. Linewest said. "You may hold my cards for me."

  Rani dealt out the cards. I started to pick them up as they were dealt, but Ms. Linewest said, "It is rude to pick them up until they are all dealt." So I left them on the table, then picked them up o
n the end.

  "Sort them according to suit and number." Then she had me make a few changes.

  They began to play. Ms. Linewest pointed to the card to play. I started anticipating her, pointing to the one I thought would be played. A few times she agreed, a few times she didn't. Near the end, I disagreed with her choice. We silently argued for a minute, then I whispered in her ear, "Why?"

  "Rani is holding the ace."

  "Glora has the ace. Rani had the king, but she played it. This card is high. Glora thinks Rani has this card and thinks we're out of this suit."

  She shrugged. "All right. Let's see if you're right."

  Our ten was high, and we collected that play, called a trick. "Why is it called a trick?"

  "We were discussing that earlier. No one knows. Your lead."

  I suggested a card. Ms. Linewest shrugged. "It won't matter."

  It did matter. I took another trick, and then our partner took the next two. We won the hand.

  Glora totaled the score. "Nicely played. That's the end of the game."

  "We won?" I asked.

  Ms. Linewest laughed. "No. They won. We just ended on a high note."

  "But we won the hand."

  "But their score is over five-hundred, so they won."

  "Captain, I have the shopping list requests. Perhaps we could go over it right here."

  She slipped it to me.

  "As you can see, most of it is for clothing. And while we trust you have plenty for us to do on the island, there is a request for games for the children for the cruise home."

  "We had some, but we had several children who grew very fond of the games we had, so we let them have them. We haven't replaced them yet. I will ask the quartermaster to see what she can do."

  The list didn't contain many surprises except Ms. Bentmore had a lengthy list of things like spices and other exotic goods only available in Candora. "I don't understand Ms. Bentmore's requirements."

  "She has given me twenty crowns for you," I said. "She wishes you to do gift shopping for her. She believes that the gifts she might give would be deemed especially exotic if purchased this way. She does not have specific recipients in mind or specific prices for anything; she asks you to spend the twenty crowns on the types of items she lists but will trust the quartermaster to deviate from the list."

  "She wants us to do her gift shopping for her?" I laughed.

  "She asked if she could go herself, but I told her that was unlikely to happen. However, seeing her list, perhaps you will want to send her."

  I laughed again. "No. I will let Krissa decide if she chooses to purchase these items."

  Rani passed a money pouch to me, then a slip of paper. "Please count the contents then, if you agree, sign this receipt."

  "I trust you."

  "This is business, Captain, and should be done properly."

  "Quite right," I said. I counted the money, creating stacks of five crowns. I verified the amount against the amount on the receipt and then also totaled the amounts on the list that Rani had given me. Everything matched.

  "Thank you, Captain," Rani said. "Please review the list for the items requested that do not have values next to them. These are the ones I believe you said the ship would provide."

  "The items are fine," I said. "We may not agree with the numbers involved. If anyone is set on the specifics of these requests, then I would like them to pay for them."

  "No, everyone understood this is a request list, and we understand you may not fill any items on the list. No one feels you are under any obligation except to return any excess funds."

  "Krissa went to bed early, but I will share this with her in the morning. Ensign, you will join us in case there are questions."

  "When may we see your island, Captain?" Ms. Linewest asked.

  "In the morning after breakfast. You will collect your things and meet here. I will bring Ms. Karden, blindfolded so she does not get an advanced peek, and then we will ascend together and disembark."

  "You're going to make me wear the hood again?"

  "At least three times more, Ms. Karden," I told her. "In a few minutes, then tomorrow morning, then it is tradition when we return you when you have been ransomed."

  "When you return us, are we also gagged?" Henny asked.

  "Yes. There have been times that our passengers have had choice words for the people paying the ransoms, and that has led to difficulties."

  Henny laughed. "I imagine. I bet Ginoro is happy to be rid of me for a while. I wonder if he will even ransom me."

  "Don't say that!" Ms. Linewest said. "Ginoro loves you, even if you fight."

  "He has been eyeing someone younger. Perhaps his hands stray, not just his eyes."

  "I believe that is my cue to depart. Ms. Karden, if you are ready?"

  She stood up. I wasn't sure she would go with me. At the base of the stairs, she asked quietly, "Do I really have to wear the hood?"

  "Yes."

  "I could refuse to go. Glora would let me sleep on her floor."

  "You could." I pulled the hood from my belt and waited for her to decide.

  "Oh you know I'm kidding. I'll wear the hood."

  "Actually, I didn't know if you were kidding. I was afraid you might remain angry with me."

  "I wasn't angry with you. I was embarrassed. I do not believe you did it intentionally. But you seem to be leading me into embarrassment with some frequency. I believe when we return to the cabin, I must remind you who is in charge of this relationship."

  I fingered my neck. In spite of her earlier threats, she hadn't been refreshing the mark she had given me.

  "That's right, Sorri."

  I laughed and gently pulled the hood over her head. She clutched at me, and I made her wear it all the way to our cabin.

  "Why is this necessary?"

  "Because I like when you are dependent on me."

  "Please, I am asking a serious question."

  "Are you sure it wasn't a serious answer?"

  She elbowed me in the ribs.

  "Oof," I said. "Stop that!"

  "Answer me."

  "Honestly?" I stopped us just outside the passageway door.

  "Yes."

  "Because I am being petty."

  "Excuse me?"

  "Do not remove the hood when I tell you this."

  "Fine. I will behave. For now."

  "I was serious when I said I like you dependent on me."

  "That's a stupid reason!"

  "And because when you first see the island, I want it to be full daylight. And I do not want to cheat the other passengers by giving you your first look so far in front of theirs."

  "They wouldn't know."

  "I would. So would you."

  "These are stupid reasons. You should let them all up now if they want."

  "Well, I am the captain, and I get to make the rules. And I like to see people's reactions when they see the island."

  "Petulant child!"

  "I do hope you are laughing at the irony, Rani."

  "Yeah, yeah. Take me to bed and make me feel good, Sorri. I might finish forgiving you for making me embarrassed repeatedly today."

  So I did.

  * * * *

  Rani Karden

  I almost made it out of the cabin in the morning without the hood. Sorri forgot about it. She actually got to the door onto the deck and had opened it, but she suddenly whirled about and stopped me from exiting the passage. She pushed me backwards, then slammed the door behind her.

  "You let me forget!"

  "Forget what?" I asked innocently.

  "For that, there will be punishment."

  "Hey! If you forgot something, that isn't my fault."

  "You are not wearing your hood!"

  "Whose fault is that?"

  "Yours."

  "I don't think so."

  "All right," she agreed. "It's mine. But you are going to wear it now."

  "Fine, fine," I said. "You go get it. I'll wait right here."
/>
  She looked into my face.

  "Tell me, Sorri. How much risk do you take in this relationship?"

  I didn't think she would do it. She went to the cabin to retrieve the hood. I stood where I was and didn't step out onto deck. I thought about it, I really did. Not so much because I wanted to ruin her surprise so much that I wanted to tease her.

  But I thought this was a tease I couldn't take back, so I waited for her to return.

  "You didn't peek."

  "Of course not. And if you asked me to close my eyes as we walked across the deck, I would. But you don't trust me, so pull the hood in place. You can bind my hands behind my back, too, so I can't pull it up and look."

  I think I took her aback a little. "Are you angry with me?"

  "Making me wear the hood is telling me you do not trust me about something this small. You must certainly not trust me with something big."

  "It is because this is so small that I fear you will peek just to vex me, knowing there is no real damage."

  "I wouldn't ruin your surprise."

  She stuffed the hood into her belt. "Will you close your eyes, Rani?"

  I nodded and closed them tightly. She took my arm, and I kept my eyes closed all the way across the deck until we were at the bottom of the forecastle stairs.

  Then I felt lips brush mine. "Thank you."

  "May I look now?"

  "Yes."

  We visited the quartermaster. She looked harried but accepted the list. "I have made notes," Sorri said. "And this is an additional set of requests from me."

  "Commander," I said. "It may not be on the list, but I believe you will want to purchase additional decks of cards, if they are available, and perhaps paper and pencils."

  "Why?"

  "I believe we are going to be teaching your crew a new game, and it can be addictive," I warned her.

  She made notes.

  "We will not find everything," she said. "We will find what we can."

  "The hostages thank you for this kindness," I said.

  They both offered me a dirty look.

  "Passengers," said Sorri. "Say it."

  "Hostages."

  "Ensign!" The Captain said firmly. "Repeat this word: Passengers."

  "Hostages."

  "Rani, there isn't a single one of you who would vote to go home today," Sorri said. "Is there?"

  I sighed and looked at the floor. "Everyone wants to see your island."

  "And once they see the island?"