Rose’s well-timed knock on his door delivered him from his thoughts, but it was not followed by a promising beginning. Rose’s face was an unreadable mask, which usually meant that whatever she had to say she was not happy about nor did she think that Nathan would receive it well.
‘Out with it, Rose,’ Nathan commanded before she had even made it halfway to his desk; he had no desire to prolong the inevitable.
‘Nathan… I have here all the information that we were able to find on Daniels; unfortunately, the best source of information was the Republic’s own archives and his file has been doctored.’ She gave the outline of her report with no expression.
‘How do you know this?’
‘We have the best forgers in the Republic, Nathan – they can spot another’s forgery fathoms off,’ she told him, her exasperation at such a question leaking through her mask.
Nathan nodded and moved directly to the more vital question, ‘How much?’
‘They say it’s been pretty heavily doctored. It looks like everything after his posting to the Watham has been edited to some degree and that was two years before the file ends with his execution.’
‘So, whatever he did, it was in those two years,’ Nathan thought aloud. ‘Is any of the information after that verifiable?’
‘Perhaps. I’ve sent assets into the archives to check, but that could take time.’
‘It’s already taken too much time. Hurry it up.’ Nathan jerked his head in the direction of the door, dismissing her. ‘Wait. What did the file have down for the reason for execution?’ Nathan asked suddenly as Rose had turned to leave.
‘Mutiny. It said he tried to rally the men aboard the Fortune to mutiny.’ Rose answered instantly without having to check the file she carried.
‘Against whom?’
This time she did need to check the facts, ‘A Captain Charles Greyson.’
‘Greyson?’ Nathan queried intently, ‘Are you certain?’
‘Yes, that’s what’s written here: Greyson,’ she confirmed with a second glance at the file.
‘Well now, that’s interesting,’ Nathan mused.
‘How so?’
‘Daniels’ former fiancée is now Mrs Greyson,’ Nathan responded almost gleefully. ‘Even more importantly Admiral Greyson is a great personal friend to our dear chancellor.’
Rose stared at Nathan for a moment, failing to see why this piece of news had made him so cheerful. ‘Surely Carrington isn’t afraid of a man they tried to execute just so Greyson could have his wife?’ Rose asked incredulously.
‘I admit it does sound a bit farfetched, but I bet that’s part of it – it’s too great a coincidence otherwise. But I wonder…’ Nathan trailed off in thought. ‘Check for any major event that happened throughout the Republic during those two years and don’t restrict your search to the seas,’ he ordered once he came back to himself.
‘I’ll get on to that immediately,’ Rose said, scribbling a note on the top of the file.
‘And check the naval rosters for Daniels and Greyson around that time; they should only be in electronic form instead of paper, which should make the forgeries easy to trace if, indeed, they haven’t been overlooked.’
‘I’ll get the Saint onto it; they’ll be easy to access from within the Ministries.’ Rose waited a moment or two more to see if Nathan had any more instructions, before turning her mind to how to accomplish these tasks as she left his office.
‘Carrington and Greyson, what were you up to all those years ago?’ Nathan wondered aloud as he stared out into the blue.
Chapter Twenty-four
‘Do sit gentleman,’ Kristoff stated, turning back into an attentive host after a few beats of tense silence, and gestured to the settees and armchairs.
‘We’ll stand for now,’ Ben told him, as all his crew had taken to their feet the moment Melanie had entered the room.
‘As the Republic does?’
‘Perhaps not the best comparison,’ Ben replied carefully, feeling that there was more to Kristoff’s comment than a simple quip.
‘Indeed, perhaps not.’ A smile slowly formed on Kristoff’s lips as though Ben’s answer had been the one he expected and acted as direct confirmation. ‘Well, I hope you don’t mind if I make myself comfortable?’ he asked as Melanie moved to stand behind his shoulder where he had arranged himself on the settee.
‘Not all, if it means an end to the stalling tactics,’ Ben agreed amiably before his tone hardened, ‘now then, what did we pass?’
‘The test or perhaps I should say my standards,’ he told them as he lit a cheroot. After inhaling deeply, he continued, ‘It’s quite simple really. We had heard of some information; information that could be deadly, if used properly. Now, no sooner had we heard of this information than we hear that one Captain Daniels is in possession of it. We thought then to give it up as a lost cause, for who would Captain Daniels take it to but his precious Guild.’ He paused to take another pull. ‘You can, of course, see where this is going,’ he told them smirking.
‘But, please, do continue; your narrative is so very interesting.’
‘Quite. So, when we heard that the Guild had placed a price on your head – a hefty enough one to make even Marius smile – we realised you hadn’t returned to the Guild with this information, and naturally thought a partnership would be in order.’
‘We?’
‘Melanie and I; it was she who brought you to my attention. Although, of course, we hadn’t realised who your pilot was at that time seeing as how she was thought to be dead.’ Kristoff was at no pains to hide who he directed his last remark to and Melanie’s stiffening posture showed she knew it.
‘Easy mistake to make,’ Ben replied, brushing off the remark. ‘The dead do seem to have trouble staying so around me,’ he continued, referring to the ambiguous reports of his own death, although it had been a closer call than he would’ve liked.
‘Indeed they do, Captain, and I would be interested to know your secret on that,’ Kristoff acknowledged the reminder of who he was dealing with. Ben did find his reputation to be quite useful on occasion, and, truth be told, rather liked the rumour that he convinced the devil to let him go.
‘You mentioned a partnership, Kristoff; that seems quite a leap of logic, even for you,’ Ben sought to get him back on track.
‘No extraordinary leap, Captain; after all, you have the information and I have the means of accessing it.’ He waved his arm in Melanie’s direction. ‘That is why you are truly here, isn’t it? To read those disks?’ Kristoff threw down his trump card.
Ben ignored the last remark and focused on getting as much information out of Kristoff as possible while surrendering as little as he could in return, although it did appear that Kristoff knew everything anyway. ‘If a partnership was what you sought, why the charade?’ he questioned.
‘A test of sorts. I don’t go into partnership with just anybody, you know.’
‘I’m honoured, then, that you would consider me,’ Ben mocked lightly, ‘Tell me, what did I do to deserve this honour?’
‘You are an unpredictable, intelligent man, Captain Daniels, who thinks well on his feet and fights even better. What more would I want in an ally?’
‘I would think trust rates quite highly.’
‘Trust? Who can really trust another human being, Daniels, after all we do to each other?’ It was Kristoff’s turn to mock.
‘Then they were your men following us? And at the tavern too? Was that another test?’
‘Very astute of you, Captain.’ Kristoff inclined his head in acknowledgement.
‘And, suppose I accept this offer of partnership, what then?’
‘Then we get to work on those disks.’ Kristoff leaned forward in anticipation.
‘Guarantees, Kristoff; I need guarantees,’ Ben pressed, when Kristoff obviously ignored th
e soft opening for negotiations.
‘Guarantees that I won’t throw you to the sharks that surround these waters? You’re not well liked here, Daniels, and more than one wardlord would pay a pretty sum for your head, not to mention the opportunity to tear apart that relic you sail in,’ Kristoff warned him.
‘So then, it’s a case of partner with you or never leave Abantos alive?’ Ben asked.
‘I wouldn’t quite put it like that.’
Ben exchanged looks with each member of his crew before he nodded and turned back to Kristoff. ‘It seems you leave me no choice.’
‘Excellent.’ Kristoff held out his left hand expectantly.
‘You don’t think I would actually bring the disks here did you, Kristoff?’ Ben asked with a cavalier grin, as if he hadn’t just entered into a deal with a shark.
‘Then I am quite at a loss as to how you thought Melanie here could decode them for you,’ Kristoff said somewhat impatiently.
‘If she had been interested, we would’ve settled that separately. Do you honestly think I would’ve welcomed any additional claims on the prize if I didn’t have to? You, my friend, were a wrinkle I’d hoped to avoid,’ Ben explained as he settled himself into one of the armchairs, with his legs over one arm and his back against the other – the epitome of ease.
‘Well, now you are settling the matter with me; Melanie doesn’t do any work without my authorisation. So, Captain, where are the disks?’
Ben looked up in mock surprise, ‘Why back on the Coelacanth, of course!’ he declared.
‘Then someone is going to have to go and retrieve them,’ Kristoff ground out through gritted teeth.
‘Probably, although she could work on them on the Coelacanth, of course,’ Ben suggested.
‘Do I look like a fool, Daniels?’
‘Well…’ Ben paused for a moment and then, as if deciding against answering that, continued in a slightly different vein, ‘I guess I’ll have to go then.’
‘Really, Daniels, you do think me stupid. You are staying here where I can keep an eye on you. Send one of your crew.’
‘How do you know they won’t just leave me behind to my own mess?’ Ben countered.
‘Their loyalty is almost as legendary as your stupidity,’ Kristoff scoffed.
‘Well, there goes “unpredictable, intelligent man”,’ Ben sighed.
Kristoff smirked. ‘And, of course, Melanie and Wilks will accompany them, so you needn’t worry for their safety.’
‘Sophie, you up for it? A chance to catch up, maybe?’
‘I think not, family reunions can wait until the work is done,’ Kristoff cut in coldly before Sophie could respond. ‘Your first mate will suffice.’
‘Looks like you’re up, Dunc; don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.’
Duncan gave a jaunty salute and moved towards the door, ‘Shall we?’ he asked, holding it open for Melanie. Opening the door somewhat unexpectedly revealed the number of guards that had amassed outside the room while they had been talking.
Kristoff merely lifted an eyebrow and smirked in response to Daniels’ look as if to say: see we are not quite so unguarded as you thought.
Duncan groaned internally at the thought of the mess he was sure to find when he got back after those two had finished one-upping each other, before he decided to focus on his own immediate problems as he walked out of the room. After all, he only had until he reached the Coelacanth to come up with a plan. So much for not being the one coming up with the crazy plans, he thought derisively.
***
‘Duncan’s coming out!’ Zhe exclaimed excitedly. After hours of nothing visual or audio from the crew in Abantos, the mood back on the Coelacanth had been grim.
‘Sophie’s with him,’ Simon added as he leaned eagerly in towards the monitors.
‘That’s not Sophie.’ Blue’s contradiction confirmed Zhe’s own thoughts on the matter. The woman had Sophie’s face, but was definitely not her in movement or, as the zoomed-in picture showed, expression.
‘Holy shit!’
‘It must be Melanie,’ Zhe thought aloud.
‘That damn woman has been spending far too much time with the captain,’ Blue grumbled, ‘between the two of them it’s amazing that we get any details at all. Hmph, twins.’
‘That’s just uncanny.’ Simon peered at the monitor trying to take in every detail.
‘Where’s the captain?’ Zhe asked as the implications dawned on her, ‘And the rest of the crew?’
‘And who is that with them?’ Simon added, pointing at the third figure.
‘Wilks. Didn’t he say his name was Wilks? The one who took them in.’ Zhe was certain that it was the same man.
‘The lass is right,’ Blue agreed, ‘but the real question is what is going on?’
‘It’s not right, whatever it is,’ Simon asserted. ‘They wouldn’t split up voluntarily like that; two and two maybe, but not Dunc by himself.’
‘If he would only say something, he’s got to know we’re listening now.’
‘Why don’t we make the first communication?’ Simon asked suddenly, leaning forward to switch the comm. to send and receive instead of just receive.
‘Don’t do that!’ Blue swatted his hand away from the controls. ‘We don’t know the reason behind his silence, so, until we get definite communication from him, we’ll not say a word.’
‘But what harm could it do? Either he hears us or doesn’t,’ Simon persisted.
‘And just who else might hear us? Can you answer that?’ Blue waited for Simon’s shake of the head before continuing. ‘We don’t know what went on in Kristoff’s HQ; they could have found the comm. links and are waiting for us to betray ourselves to them,’ he explained.
Zhe ignored her companions, and their theories on what could’ve happened during the communications blackout, and focused on the man on the screen. She didn’t know Duncan well, she acknowledged, but maybe she could just get a sense from watching him of how he felt about the situation.
‘Zhe?’ Blue called her, ‘do you have something?’
‘He’s not in a rush,’ she said, not looking away from the monitors, ‘he’s stalling, I think.’
‘Stalling whom for what?’ Simon asked.
‘Them, I think; it looks he’s walking deliberately slower than Wilks, and, although Melanie is keeping pace with him, I’m sure it’s slower than normal and with more swagger. It kind of looks like…’ Zhe trailed off.
‘Like what?’ Blue encouraged.
‘Like he’s mimicking the captain, when the captain is pulling his… idiot act.’ Zhe paused slightly before naming the way the captain behaved sometimes, not being too certain what she should call it, if anything.
‘You know he kind of does look like Ben a bit, with that laid-back aura,’ Simon agreed after staring at the screen some more.
‘So, I guess they’re not friendlies then,’ Blue commented.
‘Why doesn’t he give us a sign?’ Simon asked in frustration. ‘Surely he must know we’re here.’
***
Duncan, for his part, was aware that he must be back in range for the Coelacanth to detect him, but he was at something of a loss as to how to explain the situation to them. So far, he'd been silent since they’d left Ben and the others behind. Wilks certainly didn’t seem to be in any mood to talk, and, while Melanie didn’t give the impression she didn’t want to talk, it seemed to be more a case of her not having anything to say to him. So, to start talking now would be conspicuous at least, or at most would tip them off as to his ability to communicate with the Coelacanth. He decided after a few more moments of silence that saying anything would be preferable to saying nothing.
‘So, twins, huh? I’ve got tell you that I didn’t see that one coming,’ he observed conversationally to Melanie, not really expecting a response.
While not expecting to have got a response, Duncan didn’t let this turn of events faze him; in fact, it encouraged him.
‘Regrets at how things turn out can motivate a lot of people to do strange things,’ he made an opening gambit to see where she truly stood in all of this. He had been observing her quite closely from the moment she stepped into Kristoff’s office and he got the distinct impression that she didn’t like Kristoff as much as she was beholden to him.
‘Regret is weakness and weakness can be exploited,’ she answered him without emotion.
‘I would imagine that Kristoff demands all such weaknesses to be purged to prevent such exploitation.’
‘Liabilities need to be neutralised,’ Melanie agreed in the same tone.
‘Like sharp eyes being put out?’ Duncan couldn’t help but reference Elise’s situation.
Melanie took a moment before replying to that. ‘One should always have a care to know what is tolerated and what is not tolerated by those who would hold us in their power,’ she finally responded, but then, perhaps realising she may have said too much, she added swiftly, ‘It must be the same with your captain; there are things that he will not accept and rules, which result in punishment when broken.’
‘True, but one always hopes that the punishment no more than equals the crime. I have the benefit of serving under a captain who would not punish me for a feeling.’
‘Then you are, indeed, truly fortunate.’
Duncan nodded, ‘Good men are hard to come by.’
‘Harder than you know,’ Melanie’s murmured response seemed to be more an unintentional expression of her thoughts than a true reply meant for Duncan, but it was one that gave him great insight. He now knew he had to prove himself, and, more importantly, Ben, to be good men in the time that it took to get back to the Coelacanth.
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