by Brian Keller
Cooper answered Balat first, to Loryn’s impatience, “No.” He turned to Loryn, “Not as far as I know, and you interrupted my shower.” Loryn looked past him, toward the cistern, her eyes big, “We have showers?!” Cooper chuckled as he wiped a wet hand across his face, “Yes, a ladleful at a time. Now, if you don’t mind, I need to finish my bathing and get to the Waterfront to see if the Sundancer has sailed in and find out whether the Prince’s flagship sailed today. How was Captain Rigel?” Loryn complained, “You might have at least mentioned that his head and face were covered with burn scars!” Cooper shrugged, turned and called back over his shoulder, “I can’t imagine why that would be important.”
Chapter 23
Once clean and dry, he dressed in his leathers and flexed all his joints to make sure he didn’t feel restricted anywhere. He continued to gain height and with the regular physical work on the reconstruction, it felt like he might have added a little muscle as well. “I’ll never be a big as Kolrem”, he thought, then he glanced east and added a silent plea, “Hang on, buddy. A few more days and we’ll get you out of there.” He found Loryn and Balat, not a difficult chore since they had a small crowd around them, everyone eager to hear tales of Temidan. Cooper interrupted the discussion, “A couple of questions then I’ll leave you all to spin epic tales to your heart’s content.” He directed his attention to Loryn, “How long ago did you leave Temidan?” Loryn counted quickly, “Eight- no, eight and a half days ago.” She looked to Balat for confirmation and he nodded in agreement as he added, “It took us almost eleven days to get there. I hope we haven’t ruined the horses coming back.” Cooper smiled at Balat’s sudden concern for horses, considering it had been a horse that had broken his arm. Cooper asked, “Were you given any indication of when the Sundancer expected to arrive here?” Loryn shook her head, “Only that Captain Rigel said that it’d take a day to off-load the cargo for Temidan and a day or two to haggle for the goods he would bring to Paleros. He said he hadn’t planned on returning to Paleros yet, but he couldn’t refuse a request from you. He said he wanted a rematch. I think he was smiling when he said it, though with him, it’s difficult to tell.” Cooper made a mental note of three days, plus another to load the cargo bound for Paleros. He asked, “Final question. Did he say how long it took to sail from Temidan to Paleros?” Loryn shook her head and looked at Balat, who shook his head. Cooper nodded, “Ok. Thanks. At least I might be able to guess and be fairly close.” He gave a brief wave and walked to the door. Rukle was close behind, his voice insistent, “Where you goin’?” Cooper stopped and replied, “Waterfront. You want to come along?” Rukle squinted at him, “Are you going out to kill someone else?” Cooper grinned, “I sincerely hope not. I’m going to check if the Sundancer has arrived, and I need to find out if the Prince sent his flagship out into the bay today.” Rukle nodded. He seemed to think about it, then replied, “I’ll go with you.”
Cooper was ticking off days in his head. It normally took ten to twelve days with a wagon to get to Kalistos. Temidan was supposed to be a little further away; another day’s travel maybe. It took five to seven days to sail from Kalistos to Paleros, but that depended on the season since wind direction often changed with the season. He deduced that the sailing distance from Temidan to Paleros must be between six and eight days, but this also depended on the wind. Allowing for three days for unloading, haggling and loading; with favorable winds, the Sundancer might have already arrived, or would within the next two or three days.
Rukle intruded on his calculations, “I thought you might still be upset with me about killing a few tax collectors. We might not all be alive next week and I didn’t want to get caught up in all that without knowing where we stood. Are we still good?” Before Cooper could reply, Rukle started in again, “I mean, I want you to know that you can rely on me. I may not have a full grasp on your ‘grand vision’ of what the restored Guild is supposed to look like but… well, to speak simply, whatever you need me to do, I’ll do it.” Cooper chuckled and Rukle demanded, “I’m tryin’ to be serious here. Did I say something funny?” Cooper took a breath and spoke before Rukle became more uncomfortable, “I was chuckling since I think that’s the most I’ve ever heard you say, all at once.” Rukle opened his mouth to retort and closed it again as he combed his fingers through his wiry, red hair. He finally replied, “You could be right about that. So, are we good?” Cooper clapped a hand on Rukle’s shoulder, “We’re very good. I was even thinking that you might have been right to kill a couple of them.” Rukle took a breath to speak but Cooper quickly interjected, “Don’t kill any more of them. At least not unless someone with some kind of authority tells you to. Hopefully within the next week or so, I won’t even qualify to be one of those people.” Rukle was confused, “What do you mean? You’re the one in charge! Even Mister Ysel and Miss Camilla are doing what you tell them!” Cooper sighed, “Everything we’ve been doing, following my plans… I’ve just been trying to get things started. Now that things are moving in the right direction, my main goal is to find someone, or free someone from prison, that we can trust to take charge. I am an Adept, not even a Master. I have no business running the Guild. I only worked to get things started because I want to put things back the way they were.” He took a deep breath, “I want my family back.” Rukle stopped walking, a blank look on his face, “I hadn’t thought of it that way, but you’re right. We are family, aren’t we?”
Even in the darkness it was simple to identify two things: the Sundancer had not yet arrived, and the Prince’s flagship had sailed. He voiced those observations to Rukle, who asked, “How can you tell? It’s dark.” Cooper replied, “It’s easy to see that the flagship isn’t moored in the same location as it was yesterday. As for the Sundancer, it’s a caravel rigged for lateen sails. That means the masts are different from the ships with square sails. It’s distinctive, even in the dark.”
He chose a wharfside tavern and sat at a small table near the door and listened to the chatter while the barmaid wove her way through the tables, serving patrons as she made her way closer to them. There were the usual conversations; the weather, the fishing, problems with Apex addicts and the complaints that the City Watch weren’t doing enough. A nearby table was just coming around to topic of the flagship when the waitress reached their table, and her voice drowned out any hopes of overhearing the discussion from the tables nearby. Rukle ordered small beers for both of them, which she placed unceremoniously on the table, the handles of both mugs in one hand while balancing the platter in the other. Cooper asked her directly, “What’s the story about the Prince’s flagship? What was its course? And how many ships went with her?” She sniffed at them, her face expressed disdain for their ignorance. Her clipped reply indicated she was bored to be discussing a topic that had already become ‘tired’. She leaned in close so she could reply quietly, “Shh! Ask questions like that too loudly an’ you’ll start them up all over again!” She jerked her head back and to the side to indicate the other customers. She continued in the same hushed voice, “It’s all they talked about for three hours after lunch. I had’a threathen ta stop servin’ ‘less they talked ‘bout sumthin’ else. Owner tol’ me anuther stunt like that an’ he’ll fire me!” Rukle smiled, “Then tell us, or I’ll ask again, real loud.” The waitresses knew she was being blackmailed and her expression of defeat told the rest of the story, “Awright. This mornin’ there was all nature of activity on that pier. Shoutin’ of orders an’ all. Sailors boardin’ that ship, an’ the two others near it. Looked like they was goin’ to war or the like. This went on fer less’n an hour. Then they jes’ cast off, no shoutin’, no big show, nuthin’. Then, when they got ta the middle a’ the bay, they lowered the flags along wi’ a bunch a’ the sails too, turned ‘round an’ came straight back. A bunch’a workers was already on the pier a’waitin’ fer ‘em and tied ‘em up quicker’n ye could tell about it. That’s it.” Rukle grinned and winked at Cooper, “That’s it?” The waitress set her tray on t
heir table and placed her hands on her hips, and replied in a tone of finality, “That’s it. These layabouts spent the next three hours guess’n and arguin’ ‘bout why they turned round. Do as you will, I’m done talkin’ ‘bout it.” She picked up her tray and left them. Rukle’s eyes were dancing with amusement. He leaned back and took in a large breath in preparation to speak to the room. Cooper stopped him, “Don’t do it. We learned what we wanted, and there’s no need to bring attention to ourselves.” Rukle let out the lungful of air and prepared to reply. Cooper shook his head, “It might be funny, but she was helpful. Why torment her? Drink your beer. I’ve still got another stop to make.”
They finished their beers and stepped out onto the docks. In the darkness, at a glance, the Wharf City looked almost like a normal city, with lanterns glowing at most doorways; until you realized the lanterns were slightly raising, lowering, and rocking as the ships moved in response to the water beneath them. Mardon was sitting on the deck of his own ship, watching them approach. When they were close enough he bellowed, “Brought reinforcements? I thought our last meeting ended well enough, despite how it began.” The large man chuckled at his own jest. Rukle looked at Cooper for explanation. Cooper just shook his head and waved him off. They boarded the First’s ship and spoke in conversational tones. Mardon was the first to speak, “Before you ask, yes, we did that task you requested. We were a little worried, initially, but it seemed like eyes were everywhere except on my people.” Cooper nodded with satisfaction, “It might not be necessary, but we won’t know that until after. Once it’s all done, if what you’ve done hasn’t been discovered, go back and undo it.” Mardon’s eyebrows raised, “Undo it?! That might be next to impossible without being discovered!” Cooper’s shoulders sagged, “Alright. Afterward, I’ll come by. Lend me the tools, and I’ll undo it myself.” Mardon turned away grumbling, “Never mind… we’ll work it out.” Mardon turned back to face them, “Anything else?”
Cooper smiled, “There always is, isn’t there? There will be a ship arriving, might be tomorrow but certainly should be here in the next couple days. I want to have a meeting. My people, your people, all of them that have a stake in our plan anyway, and the crew of this ship. Since that ship will be a new arrival, and eyes will be on it, I’m asking you to host the meeting here. Nothing fancy, and certainly nothing ‘festive’.” Mardon nodded, “And if this ship doesn’t arrive in the next couple days?” Cooper shrugged, “We’ll wait five days. If they’re not here by then, we’ll still meet. Your people and mine. Except we’ll need double the number of your people.” Mardon squinted, “Then I can expect double the return?” Cooper considered a moment before answering, “The Guild will retain ownership of one vessel; you pick which one. The Guild will place a purser on that ship, the rest of the crew will be your people. Fair enough?”
Mardon sat down on a stool to think, “Ownership means you’ll keep owner shares, am I right?” Cooper nodded, but replied, “But, we won’t dictate routes, cargo, or crew selection. Only the purser, to look out of our interests. And it’ll save you from providing someone to tally the accounts.” Mardon didn’t appear pleased, “Don’t try to make that sound like you’re doing me a favor. Twice the people means twice the risk, but I’m getting a smaller return.” Cooper took a breath before he responded, “Actually, sir. It’s the same risk, except with double the people.” Mardon stood abruptly but Cooper cut off his response, “I understand what you mean, sir. You stand to lose double if everything fails. My point is that the risks don’t change.” Mardon shook his head, irritated with being corrected and interrupted, “It increases the risks of my involvement being discovered, in both the short term, and certainly in the long term, even if everything goes right. Have you considered that? Of course you haven’t.” The big man sat back down and lowered his voice, “Have you considered… just suppose one of the prisoners you release, just one, is discovered, captured, and made to confess. What do you suppose would happen? Our assistance could threaten the entire Wharf City community! Even if we take the time to segregate prisoners as we put them on ships, which would be impractical, Guild prisoners on one ship and the rest on the other; if all the crew members are my people, then the Wharf City community is forced to carry the risk.”
Cooper was forced to question his position. He hadn’t considered that. He was loathe to give up ownership, unwilling to even negotiate it, but Mardon had raised a valid point. Cooper thought about it, “What did I really hope to gain by retaining a ship? The ability to move any cargo we needed. We don’t need to ‘own’ the ship to accomplish that…” Cooper conceded, “If you provide both crews, you’ll gain both ships, but any cargo we ship on your vessels stays off the books, and we pay a flat shipping cost, no percentages.” Mardon was quiet for several seconds while he considered. When he did reply, he was suspicious, “How much cargo are we talking about? And how often?” Cooper smiled, “Probably not more than a crate or two at a time, and most likely not more than twenty crates annually.” Cooper paused, then added, “You could stand to gain two ships instead of one, and you’re negotiating a few coins’ worth of shipping costs?” Mardon winked, “That’s how I got to be First Merchant.” Rukle muttered, “All this discussion is pointless if the Sundancer arrives.” Hearing this, Mardon perked up, “What’s this? The Sundancer? That’s the ship you’re expecting? They’re little better than pirates!” Cooper shrugged, “I’ve sailed with them, and found them to be a well-disciplined crew, though I can’t claim to have any expertise in the matter.” He cast a sidelong look at Rukle. The red-haired boy seemed to wither, realizing he’d revealed information that Cooper had intended to withhold. Mardon expressed his dissatisfaction, “And I’m to allow them to board my ship.” Cooper nodded, “That is my intent. You can, of course, refuse, but that would be the same as excluding yourselves from the final planning. And that would mean that you’re withdrawing from our arrangement.” Mardon growled, “That means you would fail in your attempt. Sundancer or no, you can’t hope to accomplish a raid on the prison without our help.” Cooper bluffed, “It would cause a delay, a significant delay in fact, but I feel certain that Captain Rigel can find other sailors in other ports who would be willing to work for what we’re paying.” The First Merchant squinted at Cooper for several seconds before speaking, “That’s where it stands then?” Cooper crossed his arms over his chest and replied, “I’m simply tired of everything being a negotiation or argument. You’ve already committed to the agreed-upon terms. It seems that now you’re simply seeking ways to increase your percentage. You might not see it as unethical, but I can tell you how it’s affecting my opinion of you.” Mardon felt the sting of the insult and stood with his fists clenched. Rukle spoke again, “Sir, I really recommend that you sit back down.” Mardon glared at the both of them, Enforcer and Assassin. He unclenched his fists and sat. His smile was contrived but still genuine, intended to put everyone at ease. He took a breath and said, “You might be a little bit right but that’s no reason to insult a man.” Cooper shook his head, still alert, “You might never tire of negotiations, sir, but I do. I have other matters that require attention. Are we done? Are we agreed?” Mardon’s shoulders sagged, “We’re agreed.” He added, “Though my son could’ve handled these negotiations.” Cooper’s eyes glinted but he said nothing as he turned to leave. Rukle chose to speak again, with a threatening edge to his voice, “I think Kinsman did very well. If it’d been me, I’d have ended up dealing with your son by default.” Cooper spoke to Rukle over his shoulder, “That was unnecessary. Come on.”
The two of them returned to the Ruins and gathered Birt, Dailen, and the Journeymen. They gathered around the remains of the cooking fire and added a few sticks to keep it going. Cooper explained, “I know we’ve all discussed the plan before. We’re going to discuss it again but this time we’re changing roles. Rukle describes Birt’s role, Birt describes Loryn’s, and so forth. The point is that if someone either falls, or fails, the rest of us will have to compl
ete their tasks.” Balat was working his elbow. Miss Camilla must have taken the cast off his arm at some point during the day. Balat spoke, “If Cooper falls, I’m leaving. I’ll go work for a spice merchant in Temidan, or something.” Cooper turned to stare at Balat. The boy squirmed uncomfortably and added, “Who would take your place? I might know your role, but that doesn’t mean I’m ready to take it on!” Cooper shook his head, “Be serious. We don’t know the layout of the prison. While that’s important, it doesn’t change the overall intention. We split up, sending two teams out. Spen takes one. I take the other. We stay ahead of Gaff and Loryn, and provide cover while they pick the locks, or open the latches, or undo whatever mechanisms that secure the prisoners. Some prisoners might not be able to move without help. That’s where the crew members come in. They’ll help prisoners get onto the ships. They’ll also watch our backs, helping to secure the places we’ve already been. We’ll be getting spread thin, probably pretty quickly, but by then we should have dealt with most of the guards and should be able to move freely.” Cooper turned to Rukle, “Subdue the guards, if possible. If they won’t be subdued, or if it looks like they could gain the upper hand, kill them.” Spen nodded and spoke, “Once we’ve determined that we’ve freed the prisoners, or as many as we can find without taking all night, we collapse back to the ships and cast off. After that, we’re just passengers. We’ll tend to the prisoners as best we can, and get prepared to unload them when we get close to the cliffs.” Birt raised an eyebrow, “Are you sure we can get in through the Broken Coast? It seems like a huge gamble on top of the risks we’re already taking.” Rukle muttered, “What do you care? You’ll be safe up on top of the Southern Cliffs, waiting for our signal.” Birt scowled at him, “I care.” He turned to Cooper and waited for an answer. Cooper replied, “It’s a risk, I’ll admit. But we also can’t expect to raid the prison and not be pursued. If we can navigate through the Broken Coast, the ships will be hidden by the towering rock outcroppings and we can leisurely shuttle prisoners to the cliffs to be lifted in the basket.” Rukle scoffed, “I’ll remember you said that.” Cooper grinned as he continued his description, “Birt and Dailen will manage the horses that’ll be raising and lowering the basket.” Naro grumbled, “Dragging chains up and down the cliff face… The rocks of the Broken Coast used to be part of those cliffs, I’d wager. What’s to say that we won’t all be crushed or drowned under falling rocks?” Gaff sniffed, almost a laugh, “Where’d this doom and gloom come from? I thought you were an optimist?” Naro’s smile was thin, “I think we’re asking for more luck than we’re allowed, that’s all.” Cooper waited for the grumbling to die down, then continued, “The prisoners that can’t, or won’t, make the trip up the cliffs can stay on the ships and sail west to Temidan. If they’re Guild, we can bring them back later by caravan, if they choose to return. But the ships run a good chance of being discovered by the Prince’s warships once they’re back out on open water.” Birt commented, “I thought we had some kind of accord now? The Prince sent his ship out to signal his agreement.” Cooper shook his head, “That accord doesn’t include a “don’t pursue us in case of jailbreak” clause. I thought it unwise to tip our hand by adding that as an addendum.” Rukle snorted and Birt replied, “You recall when Utsef remarked that sarcasm is the lowest form of humor, right?” Cooper smiled and nodded as he turned to Naro, “All right. Describe the plan, from the warehouse raids all the way through to where we ride back to town on the wagons.”